Rice laced with spinach and cheese and fried—spinach arancini bring home a delightful taste of Sicily. That’s where I first tried this version of deep fried risotto balls a couple of years ago when we visited to explore some of my Sicilian roots. The treat—shaped as big as oranges, ovals, Read more…
Stuffed cabbage earned its place as a beloved comfort food long, long ago—and this slightly updated version offers tender texture and more flavor without sacrificing the qualities that made this dish treasured among communities across a large part of the world. Now, I know there are plenty of stuffed cabbage Read more…
Although the most famous Jewish-Italian artichoke dish might be the deep-fried Carciofi alla Giudia (Artichokes Jewish-style), Italian Jews enjoyed artichokes many ways. It helps that they got a head start on other Italians by warmly embracing the petal-packed thistle buds after the vegetable was likely introduced to Sicily by Arab Read more…
Comfort food in a baking dish is a good way to describe kugels—and this savory, nondairy noodle version from my new book, The Essential Jewish Cookbook, fits right in. A tangle of pappardelle noodles set in eggs with some onion and spices welcome you into the kugel repertoire with something at Read more…
Oh, just stuff it! In terms of food, that’s actually a good thing to say, since stuffed or filled foods tend to be especially delightful. The slightly hidden insides and the melding of flavors always offers a little surprise for the senses. In the case of my version of Italian Read more…
Growing up, oh how we loved my mom and dad’s meatballs. And I kind of thought these were our own special food. Which they were, in the sense of connecting us to my dad’s Italian heritage and my parents’ specially tweaked recipe. But they also were not, as I would Read more…
No, that’s not gefilte fish. And that’s exactly what I love about it. Let me introduce you to my version of Polpettone di Tonno, Italian tuna loaf. It plays the “gefilte fish” role of festive holiday fish appetizer, but with more nuanced and fresher flavor. I shared the recipe and Read more…
Calzones, like other turnovers, are comfort food that can be eaten on the run. But I’ve always found them to be too delicious not to sit and savor. And although they are often considered folded-over pizzas, they do pizza one better in giving you more of the tender crust, browned Read more…
Although they are scrumptious, hamantashen aren’t the only thing to enjoy for the holiday of Purim, beginning sundown on March 4. After all, you need a little something to counterbalance all that sugar, right? According to culinary historian Gil Marks, one traditional Jewish-Italian dish for the holiday is the Venetian Read more…
In honor of holidays in Israel last week (Memorial Day and Independence Day), I wanted to feature a recipe that represents Israel in a more personal way. This one comes from a Jewish woman I met who grew up in Russia. As you might know, life for Jews even in Read more…
The love affair, if there ever was one, is probably over. Mid-week of Passover, and you’d be forgiven if you’ve had your fill of matzah. If you’re like me, you might also have had enough chicken for one week. Thankfully, folks, we have options. This year, I’m smitten with the Read more…
Although I’ve been Italian all my life, it took becoming Jewish to motivate me to make my own ricotta. Passover, specifically, bears responsibility for sending me down this path. Even though you can find kosher ricotta, getting your hands on kosher for Passover ricotta is a challenge for most people. Read more…
You might think someone whose book has “meatballs” in the title would have a good recipe not only for beef meatballs but also for chicken. I didn’t though—until now. I think it took me so long because I had some high demands. Flavorful and fresh, of course. Not heavy or Read more…
Although nothing compares to fresh homemade pizza dough, when people have good bread at the ready, we haven’t hesitated to make it pizza. Pizza pretzels, French bread pizzas, pita pizzas. We love our pizza, and, quite often, we love convenience—pizza done in minutes and on sturdier bread, which can Read more…