A rustic but still decadent strawberry dessert for Mother’s Day? Shavuot? Just because? Yes, yes, and yes, please. Ever since seeing a photo last year of a strawberry cassata, a Sicilian-style ricotta cake, it’s been on my list to try. This year’s arrival of spring’s best strawberries motivated me to do it—to create my own recipe for this festive and […]
Gorgonzola-Hazelnut Crostini
Good-quality cheese hardly needs much adornment or tinkering at all, and that’s always welcome on the menu. I think that’s why in leafing through Joyce Goldstein’s Cucina Ebraica (a wonderful collection of recipes from Italy’s Jews), her recipe for crostini with cheeses and hazelnuts kept stopping me. A little piece of toast, some gorgonzola and […]
Pasta Frittata with Broccoli Rabe, Basil, and Pine Nuts
Jews and Romans historically and spectacularly had their conflicts. But later, Jews also had centuries of fairly peaceful existence in Italy—even adopting and contributing to Italian cuisine. The holiday of Lag Ba’omer prompts my reflection on all that and a brand new Jewish-Italian recipe for a beautiful and savory pasta frittata with Italian broccoli rabe […]
Nutella Mousse Cheesecake
This cheesecake really is as luscious as it looks here. It’s just the right balance between sweetness, creaminess, and hazelnut-chocolatey goodness. It’s so creamy that I added “mousse” to the title. And even better? This is a no-bake cheesecake, making it especially friendly to the warm weather season when you might want to avoid turning […]
Mini Banana Ricotta Cheesecakes
Although I never need an excuse to enjoy cheesecake, now the time’s especially ripe for it. If you’re minding the Jewish calendar, you know the holiday of Shavuot (commemorating the spring harvest and the giving of the Torah) is coming up June 3-5. And for this holiday, we typically roll out our cheesiest, creamiest recipes, because celebrations […]