Normally, you won’t find me making or sipping a smoothie. Or a green kale juice thing. I like to chew my food, and I don’t subscribe to the need for detoxes or cleanses. BUT, after a season of too much—sweets, rich and bountiful meals, chocolate, whipped cream, politics, tweet-storms, everything—a sparkling Read more
At my recent talk about the rich culinary history of Italy’s Jews, I discussed how Sicilian Jews had adopted the combination of raisins and pine nuts (often with spinach) from Arab conquerors. This beloved pairing stuck and became a common dish among Italy’s Jewish communities. We offered samples of this dish Read more
There’s not much that’s truly simple about Passover cooking. I think that’s why a granita seemed like such an appealing addition to my playbook. This Sicilian frozen sweet is not only easy but also fresh and refreshing plus it requires just a few ingredients, looks beautiful, and is a versatile nondairy Read more
Early on, one of the most intriguing aspects of DGS Delicatessen Chef Brian Robinson’s menu of dishes inspired by Meatballs and Matzah Balls for the April 3 Jewish Food Experience special event was his plan to garnish my pasta with hazelnut dukka (pronounced DOO-kah). It sounded good, but I’ll confess I didn’t really know what it Read more
The Italians excel at making simple ingredients delicious, something I’ve admired over and over again on my Jewish-Italian culinary exploration. Take bruschetta. This appetizer that you find in both Italian and Jewish-Italian recipe collections is simply toasted or grilled bread, garlic, and good extra-virgin olive oil—ridiculously basic and ridiculously irresistible. Read more
A request for a nondairy “green” dip for Passover this year got me thinking about what I could make using as many fresh ingredients as possible—as well as thinking about Passover challenges from previous years. On the Jewish Food Experience Web site, read my featured post about this new original recipe. When asked Read more
Spring might seem pretty far away for many of us (I write as a wicked winter wind howls outside my window), but in Israel, the earliest blooming trees are starting to shake off winter. Marking that is the holiday of Tu B’Shevat, or the new year for trees. One of Read more