I think that throwing out broccoli stems and kale ribs is one of the great shames of our culinary lives. That’s why I came up with this simple recipe for an easy and hearty pareve vegetable soup starring greens and their ribs.
Hearty Greens Soup
Za’atar Roasted Chicken over Sumac Potatoes
On countless visits here before I made Israel my home, I’d buy giant bags of za’atar from the shuk; that way, after I left and no matter where I was, if I was pining for the sun and spice of this magical place, I could sprinkle it back into my life, if even just for…
Chewy Tahini Blondies
I’ve made these so many times, so you won’t have to. On the surface this seems like a dead-simple recipe, but it took quite a bit of tinkering to nail. Tahini has a complex molecular structure made up of lots of tiny carbohydrate molecules that cling to liquid for dear life, seizing up the way…
Yeasted Pumpkin Bread
Sephardi Jews traditionally eat foods made with pumpkin and squash on Rosh Hashanah, when they hold symbolic significance. Jewish traders also played a major role in spreading the New World gourd across the Mediterranean during the time of Columbus, and Sephardi cuisine continues to utilize pumpkin in many baked goods, jams, and other dishes today.…
New Potato Salad
New potatoes—those dug just a few days before cooking—are a whole different story than the usual varieties you find at the supermarket. They are full of moisture and will cook up very fast. Poke often while boiling, as they will soften faster than you expect.
Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Rugelach
I embarked on this project in hopes of incorporating the flavors of my Southern upbringing—pecans, bourbon—into that beloved cookie of my adopted Jewish culture. Doesn’t barely sweet cream-cheese dough wrapped around a rich pecan filling sound like a match made in heaven? That’s because it is.
Cran-Apple Jam
Jewish practice of making jams and other fruit preserves have roots in Ashkenazi and Sephardic communities. Preserving the sweetness of the season allows for special jams to be served at brit milah and other happy occasions. “In the old days,” Claudia Roden writes, “large quantities were made during their season to last through the year.…
Ritual Challah
I share this recipe with a nod to the Jewish Community Center (JCC) in Manhattan. I have adapted and used this recipe of theirs, which a friend of mine shared with me, since the first time I made challah so long ago. Specifically, she said that it was used in a Mommy and Me cooking…
Aranygaluska (Hungarian Pull-Apart Bread)
Hungarian immigrants introduced aranygaluska, a traditional Hungarian coffeecake whose name means “golden dumpling,” to the US in the late-nineteenth to early-twentieth century. This coffeecake is the predecessor of what we identify today as monkey or pull-apart bread, which first appeared in the 1972 Betty Croker Cookbook and was later popularized by First Lady Nancy Reagan,…
Sweet Socca with Strawberries
Socca is a crisp flatbread made of chickpea flour that’s popular in Nice, France. It’s usually savory and served as an appetizer with wine, but I like to enjoy it with sweet toppings, like chocolate spread and fruit. Note: Use organic ingredients whenever possible.
