I’m in the very best company as I present my Passover cooking class via zoom on April 6, 2022 from 7:30- 9 PM. I’m smack in the middle of presentations by two of my favorite Jewish cooking icons, Joan Nathan and Leah Koenig. I’m honored to be in such talented company. Truly gobsmacked, in fact. You may register for my class (It’s free courtesy of the Beth Elles) at Congregation Beth El in Norwalk, CT. by clicking here. As any of my loyal readers might expect, my inspiration for this class, called Greening your Passover Menus, is meant to inspire with encouragement to celebrate the holiday by e ..read more

The Shaw family’s tradition of baking classic hamantaschen (triangular Purim cookies) in their home kitchen has evolved into a much anticipate bake-a-thon in the kosher kitchen at Tufts University‘s Jewish Culture House, The Bayit. They call it Not Your Bubbe’s Hamantaschen for a good reason. Jacob’s Bubbe’s prayer book; photo: Jacob Shaw Maybe the bubbe (Yiddish for grandmother) of the story couldn’t decide between her fave baked goods? Hamantaschen or rugelach? Rugelach or Hamantaschen? As Shaw told me, the merging of the two became “a rugelach in a hamantasch, if you will.” Have fun with th ..read more

Borscht, a simple beet soup with roots in Eastern Europe, never held much appeal for me. So when Rabbi Evan Krame, spiritual leader of The Jewish Studio, suggested that I teach a zoom cooking session about borscht, I politely suggested other seasonal options. But NO. He wanted BORSCHT as the subject of this class in a series on Jewish cooking. And now I’m glad he did. Never having made it myself, I dug into The Gefilte Manifesto to read what the mavens of Ashkenazi food ways had to say about how to elevate the meek, pink jarred soup of my childhood memories. Photo: Liz Rueven Maybe this was an ..read more

There are lots of reasons to serve brisket on a holiday: It’s a guaranteed crowd pleaser, it’s the ultimate do-ahead entree (so much better if you do) and best of all, it’s an almost effortless recipe. Whatcha think about brisket tacos with quick pickled onions and all the fixin’s? Find the recipe below. With Rosh HaShanah, the Jewish new year, falling so early this year, it’s sure to be a hot one so I’ll be cooking my brisket in a slow cooker.  I think you should, too. Photo: Liz Rueven Not only will you avoid adding any heat to your kitchen but you can season your meat, set the crock po ..read more

There’s a new gelato place in my hometown and folks are scooping it up. I’m thrilled to see Cold Fusion Gelato on Main St. where their all natural and kosher flavors are bringing residents out to grab a cone and stroll as they indulge in refreshing gelato and sorbet. As I sat with Eric Emmert, co-owner of Cold Fusion Gelato, we wandered over to the subject of cocktails/mocktails blended with sorbet. Key Lime Margaritas really caught my attention once we started talking about adding honey to the blender. With Rosh HaShanah, the Jewish new year, coming up so early this year, perhaps a cooli ..read more

Photo: Liz Rueven When food blogger, social worker, activist Whitney Fisch springs into action she takes a stand and amplifies it via her 18,000 plus followers on social media. In response to the outrageous increase in attacks on the Jewish community worldwide, I join her movement to Bake a Stand by auctioning off my classic Holiday Apple Cake. Bake a Stand; partial list Over 60 bakers across the USA, some pro and many not, have joined as a collective of people who stand as a diverse community to fight all forms of antisemitism and hate. Bake a Stand: Bake to end anti-semitism The Bake a Stand ..read more

Here’s a recipe for Shavuot that elevates the humble pancake to a delicious functional food. In June Hersh‘s home, they are a Sunday favorite, with a batter that requires a few extra steps but lightens up these breakfast griddle cakes significantly. The secret ingredient is yogurt. Hersh knows more about yogurt than most. She takes a deep dive into the history of yogurt in her latest book,* Yoghurt: A Global History. “Yogurt was born in the Middle East when mother nature and bacteria teamed up with fresh milk to create this tangy, tart powerhouse,” she explains. Photo: Liz Rueven She discovere ..read more

I dance a little jig when I find a cookbook that speaks to me with stories and recipes that focus on local and seasonal recipes. Toss in background about the growers behind the ingredients and entries that teach while titillating and I’m jazzed to start whipping up something I’ve never cooked before. The Berkshires Farm Table Cookbook; 125 Homegrown Recipes from the Hills of New England  , by Elisa Spungen Bildner and Robert Bildner, celebrates this region in the Northeast with a focus on farmers, their personal stories and the crops they pour their hearts and sweat into. Miso Soup with D ..read more

This recipe for deeply chocolatey brownie thins jumped off the pages of Recipes Remembered; A Celebration of Survival as I spent a full weekend absorbing the remarkable stories in a book I revisit each year around Holocaust Remembrance Day. In June Feiss Hersh‘s powerful collection of individual survivors’ stories, food memories come to life in the context of personal memoir. Some, like Sara “Hannah” Rigler, recall receiving these crispy dairy-free brownie wafers in care packages from her Aunt Mary in the United States. This was while Sara tried to recuperate and rebuild a new life after escap ..read more

Flowers, special dishes and serving pieces on your holiday table? Essential or not? How about a buffet loaded with multiple family favorites? How many are enough? The word “essential” has taken on new meaning since we re-imagined Passover seders one year ago, in 2020. If we’ve learned anything, as we face another season of micro holiday dinners during this pandemic, it’s about identifying what really matters to us as families, communities, circles of friends and nations. photo: Liz Rueven As some of you who follow me on instagram and facebook know, I took a nasty spill on a paddle court a ..read more