Vegetables You Should Know: Sorrel Noodle Kugel
October 3, 2018
A while back ago, I shared with you the first of my go-to sorrel recipes. Now I’m back with the second (and, thus far, only other): sorrel noodle kugel. This is kind of at the other end of the spectrum from that sorrel hummus, but it’s equally delicious in its own way. Where the hummus is refreshing, this kugel is rich and decadent; where the hummus is quick, this—like any kugel worth its salt—takes a bit of time to prepare. The hummus is pareve and vegan; sorrel kugel is unapologetically dairy.
Sephardic Pumpkin Challah: It’s Not Just for Thanksgivukkah
September 26, 2018
Remember Thanksgivukkah? Back in 2013, Thanksgiving fell on the first day of Hanukkah (or vice versa, depending on how you look at it), and the internet went crazy. Pumpkin latkes, pumpkin donuts, pumpkin challah . . . you name it, someone pumpkin’d it.
Medieval Honey Cake, So You Can Party Like It’s 4979
September 17, 2018
When I first got the idea to start a Jewish food history blog, I imagined I’d spend a lot of time attempting to reconstruct old recipes. That’s not exactly how things have gone down, but I figured for my first post of 5779 I’d go big with a bake from the way-back archives: medieval honey cake.
Shanah Tovah from Boyle Heights: Apples and Honey Sopapillas at Panadería Brooklyn
September 5, 2018
Shanah tovah from Panadería Brooklyn! My little Mexican-Jewish bakery, devoted to celebrating the cultures of East LA through (mostly) Mexican-Jewish fusion food, is back with something special for Rosh Hashanah: apples and honey sopapillas.
Apples and Honey Pie for Rosh Hashanah
September 2, 2018
I’ve been on a bit of a pie kick this summer. It all started with some sour cherries from the greenmarket by my work. From there I moved on to peach, then blueberry. And much as I feel like I should still be going strong with the summer fruits—I mean, as of my writing this, temperatures are still in the 90s here in New York—Rosh Hashanah is coming.
Why Do We Eat Apples and Honey? Plus a Sweet New Year Smoothie
August 30, 2018
Apples dipped in honey are, at least among Ashkenazi Jews, by far the most common symbol of Rosh Hashanah. What would Rosh Hashanah dinner be without the customary pre-meal dip and accompanying wish for a sweet new year, with the recitation of the phrase “May it be Your will to renew on us a good and sweet year”?
Black-Eyed Peas: Everyone’s Favorite Multicultural New Year Food
August 27, 2018
You probably know that Hoppin’ John, made with black-eyed peas, rice, and pork, is a traditional New Year’s dish in the US South. But did you know that these little peas (actually beans from the cowpea family) are a traditional food for Rosh Hashanah too?
Gluten-Free Buckwheat Flour Apple Cake for Rosh Hashanah
August 22, 2018
If you love kasha and are looking for the perfect gluten-free Rosh Hashanah cake, look no further: this buckwheat flour apple cake is just the thing. This cake is slightly adapted from Emiko Davies’s recipe on Food52, which in turn codifies a traditional recipe from the northern Italian region of Trentino-Alto Adige. Bordered by Switzerland and Austria to the north, the area has a real mix of Italian and Germanic cultural influences, and that’s especially true when it comes to food.
When an Ashkenazi Vegetable Meets a Sephardic Staple: Sorrel Hummus
August 20, 2018
For years, I was desperate to try sorrel. I think I first became aware of it from Gil Marks’s magisterial Olive Trees and Honey, back in the early days of my interest in Jewish food history, and the concept of a lemony spinach-like green had me absolutely entranced. I adore lemon, I’m pretty solid with spinach, sorrel was THE go-to green of the Ashkenazi shtetl kitchen—what could be better?
Hazon Food Conference 2018 Recap and Zoodles with No-Cook Tomato Sauce
August 13, 2018
Earlier this month, I headed up to northwestern Connecticut for Hazon Food Conference (aka adult summer camp for Jewish foodies), at the Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center in Falls Village.