Blueberry Pie: Remembering Gideon’s, the Last Kosher Bakery in Washington Heights
July 30, 2018
When I first moved to Washington Heights some years back, I was entranced at the idea of living in a real live Jewish neighborhood. There was something faintly mythical about it all—nostalgic, even, for some Disney-fied ancestral past, so unlike the suburban California of my childhood. The wholesome-looking families out on their Shabbos walks. The courting couples walking back from the subway at night, smiling shyly, never touching. The shelves, plural, of yahrzeit candles in the kosher aisle at the local Key Food. (Why yes, there is a lot to unpack here!)
Introducing Panadería Brooklyn: Mexican Black-and-White Cookies
July 23, 2018
“Dozens of kosher restaurants, bakeries and cafes with Yiddish and Hebrew signs lined Brooklyn Avenue . . . The aroma of burritos and challah bread mingled outside greengrocers and bathhouses, union halls and movie houses. Mariachi and klezmer tunes drifted from apartment windows. Socialists and Zionists argued on street corners in Yiddish and Spanish.”—Reed Johnson, the Los Angeles Times
Pimm’s Cel-Ray Spritz: Pimm’s Goes to the Deli
July 16, 2018
When I was living in England, I fell in love with the Pimm’s Cup. You haven’t lived until you’ve drunk one of these refreshing drinks—made from the quintessentially English gin-based liqueur with herbs and citrus, lemon soda (which the Brits inexplicably and confusingly refer to as “lemonade”) or ginger ale, and copious amounts of cut fruit and cucumber—on a perfect summer day while watching a boat race on a river that could’ve come right out of The Wind in the Willows. Continue Reading
Rizz b’Spanegh: Syrian Rice with Spinach and Sumac
July 9, 2018
This Syrian rice dish features spinach and one of my favorite underutilized spices: sumac. This tart, lemony spice, ground from the bright red berries of a tall Middle Eastern shrub, is perhaps best known as a common addition to the beloved spice blend za’atar. Which I kind of can’t believe I haven’t featured on the blog yet, because it’s the best.
Goodbye Ben’s Best, One of NYC’s Last Classic Kosher Delis
July 5, 2018
So earlier in the week, when I covered the sad closing of Glaser’s Bake Shop, I promised you I’d be back with an ode to yet another New York institution that shut its doors over the weekend. And that is Ben’s Best, a classic kosher deli that has been a Rego Park, Queens, staple for 73 years.
Goodbye Glaser’s Bake Shop—Plus Glaser’s Brownie Recipe
July 3, 2018
This past weekend was a sad one for NYC foodies. Not one but two old-school establishments shut their doors, after 116 years and 73 years, respectively: Glaser’s Bake Shop on the Upper East Side, and Ben’s Best deli in Rego Park, Queens. Both iconic eateries, both remnants of rapidly dwindling varieties of food establishments in the city, these are some sad losses for New York. I’m going to tackle Glaser’s today—and share Glaser’s brownie recipe—and I’ll be back later in the week to share my take on the final days of Ben’s Best. Continue Reading
Kurdish Radish and Carrot Salad—and the Little-Known story of an Old-School Female Torah Scholar
July 2, 2018
Today I have a light, refreshing Kurdish radish and carrot salad for you—along with the fascinating story of a 17th-century female Torah scholar in Kurdistan.
Plov: Bukharan Rice Pilaf with Raisins and Almonds
June 25, 2018
A couple months ago, I read a fascinating article in the New York Times about the Jewish community in contemporary Bukhara. This ancient Silk Road city, located in what is today Uzbekistan, is home to one of the world’s oldest and formerly largest Jewish communities.
Spice Up Your Life: Aromatic Indian Coconut Rice
June 18, 2018
This fragrant spiced coconut rice, which makes for a delightfully different pareve side (and also serves as a great vegan main) hails from a Jewish community with a positively Shakespearean origin story.
Aquafabulous Vegan Challah: Smarter than Your Average Water Challah
June 11, 2018
What if you could bake an egg-free vegan challah with the texture of the eggy kind? Thanks to the wonders of aquafaba challah, now you can!