I confess that there’s an element of crazy in my stubborn refusal to buy ready made food for Shabbat. No matter how many people I host, I cook the entire meal from scratch. Call it stubbornness. Call it tradition. Maybe you can call it love. Funnily enough, I’m not that much of a stickler about…
While our sukkah is still up (too hot to take it down), it definitely feels like a time of transition for me. My eldest daughter Gabriella is off to Israel to begin her masters’ degree in social work. My middle daughter Alexandra is off to New York for her senior year of college. I will…
On October 14, 1663, the famous 17th-century diarist Samuel Pepys visited London’s Creechurch Lane Synagogue. After four centuries of banishment, Oliver Cromwell had allowed the Jews to return in 1656 and the small Sephardic congregation was a curiosity in Restoration London. Pepys was expecting a solemn and quiet prayer service, but he and his wife…
Last week, Rachel came over to film us both making Harira soup in my kitchen. She schlepped her beautiful white pot and most of the ingredients. I looked at her pot, telling her, “That quantity of ingredients will not fit in that pot!” She really wanted to use her pot. So we warmed the oil,…
When I was born, my mother gave my father three choices for my name. Sharon, Yael and Tamar. I was always grateful that he didn’t choose Yael because in Australia and America, Yael is often pronounced Yale. But I always wondered why he didn’t name me after his favorite thing in the whole world —…
As I contemplate Rosh Hashana 5787, my heart and mind are a little torn because our youngest daughter Shevy won’t be at the table. Baruch Hashem, she will be celebrating the holidays with her friends, teachers and Rabbis at Midreshet Moriah, a seminary in Jerusalem. I am so happy for her to have this incredible…
What could be sweeter than starting the New Year with a cake? The Ashkenazi custom of serving honey cake for Rosh Hashanah is well known. But in my Moroccan Sephardic family, the tradition is to bake cakes filled with dried fruit and nuts. This special recipe for a Fig, Date and Nut Cake transports me…
As newlyweds, Neil and I decided to travel and just enjoy our first year of marriage. We put off starting a family, not realizing that it’s not really in our power to decide when we will be blessed with a baby. After six months of trying to become pregnant, I felt that something wasn’t right….
For generations, Moroccan Jewish mothers and grandmothers prepared their dafina on Friday, knowing that it would sustain their families on Saturday. This past Shabbat, I made dafina and my home was filled with the unmistakable aroma of this special home-cooked hamin. This past Shabbat was my mother’s hazkara (annual commemoration), the fourth anniversary of the day…
This week, Rachel and I share our column with our good friend Jill Sharfman. She and I became friends when we were both young singles on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. I returned to Los Angeles and she moved here too. While our paths crossed in social situations, it was when Rachel and I started…
In the late 1960’s, when my grandparents emigrated from Israel to Australia, they lived in Hurstville. Their house was steps away from the Georges River in the quiet, idyllic Southern suburbs of Sydney. The only drawback was the distance. Hurstville was 15 miles away from Bondi and the Eastern suburbs, the center of Jewish life in…
yields 2 dozen 12 Medjool pitted dates 2/3 cup almond butter ½ cup almond flour 3 Tbsp cacao powder 1 ½ tsp almond extract or vanilla ½ cup tiny semi-sweet chocolate chips 1 cup chocolate chips(melted for coating) In a bowl, soak dates in hot water for 10 minutes (skip this step if dates are…
4 eggs1 cup sugar2/3 cup oil6-7 cups cake flour2 teaspoons baking powder2 teaspoons vanillaPinch of salt1/4 teaspoon baking soda Topping1/4 cup fine sugar2 teaspoons cinnamon Preheat oven to 350°F.In a stand mixer, combine all the ingredients until the dough comes together and forms a ball.Place dough on the counter and gently knead for about a…
One sheet frozen pie dough ¾ cup almond flour ¾ cup confectioners sugar ½ cup butter 2 eggs 1/2 tsp vanilla essence Splash of rum or ½ teaspoon almond extract, optional 2 cups sliced fruit (apricots, peaches, or plums) and whole berries 1 egg, beaten for egg wash 3-4 Tbsp turbinado or white sugar Defrost…
4-6 chicken thighs, deboned and skinless1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil1 large lemon, juiced1/4 cup za’atarKosher salt, to taste (omit if spice mix has added salt) Place the chicken thighs in a Ziploc bag with the olive oil, lemon juice and spices. Rub the bag until thighs are completely coated. Allow to marinate for 10…
A Sephardic barbecue is different from the all-American version with hot dogs and hamburgers. This year the 14th of Sivan, which marks the one-year anniversary of my father’s passing, begins on the eve of June 16. It feels so right that the eve of Father’s Day just happens to be my father’s hazkara (yahrzeit, for you Yiddish…
1 large sheet frozen puff pastry, defrosted and cut into 12 equal squares1/2 cup full fat ricotta cheese1/2 cup sour cream1 cup organic date syrup Preheat oven to 400°F.Combine ricotta and sour cream in a fine strainer and allow to drain for 15 minutes.Line a baking tray with parchment paper.Place puff pastry on the tray,…
3 cups whole milk ricotta (drained in a cheesecloth or fine sieve for 1 hour)¾ cup sugar3 large eggs1 Tbsp cornstarch2 Tbsp vanilla2 Tbsp orange liqueur or rum1/3 cup golden raisins1 pinch of salt In a small bowl, combine the raisins and liquor and allow to soak for 1 hour.Preheat oven to 350°F degrees.Lightly grease…
This delicious recipe, called Cassola in Italian, has many variations. About ten years ago, my husband Neil, my daughter Rebekah and I enjoyed a very beautiful vacation in Italy where we visited Rome, Florence and Venice. On our trip, we ate many incredible meals in the kosher restaurants that line the shiny black cobblestone streets…
(Spinach Soufflé)4 tablespoons olive oil, divided1 medium onion, finely chopped1 pound fresh baby spinach1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese1 cup grated Parmesan cheese2 eggs, beaten2 tablespoons heavy cream1/4 cup matzah meal (optional) Preheat oven to 350°F.In a large pan, warm 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat. Add onions and saute until they are golden brown. Set…
1 1/2 cups water 2 tsp of active dry yeast 1 tsp sugar 8 cups of flour 1 cup of sugar 1 tap salt 1 cup milk 4 eggs ¼ cup honey 3/8 cup avocado oil 1 egg, divided, for egg wash 1. Combine dry yeast, warm water, and teaspoon of sugar in a bowl….
