Lentils originated thousands of years ago in India, where they are still an important crop and an immensely popular source of protein. The first time that Alan and I took my son Ariel out for dinner, we went to Grill Express on Fairfax Avenue in Los Angeles. It was our favorite kosher Israeli restaurant. Just…
Here’s a fabulous, easy, healthy recipe just in time for the nine days (the days leading up to the Ninth of Av when observant Jews refrain from eating meat and chicken). I’ll say it here — my Moroccan Spice Girl partner is a fearless, talented cook! She doesn’t flinch from complicated recipes and sophisticated ingredients….
Saffron and paprika are the trademark spices of this dish, lending sweet, floral, earthy and complex flavor. If you have ever toured Barcelona, you know that the city is all about the sparkling blue sea and bustling port, the whimsically quirky Gaudi architecture and the grand medieval architecture of the Barcelona Cathedral, the art of…
This salad is lovely and so refreshing when served with cold oranges. Easy to make, so pretty and healthy too. Recently, I was sitting in my office and my phone rings and I see that the call is from David Suissa, editor of the Jewish Journal. I get a little nervous because I’m wondering “What…
This week we wanted to highlight the work of our online friend Ilda Dabda, creator of Inspired By Solange My children have politely told me to stay off TikTok and that’s just fine with me. I spend plenty of time (let’s be honest—way too much time) on my other social media. Checking my Facebook notifications…
A trip to Bella Roma will always be memorable. Magnificent art, awesome architecture, ancient ruins, fabulous fashion, mouthwatering food and breathtaking natural beauty. Any trip to Rome requires a visit to the Roman Ghetto. A hidden jewel bordered by the Tiber River and the Piazza Venezia, the Ghetto features amazing kosher ristorantes, old style bakeries,…
The warmer weather and longer days put us in the mood for outdoor dining. The shift in the weather is imperceptible. The day starts cool and grey but warms up a little more quickly and by noon the sun is shimmering and golden. The palm trees stand sentinel, patiently waving their green fronds, silhouetted against…
This week we commemorate the beautiful holiday of Shavuot, Z’man Matan Torateinu (Giving of the Torah). We learn Torah all night and indulge in deliciously dairy meals The Jewish people have been patiently counting the Omer for the past seven weeks. And now it’s time for their reward—cheesecake! This week we commemorate the beautiful holiday…
Imagine an Indian samosa but with meaty ground chickpeas and caramelized onion perfectly seasoned with cumin and curry powder surrounded by a fluffy, crispy dough. Many Shabbat afternoons of my childhood were spent at the Bondi apartment of my great uncle Nuri and his wife Auntie Tina. We were in Sydney, Australia but we may…
Il Bronzino’s magnificent portrait of Marie de Medici hangs in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Italy. As a 12- year-old girl, I stood in front of this painting of a young woman. The famous Mannerist artist immortalized her with luminous ivory skin, large blue eyes, sensuous coral lips and a striking widows peak. Befitting her…
There is nothing more Sephardic than rice. When Tamar Rothenberg left her book “Cancer Diet For The Newly Diagnosed” in my front courtyard, my son Ariel brought it into the house with a raised eyebrow. “What is this?” he asked with a touch of worry in his voice. “Just a beautiful recipe book,” I reassured him. …
Rachel and I have lots in common — culture, friends and philosophy. But there’s one thing we really differ on. Rachel will host a big Friday night dinner and then she will host thirty people for an epic Sunday brunch. Much as I love Sunday brunch, I’m too tired from all the Shabbat cooking and…
Is there anything like the sweet torture of the aroma of bread baking in the oven? Old South Head Road from Bondi Junction you will go down a steep hill lined with tall trees and grand apartment buildings. At the bottom of the hill, you will see the rolling greens of the Royal Sydney Golf…
For David Suissa’s mother, the last day of Pesach is the day she serves solda, an old-school Moroccan dish that transforms leftover matzah into comfort food. By the eighth day of Passover, most of us have grown weary of matzah. It is truly the unleavened bread of affliction (and indigestion). But for David Suissa’s mother,…
Mimouna is when the doors of Moroccan Jewish homes are thrown wide open to friendship and everyone is welcome to partake in the festivities. Mimouna is a joyous celebration of love, hope, faith and springtime. It’s the happy ritual that marks the end of Passover. Mimouna is when the doors of Moroccan Jewish homes are…
Whatever customs your family follows at the Seder, just know that you are creating moments of joy and pride and lasting memories From my earliest memories of the Passover Seder, the most dramatic and meaningful part was when my father would walk around the table carrying the ke’arat Ha’Haggadah. All of us would be singing Bib’hilu yatzanu…
Stuffed Artichokes for Sukkot — The Sephardic Spice Girls Way This year we will celebrate Sukkot with our wonderful friends and family here in Los Angeles. We will bring the flavors of the Shuk into the kitchen. My son Ariel called me from Jerusalem this week. He told me that he and his wife Rachel…
Whenever I’m invited for a meal and I ask the hostess what she’d like me to bring, the answer is usually “Chocolate Torte, please!” Being the flower girl at the wedding of my mother’s younger sister Rebecca to Anthony was probably the most exciting night of my five-year-old life. I wore a long white dress…
In the Song of Songs, an allegory of the love between God and Israel, King Solomon extols the fruit of the land — apples, figs, pomegranates, dates, grapes, walnuts, cinnamon and wine. And while there are many recipes for charoset, they all include some of the ripe, luscious fruits of Solomon’s verses. Symbolic of the…
When Brooklyn-born brothers Gary and Errol Winkler came to Southern California in 1973, they dreamed of bringing refreshing Coney Island-style Italian ices to the sunny West Coast. They opened several brick-and-mortar stores called Brothers Italian Ices Cafe. While the ices sold well, they found themselves devoting more and more of their time creating Italian ices…
Chef Shimi told us how he regularly skipped school to be with his grandmother in her kitchen. He told us how they made kubbah (meat-stuffed dumplings) together. He told us how she gave him an education in spices and a love of feeding people. He told us that she never revealed the secret of his…
