In the early 1970s, the pale blue aerogrammes would arrive every month. The thin, almost translucent paper was folded origami style, into an envelope, with the front addressed to my mother in English. But after my mother would carefully open the aerogramme, the contents revealed a missive written in a tight Hebrew script. I remember…
One of our favorite desserts to bake in the summer is an easy fresh fruit galette After struggling and complaining about May gray and June gloom, glorious summertime has finally arrived in Los Angeles. And I’m so happy about all the wonderful fresh seasonal fruits available. Nowadays, we have become used to having fruits available…
This week, we wanted to inspire you with fresh takes on old-fashioned favorites My Moroccan parents embraced all the American holidays when we moved to Los Angeles in 1973. There were costumes for Halloween, a turkey feast for Thanksgiving and fireworks for the Fourth of July. For our first few years in Los Angeles, they…
As a child of Iraqi Jews, The Farhud has forever been a part of my memory and the holiday of Shavuot will always be shadowed by this tragic event. As a child of Iraqi Jews, The Farhud has forever been a part of my memory and the holiday of Shavuot will always be shadowed by…
1 large jar grape leaves, drained and rinsed2-3 cans Great Northern beans, or 1 pound dry beans soaked overnight, boiled and salted Filling:2 pounds ground beef, lamb or turkey1/2 cup long-grain white rice, rinsed and drained2 teaspoon salt1 teaspoon black pepper2 tablespoons oilJuice of 1 juicy lemon1/2 cup parsley, finely chopped2 tablespoons tomato paste Sauce:4…
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…
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…
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….
On my recent visit to Israel, my cousin Mimi hosted a family reunion at her home on a tree-lined street, high on the hill in Haifa, above the Bahai Gardens. All my cousins came with their children and grandchildren and they each brought a dish. The table was bountiful with roasted salmon, Moroccan fish balls,…
Boyos (sometimes called bulemas) are an incredibly delicious spinach and cheese pastry that originated with the Sephardic Jews of the Ottoman Empire. To say that being in Israel for Yom Ha’Zikaron and Yom Ha’atzmaut was incredibly emotional would be an understatement. Neil and I were there as part of the Sephardic Educational Center mission “Giving…
This rice makes the perfect side dish for a Shabbat meal of fish, chicken or meat. But could also be perfect midweek with beans and a fresh Israeli salad. While Neil and I can trace our roots back to Spain, the different journeys that our ancestors took after the Expulsion in 1492 meant that we…
The best thing about this recipe is the fresh herbs that are layered on top of the fish In the past, you may have read articles in which Sharon and I describe our friend group as The G-d Squad. While some of us have known each other since high school, our sisterhood solidified through our…
Confit, which derives from the French verb confire (to preserve), is a cooking method that originated in the Gascon region in the south of France. Friday night dinner is the quintessential Jewish experience. The ultimate reward for a long week of work and school. It’s the showcase for Jewish food, be it matzah ball soup…
Mimouna is the joyous North African party that marks the end of Passover and the beginning of the agricultural season. As the Sephardic Spice Girls, Sharon and I live our life on a calendar that is at least two weeks ahead of real time. We are always planning classes for the next holiday and cooking…
The burmuelos are served with lots of sour cream, honey and fruit jam, fresh berries and melon. Every year, before Passover, Rachel and I sit and discuss what recipes we will be making for the Jewish Journal. Every year, I drive Rachel crazy and I tell her that we have to make our recipes non-gebrokts,…
There is no time in the Jewish calendar that proves the unity of the Jewish people more than Passover. There is no time in the Jewish calendar that proves the unity of the Jewish people more than Passover. Every household undergoes a spring cleaning. Everyone has the opportunity to attend a seder, be they in…
this week, we share Sharon’s special recipe for chuck roast with a homemade Silan barbecue sauce. As a Jew of Babylonian descent, for me Pesach is synonymous with Silan, a deliciously dark brown glistening date honey. This caramelized syrup is combined with crushed walnuts to use as charoset. (Charoset represents the mortar the Jews used…
Maman’s Moroccan Fish recipe steams the fish in a rich, hearty, spicy, tomatoey stew. My memories of Casablanca come in snapshots. Bright blue skies, tall palm trees, the boulevard outside the balcony of our apartment. My cousins and my brothers blaring pop music. My Maman and her sister, my aunt Clara, with their perfect bouffant…
If you grew up in a Moroccan household, you know that Shabbat lunch is dafina. Moroccan tradition dictates that the first daughter is named after her paternal grandmother. So when I was born in Casablanca, my name was no surprise. I was named Raquel after my father’s mother. In a sad twist of fate, my grandmother…
More than any other food, I feel that baba ta’mar are a tangible reminder of my Babylonian roots In 1942, my dashingly handsome grandfather Aba Naji arrived in Al Azair, a village in the south of Iraq, not far from Basra. Located on the shores of the west bank of the sweeping Tigris River and…
This delicious Bak’lawa Cake is a perfect marriage of Middle East meets American pound cake. My quintessential memory of my grandmother Nana Aziza is of sharing a cup of tea with her. Tea was a ritual for her and she always brewed a perfect cup. Of course, she called it “chai,” the Arabic word for…
