While challah takes effort and time and patience, it is the ultimate reminder that we reap what we sow. For me, challah baking is a labor of love. The magic of proofing the yeast with sugar and warm water to form a creamy, bubbly foam. The powdery white cloud and soft fluttery feel of the…
For me, Mimouna will always be the joyous Moroccan celebration of springtime, friends, family and good fortune. In North Africa, after the sun would set on the last day of Passover, Muslim neighbors would bring flour to Jewish homes. The flour would be transformed into the first heavenly taste of chametz — freshly fried mufleta…
Over the years, I have given this dish my own Sephardic twist by layering the eggplant, zucchini and tomatoes on a bed of fennel and onions, as well as enlivening the sauce with Silan and pomegranate molasses. My cousin Daniella (follow on Instagram @daniellawolfcatering) and her husband Yakov had just hosted their son Alon’s bar…
When I think of Passover, I’m no longer frazzled. I focus on feeling the joy and the new memories we will create as our family grows. The Pesach seders I spent as a young child at the home of my grandparents Aba Naji and Nana Aziza will always be the gold standard. I will always…
This week Rachel and I share two wonderful Passover (and all year round) cake recipes. When I was a little girl, I had no idea that the “Farm,” where I spent so many wonderful sunny Sundays was actually Glenfield Farm, a historic, heritage-listed homestead. The old farmhouse was a classic Colonial Georgian building with stone…
With Pesach so close, we decided on a menu that is perfect for a casual Passover lunch or as appetizers for a holiday meal. It was a hot, humid summer’s day in Naples and my family was stuck in a most disorderly and cacophonous traffic jam. My father was in the driver’s seat and my…
For my family, one of the favorites is a Moroccan olive chicken, a dish I only ever cook in honor of Shabbat. There are always some classic recipes that simply say “Shabbat.” The dishes that make it to the table every Friday night. It might be chicken soup or a brisket or special dips. For…
This year our Purim seudah will be a Sephardic desayuno, a dairy lunch that usually includes a variety of burekas, boyos, cheeses, cuajado (frittata), huevos haminados (overnight brown eggs), salads and dips. There’s an old Ladino adage Neil loves to quote every year around this time. It goes “Purim por un lado, Pesah en la…
This last week, orange made the biggest statement. Orange balloons, orange sweatshirts, orange ribbons and orange heart emojis symbolized our heartbreak, our pain, our sorrow. As a child of the 70’s, I remember orange as a predominant color. Alongside brown, avocado green, dark purple and golden yellow, burnt orange featured in clothing, automobiles and interior…
I knew my family would enjoy these fish cakes because who doesn’t love fried food? Recently, Sharon and I got to meet one of our heroes — the iconic Jewish cookbook author and food writer Joan Nathan. Our dear friend, food blogger Dana Shrager (@danastablela on Instagram) invited us to a Joan Nathan book signing…
Kubbah is the jewel of the Babylonian Jewish kitchen. I was a Sabra, with an ancient Babylonian Jewish lineage, transplanted to the very British environs of the southern suburbs of Sydney, Australia. At Kirrawee Public School, I wore a light brown plaid school uniform. I attended the compulsory Church of England scripture class and took…
This versatile cake recipe works with so many ingredients, like fresh blueberries, raspberries and blackberries in the winter and stone fruit in the summer. One of my most memorable Shabbat luncheons was spent at the picturesque Ruth Rimonim Hotel in the heart of the Old City of T’zfat (Safed) in August 2015. The hotel, which…
Here’s a delightful citrusy lemon cake with that perfect crumb and luscious, creamy meringue My aunt Clara, my father’s older sister, was tall, thin and beautiful, with blue eyes and platinum blonde hair. She and her husband lived in Rabat. They never had their own children, but she was utterly devoted to his sisters, nieces…
Aruk are incredibly versatile — they taste amazing hot and crispy, straight out of the frypan, and they are also delicious at room temperature. On long hot summer Friday afternoons, my grandmother Savta Rosa would preside over a legendary table in the garden of her Ramat Gan home. As the widowed mother of six sons…
There’s an old Ladino saying — “Los huseos vinieron a su lugar, which translates to “my bones fell back into place.” That’s how this soup made me feel. This week has been filled with so many emotions — fear and sadness, anxiety and angst. As so many Angelenos have said, I could never have imagined…
The winter flavors and the indulgent ingredients of the salad are enhanced with a sweet, salty, spicy sesame oil and ginger dressing. Neil was in his teens when he met his mentor, Dr. José Nessim. Dr Nessim was a renowned obstetrician/gynecologist, who delivered generations of babies and treated women from many backgrounds, including the wives of…
These tartlets are the perfect combination of crispy pastry and earthy mushrooms Now that the fun and commotion of Hanukkah and the winter holidays are behind us, we wish you all a very happy and healthy new year! Today I went for a walk in the early morning fog. I made the decision that I…
If you have never made Hanukkah donuts, Sharon and I encourage you to make this recipe. Hanukkah is truly a magical holiday! I love that I have eight nights to celebrate with special friends and beloved family. To listen to corny Hanukkah songs. To indulge in insanely addictive Krispy Kreme donuts and fluffy pillows of…
Yes, this is a winner. Serve them on Friday night for Hanukkah. Your family and guests will be so impressed. Hanukkah in Morocco was very different than in America. When we came to America, my family celebrated Hanukkah the same way that they had for centuries in Morocco. We would light the menorah, have a…
For the Jews of the Ottoman Empire, one of the most classic comfort foods has always been “keftes de carne con arroz” (fried breaded meat balls with Spanish red rice). My husband Neil spent his childhood years at the old Sephardic Hebrew Center in Ladera Heights, home to the last Rhodesli synagogue in Los Angeles….
Ka’ak is a primal memory for me. Ka’ak is a primal memory for me. My grandmother Nana Aziza always, always had a supply of crispy, salty ka’ak in her home. And she always served it as an afternoon treat with a glass of her cardamom infused black tea. As a little girl, I loved sitting in…
