This recipe for braised chicken with eggplant is originally from Turkey and travelled through Spain and the Mediterranean. One of the standards for being a nekuchera, the Ladino word for an excellent Sephardic cook, is having the knowledge and ability to prepare good eggplant. There are so many traditional eggplant recipes in the Sephardic kitchen—baba…
Ghriba are Moroccan shortbread cookies served at weddings and other festive occasions, or as an after dinner treat with a cup of classic Moroccan mint tea. My son Sam and my niece Annabella were born a month apart. My son Max and my niece Ines and my twin nephews Luca and Nico were all born…
Recently, Neil had been reminiscing about his mother’s spinach and garbanzos, so I added it to my cooking repertoire Ever since I was a little girl, my mother Rica would tell me about the beauty of Seville. When we were little, she had a funny rhyme “Quien va a Sevilla, pierde su silla!” It was…
This one skillet dish is simply full of nutrition and spicy, sweet, curried flavor. As the daughter of the Shamash (guardian) of the Tomb of Ezra the Scribe, my grandmother grew up in the small village of Al Uzair. Located in the south of Iraq, the large compound where they lived sat on the west…
Often times, we cook because we have to feed our family and friends. But sometimes our cooking has a deeper purpose. My father’s upbringing in Baghdad, Iraq didn’t include pop psychology. In fact, there was very little that was Western about his early life. It always amused me when he would make references about his…
It is one of the most famous and popular Turkish desserts for good reason. On our first day in Istanbul last summer, we toured the lavish wonders of the Topkapi Palace. We walked for hours on a hot summer’s day. We decided to sit for a cool drink and walked into a café called Hafiz…
Harissa is truly the perfect condiment. Use it to enhance meat and fish dishes or as a marinade for chicken thighs and breast. My personal favorite way to eat harissa is with a grilled steak. Soon after Alan and I announced our engagement, a keg of beer was delivered to his doorstep. Alan called his…
As soon as she opened the door and greeted us, I was enamored. She was the sweetest, most hospitable little lady Life is a fascinating journey, with interesting twists and coincidental turns along the way. You may remember that Neil and I recently traveled to Madrid to visit our daughter Rebekah, who was studying on…
Over the years, whenever I wanted to make Alexandra happy, I would make roasted potatoes. Perhaps over the years of reading our column in the Jewish Journal, you’ve noticed the photo credit of Alexandra Gomperts? Well, that’s Sharon’s daughter! She’s been alongside us Sephardic Spice Girls for the past three years, becoming our official food…
Maybe every daughter idolizes her father, but my father was truly a legend Maybe every daughter idolizes her father, but my father was truly a legend. Born on Yom Kippur, 1935 in Baghdad, Iraq to parents Rafael and Rosa, he was the middle child in a family of nine — older siblings Toya, Moshe, Shlomo and Daisy…
At this time of year, there is such an abundance of fresh corn at farmers markets and the local supermarket. And that’s our cue to shift into summer recipes. When I was a little girl in Casablanca, I loved eating the grilled corn on the cob from the Arab street vendor. He would have many…
Called pan de siete cielos (seven heavens bread) it is a traditional Sephardic recipe that barely survived the Spanish Inquisition. Last week, in anticipation of Shavuot, Rachel and I hosted an amazing community baking class at Kahal Joseph Congregation in Westwood. It is always a pleasure for us to be at Kahal because it’s where…
This year we will be making our Shavuot dessert with a fabulous Middle Eastern twist— vanilla cheesecake with a crispy, crunchy knafeh topping. I distinctly remember the first time I tasted cheesecake. I was 10 years old and it was a typically sunny Sydney afternoon. We were invited for Shabbat lunch in a beautiful home…
Being in London for the coronation weekend was an incredible experience, including our tasting magnificent scones. Being in London for the coronation weekend was an incredible experience. Upon our arrival, Neil and I could feel the excitement in the air. All the major stores have beautiful displays commemorating the coronation and all the shops have…
This week we present the recipe for tortilla de patatas, lovingly handed down by Rachel’s Maman, who hailed from Larache, which was part of Spanish Morocco. This past week, Neil and I had the great pleasure of visiting our daughter Rebekah in Madrid, where she is doing her semester abroad. Since arriving here in January,…
The lemony flavor is so addictive and there are so many uses for them. The first time I tasted Rachel’s riff on Israeli salad, I was blown away by the intense citrusy tang that accompanied every bite. I grew up eating Israeli salad all the time. It’s a labor of love to chop the bright…
In honor of Israel’s 75th celebration of modern statehood, we present to you the recipe for this crispy schnitzel and spicy matbucha sandwich. JEWISH JOURNAL Menu An Iconic Israeli Sandwich In honor of Israel’s 75th celebration of modern statehood, we present to you the recipe for this crispy schnitzel and spicy matbucha sandwich. Sharon Gomperts…
For Moroccan Jews, no celebration is complete without marzipan-stuffed dates, walnuts and prunes, including for Mimouna. PREP COOK YIELD READY IN 15 minutes + 1 hour setting time 0 minutes 36 dates 15 minutes + 1 hour setting time For Moroccan Jews, marzipan is central to celebratory occasions and Jewish holidays. Made from ground almonds and sugar,…
Vegan and gluten-free, it’s the perfect quick treat to add to your holidays. PREP COOK YIELD READY IN 5 minutes + 15 minutes cooling time 10 minutes 24 squares 15 minutes + 15 minutes cooling time Along with the cans of macaroons, jelly rings and coconut marshmallows, every Passover supermarket display includes bags of Joyva sesame…
JEWISH JOURNAL Menu Les Petits Pains (Little Rolls) The most iconic of the baked bread treats that I enjoyed as a child were these slightly sweet, fluffy, heavenly little bread rolls. Sharon Gomperts and Rachel Emquies Sheff April 14, 2023 Audio Player 00:00 05:32 Use Up/Down Arrow keys to increase or decrease volume. It’s 1970,…
This week we hand our column over to Rabbi Benito Garzon who proclaims the wonders of the North African Mimouna. This week we hand our column over to Rabbi Benito Garzon who proclaims the wonders of the North African Mimouna. In 1970’s, he became famous throughout Spain as an educator extraordinaire. He was a true…
