Cheese burekas are the perfect package—the short crust pastry has just the right amount of crispy flakiness and the filling combines the rich salty, buttery tang of feta and the sharp, intricate flavor of Parmesan with the comforting creaminess of mashed potato. When Rachel’s husband Neil was eight years old, his maternal grandmother passed away….
Sweet and nutty, this rich, creamy soup has the smooth, airy texture of soufflé. The most surprising thing that happened at our recent Sephardic Spice Girl cooking demonstration at Beth Jacob Congregation? The reaction to our Winter Harvest Squash Soup! We were worried that the audience was getting hungry and restless, so we sent out cups…
Marrakesh was magically transplanted to the beach of Chable Maroma on the Mexican Riviera, with Moroccan lanterns flickering with candlelight setting the scene. The vibe was Old World charm meets New World chic when Rachel and Neil hosted their son’s henna party. Marrakesh was magically transplanted to the beach of Chable Maroma on the Mexican…
Almost 30 years ago, when our friend Yosi was dating his wife Esther, he was amazed that her family in Florida and Brooklyn served the same cookies that his grandmother had baked for him when he was a little boy growing up in Jerusalem.Yosi’s maternal grandmother was born in Aleppo, Syria. When she was a…
If you’ve been to an Israeli restaurant, you’ve seen em’chalala, the pretty pink batons of brined turnip. Once upon a time, in exotic lands far away, our grandmothers and great grandmothers fed their families according to the seasons. The rhythm of life for the Jews of the Middle East and North Africa was dictated by the…
A classic Iraqi dish, kubbah shwandar is a vibrant magenta beet broth with meat-filled semolina dumplings. Rachel and I spend a lot of time talking about food. We reminisce about all the amazing meals we’ve eaten. We make lists of recipes we want to try. We consider what produce is in season and we plan…
Freekeh has a rich, nutty flavor and can be cooked like rice and barley. It makes an excellent addition to soups, stews and pilafs. Move over quinoa. There’s a new grain in the kitchen. Freekeh is the new (rather ancient) grain darling of the foodie scene! Called carmel in ancient Hebrew, it is mentioned in…
For centuries, Sephardic women have soaked almonds and ground them to make almond cakes. Many, many years ago, whenever my grandparents would land at LAX from Sydney, Australia, their first stop was at the Culver City cottage of Trinh Le. Trinh Le was a petite old lady who packed a powerful punch. She was a devout…
Hanukkah is truly the coziest, most joyous time of the year. Artemisia Gentileschi was a famous Baroque artist who lived in the Florence of the Medici and the Rome of the Popes. Her dramatic paintings are filled with heroines from the Bible. But it is the audacious story of Judith, a young widow and unlikely…
While everyone knows that the turkey is the star of the show, every Thanksgiving feast relies on the best supporting actors—delicious side dishes.By The boundless Pacific Ocean filled the horizon beyond the big glass doors. The sun was setting and the sky was perfectly gray and purple and streaked with red. The fireplace crackled with…
Fried fish is very common in the Moroccan kitchen. The Bondi Fish House on Campbell Parade in Bondi Beach has been selling the best fish and chips for longer than I can remember. In February 2020, when I was lucky enough to find myself in Sydney, Australia for my cousin Ari’s wedding, that was my…
The beauty of these delicious little patties is that the herbs and finely chopped onions make a small amount of meat go a long way. Friday afternoons are always the most rushed time of the week for me. It’s all about the last minute preparations for Shabbat. A pit stop at Pavillions for the strawberries…
Reshas are light, crunchy crackers that are twisted into a pretzel shape. Noted Ladino scholar and beloved friend of Neil and the entire Rhodesli community Moshe Lazar explains that the name resha derives from rejas, the Spanish word for ironwork, since the pretzel shapes of the crackers look like the fancy ironwork that adorned many…
There’s no marinating, nothing to sauté. I just sprinkle chicken pieces with paprika, ginger and garlic powder, drizzle some “magic chicken” sauce and bake in the oven. Recently, my middle daughter (and Sephardic Spice Girls photographer) Alexandra Gomperts said to me “I’m so glad that you never fed us chicken nuggets, schnitzel and pasta when…
We are here to highly encourage you to try to make homemade hummus. It’s quick, it’s easy, it’s cheap, it’s eco-friendly and it’s super nutritious. When we asked our fathers if hummus was served in their homes in Morocco and Iraq, they both had the same answer. A resounding no. Papi, Rachel’s dad, told her…
I am so excited that the next generation is taking an interest and learning to make these centuries-old recipes Becky Sheff has Bendichas Manos, blessed hands in Ladino. In the world of Judeo-Spanish speakers, this is the ultimate compliment to bestow on a cook. Becky, Rachel’s mother in law, is part of a Rhodesli sisterhood…
A Kaparot Story for Yom Kippur Their daughter, Pat, was abandoned by Beverly’s father soon after she was born, so she returned to her parents farm, where little Beverly grew up surrounded by her aunts and uncles. She remembers that her grandfather rode a horse and buggy, selling chickens house to house. Beverly Cohen grew…
A Rosh Hashanah Seder Cooking Demo The Simanim Delicacies Cooking Demonstration at Beth Jacob Congregation in Beverly Hills had 70 women attendees learning and savoring some classic, and some updated, Sephardic recipes. The Simanim Delicacies Cooking Demonstration at Beth Jacob Congregation in Beverly Hills had 70 women attendees learning and savoring some classic, and some…
Happy New Dishes Every year my mother reminds us of the rules that she learned at the table with her grandfather Yosef Chai—that we wear white, that we greet each other cheerfully and that we be especially careful not to break anything. Photos by Alexandra Gomperts Every Rosh Hashanah, my mother, my daughters and I…
