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…
Every Pesach, I still follow the lamb shank recipe passed down by my grandmother Simcha to my mother Rica Every Pesach, my Spanish Moroccan grandfather would she’cht (slaughter) a lamb. My grandmother would make a tagine style roast with the shanks. One of the lamb shanks would be displayed on the Seder plate to represent the ancient ritual…
This easy but flavorful recipe for Orange Silan Chicken is an ode to my grandmother and to my childhood in Australia. If I close my eyes, I am five years old, it is early afternoon and the bright Australian sunshine is streaming into my grandparents’ home in Rose Bay. My grandmother’s kitchen is pristine. There…
Ratatouille is the perfect recipe to make for Passover because it is so versatile. We always joke that when my husband Alan married me, he converted to Sephardic Judaism. People ask him if it was difficult to adapt to Sephardic minhagim. In his dry South African tone and a straight face, he says that he’s…
This is the cake recipe I make most often for Shabbat. For centuries, Sephardic women soaked almonds and ground them in order to make almond cakes. But if I were to suggest a recipe that required grinding almonds by hand, I’m pretty sure 99% of our readers wouldn’t be bothered make it. And the truth…
Rebecca Amato Levy was the matriarch and “keeper of the traditions” of the Rhodesli community in Los Angeles. Rebecca Amato Levy was the matriarch and “keeper of the traditions” of the Rhodesli community in Los Angeles. For many years, she was a close friend of my mother in law Becky and Neil grew up celebrating…
This is the way our grandmothers cooked and you can really feel (and taste) the love. I have started taking stock of all the chametz in my house. The frozen challah in my freezer, the many snack bars and huge boxes of cereal I bought at Costco that my kids have stopped eating, and the…
The history of the Aleppo Jews is long and fascinating, dating back to the time of the Second Temple period. The Hebrew name for Aleppo, Chalab, is derived from the legend that Abraham grazed his sheep on the verdant mountain of Aleppo and gave the milk (chalav) to the poor people living on its slopes. For…
What could be better than the enticing aromas of freshly baked Purim treats. For Rachel and I, the annual Kahal Joseph Purim Community Bake is one of our favorite events! I mean, what could be better than the enticing aromas of freshly baked Purim treats. For us, Kahal will always feel like home. In our…
In November 2021, we were full of plans. In November 2021, we were full of plans. Alan was determined to finally take a trip to Japan over the winter holidays, so he booked five tickets to Tokyo on Japan Airlines. Luckily, he decided to check their COVID policy (no tourists, only business travelers with a…
Our absolute favorite dish that my mother would make for Friday nights was her one and only meat and potato Pastelle What began three years ago as a dare from Jewish Journal editor David Suissa to Rachel has turned into this incredible Sephardic Spice Girls project. In a labor of love, we have recorded family…
Praying that my amazing father David ben Rosa can have his two favorite foods: bread and ground beef at home, very soon. On Shabbat, my nephew Mendel celebrated his bar mitzvah with a beautiful reading of Parshat Bo from the Torah. The service was held at Kahal Joseph, the Iraqi synagogue led by my baby…
How lucky are we to have a holiday that is observed by planting trees, eating fruit, and meditating on the spiritual significance of man’s relationship to nature and G-d? Have you ever driven up the winding road that leads to the city of Tzfat? The deserted landscape of broken rocks and tall green pine and…
Soups are one of my favorite things to make and bean soups are a staple in my house. I love to throw a lot of vegetables in the pot. Adding beans makes the soup a hearty, complete meal Tall cypresses and lavender bushes framed the weathered stone walls and the massive wooden front door of…
The entwining of cultures is truly beautiful to behold. It teaches us that through food we spread our heritage, our experience and most importantly our love for one another and beyond. When I met Neil, I also met his friend Lela, who along with her siblings were part of the Sephardic Educational Center (SEC) in…
This Albondigas recipe is truly easy to throw together. Adding potato starch to the ground beef makes them really moist, light and flavorful. Oh, how I loved Ramadan when I was a little girl! In Casablanca I attended a Catholic girls school. I had a beautiful blonde teacher and the nuns who ran the school…
The flight to Sydney, Australia departs LAX at 10pm. You cross the Pacific Ocean and the international dateline. So while the flight is only 15 hours, you lose a whole day. You land in bright, sunny Sydney at 6am two days later. To get to my grandparents house in Rose Bay, you pass through the…
In Morocco, I grew up with North African cake-like donuts called rosquitas and sfinj. However, at various times in history, Morocco was a Spanish colony and then a French colony, so our family traditions also included bimuelos and beignets de Hanukkah. When I married Neil, his mother Becky introduced me to burmuelos, the Ladino name for Sephardic donuts….
‘Tis the season to chill with friends and family to commemorate the miracle of the little crucible of oil that lasted for eight nights in the Holy Temple. A Jewish holiday that only requires lighting some candles, eating fried foods, singing some songs and playing dreidel? We’ll take it! Who doesn’t love Hanukkah? We celebrate…
We share with you a simple and simply fantastic recipe for delicate, deliciously flavorful gravlax. Perfect to top your latkes or for any special occasion. When my mother’s sister Clara moved to Los Angeles from Paris, my uncle Menasse had the opportunity to become a partner in a very successful fish wholesale business. His new…
It was a magical night by the Aegean Sea in Bodrum. The waves rippled softly, reflecting the light from our hotel. We were mesmerized by the shimmering blue and the sparkling white and silver of the water. The water was so magical that I almost expected to see a mermaid emerge. Of course, there was…
