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…
Tomatoes: A Summer Romance We can’t imagine anything more perfect than tomatoes to eat on these hot summer days, so we thought we’d share our all time best tomato salad recipes. Fresh, juicy, grassy, aromatic tomatoes are abundant and at their peak right now. So many different varieties—Roma, plum, heirloom. So many different colors—red, yellow,…
One of my favorite recipes is this Spectacular Summer Semolina Cake, a great way to incorporate the flavor of peaches (and to use up all the ripe peaches in my home). A favorite summer ritual, as a young married couple, was to pick up a peach pie from Marie Callender’s, a famous Los Angeles pie…
Rachel and I have been inspired to become mixologists and make Gazoz for our social gatherings, only we add a bit of liquor to add to the fun! When we went back to visit Israel in September 1973, everything was different from what I knew of life in Sydney, Australia. The change from the soft…
We share Rachel’s Arroz con Leche recipe, but encourage you to make it your own. This dessert lends itself to many and any add ins. Arroz con leche recipe 1 cup Aborio or other short grain rice1 cup water2-4 slices of lemon rind2 star anise or 1 cinnamon stick4 cups whole milk1/4 cup sugar (or…
The spices that are featured in this Thai vegetable curry—turmeric, cumin, paprika, cinnamon and ginger—are common to the Sephardic kitchen. This is just that recipe that we go back to time after time, year after year. This is just that recipe that doesn’t require a lot of thinking. This is that recipe that is a…
Fresh figs are a deliciously romantic addition to desserts, cheese boards, tarts and salads. Lovely and luscious, figs are one of those ephemeral delights of the summer, only in season from June to October. With their dark and dusky, soft velvety skin, their honey-sweet, berry-flavored, silky pink flesh filled with tiny seeds, their syrupy nectar…
We were inspired to take our grandmother’s baba ghanoush recipe and give it a flavor makeover. Eggplant journeyed from its origins in India and Sri Lanka to China, where there is mention of this plump and glossy vegetable as early as the 5th century. From there, eggplant embedded itself In the culinary repertoire of the…
We Jews love our brisket. But there are some amazing butchers that provide the kosher consumer with cuts of meat from the rear half of the cow. Can there be a Jewish holy day or Friday night dinner without a brisket? It’s the quintessential cut of meat that’s great for a crowd, perfect for leaving…
Kubbah is the crowning glory of Iraqi cuisine and there are many different kinds. There were days when she’d take my brother Rafi and I for a swim in the crystalline blue waves of Bondi Beach. Afterwards, she would buy us Heart ice creams, crispy chocolate coated vanilla ice cream popsicles in the shape of,…
The beauty of a quiche for brunch or any meal, is that it can be prepared ahead of time and then reheated quickly. Mother’s Day, 2003 was a typically bright, beautiful Southern California day. The perfect balmy weather to host my mother, mother in law, my husband’s aunt Barbie, our good friend Louise and other…
Every community has different traditions surrounding the Mikvah, but I really loved this Syrian Mikvah ceremony because it included everyone. On the morning of my son Sam’s wedding in Cancun, all the female guests woke up bright and early and dressed in white to accompany Estrella, his beautiful bride to the mikvah. We drove away…
Garlic is an indispensable ingredient in practically every recipe in every cuisine. The day before his bar mitzvah, my brother Rafi had a high fever. To add to the drama of the situation, my uncle Ben’s wedding was mere hours away. My family, including my grandparents, had flown all the way from Sydney, Australia to…
