One of the hottest foodies on Instagram and Tik Tok is local talent Lindsey Baruch. Her bright and beautiful Instagram account @lindseyeats has 395,000 loyal followers. It’s filled with mouthwatering images and videos and chock full of outstanding recipes.

Lindsey comes from an amazing family that continues to leave an imprint on the Los Angeles Jewish community. Both sides of her family originated in Baghdad, Iraq. Her maternal grandmother Daisy was born in Burma. She met and married Lindsey’s grandfather Sassoon Ezra in Calcutta in 1956. In 1958, they emigrated to Los Angeles with their eldest daughter Lulu. Together they founded Kahal Joseph Sephardic Congregation, a local Iraqi synagogue, where Sas served as the Chazan for many, many years. (Both our families have been members there for many years and current Rabbi Natan Halevy is Sharon’s younger brother).

Sas earned his degree at UCLA and for 40 years he was a devoted and much loved teacher and administrator at Harkham HIllel Hebrew Academy. Lindsey’s mom Marlene, aunt Renee and aunt Florette are also dynamic and much loved teachers at Jewish day schools. We reached out to Lindsey and asked her to share her story and some of her favorite recipes.

 —Rachel and Sharon

Cooking was such an integral part of my childhood and so many of my favorite memories growing up revolve around the Shabbat dinner table. Every Friday night, my grandparents would cook an eclectic feast, beautifully combining Indian and Iraqi flavors. Food was their way of expressing love for their family and bringing everyone together.

 My mother is the youngest of five sisters and they are all still incredibly close. This sense of connection within my family made a huge impact on me in so many ways, giving me a special appreciation of the power of food and cooking.

I started my website and Instagram @lindseyeats out of my love for cooking and photography. I share a variety of recipes, but there is one thing they all have in common, they are all approachable. Anyone can make them, even though they might look hard to tackle. There are even videos to follow along with, which makes my recipes even more accessible.

 My hope is to inspire people to cook and to use my recipes as inspiration for connection, because food truly brings people together. 

– Lindsey Baruch

 My hope is to inspire people to cook and to use my recipes as inspiration for connection, because food truly brings people together.

—Lindsey

Chicken Schnitzel

Every year for Rosh Hashanah, I look forward to eating my family’s special chicken schnitzel. In fact, I beg them to make it for every family gathering. 

 This chicken schnitzel is inspired by my Aunt Nina, who shared with me some top tips for the juiciest, and crispiest chicken schnitzel, which I will share here. Please don’t tell her! 

 In the panko mixture, add in fresh herbs: like chopped parsley and basil, which add a really nice freshness to this recipe! Another tip is to shallow-fry in a cast iron, and finish off in the oven, which is not only easier, but it also creates less splatter on your oven and countertops. 

 I love to pair schnitzel with some fluffy rice and a quick salad of chopped tomato, cucumber salad and herbs (such as parsley and dill), dressed with lemon and olive oil. And of course, tons of fresh lemon to squeeze over the schnitzel!

Ingredients

1 lb chicken breast (pounded)
1/3rd cup chopped parsley
1/3rd cup chopped basil
1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
1/2 tablespoon ginger powder
1/2 tablespoon paprika
1/2 tablespoon onion powder
1/2 tablespoon dried oregano
1/2 tablespoon salt
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 tablespoon pepper
3 cups panko breadcumbs
2 cups vegetable or canola oil (more if
needed)

Instructions

• Preheat your oven to 450 degrees.
• In a bag or bowl, add all your panko mixture ingredients: chopped parsley, basil, garlic, ginger, paprika, onion, oregano, salt, pepper. Set aside.
• In a bowl, crack 2 eggs and mix with Dijon mustard, water, paprika and salt and pepper. Beat really well and set aside.
• Flatten and pound your chicken breasts and slice then into super thin tenders (you can feel free to keep them longer if you prefer). Pound until it’s your desired thinness. I like them thin but also like to keep them with a little bit of texture, so I don’t go paper thin.
• Set up your dredging station by putting the chicken in the egg, then in the breadcrumbs on a plate, coating all around.
• Pour oil in your cast iron until it fills up less than halfway. Heat on high until really hot, add in your chicken and place immediately in the oven for 10-15 minutes – turning halfway. Remove when cooked through, top with salt and serve!

Carmelized Leek and Cabbage Pasta with Lemon

I love this caramelized leek and cabbage pasta! This is a great way to sneak in some veggies, where the leeks and cabbage cook down into this jammy and caramelized mixture, tossed with pasta and parmesan. It’s a great main dish for a weeknight dinner or perfect as a supporting player for fish at a dairy meal.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 shallot thinly sliced
3-4 garlic cloves thinly sliced
pinch of red pepper flakes optional
1 leek about 3 cups, washed, outside layer
removed, thinly sliced
1 head of cabbage thinly sliced
1/4th cup dry white wine
1/2 pound dry spaghetti you can also use
linguine, or any other type of pasta you
like!
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup pasta water adjust more if needed
1/4th cup shredded parmesan adjust more
to your preference and for serving
Juice of 1 lemon
Zest of 1/2 lemon
Salt and pepper to taste
Top with crunchy panko breadcrumbs
optional and thinly sliced chopped
chives, drizzle a tad of olive oil to finish
+ pepper + lemon zest

Instructions

• Prep all you vegetables and aromatics: slice shallot, garlic, cabbage and leek. Set aside.
• Bring a deep pot of water to a boil for your pasta. Once boiling, salt and add in your pasta to the desired package instructions, until just before al dente, as we will finish cooking in the sauce.
• Start your sauce. In a separate skillet in the meantime, big enough to add in your pasta later, heat up olive oil over a medium-low flame until glistening. Add in your sliced shallot and garlic and sweat them out with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes to bloom.
• Next, add in your thinly sliced leeks and thinly sliced cabbage. Cook down until caramelized on medium, stirring every so often, around 15-20 minutes until the leeks and cabbage have cooked down and taken on a darker color.
• After that’s caramelized, add white wine to deglaze the pan and to add an extra depth of flavor. Mix and let reduce down, until all the liquid has evaporated, about 5-10 minutes.
• Once your wine has reduced, and your pasta is ready, use tongs and add your pasta in the leek and cabbage mixture. Add in your butter and pasta water about 2 tablespoons at a time. Season with salt and pepper as needed.
• Mix well and slowly start adding in your shredded parmesan. Adjusting with more pasta water as needed. When your pasta is all glossy, saucy and cheesy, turn off the heat and finish with a fresh squeeze of lemon juice and lemon zest.
• Serve in bowls. Top with chopped chives, panko breadcrumbs, a drizzle of olive oil and lemon zest. Enjoy!

Sharon Gomperts and Rachel Emquies Sheff have been friends since high school. The Sephardic Spice Girls project has grown from their collaboration on events for the Sephardic Educational Center in Jerusalem. Follow them on Instagram @sephardicspicegirls and on Facebook at Sephardic Spice SEC Food.