Once upon a time, strawberries, like pussy willows and daffodils, were a sure sign of spring. Now that they are in the market year-round, they are no longer the harbingers of warmer, brighter weather. But put some rhubarb alongside the strawberries, and you know it is not too soon to think about buds on trees and Passover.…
This week we celebrated Rosh Chodesh Adar Bet, and that means only one thing: Purim is fast approaching and Passover is not far behind. But there is no reason to panic. This easy broccoli slaw will guarantee you a seat of honor at whatever Purim seudah you are invited to, provided that you bring along enough salad for everyone to have at least two helpings. And the good news is…
I smiled as I stood at my front door and watched my neighbor Ilan skateboard down the middle of our street, while two members of his large brood scootered excitedly behind him. There were a couple of unusual things about this idyllic picture. This scene took place on a record-setting mild day this past January. And nobody enjoyed this unseasonably balmy weather more than Ilan. He’s my snow plow contractor.…
I glanced up at the cerulean, sunny sky and rejoiced in my last precious day in Israel. Then I bent down to pluck another kohlrabi from the ground, twisting, pulling, and removing the roots and leaves, before depositing it in the bucket at my feet. As part of our volunteer work mission in Israel, our group assignment on this cloudless day was to harvest two (very) long rows of kohlrabi…
My father was never happier than when he was stationed in front of a smoky barbecue carefully tending to chicken smoldering on the grill. I’m certainly my father’s daughter and I felt a very special joy last week as I attentively turned and repositioned hundreds of chicken wings and hotdogs on a sizzling grill that was big enough to feed an army. In fact, the Israeli army. Monday’s Grilled Chicken…
My mother had a well-defined repertoire of cake recipes and each one was a testimony to her attention to detail and precision. Marble cake was a regular player on her dessert roster. Egg whites were whipped into billowy, snowy peaks and folded ever so gently into the cake batter. A few tablespoons of cocoa were blended into a small portion of the batter, creating a swirled masterpiece of vanilla and…
Having a steady supply of cookies on hand for unexpected celebrations is something that I depend on. However, last week when I swung open the freezer door, I was greeted by a very disconcerting sight. Mother Hubbard’s cupboard was bare. Every cookie, brownie, and square had been dispatched to family and friends over the holidays, and all that remained was a single snowy cinnamon bagel of dubious vintage. It was…
With the recent celebration of my niece’s wedding, we welcomed the family home for a fun-filled weekend. Shabbat passed in a blur of delicious food and the joy of watching cousins and siblings reunite. On Sunday morning the pace picked up as more family members flew in to attend the nuptials taking place that evening. Serving brunch to a revolving door of guests can be challenging but this French toast…
Last Thursday night I settled into my favorite position on the couch for my pre-Shabbat catch-up phone call with my daughter-in-law: feet up and two throw cushions tucked under my head. Two of her boys, my grandsons Aaron and Shimon, aged eleven and nine respectively, often contribute a special dish to the Shabbat meals. They bring the same steady, methodical application to their cooking and baking as they do to…
I gazed in wonder around the crowded auditorium at the Leah Posluns Theatre. A sell-out crowd had gathered to hear Adeena Sussman, noted recipe developer and cookbook author, speak about her newest cookbook, Shabbat. But it was an evening about so much more than food. Every single person in the room was carrying a very heavy load. Our grief over the 1,400 hundred Israelis murdered by Hamas and the unknown…