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…
This year, the holiday of Sukkot was one of the most beautiful celebrations that I remember. The weather was unseasonably warm and we spent brilliant, sunny days in the sukkah surrounded by family. On Shemini Atzeret, the temperature dropped 20 degrees Celsius overnight. We sat in the sukkah for one last day, huddled in our coats, eyeing the threatening, gray clouds that were suspended in the sky overhead. Incommunicado because…
Boiling corned beef, the most commonly suggested method for cooking pickled meat, typically results in meat that shrinks by as much as one-third of its size. This can be a source of disappointment when you’re trying to feed a crowd. But roasting the meat in the oven using Noreen Gilletz’s recipe for oven roasted pickled brisket, published in The Pleasures of Your Processor, unfailingly results in perfectly cooked meat, bathed…
In an episode of the iconic television comedy Seinfeld, after waiting in line at the bakery, Elaine gets upset when the last chocolate babka is sold to another customer. Although a cinnamon babka is still available, she claims that it is a “lesser” babka. Jerry then becomes the cinnamon babka’s advocate, stating that people love cinnamon and that there is nothing inferior about it. My family members would heartily concur.…
On a tour of the vegetable garden in the backyard, my grandchildren peered in wonder through the thick canopy of leaves that camouflaged sunny, yellow, summer squash. Eyes rounded, they turned to me and asked if I was growing bananas. Their confusion was understandable. The ripening, golden, summer squash looked remarkably like their favorite tropical fruit. This year we have been blessed with a steady supply of homegrown squash, jewel-toned…
Nothing says summer like freshly picked corn, slathered with butter, and a judicious sprinkling of salt. But if you’re looking for inspiration beyond boiling it and eating it on the cob, this recipe for grilled corn salad fits the bill. The rich flavors of charred sweet corn, nutty roasted broccoli, and sugary sweet potatoes, are highlighted with a smoky paprika dressing in this summery salad. This eye-catching side dish by…
In case you haven’t heard, cottage cheese is having a moment. If you only associate cottage cheese with the virtuous diet food that your mother ate, scooped into the hollow of half a cantaloupe, it’s time to retool your thinking. The darling of dietitians, cottage cheese is high in protein and keeps you feeling satiated for a long time. The biggest issue that people have with cottage cheese is its…