My ability to predict the gender of a baby is exceptional. After making a careful study of the expectant mother’s tummy and other anecdotal evidence, I make my pronouncement with great confidence and certainty. I have never guessed correctly. My consistency is unmatched. Whenever I have an inexplicable urge to cook up a big pot of arbes, the seasoned chickpea snack traditionally served at a shalom zachar, the party celebrating…
August is a dream month for anyone who enjoys freshly picked local produce. In Toronto, where winter begins early and ends late, the selection of locally grown produce is limited during the colder months. However, with the arrival of summer, open-air markets and corner supermarkets abound with produce grown by nearby farmers, including both green and yellow zucchini, juicy, ripe tomatoes and slender, purple eggplant. This recipe for a tian,…
My mother made the most plush, tender sour cream coffee cake. It was moist and buttery, with the slightest sour cream tang and decked with a generous sweet, nutty cinnamon-sugar topping. Mysteriously, my mother stopped making my favorite cake around the same time that she began to harbor secret hopes of me wearing her wedding dress to my own nuptials. You didn’t have to be Hercule Poirot to solve that…
Inspiration for new recipes can occur in the most unexpected places. Like the dentist’s office. And no, my revelation did not come from the six-year-old well-thumbed magazines in the waiting room. I look forward to visiting the dentist not only because the sparkle in my smile is restored painlessly but because I also get to schmooze with my multi-talented dental hygienist, Rachel, about our latest kitchen exploits. On my last…
I lingered proudly over my son’s picture of his babies – plump, healthy and green. I’m referring to his tomato babies. My father was a virtuoso vegetable gardener. Every August, our backyard vegetable patch produced a bumper crop of juicy, red, sun-ripened tomatoes. I did not inherit his green thumb but I’m thrilled that his talent has been passed down to the next generation. However, growing your own tomatoes is…
In anticipation of the recent celebration of my niece’s wedding, we welcomed out-of-town family members for a weekend visit. Accommodating guests with arrival times that were at the mercy of whimsical airline schedules was a cinch with this recipe for loaded baked frittata, by Genevieve Ko, published in the New York Times. A frittata is an egg dish that can be served for breakfast, lunch, or supper. It tastes as…
Summer has finally arrived and every sunny day is a gift that I’m reluctant to squander. Homemade dessert is always appreciated but sometimes a pint of premium ice cream can save the day and send your guests home wearing happy smiles. Put your own special signature on that store-bought treat and raise it to the next level with the addition of a sprinkle of Dorie Greenspan’s deep, dark cocoa streusel. Published…
Looking forward to the grandkids joining us for Shabbat, I thought long and hard about the menu. How would I entice them to join us at the dining room table when their most requested meal is invariably macaroni and cheese? When I saw this recipe for honey-mustard chicken tenders by recipe developer, Ali Slagle, published in the New York Times, I felt a glimmer of hope. But chicken tenders are…
Having a son-in-law who grew up in Mexico has added an element of piquancy to our family. Although he is descended from grandparents who hailed from the same neck of the Transylvanian woods as my grandparents, nevertheless, his food preferences are Mexican. Chilaquiles always trump brisket. Elote (eh-LOH-teh), also known as Mexican street corn, is savory, sweet, crunchy, and creamy in every bite. Made with corn on the cob that…
Summer is just around the corner and we’re all looking forward to spending more time outdoors. This recipe for roasted sesame green beans, adapted from Cook’s Illustrated magazine, is the perfect side dish for anyone who is looking to minimize time spent in the kitchen. With just a few minutes of prep work that can be done in advance, these honey-sweet, garlicy beans require only fifteen minutes of oven time.…