I have known Leah for almost 20 years, which is nearly impossible to believe, but also makes perfect sense considering we’ve journeyed alongside one another in Jewish food writing during these past decades.

Through all of those books, Leah has also been the kind of friend who shows up. She has supported every launch of mine (some at the same time as her own). We’ve appeared together on book tours, shared stages and conversations, and cheered each other on through the strange, wonderful process of putting this work out into the world.

During this time Leah has become a leading voice of our generation of Jewish food writers, admired and respected by all of us as her audience and accolades accumulate. Her books, most recently 2023’s Portico, all about Roman Jewish cooking, break ground with their scholarship, warmth, and ability to shed new light on subjects at just the right time. Her style is quiet and self-assured, less self-promotional than many (guilty!). She just keeps doing the work: researching, traveling, cooking, interviewing, writing book after wonderful book, and producing her wonderful weekly Substack right here.

Leah is, quite simply, a beautiful writer, a distinction that can sometimes get lost when talking about cookbooks, where recipes are the easier headlines. But I have always admired the grace and intelligence of her prose, and the way she can take a subject that might seem niche or historical and reveal the human story inside it. She has enormous respect for the people whose food and stories she documents, and you can feel that respect on every page of every book.

First there was The Hadassah Everyday Cookbook in 2011, followed by Modern Jewish Cooking, then her trio of Little Book of Jewish Appetizers, Little Book of Jewish Feasts, and Little Book of Jewish Sweets. In 2019 came the truly monumental The Jewish Cookbook, with hundreds of recipes and thousands of hours of work on her part, followed by the aforementioned Portico, a book 15 years in the making that won the 2024 IACP International Cookbook Award.

And now comes book number eight, The Dessert Table: 100 Joyful Jewish Sweets, where her brilliant recipe-developing chops prove every bit as strong as her prose. She is a meticulous, deeply intuitive cook, and the recipes in The Dessert Table are an object lesson in balancing historical context with do-ability and sheer baking appeal. Reading a recipe of Leah’s, you learn not only where it came from and why it earned its keep on the page; you immediately want to get into the kitchen and make it.

And there is a lot of information! There is a map charting the course of sweets across the Jewish world. There are essays about the role Jews played in the chocolate trade and other interesting, little-known tidbits. There are useful lists of recipes by Jewish holiday. And lots, lots more. But the scholarship never gets in the way of the fun. The book treats Jewish sweets not as a narrow category of familiar holiday desserts, but as a delicious pathway into global Jewish life itself—recipes shaped by migration, geography, family, celebration, and the places Jews have called home.

In another interview I did with Leah for the book launch, with Hadassah magazine, she told me that her baking has evolved over the years, and one of her goals in writing the book was to make intuitive bakers out of all of us. In this, I think she has succeeded.

These two recipes are perfect examples.

The first, Honey Cake with Apple Butter Frosting, starts with that most familiar of Ashkenazi Rosh Hashanah desserts and gives it just enough of a nudge. Leah keeps the honey, warm spices, and coffee that make honey cake taste like honey cake, but tops it with a thick, sweet-tart apple butter frosting. It’s recognizably traditional but with a twist. In short. something I immediately want a giant slice of, which pretty much sums up Leah’s particular brilliance.

HONEY CAKE WITH APPLE BUTTER FROSTING

Makes one 8-inch (20 cm) round cake

For many Ashkenazi families, honey cake is a nonnegotiable part of the Rosh Hashanah meal. Like eating apples dipped in honey, it is an edible symbol of hope for a sweet year ahead. (Some families also break the fast on Yom Kippur with honey cake.) The cake’s Yiddish name, lekach, comes from the German word lecke, which means “lick” and likely refers to the sticky honey mixed into the batter. But honey cake might just as well be referred to as spice cake, since it usually contains an array of warming spices.

This moist and fluffy take on honey cake is similar to most American-Jewish honey cakes in that Leah sweetens the batter with both honey and brown sugar and pours in strong brewed coffee to add a slightly bitter counterpoint to the sweetness. But the thick sweet-tart layer of apple butter glaze brings a level of sophistication that will make the cake the star of the dessert table.

For the cake

1⅓ cups (185 g) all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground allspice
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
⅓ cup (80 ml) neutral vegetable oil
½ cup (120 ml) mild honey
½ packed cup (100 g) light brown sugar
½ cup (120 ml) brewed coffee (decaf or regular), slightly cooled
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the apple butter frosting

3 tablespoons unsalted butter or vegan butter
½ packed cup (100 g) light brown sugar
¼ cup (70 g) apple butter
1 tablespoon milk or nondairy milk
⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
1½ cups (180 g) confectioners’ sugar, sifted
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Chopped toasted pecans, for sprinkling (optional)

Make the cake: Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease an 8-inch (20 cm) round springform pan or cake pan.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, nutmeg, and salt in a medium bowl.

Whisk together the oil, honey, brown sugar, coffee, egg, and vanilla in a large bowl until smooth. Add the flour mixture and stir to thoroughly combine. Pour the batter into the pan and smooth the top.

Bake until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and cool for 30 minutes, then gently unmold the cake and place it on the rack to cool completely.

When the cake is fully cooled, make the frosting: Combine the butter, brown sugar, apple butter, milk, and salt in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat and let bubble vigorously for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and immediately whisk in the confectioners’ sugar and cinnamon.

Drizzle and spread the frosting evenly over the cake. If desired, while the frosting is still warm, sprinkle the top with chopped pecans. Let sit until the frosting sets, about 10 minutes, before serving.

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Note: This amount of batter will also make 12 cupcakes. Bake until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes.

Then there is Grape Spoon Sweet. The recipe takes you into the Sephardi tradition of welcoming guests with fruit preserves served in crystal bowls with dainty spoons and glasses of cold water—a whole world conjured before you even turn on the stove. Leah then streamlines the traditional technique into something totally doable: grapes, sugar, cinnamon arick and lemon cooked until glossy and syrupy. History lesson, hospitality lesson, dessert, done!

[INSERT SECOND GRAPE SPOON SWEET PHOTO HERE — THE FINISHED DISH IN BOWLS]

GRAPE SPOON SWEET

Serves 6

Many Sephardi families across Turkey, Greece, and the Balkans followed the custom of greeting visitors to their homes with “spoon sweets”—a variety of preserves made from quince, apple, oranges, apricots, cherries, figs, or grapes, among other fruits. The jams and preserves were meant to delight and revive guests who may have traveled long distances, and were elegantly served in small crystal bowls on a silver tray with dainty teaspoons alongside, and glasses of chilled water for sipping.

Spoon sweets were also served on Jewish holidays, particularly Rosh Hashanah, when they symbolized hopes for a sweet year ahead. While not traditionally served on Tu Bishvat, they would make a fitting sweet for the Tu Bishvat seder.

Many traditional spoon sweet recipes call for extended cooking times and massive quantities of sugar. Leah’s modified version, which comes together quickly, tastes like a cross between a fruit compote and a quick jam. Serve the syrupy grapes in small glasses or bowls for a light dessert, or spoon them over yogurt at breakfast.

3 cups (525 g) seedless red grapes
½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
2 cinnamon sticks
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
⅛ teaspoon kosher salt

Combine the grapes, sugar, cinnamon sticks, lemon juice, and salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar.

Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until the grapes soften and burst but still hold their shape and the liquid turns syrupy, 15 to 20 minutes.

Remove from the heat, discard the cinnamon sticks, and let cool to room temperature. The grapes will continue to shrivel (and may slip loose from their skins) and sweeten as they cool, and the flavors will continue to develop. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, at least 4 hours.

Serve the syrupy grapes chilled. Store leftovers, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Now, obviously, let’s eat cake.

Not long before, she’d left a career in teaching (fun fact—she went to grad school with the one and only Leora Mietkiewicz, my former right-hand woman in all things work!) and begun posting recipes on Instagram, many of which went viral faster than you could say “Sticky Salmon Bowl.”

Over the years, she’s amassed millions of followers across platforms, gotten married, had two kids, and now written a cookbook, Everything Delish, coauthored by my friend, the equally talented Rachel Holtzman. (The book is not kosher, but many recipes are adaptable to dietary restrictions)

One day I will write a post (or multiple posts) here about what it’s like to create your first cookbook. There’s the abject fear of exposing your ideas and words and recipes and self to the world, printed on pages that don’t disappear after a 24-hour online cycle and can’t be “deleted.” There’s the incredible number of hours required, the nauseating amount of money, the rounds and rounds of edits that scramble your brain and test your mettle, and the blood, sweat, and tears you pour into getting everything right: The recipes, the photography, the promotion, the desi

Every page says something about you, and it’s being printed for posterity and purchased for cold, hard cash by people who are curious about what you might be able to help them put on the dinner table.

And so, Jamie’s book.

It’s an extension of Jamie’s trend-focused, yummy online recipes: food for fun times and, increasingly, food that reflects her own life, food for busy people with kids and jobs and lots of things to do other than cooking.

In other words: doable, great things to eat, by someone I am very proud of.

Jamie, who lives in Toronto, is also deeply connected to her Jewish heritage, and one of my favorites from the book is her cabbage rolls, ideal for any holiday table. The recipe comes from her Bubbie Ruth, whose family was meant to sail on the Titanic. But because leaving Poland for the U.S. involved a steep departure tax they couldn’t afford, they didn’t board the ship, eventually making their way to Canada instead. That’s the fun thing about a cookbook; you have more time to tell stories and reveal the layers of yourself, your food influences, your family. I think it’s why cookbooks still survive, and thrive.

The recipe for the cabbage rolls is simple and elemental. It’s sort of as though all of our Bubbies compared notes to come up with a master recipe that has multiple related, but distinctly unique, versions. My mother’s stuffed cabbage, for instance, has a raisin-studded sauce made tart with a generous lashing of vinegar; Jamie’s Bubbie’s is sweetened with brown sugar and tempered with lemon juice. My family used to freeze the entire cabbage head; once defrosted, the leaves would fall right off. Jamie’s version boils the cabbage, with similar results.

Feel free to adjust the sweetness or tartness to your liking. Jamie recommends mopping up the sauce with fresh challah, a strategy I wholeheartedly endorse.

For the holidays, I’m also sharing her Citrus and Herb Roasted Chicken, inspired by her love of orange chicken. A spatchcocked chicken is marinated in lemon and orange juices, herbs, and aromatics, then roasted with fennel, orange, and onion before being crowned with a raft of dill and parsley. Again, it’s simple and delicious—a beautiful, deceptively easy dish I’m going to make room for on my own table. T

BUBBIE RUTH’S CABBAGE ROLLS

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

For the Sauce

2 (28-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes

1 cup vegetable stock

½ cup packed light brown sugar

2 tablespoons tomato paste

Juice of ½ lemon (about 2 tablespoons)

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 large white onion, halved

For the Filling

1 large head of cabbage (make sure it’s nice and firm)

1 pound lean (80/20) ground beef

1 cup cooked white rice

1 large egg

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 tablespoon onion powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon paprika

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Make the sauce: In a large pot, stir together the crushed tomatoes, stock, brown sugar, tomato paste, lemon juice, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Add the onion halves and 1 cup water, stir, and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook, covered and stirring occasionally, until it tastes delish, about 1 hour.

Prep the cabbage: Peel off any damaged or wilted outer leaves of the cabbage. Then place the cabbage on a cutting board, stem side up. Use a sharp knife to carefully cut a cone-shaped incision around the core, cutting deep enough so that you can remove the entire core. Gently pull out the core and discard.

Make the filling: Bring a large pot of water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the cabbage and boil until the outer layers are soft, 10 to 12 minutes.

Carefully remove the cabbage from the pot and allow it to cool just enough so you can handle it

comfortably. Peel off the soft leaves from the tougher inner leaves and set aside. Return the

center of the cabbage to the pot and boil until soft, another 10 to 12 minutes. Remove the cabbage and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the beef, rice, egg, tomato paste, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper. Use your hands to mix until thoroughly combined.

Assemble the rolls: Lay one cabbage leaf on a cutting board or clean work surface. Scoop a handful of the filling mixture into your palm and gently roll into a log. Place the filling at the bottom of the cabbage leaf, then tightly roll the cabbage over the filling. Repeat until you’ve used all the filling.

When the sauce is done simmering, carefully nestle the rolls into the pot so they are all submerged. Cover and cook until the cabbage is buttery soft and the filling is cooked through, about 40 minutes. Remove the onion from the sauce and discard or freeze to use at a later date for veggie broth.

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Ladle a layer of the sauce into the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking dish. Arrange the rolls in a single layer in the dish, then pour any remaining sauce from the pot over the top. Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Gently flip the rolls and bake for another 30 minutes, uncovered, until the sauce is bubbly and the cabbage leaves are tender and easily pierced with a fork or knife. Serve warm.

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Spoon them over rice or enjoy with a nice bowl of chicken soup.

CITRUS AND HERB ROASTED CHICKEN

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

For the Orange Marinade

Grated zest and juice of 1 medium navel orange (about ¼ cup)

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

3 sprigs of fresh rosemary, leaves stripped and chopped

2 sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves stripped and chopped

1 medium garlic clove, grated

1 teaspoon honey

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the Roast Chicken

1 (4- to 4 ½-pound) chicken

1 medium fennel bulb

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium navel orange, peeled, pith removed, and sliced into rounds

1 medium red onion, thinly sliced

1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 cup fresh orange juice (from 3 to 4 medium oranges)

For Serving

Flaky sea salt to taste

1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Make the marinade: In a medium bowl, stir together the orange zest and juice, olive oil, butter, rosemary, thyme, garlic, honey, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.

Spatchcock the chicken: Use sharp kitchen shears to cut down both sides of the spine of the chicken. Discard the bones or freeze for making stock later. Lay the chicken breast side up on a

cutting board and gently press on the bird so it lies flat.

Set the chicken in a large baking dish and pour the marinade over the top. Cover with plastic wrap and transfer to the fridge to marinate for at least 2 hours or ideally overnight.

Roast the chicken: Preheat the oven to 425°F.

First, you’re going to slice the fennel, which I’ll walk you through in case it’s your first time. If your fennel has the frilly fronds still attached, use a sharp knife to separate the bulb from

the stalks. (Save the fronds for garnish!) Next, slice the bulb in half vertically and use the tip of your knife to make two incisions, one on either side of the core. It will look like a triangle at the base of each half. Carefully remove the core and discard. Now slice the fennel as you would an onion and set aside.

Grease the bottom of a deep 9x13-inch baking dish with the olive oil. Add the fennel, orange, and onion and season with 1 teaspoon of the salt and the pepper. Mix until combined.

Set the chicken, breast side up, on top of the fennel mixture. Tuck the wings beneath the breasts to prevent them from burning.

Pour the orange juice around the chicken and cover the dish with foil. Bake for 20 minutes,

spooning the chicken with the drippings from the bottom of the pan every 10 minutes. Remove

the foil and bake for another 45 to 50 minutes, continuing to spoon the drippings over the bird every 10 to 15 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.

Tent the chicken with foil and let it rest for at least 15 minutes before carving.

Serve: Transfer the fennel mixture to a platter. Top with the chicken pieces and drizzle with the pan juices. Finish with a pinch of flaky salt, the parsley, dill, and a few cracks of pepper.

Photos and recipes © 2026 Jamie Milne, from Everything Delish, published by Avery Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House

Recipe List

Cocktails & Drinks

Pomegroni Cocktail

Appetizers & Starters

Gribenes & Schmaltz
Chopped Liver
Grape Leaves With Quince And Barberries

Soups

Dilly Chicken & Rice Soup
Medjool Date Gondi
Marak Katom (Orange Soup) With Crunchy Seeds And Harissa
Overnight Chicken Soup (With A Yemenite Option)

Salads

Cold & Crunchy Rice Salad
Roasted Vegetable & Barley Salad With Charred Lemon Dressing

Main Courses

Chicken Thighs With Figs & Roasted Grapes
Cider-Braised Apple & Jerusalem Artichoke Chicken
Hawaiij Braised Short Ribs With Kohlrabi Mash
Fig And Pomegranate Brisket
Spatchcocked Sheet-Pan Tzimmes Chicken
Meatballs In Dried Fruit Sauce
Steffi’s Brisket

Side Dishes

Bubbe’s Extra Crispy Potato Kugel

Balsamic-Glazed Onions & Leeks
Melted Green Cabbage
Tahini Glazed Carrots

Breads

Golden Challah
Pull-Apart Challah Sticks

Desserts & Baking

Bette’s Holiday Apple Bundt Cake
Medjool Date Bundt Cake With Clementine Glaze

* * *

Cocktails & Drinks

POMEGRONI COCKTAIL

Serving size / yield: Makes 2 cocktails

Active time: 5 minutes

Total time: 5 minutes

As I juiced my millionth pomegranate of the winter using the hand-cranked press that sits on our counter, it occurred to me: Who needs Campari when you’ve got fresh pomegranate juice? The fruit’s tannic, sweet-bitter taste stands in perfectly for the classic Italian aperitif, especially with a shake or two of bitters to steer the drink firmly out of the sugary column. Of course, a blood orange slice makes positively everything look gorgeous and calls to mind yet another element of Campari, orange peels.

Ingredients

6 ounces (¾ cup) pomegranate juice

2 ounces (¼ cup) sweet white vermouth or Lillet

2 ounces (¼ cup) dry gin

Generous splash Angostura bitters

Blood orange or other orange wheels

Directions

1. In an ice-filled cocktail shaker, vigorously shake the pomegranate juice, vermouth, gin, and bitters. Pour into two ice-filled rocks glasses, add more bitters to taste, and garnish with orange wheels. The recipe can be multiplied (minus the ice) and stored in a pitcher for up to 1 week and can be freshened with more bitters as needed.

* * *

Appetizers & Starters

GRIBENES & SCHMALTZ & CHOPPED LIVER

Today I think of schmaltz as Jewish olive oil or butter, a wondrous ingredient that can work its magic to lighten matzo balls and enhance classic dishes, like the chopped liver that follows. But the process of rendering chicken skins to extract the fat also has another happy outcome: the creation of gribenes, crispy chicken skins that add deep crunch and flavor to anything they touch. My first encounter with schmaltz and gribenes was at my grandma Mildred’s table in Queens, New York. She didn’t make them often, but when she did, it became a ritualistic experience. A small recycled glass jelly jar of schmaltz would be removed from the fridge to soften, then set on the center of the table with slices of fresh rye bread or challah and a shaker of salt. The gribenes sat on a small plate alongside, and we would spread the luscious schmaltz on the bread, then top it with gribenes and a sprinkle of salt.

Serving size / yield: Makes 2½ cups crispy chicken skins and 1 cup schmaltz

Active time: 15 minutes

Total time: 1 hour

Ingredients

2 pounds chicken skins*

Kosher salt

Directions

1. Line a baking sheet with paper towels. Rinse the chicken skins, pat them dry, and chop them into 1-inch pieces with a very sharp knife. Arrange them in the largest skillet you have, turn the heat to medium, and cook the skins, stirring more frequently as they begin to brown and lowering the heat if necessary, until the fat renders and the skins are deep golden and crisp, 40 to 45 minutes. Lift the skins out of the fat with a spider or slotted spoon, letting any extra fat drip into the pan; drain on the paper towel–lined sheet. Season the skins with salt. Store the gribenes in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks, and refrigerate the schmaltz in an airtight container for up to 3 months.

*When I asked my butcher to save me some chicken skins (this is what you should do), he was more than happy to comply. If you need to remove the skins at home, pat your chicken dry and use dry hands to pull the skins off.

* * *

CHOPPED LIVER

One of the things I love about Israel is the ubiquity of chopped liver. It’s not something confined to holidays or Ashkenazi homes; you’ll see it on a table amid the pantheon of other salatim, served at different points in a meal—­ or as a meal itself. You’re either a chopped liver person or you’re not, and I’m a huge fan of this sweet, earthy, rich spread that was a major delicacy for me growing up. Enriched with tons of onions and shot through with chopped egg and schmaltz (of course, you can use another oil!), I can’t help but think of it as the poor man’s foie gras. You could use a food processor here, but I love the chunky texture that results from chopping all of the ingredients by hand.

Serving size / yield: Makes 3 cups

Active time: 45 minutes

Total time: 1 hour

Ingredients

8 tablespoons Schmaltz or vegetable oil

1¾ pounds chicken livers, cleaned*

2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more for seasoning

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning

3 large onions, thinly sliced (6½ to 7 cups)

3 hard-­ boiled eggs,** very finely chopped

Challah and gribenes, for serving

Directions

1. If you’re using a skillet larger than 10 inches in diameter, heat 6 tablespoons of the schmaltz over medium-­ high heat in the skillet; if not, work in two batches, using half of the livers and 3 tablespoons of the schmaltz per batch. Season the livers with 1 teaspoon of the salt and ½ teaspoon of the pepper and cook until they are browned on the outside and just barely blushing pink on the inside, 3 minutes per side. Remove the livers from the pan, leaving any oil and juices in the pan, then add the onions, raise the heat to high, and cook, stirring, until the onions are charred and softened, 13 to 14 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and chop (somewhere between roughly and finely) the livers, then the onions, then the eggs. Transfer everything to a bowl, add the remaining 2 tablespoons schmaltz, stir gently to combine, and season with the remaining 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Serve with challah and gribenes. Chopped liver can be refrigerated in an airtight container for 4 days.

*To clean the livers, pull out any stringy parts of the livers; this is not fun work, but it will result in the smoothest and most delicious liver-­ eating experience. You can also buy precooked livers at many stores; if you do, 1½ pounds is a good amount.

**For perfect hard-­ boiled eggs, fill a medium bowl with 3 cups ice and add 3 cups cold water. Place the eggs in a large saucepan, cover with water by 2 inches, season generously with salt, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-­ low and simmer until the eggs are cooked through, 9 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the eggs to the ice water, deliberately cracking them slightly so some water permeates the shell. Chill for 5 minutes, dry them off, then peel under cold running water.

* * *

GRAPE LEAVES WITH QUINCE AND BARBERRIES

Serving size / yield: Makes about 40 stuffed grape leaves

Active time: 1 hour

Total time: 2 hours

I met Gil Hovav somewhere around 1999, when I was a fledgling food writer with only a murky idea of what I wanted to be when I grew up. Gil, who comes from a long line of prolific writers—his great-grandfather, Eliezer Ben-Yehuda, modernized the Hebrew language for the new nation—has done everything from serving as a restaurant critic to publishing some of Israel’s best cookbooks, not to mention starring on countless television shows. When my love of food and passion for Israel dovetailed into professional ambitions for the first time, Gil took me under his wing, and I’m still resting comfortably there nearly twenty years later. We’ve traveled to Berlin and New York together to cook Yemenite dinners and road-tripped while he regaled me with stories. His love for Israel, and the idea that we all learn from one another when we share plates, is his unifying principle. One morning over martinis (always martinis), he taught me the recipe for these delicious grape leaves, which he learned from Israeli Jews of Turkish descent. Tangy without being briny and just a touch sweet, they’re as beautiful as they are delicious. Gil added his own flourishes to the traditional recipe in the form of fresh quince and zereshk, or barberries, a tart, dried fruit I was more familiar with as a staple of Persian and Afghani cooking. If you can’t find them, you can use unsweetened currants or cranberries.

Ingredients

Grape Leaves

One 12-ounce jar grape leaves (at least 40 leaves)

Filling

½ cup (3 ounces) pine nuts

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 large onion, finely diced

1 cup uncooked round rice, such as Arborio, unrinsed

⅓ cup tomato paste

2½ cups loosely packed fresh parsley leaves, finely chopped

2½ cups loosely packed fresh dill fronds, finely chopped

2½ cups loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves, finely chopped

¾ cup barberries, currants, or chopped unsweetened dried cranberries

1½ teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 small quince or tart apple, such as Honeycrisp, cored and cut into 12 wedges

12 whole pieces of dried fruit (prunes, apricots, or figs), pitted and halved

Liquid

1 cup chicken broth

½ cup water

⅓ cup tomato paste

3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 tablespoon silan (date syrup) or honey

½ teaspoon kosher salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. Prepare the grape leaves: Rinse and drain the grape leaves, pat them dry, and trim off any tough stems from the base of each grape leaf.

2. Prepare the filling: In a very large, high-sided, heavy-bottomed skillet, toast the pine nuts over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until golden, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer the pine nuts to a plate to cool. Add the olive oil to the pan, then add the onion and cook, stirring, until tender and lightly golden, 8 to 9 minutes. Stir in the rice, then the tomato paste. Remove from the heat and stir in the chopped herbs, barberries, toasted pine nuts, salt, and pepper.

3. Clear a work surface before you get to rolling the grape leaves. Arrange a grape leaf, shiny side facing down, on the work surface, and spoon the filling (1½ teaspoons of the filling for larger leaves, 1 teaspoon for smaller leaves) centered and about 2 inches from the bottom of the leaf. Fold the bottom over the filling, then fold the sides over toward the center. Continue rolling, gathering and narrowing the sides with your hands as you roll so the finished, stuffed leaf is a neat log; leave a bit of room in the rolled log to give the rice room to expand. Continue with the remaining filling and grape leaves, arranging them inside the skillet in a circular pattern from the outside in as you go along. It’s OK if there’s a little space in the pan since the rolls will expand, but not too much room. Tuck the quince and dried fruit between the grape leaves, arranging a few pieces on top if they’re particularly pretty.

4. Make the liquid: Whisk together the broth, water, tomato paste, lemon juice, silan, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl and pour evenly over the skillet, using a dull knife to move the rolls around so the liquid fills every gap and crevice. Bring to a low boil over medium heat, reduce the heat to a low simmer, cover with a tight-fitting lid, and cook until the leaves are tender, the filling is soft, and the fruit has plumped, 50 minutes to 1 hour. Remove from the heat, let cool for at least 15 minutes, and serve warm or at room temperature.

* * *

Soups

DILLY CHICKEN & RICE SOUP

Serving size / yield: Serves 6

Active time: 15 minutes

Total time: 1 hour

The goal here was a chicken soup that achieves maximum chicken flavor without extended cooking time, and this one meets the mark. Searing skinless, boneless chicken breasts right in the pot saves time and adds flavor; when you add aromatics and liquid and then scrape up those delicious brown bits, you’re reinvesting the soup with even more depth. Starting with the best chicken broth you have access to goes a long way here, so if you have some stashed away in the freezer, pull it out! The kickers here are dill and jalapeño peppers for flavor, and of course, that rice, which, over time, thickens the soup in the most pleasing way. If the soup becomes too thick (though is there ever such a thing?), just stir in a little water to loosen it.

Ingredients

2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast (about 2 medium)

1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more for seasoning

¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 large leek, pale green and white parts only, thinly sliced*

2 large carrots, diced

2 celery stalks, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 small jalapeño, seeded if desired, chopped

8 cups chicken broth, plus more if needed

1 cup uncooked long-grain white rice

½ cup chopped fresh dill

Directions

1. Season the chicken with ½ teaspoon of the salt and ¼ teaspoon of the black pepper. In a large (at least 5-quart) pot, heat 3 tablespoons of the oil over medium heat. Place the chicken in the pot, cover, and brown, flipping once, until deeply golden and just barely cooked through, 5 to 6 minutes per side. Transfer to a bowl to cool and collect juices.

2. Add the remaining tablespoon oil to the pot, then add the leeks and cook, stirring, until translucent, 6 to 7 minutes. Add the carrot, celery, garlic, jalapeño, and another ½ teaspoon of the salt and cook, stirring, until the vegetables begin to soften, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the chicken broth, rice, and the remaining 2 teaspoons salt and ½ teaspoon black pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the rice softens and releases its starch and the soup turns cloudy and thickens, 25 to 30 minutes, adding additional broth by the ½ cup if the soup is too thick. During the last 5 minutes of cooking the soup, shred the chicken into bite-sized chunks. Return the chicken and any juices to the soup, stir in the dill, season with more salt and black pepper to taste, and divide it among bowls. Garnish with more dill.

*To clean the leek, place it in a bowl and cover it with ice water. Swirl the bowl around for a few seconds, then lift the leeks out of the water using a slotted spoon or spider, leaving any sand and grit behind.

* * *

MEDJOOL DATE GONDI

Serving size / yield: Serves 4

Active time: 35 minutes

Total time: 12 hours 45 minutes with minimum soaking time (1 hour 45 minutes if using canned chickpeas)

Rottem Lieberson’s entire house in north Tel Aviv smells like turmeric and rose petals, only one of the reasons I love going there to cook with her. A prolific, highly intelligent, and deeply talented cook and writer who trained and worked in New York restaurants for years, Rottem brings vibrant, traditional Persian cooking alive from her gorgeous marble-countered kitchen. Everything I’ve made from her Hebrew-language Persian cookbook has been stellar, and one day she showed me how to make these oversized chicken and chickpea meatballs from scratch. Gondi were a staple in her house growing up, where they would sit on the stove on Fridays waiting for hungry children eager for a pre-Shabbat snack of one meatball and some broth. The Medjool date she tucks inside each gondi softens while cooking, breaking apart easily so you can get a little sweetness with every savory bite. Of course, feel free to leave out the dates if you prefer.

Ingredients

Gondi

1¼ cups dried chickpeas*

1 medium onion (just over 1 cup), coarsely chopped

2 teaspoons ground turmeric

1½ teaspoons kosher salt

¾ teaspoon ground cumin

¾ teaspoon ground cardamom

12 ounces ground chicken, preferably dark meat

3 tablespoons chickpea flour

1 tablespoon vegetable oil, olive oil, or schmaltz

4 medium pitted Medjool dates, halved

Broth

7 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1 small onion, quartered

1¼ teaspoons ground turmeric

1¼ teaspoons kosher salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 jalapeño, halved, seeded, and thinly sliced

Chopped fresh cilantro, for serving

Directions

1. Make the gondi: In a large bowl, cover the chickpeas with at least 4 inches of water, cover the bowl, and soak for 10 to 12 hours at room temperature or for 24 hours in the refrigerator. Check in on the chickpeas every few hours, and replenish the water if it seems like it’s all getting soaked up by the chickpeas. Drain the chickpeas, transfer to a medium saucepan, cover with 2 inches of water, bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium, and keep the chickpeas on a vigorous simmer, skimming off and discarding any foam and scum, until a chickpea collapses between your fingers when pressure is applied but isn’t totally mushy, anywhere from 45 to 55 minutes. Drain and slightly cool the chickpeas and transfer 2 cups of them to the bowl of a food processor; reserve the remaining chickpeas for the broth. Add the onions to the food processor along with the turmeric, salt, cumin, and cardamom and process, scraping down the bowl once if necessary, until almost totally smooth, 20 to 30 long pulses; transfer to a large bowl. Add the chicken, chickpea flour, and oil and mix gently with your hands until evenly incorporated. Wash and moisten your hands, then form the mixture into 8 large, equal-sized balls; each ball will use a scant ½ cup of the mixture. Poke a date half into the center of each ball, then make sure it’s well sealed around the date. Chill on a plate, covered, for 30 minutes.

2. Make the broth: In a large, high-sided 10-inch skillet or stockpot, bring the broth, onion, turmeric, salt, black pepper, jalapeño, and reserved chickpeas to a simmer over medium-high heat and gently lower the gondi balls into the soup. Return the pot to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low, cover with a tight-fitting lid, and simmer gently until the gondi are cooked through and have expanded and look like gorgeous, perfectly cooked, oversized matzo balls, 40 to 45 minutes. Uncover, place 2 gondi in a bowl, and cover with some of the broth. Garnish with cilantro.

*To quick-soak chickpeas, cover them with 3 inches cold water and bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat. Boil for 5 minutes, remove from the heat, and let the chickpeas sit in their hot water for 1 hour. Drain and proceed! Dried chickpeas can be replaced with two 15-ounce cans cooked chickpeas, drained and rinsed (about 3 cups drained chickpeas).

* * *

MARAK KATOM (ORANGE SOUP) WITH CRUNCHY SEEDS AND HARISSA

Serving size / yield: Serves 4 to 6

Active time: 30 minutes

Total time: 50 minutes

Back when this root-vegetable soup was having its first “moment,” you’d find a version in nearly every Tel Aviv restaurant, the only problem being that they often weren’t that great. The idea is a good one: Take all the delicious orange vegetables of the season, combine them to your liking, and blend to create a soup that’s good hot or cold, plain or accessorized with nuts and other goodies. But too many start with the idea of hiding old vegetables past their prime, and you can really taste the difference in the finished product. Use the freshest vegetables you can find, and don’t hold back on the nutty multiseed topping and harissa.

Ingredients

Soup

3 tablespoons canola oil

1 large onion, diced

3 garlic cloves

6 cups peeled, chopped orange vegetables—any combination of carrot, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, butternut squash you like (about 2½ pounds total chopped)

One 13.5-ounce can coconut milk, preferably full-fat

1 tablespoon honey

1 teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon ground turmeric

CRUNCHY SEED TOPPING

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

½ cup shelled pumpkin seeds (pepitas)

½ cup shelled sunflower seeds

2 tablespoons sesame seeds

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Honey Harissa or store-bought, for serving

Directions

1. Make the soup: Heat the oil in a large (at least 4-quart) saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook, stirring, until golden and slightly softened, 8 to 9 minutes. Add the orange vegetables and cook, stirring, until they begin to soften, 5 minutes. Add the coconut milk, 1¾ cups (one filled empty can’s worth) water, honey, salt, and turmeric; bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer until the vegetables are tender, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool slightly, transfer to a blender (or use an immersion blender or food processor), and puree until smooth, 30 seconds.

2. Make the topping: Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, and sesame seeds and cook, stirring, until they begin to turn golden and a few crackle or pop, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain on paper towels and season with salt and pepper.

3. Divide the soup among bowls, swirl each bowl with harissa, and garnish with the seeds.

* * *

OVERNIGHT CHICKEN SOUP (WITH A YEMENITE OPTION)

Serving size / yield: Serves 10 to 12

Active time: 10 minutes

Total time: About 13 hours

This is the way my late mom, Steffi, used to cook her chicken soup: overnight for at least 12 hours, sometimes longer, until the soup turned golden, rich, and gorgeous. The chicken, wrapped in cheesecloth, gives everything it has to the soup. It defies logic, but the meat, and even the whole vegetables that simmer alongside it, emerge in shockingly good shape. Since we kept the Sabbath and had a low flame on our stove for warming food, the idea of going to sleep with a soup simmering away gives me great comfort; if it doesn’t inspire the same feelings in you (no judgment), start the soup early enough to finish while you’re awake. If making it ahead, cool it promptly and refrigerate; do not leave it at room temperature overnight. Since Yemenite hawaiij improves everything, I give you the option to add some in the last few hours of cooking; it will lend the most wondrous mildly spicy flavor and sunshiny hue to your broth.

Ingredients

1 whole 3- to 4½-pound chicken*

6 medium carrots, trimmed and peeled

3 large celery stalks, halved lengthwise

2 medium onions, peeled but left whole

1 medium parsnip, trimmed and peeled

1 medium turnip, trimmed and peeled

3 garlic cloves

1 whole bunch fresh dill, tied into a bundle with kitchen twine

1 tablespoon kosher salt

2 tablespoons hawaiij (optional)

One 1-inch piece peeled ginger root (optional)

Lachuch, for serving

Directions

1. In a very large (at least 8-quart) stockpot*, arrange a large, overhanging double layer of cheesecloth. Place the chicken in the center of the cheesecloth and tie the cheesecloth into a knot so the chicken is totally enclosed. Add the carrots, celery, onion, parsnip, turnip, and garlic, cover with 3 inches of cold water, bring to a vigorous boil over high heat, and boil, skimming and discarding any scum, 15 to 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to a simmer, add the dill, and cook, checking every so often that the soup is moving with very small bubbles—almost like a tide washing in—but not boiling. After about 2 hours, add the salt. It should taste delicious and salty, like soup should taste. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and cook for a total of 12 hours, either a whole waking day or overnight. Occasionally, skim off the fat from the top (it’s easy to do when the flame is so low; the fat pools on the top). Put that fat and broth with it in a bowl in the fridge; when it hardens, tip the bowl back into the soup; the broth slips out from underneath the disc of fat, which I use as schmaltz (chicken fat) in recipes like Medjool Date Gondi. If you’re going Yemenite, add the hawaiij and ginger 2 hours before you’re done cooking the soup. When ready to serve, remove and discard the dill. Remove the chicken to a bowl, cut the cheesecloth open to help it cool, then tip any broth back into the soup. Strip off and discard the skin and cheesecloth. Take all the meat off the bones. Discard the bones. Portion the meat out into bowls with the broth and vegetables (leave them whole, or cut them into large pieces if you like). Season with more salt if needed. Serve with lachuch.

*If you don’t have an 8-quart pot, use a 6-quart pot. Start with a 3-pound chicken and use 2 carrots, 1 celery stalk, and 1 medium onion.

* * *

Salads

COLD & CRUNCHY RICE SALAD

Serving size / yield: Serves 6

Active time: 15 minutes (if you have cooked rice)

Total time: 15 minutes

If you have leftover plain white rice, using it can be not just a concession but a celebration of the rice itself. When cold, it takes on a different kind of sweetness and texture, not to mention its unique ability to soak up any flavor thrown its way. It is important to start with a good basmati or jasmine rice, one that holds its shape after cooking. A mustardy lemon dressing coats this bowl of rice, studded with raw zucchini, almonds, radishes, celery, and pomegranate seeds—basically every crunchy thing I could think of. I recommend tossing the salad just before serving it to let the dressing have maximum impact.

Ingredients

For the dressing:

Finely grated zest and juice of 2 lemons (1 tablespoon zest and 6 tablespoons juice)

¼ cup olive oil

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

¾ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

½ teaspoon dried basil

¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

For the salad:

5 cups cold cooked basmati or jasmine rice

4 baby (2 inches × ½-inch diameter) or 1 small zucchini (4 ounces), thinly sliced into rounds

½ cup chopped roasted almonds

3 small radishes, thinly sliced

1 large celery stalk, finely diced

½ cup pomegranate seeds

½ cup finely chopped fresh parsley

Directions

1. Make the dressing: In a jar, combine the lemon zest and 4 tablespoons of the juice, the olive oil, mustard, salt, basil, and pepper and shake until creamy. Dressing can be refrigerated, tightly sealed, in an airtight container for 1 week.

2. In a large salad bowl, combine the rice, zucchini, ⅓ cup of the almonds, the radishes, celery, pomegranate seeds, and parsley and gently toss to combine. Just before serving, add the dressing and toss; taste and add more lemon juice and salt to taste. Top with the remaining almonds and serve.

* * *

ROASTED VEGETABLE & BARLEY SALAD WITH CHARRED LEMON DRESSING

Serving size / yield: Makes 6 cups

Active time: 30 minutes

Total time: 1 hour

In his Encyclopedia of Jewish Food, the late Gil Marks wrote extensively about the history of barley as a prized commodity. In ancient Israel, it was so cherished that it was used as currency, and the value of land was estimated by how much barley could be grown on it. Only after the Roman Empire collapsed did wheat supplant barley as the grain of choice. Still, it’s one of the seven species identified with the land of Israel since biblical times, so why not reconsider how to use it beyond the more expected soup or stew? Cook it, drain it, and have it on hand to make all kinds of salads just as you would pasta, quinoa, or farro. It’s got a lovely sweetness and texture, and it cooks up faster than wheat berries or farro but has similar applications. This salad is an interplay of bitter and sweet, with golden raisins ably standing up to shards of charred lemon and radicchio.

Ingredients

1¼ cups pearl barley

½ pound zucchini (1 large or 2 smallish), unpeeled, cut into ½-inch cubes (1¼ cups cubed)

1½ pounds assorted root vegetables (carrots, parsnips, beets, etc.), peeled and cut into ¾-inch cubes (about 4½ cups cubed)

½ cup olive oil

1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste

1 large lemon, preferably thin-skinned, cut into 1/8-inch thick rounds, seeds removed

4 long scallions (green and white parts), cut into 2-inch lengths

¼ cup golden raisins

½ small radicchio head, or 2 red or white endive heads, thinly sliced

Directions

1. Cook the barley: Fill a 3- or 4-quart saucepan halfway with generously salted water and bring it to a boil. (I like to add 1½ teaspoons kosher salt per quart of water, so if you fill a 3-quart pot halfway with water, add 2¼ teaspoons.) Add the barley, return the water to a boil, and cook, skimming off any foam during the first few minutes, until the barley is cooked just past al dente, 25 to 30 minutes.

2. While the barley is cooking, arrange two racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Drain the barley well, then spread it out on a towel-lined baking sheet to absorb more moisture.

3. Roast the vegetables: Place the zucchini and root vegetables on a large rimmed baking sheet, drizzle ¼ cup of the olive oil over the vegetables, add the salt and pepper, and stir to coat.

4. On a smaller rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment or foil, gently toss the lemons, scallions, and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. Arrange the lemons and scallions in a single layer.

5. Place both baking sheets in the oven at the same time. Roast the lemons and scallions until the lemon rinds and scallions are partially charred, 20 to 22 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool. When you take the lemons out, remove the vegetables, stir them, return to the oven, then stir them again 10 minutes later and roast until the vegetables have shrunk and some of the edges are charred, 35 minutes total.

6. To finish the salad, scrape the lemons and scallions, including any flesh and pulp from the lemon, to a cutting board (discard any errant seeds you find) and finely chop them. Transfer to a large bowl and whisk in the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil.

7. Add the barley, roasted vegetables, and raisins to the bowl and toss to coat, seasoning with more salt and pepper if desired. Fold in the radicchio and serve.

* * *

Main Courses

CHICKEN THIGHS WITH FIGS & ROASTED GRAPES

Serving size / yield: Serves 6

Active time: 20 minutes

Total time: 1 hour

In the Song of Songs, also known as the Song of Solomon, a seductive verse reads: “The fig tree forms its early fruit; the blossoming vines spread their fragrance. Arise, come, my darling; my beautiful one, come with me.” This luscious recipe harnesses the sweetness of both figs and grapes by roasting them in the skillet with the chicken.

Ingredients

¾ cup chicken broth

1 tablespoon cornstarch

2 tablespoons grainy Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons silan (date syrup)

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for seasoning the chicken

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

¼ teaspoon chili flakes

6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (2¼ pounds), patted dry

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 small onions, each cut into 8 wedges

¼ cup white wine

6 large or 8 medium whole figs

½ pound red grapes

6 thyme sprigs, plus chopped thyme for garnish

Directions

1. Arrange a rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400°F. In a bowl, whisk the chicken broth and cornstarch until dissolved, then whisk in the mustard, silan, honey, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and chili flakes.

2. Season the chicken generously with salt. Heat the oil in a large (12-inch) heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, skin side down, and brown until chicken skin is crisp and rendered, 5 minutes. Flip and cook 1 additional minute. Remove to a plate and cover with foil.

3. Add the onions to skillet and brown until undersides are golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip and cook 1 additional minute. Remove to the plate with the chicken. Add the wine to the skillet and cook, stirring and scraping up the bits from the pan, until wine reduces by half, 2 minutes. Add the broth mixture, bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium and cook until mixture thickens and reduces slightly, 3 to 4 minutes. Return chicken and onions to the pan; nestle figs and grapes among the chicken pieces. Scatter thyme sprigs around the skillet, spoon some of the sauce over the chicken, cover with foil, transfer the skillet to the oven, and cook until the sauce begins to thicken and the figs and grapes begin to soften, 20 minutes. Remove the skillet from the oven, uncover, and raise the temperature to 425°F. Spoon sauce from the pan on top of chicken, return to oven, and roast until figs and grapes are slightly caramelized and chicken skin is crisped and deep mahogany in color, 15 minutes. Season with more salt and pepper to taste; garnish with chopped thyme.

* * *

CIDER-BRAISED APPLE & JERUSALEM ARTICHOKE CHICKEN

Serving size / yield: Serves 4

Active time: 35 minutes

Total time: 1 hour 25 minutes

While I was visiting Chen Koren’s house for Shabbat preparations, she made a delicious chicken with deep-fried sunchokes, also known as Jerusalem artichokes. I’ve adapted the recipe here by adding three apple elements—apple cider, cider vinegar, and apples themselves—for a sweet-tangy Shabbat delicacy. Many people think Jerusalem artichokes have some sort of connection to the holy city, but surprisingly they don’t. In fact, they’re not artichokes at all. They’re a member of the sunflower family, and in Italian the word for “sunflower” is girasole, which someone at some point mistook for Jerusalem. Thus a culinary misunderstanding—albeit a delicious one—was born. Instead of frying the artichokes as Chen did, I microwave the earthy, nutty, mildly sweet chokes first so they cook at the same pace as the apples. The sauce reduces as the dish finishes in the oven, thickening to perfection—and ideal for mopping up with slices of challah.

Ingredients

1 pound Jerusalem artichokes, peeled and cut into ¼-inch pieces, or fingerling potatoes, halved lengthwise (or quartered if large)

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1½ cups low-sodium chicken broth

¾ cup apple juice or cider

3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon honey

1½ tablespoons Dijon mustard

1½ teaspoons kosher salt

One 3½-pound chicken, skin on, cut into 8 pieces, patted dry

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 medium onions (¾ pound), each cut into 12 wedges

3 tablespoons very thinly sliced fresh sage, plus more for garnish

4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon finely minced fresh hot chili pepper

2 small apples, cored and cut into 8 wedges each

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. If using Jerusalem artichokes, place them in a microwave-safe bowl with a tight-fitting lid and add 1 inch of water. Seal tightly and microwave until cooked but still firm, 7 minutes; uncover and drain. If using fingerling potatoes, par-cook them until just tender before proceeding. In a medium bowl, whisk the cornstarch with a few tablespoons of the broth to dissolve, then whisk in the rest of the broth with the apple juice, vinegar, honey, mustard, and 1 teaspoon of the salt. Season the chicken on both sides with the remaining ½ teaspoon salt. In the largest heavy skillet you have (ideally 12 inches, but 10 will do too!), heat the oil over medium heat. Add the chicken, skin side down, and cook until fat is rendered and the skin is golden and crisp, 4 to 5 minutes. Flip and cook until the underside is lightly golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove to a plate, leaving any rendered fat and juices in the pan. Add the onions and Jerusalem artichokes and cook, stirring, until the onions are lightly golden and the artichokes take on a little color, 6 to 7 minutes. Add the sage, garlic, and chili and cook, stirring, 1 to 2 more minutes. Whisk the liquid to blend, add it to the skillet with the artichokes, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the liquid thickens, 2 to 3 minutes. Nestle the chicken and apples into the pan. Transfer the skillet to the oven and cook until the apples and Jerusalem artichokes or potatoes are softened, the chicken skin is crisped and deep golden, and the sauce has reduced by about half, 30 to 35 minutes. Garnish with more sage, then divide the chicken and sauce among plates.

* * *

HAWAIIJ BRAISED SHORT RIBS WITH KOHLRABI MASH

Serving size / yield: Serves 6 to 8

Active time: 1 hour

Total time: 5 hours

The centerpiece of a Yemenite Shabbat meal is often soup laced with hawaiij, a yellow, peppery spice mix similar to Indian curry that Yemenites brought with them when they immigrated in waves, first in smaller numbers at the end of the 1800s and then in larger numbers when they were airlifted to a new Israel soon after the founding of the modern state between 1949 and 1950. My hosts, sisters-in-law Ilana Tsanaani and Daphna Saad, called it “the spice of life” as they served steaming bowls of chicken soup stained a sunny yellow by the hawaiij. I love the spice in its traditional application, but why stop there? When rubbed into rich cuts of meat before a long, slow, simmering cook in a heavy pot, the meat takes on its flavor, the turmeric, pepper, and cumin permeating the meat and infusing it with deep flavor. Ask your butcher to cut the short ribs English Style, then again across the bone into large pieces – larger than you might think you need. Long cooking shrinks the meat down, and you want to be left with large pieces of meat to swirl around in the rich sauce. The kohlrabi slow cooks at the same time as the ribs; it’s a worthy, earthy, mildly sweet substitute for starchier options. Mash them by hand, or whir in a food processor for extra smooth results. Even if you don’t make the ribs, you’ll find yourself making this kohlrabi on repeat. And here’s a bonus: don’t mash the kohlrabi. Let them cool to room temperature and slice them thick. You may never eat potatoes again.

Ingredients

4 pounds English-style bone-in short ribs, cut across the bone into 3-inch pieces (ask your butcher to do this)

2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more for seasoning

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning

2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more as needed

6 tablespoons Hawaiij

2 jumbo onions, cut into thick slices

5 garlic cloves, peeled

6 medium carrots, halved lengthwise

2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 tablespoons all-purpose or gluten-free flour of your choice

2 cups dry red wine

10 sprigs thyme

¼ small bunch parsley

¼ small bunch cilantro

1 bay leaf

4 cups low-sodium beef or chicken broth, plus a little more if needed

Kohlrabi Mash

(Makes 3 cups)

8 large (4½ to 5 pounds) whole kohlrabi or turnips

6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper to taste

½ cup low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth

Schug, for serving (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F.

2. Prepare the short ribs: Fit one rack in the oven to accommodate the pot you’re cooking the ribs in, and the other to fit the baking dish for the kohlrabi (they will cook at the same time). Arrange the short ribs on a rimmed baking sheet, pat dry with paper towels, and season generously with salt and pepper. Heat the vegetable oil in a large, heavy-bottomed Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Working in 2 batches, brown the ribs until very deeply caramelized, 3 to 4 minutes per flat surface or about 12 minutes total per batch. Move the ribs to a plate and, while still warm, sprinkle both sides with ¼ cup of the hawaiij. Drain and discard all but 2 tablespoons of the fat from the Dutch oven (if the oil seems burned, drain it all and use 2 tablespoons of fresh oil), reduce the heat to medium, add the onions and garlic and cook, stirring, until the onions are translucent, 7 to 8 minutes. Add the carrots and cook, stirring, 3 to 4 more minutes. Add the tomato paste and flour and cook, stirring, until absorbed into the vegetables, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the wine, raise the heat to medium-high, bring to a boil, and cook until only about ½ cup of wine remains, 12 to 13 minutes. Tie the thyme, parsley, cilantro, and bay leaf together with kitchen twine and add to the pot along with the broth, the remaining 2 tablespoons hawaiij, the 2 teaspoons salt, and the 1 teaspoon pepper. Nestle the short ribs in the pot among the vegetables; the liquid should come about two-thirds of the way up the sides of the meat. Bring to a boil, cover with a tight-fitting lid, and immediately transfer to the oven. Cook until the meat is fork-tender and the sauce is reduced and thickened, 2½ to 3 hours.

3. While the meat is cooking, get the kohlrabi started: Use a sharp knife to cut the rind and fibrous white outer membrane away from the kohlrabi to expose snowy whitish jade-green flesh. Poke a few holes in each kohlrabi with a fork and place them in a large glass or metal baking dish. Drizzle the kohlrabi with 4 tablespoons of the olive oil, sprinkle with ½ teaspoon salt and pepper, and shake the pan to coat. Add the broth, cover tightly with aluminum foil, and bake along with the short ribs until the kohlrabi are tender and golden in spots, 2½ hours. To test for doneness, pierce a kohlrabi with a fork or toothpick; if it yields easily it’s ready; if not, cover it back up and return it to the oven for another 20 minutes. Transfer the kohlrabi and any juices collected in the pan to a large bowl. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1½ teaspoons salt and mash the kohlrabi with a potato masher (or process to your desired texture in a food processor, 20 to 30 seconds).

4. Spread the kohlrabi mash on a serving platter. Remove the ribs from the oven, discard the herb bundle, and arrange the meat (on the bones or off, up to you), onions, and carrot halves on top of the kohlrabi. Use a spoon to skim any fat you can off the sauce and drizzle the sauce over the platter. Serve with schug, if desired.

* * *

FIG AND POMEGRANATE BRISKET

Serving size / yield: Serves 8 to 10

Active time: 30 minutes

Total time: About 6½ hours, plus overnight chilling if desired

Considered one of the crown jewels of Shabbat and holiday cooking, brisket has decidedly humble beginnings. Inexpensive due to its toughness and originally considered a throwaway cut, brisket became a staple of cold-weather Eastern European Jewish cooking when farmers realized it was less expensive to butcher a cow than to feed it all winter long. Home cooks became experts at slow-cooking brisket to tender perfection, adding onions and often a tomato-based liquid to coax out the meat’s flavor and ideal texture. Aside from my mother’s recipe, this is the version I find myself making the most. Tons of garlic and onions, white wine, and two types each of figs (fresh and dried) and pomegranate (molasses and fresh seeds) come together for a finished brisket that is simultaneously homey and elegant.

Brisket is always better served the next day; if you have time, cool the whole cut in its braising liquid, then slice it against the grain and re-warm gently in the sauce.

Ingredients

One 5-pound brisket with a good amount of fat

1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for seasoning

1½ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning

¼ cup vegetable oil

3 large onions, thinly sliced (6 cups)

2 tablespoons all-purpose or gluten-free flour

10 garlic cloves, peeled and left whole

2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 cups dry white wine

1½ cups beef or chicken broth

⅓ cup pomegranate molasses

4 dried figs, chopped

¼ cup honey

1½ teaspoons red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes

6 fresh figs, quartered

½ cup pomegranate seeds

Mint leaves, for garnish

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 300°F.

2. Arrange the brisket on a large plate and season it generously on all sides with 1 tablespoon of the salt and 1 teaspoon of the pepper. In a large, heavy Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high heat until very hot but not smoking. Add the brisket (fattier side down, if there is one) and sear until deeply browned and crisped in parts, 6 to 7 minutes. Carefully flip the brisket and sear for another 6 minutes, then, if they’re thick enough, sear each of the narrow sides, standing up the brisket, if possible, 3 minutes per side. Remove to a plate, leaving any fat and juices in the pan.

3. Add the onions and flour and cook, stirring occasionally, until the flour is absorbed, 1 minute, then add the garlic and tomato paste and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions begin to soften, 5 minutes. Add the wine, raise the heat to high, bring to a boil, then turn down the heat and simmer until the wine reduces by half, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the broth, pomegranate molasses, dried figs, honey, vinegar, cumin, red pepper flakes, and the remaining 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon black pepper.

4. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to a simmer and gently lower the brisket back into the Dutch oven, spooning some of the sauce and onions over the brisket. Cover the brisket with a piece of parchment paper (this will prevent the acid in the sauce from interacting with the foil), cover the Dutch oven tightly, and cook in the oven until the brisket is tender, 4 to 4½ hours. Remove from the oven, unseal slightly, then let the brisket come to room temperature, about 1 hour.

5. If you have time, refrigerate the brisket overnight, then uncover it and remove and discard the congealed fat. Remove the brisket from the sauce and slice it against the grain into ¼-inch-thick slices. Heat the sauce in the Dutch oven or another pot over medium-high heat, until boiling. Lower the heat and simmer until the sauce thickens to your liking, 10 to 15 minutes. Nestle the sliced brisket back in the sauce, cover with foil, and warm gently in a 200°F oven until everything is heated through, 45 minutes to 1 hour.

6. To serve, transfer the brisket and sauce to a platter, season with salt and pepper, and garnish with fresh figs, pomegranate seeds and mint leaves.

* * *

SPATCHCOCKED SHEET-PAN TZIMMES CHICKEN

I created this one for the Gram and it was a runaway hit. The flavors of tzimmes on a single sheet pan, with chicken that cooks faster and quickly lends its flavorful juices to the cause.

Serving size / yield: Serves 4 to 6

Active time: 15 minutes

Total time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Ingredients

1 small lemon

1 ½ pounds carrots, peeled and very thinly sliced into long batons

1 red onion, thinly sliced

½ cup golden raisins

10 pitted prunes

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt

Juice and zest of 1 small orange (1 tablespoon zest, ½ cup juice)

¼ cup chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

3 tablespoons honey

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon sweet paprika

½ teaspoon smoked paprika

¼ teaspoon cayenne

One 4-pound chicken, spatchcocked*

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Zest the lemon into a bowl and reserve. Slice the lemon into the thinnest rounds you can (a sharp knife helps with this). Arrange the lemon slices, carrots, onions, raisins, prunes and orange zest on a large rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with the olive oil, sprinkle with ½ teaspoon salt and toss to coat; spread evenly over the sheet pan and add the orange juice to the sheet pan.

2. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of the honey evenly across the sheet. Place the garlic and remaining 1 teaspoon of salt on a cutting board and use pressure applied to the heel of a chef’s knife to smash and spread the garlic and salt into a paste. Scrape into the bowl with the reserved lemon zest and add the sweet and smoked paprikas and cayenne. Stir until combined.

3. Rub the spice paste all over the chicken and set it breast side up on top of the vegetables. Roast until the vegetables are caramelized, the legs can be easily jiggled on the chicken, and the juices run clear when the breast meat is pierced with a wooden skewer, 55 to 60 minutes. Drizzle the chicken with the remaining tablespoon honey, cut into pieces, and garnish with the parsley. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

*To spatchcock a chicken: Arrange a whole chicken breast side down on a cutting board. Use kitchen shears to cut out the backbone, then flip the chicken over and press down on the breast to flatten.

* * *

MEATBALLS IN DRIED FRUIT SAUCE

Serving size / yield: Serves 4 to 6

Active time: 30 minutes

Total time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Never have I ever loved a meatball recipe more. The sweet, savory, spicy sauce, the herb-forward meatballs, and the soft dried fruit that shares all it has bring this dish together. Meatballs are a Shabbat no-brainer, in part because they’re such a crowd-pleaser and also because they reheat so incredibly well. Feel free to swap in the dried fruit of your choice and also to double the recipe and freeze half for another week; it’s the gift that keeps on giving.

Ingredients

For the sauce:

¾ cup dried apricots

¼ cup dried cherries

¼ cup dried currants or raisins

2 cups hot water

¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for greasing your hands

1 small onion, finely diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

3 tablespoons tomato paste

One 14-ounce can crushed tomatoes

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon dried red pepper flakes

For the meatballs:

½ cup fresh bread crumb from 1 slice white bread, torn into small pieces

1 pound 80/20 ground beef

1 large egg, beaten

¼ cup finely minced fresh parsley

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon ground coriander

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground cumin

2 tablespoons olive oil

Cooked rice, for serving

Directions

1. Make the sauce: In a bowl, cover the apricots, cherries, and currants with the hot water and soak until the fruit is soft and the water has been partially absorbed into the dried fruit, 20 minutes; drain, reserving the liquid. While the fruit is soaking, heat the oil in a large, heavy Dutch oven over medium heat and cook the onions, stirring, until lightly golden, 8 to 9 minutes. Add the garlic and tomato paste and cook, stirring, until the tomato paste caramelizes slightly, 2 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes, dried fruit, and 1½ cups of the reserved soaking water, the salt, cumin, and red pepper flakes, bring to a boil over medium-high heat, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer until the sauce thickens slightly, 14 to 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to the lowest setting, stir in the lemon juice, and cover to keep warm.

2. Make the meatballs: In a small bowl, moisten the bread with 2 tablespoons water. Let sit for 5 minutes, then squeeze out any excess water. Add to a large bowl with the meat, egg, bread crumbs, parsley, salt, coriander, cinnamon, cumin, and olive oil, using your hands to gently mix until incorporated.

3. Wash and dry your hands, then lightly oil them. Using 1½ to 2 tablespoons of the meat mixture at a time, form it into meatballs.

4. Add the meatballs to the sauce, raise the heat to medium-high, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the meatballs are cooked through, 25 to 30 minutes. Divide the meatballs and sauce among bowls and serve with rice.

* * *

STEFFI’S BRISKET

Serving size / yield: Serves 8 to 10

Active time: 30 minutes

Total time: About 6½ hours if serving immediately; about 12 hours if chilling and reheating

When she met my father on a blind date in 1961, my mother knew extremely little about kosher cooking—or cooking at all. Her mother, my grandmother Anne, was a child of the Great Depression who had been yanked out of school at age twelve to cook and clean for older siblings, assorted spouses, and other relatives all crammed into one house to save money. So by the time she got married, my grandmother approached cooking like an odious chore, an outlook she passed along to her children. Add to that the fact that my mother grew up with little connection to kosher or Jewish cooking; her annual birthday treat was a lobster dinner at a Queens restaurant called Perry Winkle’s. So when she married my father at age twenty, she was starting from square one, boning up not only on how to cook but how to cook kosher. She mastered brisket early and made it often, sticking closely to the classic Jewish formula of a tomatoey base, a little sweetness, and ample cooking time to tenderize the meat. When we had special Shabbat guests, this was the dish of choice, and it still is for me. I can make it virtually from muscle memory, and I have added a few touches of my own: red wine and red wine vinegar for acidity to cut through the richness.

Ingredients

One 5-pound brisket* with a good amount of fat

2 tablespoons kosher salt

1½ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons neutral oil

6 medium carrots (1¼ to 1½ pounds), peeled and halved crosswise

1¼ pounds onions (3 medium), sliced

5 large garlic cloves, smashed

3 tablespoons tomato paste

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 cup dry red wine

2 cups beef broth

Two 14-ounce cans crushed tomatoes

3 tablespoons dark brown sugar

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

5 fresh herb sprigs of your choice

2 bay leaves

6 small red or Yukon Gold potatoes (1¼ pounds)

Directions

1. Arrange the brisket on a large plate and season it generously on all sides with 1 tablespoon of the salt and 1 teaspoon of the pepper. In a large, heavy Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high heat until very hot but not smoking. Add the brisket (fattier side down, if there is one) and sear until deeply browned and crisped in parts, 6 to 7 minutes. Carefully flip the brisket and sear another 6 minutes, then, if they’re thick enough, sear each of the narrow sides, standing up the brisket, if possible, 3 minutes per side.

2. Arrange a rack somewhere between the center and lower third of the oven (you’re making sure your covered pot will fit). Preheat the oven to 300°F. Remove the brisket to a rimmed baking sheet. Reduce the heat to medium-low, then add the carrots to the oil in the pot and sear, turning, until they begin to brown, 5 to 6 minutes total. Transfer them to the baking sheet with the brisket. Add the onions and garlic to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions soften but don’t caramelize, 6 to 7 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, until absorbed, 2 minutes. Add the flour and cook, stirring, until absorbed, 1 more minute. Add the wine, bring to a boil over medium-high heat, and cook until most of the wine has evaporated, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the beef broth, tomatoes, brown sugar, vinegar, the remaining tablespoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper, the herbs, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat to low, and simmer until the sauce thickens a bit, 15 minutes.

3. Return the brisket and any accumulated juices to the pot, nestle the carrots and potatoes alongside the brisket, then spoon some of the sauce over the top, cover with a layer of parchment, seal with a layer of foil, and cook until the brisket is very tender, 5 to 5 hours 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and uncover. For immediate serving, let the brisket rest for about 30 minutes and proceed to Step 4. For make-ahead serving, cool at room temperature for 1 hour, then re-cover and refrigerate for at least 5 hours and up to 24.

4. To serve, remove the brisket from the sauce to a cutting board, then, if the brisket was chilled, remove and discard any hardened fat from the sauce and scrape any off the brisket. If serving the same day, skim off as much surface fat as you can. Warm the sauce slightly over medium-low heat, adding a few tablespoons of water to loosen it if the sauce is too thick. Remove and discard the bay leaves and any other stray herbs. Slice the brisket against the grain to your desired thickness, then nestle it back in the sauce in the pot, cover, and gently warm it in a 300°F oven for 15 to 20 minutes or on the stovetop over medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

*Brisket is often sold as first-cut, which indicates a more premium, less fatty cut of meat, and second-cut or deckel, which contains more fat. I used a first-cut brisket here because I wanted to be able to get clean slices from the finished meat. But there is no denying the deliciousness of a second cut of brisket, meltingly rich and falling apart in the sauce. Both will work beautifully here.

* * *

Side Dishes

BUBBE’S EXTRA-CRISPY POTATO KUGEL

Serves 12

Active time: 25 minutes

Total time: 2 hours

Whenever she came to visit us in Palo Alto, my grandma Mildred would make her incredibly delicious potato kugel. It served as a powerful magnet for my friends, who were on “kugel alert,” especially on Fridays, when she would make a fresh batch. My dear friend Heather Henriksen had a particularly close relationship with my grandmother, who would summon her to our house with just a few words: “Heather, I made kugel, come over, I saved you a corner.” The two of them would sometimes sit in the backyard kibitzing for hours, and later Heather would recount stories that some of us in the family had never heard ourselves.

Ingredients

8 medium russet potatoes (4½ pounds), peeled

2 large onions, halved

6 large eggs

⅔ cup vegetable oil (not olive oil)

¼ cup all-purpose flour or potato starch

1½ tablespoons kosher salt, plus more if needed

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.

2. Grate the potatoes and onions on the large holes of a box grater or using the large shredding disc of a food processor. Place the grated potatoes and onions on a clean kitchen towel and squeeze out as much liquid as you can.

3. Transfer the grated vegetables to a large bowl and mix with the eggs, ⅓ cup of the oil, the flour, salt, and pepper, making sure the potatoes are evenly coated. If you don’t mind tasting raw egg, taste the batter to make sure the salt level is to your liking.

4. Set a 9 × 13-inch or 10 × 14-inch ceramic or metal baking dish on a rimmed baking sheet. Add the remaining ⅓ cup oil to the baking dish, place it in the oven, and heat until the oil is very hot, 10 minutes.

5. Using oven mitts, carefully remove the baking dish from the oven. Stir the batter, then gently spoon it into the dish and spread it out evenly, making sure not to splash the hot oil. If some of the oil comes up the sides, use a spoon to carefully spread the hot oil over the top of the kugel.

6. Return the kugel to the oven and bake until the exterior is very crisp and deep golden brown, 1 hour 30 minutes to 1 hour 45 minutes. (It might seem like it’s taking forever for the top to brown, but it will!)

7. Remove from the oven, cool slightly, and sprinkle with more salt, if desired. Serve hot, warm, or cold out of the fridge the next day, when it might remind you slightly of a piece of Spanish tortilla española.BALSAMIC-GLAZED ONIONS & LEEKS

Serving size / yield: Serves 6 to 8

Active time: 20 minutes

Total time: 2 hours

In this allium extravaganza, pretty much every kind of onion plus garlic roast together in one pan. They’re bathed in a simple sauce, whose star ingredient is the much-maligned balsamic vinegar, which I believe is ready for its revival. Few condiments have the ability to add as much with one splash as balsamic, much less the quarter cup called for here. As the vegetables braise and glaze, the sauce thickens; uncovering it for the last few minutes burnishes the color and further deepens the interplay of flavors here. I dare say that these can be a meal in and of themselves, especially if you add a drizzle of tahini or dollop of creamy yogurt.

Ingredients

1½ pounds leeks (3 medium)

3 or 4 small-medium red onions (1½ pounds)

6 small-medium white onions (2½ pounds)

¼ pound small shallots (6 to 8), peeled and trimmed

10 to 15 large garlic cloves

3 or 4 fresh sage, oregano, and/or thyme sprigs

1½ cups water, white wine, and/or vegetable broth

¼ cup balsamic vinegar

¼ cup olive oil, plus more for drizzling

2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses, honey, or maple syrup

1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for seasoning

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Trim the root ends off the leeks as well as any tough dark green ends, then score them lengthwise halfway through with a paring knife; do not cut all the way through. Fan open the leeks, rinse them well with water, and cut them into 4-inch lengths. Peel the papery outer layers from the red and white onions, then trim off both ends so you can arrange them flat on the surface of a heavy 10- or 12-inch skillet or a 9 × 13-inch baking dish and the height of the onions is either flush with or just over the height of your cooking vessel. Place the onions in the skillet, then wedge the leeks in and around the onions. Fit the shallots in (everything should be quite snug in the skillet, but if there’s a little space, that’s OK) scatter the garlic around the skillet, and arrange the herb sprigs on top. Whisk together your chosen liquid, vinegar, olive oil, chosen sweetener, salt, and pepper in a bowl, pour it over the vegetables, and drizzle more oil over the top. Seal tightly with foil and bake until the onions are tender and can very easily be pierced with a fork, 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes. Uncover and cook until everything is golden brown and the liquid in the pan thickens slightly, 20 to 25 minutes. Season with salt to taste, then serve the onions with their liquid.

* * *

MELTED GREEN CABBAGE

Serving size / yield: Serves

6 to 8

Active time: 20 minutes

Total time: 2 hours 45 minutes

Headnote: [MISSING]

Ingredients

⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste

½ teaspoon coarsely cracked black pepper, plus more to taste

2 small heads of green cabbage (2 pounds), quartered (but not cored)

10 whole garlic cloves, peeled

4 shallots, peeled and halved

½ cup dry, acidic white wine, such as Albariño or Grüner Veltliner

½ cup chicken or vegetable broth, plus more if necessary

4 sprigs fresh thyme

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

¼ cup crème fraîche or sour cream

Lemon wedges, for serving (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 300°F.

2. In a heavy, large, high-sided skillet or shallow Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of the salt and ¼ teaspoon of the pepper directly onto the oil, then arrange the cabbage wedges in the pot, making sure that each is lying on a flat side (you can cram them in; they’ll relax into one another as they release liquid). Let the undersides get nice and brown, resisting the urge to move them too much but checking once to make sure they’re not burning (reduce the heat slightly if they are), 6 to 7 minutes. Using tongs, flip the cabbage wedges, then tuck the garlic cloves and shallots into the pot, and brown the undersides of the cabbage, another 6 to 7 minutes. Add the wine and broth, bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and add the remaining 1 teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper along with the thyme. Cover with a tight-fitting lid, transfer to the oven, and cook until soft, slumped, and mahogany brown, 2 hours, or 2½ hours for even softer cabbage. Uncover, cool slightly, and serve the cabbage with the liquid accumulated in the pot. Season with salt and pepper and top with butter and crème fraîche. Serve with lemon wedges, if desired.

* * *

TAHINI GLAZED CARROTS

Serving size / yield: Serves 4

Active time: 10 minutes

Total time: 35 minutes

More than any other veggie dish in my repertoire, this is the one people request again and again. This recipe originally appeared in my mini-but-mighty Tahini cookbook in 2016, but once I moved to Israel, I made a few changes, like eliminating butter and swapping in olive oil, that reflect the way I cook here. If you can find multicolored carrots, great, and if you can find thinner farmers’ market–style ones, even better. If your carrots are on the larger side, cut them lengthwise so no piece is more than half an inch thick; this softens them up in preparation for their deliciously sweet, lemony tahini glaze. The recipe purposely makes a generous amount of dressing, because you’ll want to put it on everything, from cold noodles to fish and any roasted veggie under the sun. I recommend doubling or even tripling this recipe; the carrots shrink, but people’s appetite for them never does. If you do multiply, make sure to use more baking sheets so the carrots roast, not steam. The carrots are just as good, if not better, at room temperature, making them perfect sit-around buffet food.

Ingredients

Carrots

14 to 16 (1½ pounds total) thin carrots, peeled and trimmed

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste

½ teaspoon ground cumin

Tahini Glaze

(Makes 1 cup)

⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil

¼ cup pure tahini paste

¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

3 tablespoons silan

2 tablespoons water, or more as needed

½ teaspoon fine sea salt

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Directions

1. Roast the carrots: Preheat the oven to 425°F. Arrange the carrots on a large rimmed baking sheet and drizzle with the olive oil. Sprinkle with the salt and cumin, shake the pan to coat the carrots, and roast them, turning once midway through, until they have softened and their edges are golden, 25 to 27 minutes.

2. Make the tahini glaze: While the carrots are roasting, whisk the olive oil, tahini, lemon juice, silan, water, salt, and cayenne in a medium bowl until smooth and pourable, adding an additional tablespoon of water if necessary.

3. Remove the carrots from the oven, transfer them to a serving platter, and drizzle them with the tahini glaze. Using tongs, gently toss to coat.

* * *

Bread

GOLDEN CHALLAH/PULL-APART CHALLAH STICKS

Serving size / yield: Makes 2 large or 3 medium challahs

Active time: 35 minutes

Total time (including rising and cooling time): 4 hours 30 minutes; up to about 5 hours 30 minutes with the extended first rise

This is a streamlined Shabbat challah made with vegetable oil and white sugar, with a small pinch of turmeric for a warm golden color without noticeable turmeric flavor. Give the dough generous rising time before and after braiding for a lighter crumb. A simple three-strand braid works beautifully, and the dough can be kneaded either by hand or in a stand mixer. Use this recipe for the challah sticks below.

Ingredients

¾ cup (177 ml/177 g) warm water (110° to 115°F), plus up to ¼ cup (60 ml/60 g) more as needed

½ cup (100 grams) plus 2 tablespoons (24 grams) sugar

Two ¼-ounce (7-gram) packets active dry yeast (4½ teaspoons/14 grams total)

½ cup (120 ml/110 g) vegetable oil, plus ½ tablespoon (7.5 ml/7 g) for greasing the bowl

⅛ teaspoon ground turmeric

4 large eggs

6 cups (780 grams) all-purpose flour, plus more as needed

2½ teaspoons (14 grams) fine sea salt

½ cup (70 grams) sesame seeds

Flaky sea salt, such as Maldon, or kosher salt

Directions

1. Combine ¾ cup warm water with 2 tablespoons of the sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Stir in the yeast and let stand until foamy, 5 to 6 minutes. Add the remaining ½ cup sugar, ½ cup vegetable oil, turmeric, and 3 eggs and mix to combine.

2. Add the flour and fine sea salt. Using the dough hook, mix on medium speed until the dough comes together, about 3 minutes. If it is very wet, add flour ¼ cup at a time; if dry or crumbly, add up to ¼ cup additional water. Continue kneading in the mixer for 5 to 6 minutes, or transfer to a lightly floured work surface and knead by hand until smooth and supple, 9 to 10 minutes.

3. Grease a large bowl with the remaining ½ tablespoon oil. Add the dough, turn to coat, cover, and let rise in a warm place until at least doubled in size, 1½ to 2 hours. For an even lighter challah, let it rise until tripled, about 3 hours. Punch down the dough.

4. Divide the dough into 2 equal pieces for large challahs or 3 for medium challahs. Divide each piece into 3 pieces, roll into ropes, and braid. Arrange on a parchment-lined baking sheet and let rise, covered, until puffed and nearly doubled, about 1 hour.

5. During the last 15 minutes of rising, set a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Beat the remaining egg and brush it thoroughly over the challahs. Coat with sesame seeds and sprinkle with flaky or kosher salt. Bake until deeply golden and cooked through, 34 to 36 minutes for 2 large loaves or 28 to 30 minutes for 3 medium loaves. The center should register about 190° to 195°F. Cool before slicing.

* * *

PULL-APART CHALLAH STICKS

Serving size / yield: Makes eight 12 × 2-inch challah sticks

Active time: 1 hour

Total time (including making the Golden Challah dough through its first rise, shaping, second rise, baking, and cooling): 4 hours 40 minutes

Making these sweet little braids has become a favorite way to prepare challah in our home. The toppings can be adjusted to suit your taste or audience; choose a variety of whole seeds, salts, and seasonings, or, if you like, keep it simple and top the entire pan with one thing. As they rise and bake, the challahs become kissing cousins, meeting one another at the sides. Each braid is perfect for one or two people, and after baking, they freeze beautifully as individuals, ready to be defrosted and served with dips, breads, or alongside a bowl of soup.

Ingredients

1 recipe Golden Challah dough, after the first rise

1 large egg, beaten, for brushing

Sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, nigella or black sesame seeds, za’atar, ground sumac, flaky sea salt, and/or other toppings of your choice

Directions

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Divide the dough into 8 equal-sized pieces. Cut each into 3 smaller pieces and roll each piece into a 12-inch log, keeping the logs you’re not braiding covered with a towel to prevent drying out. Pinch the top ends together and braid into long, narrow challahs about 1 inch wide × 12 inches long; the braids will expand to roughly 2 inches wide as they rise and bake. Pinch the ends once braided and arrange them on the parchment-lined sheet, leaving ½ to 1 inch between each challah. Cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until puffed and nearly doubled in size, 45 minutes to 1 hour.

2. During the last 15 minutes of the challah rising, set a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Uncover and brush each challah with egg and sprinkle generously with the toppings of your choice. Bake until the challahs are golden, have risen, and touch one another, 25 to 26 minutes. Cool until easy to handle and serve warm or at room temperature.

* * *

Desserts & Baking

BETTE’S HOLIDAY APPLE BUNDT CAKE

Serving size / yield: Serves 10 to 12

Active time: 20 minutes

Total time: 1 hour 40 minutes

My stepmom, Bette, has been making this easy, festive cake for as long as I can remember, and now that she and my dad live an hour’s drive away in Jerusalem (versus a 15-hour flight to California), it was easy to get together so she could teach me how to make it. A rich, vanilla- and lightly orange-scented batter and cinnamony sliced apples bake into your new favorite Rosh Hashanah dessert.

Ingredients

3 large or 4 medium Granny Smith apples

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2½ teaspoons ground cinnamon

4 large eggs

2 cups (400 grams) plus 3 tablespoons (40 grams) sugar

1 cup (240 ml) neutral oil

½ cup orange juice, preferably freshly squeezed

1 tablespoon (15 ml) vanilla extract

3 cups (390 grams) all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon (14 grams) baking powder

1 teaspoon (4 grams) fine sea salt

Directions

1. Peel, core, and very thinly slice the apples. Toss them in a bowl with the lemon juice and ½ teaspoon of the cinnamon. Coat a standard Bundt pan with baking spray (Bette uses baking spray with flour). Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2. Energetically whisk together the eggs, 2 cups of the sugar, oil, orange juice, and vanilla until smooth and fluffy, 1 minute (or beat with an electric hand mixer on medium-high speed for 1 minute). Sift in the flour, baking powder, salt, and 1 teaspoon cinnamon and whisk, or beat on low speed, until just combined.

3. Transfer half the batter to the prepared pan, then layer half the apples over the batter. Sprinkle with 1½ tablespoons sugar and ½ teaspoon cinnamon. Pour the remaining batter over the apples, then arrange the remaining apples on top in a decorative pattern. Sprinkle with the remaining 1½ tablespoons sugar and ½ teaspoon cinnamon.

4. Bake until the cake is risen and golden, the apples are cooked, and a tester inserted into the cake comes out clean, 50 to 60 minutes. Cool in the pan for 20 minutes, invert onto a plate, then invert again onto a serving platter.

* * *

MEDJOOL DATE BUNDT CAKE WITH CLEMENTINE GLAZE

Serving size / yield: Serves 8 to 10

Active time: 15 minutes

Total time: About 2 hours 15 minutes

Whether you use whole pitted dates or date paste, this one’s a winner. It gets more moist as it sits around, so make sure to save a few pieces for the next day. The clementine glaze is a nice touch, but the cake is also perfect on its own with coffee or tea.

Ingredients

Cooking spray

20 to 21 large Medjool dates (about 15½ ounces/440 grams), pitted and finely chopped*

1⅔ cups (395 ml/395 g) boiling water

1 teaspoon instant espresso or strong coffee powder

5 large eggs

1 tablespoon (15 ml) pure vanilla extract

1⅔ cups (275 grams) lightly packed dark brown sugar

1 cup neutral oil

2¼ cups (295 grams) all-purpose flour

2½ teaspoons (10 grams) baking powder

1 teaspoon (5 grams) baking soda

¾ teaspoon (5 grams) fine sea salt, plus more for the glaze

2 cups (250 grams) confectioners’ sugar

¼ cup (60 ml) clementine juice and 1 tablespoon finely grated zest (from 1 large clementine), plus more zest for garnish

Directions

1. Arrange a rack in the center of the oven; preheat to 350°F. Generously coat a standard Bundt pan with cooking spray (or vegetable oil). In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl, combine the dates, boiling water, and coffee powder. Let sit until the dates have softened to the consistency of chunky applesauce, 10 minutes. Beat with the paddle attachment (or an electric hand mixer or a large whisk and a strong arm) on medium speed until almost smooth, 30 seconds.

2. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until well blended, 20 seconds. Add the brown sugar and oil and beat until blended, 10 more seconds. Reduce the speed to low and beat in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until just incorporated, 20

Some gorgeous red plums, a few only slightly shriveld but perfectly g…

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People always ask me if I cook from my own recipes, and the answer is, usually, no. I tell my readers that I view cookbooks more as suggestions than hard-and-fast rules, and I apply that rule to myself, too.

But when I saw that the ripe, lush Maya mangoes I love had finally landed in the shuk, my mind immediately went to a salad from Zariz with mangoes, lentils, green beans, mint, and a spicy harissa vinaigrette.

In the book I have you cook the lentils, but a shop in my neighborhood sells excellent-quality French legumes in tall jars, perfectly cooked and tender. I found a jar in my pantry, so I tossed the lentils with chunks of mango, green beans I’d blanched to tender-crisp the day before, a raft of shredded mint, and that vinaigrette—a smart (if I do say so myself) upgrade to humdrum dressings, with harissa adding a spicy edge and beautiful reddish color.

That dish was part of a Shabbat lunch I wasn’t even sure I wanted to make.

It had been a tough few weeks, between my back giving out, an upcoming surgery for my stepmom (she’s doing well), and practically every working appliance in the house—the oven, the air conditioning, the electric shades that keep out the heat, and half the electricity upstairs—going on the fritz within days.

I was tired. I was cranky. And I could have easily canceled; everyone would have understood.

But friends were in from out of town, and I was excited to gather locals and visitors in the comfort of our blessedly repaired, air-conditioned living room for a Shabbat afternoon meal that gave me a sense of purpose divorced from the life details that had been weighing me down.

I came back from the Zariz book tour exactly two months ago and hit the ground running (sprinting?). Most of the cooking I’d been doing was to fill out my Instagram feed or help another upcoming project (that we’ll tawk about later 😊) take shape.

My favorite kind of cooking—improvised, loose, with dishes built from some combination of what I had in the pantry and what I found in the shuk—had been elusive. I realized I missed cooking simply because I wanted to cook, and that I needed it to right the course.

It started with a schvitzy trip to the shuk, where I went looking for chives and was gently scolded by a vendor who reminded me that regular chives hadn’t been in season for a month, and that I should just take home the flat, garlic-forward ones that were brawny and hearty in that way in-season market herbs are here.

Then it was on to my favorite purveyor of baladi vegetables (baladi, loosely translated from the Arabic as “rustic” or “from the land”), a stately mustachioed gentleman from the northern city of Tira who pressed a few hot shatta peppers into my hand because he knows I love them.

Then it was time to go home and get cooking.

I made the Chacoli salad from my favorite Tel Aviv restaurant of the same name, which I learned last summer from chef Yarden Shay (recipe below). It combines watermelon, feta, fakous—an Armenian cucumber that is actually a type of melon and is beloved in Palestinian cooking—in an herby, almost green goddess-like dressing packed with herbs, garlic, and both lemon and lime juice.

I made homemade challahs that got torn open with abandon and shmeared with softened salted French butter.

There was wilted zucchini and corn salad topped with cherry tomatoes and feta, the liquid from the zucchini forming the basis of an almost vegetable stock-like sauce (the recipe is on my Instagram).

I tore up a stale loaf of good sourdough into craggy, oversized pieces, lavished them with really good olive oil, and toasted them to a golden crisp. While they toasted, I combined a jar of white beans with chopped roasted red peppers, marinated artichoke hearts, and Castelvetrano olives in a mustardy dressing. (I think I’ll save this one for another Stack!)

I took a hunk of center-cut skinless salmon and slow-poached it in olive oil with lemon slices, bay leaf, peppercorns, coriander seeds, and salt. It looks like the salmon your grandma poached and served with dill sauce, but it’s much silkier, more concentrated in flavor, and very lemony—no dressing required.

I just threw everything on the table on gorgeous platters and we ate, washing down the food with cold white wine.

The normalcy, the simplicity of the meal, the joy of gathering—all of it made the afternoon a respite from every kind of encroaching heat.

CHACOLI SALAD

Courtesy of Chef Yarden Shay of Chacoli Restaurant

Serves 4

Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon

Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lime

4 cloves garlic

1 cup tightly packed parsley leaves and tender stems

½ cup loosely packed mint leaves

½ cup tightly packed roughly chopped chives

1 cup olive oil

1 TB kosher salt

3 medium fakus (Armenian cucumber, or large Persian cucumbers) trimmed

¼ wedge from a medium watermelon, rind removed,

1 shallot, thinly sliced

15-20 fresh tarragon leaves (2-3 TB)

1 cup feta cheese, crumbled by hand, plus more for topping

½ cup toasted Marcona almonds or regular almonds, plus more for garnish

1 1/2 cups lightly packed arugula or watercress

Add the lemon and lime juice and zest, garlic, parsley, mint, chives, olive oil and salt to a blender. Blend on high until bright green and smooth, 30 to 45 seconds. (Dressing can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days, shake to reincorporate.)

Remove the rind from the watermelon. Cut into 1-inch-thick planks. Cut the fakus/cucumber and watermelon into large, chunky, angled pieces. Add to a salad bowl with the shallot, tarragon, feta. and almonds. Pour ½ cup of the dressing on the salad, toss to coat, then add more dressing if desired. Right before serving, gently toss in the arugula. Transfer to a serving dish, mounding the salad as high as possible. Top with more feta and nuts if desired.

LENTIL, MANGO & GREEN BEAN SALAD WITH HARISSA DRESSING

From Zariz: 100 Easy, Breezy, Tel Aviv-y Recipes

Serves 6 to 8

1 ¼ cups (9 ounces) black lentils

¾ pound green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces

6 tablespoons lemon juice

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon harissa paste, plus more to taste

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 pound mango, cubed into ½ inch cubes (1 ¼ cups cubed)

1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced

½ cup red onion, diced

1 cup lightly packed mint leaves, sliced

Fill a large pot halfway with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the lentils and cook until almost al dente, 15 minutes. Add the green beans, return to a boil and cook until tender-crisp and bright green. 1 additional minute. Drain and rinse under cold water for 1 minute; cool completely*.

In the bottom of a large salad bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, honey, mustard, harissa, ¼ teaspoon of the salt and the pepper until creamy and lightened in color, 15 seconds. Add the lentils. green beans, mango, pepper, onion, mint and the remaining ¾ teaspoon of salt to the bowl and gently toss to coat.

*To cool and drain the lentils and green beans even faster, after first draining in the colander, line a rimmed baking sheet with a kitchen towel, and spread out the lentils and beans over the towel and let sit for 10 minutes.

SALMON CONFIT

Serves 6

1 ¼ lbs skinless center-cut salmon filet

3 cups olive oil, or enough to just totally cover the salmon

Thick strips of zest, peeled from 1 lime

1 lemon, sliced into thin wheels

3 to 4 fresh za’atar or oregano sprigs

4 garlic cloves

2 bay leaves

1 tablespoons kosher salt

1 whole dried red chili

1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds

6 whole black peppercorns

Cut the salmon into 1 ½- to 2-inch cubes. Place the salmon in a pot that just fits the fish, with about ½ inch around on all sides (if the pot is too large, you’ll need more oil). Add olive oil, lime zest strips, lemon wheels, za’atar, garlic, bay leaves, kosher salt, red pepper flakes, and coriander. Set over very low heat and cook until you see tiny bubbles form on the surface of the oil and the salmon turns opaque and can be flaked into pieces, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from heat and let salmon cool in the oil. (If not using right away, store fish in its poaching oil in an airtight container in fridge for up to 1 week. Oil can be strained, then refrigerated, for up to 3 months, then reused to poach more salmon.)

How exactly can I describe this weather? If summer in Israel is an ice cream sundae, this year’s overachieving heat and humidity—and we’re not even in August yet—are the whipped cream, hot fudge sauce, chopped peanuts, and maraschino cherry on top. I’m in my usual routine: out by 7 a.m., home by 8, then hibernating until the sun goes down at 8 p.m. It’s the Tel Avivian way. The specter of war looms (will they? Won’t they?). But in the meantime, we’re doing our steamy, sweaty, schleppy best to live our lives and, to quote John Mayer, waiting on the world to change…

But I digress. I’m a month-ish back from the Zariz book tour, and I have started to write this post a thousand times. It’s a post of gratitude. Of wonder. Of exhilaration, followed by exhaustion. It’s all of the things a book tour evokes, right down to your kishkes. There were 30 stops in 45 days, and I can honestly say there wasn’t a single stinker.

Every event was a joy, a balm, a boost, a blast. Even the events that went awry—I offer you a freak storm that knocked out the A/C a few hours before a cooking demo in 90-degree weather, and raise you an event producer who kept confusing me with another influencer—were connective, meaningful, and reassuring.

My previous book, Shabbat, came out weeks before 10/7, and my tour continued for almost two months after that sad, sad day. Zariz was released during a moment of relative calm, with cease-fires in place and hope on the horizon. Three months later? Not so much.

So people came out to celebrate, to laugh, to listen, to talk, and to feast. There was the launch event at my beloved Temple Emanu-el Streicker Center in New York, hosted by Gail Simmons, with upward of 900 people! There were collaboration dinners with my bestie Mike Solomonov in both Miami and Philadelphia, plus four other events with Mike—just call him chief roadie! There were also incredible events hosted by Zack Engel and Andres Clavero at Cafe Yaya in Chicago, as well as an event with Alon Shaya at his sublime Safta in Denver. I signed upward of 6,000 books, and I have to say that my right wrist held up well under pressure. Pro tip: Staples-brand permanent markers are even better than Sharpies.

Everyone warned me to prepare for the post-tour crash and the inevitable blues that accompany it, but, to be honest, there hasn’t been a minute to look in any direction but forward. Not long after my return, Jay’s daughter, Shani, and her husband, Or, had their third baby—a girl named Tomer—at home on their kibbutz near Lebanon. We’ve been driving up to see them, spend time with the family, and just hold that little life. This family had to evacuate after 10/7 and moved several times before eventually returning home this year, only to be met with renewed conflict close to the border. They’ve handled it far better than I would have, and holding a “freshie,” as we like to refer to a new baby, is the best cure for anything that ails you. Jay is in heaven. See Exhibit A!

I’ve also been deep back in my kitchen, developing lots of new seasonal recipes for an upcoming project—and working on another exciting venture I can’t quite share yet. The fruit this summer has been the best in years, its natural sweetness somehow intuitively balancing the bitterness that sometimes feels as though it’s encroaching from all sides: Peaches so concentrated in juiciness and flavor that you get a contact high with every bite. Grapes so snappy and sweet they make you feel pre-diabetic. Watermelon so brilliantly pink and crisp you could bounce a quarter off its surface.

We’re still waiting for peak Maya mango season; Mayas are the Israeli cultivar that rivals the best Haitian and Indian varieties. The season is almost urgently ephemeral—blink and you’ll miss it. If you see me in person in the next few weeks, don’t be surprised to catch me with mango juice dripping down my face. Proudly!

And then there’s the corn. Until fairly recently, the best corn available for home consumption here was milky, starchy, and not all that sweet—at least not in that Jersey-corn sort of way. But then a farmer named Yoav Sonino, who had tasted premium corn in other countries, began developing similar cultivars here in Israel. After a lot of trial and error, he came up with a winner and named it Gili, after his wife, Gila. Over the years, his sweet corn has gained traction locally with the help of restaurateurs, farmers’ markets, and many happy customers—yours truly included.

And so I present this recipe. Basically: corn three ways. It’s a meditation on the season in which, yet again, few ingredients and minimal effort yield massive flavor and joy on the plate. Some of the corn is grilled, then creamed with half-and-half using an immersion blender. The rest is sautéed with brown butter and hot chiles, and the whole thing is topped with crushed Corn Nuts, a snack I’ve recently rediscovered and can’t put down. I hope you make it and enjoy it! See you back here again very soon.

CREAMY CHARRED, BUTTERED & CRUNCHY CORN

Serves 4

6 ears fresh, sweet corn

3 to 4 TB butter

1 red or green jalapeño, finely diced

¼ cup chopped basil

¼ tsp kosher salt, plus more for seasoning

1 cup half and half or coconut milk

1 TB olive oil

⅓ cup corn nuts, smashed

Cut the kernels from 4 ears of corn. Heat a large skillet over high heat. Add the butter and let it brown, about 2 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium, add the jalapeño, and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the corn kernels, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and cook for 5 minutes. Uncover and stir in the basil and a pinch of salt. Cover to keep warm.

Heat a grill or grill pan over high heat and grill the remaining 2 ears of corn, turning occasionally, until lightly charred, 7 to 8 minutes total. Cool slightly, then cut the kernels from the cobs. Combine the charred corn, half-and-half, salt, and olive oil in a medium bowl and blend with an immersion blender until smooth.

Spread the charred creamed corn over the bottom of a serving platter. Top with the buttered corn, followed by the Corn Nuts.

The fragile ceasefires with Iran and Lebanon, held together with seemingly no more than dental floss, managed to remain in place for me to travel from Tel Aviv to Newark on Tuesday afternoon. Right up until days before this was not something I took for granted. With an active war and many casualties on all sides, airspace was often closed or compromised and during these very fragile and unstable times, flights are often scarce and canceled at the eleventh hour. This meant that I had backup plans piled up on top of backup plans, including a hotel room on the Egyptian border to facilitate crossing into the Sinai Desert, if necessary, with a flight reserved from Taba airport to Athens, then another flight from Athens to New York. I would have done it if I had to (heck, I would have tethered my suitcase to my ankle and swam to Greece if I had to). But in the end, I am here as originally planned, and I am relieved and excited.

Promotion and book-related activities are already in full swing. The morning after I arrived I headed into the City to film some fun content with Stephanie Butnick of the delightful Golda Guide (which you should all subscribe to). I also filmed the peerless Taste podcast with Matt Rodbard (this will air in the coming days) and, just before I left, Unholy with Yonit Levi and Jonathan Freedland. Then I went to Kitchen Arts & Letters, a culinary powerhouse of a bookstore on the Upper East Side to sign the preorders that awaited me there (you can still order a signed copy here!)

Seeing hundreds of copies stacked up waiting for my autograph triggered a release of emotion I’ve been holding for months–prpoably years. Zariz is a book written under the spectre of war, started a month after October 7th and written as a form of cookable therapy for myself and, hopefully, for you. The recipes are easy without being stupid-simple. They still require a little prep, maybe a stir and a drop of effort, but they’re streamlined to create peace in body and mind. I hope you love them as much as I do.

The work that goes into getting a book into the world only begins once the manuscript has been submitted - then the hard work of promotion, book tour, and getting out there really begins. Being an Israel-based author has only brought this into sharper relief. There is less attention on my workI take nothing for granted at this point, least of all your support and love, which I feel at every turn. Below is a preview of one of the 100 easy, breezy recipes that will allow you to make an easy, low-lift lunch or dinner that’s very Adeena coded. The blend of pasta and preserved lemon. The cherry tomatoes, The olive oil. The drift of parm. The ease. The yum! Hope you agree. Love you. xoxo. Shabbat Shalom!

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Preserved Lemon, Asparagus & Cherry Tomato Orzotto

From Zariz: 100 Easy, Breezy, Tel Aviv-y Recipes

serves 4

active time: 20 minutes

total time: 30 minutes

Preparing this orzo risotto-style yields a creamy, plush pasta dish that feels rich and indulgent. The surprise here is the burst of preserved lemon, which provides a tang you don’t expect from a cozy orzo dish. The springy asparagus cooks at the very end for just a few minutes, and juicy cherry tomatoes, added after the dish comes off the stove, keep things fresh. Serve as a side dish or a main course.

1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for drizzling

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup dried orzo pasta

4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for seasoning

8 ounces asparagus, ends trimmed, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 cup (1 1/2 ounces) finely shredded Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, plus more for garnish

1/4 cup finely chopped preserved lemon (recipe in all my books, or store-bought) from 1/2 small preserved lemon)

1/2 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes

Freshly ground black pepper

1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered

Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the orzo and cook, stirring, until glossy, 2 minutes. Stir in the broth and salt, raise the heat to medium-high, and bring to a low boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring every few minutes, until the orzo is just cooked through but still very soupy, 13 minutes. Stir in the asparagus, return to a simmer, and cook until the asparagus is al dente, 2 minutes. Stir in the parm, preserved lemon, and red pepper flakes.Divide among four plates, top each plate with 1/4 cup of the tomatoes, drizzle with olive oil, and garnish with more cheese.

It’s all getting very close. Zariz, my next cookbook, comes out in two weeks and one day. Fifteen days between me and the beginning of my seven-week book tour abroad, away from home, a different city almost every day, seeing tons of friends and readers and followers and colleagues and airports and train stations.

And so, chicken salad.

My body is weak. At this writing we’re just a few days past six weeks spent at home as the war raged around us. It was an exercise in mental discipline, in keeping eyes on prizes and meeting many goals and deadlines surrounding the book baby while, in tandem, feeling and witnessing the sadness and devastation of war, the worry, the lack of control, the knowledge that you are both the target and also that your government is targeting other countries. Justified, perhaps, but still a heavy weight to bear.

There are many thoughts, many consequences, and many bags of snacks consumed after running into the “safe room.” We are beyond aware of our privilege that this steel-reinforced room exists. It was an afterthought when we bought our apartment in the Before Times, when wars were local and missiles weren’t ballistic and fear was dispensed in other forms from different vessels.

But this metal-encased box we scampered into for physical safety could not ensure an equal psychological insurance. So we clung to each other, we told jokes and played reels and games and we were loud, sometimes, to fill the voids of the unknown, and quiet when there was too much noise of all kinds around us.

Since the ceasefire last week, my body has hurt in a day-after-the marathon way (well, what I imagine that would feel like as I’ve never even attempted anything beyond a 10K). Muscles feel fried and sore, the brain is foggy, the instinct is to lie down when we’re supposed to be all about getting back up and going going going again. Because I kept myself moving so hard during the war, my corporeal self finally fell in on itself. I am leaning into it. I am making soups. Of the mushroom variety (see my last post). Of the chicken variety (see my Passover recipe download).

And then the chicken soup begat the chicken salad.

I had used a very good quality chicken for that soup, from a local grower named Lulu; a company that does all the right things. The chicken is golden and plump, but not overgrown in that Purdue-commercial flaunting your chicken like a pin-up ready for a Playboy centerfold sort of way, if you know what I mean. I also brought some beautiful, meaty chicken wings to add to the soup for body and extra flavor, and after cooking that soup low and slow for about 8 hours, using the method I perfected in my mom’s Overnight Chicken Soup recipe in the Sababa cookbook, I was left with all that chicken, still tender because of the extremely low temperature it was simmered under. So I set about the chicken salad.

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The Ten Commandments of Chicken Salad

A chicken salad must have crunch.

It should have generous acid or tang or tartness. Usually in the form of lemon.

Mustard: Required.

It must have mayonnaise (yes, it must).

Lots of kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, please.

A sweet and savory contrast lends eating intrigue.

Fresh herbs add a lot.

A little sharpness in the form of red or white or yellow onion.

And a little spice never hurt anyone.

I had used up all my celery over Passover and for the chicken soup referenced above, so I replaced the crunch with tons of chopped tiny cornichon pickles and an entire tart Granny Smith apple, which I also doused in lemon juice to keep it from turning brown in the salad.

For the spicy, I finely diced part of a red Serrano pepper, seeds and all. Color AND flavor. Win-win.

For mayo, I used Best Foods, otherwise known as Hellman’s on the East Coast (and here in Israel, where it must be imported from). It’s the gold standard, and many of my mayo-based recipes are built around its balanced acidity, sweetness, and faint hint of mustard. If you use an Israeli mayo, or Duke’s, adjust accordingly,

For herbs, I typically default to dill, but I had a giant bunch of chives (chives here are so much better than the standard-issue wimpy DOA clamshell chives I got used to at Whole Foods, Sprouts, etc. So I chopped an obscene amount of them into a pile that resembled a mound of feathery kelly-green wood shavings.) Of course, use any gree things you have around. Dill, Tarragon. More parsley. Cilantro. I might personally draw the line at basil or mint, but this is your recipe now.

Onions. OK, I had a ton of scallions, but since I’d just plowed through those chives, I didn’t need any green oniony things. So I took off the whites, thinly sliced them, and in they went.

Acid: I pulled a fresh jar of my homemade preserved lemons out of the second fridge downstairs. Mine are tender-skinned, with soft, pulpy interiors. You remove the seeds and then work that knife to get the lemons processed down to almost a paste (little yellow bits of the skins are great, and pretty as hell).

Mustard: I used a classic Dijon, but grainy would be so, so nice. I’ll try it next time!

And the chicken itself. I stripped all the meat from the bones and gave the chicken a rough chop. When I mixed all the ingredients together, the chicken broke down further into a delicious texture just begging to be scooped like a 1950s fever dream onto a bed of lettuce, then eaten with some good sourdough (or, let’s face it, Triscuits or Ritz crackers).

Chicken Salad

Makes 6 to 7 cups

(Recipe can be halved)

½ cup to 2/3 cup mayonnaise, depending on your love of mayo (mine is high)

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 pounds chicken meat, from a 4-pound whole cooked chicken

1 Granny Smith apple, finely diced, tossed in 1 tablespoon lemon juice

½ cup finely minced chives

¼ finely chopped parsley

½ cup finely minced scallion whites, red onion, or other onion

¼ cup very finely chopped seeded preserved lemon (rinsed if very salty), plus more to taste*

2 teaspoons finely diced jalapeno or Fresno chili (seeded if desired)

2-3 tablespoons finely chopped cornichons or other pickles (plus some of their brine if needed, for saltiness)

Whisk the mayo, mustard, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Add the chicken, apple,

chives, parsley, scallion whites, preserved lemon, jalapeno, and cornichons (hold off on the brine for now) and stir gently until everything is well incorporated. Season with more lemon, salt, pepper, and pickle brine. Salad can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to five days.

*You can swap in the finely grated zest of 1 large lemon, then remove and discard the white pith, seed the inside, chop it up, and add it to the mix a tablespoon at a time.

We headed north that Tuesday afternoon, accepting the risk of a two-plus-hour drive in the middle of a war to be with his children and our grandchildren. After picking up his son in south Tel Aviv, we coasted out of a city that felt strangely suspended—streets eerily empty for a holiday when people are usually in motion, moving between festive gatherings. We drove for two uninterrupted hours, without a single security delay.

The days leading up to the trip had been trying: nights fractured by security warnings, sirens, and the boom-boom-thud-thud of interceptions overhead (or, more ominously, the crashing impact of rockets or shrapnel). Nerves were frayed. People were being killed in Israel (and, of course, in Lebanon and Iran). The devastation felt everywhere all at once.

Still, we were determined to reach Jay’s daughter, her husband, and our two grandchildren, who live just a few kilometers from Kiryat Shmona, near the Lebanese border—an area long accustomed to tension, now intensified by active conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. They lived with a constant backdrop of distant explosions, though their small kibbutz had, for the moment, remained relatively quiet. A few minutes’ drive can make a huge difference.

The contrast with Tel Aviv was stark. At home, we typically receive several minutes’ warning before a missile strike; there, they have about 15 seconds to reach the mamad (safe room). The family sleeps there as a precaution, and we were told to be prepared to run in if a siren began its wail.

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But we didn’t have to. While we were there, a cease-fire between the United States, Iran, and Israel took hold. Though it did not formally extend to the northern border, and we braced for eve further escalation, those 24 hours proved to be an ephemeral bubble of relative calm.

We cooked, sat outside in the spring sun, made pottery together, and counted blessings.

Shani brought home rainbow trout from a nearby fishery, which I roasted simply with garlic and lemon, finishing it with a brown butter sauce. As is my habit, I surveyed the refrigerator and asked what I could make from what was there: sweet potatoes, Parmesan, milk. I whisked together a quick béchamel, layered the potatoes into a gratin, and watched it disappear almost as soon as it cooled. Shani also made a delicious vegetarian of Iraqi-Kurdish beet-kubbeh soup (there’s a meat version in my Shabbat cookbook)

Yuval, our granddaughter, made Jay a small ceramic keepsake box with a tiny scroll tucked inside, bearing a birthday message. Shani bought him an orchid—his favorite—and baked a Krembo (marshmallow and chocolate) cake, presenting it as the children crowned him with a wreath of flowers.

And I made mushroom soup. It was generous with mushrooms (my rule is one pound per four cups of liquid), building depth with barley, carrots, celery, onion, tomato paste, a Parmesan rind, and vegetable broth.

We filled our bowls of soup and loaded our plates with squares of gratin and an arugula salad topped with shavings of parmesan and drizzled with balsamic and Northern Israeli olive oil. Even our seven-year-old granddaughter, usually a selective eater, slupred it up, then asked for seconds. By now you know I love feding people more than anything else. But feeding your own littles and seeing them nod in approval is a gift beyond material measure.

We said our goodbyes and drove home that evening. Jay said it was one of his favorite birthdays. He is a simple guy, in his happiest place when this group of people is in his orbit.

The cease-fire feels very fragile, and we don’t know what the coming days will bring. But weekends like this—time with family, a shared meal, the ordinary rituals of care—have a way of clarifying what matters most.

Umami Mushroom Soup

Serves 10 to 12

1 ounce dried mushrooms*

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, diced

2 large carrots, diced

2 celery stalks, diced

1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 Tablespoons tomato paste

2 pounds button mushrooms, trimmed and sliced

1 parmesan rind (optional)

½ cup pearled barley (or one 14-ounce can white beans, drained)

7 cups water, vegetable broth, or a combination

1 to 2 tablespoons blond miso or soy sauce

1/4 cup chopped parsley for garnish

Hydrate the mushrooms in 3 cups boiling water for an hour until the mushrooms are soft and the liquid is dark. Pull the mushrooms out of the liquid, carefully letting any sand or dirt fall to the bottom of the liquid. Finely chop the mushrooms and reserve the 3 cups mushroom hydrating liquid

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, season with salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 8 to 9 minutes.

Add the garlic and tomato paste and cook, stirring, until tomato paste is caramelized, 2 minutes.

Add the mushrooms with another generous pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until they release their liquid, 7 to 8 minutes (don’t let all the liquid evaporate; this becomes part of the broth)

Add the parmesan rind (if using), 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper, barley (or white beans), 3 cups reserved mushroom liquid, broth/water, and miso or soy. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer. Cook partially covered until the barley is tender and the soup thickens slightly, 35–45 minutes. Add more water as needed to reach your desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper and stir in the parsley.

*If you don’t have dried mushrooms, just use a full 10 cups of broth/water.

Ways to up the umami in a vegetarian soup:

Dried Mushrooms: hydrate 1 ounce dried mushrooms in 2 or 3 cups boiling water for 1 hour. Remove mushrooms, squeeze liquid back into liquid. Finely. Finely chop mushrooms and add to soup along with the liquid (use in place of some broth or water).

Parmesan rind: I go through so much parm here, thankfully I have a steady supply of the dry end pieces. I freeze them, then throw into soups.

Miso: Adding 1 or 2 tablespoons blond or white miso to a soup adds multitudes of flavor and depth without dairy or meat. I use it in so many soups, but it works especially well with mushrooms.

Soy sauce: Long been my secret for meat-free French onion soup, but works with any soup.

Zariz Is Coming!

My book launch is just 2 1/2 weeks away. I have a BIG book tour planned and I hope to see you there! You can see all the stops and find links to buy tickets here.

Things start with a fun launch event April 28th in New York with my friend Gail Simmons moderating (tickets here). Everyone gets a signed book, there will be tastings (kosher!), giveaways, and hugs until the last person gets one.

Preorders are still super important. They signal to the publisher that this book matters, and (more on this to come) with every new book, I get less mainstream media coverage. Can you guess why? :)

If you are in the USA, you can preorder signed copies from Kitchen Arts & Letters in New York. Assuming I can get out of Israel things are looking good right now!) I will be signing all the preorders on April 22, they will be mailed out to arrive by publication day (April 28th).

And you can order from all the other places, too. Thank you in advance for your support; really means the world to me!

LIME-COCONUT CUSTARD PIE WITH PRESS-IN CRUST

Serves 12

Active Time: 25 minutes

Total Time (with minimum cooling): 6 hours 45 minutes

Last night I posted a pic of this delicious pie from the Shabbat cookbook, which happens to be 100 percent dairy-free, gluten-free, and kosher for passover (OK, I did swap in potato starch for the original cornstarch).

Above all else, it is 100 percent insanely delicious. The crust comes together in a snap using Medjool dates, shredded coconut, and pecans. forming a base for a lime-and-coconut filling that will illustrate in one bite how these two elements were born to live together in a dessert. Thethickness of coconut milk (plus a little coconut oil) subs in for the butter that usually helps solidify custard-like fillings. This one can be made up to three days in advance (except for the whipped cream) and is best served cold, right out of the fridge.

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FOR THE CRUST:

2 cups (260 grams) pecans

1 cup (75 grams) shredded, unsweetened coconut

2 large pitted Medjool dates (57 grams), torn into pieces

1/4 teaspoon (1 gram) fine sea salt

Neutral oil, for greasing the pan and your hands

FOR THE FILLING:

3 large limes

3 large egg yolks

5 tablespoons (35 grams) potato starch

Two 13.5-ounce (400 ml/380 grams) cans full-fat coconut milk (800 ml/760 grams total coconut milk)

2/3 cup (133 grams) granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon (1 gram) fine sea salt

3 tablespoons (43 grams) coconut oil

2 teaspoons (9 grams/ ml) pure vanilla extract

FOR THE TOPPING:

One 13.5-ounce (400 ml) can full-fat coconut milk, chilled, or 1/2 cup (118 ml) cold heavy cream

3 tablespoons (23 grams) confectioners’ sugar

1. Make the crust: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Arrange the pecans on a large rimmed baking sheet and the coconut on another baking sheet and roast until the coconut is golden and toasty, 7 to 8minutes, and the pecans are fragrant and a deep brown color but not burnt, 10 to 12 minutes.

Remove both from the oven and cool completely, then transfer both to the bowl of a food processor with the dates and salt. Pulse until the mixture is very finely chopped and holds together when pinched between your fingers, about 20 to 25 pulses. Lightly oil a 9-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom with neutral cooking spray, then spray your hands and press the crust into the bottom and up the sides of the pan.

2. Make the filling:

Zest and juice 2 of the limes; you should have about 11/2 tablespoons zest and 6 tablespoons juice. In a medium saucepan off the heat, whisk together the egg yolks, cornstarch coconut milk, 3 tablespoons of the lime juice, the granulated sugar, and salt.

Place over medium heat and cook, whisking constantly, until the pudding bubbles and thickens and the whisk leaves a slight impression in the custard, 7 to 8 minutes. Remove from the heat, whisk in the remaining 3 tablespoons lime juice and all the lime zest, the coconut oil, and vanilla. Cool slightly, then pour the filling into the crust. Cover tightly with plastic wrap, placing it directly on the surface to prevent a skin from forming, and chill until firm, at least 6 hours and up to 24 hours.

3. Make the topping: Chill the can of coconut milk in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours and up to 24, then open the can and scoop out the solidified “cream” that has risen to the top and place it in a medium bowl. (Alternatively, for whipped cream, pour the cold heavy cream in a medium bowl.) For either alternative, beat the cold cream with the confectioners’ sugar either by hand or using an electric mixer on high speed until soft peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes.

4. To serve, top the pie with the whipped topping. Zest the remaining lime over the top of the pie, then cut the lime into thin segments. Scatter the segments over the pie. Pie can be refrigerated, covered, for up to 3 days.

Three-Ingredient Medjool Date “Barton’s Almond Kisses”

Makes 10

If you ever had these in their heyday, you’ll know just how Proustian and meaningful this sweet bite can be. My version is by no means a dupe, but it evoked the chewy, caramelly, chocolatey, and nutty experience I can still taste to this day. If ony I still had the gorgeous back-and-neon square can (if you know, you know).

10 medjool dates, pitted

20 roasted almonds, salted or unsalted

1¼ cups semi sweet or bittersweet chocolate chips or chopped chocolate

Flaky sea salt, for garnish

Wrap a dinner plate in plastic wrap.

Stuff 2 Almonds inside each date.

Place the chocolate In a small microwave-safe bowl and melt, stopping microwave every 30 seconds to stir chocolate, 90 seconds to 2 minutes total.

One at a time, to put the dates in the chocolate, rolling them around with a fork, then lifting them out of the chocolate with the fork and letting the excess trip off. Sprinkle with flajy salt. Transfer to the plastic-wrapped plate. Repeat with the remaining dates and chill in the refrigerator until the shell is hardened, 20 to 30 minutes. Remove from the refrigerator and wrap each date individually in plastic wrap for snacks, or serve unwrapped as a dessert course on a platter.

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My Mom’s Mushroom, Apple & Matzo Kugel
Serves 8

My late mother, Steffi Sussman z”l, made this for seder every year, and I have a positively Pavlovian response when I smell mushrooms (lots of them!), apples, celery, and caramelized onions mingled with broken matzo and warm spices. I add lemon zest, chili flakes, and dates for an Israeli twist!

Vegans, just leave out the eggs; it’ll be a drop looser, but no less delicious.

Cooking spray
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium white onion, roughly chopped
1 medium red onion, roughly chopped
2 stalks celery, sliced
2 pounds button mushrooms, tough stems removed, sliced
¼ cup golden raisins
4 large medjool dates, pitted & chopped
1 large apple, cored and chopped
½ cup chopped parsley
3 matzos, crushed into bite-sized pieces
Water, for moistening the matzah (if necessary)
2 eggs, beaten
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon honey
¼ teaspoon chili flakes
½ teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, or to taste

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat an 8-x10-inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.

Heat the oil in a large (at least 6-quart) pot over medium heat. Add the onions and celery and sauté, stirring occasionally, until translucent and just beginning to caramelize, 8 to 9 minutes.

Add the mushrooms and cook until they release their water and are reduced in size by half, 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in the raisins, dates, apples, and parsley and cook, stirring, until the apples just begin to get tender, 3 to 4 minutes.

Remove from the heat, add the matzo and stir thoroughly until incorporated; if there is not enough liquid to hydrate the matzo, add water a few tablespoons at a time until the mazto is soft, but not mushy. Let cool until no longer steaming, 10 minutes.

Stir in the eggs, lemon zest, honey, chili flakes, paprika, salt, and cinnamon; mix well.

Transfer to the prepared pan and bake until the top begins to brown, 40-50 minutes.

Passover Pasta (For soup or any time)
Makes 3 cups noodles

These flour-free noodles are so versatile! Be traditional and add them to your Seder-night soup, or make them any day with this cheesy, buttery sauce.

Noodles:

1/3 cup potato starch
1/4 cup water
4 eggs
1/4 teaspoon salt
Pinch of paprika
Neutral cooking spray

Toppings: Butter, olive oil, parm, salt, pepper, and basil.

Whisk starch and water in a large bowl. Whisk in eggs, salt and paprika until incorporated. Heat an 8- or 9-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat; spray with cooking spray or brush with butter/oil.

Working quickly, ladle in 1/3 cup of the batter and tilt the skillet in a circular motion to swirl and coat bottom of pan evenly. Cook until just set, 30-45 seconds. Loosen the sides with a spatula and invert onto a large plate.

Repeat with remaining batter, adding cooking spray before each crepe and stacking finished crepes on top of each other (recipe will make 5-6 crepes.) Roll stacked crepes into a tight log and slice into noodles (thickness of your choice!)

Serve with soup, or with any of the toppings listed above.

One-Pan Quinoa, Chicken & Veggies
Serves 4 to 6

Very simple to prepare but packed with veggies and flavor and a winner for pesach or any time of the year.

1 ½ cups uncooked quinoa
6 large boneless skinless chicken thighs
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper, plus more for seasoning
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 pound button mushrooms, trimmed and sliced
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 small zucchini, cut into ¼-inch rounds
2 medium carrots, diced
2 ½ cups low sodium chicken broth
Chopped parsley, for serving.

Rinse the quinoa under cold water; drain well. Season the chicken generously on both sides with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in large, heavy (10-inch) skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until golden, 3 minutes per side; transfer the chicken and any juices to a plate. Add another tablespoon of oil in the skillet.

Add the onions and cook, stirring, until lightly golden, 7 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 more minute. Add the mushrooms, carrots, and zucchini and cook, stirring, until the vegetables begin to soften, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the quinoa to the skillet, then the broth, and stir to combine.

Raise the heat to high, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and cook until the quinoa begins to soften, 10 minutes. Add the chicken back to the skillet, cover, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook, until the quinoa is fluffy with a white squiggle and the chicken is tender, 17 to 18 minutes. Drizzle with the remaining tablespoon oil, season with salt and pepper, and garnish with parsley.

Rina’s Nut Crescent Cookies

Makes 25 to 30 cookies/Dough requires overnight chilling

These irresistible cookies came my way courtesy of my dear friend Avishai Ben Aroch’s mother, Rina. They’re gluten-free, chewy, and perfect as a Seder dessert or enjoyed with a glass of mint tea

1/2 cup (100 grams) sugar
2 large egg whites
1 cup (130 grams) whole walnuts, hazelnuts, or a mix 3/4 cup (106 grams) whole almonds
1 tablespoon (2 grams) finely grated lemon zest (from 2 large lemons)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon (4 grams/ml) pure vanilla extract
1 cup (90 grams) sliced almonds
Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

Bring 3 inches of water to a simmer in a pot, then set a metal bowl over the pot to create a double boiler (the bottom of the bowl shouldn’t touch the water below). Add the sugar and egg whites to the upper bowl and whisk, stirring, until the sugar is just dissolved, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool slightly.

In the bowl of a food processor, process the walnuts and almonds until a fine flour forms, 20 to 25 seconds, making sure not to overprocess them into a nut butter. Add the lemon zest, cinnamon, vanilla, a pinck of kosher or fine sea salt, and the egg-sugar mixture and process until a wet, sticky dough forms, 10 to 15 seconds. Transfer the mixture to an airtight container and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight.

Arrange racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment and clear a clean work surface. Place the sliced almonds on a plate. Pull off a tablespoon of the chilled dough from the bowl and roll it in the almonds, pressing so the nuts adhere on all sides. Roll it into a ball in your hands, sprinkle a few more nuts into your hand, and roll the ball into a 3/4-inch-thick, 4-inch-long rope, tapering the ends slightly.

Place the rope on the prepared baking sheet and bend the ends downward to form a crescent shape. Repeat with the remaining dough and nuts, arranging the cookies 2 inches apart on the sheets; you should have 18 to 20 cookies.

Bake, rotating and switching the baking sheets halfway through, until fragrant and the almond coating is very lightly golden, about 15 minutes.

Cool completely on the baking sheet. Dust with confectioners’ sugar before serving. Store on the counter in an airtight container for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 6 months.

I collected some favorites from my Instagram, cookbooks and other sources do you have more to choose from as you plan your menus for the upcoming Passover holiday. I wish you peace, quiet and meaningful connection to yourself and others through delicious cooking.

Matzo Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cereal

Vegetarian Chopped Liver

Classic Chopped Liver

French Onion Matza Ball Soup

Classic Matza Ball Soup

Bubbe’s Extra Crispy Potato Kugel

Crispy Quinoa Salad

Passover Chicken Picatta

Steffi’s Classic Brisket

Springy Schug-a-Churri Brisket

Box-Mix Upside Down Haroset Cake

Passover Marshmallow Brownies

Burnt Honey-Pistachio Matzo Toffee

Passover Dubai Chocolates

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Matzo Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cereal

That’s right–the best cereal in the world, made for Passover with matzo!

When I started playing around with this recipe I honestly didn’t know what the outcome would be, but now I sound like a commercial: it really stays crispy in milk! And SO incredibly delicious.The combination of crunchy sugar, butter, and cinnamon broils up golden and shatteringly crispy crunchy! If you’re not into cereal, just break it up and snack on it.

Makes 1 bowl (recipe can be multiplied)

1 matzo board

2 tablespoons butter, softened

2 tablespoons Demerara sugar (Sugar In The Raw), or regular sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon flaky sea salt

Arrange a rack in the top third of the oven (about 6-8 inches from the broiler) and preheat the broiler. Place the matzo on a small baking sheet.

Gently spread butter all over the matzo, then sprinkle the sugar evenly over the matzah. Dust the cinnamon over the matzo, sprinkle salt on top, and broil until the sugar bubbles and the top turns a deep mahogany color (checking on it often as it can burn fast!), 3-4 minutes.

Let cool completely, then break into small pieces. Serve in a bowl with milk.

Vegetarian Chopped Liver

Don’t get me wrong– I LOVE real-deal chopped liver. But I have to say, this veggie version has the richness, texture, and nostalgia-factor of the original without the meat. My mom used to make a Moosewood-y version back in the day, and the one I developed for the Shabbat cookbook pays homage to that by adding lentils. But here, for Passover, I omitted the legumes and just went full-force on pecans and mushrooms for maximum “meatiness” and umami. Use it for seder, then snag any leftovers for an ideal lunch or snack shmeared onto a piece of matzah.

Makes 2 1/2 cups

1 cup raw pecans

1/4 cup + 3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 jumbo onion, thinly sliced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 1/4 pound mushrooms, trimmed and sliced (1 pound sliced)

1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

2 hard-boiled eggs, halved

Place the pecans in a bowl, cover with very hot water, and let sit for 15 minutes; drain. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring, until golden and slightly charred around the edges, 10-11 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, 1 minute. In batches add the mushrooms and ½ teaspoon salt and cook, stirring often, until they release their water and are deeply golden in color, 7-8 minutes. Remove from heat, cool slightly, and transfer to a food processor. Add the pecans, remaining 2 tablespoons oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and the pepper. Process until chunky/smooth, making sure not to overprocess, 20-25 pulses, Add the eggs and pulse an additional 5-10 times. Season with more salt and pepper. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Classic Chopped Liver

One of the things I love about Israel is the ubiquity of chopped liver. It’s not something confined to holidays or Ashkenazi homes; you’ll see it on a table amid the pantheon of other salatim, served at different points in a meal—­ or as a meal itself. You’re either a chopped liver person or you’re not, and I’m a huge fan of this sweet, earthy, rich spread that was a major delicacy for me growing up. Enriched with tons of onions and shot through with chopped egg and schmaltz (of course, you can use another oil!), I can’t help but think of it as the poor man’s foie gras. You could use a food processor here, but I love the chunky texture that results from chopping all of the ingredients by hand.

Makes 3 cups

Active Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

8 tablespoons Schmaltz or vegetable oil

1 3/4 pounds chicken livers, cleaned*

2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more for seasoning

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning

3 large onions, thinly sliced (61/2 to 7 cups)

3 hard-­ boiled eggs,** very finely chopped

Challah and gribenes, for serving

If you’re using a skillet larger than 10 inches in diameter, heat 6 tablespoons of the schmaltz over medium-­ high heat in the skillet; if not, work in two batches, using half of the livers and 3 tablespoons of the schmaltz per batch. Season the livers with 1 teaspoon of the salt and 1/2 teaspoon of the pepper and cook until they are browned on the outside and just barely blushing pink on the inside, 3 minutes per side. Remove the livers from the pan, leaving any oil and juices in the pan, then add the onions, raise the heat to high, and cook, stirring, until the onions are charred and softened, 13 to 14 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and chop (somewhere between roughly and finely) the livers, then the onions, then the eggs.

Transfer everything to a bowl, add the remaining 2 tablespoons schmaltz, stir gently to combine,

and season with the remaining 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Serve with challah and gribenes. Chopped liver can be refrigerated in an

airtight container for 4 days.

*To clean the livers, pull out any stringy parts of the livers; this is not fun work, but it will result

in the smoothest and most delicious liver-­ eating experience. You can also buy precooked livers at many stores; if you do, 1 1/2 pounds is a good amount.

**For perfect hard-­ boiled eggs , fill a medium bowl with 3 cups ice and add 3 cups cold water. Place the eggs in a large saucepan, cover with water by 2 inches, season generously with salt, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-­ low and simmer until the eggs are cooked through, 9 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the eggs to the ice water, deliberately cracking them slightly so some water permeates the shell. Chill for 5 minutes, dry them off, then peel under cold running water.French Onion

French Onion Matza Ball Soup

Serves 6 to 8

I developed this rich onion soup recipe–bolstered with white wine, beef stock, and balsamic–which I highly recommend either for a slightly unconventional seder night, or during Passover week to serve with leftover matza balls. The secret ingredient here is time; let those onions get meltingly soft and sweet over low heat; get those podcasts on, call your best friend, or organize your kitchen so you can stay nearby and stir. (If you have homemade beef stock you’re batting 100!) The rest is truly simple, and one of the best soups you’ll ever taste.

⅓ cup olive oil, schmaltz or beef fat

4 pounds yellow onions, cut into ¼-inch slices

1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more to taste

freshly ground black pepper to taste

1/2 cup dry white wine

6 cups beef stock

3 sprigs thyme

1 bay leaf

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons freshly minced chives or parsley, for garnish

In a large, wide pot, heat the oil over high heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring often, until softened and just beginning to brown slightly in parts, 9 to 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring often, until the onions have reduced to about 1 ½ cups, 1 ½ to 2 hours (it’s worth it).During caramelizing, if the bottom of the pan appears to darken too much, add 1 tablespoon water, scrape up browned bits, and continue cooking. Season with salt and pepper. Add the wine and cook, stirring, until mostly absorbed into the onions, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the stock, thyme, bay leaf, and vinegar, salt and pepper, bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the soup thickens, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the thyme sprigs and bay leaf and season with more salt and pepper. Ladle the soup into bowls and add a matzo ball to each bowl. Garnish with chives or parsley.

Classic Matza Ball Soup

Serves 8 to 10

Don’t mess with the best. I am all for Passover innovation, but this rich soup and fluffy Matza balls have stood the test of time. Make them, cherish them, love them.

For the Matza balls:

5 tablespoons vegetable oil or Schmaltz

4 large eggs

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup cold plain seltzer or club soda

1 cup Matza meal

⅓ cup finely chopped parsley

For the soup:

One whole 4-pound chicken, giblets removed

2 pounds chicken wings

8 medium carrots, trimmed

3 large celery stalks, trimmed and halved crosswise

1 medium parsnip, trimmed and peeled

2 medium or 1 jumbo onion, peeled but left whole

4 garlic cloves

3 tablespoons kosher salt, plus more for the Matza ball water

Parsley or celery leaves, for garnish

Mix the Matza ball batter: In a medium bowl, vigorously whisk together the oil, eggs, salt, and pepper until the color lightens, 30 seconds. Pour in the seltzer, followed by the Matza meal and parsley, and stir with a wooden spoon until the Matza meal is fully moistened and no clumps remain. (The mixture will be a thick pancake-batter consistency and will continue to thicken as it rests.) Press plastic wrap onto the surface of the mixture and chill in the fridge while you make the soup, at least 3 hours and up to 24.

Make the soup: Wrap and seal the wings inside a double layer of cheesecloth ,While the Matza ball mix is chilling, place the chicken, carrots, celery, parsnip, onion, and garlic in a large (at least 10-quart) pot, cover with water almost to the top (about 3 1/2 quarts), add the salt, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Boil, skimming off and discarding any foam that rises to the surface, 10 to 15 minutes.

Reduce the heat to low and simmer gently, uncovered, until the soup deepens in color and the broth is flavorful and rich, about 3 hours. During the last 45 minutes of cooking, fill a large, wide, lidded pot halfway with water and season it very generously with salt. (I like to add 11/2 teaspoons kosher salt per quart of water. So if you fill an 8-quart pot halfway, add 2 tablespoons salt.) Bring it to a boil over medium-high heat.

Remove the Matza ball mix from the fridge. Fill a small bowl with water. Dip a tablespoon into the water, scoop out a heaping tablespoon of the batter, use moistened hands to form a walnut-sized ball, and set it on a plate. Continue to make the balls; you should have about 16. Lower the balls into the boiling water, cover, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer until the Matza balls are fluffy, tender, and cooked through, 40 to 45 minutes.

Turn off the heat and leave the pot covered. (You can also make these a few hours early and leave them hanging out in the pot and liquid until you’re ready to use them, then reheat over medium-low until just heated through, 10 to 15 minutes.)

To assemble the soup, remove and discard the cloth-wrapped wings. Gently break the vegetables in the soup into pieces using tongs. Ladle some of the hot soup and vegetables into a bowl, then add 2 or 3 Matza balls and some shredded chicken. (You can also shred the dark meat from the whole chicken if you like dark-meat chicken better.) Garnish with parsley or celery leaves.

Bubbe’s Extra Crispy Potato Kugel

Serves 12

Active Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 2 hours

Whenever she came to visit us in Palo Alto, my grandma Mildred would make her incredibly delicious potato kugel. It served as a powerful magnet for my friends, who were on “kugel alert,” especially on Fridays, when she would make a fresh batch. My dear friend Heather Henriksen had a particularly close relationship with my grandmother, who would summon her to our house with just a few words: “Heather, I made kugel, come over, I saved you a corner.” The two of them would sometimes sit in the backyard kibitzing for hours, and later Heather would recount stories that some of us in the family had never heard ourselves.

8 medium russet potatoes (4½ pounds), peeled

2 large onions, halved

6 large eggs

⅔ cup vegetable oil (not olive oil)

¼ cup all-purpose flour or potato starch

1½ tablespoons kosher salt, plus more if needed

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Grate the potatoes and onions on the large holes of a box grater or using the large shredding disc of a food processor. Place the grated potatoes and onions on a clean kitchen towel and squeeze out as much liquid as you can. Transfer the grated vegetables to a large bowl and mix with the eggs, 1/3 cup of the oil, the flour, salt, and pepper, ensuring the potatoes are evenly coated. If you don’t mind tasting raw egg, taste the batter to make sure the salt level is to your liking. Place a 9 × 13-inch or 10 × 14-inch ceramic or metal baking dish on top of a rimmed baking sheet. Add the remaining 1/3 cup oil to the baking dish, place it in the oven, and heat until the oil is very hot, 10 minutes. Using oven mitts, carefully remove the baking dish from the oven, stir the batter, gently spoon the batter into the dish, and spread it out evenly, making sure not to splash the hot oil. If some of the oil comes up the sides, use a spoon to carefully spread the hot oil over the top of the kugel. Return the kugel to the oven and bake until the exterior is very crisp and deep golden brown, 1 hour 30 minutes to 1 hour 45 minutes. (It might seem like it’s taking forever for the top to brown, but it will!) Remove from the oven, cool slightly, and sprinkle with more salt, if desired. Serve hot, warm, or cold out of the fridge the next day, when it might remind you slightly of a piece of Spanish tortilla española.

Crispy Quinoa Salad

Like its rice-based cousin, you may just find yourself topping every salad with crispy quinoa from now on–Passover or not. Springy asparagus, creamy avocado, & purple cabbage blend with a bright basil dressing you’re going to want to make in batches.

1 ¾ c. uncooked quinoa, rinsed, or (5 ¼ c. cooked quinoa)

3 large lemons

3/4 c. olive oil, divided

1 tsp.kosher salt, divided

1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper, divided

¼ tsp. cayenne, or spicy paprika

4 c. packed basil leaves

1 large bunch thin asparagus, trimmed, cut into ½- inch pieces (2 cups)

1 clove garlic

5 c. thinly shredded red cabbage

2 c. halved cherry tomatoes

2 small avocados, diced

1 TB finely diced seeded jalapeño

Preheat oven to 425°F. Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil, add quinoa & cook until the white squiggle appears, 13 to 15 min. Drain well using a fine-mesh strainer; spread on a large rimmed baking sheet. Zest & juice one lemon directly onto it along with ¼ c. olive oil, ½ tsp. salt, ¼ tsp. black pepper & the cayenne. Stir to incorporate. Roast, stirring occasionally, until browned around the edges & partially crisped, 35 minutes. Remove from oven, reduce temperature to 300°F, stir, & return to the oven until dry & crisp, 10 min. (Quinoa will crisp more as it cools.)

Refill pot halfway with salted water; bring to a boil. Prepare an ice bath. Line a baking sheet with a clean towel. Add asparagus to boiling water; cook until bright green & crisp, 1 to 2 min. Transfer to ice bath for 1 to 2 min., then to the towel-lined baking sheet to dry. Add basil to boiling water until wilted, 10 to 15 seconds; transfer briefly to ice bath. Lift out, squeeze out excess liquid & transfer to a bullet-style blender. Add juice of remaining 2 lemons, remaining ½ c. oil, garlic clove, & remaining ½ tsp. salt & ¼ tsp. pepper; blend until bright green & smooth, 30 seconds. Add cabbage, tomatoes, asparagus, avocado & jalapeño to a large salad bowl. Pour dressing over top, add a generous amount (or all) of crispy quinoa, & toss to coat.

Passover Chicken Picatta

Serves 4

Juicy pan-fried chicken cutlets in a tart, velvety lemon-caper sauce served over a bed of simply crumbled and toasted matzo farfel. It’s fancy enough for seder, but easy enough for aby night of Passover (and beyond). Coating the chicken in egg first, then potato starch, creates that signature puffy-crispy texture you know and love from your favorite Italian restaurant. Wait until the last minute to set the chicken and sauce over the matzo. Yummmmm.

Ingredients:

4 matzos (GF, if you like!), crumbled

½ cup potato starch

1/2 teaspoon paprika, plus more for garnish

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 eggs, beaten

4 thin-cut chicken breasts

1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more as needed

1 tablespoon finely minced garlic

1 cup low sodium chicken broth

2/3 cup fresh lemon juice

¼ cup capers, drained

¼ cup chopped parsley

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Arrange matzo on a large rimmed baking sheet; bake until golden, 15 minutes.

In a large Ziploc bag combine potato starch, paprika, and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper.

In a wide bowl, beat eggs with remaining 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. 1 piece at a time, add chicken to bag and shake, making sure to coat well. Remove, shake off excess (reserve remaining starch), and dip into egg, coating both sides; let excess drip off.

Heat 1/4 cup olive oil in a large (9- or 10-inch) skillet over medium-high. Add 2 or 3 cutlets and cook, flipping once, until golden, 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining oil and cutlets.

Whisk 1 tablespoon leftover potato starch in the chicken broth. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to the skillet, then add garlic and cook until lightly golden, 1-2 minutes. Add the broth, lemon juice and capers and stir, scraping up any brown bits in the skillet. Bring to a boil and let the mixture thicken, 1 minute. Add the cutlets, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the mixture thickens more, 4-5 minutes.

Arrange the matzo on a platter. Set chicken on top, pour the sauce over chicken, sprinkle with paprika and garnish with parsley.

Steffi’s Classic Brisket

Serves 10

My late mom’s classic brisket. Steffi loved loved LOVED Pesach, and I actively miss our 25-person seders (yep, two of them) where this brisket always appeared…then disappeared. It’st all about the right balance of sweet and savory, properly sealing before a long, slow cook, and–if you have time–chilling the brisket overnight before slicing and gently heating (if you don’t it will still be delish, I promise!). Please DM me all your brisket questions and I will do my best to get to them all!

4 1/2 to 5-pound brisket, with a good amount of fat

2 TB kosher salt

½ tsp pepper

2 tablespoons neutral oil

6 medium carrots, peeled

3 medium onions, sliced

5 cloves garlic

3 TB tomato paste

2 TB potato starch

1 c. dry red wine

2 c. beef broth

two 14-ounce cans diced crushed tomatoes

¼ c. dark brown sugar

2 TB red wine vinegar

Herb sprigs

1 bay leaf

6 small potatoes

Season meat generously with 1 TB salt. Heat oil over medium-high heat in Dutch oven. Add brisket; sear 6- 7 min. Per side.

Preheat oven to 300°F. Remove brisket to a baking sheet. Reduce heat to medium-low, add carrots to pot and sear, turning, 5 to 6 min. Transfer to baking sheet with brisket. Add the onions to the pot and cook, stirring, until the onions slightly softened, 6-7 min. Add tomato paste. Cook, stirring,1-2 min. Add potato starch and cook, stirring, 1 min. Add wine. Bring to a boil; cook until mostly evaporated, 2-3 min. Add broth, tomatoes, brown sugar, vinegar, remaining TB salt, pepper, & bay leaf. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer sauce thickens 10 min.

Return brisket & any juices to pot, nestle in carrots, potatoes & garlic head,, spoon sauce over top, top with herbs, cover with parchment, seal with foil, cover and cook until brisket is tender, 5 to 5 1/2 hours. Remove from oven, uncover, cool 1 hour, re-cover & refrigerate for at least 5 hours & up to 24.

To serve, preheat oven to 300°F (also reheats well on heating plate). Remove brisket from sauce to a cutting board. Slice brisket against the grain to your desired thickness. Remove & discard hardened fat from sauce; remove bay leaf. Arrange sliced meat, carrots, potatoes & garlic in an oven-safe dish & pour sauce over top & in between slices. Cover with parchment, seal with foil, and cook until brisket is warmed through, 40-45 minutes (or keep warm in very low oven or on heating plate).

Springy Schug-a-Churri Brisket

Serves 10 to 12

A new take on the classic. Savory. Herby. Lighter. Happy seder menu planning!

12 cloves garlic

10 shallots, halved

4 jalapeños (seeded), coarsely chopped

1 c. tightly packed parsley leaves & tender stems

1 c. tightly packed cilantro leaves & tender stems

4 TB olive oil

1 1/2 TB red wine vinegar

finely grated zest & juice of 1/2 small lemon

1 tsp ground black pepper

1 TB + 1 tsp kosher salt

5 ½ - 6 lb. (2nd cut) brisket

¼ c. tomato paste

1 750 ml bottle dry white wine

2 TB honey, + more for drizzling

3 c. beef stock

4 medium potatoes, peeled & quartered

2 large parsnips, peeled & cut into large chunks

3 celery ribs

Make schug-a-churri:

Process garlic in food processor until finely minced, 20 seconds. Add jalapeños & 4 halved shallots; pulse until finely minced, 30 pulses. Empty into a bowl; pulse parsley & cilantro until finely chopped, 20-25 pulses. Add to bowl; stir in 2 TB olive oil, vinegar, lemon zest & juice, 1 tsp salt & ½ tsp black pepper.

Make brisket:

Preheat oven to 300°F. Season brisket w/ 1 TB salt & ½ tsp pepper. Heat a large, wide Dutch oven over high heat. Add 2 TB oil; sear brisket until deeply golden, 5-6 min per side. Remove brisket to a sheetpan. Add tomato paste & wine, whisk, bring to a boil & reduce 2 minutes. Add stock, 1 cup schug-a-churri & honey; return the brisket to the pot. Nestle remaining shallots, potatoes, parsnips & celery, bring to a boil, top with ⅓ c. schug-a-churri. Cover w/ parchment, close lid & cook until tender, 5-6 hours. Remove from oven, season sauce with salt, spoon some sauce on the top, cool 30 minutes, cover & chill unsliced 5 hours & up to 24 (if you have time). To serve, preheat oven to 300°F. Remove brisket to cutting board; slice against the grain. Remove & discard hardened fat from sauce. Arrange sliced meat & vegetables in oven-safe dish; pour sauce over top & in between slices. Seal with parchment, then foil. Warm 30-45 min. (or keep warm on hotplate or low oven). Drizzle with honey. Serve with more schug-a-churri.

Passover Marshmallow Brownies

Makes 16 small or 12 large brownies

Been making my beloved sister Sharon’s pesach brownies since forever, and many of you have, too. Here they are again, with an extra tablespoon of potato starch added for better structure. Thank you all for the incredible enthusiasm around my recipes this year; it warms my heart and I feel the love and community more than ever. I don’t take any of it for granted. But I am feeling bitter as I grate horseradish or my seder plate and we close down Pesach prep, knowing that 133 of my people are being held in dark tunnels in Gaza, their fate completely unknown. It’s not a Happy Passover. It’s Passover with a hope for happy when the hostages come. Until then, hold those you love close and remember the meaning of this holiday, more relevant than ever. #bringthemhomenow

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, plus more for greasing the pan

2 cups (12 oz) semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate chips

2 eggs

¾ cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon instant coffee powder (or espresso), dissolved in 1 teaspoon warm water

½ cup matzah cake meal*

3 tablespoons potato starch (or more matza cake meal)

¼ teaspoon fine sea salt

1 cup mini marshmallows

½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Line an 8 x 8-inch baking pan with parchment, grease with butter, and set aside. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Combine the chocolate chips and butter (or margarine) in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave on high until the butter and chocolate are melted and smooth when stirred, 60 to 90 seconds total; set aside to cool slightly. Whisk the eggs, sugar, vanilla, and coffee in a medium bowl. In another bowl whisk together the cake meal, potato starch, and salt. Whisk the egg mixture into the dry mixture until incorporated, then fold in the melted chocolate mixture until incorporated. Fold in the marshmallows and nuts until just combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until the top is slightly cracked and shiny but the center is still slightly soft, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool and cut into squares.

*If you don’t have matzah cake meal, blend regular matzah meal in the processor or blender until very fine. Works like a charm.

Box-Mix Upside Down Haroset Cake

Serves 8-10

Looking for a last-minute seder desert or Passover friendly-snacking cake? This is the one. It uses the base ingredients for Haroset (I always have leftover nuts, apples, and wine after seder prep) to form a simple, delicious topper for an upside-down cake. My mom always used boxed cake mixes on Passover, so I gave a vanilla/yellow mix a whirl and it worked like a charm. I used a local Israeli brand, but your local version should work well, too). Of course, you can use a from-scratch cake recipe as well). Chag Sameach, and happy snacking!

1 cup dry red wine

½ cup sugar

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

1 slice fresh ginger (or pinch dried)

1 medium apple, diced

¾ cup chopped walnuts

1 standard boxed vanilla/yellow passover cake mix

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Combine the wine, sugar, cinnamon, and ginger in a saucepan, bring to a boil, and cook until large bubbles form and the mixture becomes thick and syrupy, 10-11 minutes (reduce heat if syrup appears to be burning or evaporating too fast). Add the apples and walnuts and toss to coat. Line the bottom and sides of an 8 x 8 inch baking pan with parchment and transfer the fruit and nuts and most of the syrup to the bottom of the prepared pan. Prepare the cake mix according to package directions and pour the batter on top of the cake. Bake until the top of the cake is golden and a toothpick inserted comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes, then place a plate on top of the baking pan and invert the cake onto the plate. Peel back the parchment and drizzle the remaining syrup on top of the cake.

Burnt Honey-Pistachio Matzo Toffee

Makes a bunch

Matzo toffee season has begun! But instead of a messy, time-consuming and verrrry sweet caramel, I simply subbed in honey for a lighter, more natural twist to this classic holiday treat. The honey gets bubbly and dark, bonding to the matzo and creating a shatteringly crisp bed for melted dark chocolate, pistachios, and flaky salt. It’s a crispy, crunchy, complex, can’t-put-it-down treat.

3-4 boards of matzo

½ cup honey

1 teaspoon flaky sea salt, such as Maldon

2 cups mini dark chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate- (shoutout to @californiagourmet, love their vegan chips!)

1 cup chopped shelled pistachios

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a small rimmed baking sheet with foil and spray lightly with cooking spray.

Arrange the matzo on the sheet, breaking (or cutting) matzos to fit. Drizzle the honey evenly over the matzo, then spray a silicone pastry brush with cooking spray and brush the honey all over the matzo. Season with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt. Bake until the honey darkens and bubbles, 13-15 minutes.

Remove from the oven and sprinkle the chocolate evenly over the matzo. Return to the oven to melt the chocolate, 2-3 minutes. Use a knife or spatula to evenly spread the chocolate, then sprinkle with the pistachios and remaining salt.

Refrigerate until the chocolate hardens, 30 minutes. Break into pieces and serve. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Passover Dubai Chocolates

Makes 10 smaller bars or 4 larger ones

I’ve been holding back on the Dubai craze, but if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em! Dubai chocolate usually features crunchy shreds of kadaif, but I quick-caramelized matza with honey, then crumbled it into the creamy, salty-sweet pistachio filling. It’s a revelation! I used @soupercubes for their supreme nonstickiness, but any silicone chocolate molds will do.

1 ½ cups roasted salted shelled pistachios

¼ cup sugar

¼ cup olive oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for seasoning the matza

2 tablespoons dairy-free spread or butter (optional)

2 matzahs

¼ cup honey

1 3/4 cups (10 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips or chopped 🍫

In a food processor, process the pistachios, sugar, olive oil, vanilla & salt, & dairy-free butter until creamy, 5 to 6 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment; spray with cooking sprary. Brush each matza with honey on both sides and sprinkle with salt. Bake until the honey darkens and bubbles, 13-15 minutes. Cool completely, crush, and incorporate with the pistachio filling.

Melt half the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl in 15-second increments, stirring in between, until smooth. A little at a time, begin adding the unmelted chocolate, stirring constantly until each addition is melted. Tempering the chocolate will make it shiny.

In larger chocolate bar molds or quarter-cup 10-compartment Soupercubes (which I did), use a pastry brush to completely coat the inside with chocolate. Chill until chocolate is hard, 30 to 40 minutes. Fill each chocolate mold almost to the top with filling and chill 30 minutes.

Gently microwave chocolate for 10 seconds. Pour the chocolate evenly across the top of the bars. Use an offset spatula to spread the chocolate all over the top. Chill until hard, 45 minutes. Gently unmold; they should pop right out of the molds. Chill for up to 3 weeks.

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It was a plaintive and ominous whirr that roused us from our beds and into our safe room - a space with reinforced walls, a steel plate t…

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Yesterday I posted some very poor-quality shaky videos of my almond milk-making process, and many of you asked what I do with the leftover almond pulp/meal. This is what I do. The truth is I usually just throw a bunch of things into a bowl and wing it, but I actually measured for you, so you can make these delicious gluten-free dairy-free egg-free but definitely not flavor-free crackers. If you haven’t worked with ground flaxseed before, it’s both super nutritious—filled with fiber and Omega 3s—and has a binding quality that helps hold the crackers together. You can of course swap in or out any spices you like ,and make the crackers thicker—you’ll juts have to bake them longer. If you don’t like or have flax, you can use a beaten egg instead of the flax, then, add water a little bit at a time and see how it goes; it will work, too!

ALMOND MEAL CRACKERS

Makes about 50 crackers2 cups almond meal (left over from 1 batch of my almond milk; see my Instagram post from today)

3 tablespoons ground flaxseed

1/2 cup raw sesame seeds

2 tablespoons za’atar

2 teaspoons sweet paprika

3 tablespoons nutritional yeast

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric

3 tablespoons onion flakes

1/2 cup water (or more as needed

Flaky salt (such as Maldon), for topping

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Combine the almond meal, flaxseed, sesame seeds, z’aatar, paprika, nutritional yeast, kosher salt, turmeric, onion fakes, and water in a large bowl and mix with your hands until a uniform, moist, but not sticky ball of dough forms. Give the dough 5 minutes to absorb the moisture, then add a drop ore water to hydrate if the dough seem crumbly. Divide into two balls and roll each ball between two sheets of parchment onto about an 11-inch circle. Transfer to baking sheets, peel off the top layers, and use a pizza cutter or knife to cut 2-inch crackers. Bake until the crackers separate and are dry to the touch, 20-21 minutes )edges may darken; bake a little longer if needed). Remove from the oven and cool completely; crackers will harden as they cool.

The Zariz Book Tour is Coming!

In just over six weeks, I’ll be beginning my book tour for Zariz. It starts on April 28th in New York City at the Streicker Center, and then hitting many stops across the United States and Canada. Please check here to see if I’m coming to your city; I’d love to see you! Most events already have live links where you can purchase tickets; the others are coming very soon.

Passover Bonus Cookbook

If you order (or have preordered) Zariz (you can do that hereor are attending a book-with-ticket event, you’re entitled to my free 11-recipe Passover bonus mini-cookbook, complete with gorgeous photographs.

Simply go here and upload a receipt for your event ticket, and the PDF is yours.

Greetings from Tel Aviv, where we’re sheltering in place as the war rages around us. There is a LOT to discuss, and I plan to do so here when I have a few minutes to collect my thoughts and say something hopefully insightful and meaningful. We are unharmed, hoping for a quick end, and praying for the safety of all innocent people.

Right now, work must continue, and so I am here to get back to the business of cookbooks: My new one, Zariz, is coming out in just under 8 weeks, and I am excited.

AND SO I DID SOMETHING SPECIAL FOR YOU! (CUE DRUMROLL)

When you preorder Zariz (out 4/28), you can now receive an 11-recipe Bonus Mini Cookbook filled with delicious original recipes for the Passover seder and beyond (details on how to get it below!) I treated this like a proper Adeena culinary project, including a full photo shoot day so each recipe is accompanied by a gorgeous Dan Perez photo styled by Nurit Kariv. I wanted Passover to be extra simple for you this year so there are recipes for soup, fish, main, sides, salad and dessert for the seder, plus a few snacks and treats you can enjoy every day of the holiday (and all year).

Plus, you’ll automatically be entered into a raffle to win cool prizes from All-Clad (U.S. only).

Go here to show proof of preorder, and the mini cookbook will show up in your mailbox! All of you who have already preordered the book (including those who have bought tickets to book-with-ticket tour events) are eligible to enter! Thank you! Preorders are more important than ever, and your support means everything. There will be many dispatches to come about the book, book tour—all of it. Can’t wait to share more!

Posting this for you all of you, especially those of you who reached out to request a recipe. I was traveling for the last mont so didn’t have time to create original content, but this is my master dough recipe. It’s very malleable and fun to work with, and delicious. I use real butter, but you can try plant-based. Make sure to leave time to chill the dough. U se my folding method, which is folding the sides over one another vs. the standard pinching; they really up hold well. On the eve of Shabbat and what may be a war with Iran (cue Purim symbolism), my thoughts are with all of you and with the people of Iran. Shabbat shalom. Love you.

Hamentashen

Makes 25 to 30

Just back from a trip and posting this for you all! This is my master dough recipe. It’s very malleable and fun to work with, and delicious. I use real butter, but you can try plant-based. Make sure to leave time to chill the dough. U se my folding method, which is folding the sides over one another vs. the standard pinching; they really up hold well. On the eve of Shabbat and what may be a war with Iran (cue Purim symbolism), my thoughts are with all of you and with the people of Iran. Shabbat shalom. Love you.

1 1/2 sticks (170 grams) unsalted butter, softened and cubed

2/3 cup (166 grams) sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon (5 grams/ml) vanilla extract

2 cups (260 g) plus 2 tablespoons (16 grams) flour, sifted, plus more as needed

1/2 teaspoon (2 g) fine sea salt

1 cup filling of your choice (I used my Blood Orange “Jam” but use whatever!)

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar over high speed until fluffy, 3 minutes. Add egg and vanilla, beat until just combined, reduce the speed to low, add flour and salt, and beat until a sticky dough forms, 2 minutes.

Transfer to a floured work surface. Knead, adding up to 2 tablespoons flour if needed, until smooth but not dry (add water if needed), 2 minutes. Divide into two 5-inch discs, wrap each in plastic, and chill at least 2 hours or up to 48.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Arrange one of the discs on a lightly floured work surface and roll out (no need to let soften) to 1/4 (or just under) inch thickness dusting dough with flour flipping to prevent sticking.

Use a 3-inch cookie cutter to cut as many rounds as possible from the dough (collect scraps, roll and cut again.) Recipe makes around 23-25 total. Arrange a scant 2 teaspoons filling into each hamantaschen (resist the urge to overfill!) Repeat with remaining dough discs.

Pick up a hamantaschen and fold in the left side, fold in the right side, then pull up the bottom, folding each side under another to secure the filling. Press the edges to seal, transfer to parchment-lined baking sheets, and chill (preferably freeze) for 15 minutes. Bake until golden, 16 to 17 minutes.

Cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days (or freeze for up to 3 months).

I actually love creating citrus segments at home, preferably in a quiet kitchen with the company of nothing more than a sharp knife and a cutting board steadied underneath with a damp towel (after you’re done working, you lift the board and use the towel to clean the surface). A cutting board with a channel is helpful to catch little rivulets of juice, but it’s not necessary, while focus and a good edge are.

Lately I’ve been using my new, gift-to-myself Florentine Kitchen Knife. I’ve gotten to know Tomer Botner, the founder, a bit, and I love his story. The knife was his final project at Shenkar, Israel’s prestigious fashion college. It was so successful that he created a company around it, one he now runs from Barcelona. I recently purchased a utility knife with the most gorgeous handle wrapped in muted tones of white, brown, and black. Before even using this knife the experience is one of aesthetic pleasure. Then you lift the knife and realize how heavy your other ones are, and perhaps how your hand might hurt because the handle is too heavy or not as ergonomically dreamy as this one.

Tomer is paying me nothing - I just love this piece of equipment. and I used it to make quick work of slicing off the tops and bottoms of the citrus to make them stable, then working from the top following the shape of the fruit and cutting a teeeeny bit more than you might thing so you don’t have to go back and carve out any white pith left behind. Imagine mimicking the shape of a capital “C” with your hand, and you get the idea of the motion. You start at the top of C and carve your way down to the bottom, rotating the fruit and working around it until the luscious fruit is exposed. Lift the fruit over a bowl and carefully cut between the membranes, letting the segments fall into the bowl.

You can either do the proper thing and tip the juice pooled at the bottom of a bowl into a jar and save it for salad dressings. Ot you can do the right thing and slurp the juice straight from the bowl into your mouth. To the citrus I add thin slices of crystallized ginger, which add a tiny zing and a lovely chewy texture that eventually melts unto the fruit. Lately I’ve been slicing a small lime into the mix; the tart pucker is surprising but doesn’t overwhelm the flavors of the other fruits. A scattering of pomegranate seeds, a drift of fresh mint, and you’re done. In the wintertime, when I serve heavier meals, this is often all I serve for dessert, and everyone’s happy.

Citrus Salad

2 cups segmented citrus of your choice (pink and yellow grapefruit, orange, clementine, lime), from about 2 pounds of fruit

1/2 cup pomegranate seeds

1 tablespoon thinly sliced crystallized ginger

Mint

Gently combine in a bowl and enjoy.

But this colorful, nutritious,…

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I had plans to ease off of the entertaining this year, but in the end either hosted or feasted with others nearly every night. In the wake of the tragedy of Bondi Beach and the undeniable joy of seeing our remaining live hostages home (tempered by the knowledge that Ran Gvili’s family is still waiting for his return), I am cleaving to friends and family tighter than ever in these times. Why be alone when we can be together?

If the last few years have taught us anything, it’s that it’s our responsibility—even when it feels hard—to show up for our people, our community, ourselves.

The endless dishes, the mounds of potato peels, the lingering scent of frying oil, the powdered sugar dusted on the kitchen floor—these are all reminders that Jewish life is messy and beautiful, delicious and sometimes dangerous, harrowing and happy all at the same time. Until the next holiday - xoxo, love to you all.

Salmon With Castelvetrano Olives, Artichokes, Capers, & Preserved Lemon

Here, the tangy elements counteract perfectly with the rich, fatty salmon. I used a store-bought sundried tomato spread, but you can easily whip up our own from a jar of olive oil-packed sundried tomatoes. Serve this right out of the oven, but I love it best at room temperature. The pic above is the recipe below, doubled!

Serves 8 to 10

One 2.5 pound skin-on salmon fillet

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1/4 to 1/3 cup sundried tomato paste/spread

A 12-ounce jar marinated artichokes, drained (not rinsed) & chopped

1/2 cup pitted Castelvetrano Olives, coarsely chopped

1/4 cup drained, rinsed capers, coarsely chopped

3 tablespoons chopped preserved lemon (or regular lemon, pits removed and finely chopped)

1 tablespoon finely minced seeded jalapeño pepper

3 tablespoons good olive oil

3-4 tablespoons chopped herbs of your choice

Preheat the oven to 300°F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment. Pat the salmon dry, season generously with salt and pepper, and spread the sundried tomatoes paste all over the top. Roast until the salmon is cooked to your liking, 25 minutes for rare, 35 minutes for medium, and 40 minutes for well done.

While the salmon is roasting, combine the artichokes, olives, capers, preserved lemon, jalapeño, and most of the herbs in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste. When the salmon is ready, remove it from the oven, cool as much as you like (I like mine room temperature), transfer to and spoon the artichoke-olive mixture over the top.

Garnish with the rest of the herbs.

UPDATES ON ZARIZ

Since I last wrote here I’ve been hard at work planning the launch for my new cookbook, Zariz (out April 28, 2026), including setting up all kinds of preorder incentives and special things for you.

One is arranging for personalized, signed copies of Zariz, which can be preordered via Kitchen Arts & Letters, an all-culinary bookstore in New York City and an all-around great place whether you preorder Zariz or not! A week before the book’s launch on April 28th, I’ll be going to sign and personalize every book ordered through the store - and you (or your gift recipients) will have it on launch day. (This is only available in the USA, sorry!). Preorder custom-signed copies here.

We’re also working on the details of a multistop tour all over the USA and Canada; details to come, and hope to see you all at one venue or another. Thank you for supporting the book (and independent bookstores); preorders are so important these days; they signal to the publisher that there’s a robust audience for my work, and can even dictate the number of books that get printed.

THE BIG SHABBAT

I also got to be a part of The Big Shabbat, a 3,000-person Friday night dinner that shattered the Guinness Book world record for the largest gathering of its kind. I saw so many old friends and met so many new ones and the schmoozing was off the charts! There was a menu curated by me, Jake Cohen, Joan Nathan, and Beejhy Barhany (more on her below), entertainment from Broadway singer Shoshana Bean, and the most delicious black & white cookies from William Greenberg & Sons bakery—I can’t believe I never had them before! Thank you to The Temple Emmanuel Streicker Center for such a special evening!

MASTER LATKE RECIPE

I recently posted a latke tutorial over on my Instagram with 17 tips & tricks for perfect friend potatoes. It always amazes me how the prospect of frying gets under our skin (not to mention the aroma, which permeates every fiber of clothing and being). But if you keep calm and follow my instructions, your latkes are guaranteed to come out perfect. Many asked for my basic latke recipe, so here she is! You can also see this over on the Williams-Sonoma Website, where I provided many topping suggestions and variations (churro latkes, anyone???) to keep each and every day of Chanukah crispy and delicious

Crispy Latke Recipe

Makes 32 party-sized or 16 full-sized latkes

4 pounds Russet or Idaho potatoes, peeled

2 large onions, peeled

4 large eggs

2 ½ teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

3-4 tablespoons potato starch

Neutral oil (avocado, canola, sunflower. corn) and a peeled large carrot, for frying

Grate the potatoes and onions on the large holes of a box grater or using the smallest-holed shredder on your food processor, and transfer to a large bowl. Toss the potatoes and onions together (this helps keep the potatoes white). Use a clean dish towel (or both hands) to squeeze out all the liquid, and discard. Return the squeezed mixture to the mixing bowl and add the eggs, salt, pepper, and potato starch, adding more potato starch to bind the mixture if needed. Stir to combine.

Heat 1/4 inch oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Arrange a cooling rack above a rimmed baking sheet; set aside.

Add the carrot to the skillet; this helps regulate oil temperature and attract tiny particles that make oil deteriorate faster. Drop a grated potato strand into the oil. If it sizzles upon contact, the oil is ready.

Working in batches and using 3 or 4 tablespoons of the mixture at a time (use a cookie scoop if you like), drop the mixture into the skillet (you can use round cookie cutters and add the batter to the cutters for the first 15 or 20 seconds) and cook, pressing gently, until crisped and lightly golden, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to the rack and season immediately with salt on both sides. Serve hot, or cool completely and freeze in single layers on cookie sheets, then store in Ziplock bags for up to 2 weeks

Latkes can be reheated straight from frozen in a single layer, in a 400°F oven for 10 to 12 minutes.

B’Teavon Food Conference - February 13-16, 2026 at Ramah Darom in Georgia.

I am super excited to be going back to this food-lover’s weekend in one of the most beautiful settings in the mountains of Georgia. I am giving four talks/cooking demonstrations over the weekend, and my food will also be featured at Shabbat and other weekend meals. I will be joined by many talented Jewish cooks, chefs, and personalities. Check out this link for more information and to register! Can’t wait to see you there!

Holiday Gift Guide

This is a very noncomprehensive and short list of things that have come my way recently that I liked and thought I would pass along to you!

Challah covers from Haute Hiddur are modern, gorgeous, even a little sexy. Do you want one for your Shabbat or Holiday table? I think so!

Dan Perez, the photographer of my cookbooks Sababa and Shabbat (as well as Gazoz, by collaboration with Benny Briga), had opened an online printshop that you will want to check out immediately. Dan works only with natural light, and the results show in his work, imbued with technical precision and emotional resonance. I have the below photo hanging in my kitchen/living room, and it’s rare when a guest doesn;t ask where it came from.

Harper Spero created Makers Of Israel to support small-scale artisans in Israel whose work lost its audience post 10/7 for a whole host of reasons. Everything from retro-logo t-shirts from the kibbutzim on the Gaza envelope border to 3D-printed candlesticks and a variety of Menorahs, ceramics, and food products like Sidnyanna olive oil and za’atar, produced by a Jewish-Arab food cooperative in Northern Israel. All can be ordered via their Website.

Tampoco Designs was created by a mom who wanted kid-sized, but professional level, cooking tools to get her progeny involved and comfy in the kitchen. Use code Adeena20 for a 20% discount!

A gorgeous new Jewish food calendar, The Set Table, contains a single large-format image for every month with an iconic food reference—Cholent for the cold days of January, sfinge donuts for Chanukah, along with an explanation of their significance in Jewish tradition. A gift worth giving!

Sindyanna is an Arab-Jewish food cooperative based in Northern Israel, and they produce very good-quality olive oil, za’atar, soaps, honey, and other products, providing job opportunities and fostering financial independence in the Arab sector. You can now order for delivery in the USA. Their products are excellent!!!

Two new cookbooks captured my attention last year: Recipes From The American South by Jewish food scholar Michael Twitty, and Gursha, by Ethiopian-Israel-American chef Bheejy Barhany. The American South is Twitty’s comprehensive, encyclopedic look at Southern food: its history, footways, traditions, and, of course, recipes. It was just named a best cookbook of 2025 by The New York Times.

As was Gursha. Beejhy, who serves Ethiopian and Israeli food at her (kosher) Harlem restaurant, Tsion Cafe, wrote a gorgeous book that tells the story of a family (hers) and a people (Ethiopian Jews, also known as Bene Israel), The insights into the Ethiopian Jewish experience, along with delicious recipes and beautiful pics, make this a soul satisfying read.