It’s definitely getting to be soup season here in Jerusalem, and likely where you live as well (if you don’t live in the tropics or the Southern Hemisphere). I pretty much only eat soup in the winter time (not counting cold soups, of course), so I figured this would be a good time to dive into a big pot of […]
Category: Classic Foods
Frugal Food Tips Drawn from the Jewish Kitchen
During the current crisis, many people’s day-to-day food habits have changed significantly. If my Facebook and Instagram feeds are at all representative, there’s been a lot more home cooking, and definitely lots more bread-baking (sourdough or otherwise). But another thing we’re seeing a lot of is people trying to make their food dollars go further. Multiple people this past week […]
The Classic Jerusalem Dish That Stands Up Against The Insta-trends
So many eateries these days build their concepts on how well a dish photographs. Instagram has changed the way people eat, and even the way some restaurants cook. Call me crazy, but while looks are important, the way a food tastes is way more significant! That’s why it is good to know that true classics hold up in popularity, even […]
What Exploring Our Food Can Teach About Our People
To me, studying food is not an end in itself. It is a way to learn about the people who make and eat it. Which of course is the angle that I am taking in my book. Obviously, I describe the foods themselves, their origins and history, and other interesting things about them. But beyond that, I use them as […]
The Sephardi-Style Eggs that are Not Just for Sephardim
Huevos haminados, eggs cooked slowly through the night, are one of the most recognizable foods of the Sephardic kitchen. But in fact, the uniquely Jewish cooking method long predates its popularity among the Jewish community in Spain. With the Spanish Expulsion of 1492, it spread widely to other Jewish communities while simultaneously remaining a hallmark of Sephardic cuisine. * * […]
Bagel, Knish & Haroset, Oh My! (On Books About Iconic Jewish Foods)
Of all the books I’ve come across during my research into Jewish Food, there are many wonderful ones (and some that are less great, too, of course). They fall into a wide array of categories, from cookbooks to histories, dry-but-informative academic texts to just entertaining (whether more or less informative). One of the more interesting breakdowns I’ve encountered is how […]
Jews of Booze: When 25% of World Jewry Worked in the Alcohol Biz
If I say “Jews in the alcohol business,” what springs to mind? Many of you probably think of the major kosher wineries. Others realize that pretty much all of the alcohol produced and sold in Israel – beer, spirits and wine – is made by Jews. And the hipsters out there might highlight some boutique Jewish distilleries around the world. […]
What Do Chili con Carne, Fish ‘n’ Chips and Foie Gras Have in Common?
Chili con Carne — that spicy, meaty, slow cooked stew that is so well-known from the American Southwest. Fish ‘n’ Chips — the classic English street food combo of deep-fried, breaded fish fillets and crispy chips (French fries to Americans). Foie Gras — fatty goose or duck liver, often utilized in any number of French haute cuisine dishes. What do […]
Why Hot Dogs are the Greatest American Jewish Food
American Jewish food is most typically defined as pastrami sandwiches, chocolate babka, or bagels and lox. But I am here to argue that the greatest American Jewish food may actually be the humble hot dog. No dish better embodies the totality of the American Jewish experience. What’s that you say? You didn’t know that hot dogs were a Jewish food? […]
The Unknown Jewish History of Bourekas
Bourekas are one of those foods that are uber-popular here in Israel, and becoming better-known around the world. But many people don’t know their country of origin — Turkey — and even fewer know that they were actually invented by Turkish Jews. Bourekas (or burekas or borekas or however you choose to spell them) are actually a true Jewish Food, […]
