It’s time for my next Jewish Food Trivia Quiz! After the feedback on the last quiz that it was too difficult, I consciously tried to make this one somewhat easier, though still challenging. Let me know if I succeeded! By the way, the answers to most of the questions can be found in various blog posts and/or articles I’ve written […]
T’fina Pkaila: Something Old-New for the New Year
When it comes to cooking for the Jewish holidays, people fall along a menu-selection spectrum that runs from fully traditionalist (“I make what my mother made, which is what her mother made”) to rather adventurous (“I want to serve something new for the new year”). I’ve typically leaned towards the latter end of the spectrum, though I still look for […]
My New FREE Cookbook
Hey there! I’m happy to annouce the launch of my FREE giveaway cookbook, Chulent & Hamin: The Ultimate Jewish Comfort Food. As you probably know, I’m writing a book that explores the history of the Shabbat stew. This ecookbook is connected with that larger project, and contains 12 international (and delicious) recipes — a chulent recipe, a few hamin recipes, […]
From the Jewish Food Bookshelf: Koshersoul
Michael Twitty’s is an interesting combination of personal identities. As he frequently reminds us in his new book Koshersoul, he is African American, Jewish, gay, and a southerner. These all combine to create the passionate blend that is his character, and as a food historian and active gastronome, they also filter into his food. This is a big part of […]
Kishke: Ashkenazi Comfort Food That… Sticks to Your Kishkes
Thinking about kishke (or kishkeh, kishka, etc.), so many questions spring to mind. How did it become so beloved in Ashkenazi cuisine? Who even thought it was a good idea to make in the first place? And why do so many Ashkenazi food names start with “k” (e.g. kugel, knaidlach, knish, kasha, kreplach, etc.)? While I may not have a […]
Jewish Food Trivia Quiz
I’m inaugurating a new feature here at the Taste of Jewish Culture! A Jewish Food trivia Quiz! I’ve included ten questions, which I hope will be challenging but not too much so, and also lots of fun. But let me know what you think so I can improve for the next time around. Share your results to compare with others! […]
Cooking Jewish Culture: Dabo – Ethiopian Jewish Bread
Here in Israel we have many Jews of Ethiopian background, commonly known as Beta Israel. One of the foods this community eats for special occasions, including Shabbat, is called dabo. So I wanted to make it for the next installment of Cooking Jewish Culture. I had actually planned this post a long time ago, but my first attempt at baking […]
97 Orchard: From the Jewish Food Bookshelf
This book was not exactly what I thought it would be when I purchased it. And that was a very good thing! Let me start from the beginning as I explain a bit more about this different sort of entry “From the Jewish Food Bookshelf.” Before I bought 97 Orchard by Jane Ziegelman, I knew that it was connected with […]
Jewish Food Names We Rarely Think About
When people think about Jewish Food names, they often come up with those that are derived from Hebrew, Yiddish, or Ladino, or those that are clearly tied to Shabbat, holidays and other Jewish celebrations. And yet, there is another category of Jewish Food names that many overlook, but which are the most obvious, since they display their Jewishness as openly […]
Future Foods for Jews
My latest food article is a bit different than my previous ones, but in a related area, and I want to expand on its connection to Jewish Food History. Yesterday, Tablet Magazine published my piece “Beyond the Beyond Burger,” in which I explore Israeli food tech companies that are creating the next generation of alternative proteins that you’ll likely be […]