This year from the evening of Wednesday, March 20 until nightfall on March 21 Jews all over the world will celebrate the festival of Purim. The story of this holiday is found in the Old Testament Book of Esther. As with any Jewish holiday, special foods are consumed as part of the celebration. Continue reading
Add Some Spice to Your (Cooking) Life
Earlier this week at the KOH Library and Cultural Center in Sacramento I presented a program on herbs and spices in Jewish cuisine. It was a very enjoyable evening, during which I shared the lectern with Heather Wong, an enterprising and knowledgeable young woman who recently opened The Allspicery, a store in downtown Sacramento devoted entirely to selling herbs and spices. I spoke about the trade routes and the Silk Road and how spices were brought to communities across the known world. Continue reading
Mazomanie Muffins
At Walking Iron Bed and Breakfast, a delightful Victorian inn in Mazomanie, Wisconsin, memorable muffins were served each morning while we were there on a cross-country driving trip. Innkeeper Karisa Friske generously shared the recipe and helpful hints about how to prepare the batter ahead of time.
Edible Gelt for Hanukkah
In this recipe carrot slices represent the gift coins traditionally given to Jewish children as Hanukkah “gelt”, or money. This particular way of cooking the vegetable was in the original Julia Child TV show and book, THE FRENCH CHEF. Continue reading
Sour Cream-Blueberry Crumb Cake
In our recent travels in Maine and Canada’s Maritime Provinces we were greeted by larger-than-life reminders of one of their common popular products.
It’s blueberry season here, too, and what is in the markets is not only very tasty but often quite reasonably priced. We have them frequently in a first-course fruit salad and at least a few times during the summer in a terrific sour cream cake.
This recipe, adapted from Tish Boyle’s THE CAKE BOOK, was recommended by a member of my Bay Area Bakers Dozen group and has been a favorite in our house from the first time I made it. Continue reading