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
Category Archives: Jewish
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
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
Passover Banana Coffeecake with Cinnamon Streusel
Here’s a cake that is at once fluffy and crunchy–a little different from the usual Passover spongecake. While it won’t win any beauty contest, it is great with a cup of coffee or tea any time of day. This dessert is both kosher for Passover and non-dairy if oil is used for preparing the baking dish. Continue reading
Where to find Jewish Recipes in the Blogosphere
In preparation for my October 27th presentation on Jewish cookbooks and other sources for Jewish recipes, I compiled this not-at-all-exhaustive list as a reference for attendees at the KOH Jewish Library and Cultural Center in Sacramento. I hope it will prove helpful to others as well! Continue reading