Like so many around the world, the brutal assault on Ukraine by Vladimir Putin has been on my mind a lot lately. For me and my family, one of the effects of the conversation about Ukraine has been to think about our own connection to this country, which, like it is for many Ashkenazi Jews, … Continue reading Ukraine
This past January, my 97 year old grandmother passed away. On one hand, when very elderly people pass away, it is never a huge surprise, and we have time to prepare ourselves mentally. On the other hand, when someone who has been a presence on Planet Earth for nearly 100 years disappears, it is so … Continue reading Gramma Betty
Back in the 90s when I was a teenager, hot nachos with some kind of yellow queso ladled over the top were a very cool snack at malls, fairs, football games, and late night. (Or perhaps they still are and I just don’t get out much?) To be honest I was never a huge fan … Continue reading Nacho Dinner
I have a little personal passion that I would like to share with you today, and that is the preservation and resurrection of native plants and foods. Over the course of the 20th century, many indigenous plants of various regions fell out of favor and have all but disappeared from our environment and food supply. … Continue reading Tasty Landscaping
Halva is a sweet sesame candy that is made across the Middle East. It has a crumbly, sandy texture, and really packs a punch as far as nutty, vanilla flavor and intense sweetness. I like the flavor of halva, but have always personally felt that it tends to be a little intense to eat on … Continue reading Halva White Chocolate Pound Cake Bites
The first time I ever tasted Indian food was when I was probably 12 or 13 and working at a soup kitchen for the afternoon. A restaurant in Pittsburgh called Star of India was providing the food that day, and one the dishes was a chickpea curry. I remember that many of the recipients turned … Continue reading Chana Masala
These are a fun and delicious way to use up leftover veggies in your fridge, and they make use of my favorite underrated vegetable, cabbage. I was inspired by something I saw in a beautiful Korean movie I watched recently called Little Forest. In the movie, the main character, a young woman from a small … Continue reading Savory Cabbage Pancake – Okonomiyaki
In honor of Memorial Day, I’d like to post a simple vegetarian burger recipe. The recipe is an adaptation of a vegetarian meatball recipe I’ve seen circulating around the web, and that I’ve enjoyed making over the last few years. I have made more complicated veggie burgers that are also delicious, but this has got … Continue reading Quick Veggie Burger
Lately I have a newfound passion for tahini, that luscious sesame butter that is used across the Middle East. In the US we mainly think of it as an ingredient in hummus, but after listening to an episode of the podcast Unorthodox which you can find here, https://www.tabletmag.com/podcasts/unorthodox/food-and-family-joyva-einat-admony-pati-jinich-soom-foods I was inspired to expand my tahini … Continue reading Roasted Sweet potato and Chickpea Salad with Tahini Dressing
As we grind into week 6 or so of the stay-at-home order, I realized that I haven’t shared nearly as much as I said I would. Anyone with kids probably understands that the days right now are filled with trying to keep everyone busy, on track with school, fed, and not spending too much time … Continue reading Challah
The Children's Table 