What is The Jewish Kitchen?

The Jewish Kitchen is a place to find or share recipes and stories from home cooks, moms, Bubbies, chefs, friends and everyone in between who have one thing in common: a love of Jewish food and culture. Our site is inclusive of all Jewish culinary practices: from Kosher to non-Kosher, classic recipes to modern interpretations.

Why do recipes have Backstories?

Good question!  Well, if you’ve ever asked anyone in your family (if yours is anything like mine) how to make something, chances are, you don’t get a straight answer. You get a story. Or several stories. About how this person in the family made something one way and that person made it another way. Or how certain foods remind them of their childhood or their Bubbie, or how the smell of latkes frying evokes memories from years ago. And the next thing you know, you’re traveling down memory lane and learning things about your family that you never knew before. Wonderful things.  Meaningful things.

That’s what the backstories are about. The stories behind the food. So, whenever backstories are available to us, we include them.

Just curious: Why are there recipes for traditional foods like latkes and foods like baked ziti on the site? What’s up with that?

Here’s the thinking behind this choice. The Jewish Kitchen is a site that that reflects the lifestyle and dietary choices of a wide and diversified audience.  As Jews, our population has changed a great deal over the years. In terms of dietary lifestyles, we’re much more than simply those who keep Kosher and those who don’t.

My grandparents kept Kosher at home, yet I distinctly remember them enjoying Chinese food at restaurants. I never quite figured out how that worked, LOL.  Many of my friends, family, and community members reflect interfaith marriages (as did I, in my first marriage). Now I am married to the son of a rabbi. Go figure.

Many of us who cook and enjoy welcoming friends and family into our home for a holiday meal have incorporated other cuisines into our own repertoires. As a result, I have tried, to a fault, to make The Jewish Kitchen inclusive, welcoming, and arms-wide-open any and all who appreciate Jewish food and culture,  regardless of where they fall on the Kosher/non-Kosher line. And I respect that some of us have may different rules in and outside of our homes, or some may be exactly the same no matter where they pick up a fork.

Most of all, I hope you can appreciate the heart and spirit that is woven into the choices on The Jewish Kitchen. Our culture is, after all, something of a mish-mosh. Which, come to think of it, is probably how that marvelous soup got its name.

How can I submit a recipe to The Jewish Kitchen?

Easy. Follow the Submit Recipes link on our navigation bar, fill out the form, submit your recipe and a photo of your dish (if you have one; not required), and we’ll take it from there. We’ll review your recipe and if it’s posted on The Jewish Kitchen, we’ll credit it to you!

Can I save recipes?
Please do! We suggest saving to Pinterest so you build out your personal boards and share your favorites with your family and friends. Be sure to follow us on Pinterest too. (insert that link here when we are live)