Celebrating Modern Jewish Living Through Food, Tradition, and Family


An old-fashioned dessert gets an elegant, modern makeover.
The Backstory: One of my favorite childhood memories is stopping off at a bakery not too far from my father’s own bagel bakery in Borough Park, Brooklyn to pick up a c[…]-READ-MORE>

Our healthy-version recipe for glazed beef brisket is fork tender, juicy, and a perfect Shabbat or holiday main dish.
The Backstory: What would our Jewish holidays be without our beloved glazed beef brisket? Can you even imagi[…]-READ-MORE>

These are the best cream cheese brownies I’ve ever made. They’re rich, decadent, and the ultimate chocolaty treat for the brownie lovers in your life.
The Backstory: I honestly don’t have the words for my father’s expression w[…]-READ-MORE>

The Backstory: This is a delicious brisket recipe that comes to me from my cousin, who is a fabulous cook and hostess. The recipe uses red wine as well as chicken stock, as a base for the gravy, and while most of the wine cooks o[…]-READ-MORE>

A smooth, creamy, classic that will remind you of days gone by.
The Backstory: One of the recipes that my cousin Rhonda shared with me is her famous, to-die-for rice pudding. I don’t know of one person that doesn’t like th[…]-READ-MORE>

The only icing you’ll ever need for perfectly-decorated cookies.
The Backstory: This simple, three-ingredient recipe yields enough delicious icing to frost 2-3 dozen cookies. Icing can be applied to sugar cookies, brownies, ba[…]-READ-MORE>

Savory Swedish meatballs are served at so many Jewish simchas, you’d think we invented them! Our 20-minute recipe will have you turning them out like a pro.
The Backstory: Swedish meatballs are one of the world’s most popular […]-READ-MORE>

Invite your friends over for this delicious aromatic cake and a steaming cup of coffee.
The Backstory: Gloria and I met in 1986. We were each on a vacation with our husbands in the Dominican Republic. I must write about the […]-READ-MORE>

Soy milk cream of mushroom soup is silky, delicious and perfect for those who follow Kosher, gluten-free, or lactose-free diets.
The Backstory: Most cream of mushroom soups recipes cannot be used for Kosher meals where meat or[…]-READ-MORE>

Aunt Alice’s Linzer Cookies will melt your heart! These gorgeous cut out cookies with their red centers and clouds of Confectioner’s sugar are just the beginning! They are light, buttery, and full of almond flavor. These are beaut[…]-READ-MORE>

The Backstory: Most of the meals I prepare are basic family dinners. But when I really want to “put on the dogs” (old fashion saying) for guests, I make several different main course meat dishes. More of the Backstory af[…]-READ-MORE>

Latkes with salmon roe and sour cream are an elegant twist on traditional latkes and give a salty, tangy note to this classic holiday dish.
The Backstory: The very first time I saw salmon roe, it was dotted ever-so-perfectly a[…]-READ-MORE>