Celebrating Modern Jewish Living Through Food, Tradition, and Family


The Backstory: I had never cooked a good, or for that matter, a standard roast beef that was edible. It was either too well done or under cooked. When it was over cooked I would tell my hubby “let’s have something light” for di[…]-READ-MORE>

The Backstory: My cousin Rhonda, who resides in Canada, gave me this recipe. It is from her sister, Ricky. The story of my Canadian relatives go back for decades. My grandfather and Ricky’s grandmother were brother and sister[…]-READ-MORE>

Blini with smoked salmon are elegant appetizers that hit on all fronts: salty, creamy, and perfect two bite noshes.
The Backstory: I first went to The Russian Tea Room in 1999. I was 35 years old and as a born and bred New Yor[…]-READ-MORE>

The Backstory: First, I promise that this is a true story. When I asked my mother for her chicken soup recipe, she said: “I’ll have to measure and get back to you.” I said, “How is that possible? You’ve been making this soup for[…]-READ-MORE>

Rich, decadent, and a totally indulgent dessert when you really want to go all out.
The Backstory: Bread pudding is a rich, hearty, decadent dessert that is thought to be borne out of the age old question of what to do with le[…]-READ-MORE>

This velvety sweet and savory soup is the perfect first course for Thanksgiving or any festive fall meal. Add some warm crusty bread and enjoy.
The Backstory: Let me just come right out and say it: I am not a soup lover. More […]-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>

No matter how fancy or casual your party, the fun doesn’t start without homemade pigs in a blanket–a traditional fan favorite!
The Backstory: Let’s be honest with each other: no matter how fancy the shindig or how high-end the […]-READ-MORE>

Give ordinary bananas a wow makeover with melted chocolate and nuts and watch your guests go wild.
The Backstory: Who doesn’t like bananas? No one I know. Now add some melted chocolate, chopped nuts, and put it all on a stic[…]-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>

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>

This layered gefilte fish torte is an elegant take on the old classic. It’s easy to make and tastes as good as it looks.
The Backstory: There are hundreds of variations of this classic, Jewish first course but this layered gef[…]-READ-MORE>