Celebrating Modern Jewish Living Through Food, Tradition, and Family


The Backstory: Every Passover, I go in search of delicious, flavorful desserts that won’t disappoint or fall flat (no pun intended) due to their lack of flour and leavening agents, and every year, I find myself digging out my sam[…]-READ-MORE>

Fresh smoked salmon is folded into fresh cream cheese in this easy, one step recipe.
The Backstory: This is without a doubt, the easiest, two-ingredient recipe in the world, but totally worth making. I know, I know, you can bu[…]-READ-MORE>

Purple plum torte is juicy, sweet, and slightly tart. The buttery crust is a perfect balance to the fruit and the torte makes a gorgeous presentation.
The Backstory: This delicious plum torte comes to you from my dear friend, […]-READ-MORE>

Easy rice and orzo makes a perfect side dish for fish, chicken or beef. This simple dish absorbs the flavors of herbs, broth, and veggies.
The Backstory: Rice and orzo is a combination of pasta and rice. This delicious side di[…]-READ-MORE>

Almond-crusted pound cake gives plain old pound cake a crunchy, nutty makeover in this easy, delicious recipe.
The Backstory: I have always loved vanilla cakes, good homemade gold cakes, and pound cakes in particular for the s[…]-READ-MORE>

Roasted bananas are the secret ingredient that make this bread moist, sweet, and one of our top picks.
The Backstory: This is my all-time favorite banana bread recipe. I’m not even doing it justice by calling it banana bread. […]-READ-MORE>

Cranberry orange bread isn’t a Jewish recipe per se, but it has been on my Thanksgiving table for as long as I can remember. The deliciously tart cranberries and sweet orange combination baked into a vanilla-infused loaf is perfec[…]-READ-MORE>

Tender chicken, dried apricots, and a tangy sweet glaze bake to perfection to make holiday apricot chicken a sweet and savory showstopper dish.
The Backstory: What would any holiday or Shabbat dinner be without a roasted chick[…]-READ-MORE>

These delicate potato and onion pierogies are savory, tender, and positively addicting. You won’t be able to stop at one so make a double batch!
The Backstory: This recipe for potato and onion pierogies was given to me over 50[…]-READ-MORE>

The Backstory: Above all else, I am a Jewish girl from Brooklyn. Looking back at the time when I was a young girl, I remember my childhood quite vividly. It was a wonderful era, from the mid 1940’s until the early 1960’s. My […]-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>

Classic butter pastry is rolled tight with almonds, raisins, and cinnamon.
The Backstory: As far as strudels go, this version is a little more refined than your standard fruit-filled strudel. Oh sure, it tempts you (as do all […]-READ-MORE>