My Grandmother’s Recipes: Part 6, Main Course.

The story of Odessa synagogue and the unsavory characters who ran it continues in this chapter (click for Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5). *Top of this page was included in Part 5 * 16. Alexander Matrosov – a World War II military hero who sacrificed his life by putting his…

Exceedingly Flavorful Chaos – Baked Wontons

Originally posted on koolkosherkitchen:
“Where are the hornless dragons which carry bears on their backs for sport? Where is the great serpent with nine heads and where is the Shu-Hu?” (Zhuangzi ca. 3rd-2nd centuries BCE). The dragon, it seems, is right here, but both Shu and Hu have gone visiting. Their host is none other than…

My Grandmother’s Recipes: Part 5, Soup

My grandparents’ teenage romance continues in this chapter (click for Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4).   *This is not an error; I included the top of the next page in order to finish a paragraph and to leave you, Beautiful People, in suspense.  The synagogue story will continue next week. 11.  Mazel…

15 Down and Counting!

All this bean counting and portion measuring did bring a fantastic result! Drum roll, please: During the last four weeks my husband has lost 15 lbs. There was no wacky diet to follow and no magic trick, other than the right selection of ingredients, extremely tight portion control, and a 30-minute walk every evening. His…

My Grandmother’s Recipes: Part 4, Gefilte Fish.

Which teenage love story has become proverbial, portrayed on stage and on the movie screen, rendered into an opera and a ballet? Romeo and Juliet, you say? You’ve seen too much of Leonardo di Caprio, Beautiful People! Those kids have got nothing on my grandparents,  whose love story that lasted for 60 years starts in…

Kitchen Queen

Originally posted on lifelessons – a blog by Judy Dykstra-Brown:
Kitchen Queen Her souffles are a marvel and her cakes a work of art. Every single thing she cooks, a product of her heart. Her kitchen full of luscious smells and openness and levity, every disaster solvable and noted for its brevity. She surmounts each…

My Grandmother’s Recipes: Part 3, Appetizers.

We are up to holiday appetizers and Part 3 of my story, Beautiful People (click for Part 1, Part 2, Part 4, Part 5).   3. Hassidic Jews – from Hassidism, a religious movement originated in Southern Poland in 18th century 4. Reds – supporters of the Red (Bolshevik, later Communist) Army 5. Whites –…

Counting Beans to Bake Falafels

How many lentils are in a bowl of lentil soup? Don’t start laughing yet, Beautiful People; this was an earnest question posed to my husband by his nutritionist. Well, how does he know? He eats what I put in front of him, and sometimes snacks on what he finds in the refrigerator, which is what…

My Grandmother’s Recipes: Part 2, Leikach.

We continue to delve into my grandmother’s holiday menu, as well as my story, with Part 2. If you missed Part 1, please go here. Part 3 is here. Part 4 is here. Part 5 is here. 2. Tzaddik – a righteous person, outstanding for his faith and piety. This part comes with two recipes,…

My Grandmother’s Recipes: Part 1, Round Challah.

Years ago, when my grandmother was still around, it has occurred to me that only my mother and I knew her recipes, and we knew them by heart; they were not written anywhere. I decided to write them down, organizing them by Jewish holidays. Then my memories took over, plunging me into family stories, and…

Fight That Scale With Stuffed Sweet Potatoes!

I am on a mission: my husband has been issued guidelines for a very strict diet that targets very specific weight loss goals. I am now counting every ingredient that could possibly be counted, including lentils in a bowl of soup (if you are curious about my Super Soup, click here), and keeping a Food…

The Rivers of Exile: Nine-Day Pie

Traveling through the streets of Paris with his entourage, Napoleon passed a synagogue and heard heart-wrenching wailing from within. “Why are my Jews crying? – asked the emperor, – What happened to them? “Sire, – rushed an aide-de-camp, “they are lamenting the destruction of their Temple.” “What? Their Temple was destroyed and nobody told me?…