Romantic dinners for two can be fun — and healthy, too Quinoa With Shiitake Mushrooms and Delicata Squash. Photos by Dan Kacvinski. Food coordinated by Judy Zeidler In a wild wedding party last year at the Hollywood Museum, our granddaughter Giamaica married Steve. They met in Flagstaff, Ariz., at the historic Hotel Monte Vista, where Steve was the chef. They moved to Pacifica, in Northern California, when Giamaica got a…

While growing up in Jewish Los Angeles, I was exposed to many traditional Ashkenazic dishes — kreplach, cheese blintzes and strudel, to name a few. But it wasn’t until I developed an interest in cooking that I realized most other cultures have similar dishes. Kreplach reminds me of Italian ravioli or Chinese pot-stickers, and the wrapping for cheese blintzes is the same as French crepes. My mother always put egg…

Lorraine and Harris Zeidler prepared more than 150 kreplach, inviting family and friends to their traditional Rosh Hashanah kreplach tasting. Photo by Lorraine Zeidler I am always impressed by the fact that food plays such an important role during the holiest of Jewish holidays, and kreplach — dough wrapped around meat and boiled, fried or baked — is certainly one of these dishes. Traditionally, it is served between Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish…

BY JUDY ZEIDLER Whether you are taking a picnic to the beach, a local park or the Hollywood Bowl, desserts made from fresh fruits — peaches, apricots, plums, cherries and all kinds of berries — are a refreshing complement to your summer menu. One of the places to find the best summer fruit is at an open-air farmers market. I love standing in the middle of a crowd of shoppers…

Romanian Noodle Latkes. Photos by Lynn Pelkey. Food preparation and styling by Judy Zeidler Chanukah, which begins the night of Dec. 6, has always been a joyous holiday celebrated more in the home than in the synagogue. Every year, we invite a minimum of 25 family members and friends to our celebration, and it is always a festive occasion.  When our guests arrive, we begin with platters of Crispy Potato…

Akasha Richmond is a self-trained chef and artisan-style baker who has been catering events in the Los Angeles area for the past 20 years. A tall woman with dark hair and blue eyes, she bears a striking resemblance to Barbra Streisand, for whom she worked as a private chef. Richmond said some of her fondest memories were made at Streisand’s home, where she selected fresh vegetables from her garden for…