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…
The theme for our family Purim dinner this year will be blintzes, but the preparation will be a little different and will include ingredients that are symbolic for the holiday. The inspiration for the menu began when my daughter, Susan, her husband, Leo, and our granddaughters were visiting from out of town, and we went to lunch at Zeidler’s Cafe at the Skirball Cultural Center. We ordered blintzes, and, although…
Just back from Italy, I was inspired by the foods served at our favorite restaurants. My Chanukah menu this year is a travelogue of those culinary experiences. We devote Chanukah to our children and grandchildren, and many of the dishes are easy to prepare and perfect for the whole family. In addition to the traditional potato latkes, I have included two special treats to begin our Chanukah celebration. We discovered…
I’ve bought meat from the same kosher butcher shop on Pico Boulevard in West Los Angeles for many years. But it wasn’t until recently that I asked G&K Kosher Meat owner Herschel Berengut, 58, about the Passover dishes he prepares at his to-go deli next door, Charlie’s. His eyes lit up as he explained how he learned to cook as a young boy in Poland and that preparing food was…
A bridal shower is one of the most joyous parties you can possibly give, and the occasion calls for light, delicious festive foods. This menu offers four of my personal favorite chicken salad recipes. (For a smaller shower, you could serve just two or three) The French often serve a sampling of different foods and call it a “degustation,” so here’s your chance to be both chic and unique. Each…
January 10, 2005 For the past fifty years I have given cooking classes that include recipes for contemporary and traditional dishes, as well as menus for all the Jewish holidays. It is always very rewarding when I receive calls from students telling me that they loved the class and prepared all the dishes. But my most recent cooking class is one of the most memorable. It happened when a close…
By JUDY ZEIDLER, Special to The Times Saturday night, the first night of Passover this year, will mark our 100th family Seder. When we were married just one year, my husband Marvin and I decided to observe the first two Seder nights of Passover in our own home, and we have done so ever since. The house we lived in 50 years ago was very small, but we borrowed chairs…
The Other Pie Crust Toppings aren’t the only versatile part of the pizza. By JUDY ZEIDLER, Special to The Times Pizza is described in one dictionary as a “baked, open-faced pie consisting of a thin layer of dough topped with tomato sauce and cheese.” In which century was that written? Somebody has to tell them about Thai barbecue chicken. By now everyone knows that pizza is infinitely flexible, adapting to…