Ricotta Cheese Tart Photo by Dan Kacvinski. Food preparation and styling by Judy Zeidler Let’s have an outdoor summer party! Whether you have a tennis court, a swimming pool or a great lawn for playing croquet, now is the time to invite friends over for a fun-in-the-sun celebration and an alfresco meal. Or you can take your party to the park. At our annual summer event, we invite friends to…
This summer, gather your friends for outdoor fun and a feast Let’s have an outdoor summer party! Whether you have a tennis court, a swimming pool or a great lawn for playing croquet, now is the time to invite friends over for a fun-in-the-sun celebration and an alfresco meal. Or you can take your party to the park. At our annual summer event, we invite friends to an afternoon bocce…
Kickstart your morning with an amazing kibbutz-inspired meal Can you imagine sitting down to a breakfast buffet of fresh fruit, yogurt, cheeses, smoked fish and eggs, and an amazing selection of salads, breads and pastries? For tourists, this is a typical breakfast feast in Israel. This hearty meal most likely originated on the kibbutz or communal farm, where residents woke up at 4 a.m. to work in the fields, then came…
Chocolate truffle cupcakes. Photo by Dan Kacvinski Wine is an important part of the observance of Passover — at least four cups are poured during the seder service. I’m sure we all have noticed how our wine tastes have changed since childhood, when only the sweet, syrupy wines were available. But these days, our family and friends may choose from a wide variety of kosher Passover wines, not only from…
A vegetarian seder can offer special delights The mainstays of a traditional Passover seder, celebrating the Exodus of the Jews from slavery in Egypt, tend to be a carnivore’s dream: gefilte fish, chicken soup with matzah balls, stuffed turkey and lamb shanks. Today, though, more and more families are planning a vegetarian Passover seder menu. It is easy and timely, as the Passover holiday arrives each year at the same…
Chocolate poppy-seed hamantaschen and chocolate sorbet. Photos by Dan Kacvinski Queen Esther, the heroine of the Purim tale, was quite a woman. Not only did she outwit the evil Haman and save the entire Jewish population of Persia, she did it all as a vegetarian. According to tradition, when she moved into the palace, she became quite a party girl but limited her diet to seeds, vegetables, fruits, nuts and, of…
The festival of Purim is a fun-filled holiday, where the focus is on Queen Esther, who helped defeat the king’s wicked prime minister, Haman, in ancient Persia. It is a time when the children dress up in costumes, representing the characters in the story, and take part in masquerades, singing, dancing, playing games and more. The grown-ups have their rewards, too, because it is the only holiday where a generous…
For Valentine’s Day, share your passion for pasta that’s pretty in pink We met Suzanne and Don Dunaway on a Valentine’s Day, while sitting at a small table during a reception for Julia Child’s American Institute of Wine & Food. We began talking and discovered that we had many interests in common, but mostly food, wine and traveling. At the time, Suzanne was an illustrator for Gourmet magazine, focusing on…
Bruce Marder’s two-tone potato latkes This year, Chanukah and Thanksgiving coincide: Chanukah is celebrated for eight days by candle-lighting, gift exchanges and eating foods fried in oil, an ancient custom, commemorating a miraculous event at the Temple in Jerusalem, while the Thanksgiving meal reminds us of our American heritage. Both offer a special time to reflect on our traditions and enjoy a family meal. Of course, the favorite Chanukah food is…
Celebrate the Festival of Lights with traditional Italian creations Fried Cheese With Fresh Tomato Sauce. Photos by Dan Kacvinski, food preparation and styling by Judy Zeidler We are just back from a three-week vacation in Italy, where I had the opportunity to discuss Chanukah foods with members of the Florence Jewish community. Residents shared several of their holiday recipes that include the use of olive oil. This is the major…