We all have memories of how Mom made us feel special and loved beyond compare. This month, it’s time to return the favor. If your mom, or the mother in your life, likes breakfast in bed, then by all means surprise her before she gets up on Mother’s Day (Sunday, May 13) with a tray filled with her favorite breakfast dishes. If she likes french toast, she is going to…

Moshe Safdie, famed designer of L.A.’s Skirball Cultural Center, displays his creativity in the kitchen, too Branzino Baked in Foil. Photos by Dan Kacvinski. Food preparation and styling by Judy ZeidlerI first met architect Moshe Safdie about 30 years ago, at the base of a barren hill in West Los Angeles, where he envisioned the setting for the Skirball Cultural Center, now the nation’s largest Jewish cultural institution. It was…

Ground Beef and Matzah “Lasagna” (See page 2) Photos by Dan Kacvinski. Food coordinated by Judy Zeidler Families will gather at sundown on March 25 and begin the eight-day observance of Passover, commemorating the centuries-old flight of the Jewish people from slavery in Egypt to their subsequent freedom. It is also known as the Festival of Matzah, or unleavened bread, because in their exodus, the Jews had little time to…

After 55 years of celebrating Thanksgiving in our home with family and friends, our son Zeke and son-in-law Jay announced that they wanted to take over the responsibility for Thanksgiving dinner. Our first reaction was to say no, but we reconsidered. Maybe it was time for a change. Their first attempt was almost a disaster. We received a telephone call just as we were leaving the house: “Mom, when do…

  Hoop Cheese Blintzes. Photo by Dan Kacvinski Shavuot celebrates the receiving of the Ten Commandments and the arrival of the spring harvest. But, for food lovers, it is noted for the array of dairy foods that are served — delicious combinations of cheese, sour cream, milk and eggs. Also in abundance are “stuffed” foods, such as blintzes with cheese fillings. For this holiday, I have experimented with dairy ingredients…