Girls love guys who know their way around the kitchen There is an old saying that men don’t cook at home. Yet it is also said that women always appreciate men who cook. Only one of these is true. Can you guess which? I can’t exactly remember when our son Marc’s passion for cooking began, but he certainly loves to cook. He was always in the kitchen watching or helping me,…

There is something special about Chanukah, a time when all of our children and grandchildren gather from across the country to celebrate the holiday, which begins this year at sundown on Dec. 1. Lighting the candles, followed by family meals, singing songs, exchanging gifts and playing the dreidel game all add up to quality family time. What makes Chanukah such a festive occasion? Perhaps it starts with the aroma of…

It all started with Signora Grazia, an elderly cheese maker in Panzano, Italy. While vacationing in this Tuscan village, just 30 minutes south of Florence, we walked by her farm early one morning and saw the sign that read “Pecorino and Fresh Ricotta for Sale.” We hiked up the path and, peering through the open barn door, saw her making hot ricotta cheese in a big copper bowl over an…

Richard’s Hummus, Lina Style. Photos by Dan Kacvinski. Food coordinated by Judy Zeidler Who makes the best hummus? Everyone in Israel is passionate about the taste of genuine hummus, and each individual believes deeply that his or hers is the best. In Jordan, Lebanon and Syria, hummus remains a daily staple. Village streets are dotted with tiny shops that prepare hummus swirled in a brown-and-cream-colored bowl, drizzled with extra virgin…

Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, begins this year on Sept. 16 at sundown. In planning the holiday menu, I like to include some of the traditional recipes that many of us learned in our mothers’ and grandmothers’ kitchens, but I always add some new, modern ideas. The symbolic foods for the New Year include apples and honey, representing “a sweet year,” and pomegranates, one of the first fruits of…

Baking desserts during Passover is a challenge. No leavened foods may be used — nor any leavening ingredients, such as flour, grains, cornstarch, baking powder or baking soda. The baker must substitute matzah meal, potato starch and egg whites to obtain a high-rising dessert. Lemon Meringue Pie. Photos by Dan Kacvinski Dietary laws covering Passover are strict, and some of them make baking complicated, but the good news is that…