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…

Smoked salmon and cream cheese panini. Photos by Morgan Lieberman  Spending a lovely summer back home in the Los Angeles area, Morgan Lieberman was doing what she enjoys most: using her camera to shoot photos. From time to time during those warm days, she found her way into my kitchen — and my heart — shooting photos of food for the Journal and its monthly magazine, TRIBE. When she returned…

We love entertaining friends. The process is easy: We check our calendar, pick a date and discuss whom to invite, usually eight to 10 guests. It is fun to mix couples who have the same interests but have never met. At our last dinner party, we bought white cotton fabric to use as tablecloths and had a large selection of crayons and markers available. We then asked everyone to draw…

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…

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…

Honey adds special touch to Jewish New Year Honey Chocolate Fudge Bars. Photos by Dan Kacvinski. Food coordinated by Judy Zeidler The use of honey for Rosh Hashanah symbolizes a sweet year and dates back to biblical times, when refined sugar was unknown. Its sweetness adds a distinctive flavor to a variety of dishes in addition to dessert: It can be used as a glaze for everything from carrots to broiled…