Category: starters
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Chrain-Cured Salmon
A ridiculously easy, make-ahead showstopper that blends classic Scandinavian technique with bold Ashkenazi flavour. “Chrain” refers to a traditional Jewish condiment made from grated horseradish, vinegar, and sometimes sugar and beetroot. Pungent and powerful, it’s usually served with gefilte fish—but here, it meets gravlax in a bold new way. This dish is not only absurdly…
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Green Tahini
Tahini dips—actually, all kinds of dips—together with bread, are staples of so many Israeli meals. Tahini, made from sesame paste, is an incredible source of protein and healthy fats. But don’t let the health benefits fool you; tahini is also deeply delicious. Here, I’ve taken the simple tahini my Savta Zahava used to make every…
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Savta’s Kubeh
Kubeh is the dish I most closely associate with my Savta (Grandmother). Not a Friday went by that she didn’t make kubeh—the finicky-to-shape dough made of kneaded bulgur and flour, barely held together. Yet in her hands, the dough was easily manipulated into a thin shell that held within it a ground beef and onion…
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Lentil Soup
I grew up in a very European home, so dinner every night of the week started with soup. Even though we rarely sat together as a family for dinner aside from Friday nights, my mum would always have a soup ready as the opening course of any supper. I’m not as consistent as my mother,…
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Krupnik (Mushroom Barley) Soup
A Krupnik soup would have been a staple in any Polish home. In Jewish homes, due to kosher dietary restrictions, two different versions emerged: a parve one and a meaty one. The parve version was often served with sour cream. Once in America, this soup became a classic in Jewish delis. Don’t be daunted by…
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Roasted Garlic & Butternut Squash Soup
This soup is almost entirely made in the oven, involving roasting unpeeled vegetables and then blending them with chicken or vegetable stock. It’s one of my ‘Plan B’ recipes – perfect for those times when everything else seems to fail, yet you still crave a hearty home-cooked meal. It’s not only easy and quick, but…
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Kreplach – Jewish Meat Ravioli
Around the 16th century, Eastern Europeans started making filled pasta, likely influenced by both the Tartar invasion from Asia in the East and Italy in the South. Regardless, this was innovative. It’s hard for us to imagine, but it hadn’t occurred to the people of Northern Europe to boil their pasta; they were frying it…
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Tomato Soup
This recipe, like many I cook, has been adapted from Cooks Illustrated. If you don’t know about Cooks Illustrated or America’s Test Kitchen, and you are particular about recipes being as close to perfect as they can get, this is the place for you. They do their best to break down every recipe for the…
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Honey Tahini Dip
It has been an ancient Jewish tradition to celebrate the Jewish New Year—Rosh Hashanah—by dipping challah in honey. Many homes will do so at every meal during the Rosh Hashanah celebrations, and all the way through to the end of the Sukkot festivities. Throughout the year, we often dip challah in tahini, another firm favourite…
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Chicken Soup – A Method, Not a Recipe
Best served with noodles and Matza Balls or Kreplach. The way I feel about chicken soup is the way people feel about a much-loved, always-worn sweater. The moment you put it on, you are enrobed in comfort and warmth. But it’s so much better because you can share the soup. The sweater, on the other…