Blueberry Buns (Bilkelach)

Blueberries are my favorite summer fruit.  I love the color, texture, the whimsical crown perched on top.  I mean who can resist a crown?  Plus all the memories associated with this small delicious berry that was plentiful on the East Coast.  As a child I picked blueberries in Lakewood, New Jersey,  and watched my Tante […]

Shakshuka

My parents, Miriam and Harry Graf, were both originally from small towns near Warsaw, Poland, from families who were religious Zionists.  In my father’s hometown of Warka, he and his brothers were active in the Revisionist movement in the 1930s. My mother’s older brother had tickets on a liner to Palestine but the war broke […]

I invite you to The Rendezvous

I have just created a page called The Rendezvous. It is a place for you to share your favorite recipes with the rest of us. I look forward to hearing from you. Irene

Freekeh

My son Micah returned from Israel this morning after spending the past six months in Tel Aviv.  Of course I had to welcome him with a home-cooked meal.  I made turkey meatloaf (a variation of Ina Garten’s recipe), a green salad with avocado and honey vinaigrette, schnitzle (to ease the transition from Israel to L.A.) and freekeh, […]

Tabit (Iraqi Chicken and Rice)

It is Sunday morning and Norm is making bagels in the kitchen and my daughter Shira is on her way to the Bronx Zoo, both part of the Sunday rituals that I grew up with. Plus it is my sister’s birthday. Happy Birthday Anita! Last week I went to synagogue to say Yizkor, the prayer […]

Stuffed Cabbage

Gefilte Kroet, Gelupsie, Holishskes, stuffed cabbage. This is not fast food, in fact I think making stuffed cabbage requires a kind of Zen approach to cooking.  I started making the rolls at 8:00 a.m. on Monday morning.  The cabbage has to be cooked and cooled and the meat mixture prepared.  I carefully peeled the cabbage […]

Chopped Liver

Nobody eats real chopped liver anymore but it is yontif and my son David is in town and this is one of his favorites.   I have had versions made with lentils, green beans (my personal preference), mushrooms and eggplants usually  blended with walnuts, hard-boiled eggs, and onions and  although they are delicious they just […]