So many, many people complain - I think everyone does - that there's nothing to eat on Passover. Or at least nothing decent. One may not eat "chametz" on Passover, that is, anything "leavened" as well as certain food that are also restricted. This includes - for example - crackers, bread, pasta, cereal etc. Beans, rice and legumes are also not allowed for most Jews - check with your rabbi.

I guess if you've been on the Atkin's diet, it can't be that bad. The "Passover diet" might actually be healthy - a good time to try more fruits and veggies that we all ignore a bit too often. And it's a time to be creative in recipes - many... more

One of my favorite memories growing up was helping my father make Charoset on erev Pesach (Passover eve). Somehow, it was always his job in his family, and it became our thing to do together. We had this old world chopper and a wooden bowl, and we'd stand at the table making Charoset together. Charoset is one of the food items that are included on the seder plate. Charoset symbolizes the mortar that the Jews used in Egypt as slaves working with bricks. Though all Jews share the same idea behind Charoset, and it is included in some form on all seder plates, Charoest itself also serves as a symbol of where your family comes from - geographically speaking.

In our family, Charoset is... more

Instead of ringing in the new year with a toast of expensive champagne, try an inexpensive alternative - homemade Kahlua. Hard liquor, as well as beer and some liquors do not require a kosher certification. But flavored liquors as well as wine does need a kosher symbol. Kahlua used to be available under kosher certification, but it has become harder and harder to find, as currently only those bearing a label in Spanish coming directly from Mexico seem to be under certification. So, we decided to make our own - it turns out it's not that hard, quite good, and decidedly much less expensive than buying a bottle. And, if I might add, a fun activity to do after the kiddies are asleep.

Taken... more

My husband was once describing what Shabbat is to his Protestant co-worker. Shabbat in our home is twenty five hours between sundown on Friday and nightfall on Saturday where we do not turn on the television set, we do not answer the phone, we do not turn on and off lights and we do not drive. Shabbat is something different in everyone's home, but hopefully people are taking this time to be with their family, to be in the synagogue, to be with friends, and most importantly... more

Here are two "classic" latkes - potato pancake recipes for Chanukah. It's traditional to serve food fried in oil to commemorate the miracle from the story, where the oil for the Temple's menorah lasted eight days instead of one. I'd give you my recipe, but since I don't really follow one, you'd have to come to my kitchen and watch me cook. The first recipe is from epicurious.com and looks close-ish to mine, except I use matzo meal instead of flour, and all oil to fry the latkes in.

CLASSIC POTATO PANCAKES

This is the classic latke, made with little more than grated potatoes and... more

And since Cheese Blintzes were mentioned in the article I brought earlier, I've been craving them! If you've never had cheese blintzes, or have only tasted the kind you buy in the freezer section, these are definately worth the effort! I try to make a nice Sunday brunch and serve from time to time in the summer, and they are a traditional food for Shavuot - a holiday which is not coming up any time soon. But who needs a special excuse for a good dish? Usually blintzes are fried again at the end of the recipe - after filling. This recipe doesn't call for eggs in the filling and doesn't need to be fried again,... more