by Faye Levy

At a Passover party given by Women’s American ORT, I met 85-year-old Faye Waldman, who made delicious salmon cakes and gave me the recipe. The secret to their refined flavor was the fresh salmon that Ms. Waldman poached in white wine. Ms. Waldman enriched the cakes with real mayonnaise and sauteed them in […]

by Faye Levy
Pistachios and pomegranate juice make Persian haroset unique and unlike most other kinds of haroset, it contains bananas, too. This haroset is based on a recipe from Nilu Saadian, whom I often met at the Chabad of Woodland Hills. She buys a special haroset spice blend at Persian kosher stores, but I add […]

by Levana Kirschenbaum
Italian for “pick-me-up,” probably because it puts together three of our favorite intense robust flavors: rum, chocolate and coffee (please don’t try to substitute any of them!), this dessert is so fabulous that I never bother to make the original dairy […]

by Levana Kirschenbaum
Ingredients:
5 pounds tomatoes (7-8 large, or 20 plum tomatoes), split across
3 heads garlic, points sliced off, leaving the cloves exposed
4 medium purple onions, peeled and split across
3 red peppers, halved and seeded
1/4 cup olive oil
coarse sea salt to taste
10 cups water (2 1/2 quarts)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup dry white wine (not cooking […]

by Levana Kirschenbaum
Dipping fish fillets in coconut milk makes for an incredibly moist and tender fish. I love to coat my fillets with cornmeal, as it makes a thin, crisp, golden crust, much more so than flour or matzoh meal does. St. Peter’s fish, from the Kineret River in Israel, is also called tilapia when […]

by Chana Citron
Growing up in Nice, France, then marrying a Californian and living on the West Coast, I learned to absolutely love avocados. Good thing, the jury’s on my side. Once condemned for being a fatty food, the avocado is now praised for being a potent disease fighter–against heart disease, diabetes and cancer. “In this […]

by Laura Frankel
In addition to the hamantaschen you’ll be serving for Purim, why not try something different? Here’s a dessert that’s as Persian as Persian melon. The saffron in the cake adds not only its distinctive beautiful color, but also an elegant earthiness. Rosewater and orange-blossom water are exotic and potent. A little goes a […]

by Laura Frankel
I like to use brown rice for this dish as often as possible. It has a nutty flavor and slightly chewy texture. White rice or basmati would be good substitutes.
Quick Tip: This pilaf can be stored in the refrigerator, covered, up to three days. Add a spoonful of stock or water when […]

by Laura Frankel
Advieh is as essential to the Persian kitchen as garam masala is to Indian cuisine and ras el hanout is to Moroccan. I like to make small batches of this mix to keep in my spice cabinet. I find myself sprinkling it on grilled and braised meats, adding a pinch to sauteed […]

by Levana Kirschenbaum
Romaine lettuce hearts are very tender and crisp. They cost a little more than whole heads of romaine, buut they are worth it, especially because no leaves get discarded. This is the salad of choice in my home, and romaine hearts are the only salad greens I ever cut with a knife because […]