Bread Kugel with Dried Fruit and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
Combines many of the flavors and foods found in Spain and Portugal with the classic technique for making a bread kugel.
Almond Poppy Seed Pound Cake
Use leftover hamantaschen filling in this delicious poppy seed cake!
Haman's Ears
This recipe is a variation of fried Italian dough, which was commonly prepared in Italian kitchens, but had no association with Purim. It is a perfect example of one ethnic holiday custom infiltrating general society.
Savory Persian Herb and Cheese Hamantaschen
Hamantaschen, the traditional triangular Ashkenazic Purim pastries, are typically a sweet treat. This recipe takes a savory approach, using spring herbs, a Persian favorite, to honor Esther and Mordechai’s heritage, as well as the season.
Deluxe Buckwheat Almond Cake with Raspberry Filling
This dessert pairs a delicate nut flavor with raspberry preserve filling.
Purim Palmiers
I didn't even know what a palmier was. My friend Barrett mentioned that she had made them for Purim, using Tina Wasserman's recipe. I looked it up...and, oh my, they sounded delicious.
Purim in Israel
As a student living in Israel, my holiday celebrations followed the same protocol: dress up in my nicest clothes, go to shul and eat a festive meal with family and friends (as long as it was not a fast holiday). This schedule had been ingrained in me over the course of the year. As Purim neared, I began to wonder if it would be celebrated like the other holidays or if it would be more like the celebrations I had come to expect from my childhood in Los Angeles—the shpiel, the carnival, the costumes.
Esther and Vashti: Strong Women with Modern Problems
Halloween: It's All About the Candy!
It was not until I joined my synagogue’s religious education committee that I learned that many American Jews do not celebrate Halloween. From the time I could trick-or-treat, I knew the basics of Halloween: There were witches and goblins, I went trick-or-treating and got candy, and later in life, we collected money for UNICEF. As far as I was concerned, religion had nothing to do with Halloween.
At Tu BiShvat, Digging for Spiritual Growth
While my neighbors were putting their Christmas trees to the curb, in what seems like a ritual of replacement, I was preparing to plant for Tu BiShvat.