5+ hour, 20+ min ago   (308+ words) Cuisine & Empire, Cooking in World History by Rachel Laudan; University of California Press, 2013, paperback, 2015. By Oliver B. Pollak in Richmond, California I have enjoyed at least 57 national cuisines with multiple regional permutations, eaten Bouillabaisse, Cioppino, and Mohinga in their countries of…...

3+ week, 9+ hour ago   (427+ words) When you think of Alicia Keys you might think of her powerful voice and ear wormy lyrics. Both of these come into play in her semi- autobiographical musical Hell’s Kitchen. (Book by Kristoffer Diaz, music and lyrics by Alicia Keys.)…...

1+ mon, 2+ week ago   (248+ words) By Donald H. Harrison in San Diego This story, intended to be read to kindergarteners and first graders, mixes Jewish culture with Texas tale-telling notable for exaggerating dimensions. Thus, grandma Schwaid read to the children that her father, the baker, made…...

2+ mon, 2+ week ago   (618+ words) By Karen Galatz in Reno, Nevada “There’s a good guy. A bad guy. A girl. A horse. “There’s a gun fight. The good guy wins. “He’s already got the horse. He gets the girl. At the time, I should have…...

4+ mon, 1+ week ago   (944+ words) By Karen Galatz in Reno, Nevada I know Passover has passed, but I’m living through a series of personal plagues. They’re not Biblical in proportion, but for mere mortal me, they’re epic and loathsome. Of course, good Jewish wife that…...

8+ mon, 3+ week ago   (198+ words) By Cailin Acosta in La Mesa, California Latkes, Latkes everywhere! Next week, we will be knee-deep in fried, crispy goodness. I make a latke variation with just potatoes, onions, and garlic. I shred potatoes, zucchinis, and carrots. I use powdered…...

9+ mon, 1+ week ago   (289+ words) LA MESA, California – With Thanksgiving just a week away, many of us begin to reflect on what we are grateful for. In Judaism, we are taught to express gratitude each morning when we rise and each night when we close…...

11+ mon, 3+ week ago   (499+ words) SAN DIEGO — Rosh Hashana is just around the corner, and many of our tables will have some sort of fish on them. Some Jews will place a fish head on the table to symbolize the “head of the year.” Otherwise,…...