Jennifer Abadi

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Helwat al Yaktin: Libyan Butternut Squash “Pudding” with Cinnamon, Ginger, and Vanilla

©Jennifer Felicia Abadi: www.JenniferAbadi.com If you’ve always liked the idea of traditional American pumpkin pie, but simply never became much of a …

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A Seder Plate for Rosh HaShannah? (It’s not just for Passover!)

Did you know that in some Sephardic homes there is the custom of presenting a special Seder plate before the Rosh HaShanna meal, just like one does …

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It’s Recipe Testing Time! A dinner party where everyone else does the cooking.

It’s the season for recipe testing for my Passover cookbook, and as I did with my first cookbook (A Fistful of Lentils) …

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Four Generations Come Together for Algerian Boulettes with Green Peas

Each spring, Ginette Cohen would pack her suitcase with quatre épices and a box of Spigol spice packets, and fly from France …

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The End of an Era: Streit’s Matzo Factory To Leave the Lower East Side

After nearly 100 years, Streit’s Matzo Factory on the Lower East Side will be moving out. It’s especially sad to me because I …

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Henna: Hametz for Passover?

Recently I had the opportunity to speak with Noam Sienna about his research and discoveries regarding henna in the Middle East and Mediterranean, and …

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Chewy Matzah Granola with Almonds, Pistachios, Dried Apricots, and Vanilla-Honey

©Jennifer Felicia Abadi: www.JenniferAbadi.com The kosher food industry is getting more and more creative with their Passover food products, making life during …

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Passover images from around the world: Charoset Ice Cream in Israel

Photo by Alan Caplan: “Ben & Jerry’s Charoset Ice Cream,” Israel

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Passover images from around the world: A window in Paris

Photo by Lori Plaut

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Silan / Ha’lek: Baghdadi Date Syrup

©Jennifer Felicia Abadi: www.JenniferAbadi.com Silan (also known as Ha’lek) is an an ancient Babylonian date honey or syrup that many Iraqi Jews today prepare …

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Passover images from around the world: Dutch Matze

My friend Sarah Abrams just returned from a trip to Holland and sent me this photo of matze in the supermarket. The packaging …

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Yhafeseca Kit’ta: Soft Ethiopian Passover Matzah

©Jennifer Felicia Abadi: www.JenniferAbadi.com One cold January morning, I ran down to meet with Shmuel Legesse and learn how to make Ethiopian …

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Huevos Haminados: Browned Eggs with Onion Skins, Olive Oil and Coffee Grinds

©Jennifer Felicia Abadi: www.JenniferAbadi.com Two months before Passover, Deanna Marcus starts saving her onion skins (yellow, white, and red), while June Hersh remembers her …

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Kairi Chi Koshimbir: Green Mango Salad with Green Chilies, Mint, Coriander, and Dates

©Jennifer Felicia Abadi: www.JenniferAbadi.com Passover is almost synonymous with spring, and in Indian Jewish cooking all herbs, vegetables and fruits used for the …

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Cleansing your sins for Passover? It’s time to start preparing.

“My mother never wanted a cleaning lady to help (for Passover) because she believed that wherever you were cleaning your chametz, you were also …

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A Tu b’Shevat Seder: Time to Honor Israel’s 7 Fruits

Today is Tu B’shevat, the Jewish holiday celebrating the new year of the tree in Israel, marking the beginning of its fruit bearing cycle. In …

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Passover Cooking in December: Finding time to write and test the recipes.

As I complete the interview portion of my cookbook (with a total of nearly 85 interviews of individuals from 18 different countries!), …

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Are we ready for a Thanksgiving Seder plate?

As I continue to work on my Passover cookbook, I am struck by certain parallels between Passover and Thanksgiving. Just as Thanksgiving is …

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Little Georgia at the Crossroads of Rego Park and Forest Hills, Queens

This past April it dawned on me that I hadn’t even thought of creating a chapter on Georgian Jews for my Passover cookbook. …

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Pepitada: Melon Seed Milk with Rose Water, Vanilla, and Cinnamon

©Jennifer Felicia Abadi: www.JenniferAbadi.com I had heard and read about a drink made from melon seeds, and it had always intrigued me. …

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Salota az Ryevozgu Lablabu: Bukharian Rhubarb and Beet Salad with Scallions, Mint, and Coriander Leaves

©Jennifer Felicia Abadi: www.JenniferAbadi.com Inspired by a simple rhubarb and scallion recipe in Amnun’s Bukharian cookbook, I decided to try working with …

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Shrab: Libyan Golden Raisin “Wine” with Cinnamon Sticks

©Jennifer Felicia Abadi: www.JenniferAbadi.com From Libya to Georgia, several individuals described to me the process of making their own special wine or …

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Sephardic Culture: Walking and Tasting Tour in Bercelona!

Are you interested in learning about Sephardic food and history, right where it happened? Check out my friend Janet Amateau’s cultural walking tour, …

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The Second Night: A Tunisian Seder Plate

For the second night of Passover we went to a Tunisian Seder at Jennifer and Philippe’s on the Upper West Side. The …

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Casse Croûte Tunisien: Tunisian Hero with Tuna, Eggs, Pickled Peppers and Hot Pepper Sauce

©Jennifer Felicia Abadi: www.JenniferAbadi.com For the last night of Passover to break the bread fast, many Tunisians will go to a Tunisian …

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Seder Plate Checklist: Are you set?

Below is a list of all the necessary Seder foods, along with the variety of ingredients that individuals from all over the …

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Ajeel: Iranian “Trail Mix”

Dried fruit and nuts are among some of the most important ingredients used during the Passover holiday. Usually some kind of dried fruit (such …

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OUT with the OLD and in with the NEW: Time to throw out the old spices!

My students often ask me, “How long can I keep my spices?” This is a hard question to answer as throwing out …

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The Paschal Sacrifice: Going in on the whole lamb

Recently a good friend of mine emailed me a photo of a lamb with only the subject line: “Want to share one …

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Wann-a date, Biblical style?

Dates are used as a base in many of the Middle Eastern charosets. Sometimes they are cooked down into a pure syrup …

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Did you know?: The Iranian tradition of covering the table during the Plagues

Did you know that in Iran it is often the tradition during the recitation of the Ten Plagues to shield the Seder …

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Almodrote: Turkish Shredded Zucchini Pie with Sheep’s Milk Cheese and Yogurt

©Jennifer Felicia Abadi: www.JenniferAbadi.com During my fall trip to Roosevelt Island (see post, “Roosevelt Island: My Trip To Instanbul), I visited Jale Turcihin …

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Did you know?: The myth that ALL Sephardim eat rice.

Did you know that some of the most Sephardic of Sephardim simply do not eat rice at all during Pesach? Yes, it’s …

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Time to Sort the Rice: Let the preparations for Pesach begin!

Now that Purim is over, many individuals begin their Passover cleaning as early as today, one month before the holiday begins. It …

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Did you know?: The Libyan Seder Basket

Did you know that not every community uses a Seder plate? The Libyans instead place large portions of each symbolic food into …

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Did You Know? New Passover dishes in Ethiopia

Did you know that in Ethiopia it is the custom every Passover to break all the old ceramic dishes from the previous …

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Minestra Dayenu: Chicken and Egg Soup with Cinnamon and Matzah Noodles

©Jennifer Felicia Abadi: www.JenniferAbadi.com After my last post (January 6, 2014) I decided that my first draft of Minestra Dayenu had in …

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Enginara: Turkish Steamed Whole Artichoke Hearts with Lotsa Lemon

©Jennifer Felicia Abadi: www.JenniferAbadi.com This past November I bought a roundtrip ticket to Roosevelt Island to meet with Jale, a true …

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Minestra Dayenu: It should have been enough.

When I first read about this traditional Italian Passover soup it was really the name that captured my attention. (What a great …

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What about PASSGIVUKKAH? Sweet Potato Latkes with Cumin, Curry, and Cranberry Relish

©Jennifer Felicia Abadi: www.JenniferAbadi.com The last time that Thanksgiving and Chanukah collided it was about 125 years ago, and next week Jews …

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Will the single, marriageable girl please leave the room?

Lately I’ve been interviewing individuals from the Levantine countries of Syria and Lebanon. An interesting custom that has been described to me …

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Oshi Masozgoshak: Bukharian Egg and Matzah Soup with Sour Golden Plums

©Jennifer Felicia Abadi: www.JenniferAbadi.com This recipe is adapted from the one that I learned from Amnun Kimyagarov and his wife Zoya during …

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My Roadtrip to Regostan, Queens

One sunny Sunday morning in late August, I ventured out to Queens to meet Amnun Kimyagarov, the author of “Classic Central Asian …

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You Say Haroset, I Say Harose. (Charoset, Jarose…)

We all know haroset. We all love haroset. And, come on, we all think that OUR family’s haroset is the best, no? …

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So Sweet You Can Eat it with a Spoon

This past summer weekend in June I took a trip down with my mother and my girls Micah and Sacha to visit …

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Silan Date Honey: A charoset for all year-round?

Yesterday I was reviewing my Passover food interviews from Iraqi Jews, and found it interesting that in all of them the individuals …

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The Holiest of Matzahs Found Near Mexico? Let the harvesting begin!

Believe it or not folks, the wheat harvesting season for 2014’s Passover matzah has already begun! On June 28th an article was …

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Afgani Proverb: “Be Content with Such Things as You Have.”

During my ongoing research into the Central Asian Jewish community I came across this supposedly well-known Afghani proverb mentioned in several sites: …

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Chapter by Chapter: The Jews of Bukharia and Afghanistan

In this week’s Passover chapter, I am focusing on the Jewish community from Afghanistan and Bukharia (located today in the southwestern part …

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Iraqi Meatballs with Apricots and Tomatoes

©Jennifer Felicia Abadi: www.JenniferAbadi.com Even though this may be a dish served for an Iraqi Passover Seder meal, it is not something …

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Minas, Meginas, and Maienas: The Quintessential Sephardic Dish?

Through my Passover research I came across the concept of a layered matzah pie that is very popular in the Sephardic communities …

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Now that Passover has Passed Over…

Other than Chanukah, Passover is without a doubt the busiest time of year for me professionally. During the month and a half …

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Round vs. Square: How do you take your matzah?

An interesting article was written Passover week in The New Yorker about Manischewitz and how they turned commercially made matzah into such …

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Cigares aux Amandes: Moroccan Phyllo “Cigars” with Almonds and Honeyed Orange-Blossom Syrup

©Jennifer Felicia Abadi: www.JenniferAbadi.com Passover has passed over and we are now back to eating our favorite breads, cakes, cookies, crackers, and …

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The Moroccan Mimounah Celebration: The final night of Passover

Celebrated at sundown on the eighth or final day of the Passover holiday (the seventh day for Reform Jews and those residing …

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The Sacrificial Egg and the Paschal Lamb: When Passover and Easter Cross Paths

According to the Torah, the Paschal (or Passover) lamb (also known as the Korban) was first sacrificed and then offered to God …

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Last Search for Chametz: Feather, Wooden Spoon, or Knife?

As the first Seder approaches tomorrow night at sundown, it is the tradition in many homes to follow the ritual of b’dikat …

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Egyptian Take-Out: The Seder ceremonial plate (for those on the go…)

The story goes that while fleeing the land of Egypt, the ancient Israelites didn’t have time to wait for their dough …

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Koula’s Greek Matzah Meal Spinach and Dill Pie

©Jennifer Felicia Abadi: www.JenniferAbadi.com Several years ago I was invited down to a Passover demo at Kehila Kedosha Janina, a Romaniote synagogue …

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Lenore’s Pre-Passover Seder on St. Patty’s Day: Four leaf clovers instead of parsley?

Passover orders are rolling in and I wonder (as I do every year) how I will manage to do all of the …

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Chummus or Chametz?

Many ingredients that are innately kosher the rest of the year, may not be considered kosher during Passover week. While certain foods …

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Matzolah and Gefilte Fish Gummies?

I know that none of these Passover-friendly products are traditional in any way, much less Sephardic, but in the weeks leading up …

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Syrian Haroset with Apricots, Orange Blossom Water and Almonds

©Jennifer Felicia Abadi: www.JenniferAbadi.com One of the most popular dishes on the Seder table is charoset, the fruity spread used to symbolize …

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Purim is over and the countdown has begun: Time to start that spring cleaning!

Now that Purim has ended the official countdown to Passover has begun folks! This is the time when many Jews begin the …

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Streit’s matzah factory preparing six months before Passover!

On February 12th I gave one of my Jewish food tours of the Lower East Side. I had three people on my …

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My Passover blog is finally up and running!

I have to be honest and say that for a full two years I have been wanting to write a blog that …

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