Find Everything on Asif Archives about Jewish Cuisine

Marzipan-Filled Cigars

“Marzipan-filled cigars, fried and dipped in honey syrup, are an Algerian treat my grandmother Miray would make for Shavuot,” says chef Enav Azgouri.

Dessert, Jewish Cuisine, Shavuot, Traditional Food

Spanakopita (Savory Spinach Pie)

This traditional Greek spanakopita pie, made for sharing, brings generations together through delicious flavors and family memories.

Cheese, Dairy, Jewish Cuisine, Shavuot, Vegetarian

Kashmiri Lamb Korma

Kashmiri lamb korma, a flavorful fusion of cultures, is a beloved Passover dish blending Kashmir traditions with Jewish-Muslim heritage

Jewish Cuisine, Kitchen Hindi, Lamb, Passover

Terfez Truffle Beef Stew

This recipe is based on a lamb dish with truffles called “Terfez Bilranmi Passover” in the book “The Moroccan Kitchen” by Rivka Levy Malu as well as a recipe from home cook Simona Yifrach of Netivot.

Desert, Jewish Cuisine, Meat, Moroccan Recipes, Passover

Persian Turnip Kebab. Photo by: Amir Menahem, Styling: Guy Cohen

Tavakuli fondly recalls how everyone in his family would eagerly wait for this dish during Chol HaMoed, pouncing on the pot with spoons. “I like to eat it cold or at room temperature — it’s best that way,” he says.

Jewish Cuisine, Meat, Meatballs, Passover, Persian Cooking

Passover Kibbeh

This Passover kibbeh recipe from Syrian Jewish cookbook author Sigi Mantel and her grandmother Aliza swaps bulgar wheat shells for ones made with ground rice and matzo meal.

Jewish Cuisine, Meat, Passover, Syrian Cooking

Matzo Kebab

A family recipe by the Jewish-Syrian cookbook author, Siggi Mantal, for a dish for Passover, typically served at the lunch on the day after the Seder.

Jewish Cuisine, Meat, Passover, Syrian Cooking

Guizadas de Pessah (Passover Almond Macaroons)

This recipe was shared by Michel Thouati. Read more about his family story in The Jewish Food Society.

cookies, Jewish Cuisine, Passover

Stuffed Vegetables in Tomato Sauce

The combination of caramelized sugar at the bottom of the pan, tomato sauce, and the delicate anise aroma of chopped dill creates a deep, slightly sweet, and unique flavor.

House Pot, Jewish Cuisine, Meat, Shabbat

Karafs Khoresht (Persian Beef, Celery, and Herb Stew)

Nilou Ghalchi was born in Tehran, but in the 1970s, she had to leave with her family to the United States overnight due to the Iranian Revolution. Now, in her sun-filled home in Brooklyn, she prepares Karafs Khoresht with her daughter Chantal. Rich and tart, this traditional Persian stew features finely chopped celery and heapsContinue reading “Karafs Khoresht (Persian Beef, Celery, and Herb Stew)”

Jewish Cuisine, Meat, Persian Cooking

Hungarian Aranygaluska (Pull-Apart Cake)

In food writer Yonit Naftali’s family, Jewish holidays have their own special desserts. In the fall, Simchat Torah is marked with Aranygaluska, a traditional Hungarian dessert consisting of balls of yeasted dough rolled in sugar, ground walnuts, and golden raisins. While aranygaluska literally translates to “golden dumplings,” the Naftali family has their own nickname for it, owingContinue reading “Hungarian Aranygaluska (Pull-Apart Cake)”

Cake, Dairy, Hungarian cuisine, Jewish Cuisine

Cabbage and Short Rib Soup

Smoky, deeply savory, and warming, this hearty soup comes from cookbook author June Hersh’s grandmother, Rose Feiss, who immigrated with her family as a child from Minsk, Russia, to the United States. It’s filled with sauerkraut, fall-apart tender short ribs and slices of beef hotdogs. According to Russian culinary scholar Darra Goldstein, this soup isContinue reading “Cabbage and Short Rib Soup”

Jewish Cuisine, Meat, Russian, Soup

Moroccan S’china-Hamin (Overnight Shabbat Stew)

“Food has a magical way of connecting us to our roots and creating cherished memories,” says Ilanit Israeli Nagar, whose grandmother was born in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco. When Ilanit craves the comforting flavors of her upbringing, she makes a Moroccan style hamin called s’china (also spelled shkena) for Shabbat. Ilanit’s recipe includes beans andContinue reading “Moroccan S’china-Hamin (Overnight Shabbat Stew)”

Hamin, Jewish Cuisine, Meat, Moroccan Recipes, Shabbat

Ma’amra (Beef and Peanut ‘Cake’ for Hamin)

According to author and food historian Claudia Roden, there are endless versions of “kora,” a rich and savory mixture of beef and ground nuts which is formed into a meatloaf and cooked on top of s’china. In Ilanit Israeli Nagar’s family, they make this dish with ground almonds and peanuts, flavor it with cinnamon andContinue reading “Ma’amra (Beef and Peanut ‘Cake’ for Hamin)”

Hamin, Jewish Cuisine, Meat, Moroccan Recipes, Shabbat

Gâteau Semoule (Algerian Semolina Cake)

Chef Enav Ezagouri grew up immersed in North African cuisine. “Most semolina cakes from North Africa are very simple. Gâteau Semoule cake was made here as a quick option and served at festive events and holidays, like Mimouna”.

Baking, Cake, Desert, Dessert, Jewish Cuisine, Passover, Semolina cakes, Traditional Food

Ejjeh (Syrian Vegetable Fritters)

Airy, fluffy, and crispy on the outside, these latke-like fritters are a staple in Syrian kitchens. Often chock full of herbs, sometimes made simply with onions and potatoes, and occasionally with ground meat, Sarina Roffé’s vegetarian version includes carrots, celery, and zucchini. Eggs and matzah meal help bind these tasty fritters together. Read more aboutContinue reading “Ejjeh (Syrian Vegetable Fritters)”

Hanukkah, Jewish Cuisine, Sephardi-Mizrahi, Syrian Cooking, Vegetarian

Broccoli Soup with Pasta and Anchovy

When the Jews lived in the Roman ghetto, they weren’t allowed to buy large fish, so they made do with smaller ones like anchovies and sardines, explains Sara Pavoncello, a historian and tour guide who grew up right near the famed Jewish ghetto. Those ingredients continue to play a large role in Roman Jewish cuisine,Continue reading “Broccoli Soup with Pasta and Anchovy”

Jewish Cuisine, Jewish-Italian cuisine, Soup

Quick Doughnuts with Cherry Jam

A recipe by the food writer Vered Guttman for quick and easy yogurt donuts for Hanukkah, which she serves alongside homemade cherry jam.

Dessert, Hanukkah, Jewish Cuisine

Polish Pastilla

Former Cafe Europa chef (and competitor on the show “MKR My Kitchen Rules,” Yarden Shay recently joined us for our House Pot project, where guest chefs prepare a dish from their home at Cafe Asif. She made her signature pastilla — and shared the recipe. Pastilla is a festive pastry from Moroccan cuisine, made of phylloContinue reading “Polish Pastilla”

Chicken, House Pot, Jewish Cuisine, Moroccan Recipes, Rosh Hashana, Shabbat

Quick Iraqi T’bit (Chicken with Spiced Rice)

One of Israeli-American recipe writer Ruhama Shitrit’s first viral recipes was for t’bit, Iraqi stuffed chicken. A beloved Shabbat staple in Iraqi households, t’bit traditionally cooks overnight, low and slow stuffed with and over a bed of rice. It’s a time consuming dish, but Ruhama, in a feat of culinary genius, condensed the cooking timeContinue reading “Quick Iraqi T’bit (Chicken with Spiced Rice)”

Chicken, Iraqi cuisine, Jewish Cuisine, rice, Shabbat

Spicy Brain Stew

Beef or lamb brain cooked in a spicy red tomato sauce is a classic of Moroccan cuisine. With its bold color and rich flavor, this dish begs to be enjoyed with a piece of fresh challah, perfect for soaking up its spicy, flavorful juices. This recipe comes from Reut Ezer-Asaraf and Michal Waxman’s new cookbookContinue reading “Spicy Brain Stew”

Jewish Cuisine, Meat, Moroccan Recipes, Shabbat

Baghrir: Moroccan Pancakes

Although baghrir is simple to make, Moroccans treat it with great care, as if it carries the curse of the evil eye — too much attention during preparation can result in performance anxiety, preventing the signature bubbly texture from forming

Bread, Breakfast, Dessert, Jewish Cuisine, Moroccan Recipes, Shabbat

Tishpishti (Semolina Layer Cake)

The cake, which comes from Turkey and whose name translates to “quick cake,” was too sticky to move from one tray to another.

Baking, Cake, Dessert, Jewish Cuisine, Shavuot

Marble Bundt Cake

The oil in the batter lends a velvety smooth crumb to the cake. Plush and impressively marbled, this simple marble bundt cake is a hit the guests.

Cake, Dessert, Festive, Jewish Cuisine

Hungarian Walnut Kindl

Alta Blima Hartstein, Baily Kohn’s great-grandmother, would make kindl for big family gatherings and holidays like Simchat Torah and Purim.

Dessert, Festive, Hungarian cuisine, Jewish Cuisine, Rosh Hashana

Rafi Cohen’s Beef Ktzitzot

For nearly two decades chef Rafi Cohen ran the beloved restaurant Raphael in Tel Aviv. He helped pioneer elevating Israeli home cooking in restaurants and trained a generation of leading chefs. Below, he shares his recipe and tips for classic ktzitzot. It sounds very homey and simple; after all, every culture has its version ofContinue reading “Rafi Cohen’s Beef Ktzitzot “

Jewish Cuisine, Meat, Meatballs, Shabbat

Moroccan Tanzia with Chicken and Rice

This recipe is part of Asif’s Open Kitchen Project where cooks who were evacuated during the war are invited to a home in Tel Aviv to cook a dish that they miss from their own home. Would you like to participate in the project? Register here. Sarit Ben Simon, 48, who was evacuated from herContinue reading “Moroccan Tanzia with Chicken and Rice “

Jewish Cuisine, Meat, Moroccan Recipes, Open Kitchen, Passover

Chicken Pastilla Cigars

Etti Cohen traditionally prepares this Moroccan dish for special occasions when she’s home in Ofakim. Evacuated to Tel Aviv because of the war, she made it recently at Daniela Holtz’s home for our Open Kitchen initiative.

Baking, Jewish Cuisine, Moroccan Recipes, Open Kitchen, Rosh Hashana, Shabbat

Tamar Darmon tastes Tunisian Kaabur — Tunisian Kaabur. Photo by: Guy Ashkenazi

Ka’abur (Tunisian Potato Patties)

Tamar Darmon cooks a dish the she miss from home: ka’aburot, traditional Tunisian potato patties made with chicken, bread, and spices

Jewish Cuisine, Meat, Meatballs, Open Kitchen, Potato, Tunisian Cooking

ידיים מחזיקות צלחת ורניקי עם בצל מטוגן וקערת חזרת ליד — potato-filled vareniki. Photo by: Anatoly Michaello

Café Asif’s Vareniki

These potato-filled vareniki are inspired by the ones served at Hani’s Victory, which Hani Heinik opened as an homage to her parents’ place Victory Restaurant.

Jewish Cuisine, Vegetarian

עמוד מתוך הספר איך לבשל בפלסטין? — How to cook in Palestine? Photo by Doron Bobman

From the Kitchen with Love: The Books That Taught Us How to Cook

A journey through the milestone books that have shaped the Israeli kitchen throughout the years.

Jewish Cuisine

Dunce Pie (Egg and Cheese Casserole)

This recipe from Hilda for egg and cheese casserole was nicknamed “dunce pie” in the family for its simplicity (so simple that anyone can make it).

Baking, Jewish Cuisine, Shavuot, Vegetarian

Stuffed Artichokes

Friday meals at Sylvie’s home in Sderot feature a dizzying selection of dishes. stuffed vegetables are a favorite of her children. This time, she has chosen to make stuffed artichokes. “This is a dish I mainly prepare for Shabbat dinners or holidays,” she adds.

Jewish Cuisine, Open Kitchen, Passover, Shabbat

The Late Amit Mann’s Favorite Fasulia Stew | Photography: Dan Peretz, Styling: Nurit Kariv

Fasulia (White Beans & Beef Stew)

A Fasulia Stew that late Amit Mann most loved to eat. Rachel her mother tells about her daughter who was murdered on the October 7 and the dish she used to make for her every Thursday

A Place at the Table, Jewish Cuisine, Meat

Passover Wine Cookies

Before the holiday, Ben Harush scoured Asif’s library for a recipe that could help him recreate the memory of those wine cookies

Baking, Jewish Cuisine, Passover

Vegeretian Sabzi with Tahadig. Photo by: Itamar Ginzburg

Vegetarian Sabzi with Crispy Tahdig

Every Friday evening at her house, Malka serves Persian sabzi with meat and tahdig.

Jewish Cuisine, Open Kitchen, Persian Cooking, rice, Vegetarian

In Search of Lost Poppy Seeds

From Medieval Jewish communities to moshav Beer Tuvia of the 1960s, journalist Asaf Abir retraces the route of poppy seeds — and their relation to Purim.

Jewish Cuisine, Shavuot

Poppy Seed Cake

This delicacy, often served during holidays and special occasions, is renowned for its rich flavors and indulgent texture

Baking, Cake, Dessert, Jewish Cuisine, Shavuot

Teiglach

A dessert made of small knots of dough boiled in honey, teiglach is often served on Rosh Hashanah as a nod to a sweet new year

Dessert, Jewish Cuisine, Rosh Hashana, Shavuot

Snappy Poppy Seed Cookies

This dough is made with oil and can be rolled out as soon as it comes together. Serve these cookies with tea.

Baking, Dessert, Jewish Cuisine, Shavuot

Mkhamar (Moroccan Potato Pie)

Miri Ben Siomon who was evacuated from Kiryat Shmona, cooks for her family a Moroccan dish called mkhamar, a savory potato and egg pie

Jewish Cuisine, Moroccan Recipes, Open Kitchen, Pashtida, Vegetarian

blintzes image- Photographer: Armando Rafael. Food Stylist: Victoria Granof

Fried Potato Blintzes

Ashkenazi blintzes stuffed with pillowy potatoes

Hanukkah, Jewish Cuisine

Frittole Dolci – Italian Cinnamon and Raisin Doughnuts

Italian fritters called frittole, usually served during Hanukkah

Hanukkah, Jewish Cuisine

סופגניות במילוי ריבה — Sufganiyot. photographer: Armando Rafael. Food Stylist: Mariana Velasquez

Sufganiyot (Filled Hanukkah Doughnuts)

Sivan tried air-frying and baking the doughnuts, but nothing compares to frying, she says

Hanukkah, Jewish Cuisine

Rifat (Moroccan Tea Biscuits)

Traditional Moroccan tea cookies with anise. They are so good and really nice to break the fast

cookies, Jewish Cuisine, Moroccan Recipes, Yom Kippur

Harira soup in white bowl on floral tablecloth — Moroccan Lentil and Chickpea Soup | Photographer: Matan Choufan

Harira (Moroccan Lentil and Chickpea Soup)

A recipe for Moroccan chickpea and lentil soup to break the fast. In this version with chicken and herbs that give it a deeper flavor

Chicken, Jewish Cuisine, Moroccan Recipes, Soup, Yom Kippur

Saffron Roast Chicken

This Persian chicken will beamed with pride in front of your guests

Chicken, Jewish Cuisine, Persian Cooking, Rosh Hashana

Oshi Bakhsh (Bukharian Rice With Lamb and Herbs)

Festive rice, rich in herbs, lamb and pomegranates ready for the holiday table

Bukharian Cuisine, Jewish Cuisine, rice, Rosh Hashana

Fesenjan (Persian Chicken With Walnuts and Pomegranate Preserves)

Chef Einat Adomani’s pomegranate preserves gives the deep flavor and the beautiful color to this festive chicken

Chicken, Jewish Cuisine, Persian Cooking, Rosh Hashana

Classic Apple Cake

The holiday season is exactly the time to pull out the recipe for this classic and wonderful cake that fills the house with the smell of apples and cinnamon

Apple, Cake, Dessert, Jewish Cuisine, Rosh Hashana

Vegetable tanzia in blue staub dish — Moroccan vegetable tanzia | Photographer: Penny De Los Santos

Vegetable Tanzia (Roast Root Vegetables With Dried Fruit and Nuts)

Roasted vegetables, caramelized onions, and dried fruits are topped with roasted almonds, which add a welcome crunch

Jewish Cuisine, Rosh Hashana, Side Dishes, Vegan, Vegetables

Ethiopian stew called doro wat on top of injera — Photographer: Penny De Los Santos. Food Stylist: Judy Haubert.

Traditional Doro Wat (Ethiopian Shabbat Chicken Stew)

In this Ethiopian Shabbat classic, chicken and eggs are coated with a rich tomato sauce spiced with ginger and berbere

Chicken, Ethiopian Cooking, Hamin, House Pot, Jewish Cuisine, Shabbat

Lamb shoulder with potatoes on green plate — Photo by Penny De Los Santos

Roasted Lamb Shoulder with Potatoes

This roasted lamb shoulder comes from Rome, and is wonderful on its own or served as part of a complete Roman Seder menu.

Jewish Cuisine, Meat, Passover

Kreplach (Jewish dumplings) soup with clear broth, carrots and zucchini — Photo by Tal SIvan Ziporin

Chicken Soup With Kreplach

Hagit Bilia, who is more known as Liza Panelim, shares her aunt’s recipe for chicken soup with kreplach.

Chicken, Jewish Cuisine, Soup, Winter

Zom soup in white bowl with dot of harissa on top

Zom (Yemenite Yogurt Soup)

This Yemenite yogurt soup comes together quickly, making it an ideal recipe for a quick weeknight meal or to break the Yom Kippur fast.

Jewish Cuisine, Soup, Vegetarian, Winter, Yemeni cooking, Yom Kippur

Persian meatballs made with rice in large dutch oven with chunks of carrots, onions, and prunes

Shifteh Berenji (Persian Soup with Prune-Stuffed Meatballs)

Chef Ayala Hodak’s recipes for shifteh berenji, a meatball-laden soup, brings together Persian limes, bunches of fresh herbs, and prunes.

Jewish Cuisine, Meat, Persian Cooking, Rosh Hashana, Soup, Winter, Yom Kippur

Honey Cake

This honey cake from New York baker Zoe Kanan is best made a few days before the holiday. The extra time allows the flavors to come together.

Baking, Dessert, Jewish Cuisine, Rosh Hashana, Vegetarian

Onion Mahshi (Onions Stuffed With Beef and Rice)

Stuffing onion sleeves requires practice and patience but the reward is well worth it. This recipe comes from a Lebanese Jewish family.

Jewish Cuisine, Meat, Rosh Hashana, Winter

Zucchini stuffed with meat and rice on red oval plate

Zucchini Mahshi (Zucchini Stuffed With Beef and Rice)

In this recipe, small zucchini are stuffed with beef and arborio rice and then cooked in a tangy lemon and pomegranate sauce.

Jewish Cuisine, Meat

Plum Tart

This plum tart recipe from award-winning cookbook author Joan Nathan makes the most of the short period when Italian plums are in season.

Baking, Dessert, Jewish Cuisine, Rosh Hashana, Vegetarian

Ingriye (Eggplant With Tomatoes and Beef)

This layered dish of roasted eggplant, tomato, and beef comes from a Iraqi-Jewish cook Annabel Rabiya.

Jewish Cuisine, Rosh Hashana, Vegetarian, Winter

Apple and challah bread pudding in oval baking dish

Apple and Date Challah Bread Pudding

This bread pudding from chef Einat Admony brings together two classic Rosh Hashanah flavors, apples and dates, in one dessert.

Baking, Bread, Dessert, Jewish Cuisine, Rosh Hashana, Vegetarian, Winter

Kurdish stuffed hand pies are served on a white ceramic platter next to bowls of olives and yogurt sauce — Photography by Armando Rafael and food styling by Judy Haubert

Kurdish Kadeh and Zijik

Alon Hadar’s recipe for a stuffed bread filled with cheese that honors the tradition of eating dairy-laden dishes on Shavuot. The kadeh “was the queen on the table,” says Alon, served alongside a rich yogurt sauce called zijik that’s made with fresh purslane. This recipe, which adds spinach to the filling, is Alon’s riff on the kadeh his grandmother made.

Jewish Cuisine, Shavuot, Vegetarian