No Matter the Recipe, Pashtida Always Has a Story to Tell
For Shavuot, we asked five chefs and food writers to share a family or personal recipe for pashtida and the story behind it.
Baking
Bocca di Dama (Flourless Almond Cake)
For a long time, Benedetta Jasmine Guetta debated the origins of bocca di dama, a delicate almond cake her Libyan grandmother made. Was it Italian or Libyan?
Passover Chocolate Fudge Muffins with Black Coffee and Cardamom
For this recipe, chef Ohad Levi likes to use black coffee crushed with cardamom in a traditional mortar and pestle from Wadi Attir.
Smoked Dates Roll
In this riff on the classic date roulade from Asif’s culinary director Chef Ayelet Latovitch, Barhi dates are smoked with herbs.
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.
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.
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.
Walnut and Raisin Rugelach
Dave Dreifus never got the chance to visit the Pastry Shop owned by his grandparents, but those rugelach are inspired by the ones sold there.
Rugelach With Meringue and Walnut Filling
This 100 years old recipe is made of yeasted dough filled with meringue and walnuts, “it comes out so light it just melts in your mouth”
The Eternal Flame of Ancient Bakers and Their Taboons
Building and baking in a traditional mud and straw taboon is an ancient, nearly extinct skill. A visit to the Palestinian village of Susya reveals its construction process and the surprising reasons for the unique flavor of the flatbreads baked in it.
Rugelach Are Just as Important as Croissants — And Other Thoughts From Asif’s Baking Panel
Asif Culinary Director Ayelet Latovitch moderated a discussion about baking with Eric Kayser of Maison Kayser, acclaimed chef and baker Erez Komarovsky, and pastry chef Adi Kihan of Milk Bakery in Jaffa. Check out their conversation.
Baking Heritage
Asif asked local Israeli and Palestinian bakers to recreate historic breads using heritage flours as part of our new installation “City. Wheat. Bread.” Writer Muzna Bishara asked them what it was like to work with heirloom grains.
A Baker’s Identity Crisis
Israeli baker Hagay Ben Yehuda traveled to France to learn how to make what he thought was ‘classic’ bread, only to realize what he was looking for was back home. A journey into the fields helped him find his voice.
Grains and Bread in the Land of Israel in the 17th Century
Imagine you lived in Eretz Yisrael about 400 years ago and you wanted to bake yourself a fragrant loaf of bread: Where would you get the flour? How much would it cost? How big would the Ottoman tax authorities’ bite be? And what would the loaf look like?
Samuni (Rolls)
In 17th-century Egypt, this bread was known as “samuli.” Inspired by historic records, baker Safa Boshnak created this modern recipe for rolls.
Aljerk (Bread Stuffed With Dates and Spices)
This circular bread takes its name from the Arabic word for a ring. The dough is enriched with eggs and stuffed with dates and spices.
Sesame Ka’ak (Ka’ak bi-Simsim)
This is not the round ka’ak (bagel) that is known today as a “Jerusalem ka’ak,” but rather a smaller pastry that’s more akin to a cookie.
Kmaj (Pita)
Kmaj, a flatbread with a pocket, was sold on the streets of Jerusalem in the 17th century. Today, the recipe is far easier to make at home than back then.
Ethiopian Honey Tart (Mare)
Inspired by a visit to his father’s village, chef and artist Elazar Tamano created this recipe for an Ethiopian honey tart.
Bourekas With Potato and Cheese Filling
Ziona Cohen’s recipe for bourekas stuffed with feta, rich yogurt, and potatoes for Shabbat.
Handrajo (Eggplant, Onion, and Tomato Pastry)
The pastry is a welcome addition to weekend brunch spreads and Shavuot tables alike.
Cheese Sambusak
These savory pastries are part of an elaborate Iraqi Purim spread. Pair them with tea and date-filled cookies called b’ab’e b’tamer.
Yeasted Hamantaschen With Poppy Seed Filling
This Purim recipe for yeasted hamantaschen filled with poppy seed paste was nearly lost to the Soviet era.
Hamantaschen With Date Filling
These golden and flaky hamantaschen from New York’s Orient Country Store are filled with a homemade date jam that’s infused with vanilla.
Za’atar Flatbread (Fatayer Fellahi)
Unlike the popular stuffed spinach fatayer, this pastry resembles layers of puff pastry separated with olive oil, hyssop leaves, and onions.
Sambousek (Arabic Samosas)
Almost every culture has its take on the filled dough dish, this is the Palestinian one. From Sami Tamimi and Tara Wigley’s Falastin: A cookbook.
Za’atar Manakish With Roasted Figs
Muzna’s contemporary take on the farmers’ summertime snack is topped with figs, cheese and watercress leaves for a refreshing crunch.
Ma’amoul, Date-Filled Cookies
During the Muslim holiday called Eid al-Adha is it custom to serve meat, but Ma’amul cookies are also a typical holiday food.
Michal’s Poppyseed Cake
This cake is exceptionally moist courtesy of the apples in the batter and an orange syrup that’s drizzled on top.
Sponge Cake (Zucker-Leikach)
Zucker-Leikach is a light sponge cake, traditionally leavened with beaten egg whites. Despite its simplicity, it requires skill to perfect.
Olive Oil & Za’atar Rolls
These spelt and olive oil rolls from chef Erez Komarovsky are inspired by pampushki, Ukrainian milk and butter rolls commonly served with borscht. When they’re still hot from the oven he brushes them with fresh hyssop and olive oil instead of the traditional sunflower oil and dill. Ingredients 2.2 lb / 1 kg white speltContinue reading “Olive Oil & Za’atar Rolls”