Rob Eshman is a senior columnist for the Forward. For his food writing and recipes subscribe to his Foodaism newsletter.
Rob EshmanSenior Columnist
By Rob Eshman
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Opinion What can we do to help the Israeli-Palestinian conflict? Stay out of it
On Sunday night a new front opened up in the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict: John Oliver’s mouth. The comedian, whose commentary segments on his “Last Week Tonight” HBO series often out-report reporters, this time slammed Israel in its week-long battle against Hamas, the Islamic militant group that controls Gaza. “Multiple children have been killed this week…
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News The single most important statistic from the Pew Survey is about…food
In the latest comprehensive study of American Jews, there’s a single deep truth that’s hidden in plain sight, like matzah in a matzah ball. And yes, it is about food. The Pew Research Center’s report, “Jewish Americans in 2020,” asked respondents what “Jewish practices and activities” they engage in, and for people worried about the…
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Food You know what your seder plate needs this year? Uyghur salad.
What makes Passover different from all other holidays? On other holidays, we pray, then eat a festive meal. On Passover, the festive meal is the celebration, food itself is the prayer. We eat matzah to recall our enslavement and liberation, bitter herbs to recount our sorrow and haroset our hardship. We taste slavery and freedom,…
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Food Everyone needs a go-to matzah ball soup recipe
You really just need one, dependable matzah ball soup recipe in your life, and this is it. Tried, true, trusty — and really, really good. Is the broth golden-hued and clear, but rich in chicken-y flavor? Check. Can you taste the fresh carrots, celery and onion? Check. Does spring, in the form of fresh bright…
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Food Meyer lemon curd hamentaschen is the last best Purim recipe of 2021
This recipe is not just about coming up with a hamentaschen that is actually, you know, good. It’s about my nostalgia for the lemon hand pies I used to buy at the supermarket as a kid. They were junky, sugary calzones, shelf-stable, filled with a too-sweet lemon custard, and I loved them. Either they disappeared…
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News Amanda Gorman’s former mentor knows what drives her
A lot of us shed tears when Amanda Gorman recited her poem “The Hill We Climb” at the inauguration of President Joe Biden. Dinah Berland didn’t just cry, she screamed. “Oh my goodness, I was just thrilled,” Berland, a Jewish poet and author who has been a mentor to the young poet laureate. “I knew…
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Food Use every part of the chicken soup with schmaltz-roasted potatoes
We all have to do our part to end America’s food waste addiction, right? Some 40% of food grown and prepared in this country gets tossed. Putting aside our growing problem with hunger and food insecurity, that food waste means the water, land, energy and labor that went into producing it all does to waste…
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Food Hot beet borscht, or cold
The day American democracy withstood an attack on the seat of its government, Jan. 6, 2020, I decided to make a festive meal — after all Jews have created whole holidays over much less. But what food goes with this celebration? Beet borscht, I decided. It’s comforting, fast (so we can get back to guarding…
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