This is the Forward’s coverage of Jewish food, which draws influence from Israeli, Middle Eastern, Ashkenazi, Sephardic, Mizrahi, and Palestinian traditions, among others.
Food
The Latest
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Books The Apotheosis of Treyf
Although indisputably treyf, ham is sometimes addressed humorously, as in spoofs from the satirical “Onion” or “A Jew Touches Ham,” a new micro-short film by Jewish comedian Aaron Glaser. Then there is “faux ham” proffered by PETA or an ostensibly kosher “Christmas Ham-flavored soda” manufactured in Seattle a few seasons back. Decades ago, scientists unsuccessfully…
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The Schmooze Food Programs Define Israeli Cuisine
If you think Israeli food comprises just hummus, falafel and shawarma you have a lot to learn (and taste). Modern Israeli cuisine is hip, fresh, local and heavily influenced by the loads of immigrants living there. For your convenience, we’ve found two food programs, both happening this week, sure to bring you and your taste…
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Food Deconstructing Matzo
In a tradition in which food choices can be as divisive as they are unifying, matzo stands as Judaism’s strongest culinary bond. Kosher keepers and hardcore vegans alike eat matzo; so do Jews from Spain, South Africa and Miami Beach. And while the strictly cultural and staunchly religious Jews share few opinions on theology or…
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The Schmooze Eat Kike’s Treyf (pron. "Keekay")
There’s something about street food and the word “kike.” On November 19, 2009 I blogged about San Francisco’s “Kike on a Bike” and now, not to be outdone, Los Angeles has offered us “Kike’s Tacos.” Though often an antisemitic slur KUOR assures us that, in this case, Kike is pronounced “Keekay” and is a regular…
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Life Carrots (for Israel’s Cabinet) and a Sticks (for the Rest of the Country)
So they say that an army marches on its stomach. Is the success of the Israeli cabinet also based on its nourishment? There are clear similarities between feeding an army and feeding the Israeli cabinet, most obviously the sheer quantity of food required. In Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s panic to pull together a coalition, he…
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News Deconstructing Chocolate Gelt
While potato latkes, with their glamorous sheen of oil and salt-kissed crunch, may be the star of Hanukkah cuisine, it is hard to imagine celebrating The Festival of Lights without chocolate gelt. Mesh pouches of the glinting, foil-wrapped discs have become a central part of grocery store holiday displays and a mandatory nibble at Hanukkah…
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Life ‘Thin Mints, the Rabbi Said, Are His Favorite Girl Scout Cookie’
News flash: The kosher-certification symbol was inadvertently omitted from boxes for Thin Mints Girl Scout cookies, leading to at least a little bit of confusion. This morsel of news comes to my attention not via Kosher Today, but rather from this Sunday’s New York Times, which devoted a whole news article to the tasty tidbit….
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Life Lebanon to Israel: Hands Off Our Falafel Balls
From DPA via Ha’aretz’s Web site: The president of the Lebanese Industrialists Association Fadi Abboud, said he is preparing to file an international lawsuit against Israel for allegedly “taking the identity of some Lebanese foods” and thus violating a food copyright. “In a way the Jewish state is trying to claim ownership of traditional Lebanese…
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