Loaves of Torah: Exploring the Jewish Year through Challah

Loaves of Torah: Exploring the Jewish Year through Challah

Happy New Year!

I hope your New Year celebration was meaningful and joyous.

I’m looking forward to all the audio adventures we will be on together in 5785. I already have great guests on-board with stories to share that I know you’ll enjoy. This brings me to our first episode of this New Year. We’ll be talking about the road to the rabbinate for my guest, Rabbi Vanessa M. Harper, who found that her love of baking challah and studying Torah could bring new insight into her own Jewish experiences as a student and then as a rabbi. In our conversation she’ll give you a taste of what you can find in her book, entitled, ‘Loaves of Torah: Exploring the Jewish Year Through Challah’ and what you can experience for yourself while baking that most celebrated of all breads.

What better way to start the New Year. Happy Listening, Everyone.

Exploring Israeli Cinema

Exploring Israeli Cinema

The Big Schmear is back and I’m happy to have you all here!

I’ve had some time to think about the relevance of The Big Schmear while on a break and it’s pretty clear to me that Jewish food continues to be a great connector for us all. And I plan to continue conversations about Jewish food, but, at the same time I couldn’t help but wonder, why limit how we define Jewish culture? Why not expand our experience and explore additional topics like Jewish music, Jewish literature, Jewish dance, and everything in between?

So with that in mind, I invite you to list to our first Big Schmear 2.0 episode. I’m in conversation with good friend and colleague Cindy Stern, the Executive Director of the Chicago Israeli Film Festival. I will be talking with her about her festival, specifically touching on Israeli film & TV. Cindy will give us a taste of what goes into festival planning and how she finds those amazing films! Who’s ready for some popcorn?

Yidstock 2022

Yidstock 2022

I’m on the campus of Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts. Through my conversation with Lisa Newman and Seth Rogovoy you’ll learn about the Yiddish Book Center and Yidstock, The Festival of New Yiddish Music. I hope you enjoy this taste of Yiddish culture and contemplate a trip to The Book Center. It’s a beauitiful spot anytime of year but it’s spectacular in the fall!

The Everything Spice for Everyone

The Everything Spice for Everyone

Guest: Chef Laura Frankel

Need to spice up  your meals? Here’s an easy fix that can be used as your new basic ‘everything spice’ to change up, well everything: fish, chicken, french toast…it’s limitless and so easy. And we have some recipes to share too.

Let’s close out 2020 in the best way possible by continuing to share meals and the experience of cooking together in as many ways that we can – in person and via the internet. What matters is staying close.

Thank you for listening. Happy Eating and Best Wishes for a healthy and fun filled 2021

 

 

No Guilt Gelt – Just in Time for Hanukkah

No Guilt Gelt – Just in Time for Hanukkah

Guest: Cheryl Rich Heisler

If you are in the mood for fun this Hanukkah then you have to give this episode a listen. Helpful note: you may want to have your own cocktail at the ready. I’ve invited back mixologist Cheryl Rich Heisler to talk about cocktail ideas for Hanukkah and she did not disappoint! We’ve got lots of ideas for you from the ‘so simple’  to getting out your shaker for a bit of chocolate and whipped cream to touch off that special drink.

I wish  you all a very Happy Hanukkah and may you have all the fried foods  you desire.

Happy Eating!

 

 

Jews & Thanksgiving

Jews & Thanksgiving

Guest: Dr. Beth S. Wenger

I decided to push the envelope a bit on this Thanksgiving holiday episode. I knew everyone would be stressed with holiday plans, menus and figuring out ways to celebrate the holiday despite all the compromises to put in place to be safe. I assumed the last thing you needed were more recipes to think about so…why not think about how Jewish America is connected to this holiday. I invited Professor Beth S. Wenger, an expert in the field of Jewish American history to talk with me about just that. I hope  you find our conversation interesting.

I wish you all a very happy Thanksgiving.

Happy Eating!