Guest: Lara Rabinovitch

It turns out August is National Deli month so …find your favorite local deli and treat yourself to a bagel and SCHMEAR while supporting a very important cultural institution.  No deli nearby? Many delis now ship overnight to just about anywhere in the country.  If all else fails you can make yourself a kugel to enjoy with a cup of tea. My guest for this episode is Dr. Lara Rabinovitch. You’ll learn lots about the history of Jewish delis in North American because we focus our conversation on the food and the cultural impact of Jewish delis.  And last but not least, it turns out that some of the most celebrated delis in North America are located outside of New York City so be sure to check out delis in Montreal, Canada, Ann Arbor, Michigan and even Houston, Texas!  Yum.

Guest: Lisa Colton, Co-Executive Producer

                The Great Big Jewish Food Fest

It’s March, the start of the pandemic in the U.S. with lock-downs in most all major cities.  Food and preparing meals for yourself, your family and those in your bubble become a monumental activity. You are nurturing your body and your soul. What could be better? Here’s an idea – you could join with Jews from all over the world to cook together and talk about Jewish food! A small team of people lead by Lisa Colton and  her good friend and Co-Executive Producer Jeffrey Yoskowitz put together an amazing on-line event in record time. Even if you were unable to attend when it was live, you can learn about it here and then check out the content for yourself.

Guest: Cheryl Rich Heisler

What better way to spend an interview than talking about cocktails? It was total fun talking with Cheryl about her path to becoming a mixologist and starting her company called Mixed metaPours. It turns out you can have your own personalized cocktail developed – now that sounds like a fun summer activity! All that said, Cheryl is pretty serious about her life as a mixologist and how she discovered her passion. You have to listen to our conversation to learn more of her story but in addition to becoming a mixologist  she also helps others find their passion too. A remarkable lady and one we’ll hear more from as time goes on. You can find more about Cheryl here:    

Guest: Boris Fishman

Novelist, Memoirist, and Hard-working Home Cook

Photo Credit: Stephanie Kaltsas

Boris Fishman is a wonderful writer providing a unique immigrant perspective to his work. My new favorite book by Boris is: Three Generations, Two Continents, and a Dinner Table SAVAGE FEAST, A Memoir with Recipes. Even from the prologue you are drawn into the book by the character profiles and of course, the food. He was so generous with his time for our interview that we talk about lots in addition to food. Our conversation moves from his early life in the USSR to his youth in NY with a lot of insight into his family and his grandfather’s home aid — the inspiration for Boris’s cooking life and for SAVAGE FEAST. I hope you enjoy listening in. BTW, the recipes in his book are mouthwatering for sure. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself in need of cooking up some Russian cuisine while reading this book. 

Guests: Alexandra DeSorbo-Quinn & Caitlin Arens

Alexandra DeSorbo-Quinn, Executive Director

Caitlin Arens, Food Education Support Manager

I had a great time talking with Alexandra and Caitlin of Pilot Light in Chicago. It’s an amazing food education organization founded by a team of chefs in Chicago. They share many food resources for families and teachers that we can use anytime but especially now. Please do check out their website and find out more at: pilotlightchefs.org. 

Guest: Graphic Artist & Writer Ben Katchor

Who knew there would be so much to say about the history of the dairy restaurant? Ben Katchor begins the story for us during biblical times in the Garden of Eden (the first restaurant) and takes us on an amazing world-wide ride through his new book, The Diary Restaurant.  Our conversation is the perfect way to dig into the holiday; so sit down with a pot of tea, some cheesecake and listen while Ben gives me insight into his book and the world of dairy. Chag Sameach to all.