The Dark Side of Labeling: Read Before You Shop!

This bottle was part of a gorgeous Mishloach Manot/birthday present basket I received from my daughter Bella. Reading the ingredient list created an uproar among my guests. Intrigued, I looked online for the price, which created some more consternation….I am hoping this image and the blurb that came with it  tell the whole story. The [...]

If I had a Hammer…. I Would Eat my Veggies More Often!

  In answer to the very frequent question: “how did you get the idea to use a hammer in the kitchen?” You may find the use of a hammer in the kitchen somewhat odd and unbecoming, but you will quickly change your mind when you see how many thankless tasks it performs in a jiffy. [...]

My Mother: Learning to Cook, the Sephardi Way

I am always asked whether I have received formal cooking training, and the answer – I learned mostly from my mother – at first seems somewhat ambiguous, until I introduce her in earnest: My mother, known as Maman to the whole family and even to all our friends, is the ultimate artisan, and the original [...]

Levana Cooks with Osem’s Matzah Products

I have always chuckled at the old joke that in Israel, every child’s first words are “Ima, Abba, Bamba”. Bamba is a peanut-butter snack manufactured by Osem that children in Israel and beyond seem to be connected to almost surgically: Can’t leave home without it! Osem is the oldest and largest exporting Kosher grocery food [...]

LEVANA COOKS WITH OSEM’S MATZAH PRODUCTS: CHOCOLATE BEET COCONUT CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE ICING RECIPE

  It is unfortunate that in America, beets invariably conjure up loaded remarks about, uhmmm, never mind . . . I am always looking for ways to sneak them in, as in this cake, where they do their magic even while they totally escape detection: The result is this dense, moist, and deliciously funky cake. [...]

LEVANA COOKS WITH OSEM MATZAH PRODUCTS: FARFEL WITH ONIONS AND MUSHROOMS RECIPE

  Farfel is nothing more than matzah cut up small and calibrated for quick cooking. I use the Osem whole wheat version, with wonderful results. You will love the robustness of the whole-grain flavor. No need to wait for Passover to make this treat! Oh I know it doesn’t exactly look pristine, but it is [...]

LEVANA COOKS WITH OSEM MATZAH PRODUCTS: APPLE RAISIN FARFEL RECIPE

  This delicious and super-nutritious dish is sure to be equally at home as a side dish and as a breakfast or even dessert! Kind of a new-age Matzah Brei but without the eggs. I created it years ago for my then-small daughter Bella, a cereal eater who at first asked “but Mommy, Cheerios don’t [...]

LEVANA COOKS WITH OSEM MATZAH PRODUCTS: PECAN BROWNIE RECIPE

The Passover version of this timeless classic is virtually identical to the year-round one: Osem Matzah cake meal is that good! Secret of delicious brownies, beside of course delicious chocolate: Do not be tempted to bake a minute more or they will harden. Ingredients: 8 ounces best-quality dark chocolate, chopped, or 2 cups best-quality semisweet [...]

Kitchen Talk With Chef Lévana Kirschenbaum

Great story about my demos by Elizabeth Alpern in the Jew and the Carrot “If I catch one of you putting garlic powder in your soup…oy va voy…I’ll sue you”. On a recent Monday evening, Moroccan born Chef Lévana Kirschenbaum welcomed guests to her Upper West Side home for a cooking class on Moroccan street [...]

Herb Diced Root Vegetables Recipe

  You can roast virtually any vegetable, just as long as you combine your veggies by comparable roasting time. For example, roast mushrooms, asparagus, eggplant, zucchini, shallots, peppers, endives, fennel etc… together (they will be ready in just a few minutes), and roast the selection below together (they will take a little longer) Roots are [...]