


Confit Goose Legs - French Southwest Classic, Two Ways
Confit goose legs are a specialty of southwestern France (PĆ©rigord), less common than the duck version. Goose has a more refined, delicate flavor than duck, and we love it here. I’m giving you two ways to cook them, one on the stovetop and the other in the oven, so you can choose! You can enjoy them just as they are, with meltingly tender meat under crispy skin. You can also use them to make other dishes, see the recipe ideas below.

No-Bake Cheesecake - the Israeli Fridge Cheesecake for Shavuot
With Shavuot just around the corner, here is another easy cheesecake, the no-bake cheesecake. It has a crumbly cookie base topped with a very fresh, egg-free cream cheese filling, and is a variation on the traditional Ashkenazi cheesecake which is usually baked in the oven. You find this cake everywhere in Israel; here is the recipe to make it at home.

Polish Cheesecake (KƤsekuchen) - Micheline's Light Ashkenazi Recipe
This cheesecake (KƤsekuchen), a classic of Ashkenazi (Eastern European) Jewish cooking, is pure sweetness and nostalgia. It’s the kind of cake you find in grandmothers’ recipe notebooks, in this case, Micheline’s. It rises tall, with an airy texture thanks to the whipped egg whites.

Savory Cheese and Herb Babka
Have you heard of babka? Some people also call it Krantz cake. It’s the famous Ashkenazi twisted brioche that has taken Israel, and pretty much the whole world, by storm. After its success in previous years, I’m bringing back this twist on babka in a savory version.

Latkes - Crispy Potato Pancakes
Latkes, the sweet name given to this Ashkenazi specialty of potato pancakes. Traditionally made for Hanukkah, they’re perfect alongside meat or fish, but some people eat them with applesauce, sour cream or simply sprinkled with sugar.

Herring and Potato Salad (Hareng Pomme Ć l'Huile) - French Bistro Classic
Herring and potato salad, or hareng pomme Ć l’huile, is another French bistro classic that everyone loves. It’s very simple to make and, as is so often the case, its success depends mostly on the quality of the ingredients: good potatoes and good herring.

Krupnik - Polish Pearl Barley Soup
Here’s a rustic, traditional soup that’s part of our winter menus and also of our Tu BiShvat menu, when it’s customary to eat barley. Pearl barley soup, Krupnik, is a Polish Ashkenazi specialty that warms both body and heart. It’s a lovely way to cook pearl barley, if you have some sitting in your pantry without knowing what to do with it. You can make it with or without meat; both options are given in the recipe.

Stuffed Cabbage Rolls - Ashkenazi Gefilte Kroyt
Stuffed cabbage is a charming, old-fashioned dish, one of those comforting family meals. I discovered it in Israel, where it is firmly rooted in home cooking, a recipe inherited from the Ashkenazi tradition. It has plenty of cousins, since stuffed vegetables of every kind are part of the Jewish culinary tradition.

Matzo Ball Soup (Kneidlach) - Homemade Golden Chicken Broth
Matzo ball soup, or kneidlach in Yiddish, is a great classic of Ashkenazi Jewish cooking. If you’re new to it, these are dumplings made from matzo meal, served in a lovely golden chicken broth. Simple to make and delicious, it’s a beautiful recipe to introduce you to Ashkenazi cooking and a magic remedy when you catch a cold.

Homemade Bagels - New York Style Bagels
Today I’m sharing a recipe for delicious homemade bagels that are easy to make. Bagels have become hugely popular over the past few years, from street food chains all the way to restaurants that have added them to their menus. Yet bagels are nothing new: they were brought to the United States by Ashkenazi Jews who made them back home, especially in Poland. What sets them apart is their ring shape and the fact that they are boiled before being baked, which gives them that texture unlike any other bread.

Sweet Potato Latkes - Crispy, Sweet-and-Savory Hanukkah Fritters
A new take on the traditional potato latkes we eat at Hanukkah: these sweet potato latkes are the perfect mix of sweet and savory, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. They are ideal for holiday meals, especially during Sukkot or Hanukkah.

Smoked Fish Platter (Assiette Nordique) - Scandinavian-Style Cold Plate
Served as a cold starter or as a more generous main, the assiette nordique (Nordic platter) is an elegant dish of smoked fish and salad, served with blinis or toast. Here is my suggestion for the one I like to make; you can adapt it to your taste and to whatever you have in the fridge.
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