Mr. Alvin Lee Smalls first learned about rugelach in a newspaper article in the 1960s while he was working as an onion peeler in a New York City hospital kitchen. He was intrigued, having never heard of the Jewish treat, and began experimenting with the recipe. Some 40 years later, Alvin—who is affectionately known in his Harlem neighborhood as Lee Lee—sells what we think may just be the perfect rugelach. His bakery, Lee Lee’s Baked Goods, is located at 283 West 118th Street in New York.

Episode 0176

March 2, 2018

Yiddish Book Center

Amherst, MA