The Big Schmear Podcast

Talking about kitchen safety isn’t the sexiest of topics but I thought it would be a great review for all of us as we embark on holiday cooking – whatever that’s going to look like this year. I always have fun chatting with Chef Laura who knows her way around the kitchen– so I thought it would be a good way to talk about the subject without getting too bogged down on boring details. Hope you find our conversation fun and helpful.

As always, wishing you Happy Eating!

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This episode is all about Shabbat. OneTable is an amazing organization that provides resources for everything it takes to prepare your meal. Their website includes so much valuable information; recipes, ideas for meal themes, cool ways to present your meal and everything in between. And there are videos too – and new programs being developed as I write this post. OneTable is here to help us all navigate Jewish food and the meaning it can bring to each of us during this stressful time. To find out more about OneTable go to: onetable.org.

Happy Eating!

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We are in the midst of fall and Jewish holidays; my favorite time of year. I loved having a conversation with Whitney Fisch – she’s all about Jewish food and family. Whitney has a great instagram account that you can follow, it always has lots of wonderful photos of her family and of course, lots of food pics. We talked about the holidays coming up and those just passed. She even provided me with a cheesy dinner recipe to share with all of you, called Skillet Pasta. Perfect for serving in the sukkah or anytime this fall. Total comfort food! You can find it on my site.

Wishing all of you a healthy and happy beginning to the New Year. And most of all, Happy Eating!

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I love learning about bees. I think bees are amazing and I find their life’s work nothing short of fascinating. With Rosh Hashanah coming up I finally had the perfect reason to get int touch with bee keeper, Ted Dennard from Savannah Bee Company. I had so much fun talking with Ted. He was so generous to share his bee expertise and so enthusiastic about every aspect of bees and honey that we touched on in our conversation. I hope you’ll have a chance to try some honey from Savannah Bee Company. Please do check out their website: https://savannahbee.com/rosh-hashanah/. I don’t have to tell you that honey goes well with challah, apples AND your favorite cup of tea. You might say we are going a bit overboard to experience a sweet New Year at my house this year. We decided to have a honey tasting and serve honey cake, baked and decorated by my daughter, Sara Robinson, at our Rosh Hashanah dinner.  Bee sure to check out Sara’s honey cake on instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/p/CEPFL4-nx0_/. 

Happy New Year!

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It was a treat to spend time with cookbook author Leah Koenig to talk about Rosh Hashanah meals and prep for this very different Rosh Hashana. Leah will even share a great roast chicken recipe with us. You can find out more about Leah @leahkoenig and Leahkoenig.com. Wishing all of you a very Healthy and Happy New Year. 

Happy Eating!

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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.

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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.

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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:    

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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. 

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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. 

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