Peggy Wolff

A Passover Seder in New York on April 23, 2016. The Seder typically brings family and friends together on the eve of Passover, but in 2020 some downsizing and spacing between guests may be necessary.

Commentary: A Zoom Seder? We’re adjusting, and there are options for Passover

April 7, 2020 at 2:29 p.m.

Today I should be pulling out the Seder plates, the afikoman bag, the best dishes, the silver goblet for the prophet Elijah's wine and 12 Haggadahs. This is the written...

Brownies made with green banana flour are studded with cacao nibs for more chocolate flavor and for texture.

Passover sweets: Brownies and cookies from alternative flours provide comfort during these tough times

March 12, 2024 at 12:10 p.m.

At sundown April 8, Jewish families will celebrate the first night of Passover by retelling the story of the exodus from serfdom, the promise of redemption and the decades of...

Tired of gefilte fish? Grill a whole fish for Passover, enhanced with lemon grass and garlic

March 23, 2020 at 5:14 p.m.

Passover can be a holiday of enormous angst when so much gravitas has been lavished upon gathering recipes, scouring pots, dragging chairs upstairs and, for many, extensive cleaning. Think operation...

Switch up your Hanukkah menu with this olive oil cake.

Return to the essence of Hanukkah with olive-oil based recipes

March 12, 2024 at 12:12 p.m.

Hanukkah, which begins Sunday evening, is an eight-day holiday commemorating the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem after the small army of Maccabees defeated the Syrian-Greek enemy. As one tale...

The whole fish (we used snapper) is served with an herb sauce of garlic, parsley, lemon, orange and nuts. The lemon grass and garlic coating crisps on the grill.

Tired of gefilte fish? Grill a whole fish for Passover, enhanced with lemon grass and garlic

May 31, 2019 at 9:02 p.m.

Shoestring latkes, left, feature smoked salmon with creme fraiche and fresh chives. A watercress sauce, second from right, completes the dish. Root vegetable latkes, second from left, feature four vegetables, plus a fifth in the applesauce and beet topping, far right.

How to build a Hanukkah latke bar

November 19, 2020 at 5:51 p.m.

On Hanukkah, beginning at sundown Dec. 2, when the potato latke moves to center stage, wouldn't it be fun to have a parade of different ones, each with enough character...

Ma'amoul, center, are date-filled cookies from Middle Eastern communities. Duvshanyot, around the edge of the plate, are made with honey, chocolate and spices, and come from Israel, probably via Jews who arrived in the 1930s.

Savoring Old World cookies rich with nuts and dates for Rosh Hashana

May 31, 2019 at 9:03 p.m.

For most of my life I have courted a reputation as an excellent baker. Now, with Rosh Hashanah a few days away (the holiday begins at sundown Sept. 9), I...

Almond paste confections, like these pistachio-studded marzipan candies, are served at Mimouna to celebrate the end of Passover.

Mimouna, a Sephardic custom, closes Passover holiday with celebratory dishes

March 12, 2024 at 12:15 p.m.

Thirteen years ago, at sundown on the last day of Passover, I took a pass on the usual uncelebratory pizza and squeezed into a rented hall in Skokie. Loud music...

Blintz French toast casserole, created by cookbook author Marlene Sorosky Gray, combines the flavors of crusty French toast with the creaminess of a cheese blintz. A blueberry sauce makes a sweet-tart accompaniment.

Hanukkah cheese-basked pastries celebrate the story of Judith

March 12, 2024 at 12:15 p.m.

At the culinary heart of Hanukkah (which begins at sundown Dec. 12) are foods fried in oil to commemorate the triumph of the Maccabees, who won back their sacred temple,...

Ramen Takeya devotes an entire section of its menu to "otsumami" or drinking foods — nestled among them the Japanese street snack takoyaki. The ball-shaped snacks are made with a batter that crisps up into a golden shell while remaining creamy and soft inside. Hidden away are Chiclet-size pieces of octopus, tiny surprises in the center of each ball. Six balls are served in a red and white paper boats and drizzled with sweet and salty Japanese barbecue sauce, creamy mayo, aonori (dried seaweed) and fishy-but-in-a-good-way bonito flakes (cured fish shavings). Between the crispy-meets-creamy texture and the sweet-meets-salty flavors, it's easy to see how a refreshing beer (or soda, for non-drinkers) would pair nicely. $6. 819 W. Fulton Market, 312-666-7710, <a href="http://www.ramentakeya.com/">ramentakeya.com</a> — Grace Wong

A seder plate for Rosh Hashana? It’s becoming a thing

May 31, 2019 at 9:03 p.m.

Isn't a Seder plate supposed to be for Passover? In spring? When matzoh and horseradish make it onto the table? Guess what. It turns out that Passover isn't the only...

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