Hello there my friend, The joyful festival of Purim starts on Monday evening. One of the special mitzvot of Purim is giving mishloach manot - gifts of food and drink - to friends and family. Each person should give one or more gifts containing at least two ready-to-consume items. This means that there's plenty of scope around what to include and how many gifts to give. Giving mishloach manot is probably my favourite Purim activity! Each year I choose a theme and create gift bags with an...
24 days ago • 3 min read
Hello my friend, I hope all is well with you 🥰. In a week and a half it will be Purim! So it's time to start thinking about delicious festive foods, mishloach manot gifts, and all the joy and celebration that this holiday brings. Firstly, if you're wondering what Purim's all about, I've written a guide to the festival that covers the history, traditions, food and customs involved. You can read it here. (Spoiler alert - it's not all hamantaschen!) Secondly, if you're already planning your...
about 1 month ago • 2 min read
Hello again my friend, Are you ready for a busy week? If you've school-age kids or grandchildren you're probably bracing yourself for the half term break. But either way, it's also Valentines Day AND Pancake Day this week. I'm tired just thinking about it. While Valentines and Pancake Day are not traditional Jewish festivities, they're now sufficiently widely celebrated that it almost seems rude not to join in. Besides, taking the opportunity to tell people that you love them, and then to eat...
about 1 month ago • 2 min read
Hello there my friend, February already, so soon! While the weather is still wintery, the days are getting longer and Spring is definitely on the horizon. Which means that new fruits and vegetables are coming into season, adding delicious diversity to our diets. Hoorah! What's in season in February? You may have already seen blood oranges - my favourite! With a bit of luck their season will last through February and even a little bit beyond. Do get your hands on some if you haven't already....
about 1 month ago • 3 min read
Hello my friend, and may I be the last to wish you a Happy New Year! Sincere apologies for my prolonged absence. I had hoped to be back with you at the start of January, refreshed after my Chanukah break. Unfortunately, I have instead been ill, and not fit to do much for the last few weeks. Hopefully I am now on the road to recovery. Not a great start to the year, but at least it can only get better! But enough of that. Tu B'Shevat - the Jewish New Year for trees - is just around the corner,...
about 2 months ago • 3 min read
Hello my friend, and welcome to my final email of 2025! 😳 Yes, I know there's a few weeks left, but my plan for the rest of December is to enjoy Chanukah with my family, and then take some time to regroup, refresh and make plans for 2026. So I'll see you again in January raring to go! In the meantime, here's a rundown of some highlights from the past 12 months: 15 new recipes, including baked mujadara, Challah panzanella salad and easy berry chia jam. Lots more recipes coming next year! Any...
3 months ago • 2 min read
Hello there my friend, It's fair to say that I love the traditional foods that are associated with Jewish holidays - all the delicious dishes that make an appearance once or twice a year for special occasions. But while a day or two of feasting is the norm for most of our festivals, Chanukah lasts a full EIGHT days. So going all in with the festive foods can be a bit overwhelming! To save stress to both the cook, and the family's waistlines, I like to take a few minutes in advance of Chanukah...
4 months ago • 4 min read
Hello again my friend, First of all, Happy Thanksgiving if you're celebrating today! I hope you have a wonderful time. And looking ahead to the next celebration, in less than three weeks, we'll be celebrating Chanukah! Woo-hoo! In this week's email I hope to help you get your Chanukah prep underway, with some gorgeous homemade gift ideas, useful links, and one or two other things as well. So let's get cracking! Homemade Chanukah gift ideas You still have plenty of time to make these lovely...
4 months ago • 2 min read
Hello my friend, Tomorrow, 21 November, is World Hello Day! This annual global event began in response to the Yom Kippur War between Egypt and Israel in 1973. On World Hello Day, everyone is encouraged to greet at least 10 others with a cheery 'hello'. The organisers hope that these simple greetings will encourage the use of communication rather than force to settle conflicts. World Hello Day has been observed in 180 countries, as a small way to express a sincere wish for world peace. I hope...
4 months ago • 2 min read
