I find when the kids are happy, the adults are happy, so I always have kid-friendly options when hosting.
Photo Credit: Sina Mizrahi
Ever since I was a kid, gefilte fish has always been a favorite. It brings me back to the cozy Friday nights at my Bubby’s house. It never gets old, and my husband agrees. So we always start with warm challah; fresh homemade techinah; eggplant, garlic, and jalapeño confit; chummus; Israeli salad; and, of course, gefilte fish.
Next we have chicken soup — I always make sure to put in a bunch of chicken bones and turkey necks. For the main, I like to try something new every week, whether it’s meat or chicken with a side of couscous or roasted potatoes. My go-to favorites are sesame chicken on the bone with white rice and broccoli or ribs with roasted red potatoes. For dessert, we love Mini Magic ice cream bars and candy.
I’ve been trying challah recipes for years to find the best one. We’ve finally settled on Danielle Renov’s recipe in the Peas Love & Carrots cookbook. It’s by far the best recipe I’ve ever tried. Since my son likes it topped with Everything seasoning, I like sweet crumble, and my husband likes it plain, I’ve done something I like to call “shalom bayis challah.” I make a pull-apart round challah with each circle its own flavor. That way everyone’s happy!
I feel like this is a loaded question, since I have so many different approaches! I love going all out and being fancy — it’s where the creative side of my brain gets into the action. But who doesn’t like a simple homey chicken and rice? While I do try to balance healthy, easy, simple, and fancy, I love playing around with plating and recipes — it’s almost a hobby for me.
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