Love Letter Vol 03: Jewish Food (Plus Virtual Seders & Short Courses)

With so many hours at home, whose thoughts haven’t turned to food?

So for our Love Letter this week, we’ve partnered with ABC culinary correspondent, author of Alice’s Food A-Z, food literacy advocate and proud Leibler Yavneh College graduate Alice Zaslavsky on five iso-friendly recipes to nourish your body and soul.

First, use up any challah left at home ahead of Pesach and make this chocolate-stuffed French toast (now is the time to treat yourself!)

Gather any chickpeas you might have idling in the pantry and turn your hand at Yotam Ottolenghi’s hummus; there’s nothing it won’t fix.

This week’s the big one for chicken and matzah ball soup; Alice’s recipe combines ‘her mama’s flavours with techniques picked up during some invaluable classical training with chef Walter Trupp.’ It’s 50% broth, 50% bouillon and 100% liquid gold.

Slow down and savour a proper breakfast. Heat a pan, add a tin of tomatoes, sprinkle some cayenne or paprika, then crack in a couple of eggs and you’ll have a heartwarming shakshuka.

Finally, now’s the time to get preserving. Sauerkraut is the gateway, according to the messiah of microbes Sandor Katz, and also an excellent way to get your vitamins while house-bound.

Once you’re done in the kitchen, we’ve further digital feasts for you: A virtual seder in partnership with the Jewish Heritage Network and our friends at the Jewish Museum London and National Library of Israel (it’s free, easy to use and features The New Australian Haggadah from our collection) plus our autumn short courses to be delivered via Zoom. Covering 4,000 years of Jewish history and the special relationship between Australia & Israel, our offer is expert and expansive.

Enormous thanks to those who participated in our Pesach lecture on Sunday, and have already given to our Annual Appeal; your support keeps us illuminating Jewish life. For while our doors our shut, our activity continues and we look forward to reopening brighter than ever some day soon.

Chag Pesach sameach to you and your loved ones.

Jessica Bram
Director & CEO