While platters of falafel, pita and Israeli salad adorn many tables on Yom Ha’atzmaut — a nod to Israel’s well-known cultural foods — the celebration of Israel’s … more

This being my two-year anniversary writing this column, I want to thank all of you for the dozens of emails I receive each week in regard to the column. I’m glad I was able to connect with all of you, whether it brought back memories of Grossinger’s, bungalow colonies, Boro Park, the Catskills, school, camp, vacations, and just about anything else. I am truly touched at the wonderful letters of appreciation and positive feedback on many levels. more

On Sunday night, 34.3 million viewers tuned in to view the 2016 Academy Awards. And as I do each year, I tuned in as well. The show tends to be about two hours too long and 90 percent of the awards … more

There is lots of nutritional knowledge out there and plenty of advice on diet do’s and don’t’s. Diets are everywhere and eating fads are abundant (eat fat, no carbs; eat carbs, … more

Seems like I was just writing my last article about my impending cruise and here I am back on my computer in my den…a far cry from the 4,000 passenger cruise liner I was on. For those of you who were never on a cruise ship, there are a variety of cabins you can choose from, the best being suites, then balcony cabins followed by cabins with portholes you can view the ocean through, and, finally, the “inside” cabin, with no sign of daylight, along with no room to move around in. more

My grandparents really knew how to cook. It seems to me that everyone born in “the Old Country” (in this case, Transylvania) was born with built-in cooking intuition. Somehow they could create the most scrumptious meals using no fancy equipment, and not even measuring spoons. more

Bringing new life to hamantaschen was a challenge. People are dead set on their favorite flavors like classic poppy seed and apricot. Of course, newer directions such as Nutella … more

It’s been a while since my husband Jerry ordered clothing or shoes online. After he ordered what turned out to be a hunting jacket with a large back pocket lined with blood-resistant nylon … more

On each night of Chanukah, we light the menorah to remember the Maccabees and the miracle of the oil that lasted much longer than expected. This year, another seeming miracle — that of … more

Camp is over, pools are being closed, fall clothing line the racks in stores, the football season has begun and there are only 19 games left to be played in the MLB. Yes, sadly, summer is over and Rosh Hashanah is just a few days away. For the last few weeks the exchanges have been the same....”Shanna Tova,” “have a happy and healthy new year,” or my favorite, “gut g’benched yur,” as my grandparents used to say. more