Taste Buds With Deb – Details, episodes & analysis

On this episode of Taste Buds with Deb, host Debra Eckerling speaks with Pam Stein, founder of In Pam's Kitchen. Stein loves to experiment with flavors and textures. And there's no better time for it than creating fun hamentaschen for Purim.

"The traditional filling for hamantaschen is the poppy seed, because they were originally called… mohn," Stein explains. "Prune became the second [most popular flavor], because of the popularity of prunes at the time and the availability of them."

Modern times call for creativity in the kitchen. You could do anything with hamentaschen, sweet or savory - and in all different sizes. Stein's new flavors this year: bourbon chocolate chip pecan pie hamantaschen and tacotaschen.

No matter what your hamentaschen, the base is fundamentally the same. And you can add a glaze or toppings after it bakes.

"For the bourbon chocolate chip pecan pie… I also put some bourbon in the dough," she explains. "I topped the tacotaschen with a spicy corn salsa."

Pam Stein shares tons of hamentastchen tips, along with recipes for bourbon chocolate chip pecan pie hamantaschen and tacotaschen, which you can find at JewishJournal.com/podcasts. Happy Purim!

For more from Pam Stein, follow @InPamsKitchen on Instagram. For more from Taste Buds, subscribe on iTunes and YouTube, and follow @TheDEBMethod on social media.

On this episode of Taste Buds with Deb, host Debra Eckerling speaks with Elaine Hall, founder of The Miracle Project and contributor to "A Different Spirit: Creating Meaningful B'nai Mitzvah for Children with Disabilities." 

The Miracle Project is a fully inclusive theatre, film and social program for neurodivergent, autistic, disabled and non-disabled individuals. "A Different Spirit" addresses creating a similar, but different type of community experience. 

The book, compiled by Howard Blas and Ilana Trachtman, offers guidance around celebrating b'nai mitzvah for youth who experience the world differently. It brings together educators, parents, and advocates — including Hall — to share models of ceremonies that are creative, accessible, and personal. 

"I had created one of the first b'nai mitzvah programs for autistic youth a number of years ago, called Nes Gadol, through Vista Del Mar," she explains. "My son, Neal, was the first bar mitzvah, so they asked me to share my ideas." 

Celebrations are often built around food, but Hall believes they should also be built around awareness. When planning a b'nai mitzvah or any large gathering, she encourages families to think beyond tradition. 

"Each child is different; each person is different," she says. "Tune into what that child wants and what makes them happy … If the child loves French fries … even though that may not be typical at a celebration, make sure there's French fries on that table."

Inclusion is not just something to recognize during February for Jewish Disability Awareness and Inclusion Month (JDAIM); it is something to practice all year long. 

"To be inclusive is really natural," Hall says. "It takes 60 seconds to be open, willing, and curious."

Elaine Hall talks about "A Different Spirit," and offers her recommendations for inclusion and belonging for B'nai Mitzvah, as well as everyday gatherings, and living a life of harmony. She also shares her recipe for papaya boats, which you can find at JewishJournal.com/podcasts. 

Learn more about Elaine Hall at TheMiracleProject.org, get a copy of "A Different Spirit" and/or contact CoachE@CoachEProductions.com. For more from Taste Buds, subscribe on iTunes and YouTube, and follow @TheDEBMethod on social media.

On this episode of Taste Buds with Deb, host Debra Eckerling speaks with Lenny Rosenberg and Adaeze Nwanonyiri Rosenberg, owners of New York Bagel Deli and Bakery - aka NYBD and Bakery. The husband-and-wife team also own Bea's Bakery in the Valley, as well as star in "It's a Sweet World" on JLTV and have a cookbook by the same name.  

NYBD and Bakery combines Lenny's Jewish, baking and restaurant roots with Adaeze's Nigerian culture and design (interior, exterior, presentation) expertise.

"It's a really classic bakery that's based with Jewish products, but also is multicultural," Lenny explains. "We wanted to merge cultures; that's what we're all about." 

He adds, "We realized, going through all the bakery products that I've made over the years, they're all multicultural: rainbow cookies are Italian, Danish are from the Danish … almost every single recipe is from another culture."

These foods all have a story behind them, along with cultural significance. For instance, the kola nut in their red velvet cupcakes are from Adaeze's Nigerian background, and it is as significant in their rituals as breaking bread (challah) is in the Jewish culture.

Whether you are embracing different cultures or getting ready to bake, it's important to be open-minded, curious and always willing to learn. 

"Our brand is It's a Sweet World," Adaeze says. "Always think positive … live, laugh and eat." 

Lenny and Adaeze Rosenberg share the NYBD and Bakery backstory, as well as some of their favorite multi-cultural treats and tips for baking success. They also share their recipe for Italian rainbow cookies, which you can find at JewishJournal.com/podcasts.

Learn more at ItsASweetWorld.com and JLTV.com, get It's A Sweet World at your favorite book store and follow @Its_a_sweetworld and @nybdbakery on social media.

For more from Taste Buds, subscribe on iTunes and YouTube, and follow @TheDEBMethod on social media.

On this episode of Taste Buds with Deb, host Debra Eckerling speaks with Sonya Sanford, author of  "Braids: Recipes From My Pacific Northwest Jewish Kitchen." The child of Ukrainian immigrants, Sanford grew up in Seattle and is the first born American in her family. She is a chef, writer, and podcast host, and has been studying cuisine in the diaspora for more than 15 years.

"Jewish food differs in any region," Sanford says. "That's because of what's available to people and what the cultural trends are." 

Sanford talks about her culinary journey, attributes of Pacific Northwest Jewish cuisine, and why her book is called, "Braids." It is - and isn't - what you think. She also shares her recipe for marionberry rugelach, as well as cooking tips and her cooking philosophy.

"If there's a part of you that wants to cook, that's the most important ingredient," Sanford says.

Learn more at Sonyasanford.com, follow her on Instagram @sonyamichellesanford, and subscribe to Sonya Sanford on substack.

Get the recipe and read the highlights at JewishJournal.com/podcasts. For more from Taste Buds, follow @TheDEBMethod on social media.

On this episode of Taste Buds with Deb, host Debra Eckerling speaks with award-winning culinary historian, food writer and chef Michael W. Twitty. Twitty is the author of Koshersoul: The Faith and Food Journey of an African American Jew, which received the 2023 National Jewish Book Award. 

"I've grown up with …African diaspora foodways from the Caribbean, Latin America and foodways from African immigrants in the United States," he says. "And I've lived an entire life with Jewish food from challah to kibbeh. Being able to translate across those cultural lines is really important for me." 

Twitty is also the author of The Cooking Gene: A Journey Through African American Culinary History in the Old South, which won the 2018 James Beard Award for best writing as well as book of the year, and "Rice," a Savor the South cookbook from The University of North Carolina Press.

In addition to sharing his food origin story (his food education started in his intergenerational family kitchen and with PBS food shows), Twitty talks about his love for exploring, elevating, and combining food cultures/foodways from around the world. He also explains the three parts to every food tradition, the value of mastering the trinities (the two or three or more ingredients that are the basics of every cuisine), and other cooking insights.

Follow @TheCookingGene on Instagram and MichaelWTwitty on Facebook. Learn more at KoshersoulBook.com and JewishJournal.com/podcasts. For more from Taste Buds, follow @TheDEBMethod on social media.

On this episode of Taste Buds with Deb, host Debra Eckerling speaks with poet Jehanne Dubrow (JehanneDubrow.com), author of  "Taste: A Book of Small Bites." Dubrow, professor of creative writing at the University of North Texas, has also written nine poetry collections and a non-fiction book, called "throughsmoke: an essay in notes," about how she came to fall in love with the sense of smell. 

"Taste and scent work together in particular to tap into the part of the brain where we access memory and emotion," she says. "It's linked to feeling and to a sense of personal identity."

The book, "Taste," is divided into five sections, focusing on the five known tastes, sweet, sour, salty, bitter and umami. Within each of those sections are tiny essays, just like small bites. 

"We are so often shaped by the things we've eaten in our lives," Dubrow said. "We've all had those Proustian experiences where we taste something and Instantly we're taken back to a moment that we've forgotten about up until that time."

Dubrow talks about her love of food and cooking, vivid food memories, and suggestions for exploring taste. She also shares her recipe for the Matzah Bromelette, which you can find at JewishJournal.com/podcasts. For more from Taste Buds, follow @TheDEBMethod on social media.

On this episode of Taste Buds with Deb, host Debra Eckerling speaks with Amy Steinhaus Kirwin and Rebecca Edana, hosts of "Two Jews Making Food" on ChaiFlicks. Amy and Rebecca love to cook, eat and share their joy of cooking with others! During the half-hour episodes, the duo shares recipes for food and drink, based on their weekly theme; they also have a loved one Zoom in to share the Yiddish Lesson of the Day. 

"We're not kosher, but we love food and we love stories and we love to learn," Rebecca says. "The show was created in an effort to find out what is out there." 

Adds Amy, "It's not just Jewish cuisine; that's why it's not 'Two Jews Making Jewish Food.' It's food from our culture and sometimes it's somebody else's. 

Amy and Rebecca talk about their - and the show's - backstory, their different cooking styles, their opinion on viral cooking trends (note: most of them are awful), and more. They also share Amy's recipe for vegetarian kishka. Get the recipe at JewishJournal.com/Podcasts. Follow @twojewsmakingfood on Instagram and learn more at TwoJewsMakingFood.com and ChaiFlicks.com.

For more from Taste Buds, follow @TheDEBMethod on social media.

On this episode of Taste Buds with Deb, host Debra Eckerling speaks with Judy Elbaum, founder of Leave it to Bubbe. 

A food columnist and author of "Judy Elbaum's Seasonal Delights," Elbaum shares her cooking origin story, along with other food memories and lots of cooking tips. She also talks about her mother's amazing chicken soup and the recipe for Colombian "Penicillin" that is another family favorite. 

Get the soup recipes at JewishJournal.com/Podcasts. Happy National Soup Month!

Follow Judy Elbaum @baba_judy on Instagram and LeaveItToBubbe.com to watch her cooking tutorials and get more recipes.

For more from Taste Buds, follow @TheDEBMethod on social media.

On this episode of Taste Buds with Deb, host Debra Eckerling speaks with Noah Bleich, founder and artistic director of The TeaBook. The company, founded in 2015, offers organic, kosher teas with punny names and custom art to go with it, as well as a literal "TeaBook" organizer. 

Bleich shares his love of tea and the power of PositiviTEA, as well as what goes into these unique creations. He also talks about the benefits of tea, the fun of tea flavors, and some of the differences between tea versus coffee.

Learn more about Noah Bleich and explore all things tea at TheTeabook.com. 

For more from Taste Buds, follow @TheDEBMethod on social media.

On this episode of Taste Buds with Deb, host Debra Eckerling speaks with Dianne Jacob, author of Will Write for Food: The Complete Guide to Writing Cookbooks, Blogs, Reviews, Memoir, and More, now in its fourth edition. 

Jacob, who also co-authored two cookbooks: Grilled Pizzas and Piadinas and The United States of Pizza, teaches and coaches food writers.  

"If you are trying to write recipes, you need to take ownership of that recipe, she says. "It's your recipe. It's the way you like it, and that's how you should present it."

Jacob talks about the origins of her love of food, how it relates to her identity, and her take on how cooking, eating and food writing have changed. She also shares cooking and recipe-writing tips, including how using salt relates to both. 

Follow @DianneMJacob on Instagram, learn more about her at DianneJ.com, and subscribe to her newsletter on Substack. For more about Dianne Jacob, read the article at JewishJournal.com/podcasts.

For more from Taste Buds, follow @TheDEBMethod on social media.