On this episode of Taste Buds with Deb, host Debra Eckerling speaks with Ken Albala, author of Opulent Nosh: A Cookbook for Audacious Appetites and other books about food.

A professor of history at the University of the Pacific, Albala’s other books span from Eating Right in the Renaissance to The Great Gelatin Revival: Savory Aspics, Jiggly Shots, and Outrageous Desserts. He has written historical cookbooks; books on fine dining, banqueting, and individual ingredients; and more. Albala is currently working on an atlas of fermentation, as well as one on carving spoons, which is something he taught himself to do.

Opulent Nosh, which includes more than 100 recipes that transform simple dishes into memorable feasts, actually began as a breakfast book.  

“I love breakfast because it's the one meal I get to cook whatever I want,” Albala explains. “And, if I make something that doesn't taste good, it doesn't matter; I'll eat it the next day.”

Albala sent the breakfast version to a half dozen agents, who called breakfast "passe." He considered going the self-publishing route, but that didn’t work out either. In the end, Albala replaced the word "breakfast" with "nosh," made a few other changes, and had success getting it out into the world.

“One of the messages I've been trying to promote in most of my books is that cooking is inherently fun, that everyone should do it, as often as they can,” Albala says. “It's one of those fundamental things about humanity that gives us pleasure, like making music or dancing or running around in circles, whatever you do to make you happy.”

Albala, whose mother's side is Ashkenazi and father's is Sephardic, talks about his background and how it led to his deep dive into food. He also shares Opulent Nosh’s origin story, examples of his unique cooking style, and his recipe for Matzo Brei, which you can find at JewishJournal.com.

Learn more about Opulent Nosh, follow @KenAlbala on Instagram and find his food groups on Facebook.

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 food and lifestyle writer Ariel Kanter, whose Substack is called Rel's Recs, and who fell in love with food by accident. 

Growing up as a ballerina, food was not part of Kanter’s lifestyle. Then in high school, she discovered the original Japanese version of “Iron Chef” on the Food Network. Kanter loved the experimentation and all of the wild ingredients. Mostly, though, it was the warmth, something Kanter was missing in ballet. 

“The ballet studio is beautiful, but I always felt like it was cold, whereas in the kitchen, there is warmth, fulfillment, experimentation,” Kanter explains. “I think that's why I love cooking so much now, and writing about it.” 

After college at NYU, and working in an editorial department, Kanter attended the Institute of Culinary Education. Armed with a background in food science and food preparation, she dove deep into writing about food. She has written for “The New York Times,” “Vanity Fair,” “InStyle,” “Serious Eats,” and more. 

There were not a lot of food moments in Kanter’s youth. However, there was one exception: the Kanter family meringues. 

“We had a family recipe passed down on my mother's side,” she explains. “These were the cookie that we made for every birthday, every Jewish holiday.”

Meringues are magical, fluffy and fun. Get the recipe at JewishJournal.com/podcasts.

“That sense of whimsy has never really gone away for me,” she says. 

Ariel Kanter talks about her two childhood food memories, her career journey and food philosophy, and the love of cooking and baking she shares with her niece and nephew, and more.

Subscribe to Ariel Kanter’s Substack, Rel's Recs and follow @arielkanter 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 author/illustrator Alex Schumacher. While you would expect Schumacher’s graphic novel “The Effects of Pickled Herring to be about food - and it is - it’s not in the way you think. While the title dish is only mentioned a couple of times, the love and joy of food is a theme found throughout.

Schumacher’s semi-biographical work is a coming-of-age story about sibling dynamics, faith and family. As 12-year-old Micah and his sister Alana prepare for their B’nai Mitzvah, the family deals with his grandmother’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis. 

“[“The Effects of Pickled Herring”] is an exploration of the strength and the love of families, what can bring them together and keep them grounded in one another,” Schumacher explains. “A big part of that is food; it's the meals that you have together and it's the foods that give you comfort and heal.”

Schumacher, an author/illustrator whose work has also appeared in picture books, webcomics and graphic novels, talks about his book’s origins, the food-family connection, and his artistic approach. He also shares his recipe for vegan Impossible meatloaf, which you can find at JewishJournal.com/podcasts. 

Learn more about Alex Schumacher and “The Effects of Pickled Herring” at AlexSchumacherArt.com and follow @ajschumacherart 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 Chef Shawna Goodman. Among other endeavors, Chef Goodman combines her love of cooking and living in Israel with her philanthropic work; she also leads a yearly tour for women, called Shefa. 

“The incredible initiatives that are coming from everybody's regular kitchen [in Israel] and the capacity for giving is [amazing],” she says. “There's no greater comfort than someone's home cooked meals.”

Goodman, who grew up in Canada, graduated from the Natural Gourmet Cooking School and in pastry arts from the Institute of Culinary Education (formerly, Peter Kump’s Cooking School) both in New York City; she also trained at the Cordon Bleu School in Paris. She loves the abundance of fresh produce in Israel.

“As a Canadian, eating local would have meant eating apples and maybe some potatoes and some onions, because most of the year we're under mega snow,” Goodman explains. “Being a chef in Israel … I really appreciate when something comes in bloom and something becomes ripened, and it's usually from my backyard or my friend's backyard; the sharing and the partaking in what's around me is inspiring.” 

Chef Goodman talks about living and cooking in Israel, her food-loving origins … and how that love continues to shine, culinary school adventures, and more. She also shares why you should always share your recipes, along with her favorite comfort food recipe - overnight French toast - which you can find at JewishJournal.com/podcasts.

Connect with Chef Shawna Goodman on Facebook. 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 singer and composer Craig Taubman. The founder of the Pico Union Project (PUP), a multi-faith cultural arts center in downtown Los Angeles, Taubman is passionate about food and nourishing the community.

“Food is deep: it's cultural, it's philosophical, it's spiritual, it's nourishing,” Taubman believes. “[You] can use food to build community, to build relationships and to feed people's minds, hearts and souls.”

According to Taubman, every week they distribute fresh produce that would have otherwise been thrown away. PUP provides 19 people in the community with jobs, offers cooking, nutrition and mental health classes, health services and more.

“The food's great; the conversation is invaluable,” Taubman says. “Each time that we break bread together, we discover something new about each other, something powerful … we give the community the opportunity to flourish, and it's usually around food.”  

Taubman shares his background, and how the Pico Union Project came about, along with food memories, a food song, and his recipe for spicy Asian noodles. Get the recipe and read the article at JewishJournal.com/podcasts.

Learn more about Craig Taubman PicoUnionProject.org and Craignco.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 food writer Amy Rogers, who has covered topics ranging from pie contests to public policy, Her books include “Hungry for Home: Stories of Food from Across the Carolinas” and “Red Pepper Fudge and Blue Ribbon Biscuits.”

Rogers, who has been a contributor for The Food Network, Salon and Business Insider, among others, says it was inevitable that her passion for food and stories would meet. She had been working as a journalist for a long time, when she noticed that food kept showing up in her work. 

“I will always tell people that I'm not a chef and I'm not a fancy cook,” Rogers explains. “I'm just someone who appreciates good food.” 

Everything is a food story, and everybody has a different perspective from the way they love, appreciate, or approach food. 

“Most people have in their family legacy, a person who … made the best pie or made the best something,” she explains. “Those kinds of little snapshot recollections become very, very meaningful.” 

Rogers talks about her love and appreciation of food, her favorite ingredient (it’s everything bagel seasoning), and how food - and food stories - connect us all. She also shares her recipe for writing a recipe, which you can find at JewishJournal.com/podcasts.

Learn more about Amy Rogers and connect with her at AmyRogers.net. 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 Emily Paster, author of “Epic Air Fryer Cookbook” and “Instantly Mediterranean,” among others. 

While food was always a big part of her life, and even though she had an aunt in the food business, it initially didn’t occur to Paster, a former lawyer, that food was a possible career path, 

“If you … cast your mind back to the 1980s and 1990s, food did not have the place in our culture that it does today,” she says. “Even when I was practicing [law], I was at my desk, researching the next restaurant I wanted to go to, planning the next dinner party I was going to host [or] dreaming about what was going to be at the farmer's market that week.” 

After having kids and staying home with them - “My husband's also a lawyer and two lawyers and two kids was a lot,” she explains - Paster started a food and parenting blog that then transitioned to a food blog, called West of the Loop. 

Paster talks about her culinary career journey, air fryer cooking, her pet peeve about salt, and more. She also shares her lamb and bulgur kofta air fryer recipe, which you can find at JewishJournal.com/podcasts.

Get additional recipes from Emily Paster at WestoftheLoop.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 Chef Rossi aka the anti-caterer! The founder of The Raging Skillet (which happens to be the name of her first memoir), Rossi is all about making fun, surprising foods that people love, as well as putting love into everything she makes. This shines through in her writing, as well. 

Whereas “The Raging Skillet: The True Life Story of Chef Rossi” shares the behind the scenes of how she became a chef and caterer (complete with kooky recipes), her latest, “The Punk Rock Queen of the Jews” is kind of a prequel; it’s her wild, queer coming-of-age true story, she explains. 

“I never quite wrote anything like that where I made myself so vulnerable,” Rossi says. “I wish so much that I had been able to read something like that when I was 16 years old, because I felt very often like I was the only person in the entire world who understood what I was going through.” 

Rossi talks about her books, her personal and professional journeys, and how to put love and kindness into food … and into the world. She also shares cooking tips, as well as her gluten-free recipe for the ultimate comfort food: mac n cheese, which you can find at JewishJournal.com. 

“I think the secret ingredient is just really taking the time,” she said. “If you rush through it, you might not have the great balance; you want to really whisk it with a lot of love in your heart.”

Follow @ChefRossiNYC on Instagram and learn more at TheRagingSkillet.com. Find “The Punk Rock Queen of the Jews” at Bookshop.org or at your favorite place to buy books. 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 Chef Amy Jurist of Amy's Culinary Adventures. While Jurist has had a passion for cooking since she was a child, she had a career in advertising and marketing before formalizing her training and pursuing a career in the culinary arts. Amy’s Culinary Adventures is now in its 20th year. 

“I wouldn't be able to be where I am and wouldn't be able to do what I do, if I hadn't had that marketing and advertising background,” Jurist says. “Just because you're a chef doesn't mean that you can be a caterer; there's a lot more to it.” Jurist, who likes to find beautiful, unique ways to present food, is known for her plating. “I try to make everything look fun,” she explains. “You don't have to have food just sitting on a white plate.”  

Jurist shares the origins of her love of cooking, her career journey, and some of her favorite tips for preparing and plating food. She also talks about her recipe for curried chicken salad with cucumber cups, which you can find at JewishJournal.com/podcasts.

Follow @ChefAmyJ on Instagram and learn more at AmysCulinaryAdventures.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 entrepreneur and passionate foodie Alex Canter. The 4th generation of Canter’s Deli in Los Angeles, Canter loves trying new places.

Canter publishes a list of his favorite 100 restaurants in LA every year and, every week, he posts his favorite bites on Instagram via @DeliBoySwag. “That's been a fun way to keep track of the places that I'm going,” he says. 

In May Canter launched the Hot Pastrami podcast, which he co-hosts with Lily Rosenthal, a restaurateur and New York Times bestselling author. Note: Lily and her father, Phil Rosenthal (“Somebody Feed Phil”), were guests on Taste Buds with Deb in March to coincide with the release of “Just Try It!” Canter and Rosenthal, who both grew up in Los Angeles, showcase amazing restaurants and talk about all things food.

“Every episode, we interview different special guests, whether it's an actor, a comedian, a chef or restaurateur,” he explains. Their guests have included Henry Winkler, Tiffany Haddish, B.J. Novak and Josh Peck. Each episode is filmed at a booth in Canter's Deli over bowls of matzo ball soup and pastrami sandwiches. While Canter grew up on corned beef, as the podcast title suggests, he is now more of a pastrami guy.

Canter talks about the podcast, his foodie and restaurant backstory, and tips and recommendations for dining out. He also shares Canter’s recipe for cheese blintzes, which you can find at JewishJournal.com/podcasts.

The Hot Pastrami podcast is produced and distributed by Cloud10 and Clamor. New episodes are released on Thursdays. Follow @DeliBoySway and @HotPastramiPod on Instagram. Subscribe to the Hot Pastrami Podcast on iTunes or your favorite podcast platform.

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

On this episode of Taste Buds with Deb, host Debra Eckerling speaks with Inbal Baum, founder of Delicious Israel food tours, Delicious Experiences (virtual corporate events) and Delicious Cities, a global network of immersive food tours. 

After working as an attorney in Manhattan, and then becoming a yoga instructor, Baum moved to Israel where she founded her first “Delicious” company. For Baum, food and joy go hand in hand. And, even as she currently resides in the States, Baum continues to share her love of Israeli food. 

“Israeli [food is] so many things,” she says. “You've got vegan, gluten-free, healthy and indulgent; you've got the full range.” Plus, Israeli food is served family-style. “It's togetherness around the table,” she says. 

Baum shares how she created “Delicious” everything, food memories, and the power and joy of food. She also talks about why people love Israeli food so much and her recipe for Coconut Cream Malabi, a milk pudding that is Turkish in origin and Middle Eastern in flavor. You can find the recipe at JewishJournal.com/podcasts.

Learn more at DeliciousIsrael.com, DeliciousCities.com and DeliciousExperiences.com. Follow @DeliciousIsrael, @DeliciousCities and @DeliciousExperiences on Instagram. For more from Taste Buds, follow @TheDEBMethod on social media.

On this episode of Taste Buds with Deb, host Debra Eckerling speaks with adman Murray Kalis, who has worked on everything from Taster's Choice Decaffeinated Coffee, Kraft Foods, and KFC to Noah’s Bagels, Starbucks, and Dave’s Hot Chicken.

Kalis started his career in advertising in August 1970. He went from copywriter to VP/creative director with Leo Burnett in Chicago. He then moved to Los Angeles as creative head for Young & Rubicam, before starting his own agency. While Kalis has not solely worked on packaged goods (aka food), they have been a significant part of his creative endeavors over the years. 

“The technology changes, people don't change,” Kalis says. “They're looking for that new taste, that new thing … or they're looking for the memory of something wonderful.” 

He adds, “If they've tried you, you want to give them a reason to try you again. … People need to eat, but they want something special.”  

Kalis shares how he got his start in advertising, some of his favorite food - and non-food - ad campaigns, and more. He also shares his recipe for Mexican No-Matzo Matzo Brei, which you can find at JewishJournal.com/podcasts. Connect with Murray Kalis on Linkedin. For more from Taste Buds, follow @TheDEBMethod on social media.

On this episode of Taste Buds with Deb, host Debra Eckerling speaks with Jeffrey Eisner, founder of Pressure Luck Cooking and the bestselling author of the “Step-by-Step Instant Pot” series of cookbooks. “Pastabilities,” is his fifth and first non-Instant Pot-centric cookbook.

Filled with his signature user-friendly style of instruction – and chapters that include farm and garden, soups, salads, stir frys, one-pot dishes and more – “Pastabilities” is a comfort-food palooza.

“A big bowl of pasta on the couch [is] one of my favorite things,” Eisner says. 

While Eisner has always loved to cook–something he learned from his Grandma Lil–it wasn’t until the Instant Pot started becoming popular in the mid-2010s that he decided to try something new. His previous career as a video producer kept him behind the camera. Eisner filmed himself making mac and cheese in the Instant Pot and put it on YouTube just for fun. He had no expectations; he just wanted to see if people would find it when they did a search.

“Everyone started seeing my video and then I very quickly got a following,” Eisner explains. “The next thing I knew it was just building, like a pressure cooker, and I started getting television appearances, then I got a cookbook deal and it became my career.”

Eisner believes cooking should make you feel accomplished. And anybody can do it!

“All it takes is to follow a recipe and prep your ingredients ahead of time,” he says. “If you read [the recipe] properly and do everything [it says], you're going to have an unbelievable meal in your hands.”

Jeffrey Eisner shares his career evolution, his amazing Instant Pot timing, and his love of pasta. He also talks about some of his favorite recipes, his user-friendly style of cooking, and his recipe for Kasha Varnishkes, which you can get at JewishJournal.com/podcasts. 

Learn more at PressureLuckCooking.com and follow @PressureLuck on YouTube, and @PresuureLuckCooking on Facebook and 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 chef, entertainer, and cookbook author Eitan Bernath. Bernath, 22, has been working in food entertainment for about ten years. 

“I didn't really fit in, when I was younger, with the little league or sports, but I really loved food,” Bernath says. “My mom encouraged me [to] try cooking … and I really just fell in love with being in the kitchen.” When he was 11, Bernath randomly auditioned for an episode of the Food Network’s “Chopped;” the episode aired when he was 12. The rest is social media history,

In his new digital series, “Eitan Explores: Mexico City,” Bernath dives into the culinary joys, along with the history from the Jewish kitchens of Mexico City. The seven two-minute episodes, which just premiered in May, explore a melting pot of culture and people deeply connected to the spirit of their country as well as their ancestral roots.

Bernath talks about journeys in food, cooking, and social media, as well as the new series. He also shares some cooking tips and his love of egg salad. Get Bernath’s egg salad recipe at JewishJournal.com/podcasts.

To learn more about Eitan Bernath and to check out “Eitan Explores: Mexico City,” go to EitanBernath.com and follow @Eitan on Instagram. For more from Taste Buds, follow @TheDEBMethod on social media.

On this episode of Taste Buds with Deb, host Debra Eckerling speaks with celebrity chef Katie Chin, who is an award-winning cookbook author, caterer and playwright. 

“There's incredible symbolism in Asian cuisine, but there's also incredible symbolism in Jewish cuisine,” Chin says. Her husband is Jewish and they are raising their 15-year-old twins Jewish; she loves to combine the cuisines. 

Chin’s titles include “Katie Chin's Global Family Cookbook,” “300 Best Rice Cooker Recipes,” and “Everyday Thai Cooking,” as well as “Everyday Chinese Cooking,” which she wrote with her late mother, restaurateur Leann Chin. The duo, who had a catering business together, also co-hosted the national PBS cooking series, “Double Happiness.”

“[Food] is an expression of love,” Chin believes, “But it's also storytelling and legacy.” 

Chin shares her backstory and how she combines cuisines, along with lots of tips for Chinese cooking - including ways to fold dumplings. She also talks about her recipe for Chocolate-Raspberry Wontons, which you can find, along with the highlights from the conversation, at JewishJournal.com/podcasts.

To learn more about Katie Chin and her award-winning one woman show, "Holy Shitake!  A Wok Star is Born," go to ChefKatieChin.com and follow @ChefKatieChin on Instagram.  For more from Taste Buds, follow @TheDEBMethod on social media.

On this episode of Taste Buds with Deb, host Debra Eckerling speaks with Chico Menashe, the CEO of Asif: Culinary Institute of Israel in Tel Aviv. Founded in 2021, Asif is a non-profit organization, dedicated to cultivating and nurturing Israel’s diverse and creative food culture. 

“It's an Israeli food culture, not specifically Jewish culture,” Menashe says. “We have influences from all over the world.”

Menashe talks about Israeli food and cooking with chutzpah. He also shares stories from Asif’s Open Kitchen Project, where Israeli locals open their homes to people who have been displaced by the war and need a place to cook. The Open Kitchen Project connects individuals, families and communities. 

“The [recipes and stories] that we recognize that bring special cultural, traditional value we put on our website,” he adds. “It's an online treasure box of families’ unique recipes with their stories, with their traditions, with their heritage.”

Get the recipes for Sylvie Atias’s Stuffed Artichokes and Lizi Ezra’s Veal Sweetbread Stew, along with the highlights from the conversation, at JewishJournal.com/podcasts. To learn more about Asif’s initiatives and read more recipes and backstories, go to Asif.org. Asif is a partner organization of the Jewish Food Society. For more from Taste Buds, follow @TheDEBMethod on social media.

On this episode of Taste Buds with Deb, host Debra Eckerling speaks with Beth Lee, author of “The Essential Jewish Baking Cookbook,” cooking teacher and OG food blogger at OMGYummy.com.

Lee worked in marketing and communications for high tech companies in Silicon Valley for many years before deciding in 2010 that she liked “pita chips better than memory chips.” She was delighted when she got the url OMGYummy.com. While initially Lee didn’t know what to do with it, she dug in, figured out blogging/social media, and never looked back. 

Lee talks about her origin story, food from eclectic cultures, exciting flavors, and more. She also shares her love of preserved lemons. “They're an amazing ingredient,” she says. “I encourage everybody to take a lemon, put a slit in it, put some salt in it, stick it in a jar and wait for it to become a preserved lemon.” 

Not only will preserved lemons change your life, Lee predicts they will become your new favorite condiment. Get the recipe at JewishJournal.com/podcasts. 

To learn more about Beth Lee and get more recipes go to OMGYummy.com and follow @OMGYummy on Instagram. 

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

On this episode of Taste Buds with Deb, host Debra Eckerling speaks with Shani Seidman, Chief Marketing Officer for Kayco Kosher. Kayco’s brands include Gefen, Heaven & Earth and of course Manischewitz, which has been around since 1888.

“They call me Mrs. Manischewitz. ... It’s surreal working on a brand that we had at our table growing up,” Seidman says. “I have these memories of Manischewitz being at my Passover seder or making Manischewitz chicken soup with my grandmother.” 

Seidman talks about her experience working for Kayco and Manischewitz’s recent rebrand, as well as Passover memories, food traditions, and Amy Kritzer Becker’s recipe for Asparagus Tomato Matzo Brei. Get Amy’s recipe and read the article at JewishJournal.com/podcasts. 

To connect with the company and get more recipes go to Manischewitz.com or follow @manischewitzco on social media.  For more from Taste Buds, follow @TheDEBMethod.

On this episode of Taste Buds with Deb, host Debra Eckerling speaks with cookbook author Joan Nathan, who has made a career of discovering Jewish cuisine from around the world and sharing it with others. 

The author of twelve books, Nathan’s titles include “Jewish Cooking in America” and “The New American Cooking,” both of which won James Beard Awards and IACP Awards, 

Her latest - and she says her last - book is, “My Life in Recipes: Food, Family and Memories.” Nathan hopes her memoir is an inspiration for others to live a good life. 

“I think it’s the most important thing I want to teach people,” she says. 

With more than 100 recipes, along with the memories attached to them, “My Life in Recipes” includes updated versions of old favorites (matzoh ball soup to challah and brisket) and new ones too (salmon with preserved lemon and za’atar; Moroccan chicken with almonds, cinnamon and couscous). You do not want to read this book - or listen to this podcast - when you are hungry. 

Nathan offers a sneak peek into her culinary adventures and discoveries. She talks about her love of food, creative cooking, and the different ways meals connect people. Nathan also shares her recipe for Passover Pecan Lemon Torte with Lemon Curd Filling. Note: The lemon curd is amazing and the recipe can - and should - be enjoyed year round. 

Get the recipe and read the article at JewishJournal.com/podcasts. To learn more about “My Life in Recipes” - and Joan Nathan’s upcoming events - go to JoanNathan.com.  For more from Taste Buds, follow @TheDEBMethod on social media.

On this episode of Taste Buds with Deb, host Debra Eckerling speaks with Joel Haber, food lecturer and host of the 18 Jewish Foods” podcast. His website is TasteofJew.com.

“[Food] offers you a window into the Jewish culture,” he says. 

Each episode of Haber’s new “18 Jewish Foods” podcast explores a food, food category or iconic dish. “Each episode will … also [offer] something to learn about the Jewish people,” Haber explains. “There's a short interview, as well of somebody contemporary who's connected with that food to show that these foods are still alive now and are taking on new faces all the time.”

Haber shares his backstory, how he defines Jewish foods, his love of Israel flavors, and more. He also shares his recipe for Hamin Kharshuf, also known as Chulent. 

Get the recipe and read the article 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 Katie Workman, founder of The Mom 100 website, author of “The Mom 100 Cookbook” and “Dinner Solved,” and a food writer for the Associated Press.

Workman spent her childhood reading cookbooks the way others devour books. She created “The Mom 100 Cookbook” - 100 recipes every mom needs in her back pocket - as “an answer to the everyday cooking challenges, conundrums that parents face, day-in day-out when they're cooking for their families,” Workman says.

Workman talks about her origin story and food philanthropy work, as well as her love of comfort food and finding your food soul mates. “I love food that the first time that you eat it, you think, ‘Oh, where has this been all my life?’” she says.  Workman also shares her recipe for ground turkey tacos; her family’s favorite. Get the recipe and read the article at JewishJournal.com/podcasts.

Learn more about Katie Workman at TheMom100.com. For more from Taste Buds, follow @TheDEBMethod on social media.

On this episode of Taste Buds with Deb, host Debra Eckerling speaks with Jamie Pachino, a consulting producer on CBS’ “So Help Me Todd.” The show, starring Marcia Gay Harden and Skyler Astin, is about Todd, a “failure to launch-ish” son (Astin) who goes to work as an investigator at his mother Margaret’s (Harden’s) law firm. 

Between family dinner and endless conversations about food - both on and off screen - food is a main character on the show. “We talk about it in the writer's room, it shows up in a lot of the scenes where people are eating or people are talking about eating,” Pachino says.

An award winning playwright, screenwriter and TV writer, Pachino started her career as an actor and morphed into playwriting, which led to writing for film and TV.  Pachino believes she has put food in almost everything she’s ever written. 

“There's a long running joke … when I started out playwriting, there would either be bourbon or Chinese food in every play,” she explains. “Chinese food is a hundred percent from my Jewish upbringing.” 

Pachino talks about food on tv, the origins of her love of food and cooking, and why her husband calls her the MacGyver of the kitchen. She also shares her mother’s recipe for chocolate chip cake. Get the recipe and read the article at JewishJournal.com/podcasts.

Watch “So Help Me Todd” Thursdays on CBS and on Paramount + and learn more about Jamie Pachino at JamiePachino.com. For more from Taste Buds, follow @TheDEBMethod on social media.

On this episode of Taste Buds with Deb, host Debra Eckerling speaks with Micah Siva, founder of Nosh with Micah and author of “Nosh: Plant-Forward Recipes Celebrating Modern Jewish Cuisine.” 

“I see the word nosh as something that you just can't stop eating,” Siva says. “It's just so easy to eat and to snack on and there's always room in your stomach.”

As a vegetarian, Siva specializes in plant-based cooking. She is a chef, registered dietitian, recipe writer and food photographer. Siva also wrote the children’s book, “1, 2, 3 Nosh with Me” with her husband Joshua. “Everything I do is food related,” she says. 

Siva shares her backstory, her favorite foods for noshing, and cooking tips, as well as her recipe for Halvah Granola. 

Learn more and get more recipes at NoshwithMicah.com and follow @NoshwithMicha on Instagram. 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 Jeffrey Kollinger, of Spice of Life Catering in Dallas. He’s a celebrated chef, kosher caterer, and CEO with more than three decades of experience.

Whereas kosher food sometimes gets a bad rap–you can’t mix milk with meat, you need separate kitchens, you can only eat fish with scales–Kollinger believes kosher can be gourmet, delicious and fun.

“There’s so many distinctive flavors now that you could use that probably weren't available 10, 12 years ago,” he says. “There's truffle oils [and] all kinds of different spices.”

You can put a fancy sauce on pretty much anything. For instance, you can do fish with a beurre blanc and fancy vegetables. 

To uplevel your kosher cooking, Chef Kollinger said to stop thinking of it as kosher. It’s just regular food. After all, an aioli, a demi glace or a sauce made from a rich stock can be done in the kosher world because you can use them in both dairy and meat.

“I think a lot of people [let] the heckscher (kosher certification) throw them off,” he says. “What you need to do is seek out ingredients that match or come close to what you're trying to [create] and play around with the dish.” 

Chef Kollinger talks about his love of food and cooking, along with his personal connection to kosher catering. He also shares tons of kosher cooking tips and his recipe for Macadamia Nut Crusted Chilean Sea Bass, Basmati “Confetti,” Cippolini Onions and Carrots and Lemon Beurre Blanc, which you can find at JewishJournal.com/podcasts.

Learn more at TheSpiceofLifeCatering.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 father-daughter team Phil and Lily Rosenthal, authors of Just Try It! Phil Rosenthal is creator and host of Somebody Feed Phil on Netflix, author of Somebody Feed Phil: the Book, and creator of Everybody Loves Raymond. Lily is an actor, writer, producer and now food lover!  

Just Try It! is more than a kids’ book about food. It’s an illustration of their family philosophy to have an open mind. “It's all about broadening horizons, whatever that looks like,” Lily says. “For us, it's food.”

“I've never been a particularly brave person,” adds Phil. “But I felt like every time I took a baby step out of my comfort zone, and you see it in the show, that's where the magic happens.” 

In this fun conversation, Phil and Lily Rosenthal share their favorite foods, food memories and adventures, and take on food pride in different cultures. They also talk about their workarounds, since neither of them cook!

Learn more about “Let’s Try It!,” “Somebody Feed Phil” and their upcoming events at PhilRosenthalWorld.com. 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 Amy Kritzer Becker, founder of What Jew Wanna Eat and Modern Tribe. She is also the author of “Sweet Noshings: New Twists on Traditional Jewish Desserts.” Becker shares her blog’s origin story, lots of food and cooking anecdotes, and her recipe for drunken honey pomegranate cake. She also offers tips for making cooking fun, your food colorful, and your experiences amazing. 

Follow Amy Kritzer Becker on Instagram @WhatJewWannaEat and learn more at WhatJewWannaEat.com and ModernTribe.com. 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 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.

On this episode of Taste Buds with Deb, host Debra Eckerling speaks with Michaele Weissman, author of The Rye Bread Marriage, as well as other books and hundreds of articles. Rye bread is a beloved foodstuff with a rich history. To author Michaele Weissman, it’s so much more. 

“What do you do if you're a writer, married to a guy who was born in Latvia, is obsessed with Latvian rye bread and stays obsessed through [all] decades of your lives,” Weissman said. You write a book, called The Rye Bread Marriage. Weissman’s literary memoir intertwines the bread’s history along with their personal journeys. 

Weissman talks about her - and her book’s - backstory, the power of connecting through food, and so much more. She also shares a recipe for Composed Beet Salad. This is her favorite first course, as it fits beautifully with her love of breaking bread.

Follow @MichaeleWeissman on Instagram, learn more about her at MichaeleWeissmanwrites.com, and get the recipe on 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 Dr. Beth Ricanati, author of “Braided: A Journey of a Thousand Challahs.”

More than 15 years ago, Ricanati started baking challah on Fridays as a self-care ritual. Now, she gives challah workshops–both in person and digitally–around the country to people of all faiths, and speaks about the teachings in her book.

“When you're mixing flour and sugar and watching the yeast bubble, you can't be doing anything else,” Ricanati explains. “I wasn't worrying about my patients, I wasn't worrying about my kids.” 

Ricanati says the experience was utterly transformative. Before she knew it, she rearranged her schedule, so she could continue her Friday challah practice. A board-certified internist, Dr. Ricanati now sees patients at the Venice Family Clinic in Los Angeles. 

“Particularly since October 7, it has been so meaningful, so resonant, to be able to build community [around] this beautiful ancient ritual,” she says. “When you're standing next to someone and your hands are literally in a bowl of dough, you can really come together and talk.”

Ricanati talks about her challah origin story, the impact of baking challah, and so much more. She also shares her challah recipe, which you can find at JewishJournal.com/podcasts. 

Learn more at BethRicanatiMD.com and follow @BethRicanatiMD on Instagram. For more from Taste Buds, subscribe on iTunes and YouTube, and follow @TheDEBMethod on social media.

Food volunteering is a beautiful way to bring people together. It brings joy to the participants, as well as the recipients. 

On this episode of Taste Buds with Deb, host Debra Eckerling speaks with Chaya and Yossi Segelman, founders of Our Big Kitchen Los Angeles (OBKLA). At OBKLA volunteers come together for 2-hour sessions, where they prep, cook, and package meals for Angelenos in need. 

The Segelmans talk about OBKLA’s origin, mission, and process, as well as food volunteerism and their recipe for gnocchi with meat and vegetarian options. Chaya has a nutrition background. However, it’s Yossi, who doesn’t cook, who gives detailed instructions on how to make gnocchi.

Learn more at OBKLA.org and get the recipe 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 Lisa Brown, illustrator of Lemony Snicket’s The Latke Who Couldn’t Stop Screaming: A Christmas Story. 

The beloved title, first released in 2007 and now back in print, is about an angry latke, who jumps out of a pan of hot oil and runs away. On his journey, the misunderstood potato pancake encounters various symbols of Christmas: colored lights, a candy cane and a pine tree.

Brown talks about the book’s origins, the title character, and its all important message. She also shares her cooking practices, holiday traditions, and her favorite latke recipe from her mother-in-law. Find it on JewishJournal.com/podcasts.

Learn about Lisa Brown at AmericanChickens.com.  For more about the book, go to McSweeneys.net. For more from Taste Buds, follow @TheDEBMethod on social media.

On this episode of Taste Buds with Deb, host Debra Eckerling speaks with Pam Stein, founder of In Pam’s Kitchen. 

When Hampton Water Wine Co., co-founded by father-son team Jesse Bongiovi and Jon Bon Jovi, started offering virtual Happy Half Hours during the pandemic, it inspired Stein to start cooking and baking with wine. She created a strawberry rosé cookie and sent it to the company; Jesse Bon Jovi made it during one of their virtual events and, she says, the rest is history.

During the conversation, Stein shares tips for baking with wine, as well as recipes for baked glazed strawberry rosé donuts with dipping sauce, jicama latkes, and bourbon applesauce.

Hanukkah is the perfect time to experiment with recipes and have a little fun. Just be sure to do a practice run first! And, while you’re at it, why not try adding wine to some of your favorites.

Get the recipes at JewishJournal.com/podcasts. Follow @InPamsKitchen on Instagram. For more from Taste Buds, follow @TheDEBMethod on social media.

On this episode of Taste Buds with Deb, host Debra Eckerling speaks with CW Silverberg, host of “Schmoozing & Cruising,” airing on ChaiFlicks.com. The half-hour show explores innovative kosher food experiences across the U.S. and features a different theme week from BBQ and pizza to donuts and Chinese food.

Silverberg, who grew up kosher in a non-kosher neighborhood, talks about his backstory, along with his love for kosher Americana. Silverberg also shares his easy chicken and rice recipe (find it on JewishJournal.com/podcasts), how to turn a sandwich into a fancy dish and his favorite donut hack.

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

On this episode of Taste Buds with Deb, host Debra Eckerling speaks with baker, chef, and recipe developer Sivan Kobi, founder of Sivan’s Kitchen. Kobi’s mission is to bring the simplicity and joy of cooking into people's homes. Kobi’s parents owned bakeries and a deli in Los Angeles (her mom's side is Iraqi, her father’s is Ashkenazi), and her husband’s family had a kosher Israeli restaurant, so there was no escaping this family love of cooking and food. 

Kobi talks about some of her early food memories, tips for taking the stress out of cooking and her thoughts on the benefits of baking. She also shares the recipe for her One Bowl Winner Orange Cake, which you can find at JewishJournal.com/podcasts.

For more from Taste Buds, follow @TheDEBMethod on social media and join the Taste Buds with Deb Facebook community. Follow @SivansKitchen on Instagram.

On this episode of Taste Buds with Deb, host Debra Eckerling speaks with dietitian and nutritionist Ilana Muhlstein (IlanaMuhlstein.com). “Don’t underestimate the power of a new recipe,” says the author of “You Can Drop It,” as well as the new cookbook, “Love The Food That Loves You Back.” 

Muhlstein, whose weight loss program is called the 2B Mindset, talks about her battle with childhood obesity and how she finally discovered what works in terms of losing weight and eating healthy. She also shares her thoughts on comfort food, tons of cooking tips and her recipe for chocolate cream rolls. Get the recipe at JewishJournal.com/podcasts.

Follow Ilana Muhlstein on TikTok, YouTube and Instagram.

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

On this episode of Taste Buds with Deb, host Debra Eckerling speaks with Israeli-American celebrity chef and restaurant owner Alon Shaya. A two-time James Beard Foundation Award winner, Shaya is chef-partner at Pomegranate Hospitality and author of Shaya: An Odyssey of Food, My Journey Back to Israel.

Shaya discusses his cooking origin story, the power of food to connect, and his work rescuing/recreating recipes nearly lost during the Holocaust. He also shares his grandmother’s recipe for Lutenitsa (peppers and eggplants). Get the recipe 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 chef Susan Feniger and filmmaker Liz Lachman. Feniger is a chef, restaurateur, and the subject of the documentary “Susan Feniger: Forked,” produced and directed by her life partner, Lachman. 

Feniger talks about her culinary background, the evolution of food in media and her role as a trailblazer - along with Mary Sue Milliken (“Too Hot Tamales,” Border Grill). 

Plus, Feniger and Lachman discuss the film’s focus (Feniger’s The STREET restaurant), how the documentary - and the two of them - came together, their respective relationships with food, and more. They also share Feniger’s recipe for Spiced Millet Puffs. Find the recipe and the highlights of the conversation at  JewishJournal.com/podcasts.

Learn more at ForkedtheFilm.com and follow @SusanFeniger and @LizLachman on Instagram. For more from Taste Buds, follow @TheDEBMethod on social media.

On this episode of Taste Buds with Deb, host Debra Eckerling speaks with actor, writer and humorist Annie Korzen, author of The Book of Annie: Humor, Heart, and Chutzpah from an Accidental Influencer.  Korzen, who turns 85 in November, talks about how she found an unexpected audience on TikTok, her advice for living life, and so much more. She also shares some of her favorite foods, as well as her go-to simple recipes (hint: a few of them use salsa as the main ingredient). For more from Taste Buds, follow @TheDEBMethod on social media.

On this episode of Taste Buds with Deb, host Debra Eckerling speaks with Mitch Albom, author of “Tuesdays with Morrie.” His latest novel, “The Little Liar,” comes out in November.  

A journalist, broadcaster, and author of numerous fiction and non-fiction books, Albom spends most of his time on philanthropic endeavors. He operates the Have Faith Haiti orphanage in Port au Prince and also runs SAY Detroit, which provides paths to success for Detroiters in need. Two food businesses - Detroit Water Ice Factory and Brown Bag Popcorn - help raise funds for his Michigan charity.

Eckerling speaks with Albom about his charities, the power of food, and his own foodie adventures. For more from Taste Buds, follow @TheDEBMethod on social media.

On this episode of Taste Buds with Deb, host Debra Eckerling speaks with chef/restaurateur Daniel Shemtob, The Lime Truck, TLT, and Hatch Yakitori. The all-star winner of Food Network's "The Great Food Truck Race," Shemtob is also co-founder of Snibbs, the world’s most comfortable non-slip shoe. 

About two weeks before opening Hatch, Shemtob had a nasty fall in the kitchen. 

“I herniated and slipped my L5 and L4 disc, which is pretty much the lowest part of your vertebrae,” Shemtob explains. “I'm 23, 24 years old, and I'm watching someone else open my line, which, as a chef, is a very difficult thing to do.”

Shemtob went down a rabbit hole of wondering, ‘Why isn't anyone making good footwear? Why isn't there anything that actually speaks to the worker, to the chef?’

As a result, he partnered with renowned orthopedic surgeon Jason Snibbe and entrepreneur Haik Zadoyan, his high school best friend. Snibbs footwear was born! 

Outstanding service sets a restaurant apart, and that is something that has translated well to Snibbs.

“Because we're hospitality people … whenever customers need something, we go above and beyond,” he explains.

While there are nuances, whether you are developing a recipe or a great pair of shoes, you start with a product and then you reiterate, perfect, test and reiterate again. 

“My two loves have always been food and fashion and now I get to exercise both muscles,” Shemtob says. “I'm just having a lot of fun doing it. “ 

Daniel Shemtob shares his career journey from soup to Snibbs. He also talks about his love of food, his first cooking memory–hence, the matzo pizza, Food TV, Food on TV (“The Bear”), and the joy of entertaining. 

Learn more at Snibbs.co and Danielshemtob.com and follow @snibbsfootwear  on @daniel.shemtob 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 Dana Shrager of  DanasTable.com. Shrager, who specializes in Jewish holiday recipes and healthy-ish dinners, shares why she started developing recipes - and how she modernizes them. She also talks about her Jewish Cooking Facebook Group, her love of Jewish Italian food and her modern Tzimmes recipe. Get the recipe 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 Mandylicious founder Mandy Silverman, a challah therapist and coach. Silverman talks about her challah journey, the secret to making good challah and how to stuff it with sweet and savory options. She also shares her recipe for Cookies & Cream Challah. Get the recipe 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 food writer and cookbook author June Hersh, “Iconic New York Jewish Food.” Hersh discusses her foodie origins, the connection between recipes and history and her favorite iconic Jewish food: the kosher hot dog. She also shares recipes for onion rings and refrigerator pickles. Get the recipes 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 Rabbi Jonathan Jaffe Bernhard, Executive Director of the Jewish Initiative For Animals (JIFA). JIFA’s mission is to help align people's food choices with their stated Jewish values. Bernhard shares his food journey, tips for eating and cooking a plant-based diet, and his thoughts on the essential role of food. He also shares his wife’s recipe for Shabbat Scones. Get the recipe at JewishJournal.com. For more from Taste Buds, follow @TheDEBMethod on social media.