Tomatoes have had a love-me, love-me-not sort of history. Thousands of years ago the fruit grew wild in its native Peru, where no one gave it much notice. It was some time before the Aztecs, in what is now present-day Mexico, tamed the plant, and named it too: tomatl. Generations later the conquistadors took tomato

Like so many other ingredients, these lean, white meat chicken portions are terrific when grilled, but sautéing is a good alternative when you’re not in the mood to cook outdoors. Sautéing keeps the kitchen heat to a minimum and the food cooks within minutes. All you need is a good skillet and some interesting, fresh

There is one recipe that is so simple, so quick and so easy that anyone can make it, even someone with no experience in the kitchen. This recipe is also one of the most versatile and useful. It is made with ingredients you’re likely to have in your kitchen and it is relatively inexpensive. I

As the composer George Gershwin once wrote, it’s summertime and the livin’ is easy. Or it should be, especially where making dinner is concerned. Now is the time to take advantage of foods that cook quickly and are easy to prepare. Boneless, skinless chicken breasts, for example. These light, low fat white meat fillets can

When I was growing up, pudding meant something that came from a box. My grandma opened a package, poured out brown powdery stuff into a pot, stirred in some milk, cooked it until it was thick and hot, then spooned it into glass serving dishes. She never called it pudding. She just always said she

Whole grains are among the most useful ingredients, for many reasons, but now that warm weather is here to stay for a while, you’ll find them the perfect foundations for summer salads. All you have to do with barley, brown rice, buckwheat, quinoa and bulgur, to name just a few, is cook them and moisten

The word is out in culinary circles that rhubarb is making a comeback, but as far as I’m concerned it never went out of style. I cook with rhubarb whenever I see it in the stores, starting around late April, when it is easy to find the crisp, red stalks at farmers’ markets and even

Shavuot is the time when we celebrate the giving of the Torah, but like so many other Jewish holidays, there’s a food component too. This is the “dairy” holiday. Visions of cheesecake come to mind. I’ve heard numerous explanations of why dairy and Shavuot go hand in hand. One is that the holiday commemorates the

When April comes you can smell the strawberries from a few feet away. The fruit fills the produce section’s air with a sweet fragrance reminiscent of spun sugar. Perfume-y wisps dance under your nose to tempt you. You just know those berries are going to be juicy and sweet. The way strawberries are supposed to

Jews in America, and the world over, celebrate Yom Ha’atzmaut (this year on Wednesday, April 29, 2009), which marks Israel’s birth as an independent, free nation. This year Israel will be 61 years old! With the creation of the State of Israel we finally have a place we can call home, a bulwark that stands