On the Chocolate Trail

While we tend to think of panettone as a Christmas bread, Jewish food writer Edda Servi Machlin shared this version of panettone from her childhood experiences in Italy of eating it for breakfast. She provides an authentic yet simpler process than most panettone recipes and a very tasty one at that. Enjoy it whenever you

Eat kaak all year round or save them for special celebrations, as do many communities of the Middle East and Sephardim (Jews descended from Spain). Kaak (kahk, ka’ak) are ubiquitous, multi-faith and multi-cultural doughy treats eaten throughout the Middle East where they take on regional flavors. In Arabic kaak means cake or baked good.The Egyptian

Almost cake-like, though not a cake, this orange tinged bread enhances any holiday table. My story about diasporic High Holiday celebratory breads was published at the Jewish Week, “Beyond Challah and Honey.” More will be forthcoming in On the Bread Trail. Prep time: 2-2.5 hours Rising time: 40-45 minutes Baking time: 30 minutes Yield: 2

This bread brings fall ingredients to your festive meals and reflects the longtime usage of pumpkin among Sephardi Jews. See the Jewish Week for my story about unusual Rosh Hashanah breads, “Beyond Challah and Honey: Rosh Hashanah Breads From Around the World.” Prep time: 30 minutes Rising time: 1 hour 45 minutes Baking time: 45

This sweetly spiced bread maximizes honey, both inside and out. For more about this and other unusual Rosh Hashanah breads see my story at the Jewish Week “Beyond Challah and Honey: Rosh Hashanah Breads From Around the World.” Prep time: 30 minutes Rising time: 2-2 ¼ hours Baking time: 1 hour Yield: One large bread

This stylish Ethiopian celebratory flatbread derives its unique elements from the hand styled design and sweet flavorings. It was probably initially baked over coals. While many recipes give instructions for baking it in the oven, I prefer to use the stovetop for speed and for keeping my kitchen cooler in the summer. adapted from: My

Here’s another easy bread requiring no oven, no mixer and no braiding. Also, no fussy flour needed. Perfect for summer, though delicious all year long. My story about dabo and its use in Ethiopian Jewish practice may be seen at the Jewish Week, Bless This Bread. adapted from The Sephardic Kitchen by Copeland Marks Prep

Yemenite Jews prepared lachuch and saluf for daily and Shabbat consumption. Several food writers claimed it took them a long time to master this bread so I have collected their tips and recipes to make it easier, for you, too, I hope. Lachuch turns out to be pretty easy since you don’t even have to

Easily made without turning on the oven, using a mixer, proofing the yeast, or flipping the bread, or washing lots of dishes. All the prep happens in one bowl and one stove top pan. Simple, tasty and cool!
 Read my story about saluf at the Jewish Week: “Too Hot for Challah?” based on a recipe

Sometimes made with phyllo dough or without yeast, here is a top knotted, circular shaped, yeast-raised khachapuri. This exotic bread works for Shavuot and has been enjoyed by Georgian Jews for the festival. Read my story at the Jewish Week “Exotic Celebratory Breads for Shavuot“ Adapted from Darra Goldstein’s The Georgian Feast: The Vibrant Culture

This stunning challah makes a great centerpiece and tastes delicious. Allow time for the shaping of the various elements of this celebratory Shavuot challah and enjoy the anise flavored liqueur in the dough. Read my story at the Jewish Week “Exotic Celebratory Breads for Shavuot“ The recipe is adapted from Rabbi Robert Sternberg’s The Sephardic

Admittedly, by heritage I am more a German kugelhopf than an Eastern European babka, having eaten homemade kugelhopf at family celebrations in Los Angeles. Indeed when I mentioned my interest (obsession?) with babka to my German speaking father in LA, he looked puzzled and asked, “What’s a babka?”At one point I wrote him a note that