Getty Images Sex, drugs, rock and roll — and ultra-Orthodox Judaism. What else could you expect from an essay written by Matisyahu? “Akeda, the Binding and Unbinding…the Long Walk Back,” published in Medium, tells the moving tale of the formerly Hasidic singer/songwriter’s journey to overcome substance abuse, his religious struggle, his Bob Marley obsession, and…
Illustration by Kurt Hoffman This is the second in a series of pseudonymous essays by The Treyfster. The pieces explore forbidden foods from the point of view of a person who used to keep traditionally kosher. Before, when I was frum, we all used to have those conversations about “if you did, what would you?”…
Photograph by Michael Kaminer. Cultural appropriation is a white hot topic in today’s internet-rage culture. Sometimes, the rage is really important and other times it sort of misses the point. Israel has gotten a lot of that beef from those who say it’s unfairly staked claims to foods that are really the cultural property of…
This is a sporadic column by Bay Area personal chef Alix Wall, in which she evaluates a cookbook by making some of its recipes, sharing them with friends and asking what they think of the results. Just in time for Tu B’Shvat (“The New Year of the Trees”), she cooks her way through “The Seven…
To celebrate Tu B’Shvat, a fig-scented cocktail. Photograph by Jon Wunder. Writing for the Forward, I’ve learned so much. My education continued this week when I was asked to create a cocktail recipe to celebrate the upcoming holiday of Tu B’Shvat. I am delighted to write about Tu B’Shvat, mainly because up until several days…
Dried fruit compote reminds the writer of the dried fruit served at her first Tu B’Shvat seder. Photograph by Shulie Madnick. “My mom is inviting you for a Tu B’Shvat seder.” I had neither heard of nor experienced a Tu B’Shvat seder while growing up in Israel, until my boyfriend at the time — I…
A recent addition to the American market, Monkey Shoulder is a blend of three single malts. Column 1: January 2015 Lagavulin 16 vs. Monkey Shoulder I had whisky plans with a highly agreeable chap I hadn’t seen since the autumn. “My good fellow, you seem in fine fettle,” I greeted him. “Likewise, I’m sure.” He…
Photograph: Flickr Gussie Schwebel isn’t a household name — yet. But the Boroslav, Romania-born woman wrote herself into history when she wrote a letter to First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt during World War II. Mrs. Schwebel ran an eponymous knish concern at 191 East Houston Street, just off Orchard Street (the former site of the recently…
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