We’re a mother-daughter team obsessed with exploring, creating and enjoying food. We share our kitchen tales from a distance (thank God) with you here.
♦ Mom (Esther) is a recent retiree of non-profit work and lives in Alabama where throwing dinner parties for 40 + people ain’t no thang. She is the mother of one daughter, four freezers and three refrigerators. Only a long shavasana or martini can calm her down after a fierce game of Mah Jong. Though her pantry and freezers are chock full of god-knows-what, crucially in-stock items include canned tomatoes, Ghirardelli dark chocolate chips (she has over 40 pounds in the laundry room freezer right now… seriously), EVOO, black beans and Jarlsberg cheese. Costco makes mom giddy. Mom loves olives.
◊ Daughter (Shaina) is a freelance multimedia journalism living in Jerusalem. She’s prone to existential crises every two weeks – it’s fine – and has spent 20% of her 20s washing, peeling, cooking or eating vegetables. Her pantry is always stocked with extra virgin coconut oil, tahini, raw almonds and Himalayan sea salt. Daughter likes to buy food at outdoor markets to test the bargaining skills she learned from mom. Daughter hates olives.
*Esther and Shaina are authors at the Jewish Food Experience. Shaina has produced radio, text and photography stories addressing identity and conflict transformation from Gaza City to Oakland. Her work has been featured on Public Radio International, HAND/EYE Magazine, Haaretz, Ethical Fashion Forum and Times of Israel.
cross counter exchange 
Thanks, Esther and Shaina, for sharing your blog with me! Although not much of a cook, I am enticed by your recipes and information and may get adventuresome with my cooking (when I can find the time.)
Love, Barbara B.
Thank you Barbara! And do let us know if you have success with our recipes! Thanks!!!!
Hi ladies, I too am not much for the cooking but love the banter between mom and child and following Shaina on her travels. Shaina even though you feel as though your twenties are slipping away to excessive vegetable slicing and dicing, you are really living large. I don’t know what happened to the shy child but i do believe she has left the building. I have loved reading the recipes and seeing the pics of the process. Maybe some day I will be inspired to stock a pantry.
Love, Sandra J.
“She is the mother of one daughter, four freezers and three refrigerators” – this made me laugh out loud! I’m getting to this blog a little late, but I look forward to reading it regularly, now. Anyone know good baby food recipes? xoxo, Heather
P.S. Esther, interested to learn more about your experience with your Mac Book Pro – thinking of getting one. And what camera are you using? Dave and I just bought a Nikon D5100. Eventually, I’ll move onto food questions, too, I’m sure! Heather
Heather, my mom DEFINITELY knows lots of baby food recipes. I’ll get on her to add some. Hoping to visit Chicago soon!
Shaina
Shaina and Esther, you know I love your blog, so I nominated you for the Super Sweet Blogger Award 🙂 You can read more about it here: http://lepetitartichaut.com/2013/06/23/the-super-sweet-blogger-award/
Thanks so much for the follow! I will enjoy your blog , too. Namaste. . . . Anne
Why have I just now discovered this beautiful blog? Thank you for writing it. I am officially a follower 🙂
I love your blog. It buoys me up when I feel sad about our children being far away as I realize that emotional closeness transcends distance. I also empathized with the difficult times. Emotional closeness transcends disagreements as well. Love to both of you.