Follow along on a Jewish Food Journey into one writer's culinary heritage and family history.

Starting a simple tradition can help you connect with your coworkers like never before! My team at work observes a special tradition each week, simply known as “cookie time.” Ask any of my coworkers, and they’ll tell you it’s serious business. In fact, we send each other reminder emails so no one misses out! It all started when a local Girl Scout troop donated several cases of surplus cookies to my workplace. Each division received an allotment, and most ate all of their cookies right away… but not my division. We collectively decided to make our cookies last as long as possible by opening one box per week, on Thursday…

One of our favorite Netflix shows is Queer Eye. We’ve spent many hours of quality time watching the Fab Five guide people on journeys of personal growth. We love a show that gives us all the warm fuzzies and reminds us to take care of ourselves! While we love all five experts, we’re always excited to see Antoni Porowski cook with each episode’s hero. From low country boil to avocado and grapefruit salad, each new recipe provides an opportunity for growth and reflection. It’s not just about learning basic cooking skills. A lot of personal breakthroughs happen in the kitchen. Season 6, which dropped at the end of 2021, is…

“I scream, you scream, we all scream for… ice cream!” Actually, in this case, we’re also screaming for pizza and milk. Here’s the deal… Few food businesses in Knoxville are as recognizable as Cruze Farm Dairy. When you see smiling girls in red and white gingham dresses, you know you’re getting more than a delicious treat- you’re supporting your neighbors. I (Sarah) have been a devoted Cruze Farm fan since my graduate school days at the University of Tennessee. Their ice cream was perfect for every occasion, from getting to know my classmates to celebrating a football win. When I moved back to Knoxville, it was one of the foods…

Craving a special hometown food? Learn how to make one reader’s favorite kreplach, the traditional Jewish dumpling filled with meat. There’s just something about a deli that fills people with comfort and nostalgia. Maybe it’s the large portions of simple-yet-decadent food, or the fact that some delis (like the famous Katz’s) have been around for over a century. Either way, it’s no surprise that people don’t just go to delis for the food- they go for the memories, too. Delis- short for delicatessens- have been a mainstay of the American restaurant scene since the 1800s. German immigrants came to the US in large numbers, bringing with them foods such as…

Change into something cozy and grab your popcorn… it’s movie night! We’ve already highlighted several of our favorite TV shows that celebrate food memories- check them out here and here. Now it’s time to share five of our favorite food memory-centric movies. Next time you’re debating what to watch, try one of these flicks (and make sure you have plenty of snacks). Julie & Julia (Netflix) Julia Child has inspired countless professional and amateur chefs to tackle French cooking in their own kitchens. As we watch Julia fall in love with France and write her first cookbook, we also follow Julie Powell’s later attempt to cook through that same cookbook…

Remember our list of 10 creative ways to enjoy your favorite Girl Scout cookies? Well… once we started thinking about it, we couldn’t stop! The ideas have just kept on coming, and we had to get in the kitchen and experiment. In fact, this may be the first time we’ve ever eaten our cookies any way besides straight out of the box! It took some serious willpower, but we did it just for y’all. We’ve also seen lots of businesses with serious cases of Girl Scout cookie fever, and we’re loving the results! I (Sarah) thoroughly enjoyed this Tagalong-inspired cupcake from Magpies Bakery here in Knoxville, Tennessee. Our local family-owned…

What are your family’s favorite Christmas food memories? Learn about some of ours, including why Chex mix and chocolate waffles make our Christmas special. We don’t know about you, but food is one of our favorite parts of the Christmas season! From sweet treats to big family meals, food is just as important as presents and decorations. In our house, it’s simply not Christmas until we’ve made at least one batch of Chex mix. There’s nothing fancy about it, but it sure is good! We eat it by the handful and everyone pretends they’re not trying to hoard all of the Cheez-Its for themselves (shhhh… don’t tell anyone). A note…

Cincinnati Skyline chili evokes mid-western memories of soccer games, big appetites and family time – win or lose! Across the United States, you’ll find legendary dishes that are integral to the identities of the places they come from. New York has pizza, Boston has baked beans, St. Louis has frozen custard… and Cincinnati has chili. Founded by Greek immigrants, Skyline Chili has been serving up their signature recipe for over 70 years. [Learn more about the history of Skyline Chili!] Customers can add toppings all the way up to a “5-Way”: spaghetti topped with chili, cheese, diced onions, and beans. However you take your chili, it’s always accompanied by oyster…

Did you know that October is National Cookbook Month? Even in the digital age, there’s still so much to love about good old-fashioned cookbooks! When we flip through the pages of a cookbook, we remember the recipes we’ve made and who we shared them with. Our co-founders, Lisa and Sarah, have been cookbook lovers for their entire lives. Here are some of their favorite cookbooks and the memories behind them. Baking Up a Storm with Betty Crocker I’m Lisa, and I love cookies! I admit it. My sweet tooth loves to be satisfied with a cookie way too often. I once asked my grandfather which of my teeth was the…