Three Kinds of Charoset 2024

At our upcoming Passover seders to be held on Monday and Tuesday nights this coming week, we will be serving a number of different kinds of charoset (kha-ROE-set). In addition to our traditional apples-and-walnuts charoset that I make each and every year, we’ll be serving two other truly extraordinary charoset recipes. I want to share for a moment that my mom and my Grandma Rosie actually taught me to make charoset in a large wooden chopping bowl (such a special memory), a bowl that continued to hold a place of honor in my parents’ house for many, many years after Grandma Rosie was gone. Things go much faster now with the food processor, though I always process each ingredient separately almost to the desired consistency, and then add them all back together for a big stir with a big fork. Otherwise you are likely to get fruit-nut spread, which is a different recipe entirely.  Continue reading



YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Baked Oatmeal

Baked oatmeal is a great way to start the day. It’s sort of like bread pudding, but with lots more texture, flavor and, yes, nutrition. Not only can this recipe can be prepared in a single bowl, but it’s guaranteed to keep you cozy and satisfied all morning. One great thing about it is that you can make it on the weekend, and then heat up a slice (or scoop) every day to get you through your mornings all week long. It’s also a very flexible recipe, so you could vary the ingredients slightly every time, and never make it exactly the same way twice! Continue reading




YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Karen’s Spiced Nuts

My friend and fellow yogi Karen Bush comes up with some of the very best recipes, and this one is guaranteed to make you very popular. You can bring it to a party, to book group, to work to share with your coworkers. You can sprinkle it on your salad and turn a little meal into a spectacular celebration. Guaranteed, everyone is going to love it. Continue reading


YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Peach Pie

A few years ago, a friend of mine got interested in the raw food movement. When she said it changed her life, I thought to myself, “Okay, lots of people say stuff like that.” But I saw the difference. She became more relaxed, energetic, vibrant. She felt better, and I could see it. Continue reading


YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Bamboo Rice Salad

Last week, my friend Conner brought me a container of bamboo rice, a short-grain white rice infused with chlorophyll-rich bamboo shoots to turn the rice the color of pale green jade. I had never tasted bamboo rice before, and I wanted to prepare it in a way that decreases the rate of absorption, reducing the glycemic index as it were, so as to decrease the height of the sugar spike that it might cause. Though bamboo rice is not a whole-grain product, the chlorophyll provides a different type of benefit. Continue reading