Food for Thought

Is Microwaving Food Healthy or Unhealthy?

For years we’ve heard that microwave cooking is unhealthy. The truth might surprise you…. Read More

A Tribute to Gil Marks

A tribute to Gil Marks – cookbook author, culinary historian, James Beard Award winner and my dear friend…. Read More

How I Feel About Organics

I’m coming out of the organic closet. How do you feel about organics?… Read More

Why I Switched to Whole Organic Milk

I’ve switched to whole organic milk for my family, based on several recent scientific studies. My thoughts on the subject…. Read More

The First Kosher Cheeseburger?

Is engineered meat the way of the future? What does cultured meat mean for the ethics of meat eating, the environment, and the laws of kashrut?… Read More

Food Trend for 2013 – Fermentation

Learn about the history of food fermentation and how the process can be applied to preserve foods in your kitchen today…. Read More

Cheese – The New Health Food?

Is cheese good for you? Two recent studies suggest that cheese may be healthier for us than previously thought. Are you celebrating, or skeptical?… Read More

To Big Gulp, or Not to Big Gulp?

Proposed legislation in New York & California is aimed at banning certain soda sales due to the rise in obesity. Is it the right move? You decide… Read More

The Great Foie Gras Debate

A new California law bans the use of foie gras. Learn the Jewish history of foie gras and the natural alternative to force-feeding geese…. Read More

Saffron – A New Path for Afghan Farmers

The cultivation of a rare and precious spice – saffron – offers Afghan farmers a legal alternative to illegal opium poppy farming…. Read More

Hebrew National – Answering to a Higher Authority?

A new lawsuit claims that Hebrew National hot dogs, which have been kosher certified for decades, are not kosher…. Read More

Salt – Friend or Foe?

Do we know the truth about salt? A New York Times article questions the prevailing wisdom on cutting salt to lower blood pressure & stay healthy…. Read More

Do Happy Animals Produce Better Food?

Does animal welfare impact food quality? Learn if free range, cage free, pastured eggs, dairy & grass fed beef are worth the extra expense…. Read More

Planning a Culinary Staycation

Food travel on a budget – can’t afford a Culinary Vacation? Plan a Culinary Staycation featuring the exotic foods and flavors of foreign lands…. Read More

Gefilte Goes Mainstream

Gefilte fish is loved by some, loathed by others. At two new Jewish Manhattan food businesses, Ashkenazi gefilte gets the gourmet treatment…. Read More

The Great Truffle Debate

Truffles are the most expensive food in the world, worth their weight in gold because of their scarcity. Are truffles really worth all this fuss?… Read More

Gershwin’s Roly Poly Lyrics

Composers and lyricists use dummy lyrics as placeholders. Here are George and Ira Gershwin’s silly food lyrics for their hit song “I Got Rhythm.”… Read More

The History of Food

The story behind my love of food, history, and food history on ToriAvey.com…. Read More

Ten Commandments of Jewish Cooking

Thou shalt not fear the schmaltz, and other tidbits of Jewish kitchen wisdom…. Read More

Sukkot – The Harvest Holiday and Thanksgiving

Did the Jewish holiday of Sukkot inspire the first Thanksgiving? The Pilgrims may have borrowed the holiday from Sephardic Jews in Holland…. Read More

Emma Lazarus

A poem from Emma Lazarus, one of the first successful Jewish American writers. … Read More

Chametz vs. Kitniyot

Learn the difference between chametz and kitniyot. Discover what foods Sephardic, Ashkenazi Jews prohibit and which foods are Kosher for Passover… Read More