If you’ve just subscribed to the weekly newsletter, you might be wondering what delights were included in all those email missives that have gone before. Wonder no more! You can read through any email from the newsletter archive by clicking on the titles below.
Browse the family-friends-food newsletter archive to discover seasonal recipes, news, information about Jewish holidays, and much more! You’ll find them listed in date order, working backwards. So the newest emails are at the top of the list, and they get progressively older as you scroll.
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Read previous email newsletters below
- Your Essential Shavuot Recipe Guide
Hello my friend! One more week and it's Erev Shavuot! Crikey, that's snuck up on me… On the plus side, Shavuot always heralds the start of Summer for me, which can only be a good thing. Hello al fresco meals, sunny afternoons in the garden, strolls in the open air, and the general positive vibes of warm weather, long evenings and all the rest. Bring it on! Our Shavuot will be a fairly low-key, family-oriented affair this year, as my daughter is in the middle of GCSEs, so keeping things calm…Read more - Let's look ahead to Shavuot…
Hello there my friend! With our Lag B'Omer barbecues still cooling, it's now time to look ahead to the next festival in the Jewish calendar – Shavuot. It's just a couple of weeks away, so I guess it's about time to start thinking and planning, maybe, just a little bit. Included below are some of my family's favourite Shavuot recipes, that come back year after year (to avoid a riot). These tend to form the backbone of my Shavuot menus, accompanied by a variety of different things that change…Read more
- It's picnic season!
Hello there my friend! What a week we have ahead of us! Monday is the early May Bank Holiday, and Tuesday is Lag B'Omer – the 33rd day of the Omer, the seven week period between Pesach and Shavuot. Although we typically avoid parties, music, and other celebrations during the Omer, Lag B'Omer provides a welcome break. One traditional activity on this day is lighting bonfires, so foods cooked over fire, or on a barbecue, have become a popular custom. Falling as it does in late Spring/early…Read more
- Let's celebrate Earth Day!
Hello there my friend, I hope you're having a great week. Yesterday was not only Yom Ha'atzmaut – Israel's Independence Day – but also Earth Day, an annual day of awareness and action around respecting and protecting the planet we live all on. I'm always struck by how often the things that are good for us as individuals are also what's best for our shared planet. For instance, eating fresh seasonal locally grown food is more nutritious, and can also protect ecosystems and reduce the amount of…Read more
- Let's celebrate Yom Ha'aztmaut with Israeli food and drinks!
Hello my friend! How's things? I hope you had a wonderful Pesach, and are now getting settled back into 'the old routine' again. We have finally eaten the last of the Pesach leftovers (except half a jar of jam…), school term has started, and we are regaining our rhythm after an eventful few weeks. So, it's time to look ahead to what's coming next… Next Wednesday, 22 April, is Israel's 78th Birthday! Yom Ha'atzmaut – Israel's independence day – marks 78 years since the re-establishment of…Read more
- Twas the night before Pesach…
Hello again my friend! With just a few days to go until Pesach, this week I want to focus on the things that people really seem to struggle with. Those seem to be breakfasts, and finding things for Pesach that children will willingly eat. My response to both of these things is really the same, and that is, do whatever works! There are no 'rules' around what is an acceptable breakfast food and what isn't, or even that you MUST eat breakfast at all. So if you find something that works for you…Read more
- Your bumper Pesach newsletter!
Hello there my friend! Apologies for no newsletters for the last couple of weeks. You may remember that I was unwell at the start of the year, and apparently, I'm not as recovered as I thought I was 😞. So this time I'm taking it even easier… if that's possible with just a couple of weeks till Pesach 😲 Fortunately, I have my guide to a stress-free Pesach to remind me that this holiday doesn't have to be overwhelming! If you need a reminder about what's important and what's just 'nice to…Read more
- Let's celebrate Purim…
Hello there my friend, The joyful festival of Purim starts on Monday evening. One of the special mitzvot of Purim is giving mishloach manot – gifts of food and drink – to friends and family. Each person should give one or more gifts containing at least two ready-to-consume items. This means that there's plenty of scope around what to include and how many gifts to give. Giving mishloach manot is probably my favourite Purim activity! Each year I choose a theme and create gift bags with an…Read more
- Let's get ready for Purim!
Hello my friend, I hope all is well with you 🥰. In a week and a half it will be Purim! So it's time to start thinking about delicious festive foods, mishloach manot gifts, and all the joy and celebration that this holiday brings. Firstly, if you're wondering what Purim's all about, I've written a guide to the festival that covers the history, traditions, food and customs involved. You can read it here. (Spoiler alert – it's not all hamantaschen!) Secondly, if you're already planning your…Read more
- Cooking Up Love & Joy This Week ❤️
Hello again my friend, Are you ready for a busy week? If you've school-age kids or grandchildren you're probably bracing yourself for the half term break. But either way, it's also Valentines Day AND Pancake Day this week. I'm tired just thinking about it. While Valentines and Pancake Day are not traditional Jewish festivities, they're now sufficiently widely celebrated that it almost seems rude not to join in. Besides, taking the opportunity to tell people that you love them, and then to eat…Read more
- It's February! New month, new flavours…
Hello there my friend, February already, so soon! While the weather is still wintery, the days are getting longer and Spring is definitely on the horizon. Which means that new fruits and vegetables are coming into season, adding delicious diversity to our diets. Hoorah! What's in season in February? You may have already seen blood oranges – my favourite! With a bit of luck their season will last through February and even a little bit beyond. Do get your hands on some if you haven't already….Read more
- Happy New Year – for you, and the trees 🌳
Hello my friend, and may I be the last to wish you a Happy New Year! Sincere apologies for my prolonged absence. I had hoped to be back with you at the start of January, refreshed after my Chanukah break. Unfortunately, I have instead been ill, and not fit to do much for the last few weeks. Hopefully I am now on the road to recovery. Not a great start to the year, but at least it can only get better! But enough of that. Tu B'Shevat – the Jewish New Year for trees – is just around the corner,…Read more
- Chanukah Sameach! Wishing you a wonderful Chanukah and all the best for 2026 🤩
Hello my friend, and welcome to my final email of 2025! 😳 Yes, I know there's a few weeks left, but my plan for the rest of December is to enjoy Chanukah with my family, and then take some time to regroup, refresh and make plans for 2026. So I'll see you again in January raring to go! In the meantime, here's a rundown of some highlights from the past 12 months: 15 new recipes, including baked mujadara, Challah panzanella salad and easy berry chia jam. Lots more recipes coming next year! Any…Read more
- Let's get ready for Chanukah!
Hello there my friend, It's fair to say that I love the traditional foods that are associated with Jewish holidays – all the delicious dishes that make an appearance once or twice a year for special occasions. But while a day or two of feasting is the norm for most of our festivals, Chanukah lasts a full EIGHT days. So going all in with the festive foods can be a bit overwhelming! To save stress to both the cook, and the family's waistlines, I like to take a few minutes in advance of Chanukah…Read more
- Chanukah is coming!
Hello again my friend, First of all, Happy Thanksgiving if you're celebrating today! I hope you have a wonderful time. And looking ahead to the next celebration, in less than three weeks, we'll be celebrating Chanukah! Woo-hoo! In this week's email I hope to help you get your Chanukah prep underway, with some gorgeous homemade gift ideas, useful links, and one or two other things as well. So let's get cracking! Homemade Chanukah gift ideas You still have plenty of time to make these lovely…Read more
