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At Hanukkah, Chefs Make Kitchen Conversions
December 14, 2009
At Hanukkah, Chefs Make Kitchen Conversions
By Joan Nathan for The New York Times
December 9, 2009
Growing up in Fredericksburg, Va., Todd Gray said, he could count all his town’s Jewish residents on one hand.
So when Mr. Gray, the chef and owner of Equinox Restaurant in Washington, down the street from the White House, became engaged to Ellen Kassoff in 1994, her father decided to acquaint him with Jewish culture in a way they could both relate to — through food.
They traveled from Washington to New York, where they ate pastrami, corned beef, gefilte fish and herring at Katz’s, the Second Avenue Deli and the Carnegie Deli.
“They bonded over food,” said Ms. Kassoff, now Mr. Gray’s wife and business partner. “I think chefs have more of an appreciation of Jewish culture than most intermarried couples. Since we live and breathe food all the time, my dad isn’t so mad I didn’t marry a Jewish guy.”
On holidays like Hanukkah, which begins this year on the night of Dec. 11, gentile chefs with Jewish spouses bring epicurean interpretations to simple dishes, but also enjoy culinary traditions they’ve taken to heart. Read the full story .
By Joan Nathan for The New York Times
December 9, 2009
Growing up in Fredericksburg, Va., Todd Gray said, he could count all his town’s Jewish residents on one hand.
So when Mr. Gray, the chef and owner of Equinox Restaurant in Washington, down the street from the White House, became engaged to Ellen Kassoff in 1994, her father decided to acquaint him with Jewish culture in a way they could both relate to — through food.
They traveled from Washington to New York, where they ate pastrami, corned beef, gefilte fish and herring at Katz’s, the Second Avenue Deli and the Carnegie Deli.
“They bonded over food,” said Ms. Kassoff, now Mr. Gray’s wife and business partner. “I think chefs have more of an appreciation of Jewish culture than most intermarried couples. Since we live and breathe food all the time, my dad isn’t so mad I didn’t marry a Jewish guy.”
On holidays like Hanukkah, which begins this year on the night of Dec. 11, gentile chefs with Jewish spouses bring epicurean interpretations to simple dishes, but also enjoy culinary traditions they’ve taken to heart. Read the full story .
