Cooking Classes

ICE (The Institute of Culinary Education), West 23rd Street, New York City
(October 2007—Present)

All classes are 5 hours, full hands-on, with a complete meal at end of class to enjoy!
Classes Include:
Happy Nowruz! A Persian & Central Asian New Year's Feast
Savory-Sephardic Passover
The Syrian Hospitality Tray: Savory & Sweet
Vegetarian "Soul Food" From the Near & Middle East
Middle Eastern Summer Picnic Barbeque
A Fistful of Lentils: Syrian-Jewish Cooking

The Jewish Community Center of Manhattan, Upper West Side, New York City
(September 2002–Present)

The Syrian Hospitality Tray
The Miraculous Chanukah Dinner: The Scholar in the Kitchen (Talk, Demonstration & Booksigning)
Persian Purim Party (Full Iranian Dinner)
A Night Different From All Other Nights (Middle Eastern Passover Seder Meal)
Turkish Delight (Non-Vegetarian/Cooking & Sit-down Dinner for Couples)
Sephardic-Spanish Cooking (Cooking & Sit-down Dinner for Couples)
Moroccan Madness (Vegetarian & Non-Vegetarian/for Singles)
Fabulous & Fearless with Filo (5 Different Ways of Shaping, Filling & Preparing Filo)

The Skirball Center for Adult Jewish Learning, Upper East Side, New York City
(February 2005–May 2006)

6-Week course focusing on the food traditions of 3 cuisines (Moroccan-, Syrian-, and Indian-Jewish)
and the various factors (i.e., geography, demography, history, religion) that influenced the food
traditions and types of food served today (includes 3 lectures plus 3 full hands-on cooking classes)

The Edmund J. Safra Synagogue, Upper East Side, New York City
(November 2003)

A Night Different From All Other Nights Passover Seder Plate
(5 Charosets & 5 Macaroons From Libya, Syria, Morocco, Spain & Iraq)

The Syrian Hospitality Tray Series
(Part I: Savory Middle Eastern Appetizers/Part II: Middle Eastern Sweets)

July Fourth Syrian Barbeque (Salads, Chips & Grilled Meat, The Syrian Way!)
Parve/Non-Dairy/Vegan Desserts (Tofu, Soy & Fruit Desserts)
Shabbat Challah Baking Class (Various Kinds & Shapes of Challot, Fridays Only)

To Grandmother’s House We Go Cooking Tours, New York City
(1998–2000)
Taught series of private and hands-on Syrian cooking classes with my grandmother, Fritzie Abadi,
as part of these cooking tours led by Susan Baldassano from the Natural Gourmet Cookery School
in New York City

Booksignings, Food Demonstrations & Lectures
Zabar's: Sephardic Passover Food Demonstration & Booksigning, New York City (March 2009)
The Spanish-Portuguese Synagogue: Egyptian Food Demonstration, New York City (February, 2009)
The Israeli Consulate: Food Demonstrations & Lectures, Throughout Tri-State Area (Ongoing)
The JCC of the Upper West Side: Syrian Food Demonstration & Booksigning, New York City (November, 2008)
Sephardic Women’s Federation: Lecture & Booksigning Fundraiser Event, Los Angeles (April, 2004)
Food Fare Fundraiser: Booksigning for Cook’s Library Bookstore, Los Angeles (March 2004)
Kitchen Aid’s The Book & The Cook: Lecture, Booksigning & Dinner, Philadelphia (March 2003)
Whole Foods Market: Syrian Food Tastings & Booksignings, New York City (March/May 2002, Dec 2006)
Makor: Syrian Food Demonstration & Booksigning, New York City (March 2002)

Jewish Community Centers of: Columbus, Ohio/San Diego & Los Angeles/
Queens, New York/Palisades, New Jersey:
Bookfair Booksignings, Talks & Food Demonstrations (November 2002)

Balducci’s & The Broadway Panhandler:
Syrian Food Demonstrations & Booksignings, New York City (October 2002)

Other Current Work
The Food Network
Prep work for various cooking shows and chefs, including Emeril Lagasse & Bobby Flay

Catering for Small Events Including
Weddings, Bar/Bat Mitzvahs, Birthday Parties, Engagement & Graduation Parties, Holiday Dinners,
Cocktail Parties & Various Other Special Events (Ongoing) Bake for Kiva Café, New York City (February 2001-Present)

Preserving Family Recipes
Working on Miri's Jewish Hungarian-Transylvanian Cookbook: Recipe writing, testing & developing
(March 2006 to Present)

Writing Projects
Wrote/Illustrated “A Fistful of Lentils: Syrian-Jewish Recipes From Grandma Fritzie’s Kitchen”
(Harvard Common Press, March 2002)

Currently Writing & Researching Sephardic Passover Cookbook

ICE (Institute of Culinary Education):
Classes in Knife Skills, Pastry Making,
Ancient Mesopotamian Cookery (“From The Cradles of Civilization”)

The Natural Gourmet Cookery School:
Vegan, Vegetarian, Macrobiotic, Gluten-Free & Whole foods Cooking

School of Visual Arts: Various classes in Graphic Design, Typography, Illustration, Textile Design