For me, Mimouna will always be the joyous Moroccan celebration of springtime, friends, family and good fortune.

Over the years, I have given this dish my own Sephardic twist by layering the eggplant, zucchini and tomatoes on a bed of fennel and onions, as well as enlivening the sauce with Silan and pomegranate molasses.

When I think of Passover, I’m no longer frazzled. I focus on feeling the joy and the new memories we will create as our family grows. 

This week Rachel and I share two wonderful Passover (and all year round) cake recipes.

With Pesach so close, we decided on a menu that is perfect for a casual Passover lunch or as appetizers for a holiday meal.

For my family, one of the favorites is a Moroccan olive chicken, a dish I only ever cook in honor of Shabbat.

This year our Purim seudah will be a Sephardic desayuno, a dairy lunch that usually includes a variety of burekas, boyos, cheeses, cuajado (frittata), huevos haminados (overnight brown eggs), salads and dips. 

This last week, orange made the biggest statement. Orange balloons, orange sweatshirts, orange ribbons and orange heart emojis symbolized our heartbreak, our pain, our sorrow.

I knew my family would enjoy these fish cakes because who doesn’t love fried food?

Kubbah is the jewel of the Babylonian Jewish kitchen.