Jennifer Stempel is a recipe developer, cooking instructor and author of “With a Needle and Thread: A Jewish Folktale from Cuba,” a children’s book that will be out in October.

A classically trained storyteller and writer, Stempel frequently taps into her mixed Cuban and Jewish heritage to weave tales that engage, inspire, and enlighten.

“With a Needle and Thread” is about a grandmother and granddaughter – and how a piece of clothing transforms through lifecycle events. It puts a lens on the small Jewish community – the island of Santiago de Cuba, where Stempel’s family is from – and the unique ability they have to “MacGyver” life.

“Whenever they are faced with a situation, where they don’t have what they need to accomplish whatever goal, they figure it out” Stempel explains. “They use what they have, they are really resourceful [and] inventive.”

In Spanish, it’s called “lo que sea.”

“This story showcases those qualities in a very Jewish way,” Stempel says.

This MacGyvering translates to the kitchen, as well as to other aspects of life. And while food is not a main focus, there is food in the book.

“It would not be a book that I write if there isn’t at least a little bit of food,” she says. “Food is very much a passion of mine – it always has been – and I find that it is the great uniter.

Stempel is also founder of The Cuban Reuben blog.

“When I first started it, the emphasis on the posts really were showcasing how – not just in my. Identity, but also in the food that I eat – do these two cultures sort of meld as one?” she explains. ”So the Cuban sandwich and a Ruben sandwich to me were like the Cuban side and the Jewish side coming together … my first post was the Cuban Reuben sandwich, which combined [both].”

While the blog is not currently active, there are plenty of delicious recipes, including one for guava and cheese pastry. The recipe is below.

Jennifer Stempel talks about lo que sea and “With a Needle and Thread,” her love of food, and how she embraces her Jewish and Cuban heritage. She also shares some of her favorite recipes and how she MacGyvers in the kitchen to make meals from what she has on hand.

Learn more about Jennifer Stempel at JenniferStempel.com, get more recipes at thecubanreuben.com, and follow @TheCubanReuben on Instagram.

For the full conversation, listen to the podcast:

Watch the interview:

Guava and Cheese Pastry

Guava and cheese are the stars of the classic Cuban breakfast pastry.

Ingredients

1 Tbsp. powdered sugar

1 egg, whisked

1 tsp. water

1 box of frozen puff pastry dough, thawed

1 8-oz bar of cream cheese

1 package of guava paste

1 Tbsp. coarse sugar

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

2. Create an egg wash by combining the whisked egg and the water in a small bowl. Set aside.

3. Sprinkle powdered sugar on a flat surface, and lay out puff pastry dough on top.

4. Cut dough into 12 equal squares, and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

5. In the middle of 6 of the squares, add 1 heaping Tbs. of guava paste and top with 1 heaping Tbs. of cream cheese (Note: The amount of filling depends on personal taste). Brush the perimeter of these squares with egg wash.

6. On the other 6 squares, score the top with 3-4 lines, lengthwise, careful not to slice all the way to the top and bottom of the square. Top with the previous 6 squares. Press edges to seal.

7. Optional: You can now add an extra horizontal score on each end of the dough to add in extra puffing.
8. Brush the top dough with egg wash, sprinkle with coarse sugar, and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown and fully puffed.

9. Let stand on the baking sheet for 3 minutes, and then cool on wire rack.

Note: To make mini-pastries, cut each of the 6 squares in 4, and fill accordingly. Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until puffed and golden.

Debra Eckerling is a writer for the Jewish Journal and the host of “Taste Buds with Deb.” Subscribe on YouTube or your favorite podcast platform. Email Debra: tastebuds@jewishjournal.com.