Category: Fruit

RED: Strawberry Sago!

Strawberry Sago! the perfect recipe to kick off my Red, White, and Blue Series for July 4th! Over the next few posts, I’ll be sharing recipes inspired by each color of the American flag—celebrating summer with refreshing desserts that are as beautiful as they are delicious!

Last summer, I was fixated on creating a bowl of sago that was kosher. It popped up on my Instagram feed one day, and I just had to have it! The ice cold bowl of creamy coconut milk, fresh fruit, chewy pearls, and refreshing textures looked too good to be true on a hot summer day. It reminded me of my Bubby’s ambrosia, only less cloyingly sweet, and a lot “cleaner”.

This year, I wanted to give another fruit a try, so I swapped the mango for sweet summer strawberries. The result is this Strawberry Sago: creamy, fruity, refreshing, and surprisingly simple to make.

What I love most about this dessert is the contrast of textures. The tender tapioca pearls add a satisfying chew, the strawberries bring freshness and sweetness, and the creamy base ties everything together into something that feels both indulgent and light. It’s the kind of dessert that’s perfect for a hot summer day when you want something cool and refreshing without turning on the oven.

Strawberry Sago

1/4 cup small tapioca pearls (such as @bobsredmill )
1/3 cup strawberry popping boba
1 pint strawberries, sliced
13.5oz can full fat coconut milk (unsweetened)
1/4 cup sweetened condensed milk, or more, to taste
1/4-1/2 cup coconut water, optional

Bring 4 cups of water to a boil and add the tapioca pearls, cook for 20 minutes, uncovered, stirring every few minutes so it doesn’t stick together. Cover the pot and rest for 10 minutes or until the tapioca is translucent. Drain and rinse in cold water to remove the gelatinous coating.

In a blender, blend 1 heaping cup strawberries with coconut milk and sweetened condensed milk. Freeze until ice cold.

To a large bowl, add the remaining strawberries, boba and tapioca pearls. Stir in the coconut mixture until fully incorporated. If the mixture is too thick, thin it out with some coconut water until desired consistency. If the mixture is too tart, add more sweetened condensed milk.

Related Recipes

Strawberry Rhubarb Sauce & Graham Cracker Streusel
Whipped Strawberry Frosé
Strawberry Basil Popsicles
Strawberry Rhubarb Soup

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Italian Ricotta Cherry Pie

There are desserts that become popular because they are beautiful, and then there are desserts that survive because history forced them to. Crostata di ricotta e visciole — the iconic Roman Jewish sour cherry and ricotta tart — is both.

I first tried the famous pie when I visited the Jewish ghetto in Rome in 2021, and quickly learned that the ricotta cherry pie is a traditional Roman pastry available in every kosher restaurant! The texture of the ricotta is a lot firmer than what we get in states, more similar to farmer cheese.

ricotta cherry pies in the window of Boccione

Legend has it that during centuries of papal rule, Roman Jews lived under brutal restrictions, confined to the ghetto and limited in what they could own, sell, and eat. According to the story most commonly attached to this tart, Jews were forbidden by the Pope from openly selling dairy products. Bakers began hiding the sweetened ricotta beneath a layer of dough so the tart appeared to be a simple pie from the outside. What began as necessity became one of the great pastries of Rome.

Boccione’s famous ricotta cherry pie

Today, the most famous version is still associated with the tiny Roman bakery Boccione, the nearly 200-year-old bakery known as the “burnt cakes factory” tucked into the Jewish Ghetto, known for its dark, almost burnt-looking pastries and ricotta pies with blistered tops (because of the old ovens that have a very high temperature) and jam peeking through cracks in the crust. It is rustic, imperfect, deeply Roman, and unforgettable.

I wanted something inspired by that pie but slightly freer and more rustic — somewhere between a traditional crostata and a galette. I started with authentic pasta frolla, the classic Italian sweet pastry dough that is softer and more cookie-like than American pie crust. Then came the ricotta filling, the sour cherry preserves, and eventually the realization that my American ricotta was far too loose for a freeform galette. So the dessert evolved back into what it probably always should have been: a proper Italian ricotta tart.

The result was one of those desserts that tastes old-world in the best way. Buttery crust. Bright cherry jam. Creamy ricotta. Not cheesecake exactly. Not pie exactly. Something more rustic and soulful, and just perfect for Shavuot.


ricotta cherry pie at Casalino in the Jewish Ghetto
 

Crostata di ricotta e visciole
Ricotta Cherry Pie

Pasta Frolla Dough

2 cups all purpose flour
½ cup granulated sugar
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ cup cold unsalted butter, cubed
1 large egg
1 egg yolk
Zest of ½ orange
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg, for eggwash

Add the flour, sugar, and salt to a food processor and pulse a few times to combine. Add the cold butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse sand with small pea-sized bits of butter remaining. Add the egg, egg yolk, orange zest, and vanilla and pulse just until the dough begins forming large clumps. Turn the dough onto the counter and gently press together into a disk. Wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Ricotta Filling

NOTE: for a more authentic ricotta texture, strain 2 cups of ricotta overnight and omit the cornstarch.

1½ cups whole milk ricotta
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
2 tablespoons cornstarch
16oz. sour cherry jam, such as D’arbo

In a bowl, whisk together the ricotta, sugar, egg, vanilla, salt, and cornstarch until smooth.

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Cut the chill dough in half and roll out into 2 discs. Place one half into a tart pan or pie dish. Chill again for 15 minutes. Fill with the cherry jam and ricotta mixture and top with the second sheet of dough. If you have any scraps of dough, you can decorate the pie with it!

Brush the crust with egg wash and bake for 50–65 minutes until the crust is deeply golden and the filling is mostly set with a slight wobble in the center.

Cool completely before slicing. The ricotta texture is best when served cold.

 

Related Recipes:

cherry yogurt popsicles

halva and ricotta stuffed figs

pumpkin ricotta pancakes with cranberry syrup

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Tu B’Shvat Tahdig

I’ve been wanting to nail tahdig for the longest time. That crispy-crusted rice studded with dried fruit and nuts…. it’s everything I want in a dish – crispy, fragrant, comforting…. the perfect show stopper! When I thought about what to make for Tu B’shvat to incorporate the Sheva Minim (the seven species from the Land of Israel), it came down to THIS! How else to celebrate the fruit of the tree than with a beautiful mound of fruit-studded golden rice, amiright??

So we got 5 out of 7 minim: olives (oil+olives!), figs, dates (silan), grapes (raisins), and pomegranate! And if you want to incorporate all 7, you can make this recipe with a mix of wheat berries and barley and serve as a pilaf instead of a tahdig!

Happy Tu B’shvat

Tu B’shvat Tahdig

1/3 cup olive
1 large onion, thinly sliced into half moons
1 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp cardamom
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup sliced dried figs
1/2 cups sliced olives (I used Castelveltrano)
1/2 cup golden raisins
2 cups rinsed basmati rice
Zest and juice of 1 orange
2 tsp kosher salt
3 1/2 cups water
1 tbsp silan
For garnish: chopped parsley, pomegranate seeds, toasted sliced almonds

Method:

In a nonstick skillet (this is important!!), heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and saute until golden. Add the turmeric, cardamom and cinnamon and stir until fragrant. Add the figs, olives and raisins and stir to incorporate. Add in rice, orange zest and juice, salt, water and silan and mix until combined. Cook the rice, uncovered, until the rice is level with the water. reduce the heat to a low simmer and cover the pot. Cook for 45 minutes.

Cool for a few minutes and then flip onto a serving platter. Garnish with parsley, pomegranate and almonds.

Related Recipes:

pecan pie date bark
turkey wrapped beef stuffed dates
feta stuffed dates with crispy kataifi
honey roasted zaatar chicken
dried fruit brie bites
Tu Bshvat truffles

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Knafeh Apple Pie

Yes, we’re still on the Dubai chocolate trend, or at least many of us have been, and therefore have kataifi dough in our freezers! Alas, here is the most festive way to use it for the Rosh Hashanah holiday! This idea came to me one night, inspired by the popular Israeli dish, knafeh – a crispy kataifi pie filled with savory melted cheese, doused in a rosewater syrup. It took a couple of rounds of testing to get the ultimate crispy bite, but boy was it worth it! I’ve even got an easier deconstructed version for you (see note)!

Knafeh Apple Pie

16oz. Kataifi pastry, defrosted (see note)
1 cup refined coconut oil, melted
5 apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
2 tbsp lemon juice
½ cup brown sugar
1 ½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp cardamom
Pinch salt
2 tbsp cornstarch
⅓ cup apple cider (or water)
½ cup chopped roasted salted pistachio
Edible rose petals

Honey Syrup
½ cup honey
½ cup water
2 tbsp lemon juice

Toss the apples in the lemon juice immediately after slicing to prevent browning. Add to a large skillet along with the sugar, cinnamon, cardamom and salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring until the apples soften and the juices bubble (cover to speed up the process).

In a small bowl, stir the cornstarch into the apple cider to make a slurry. Add to the skillet and cook, stirring, until the juices thicken and coat the apples. Keep cooking until the liquid looks glossy and clings to the apples.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Brush the bottom of a deep pie dish with coconut oil. Lay down thick strips of the katafi dough along the bottom of the dish (cut them in half if they are too long), allowing the strings to fall over the sides and brush with coconut oil. Spread another layer in the opposite direction until the dish is fully covered and brush with more oil. Fill with the apple filling mixture and fold the overhanging dough over the top of the apples to cover completely. Brush with remaining coconut oil.

Bake for 45 minutes – 1 hour until the dough is deeply golden and caramelized.

While the pie is baking, add the honey, water and lemon juice to a small pot and simmer for 10 minutes until slightly thickened.

When the pie is out of the oven, drizzle the hot syrup evenly over the kataifi in the pie dish. Allow the pie to absorb the honey for 10 minutes and then flip the pie onto a cake stand or serving dish (It helps to do this over a baking sheet in case the syrup drips over!) Garnish with pistachios and rose petals and serve.

NOTES:

I did multiple rounds of testing after preparing my first batch (which you may have watched on Instagram), here are some tips for optimum crispiness:

You’ll need a thicker layer of kataifi dough than seen on the video. Use most or all of the box depending on the size of your dish.

Don’t let the katafi sit in the pie dish longer or it will steam and get soggy. If not serving right away, it’s best not to cover it or the kataifi will soften. If you want to serve warm, you can reheat but do not pour the honey syrup until close to serving time.

Not recommended to freeze or prepare more than a few hours in advance as the kataifi will lose it’s crispiness.

VARIATION: for an easier deconstructed version – chop up the kataifi pastry and mix it with some melted coconut oil. Bake until golden and crispy, stirring every 10 minutes. To serve, place some of the toasted kataifi on the bottom of a dessert cup or bowl, top with sauted apples, more shredded kataifi, pistachios and rose petals.

here’s the deconstructed version!

Related Recipes

Silan Baked Apples with Pistachio Kataifi
Hawaij Apple Crisp with Halva Crumble
Feta Stuffed Dates with Crispy Kataifi
Dubai Chocolate Biscotti

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Apple & Honey Garlic Confit

Confit is all the rage these days, and I see garlic confit on just about every Shabbos table! This jalapeno date confit went all out viral when I first posted it on the gram, and it’s made it’s rounds around the world! What is it about confit? Well, it’s a vehicle to drive through an entire loaf of challah or sourdough, that’s for sure. But this one? It’s SO GOOD you will literally just want to eat it with a spoon! Happy sweet new year, indeed!

 

Apple & Honey Garlic Confit

1 firm apple, peeled and sliced
1 large or 2 small leeks, white and pale green parts, chopped
1/2 cup peeled garlic cloves
3 sprigs thyme
Kosher salt and pepper, to taste
1 heaping tbsp honey
Extra virgin olive oil

Method:

Preheat oven to 350°
Cut the leeks in half lengthwise, rinse between the layers to remove any dirt. Slice. Add to a non-reactive baking dish with the remaining ingredients with enough olive oil to mostly cover everything.

Bake, uncovered for 45 minutes or until everything is soft and buttery and starting to brown.

Slather on sourdough and enjoy!

Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two weeks. May be frozen.

 

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date jalapeno confit
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