I don’t think it’s possible to explore a culture without examining its cuisine, or a cuisine without examining its culture. They are intertwined and interdependent, influenced as much by philosophy and convention as they are by the ingredients available at the local market. The focus of this blog is Sephardic (Judeo-Spanish) food and culture. Through shared histories, recipes, personal experience and informed observations, I hope to impart not only a sense of what it is to be and feel (and eat, of course) Sephardic, but an opportunity to live and explore our legacy in a meaningful way in the 21st century. Enjoy the stories, the commentary, the photos. Ask questions, offer your own insight, visit often. And by all means, try the recipes. * * *
The Amateau family in Rhodes, 1917
Janet Amateau is a descendant of the Sephardic communities of Rhodes and Adalia, Turkey. A New York native who has lived in Spain since 2005, she grew up in a Ladino-speaking household immersed in the generous and hospitable tradition of preparing and sharing delicious meals over lively conversation, two hallmarks of Sephardic culture.
In 2007 she opened a pioneering restaurant, Tradescàntia, on the Mediterranean coast between Barcelona and Girona. Featuring classic Sephardic cuisine alongside other Mediterranean fare, the project was a rare undertaking in Spain and groundbreaking in Catalonia. She has recently left the restaurant to devote more time to Sephardic culinary exploration and education.
Janet has taught Sephardic food and culture at the Lower East Side Tenement Museum in New York, and catered the 5th, 6th and 7th annual European Day of Jewish Culture in Barcelona. She has been featured in The Washington Post, El Alef Magazine/Casa Sefarad Israel, TV3 Barcelona, and The Jewish Week, interviewed by Doreen Carvajal, and cited by Joan Nathan (Tablet Magazine), and Marcella Hazan (The Educated Palate). Her recipes have appeared in The Washington Post and are published in The Fishmonger’s Apprentice: The Expert’s Guide to Selecting, Preparing and Cooking a World of Seafood, Taught by the Masters by Aliza Green (Quarry Books, 2011). She has designed menus for landmark restaurants and hotels including New York’s Tavern on the Green and the Brown Palace Hotel in Denver.
“Preserving Summer” by Joan Nathan, Tablet Magazine; July 2011
February 19, 2012 at 8:33 pm
Thank you so much for sending me Jewish Catalan recipes from the Middle Ages. I am planning to visit Girona, and when I do I will definitely plan a stop at your restaurant. In the mean time, I will cook your suggestions!
Yours,
Ronit Treatman
February 19, 2012 at 11:11 pm
Ronit – the post went out while I was still in the middle of writing it (there are days I hate my computer)! The recipe you’ve got is fine, but you’ll see more details tomorrow
– Janet
January 15, 2012 at 3:01 am
Just wondering if you are related to Maurice and Susan Amateau?
Susan was my grandfather’s aunt. I found this site while looking up old recipes my grandfather has told me about.
October 20, 2011 at 10:43 pm
I am thinking of you today Janet- in the Sephardic ballad “tres hermanicas eran” There were three little sisters- the youngest sister, the one who doesn’t marry, gets sent to a castle in Rhodes to expunge the shame of the father.. LOL.. that’s what the song says. No joke.
October 21, 2011 at 9:32 am
I know the song well, and remember my elder Rhodesli relatives singing it (with much mirth) when I was very young. I am also the youngest of three, but my father would be the first to tell you (so I hope!) that I have brought him no shame – not even when we visited Rhodes together
July 14, 2011 at 2:17 am
Hi Janet,
Are you related to Morris Amateau from NYC? He was a doctor and married to Suzanne Cory. Just curious as I came across your site looking up some foods my grandfather was talking about today.
Hope to hear from you either way!
~Shana
July 14, 2011 at 3:27 pm
Yes, I am, Shana! They were (great) Uncle Morris and Aunt Sue to me. Is your grandfather from Rhodes? I’d be curious to know what foods he was talking about. Thank you! — JA
July 6, 2011 at 6:49 pm
Hola Janet, Mi nombre es Raquel Amateau, somos familia. Me encanta tu blog. Me recuerda la comida sephardi que cocinaba mi abuela Raquel y mi padre Musani. Estoy casada con un espanol y vivimos 20 anos en Arroyo de la Miel, Benalmadena,Malaga. Ahora vivimos en Aventura, Florida. Cuando vayamos a Barcelona pensamos visitar tu restaurante. Un fuerte abrazo, Raquel
July 6, 2011 at 7:47 pm
Hola, Raquel! Eres tu la madre de Moises que bailaba flamenco? Si eres ella, yo tambien me acuerdo la comida de tu abuela – mas que nada los biscochos. Me alegro de verdad que te gusta el blog, te doy gracias y te mando un abrazo muy fuerte.
February 28, 2011 at 2:37 pm
Dear Janet,
I googled Sephardic Cooking and found you. It’s too bad that you are in Barcelona, because I was looking for someone to cook Sephardic food for my son’s Bar Mitzvah in May…
Anyway, some day I will go to your restaurant, perhaps this summer when I am there.
I have been involved with Spain since 1981, and live in NYC and work for the Gov’t of Valencia, Spain… Also used to work for Banco Sabaell many years ago…
HOpe to meet you on day!
Paul Vella
September 11, 2010 at 9:15 pm
Janet, I will be in Spain on a Tauck Tour next month (October) I will be in Seville,Marbella,Granada,Cordoba, and Madrid. To you know of any Sephardic food restaurants that may be located in these cities? My parents immigrated to Atlanta and were born in Izmir. Thank you for your website. It is terrific.
September 12, 2010 at 9:25 am
Dan – If you do a quick search (yahoo, google, etc) you’ll come up with quite a few names. And if any readers want to offer suggestions, they’ll be welcome.
October 18, 2010 at 6:33 pm
In Madrid, there are 2 sefardi restaurants which also happen to be kosher. The first one is Naomi Grill on the calle Pensamiento, and there is also La Escudilla on the calle Santísima Trinidad (no, I am not kidding!).
July 29, 2010 at 5:49 pm
So happy to discover your site. As a Turkish person living in Istanbul I am very interested in Sephardic cooking. I believe Istanbul cuisine is very much influenced by Jewish traditions.
You are doing great work to preserve lovely traditions. Congratulations !
August 2, 2010 at 8:25 am
Thank you, Isin
July 29, 2010 at 2:26 am
Janet
I am going to be visiting Spain at the end of October and would like to know if you’re cooking any traditional Sephardi foods in your restaurant. If so, considering taking a detour to visit and dine with you.
thanks
Gail from Toronto, Canada.
July 27, 2010 at 7:47 pm
Hi Janet,
I enjoyed your blog.
My husband is sephardic (Benviniste) and grandparents from Rhodes and we are planning
a Sephardic formal meal in September.I am going to collect hx to share with the group…please add me to your blog…
August 2, 2010 at 8:26 am
Connie – Done!
May 17, 2010 at 12:58 am
HELLO JANET WE ARE INTERSTING THE SEPHARDIC COOK WE HAVE MANY COOK BOOKS FROM THE WORLD WE LIVE IN CALIF OIUR FAMILY ARE FROM RHODES AND TURKEY WE HAVE BEEN VISIT THE TEMPLE IN THE WORLD WE LOVE RHODES VERY MUCH WE VISITED RO SEE BARCLONEA AND GIRONA IN 1992 AND 2002 WHERE DO YOU LIVE NOW WE WILL GO TO NEW YORK WHERE I WAS BORN IN N.Y.C
BENNY AND SARAH JASON ABREVAYA SHEMARIA HASSON NAHAIMS
May 12, 2010 at 7:42 pm
Janet, I love this site. It’s wonderful.
Joanna
May 12, 2010 at 10:06 pm
Thank you, Joanna!
March 19, 2010 at 8:40 pm
Hello..What a wonderful website/blog. My parents were from Rhodes too..and I especially remember pepitada after Yom Kippur. We used aqua de flor to flavor the water. Keep the info coming..it is a great!
March 19, 2010 at 6:27 am
My family from Rhodes and Canakkale, Turkey. My father was Hasson, my mother was Abrevaya. We collect Sephardic cook books in the world. I love to make boreka and biscochos all time. We are Sephardic and rare, for deaf couple in small world. Sarah’s parents were born in Rhodes, also my father, too. we have been there many times. We never boring to visit Rhodes. We learn about history, we meet people. We live near San Francisco. We have been in Gerona and Barcelona a few times.
BENNY AND SARAH
March 19, 2010 at 11:08 pm
If you sign, your Sephardic world is not as small as you think – I studied ASL! It’s a long time already but I remember some of what I learned and I still have my dictionaries. What a great language! It’s beautiful and also VERY funny. Thanks for writing! — JA
March 13, 2010 at 3:29 pm
“Salud, amor, dinero y tiempo para gozarlos,” …
Janet, your toast is interesting because it brings back memories…In our family we toasted by saying, “Salud Y Pesetas”
February 4, 2010 at 5:57 pm
Buenos Diaz,
i am wondering if you can help with infromation.
I need to find a good Ladino or Sephardic Toast to good friends at a dinner I am organizing.
I was wondering if you have any connections to someone or an organization that could help me with this. The friends I am toasting are very close. I would like to be able to translate the toast to them as well as say it.
Many Thanks,
Steve Frankel
Thetis Island,BC
Canada
February 4, 2010 at 8:22 pm
Hi, Steve.
Here you go: “Salud, amor, dinero y tiempo para gozarlos,” which means: Health, love, money and time to enjoy them!
It’s classic. If they’re Sephardic they’ll thoroughly appreciate it.
Here’s a reasonable phonetic guide:
sah-LOOD, ah-MOHR, dee-NEH-roh, ee ti-YEM-poh pah-rah goh-ZAR-los.
– Janet
June 11, 2009 at 8:48 pm
I just found you through sephardim.com. Thank you for a great blog!
March 6, 2009 at 2:29 am
Hola Janet, es un placer haber encontrado tu Blog, estoy estudiando cocina en París, y realmente me gustaría aprender y conocer mas sobre la cocina Sefardí y como, no solo ha sobrevivido durante siglos, sino que hoy día es una realidad.
Una cosa muy graciosa es que, en mi casa estamos bien familiarizado con el cuajao, pero en este caso es de pescado, mi Abuela Petra todavía lo cocina.
mil gracias y felicitaciones por tu trabajo
Nerwin
January 7, 2009 at 11:12 pm
I too am thrilled to have received a link to this blog.
I’m so looking forward to reading and sharing with you and others.
Best Wishes for the New Year.
Estelle
December 23, 2008 at 5:48 pm
I’m thrilled to have found you…I will put your blog on my blogroll as I have readership worldwide. Please visit and see what we Sephardim are up to.
Best wishes,
Aimee