Taste Buds With Deb

On this episode of Taste Buds with Deb, host Debra Eckerling speaks with Pam Stein, founder of In Pam's Kitchen. Stein loves to experiment with flavors and textures. And there's no better time for it than creating fun hamentaschen for Purim.   "The traditional filling for hamantaschen is the poppy seed, because they were originally called… mohn," Stein explains. "Prune became the second [most popu...

On this episode of Taste Buds with Deb , host Debra Eckerling speaks with Elaine Hall, founder of The Miracle Project and contributor to "A Different Spirit: Creating Meaningful B'nai Mitzvah for Children with Disabilities."    The Miracle Project is a fully inclusive theatre, film and social program for neurodivergent, autistic, disabled and non-disabled individuals. "A Different Spirit" addresse...

On this episode of Taste Buds with Deb, host Debra Eckerling speaks with Michelle Weissman Heston of Heston Cakes. A cake artist with a passion for designing, building, and presenting showstopping desserts, Heston says, "Ultimately, all cake … in my mind should be chocolate."   From hyper-realistic cakes shaped like sneakers, Big Macs, and lox and bagels to simple but dramatic Valentine's Day choc...

On this episode of Taste Buds with Deb, host Debra Eckerling speaks with Chef Jeff Strauss, the creative force behind Oy Bar and Jeff's Table, about his journey from Hollywood comedy writer to LA food innovator.   "I have cooked with joy and passion and love for most of my life," he says.   For more than 30 years, Strauss worked as a writer and producer on shows like Friends, Dream On, and Reba, a...

On this episode of Taste Buds with Deb, host Debra Eckerling speaks with matchmaker, dating coach, and TV writer Jaydi Samuels Kuba, author of "Your Last First Date: Secrets from a Hollywood Matchmaker."   Food, dating, and Jewish tradition are all connected. They compliment each other. There's a right and wrong way to choose venues and food for first dates; like finding someone's perfect match, t...

On this episode of Taste Buds with Deb, host Debra Eckerling speaks with Hilary Sheinbaum, a journalist and the founder of GoingDry.co, a non-alcoholic (N.A.) events and menu curation company. She is also the author of "Going Dry: A Workbook: A Practical Guide to Drinking Less and Living More" and "The Dry Challenge: How to Lose the Booze for Dry January, Sober October, and Any Other Alcohol-Free...

On this episode of Taste Buds with Deb, host Debra Eckerling speaks with bagel-tarian Sam Silverman, founder and CEO of BagelUp and the creator of New York BagelFest.   "From the earliest memories that I have, bagels were always a part of our life, a part of our household," Silverman, who grew up in Worcester, Massachusetts, says. "When I moved to New York 10 years ago, and I had my first New York...

On this episode of Taste Buds with Deb, host Debra Eckerling speaks with Halle Stanford, executive producer and co-creator of "The Monty Pickle Show" and Monty Pickle himself.   A kosher dill with a lot of personality, Monty Pickle is the first-ever series aimed at introducing kids to the Jewish experience and Jewish joy. Monty's YouTube channel has videos of him performing the new Hanukkah song "...

On this episode of Taste Buds with Deb, host Debra Eckerling speaks with celebrity chef, cookbook author, and TV personality Duff Goldman, Charm City Cakes, in honor of baking season!   "There's so much more baking that happens than other times of the year," he says. "It's our time to shine!"   He also has a bunch of new projects. A few months ago Duff, who is known for making ginormous cakes that...

On this episode of Taste Buds with Deb, host Debra Eckerling speaks with sisters Amy and Nancy Harrington, cofounders of The Passionistas Project, a global community of women.    "It's all about elevating women who don't often get the support and attention that they need," Amy explains. It's also about helping them tell their stories.   Storytelling and food go hand-in-hand, especially in the case...

On this episode of Taste Buds with Deb, host Debra Eckerling speaks with Lenny Rosenberg and Adaeze Nwanonyiri Rosenberg, owners of New York Bagel Deli and Bakery - aka NYBD and Bakery. The husband-and-wife team also own Bea's Bakery in the Valley, as well as star in "It's a Sweet World" on JLTV and have a cookbook by the same name.     NYBD and Bakery combines Lenny's Jewish, baking and restauran...

On this episode of Taste Buds with Deb, host Debra Eckerling speaks with Dan Raskin, the fourth-generation owner of Manny's Cafeteria & Delicatessen. The legendary Chicago institution, started by his grandfather and great uncle, has been serving classic deli fare since 1942.    "[When the deli first opened] our customers were primarily Jewish - I would say 95 or even 100 percent," Raskin says. "An...

On this episode of Taste Buds with Deb, host Debra Eckerling speaks with Melanie Lutz, author of "Everything is Soup: Sicilian Wisdom, Nourishment and Recipes for a Delicious Life."    In the book, Lutz combines her Sicilian and Jewish roots, along with her love of storytelling.   "Soup is life," author Melanie Lutz believes. "When we make a delicious soup that we can serve, we're sharing what we...

On this episode of Taste Buds with Deb, host Debra Eckerling speaks with Rachel Simons, author of "Sesame: Global Recipes + Stories of an Ancient Seed," co-founder of  Seed+Mill , based in New York City's iconic Chelsea Market.    The book - and the conversation - talk about the seed's metaphor and connection.   "Seeds are the beginning of life; that's how everything starts: vegetables, fruits, hu...

On this episode of Taste Buds with Deb, host Debra Eckerling speaks with Matthew Jonas and David Foerstner, co-founders of Good Karma Chocolate. Good Karma offers small batch bean-to-bar chocolate, drinking cacao, cacao blend-ins, and plenty of positive vibes.   "Dave and I share a passion for all things dark chocolate," Jonas explains. "Most of the [bean-to-bar and cacao] brands out there are ver...

On this episode of Taste Buds with Deb, host Debra Eckerling speaks with Genna Rosenberg, founder of GennComm and a major foodie! A 30-year toy, licensing and entertainment industry executive, she focuses on the intersection of social impact, consumer products, and business strategy   "When I was a little kid, some of my earliest toys were a play tea set or a pretend kitchen or plastic food," Rose...

On this episode of Taste Buds with Deb, host Debra Eckerling speaks with Jamie Milne, founder of Everything Delish. When Milne launched 12 years ago, she had no idea she would become a viral food sensation! Her Instagram has 820,000 followers, Pinterest has 255,00+ and TikTok has 2.5 million. You get the idea.   Whether she's demonstrating quick recipes, sharing tips or partnering with brands, Mil...

On this episode of Taste Buds with Deb, host Debra Eckerling speaks with Noah Rothbaum, author of "The Whiskey Bible: A Complete Guide to the World's Greatest Spirit," among others.    In the book - and in the interview - Rothbaum shares everything you ever wanted to know about whiskey, and more, including the pivotal role of Jewish immigrants in bringing whiskey to America.    "In many ways, Amer...

On this episode of Taste Buds with Deb, host Debra Eckerling speaks with Alan Silberberg, an award-winning author, cartoonist and children's TV creator, whose latest book is "The Bagel Who Wanted Everything." This funny, heart-warming story of a plain bagel's quest to see what else is out there in the world is the latest in his series of silly kids' books about Jewish food; other titles include "P...

On this episode of Taste Buds with Deb, host Debra Eckerling speaks with Trisha Pérez Kennealy, owner and culinary educator of the Inn at Hastings Park in Lexington, MA.    A proud Puerto Rican Jewish woman, Kennealy lived in Puerto Rico until she was 12, at which time her family moved to Massachusetts. She says she is like "Juanita Epstein" from the "Welcome Back Kotter" TV show.   "What I love a...

On this episode of Taste Buds with Deb, host Debra Eckerling speaks with Babette Pepaj, founder of BakeSpace.com and BakeBot.ai. The free AI-powered cooking assistant generates recipes, digitizes family favorites and suggests ingredient swaps.    "It helps you do everything from thinking about what foods you're going to buy to seeing what's in the fridge [and figuring] out what you can make with w...

On this episode of Taste Buds with Deb, host Debra Eckerling speaks with Bruce Weinstein, food writer and author of 40 books, 38 of which are cookbooks. His latest, written with husband and frequent collaborator Mark Scarbrough, is "Cold Canning: The Easy Way to Preserve the Seasons Without Hot Water Processing."   "Cold Canning" offers a primer on easy, safe, budget-friendly preservation. The boo...

On this episode of Taste Buds with Deb, host Debra Eckerling speaks with Jennifer Stempel, 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, a...

On this episode of Taste Buds with Deb, host Debra Eckerling speaks with Jeremy Kneller Hernandez, owner of Kneller's Delicatessen & Appetizing in Tucson, Arizona.   "[A good deli] is like a barbershop with food; everyone knows each other by name and it's just cozy," Hernandez says. "When I have people in the deli here, who are literally hanging out all day eating breakfast and lunch and talking t...

On this episode of Taste Buds with Deb, host Debra Eckerling speaks with Natalie Kalmar, the creator behind  FitnessFoodieSTL , a resource that empowers women and families to live well without the pressure of perfection.   " There are so many ways that you can move your body, whether it's dance fitness, playing a sport, [or] walking your dog," she explains. "All of that counts; all of that is move...