Katherine Romanow

Katherine Romanow

Katherine Romanow is a graduate student in Montreal who is lucky enough to have been able to convince people to let her study two things that she is truly passionate about, namely food and Judaism. When she is not reading or writing about Judaism, food and women, she can usually be found cooking or baking up a storm in the kitchen and then sitting down to share this food with family and friends. Katherine is continually inspired by the voices of the Jewish women she encounters in the cookbooks she reads as well as those in her everyday life, and strives to bring these voices along with feminism into the kitchen with her.

Blog Posts

"Jerusalem" by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi

Review of Jerusalem: A Cookbook by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi

Katherine Romanow

Prolific is the word that comes to mind when I think about cookbooks these days. There are hundreds lining the shelves of bookstores or on your computer screen--depending on how you choose to do your shopping. Either way there are a lot of cookbooks to be had, and with new ones published on a regular basis, it can be hard to know which are actually worth purchasing.

There have been many excellent cookbooks published this past year, and Jerusalem is without a doubt at the top of that list. I remember my excitement when I read the news about its publication, and when I finally received my copy, I wasn’t disappointed. It’s one of those cookbooks that elicits exclamations of “I have to make this!” with almost every turn of the page.

Olive Oil Cake

Keep the Spirit of Hanukkah Burning with Olive Oil Cake

Katherine Romanow

Although Hanukkah is known as the festival of lights, I think a more fitting name would be the festival of fried foods. It’s the time of year during which people expect and want to find deep fried food on their plates and I’m more than happy to oblige. Although, as much as I love eating latkes and sufganiyot, there are moments where I need a break from all the fried foods. Yet in the spirit of the holiday I still want to eat a dish in which oil is a central component.

Topics: Recipes, Hanukkah

Pomegranate and Vanilla-Honey Parfait

Katherine Romanow

Food is never simply food on a Jewish table. Rather, it’s symbolic and carries meaning that goes beyond the sum of its parts.

Artichoke Pesto with Matzah

Eating Jewish: Artichoke pesto with matzah

Katherine Romanow

Reading through my copy of the Encyclopedia of Jewish Food by Gil Marks, I learned that artichokes are a common feature on the Passover tables of Italians and other Sephardim, since they usually first appear in early spring. I immediately knew that I wanted make this culinary tradition part of my own Passover celebrations. Yet, I have to admit that artichokes are one ingredient that intimidate me with their spiny outer leaves and inner choke that can be gag-inducing if not removed properly. Until I overcome my fear of artichokes (and for convenience's sake), I used using jarred or canned artichoke hearts.

Topics: Food, Passover
Coconut Matzah Brei

Eating Jewish: Coconut Matzah Brei

Katherine Romanow

I’m going to let you in on a little secret of mine: I actually like those tinned coconut macaroons that come out for Passover each year.

Topics: Food, Passover
Fava Bean Soup (Bessara)

Eating Jewish: Fava bean soup (Bessara)

Katherine Romanow

I pride myself on constantly using and experimenting with a variety of ingredients when I cook. However, fava beans were one of those things that hadn’t made it into my culinary repertoire.

Topics: Food, Passover
Wine-stewed Prunes with Mascarpone Cheese

Eating Jewish: Not your bubbe’s compote

Katherine Romanow

You're probably thinking that prunes don’t belong in the same sentence as dessert, let alone anywhere near the sweet finish of a meal.

Topics: Food, Recipes, Passover
Quajado for Passover

Eating Jewish: Quajado for Passover

Katherine Romanow

Passover cooking is certainly defined by the dietary restriction of abstaining from chametz, or leavened grain.

Topics: Food, Recipes, Passover
Espinacas con Garbanzos (Spinach and Chickpeas)

Eating Jewish: Espinacas con Garbanzos (Spinach and Chickpeas)

Katherine Romanow

Hamantaschen are the signature food of Purim, and I definitely look forward to this time of year knowing that I’ll get to eat my fill of those delicious cookies.

Topics: Food, Recipes, Purim

How to cite this page

Jewish Women's Archive. " Katherine Romanow ." (Viewed on September 28, 2023) <https://jwa.org/blog/author/katherine-romanow>.