On Feb. 25, the Young Israel of New Rochelle’s Women’s League hosted a culinary demonstration and tasting with the influencer known as Sivan’s Kitchen. Upon arrival, participants sampled some of Sivan’s famous salads: cucumber sesame, amba carrot, vegan Caesar, no-mayo red cabbage and a Shabbat green salad.
The first recipe demonstrated was her Crispy Rice Salad (Nam Khao). “It’s a really delicious Asian-infused salad.” Sivan said. “I grew up eating salad at every single dinner, every single lunch. It was the way my mom got vegetables into our diet.” This recipe called for cilantro. Sivan knows how many people don’t like cilantro and say it tastes like soap. “It does have an acquired taste to it,” she remarked. When chopping herbs, Sivan pointed out how the stems have lots of nutrition, vitamins, and flavor, advising the audience not to discard the stems but rather chop them up very finely and use them in the salad. For chopping, Sivan recommended only a chef knife, or a cleaver is necessary at home, not a big block of knives.
For the crispy rice demonstration, Sivan used Basmati rice. She advised that if preparing this salad ahead of time, add the avocado, crispy rice and peanuts just before serving to maintain texture. Crispy rice can become slightly soggy if it sits in a salad too long. Sivan explained the evolution of this dish: “Croutons are delicious in salads, but croutons made of bread have gluten in it. People cannot have gluten for various reasons. I make something all people can enjoy. I love textures in salads.”
The second dish of the evening was Safta Neomi’s Iraqi Tbeet. Sivan described the dish as a traditional Iraqi chicken and rice dish passed down from her grandmother, Safta Neomi. Sivan finds the rich flavor and warmth of this dish perfect for Shabbat or a comforting meal. She explained, “All Iraqi dishes start with sauteed onions and tomatoes.” The recipe includes cardamom. Sivan stressed this shouldn’t be skipped. “It has a distinct and delicious flavor.” The recipe calls for chicken thighs or leg pieces, but chicken breast can also be used. She also noted that this dish can be made in one pot. “I love to serve my dishes from the oven to the Shabbos table. It’s very nice to transfer things to beautiful platters. I do that many times, but I like the authentic look.”
While adding spices, Sivan recalled asking her grandmother how she chooses which spices to add. “Whenever I feel like it, I do this; whenever I feel like it, I do that.” Sivan explained this is how her page started. “Young girls, getting recipes from their mothers and grandmothers, were told to put a little bit of this and a little bit of that. You’ll know when it’s ready.” Sivan believes young women need everything written out and measured, “but older women know how to do it nicely in the kitchen.” Sivan recalled, as a young bride, writing down her grandmother’s recipes. She actually wrote her grandmother’s instructions: “You will know when it is ready.”
After the spectators tasted the dish, Sivan queried if the dish had enough salt or not. “Make the dishes the way you like,” she said. “Taste the food while you are cooking. Adjust it; don’t always follow a recipe exactly. You’re a queen in your own kitchen. Make it the way you like it, the way your family likes it.”
The third recipe demonstrated was “One Dough, 60 Cookies—Three Flavors in Minutes.” This versatile rolled cookie recipe is incredibly easy to make, freezes well and stays fresh for up to a week at room temperature and longer in the fridge. “I beg you not to buy store-bought cookies. This recipe is so simple. so easy to make. You have 60 cookies from this recipe. I’m sure you have all the ingredients in your kitchen, in your pantry, in your refrigerator.” Sivan also explained the filling can be made with anything you and your family like. “This cookie has so many options.”
While preparing the cookies, Sivan told her life story. “I was born into a family of bakers. My father was a baker. His father was a baker.” In 1980, Sivan’s father moved his family from Israel to Los Angeles and opened a bakery. Sivan credited her daughter for changing her Instagram account four years ago from Sivan’s Cakes to Sivan’s Kitchen.
Sivan concluded: “A little glimpse of Judaism through food, bringing it into your home, to your children—there’s nothing more beautiful. Every morning, I say thank you Hashem for this opportunity to do what I do, travel across the world, meet incredible women like you, and share this passion. Through food, you can change someone’s life.”
