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 is for Pastrami” and “Meet the Latkes.”

When asked what it’s like to be in his head, Silberberg says, “”It's like going up a really beautiful hill that sometimes you trip and then fall very fast into a big, splashy pool of chicken soup. I'm up, down, making things up … coming up with characters; it's a fun life.”

Silberberg loves drawing food; it’s the gateway to every kid, every family.

“It's like a muscle memory for your tummy,” Silberberg says. “There aren't enough good funny stories about food, especially Jewish food; I have the Jewish funny food niche.”

Silberberg shares his journey from loving to doodle, to working in kids TV, to author. He also talks about his favorite Jewish foods, bagel preferences, fun with food characters, and how to live an everything bagel kind of life.

“My books allow kids to enter the story and not identify as the kid, but go, ‘Oh, I'm kind of like that bagel,’” Silverberg says. “There's something safe about … being able to connect [and identify] with a food.”

To learn more about Alan Silverberg go to silberbooks.com and follow @alan_silberberg on Instagram. Read the article at JewishJournal.com/podcasts.

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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 about both my Jewish religion and my Puerto Rican heritage is that they both are inspired by a diversity of experience,” she says. “[As Jews], what we eat and how we celebrate is so tied to [our] family’s [origin]; everything is so symbolic.

“Likewise, in Puerto Rico, we spend a lot of time around that [multigenerational] table … food is really an important part of the way we spend time together, the way we take care of one another.”

Soup is a definite common ground between the cultures. “I am a big believer that everyone should know how to make chicken soup, because it's the base; chicken stock can be used to do so many different things,” she says. “It really is good for you.”

Kennealy talks about her background, heritage, and love for being a culinary educator - especially around the globe, along with tips for entertaining and hospitality. She also shares her recipe for mofongo and matzo ball soup, which you can find at JewishJournal.com/podcasts.

For more cooking inspiration, follow @trishaperezkennealy on Instagram.

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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 what you already have on hand,” Pepaj says. “AI … isn't just about making a new recipe, this is about actually helping someone at the most important moment of cooking.”

As the High Holidays approach, people start pulling out old recipe books - passed down through generations - or binders with cutouts of recipes. However, many of these recipes have faded or are missing ingredients or instructions. If you are the person who has been making that recipe for years, it’s not a problem. But what about everyone else?

The magic of AI is it can look at a recipe, see if something's missing and then be able to modify it. It’s also great for adapting it for a different number of servings and substitutions.

“For example, you might have a recipe that's [been] in your family and all of a sudden your sister-in-law is gluten free [or] maybe you became vegan; you want to keep it within the same style, you want to make sure it has the same flavors,” she explains. “When [you] are preparing … especially anything that's holiday related - anything that's truly memorable, anything that has history and tradition - you don't want to mess up.”

Babette Pepaj talks about BakeBot, ways to use AI for not just recipes, but confidence in the kitchen, and the evolution of recipe discovery. “Social media is like the cooking tool no one knew that they needed,” she says. Pepaj also shares her BakeBot.ai created recipe for Rosh Hashanah cupcakes with apple butter cream, which you can get at JewishJournal.com/podcasts

Try out at Bakebot.ai and explore Bakespace.com.

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