Food

The Food Section incorporates Varsano Family recipes, food memories, holiday specialities and menus, and adaptations of traditional Sephardic dishes. The items included in this section are intended to be a basic representation of popular Sephardic cuisine. The intention is for this section to grow as various members of the extended Varsano family contribute their own recipes, memories, and traditions.

Bread and Soup

Challah Bread

Sopa de Huevos y Limon

Salads

Israeli Salad

Ensalada Shopska

Mezze (Appetizers)

Hummus

Huevos Haminados

Spinach and Feta Bourekas

Bulgarian Eggplant and Pepper Dip

Keftes De Prasa (Leek Patties)

Yogurt Dishes

Tzatziki

Tarator

Haydari

Ricotta Latkes

Fish Dishes

Salmon with Lemon and Oregano

Pasta con La Mollica with Anchovies

Meat Dishes

Pesach Roasted Lamb

Jon’s Sephardic Hanukkah Chicken

Rice Dishes

Pink Rice

Saffron Rice

Desserts

Halvah

Salonica Halva

Israeli Halvah

Cookies

Biscochos (Jon Varsano Recipe)

Mustachudo (Jon Varsano Recipe)

Masapan – Sephardic Marzipan

Donuts

Loukoumades

Bimuelos de Hanuka

Challah Fritters with Sweet Tahini Sauce

Challah French Toast

Chocolate

Varsano’s Chocolates

Drinks

Turkish Coffee

Kosher Wine

Raki

Holiday Specialties

  1. Pesach
    1. Pesach Roasted Lamb
    2. Haroset
    3. Burmuelos aka Bimuelos de Pesach (Sarah (Varsano) Gerecht Recipe -1998)
  2. Hanuka
    1. Ricotta Latkes
    2. Hanuka Donuts
      1. Loukoumades
      2. Bimuelos de Hanuka
      3. Challah Fritters with Sweet Tahini Sauce
    3. Jon’s Sephardic Hanukkah Chicken

Special thanks to Rachel, Sarah “Seli,” and Mordecai Varsano and all the great cooks and chefs of Sephardic Cuisine that have inspired Jon Varsano to create this Varsano Food Section with adapted recipes of traditional dishes.

The Sephardic Spice Girls

Faith Kramer

Robert Sternberg

Viviane Alchech Miner