Once upon a time, an Ashkenazi woman from New York met and fell in love with a Sephardi man from Morocco, and life was never the same. That’s the story that Barbara Bensoussan has brought to readers with her new book, A Well-Spiced Life: An Exuberant Discovery of Sephardic Food, Family, and Faith. I was able to speak with Bensoussan to dive deeper into her story and the food journey she has been on throughout her life.
For Bensoussan, who grew up in a more secular Jewish family before becoming more religiously observant as a young woman, when she met her Moroccan husband, she would soon be embarking on a whole new type of life, with her family, home, and culture. Her journey and life with her husband included adapting to many new cultural traditions that Ashkenazim would be completely unfamiliar with, including a whole new world of food. Suddenly thrust into the world of Moroccan Jewish cooking, she had to learn to cook an entirely new cuisine, and over the years, she has adapted her cooking to that of her Sephardi family, keeping her husband, children, grandchildren, and numerous guests happy and well-fed. And it’s this story of food, love, and Judaism that Bensoussan so eloquently weaves together in her book.
When asked how she felt when she was first introduced to Moroccan cuisine, she said, “It was love at first bite.” And she was happy to bring this food into her own home because it was food she enjoyed as well. She was taken in by the flavors, the vibrant colors, and the thoughtfulness that came with the Moroccan Jewish recipes she was given by her in-laws and friends. Part of it came from her love for her husband and wanting to give him a piece of his old home while they established their new one in New York. “The least I could do was make him the food he likes.”
Sourcing the necessary ingredients in their kosher markets wasn’t always easy, trying to find the right type of spices and vegetables in their local markets. Sometimes, Bensoussan got creative, adapting things she was familiar with, like gefilte fish, into a tasty recipe for Moroccan fish balls that her family goes wild for. You can make this “Moroccanized” gefilte for yourself here.
Moroccan Fish Balls
Over the years, Bensoussan has collected and perfected many recipes and items, adapting where necessary. While her husband might never really understand chicken soup or baked chicken, she’s learned to make hearty Moroccan-style soups and chicken dishes that are packed with flavor. Not to mention breads and pastries. A big favorite among her recipes is a dessert brought to her by her mother-in-law, called Petits pains au chocolat. It’s a delicious chocolate roll and a guaranteed crowd-pleaser. “This is one that the kids always fight over, arguing over who got more,” she shared. Give the recipe a try for your own family here.
Petits Pains aux Chocolat
What ultimately shone through when I spoke to Bensoussan, which was also evident from her book, is that, at the core, everything is about love. Love for her husband, her family, and her Judaism. She shared “I guess that food is my love language,” and said, “I think in every Jewish family, food is love.” It flows into the family traditions whether it be making sfenj, Moroccan donuts, for Hanukkah each year or the kids having excited expectations for what will be served at Shabbat dinner each week.
Bensoussan’s grandson eating sfenj at Chanukah
This sentiment very much rings true for many of us who all have an innate desire to see our loved ones happy and well-fed and find meaning in our holiday or Shabbat meals together.
As someone who married into a different Jewish culture than the one I was raised with (I’m Ashkenazi, and my husband is Iraqi), I could relate to Bensoussan and what it means to gain new cultural traditions with a new family. Instead of holiday briskets, it became all about the lamb, and instead of simple seasonings with salt and pepper, it became all about the spices. For Bensoussan, the learning and blending of traditions and the expansion of her own cooking was a blessing, and her family was all the better for it. Ultimately, despite different ways of cooking and celebrating, we realize that Jews are still celebrating the same holidays together all across the world.
Nice article!