The Culinary Fusion of Jake and Amy: A Taste of Tradition
Amy and Jake’s culinary journey is a beautiful blend of their diverse backgrounds. With roots in both Israeli and American cultures, their dining experiences are a vibrant mix of flavors and traditions that shape their family’s cuisine.
Amy shares, “My father is from Israel, and my grandparents hail from Tunisia and Morocco, while my mother is American.” Growing up surrounded by Sephardic and Israeli-inspired dishes, she fondly recalls large pots of her father’s tomato-based sauce simmering on the stove. “During our family Shabbat dinners, my dad would be busy preparing hummus, making tahini from scratch, and whipping up baba ganoush. My mom is also an incredible cook, but her dishes are quite different. My dad loves to spice things up with harissa. I remember Jake nearly sweating through our first Shabbat dinner because we enjoy our food quite spicy!”
As for Jake’s family, who are Ashkenazi, they often enjoyed bagel brunches, where Amy was introduced to pickled herring and other traditional treats.
When Jake proposed in 2018, he crafted a delightful feast featuring Amy’s favorite dishes from New York restaurants, including chocolate babka from Breads Bakery, stuffed meatballs from Bar Primi, and Cereal Milk soft serve from Milk Bar. “I tried to time everything perfectly in the oven for a course meal, which didn’t quite go as planned because we barely ate afterward,” Jake recalls. “The moment she walked in, I remember her saying, What’s going on here? We were beyond excited; I don’t even remember what I said, and we immediately started calling our friends.”
Fast forward to their wedding in 2019, which celebrated not only their love but also their family culinary traditions. Their rehearsal dinner took place at Amy’s father’s restaurant, Eighteen, on the Upper East Side. To wrap up the weekend, they enjoyed a festive brunch at the iconic Katz’s deli.
More recently, in the fall of 2025, they revamped a dish on the Katz’s menu that embodies their culinary fusion: the chili. This dish incorporates Amy’s Saturday Sauce—a tomato-based sauce inspired by her father’s recipe, which she markets through her company, Sababa Foods.
“As we explored ways to merge our food cultures—Eva’s Sephardic traditions with my Ashkenazi background—the chili represents that beautifully,” Jake explains. “It’s essentially a combination of Saturday Sauce and meat from Katz’s, transformed into a chili dish. It stands as a lasting symbol of our culinary journey.”
During the holidays, they embrace both families by attending each of their seders before hosting their own. Amy describes her parents’ seder as a cozy gathering where they read the entire seder. In contrast, Jake’s family event can become quite the spectacle. “It’s a gathering of a hundred people; it gets a bit crazy,” he shares. “Not everyone there is Jewish, so it takes on a fun atmosphere with their unique songs and even a full Katz’s menu,” adds Amy.
Back in their Manhattan home, where they live with their two young children (ages five and two and a half), Jake and Amy strive to cultivate their own holiday traditions that reflect the rich tapestry of their culinary heritages. Last year, Amy prepared a jeweled rice dish that was met with great enthusiasm. “Being Sephardic, rice is a great addition for Passover,” Amy explains, while Jake chimes in with a smile: “But we also kicked things off with gefilte fish, blending both family traditions wonderfully.”
Preserving Traditions Through Food
Amy and Jake’s journey exemplifies how culinary traditions can bridge diverse backgrounds and cultures, creating a harmonious family experience filled with love and flavor. As they continue to blend their food legacies, they are establishing cherished rituals for their own growing family.
