Busy in Brooklyn – Modernizing traditional food, one dish at a time.

Every year on Sukkos, one of the things I look forward to most is my grandmother’s stuffed cabbage, or her beloved cabbage soup. It’s one of those recipes that tastes like home, filled with memories and nostalgia, and no Sukkos feels quite complete without it. This year, I spent Sukkos in Peru, and while it was an incredible experience, I came home craving that familiar taste of my grandmother’s recipe. I hadn’t gotten my annual fix, and I couldn’t stop thinking about it.

Bubby’s cabbage soup has always been one of my ultimate comfort foods. Her secret ingredients were green apple and golden raisins, which gave the sweet-and-sour sauce its signature flavor. It’s the kind of dish that takes me right back to my childhood with just one bite. Unfortunately, my kids don’t share my enthusiasm for the soup and while I’ve made countless variations of my grandmother’s recipe over the years, including stuffed cabbage cocktail dogs and stuffed cabbage Bolognese, I wanted to come up with something that would satisfy my craving while being something my kids would actually get excited about.

Enter stuffed cabbage meatballs! All the nostalgic flavors of my grandmother’s stuffed cabbage, but in a familiar form!

And wouldn’t you know it? The kids absolutely loved them! They got a meatball dinner they were excited to eat, and I got all the comfort and nostalgia of my grandmother’s stuffed cabbage. A win-win for all!

Stuffed Cabbage Meatballs

2 tbsp olive oil
1 lg onion, peeled and sliced thinly into half rings
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 heaping tbsp tomato paste
1/2 large head of cabbage, shredded (about 1 1/2 bags preshredded)
28oz. can crushed tomatoes
3 cups water
Juice of 2 lemons
1 cup brown sugar (packed)
1 green apple, grated
1/4 cup golden raisins
salt and pepper, to taste

Meatballs:

2 lbs ground beef
1/2 cup bread crumbs
2 eggs
1/4 cup ketchup
1 tsp garlic powder
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper

Method:

In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and saute until softened, add garlic and saute until fragrant. Add the tomato paste and continue to saute for 2 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes, water, lemon juice, brown sugar, apple and raisins and bring the mixture to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper, add the cabbage and cook until wilted, about 10 minutes. If the sauce seems too thick (this will depend on how big your cabbage is), you may add a bit more water before adding the meatballs (if it seems too thin, it will thicken as it cooks). Taste and adjust seasoning to your liking (adding more brown sugar if you like it sweeter, or more lemon juice if you like it more sour).

In a medium bowl, combine the meatball ingredients. Form into small balls and drop into the simmering sauce. Simmer, covered, for 1 hour.

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Mango Curry Crunch Salad

On October 22, 2026

by chanie

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I don’t think I’ll ever get over the mangoes I had in Peru. They were, hands down, the best mangoes I’ve ever tasted—so incredibly sweet, juicy, and bursting with flavor. I’ll be dreaming about them for a long time!

While helping out in the kitchen at Chabad of Cusco in Peru, I wanted to create a salad that really let the mango shine. I worked with what they had on hand in the kitchen, including green beans and snow peas, and brought it all together with a curry honey lime dressing. The combination of sweet, savory, tangy, and crunchy was absolute perfection, and everyone went crazy for it!

We all loved it so much that I made it again for 200 people on Simchat Torah, alongside a few of my staple salads, including my roasted cabbage salad and Busy in Brooklyn house salad from Millennial Kosher (the Peruvians loved the addition of quinoa in it!). They were all a huge hit, but this mango salad was something special. A little taste of Peru that I’ll be dreaming about for a long time!

Mango Curry Crunch Salad

5oz butter lettuce
1 large ripe mango, diced (preferably Ataulfo mango)
1 heaping cup green beans, trimmed
1 cup snow peas, thinly sliced diagonally
½ small red onion, thinly sliced
½ cup roasted salted cashews, roughly chopped (I like the chili ones from Trader Joes)
1 generous cup sweet potato or root vegetable chips, lightly crushed

Curry Honey Lime Dressing

1/4 cup olive oil
3 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
2 tablespoon honey
1 heaping teaspoon curry powder
1 garlic clove, finely grated
kosher salt and pepper, to taste

Method

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the green beans and blanch for 2–3 minutes, until bright green and crisp-tender. Transfer immediately to an ice bath to stop the cooking, then drain and dry thoroughly.

In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the olive oil, lime juice, honey, curry powder, garlic, salt and pepper until well combined.

Arrange the butter lettuce in a large serving bowl and top with the mango, green beans, snow peas, and red onion.

Just before serving, toss with the curry honey lime dressing and finish with the roasted cashews and crushed sweet potato chips.

Serve immediately while the chips are crisp and crunchy.

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Chicken Gnocchi Shawarma Bake

On October 19, 2026October 19, 2026

by chanie

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When dinner is so good, I forget that the camera eats first! So I need to take a screenshot from my video for my blog (ie please excuse the horrible photo lol!)

If you love chicken shawarma and you love a good one-pan dinner, this one’s for you! Pillowy gnocchi gets tossed with juicy tomatoes, red onion, olive oil, and warm shawarma spices, then topped with generously seasoned chicken and roasted until golden. As everything bakes, the tomatoes break down, the chicken releases its flavorful juices, and the gnocchi soaks up all that shawarma goodness, getting tender on the inside with deliciously caramelized edges. It’s hearty, comforting, packed with flavor, and best of all, there’s no need to boil the gnocchi first. Just toss everything into a baking dish and let the oven do the work!

Chicken Gnocchi Shawarma Bake

1 package (16 oz) vacuum-packed gnocchi
1 small red onion, diced small
1 large ripe, juicy tomato, diced
5 1/2 tbsp shawarma seasoning, divided
5 tbsp olive oil, divided
Salt, to taste
Chicken pieces of choice (legs, thighs, or boneless or bone-in)

Method:

Preheat oven to 400°F.

In a baking dish, combine the gnocchi, red onion, tomato, 1 1/2 tablespoons shawarma seasoning, 2 tablespoons olive oil and salt. Toss until evenly coated and spread into an even layer.

In a small bowl, combine the remaining shawarma seasoning, olive oil and salt to form a paste. Rub the mixture all over the chicken pieces, coating them generously. Arrange the seasoned chicken over the gnocchi mixture.

Bake uncovered for approximately 40-50 minutes, or until the chicken is golden and cooked through and the gnocchi is tender with caramelized edges.

Note: Cooking time will vary depending on the chicken pieces used. Boneless chicken will cook faster than bone-in pieces. Cook until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.

Related Recipes:

Sheet Pan Roasted Fish & Gnocchi

The Kugel Chronicles: Yerushalmi Kugel

On September 22, 2026

by chanie

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There’s something about the smell of burnt caramel that just screams fall to me.

Maybe it’s because, for me, Yerushalmi kugel is wrapped up in memories of Sukkot and Simchas Torah—of growing up in Crown Heights, on the block of 770, the epicenter of Chabad, when thousands of people would come from all over to spend the holidays by the Rebbe. My mother would cook a feast, and the table would be overflowing with turkeys, stuffed chickens, rice, salads, cakes, and kugels. Lots and lots of kugels.

My mother is the kugel queen. Me? Not so much.

So I invited my mother over recently to make her Yerushalmi kugel with me, and I thought, why don’t we turn this into a series? if anyone deserves her own kugel series, it’s my mother. Her potato kugel is legendary in our family, but that’s just the beginning. There’s broccoli kugel, sweet lokshen kugel, salt-and-pepper lokshen kugel, sweet potato kugel, apple kugel—and I’m pretty sure she has a few more hiding up her sleeve.

But back to the kugel at hand: Yerushalmi. My father OBM, who grew up in Bnei Brak, taught my mom to make it, and she mastered it! Unliked the baked versions, this kugel is fried on the stovetop, for extra crispiness. The secret to this kugel is in the almost burnt caramel, and every time I’ve ever tried to make it, I burnt it! The smell of the caramelized sugar hitting the noodles immediately takes me back to my childhood in the best possible way. It’s Sukkos on a plate.

I’ve spent so many years sharing my own recipes here, but there’s something incredibly special about going back to the recipes I grew up with and getting into the kitchen with the woman who taught me what it means to feed people.

So consider this chapter one of The Kugel Chronicles.

We’re starting with Yerushalmi kugel—the one that smells like burnt caramel, tastes like Yom Tov, and brings me straight back to those crowded, beautiful Simchas Torah meals in Crown Heights.

And trust me, we’re just getting started.

Yerushalmi Kugel

16oz. fine egg noodles (see note)
1 cup canola oil + 1/4 cup to coat the pan
1 cup granulated sugar + 5 tbsp, divided
1 tbsp course grind black pepper
1 tbsp kosher salt
4 eggs

Method:

Cook the egg noodles until soft, drain and rinse lightly with water (we want some of those starches but we don’t want it to stick together). Transfer to a large mixing bowl. In a stainless steel skillet, combine 1 cup oil and 1 cup sugar. Stir over medium heat until the sugar darkens to a deep caramel and the oil starts to bubble, stirring constantly. The sugar will start to clump up at first, but be patient, it will melt again and start to turn golden, then darker, and finally amber. It is ok if the oil and sugar separate.

As soon as the oil starts to lightly bubble, pour the mixture over the noodles and stir immediately until fully coated and combined. Add the additional 5 tbsp sugar, black pepper and salt and stir until incorporated. Lightly beat the eggs and add them to the mixture, stirring to combine.

Place a round shallow pot with handles on the fire (this is essential because you’ll be flipping the kugel over) and add remaining 1/4 cup oil. Swirl around the pot, coating the bottom and sides. Once the oil is hot (you can test this by adding a noodle, it should sizzle immediately), pour the kugel mixture into it. Cook over medium heat until the bottom and sides of the kugel form a crust (lift gently with a spatula to check), about 10 minutes. Place a large plate over the pot and flip it over, then slide it back into the pot to fry the other side. Cook until the kugel is crusty on all sides, about 5-10 more minutes. Check that the kugel isn’t burning, but the more caramelized the crust, the better!

Serve hot or cold. Rest before slicing to give the kugel a chance to set.

NOTE: When my mom started making this kugel, they would sell 16oz. bags of lokshin. Now they come in 10oz or 12 oz. bags so you will need to use part of a second bag. Save the leftovers for chicken soup!

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Pepper-Crusted Roasted Beef Carpaccio

On September 15, 2026

by chanie

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There’s a misconception when it comes to cooking beef that every roast needs to be braised. We’ve all become so accustomed to brisket—the long, slow cook, lots of liquid, meat that practically falls apart when you look at it—that sometimes we forget there’s a whole other way to cook a roast.

And honestly? Some cuts are even better when you don’t braise them.

Tender roasts can be dry roasted low and slow, almost like a giant steak. Instead of cooking them until they fall apart, you cook them gently just until they’re beautifully medium rare, then slice them thinly against the grain. French roast, ribeye roast, London broil and silver tip can all work beautifully with this style of cooking.

For this recipe, I took that idea one step further and turned a shoulder roast into my take on beef carpaccio—except instead of serving the beef raw, I gave it a serious pepper crust, seared it hard and then roasted it low and slow at 225°F until the center was perfectly rosy.

Once chilled, I sliced the beef as thinly as I could. I don’t have a deli slicer at home, and if you don’t either, here’s a little trick: place the slices between parchment and gently pounded them thinner with a meat mallet. It gives you those beautiful, delicate slices that you want from carpaccio while still keeping the beef cooked (I skipped this step because I cut it pretty thin with my knife!).

I layered the beef across a big platter and finished it with a drizzle of silan, juicy pomegranate seeds, micro arugula, crispy capers and shallots that I quickly pickled in red wine vinegar. The silan brings sweetness, the shallots bring acidity, the capers bring that salty crunch, and the pepper crust keeps the whole thing savory.

It’s festive and dramatic enough for a Yom Tov table, but what I love most is that it shows just how versatile a good roast can be.

Because sometimes you don’t need another braised brisket. Sometimes you just need a really good piece of beef, a lot of cracked pepper, and a meat thermometer.

Pepper-Crusted Roasted Beef Carpaccio

Pepper-Crusted Beef
1 (3 lb.) shoulder roast
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon coarse butcher-grind black pepper
2 teaspoons medium ground black pepper
2 tbsp oil

For Serving
1 large shallot, very thinly sliced
½ cup red wine vinegar, or enough to cover
Pinch of kosher salt
Capers, drained and dried well
Oil, for frying
Good quality olive oil, for drizzling
Silan, for drizzling
Pomegranate seeds
Micro arugula
Smoked flaky salt

Pat the roast very dry with paper towels. Season generously with salt and peppers. Heat a large cast-iron skillet or heavy-bottomed pan over high heat. Sear the roast on all sides until deeply browned and crusted.

Transfer the roast to a 225°F oven (uncovered!) and roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 130°F for medium rare. Remove from the oven and allow to rest. Refrigerate until completely chilled.

Meanwhile, place the thinly sliced shallots in a small bowl. Add red wine vinegar, season with a pinch of salt and allow to pickle for at least 20–30 minutes. Drain well before serving.

For the crispy capers, heat a thin layer of oil in a small skillet. Add the well-dried capers and fry until they open slightly and become crisp. Transfer to a paper towel to drain.

Once the beef is thoroughly chilled, slice it against the grain as thinly as possible with a very sharp knife. If the slices are thicker than you’d like, place them between sheets of parchment paper and gently pound with the flat side of a meat mallet until thin and delicate. Cut particularly large slices into smaller, organic pieces as needed.

Arrange the beef over a large serving platter.

Drizzle lightly with silan and olive oil. Scatter the pickled shallots, pomegranate seeds, micro arugula and crispy capers over the beef. Finish with flaky salt and serve.

Depending on the size of your roast, this can make 2-3 platters, adjust topping amounts accordingly. Reserve any extra meat for roast beef sandwiches.

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