Sun, May 12, 2024
Eitan meets Estrella Jafif, a local Mexico City chef with roots in Lebanon and Cuba. Estrella takes Eitan to her favorite local market where she shops on Fridays for Shabbat. They pick up fresh ingredients and try local fruits and Oaxacan cheeses before heading back to her studio kitchen.
Mon, May 13, 2024
Eitan and Chef Estrella Jafif cook a traditional Shabbat stew which they take right across the street to her mom's apartment where a dozen family members are gathered for a long, late pre-Shabbat "Sobremesa." As the sun begins to set, Eitan joins Estrella, her mother, and the women of the family as they light candles and welcome in the Sabbath.
Tue, May 14, 2024
Eitan tries a medley of vegetarian Mexican street foods at a tented taco stand run by a non-Jewish proprietor that has been serving the local Jewish community since the 1960s. Over quesadillas, he gets the origin story from owner Elsa about how locals requested meat-free options from Elsa's mom (the founder) in order to eat there, and it's since evolved into a neighborhood institution.
Wed, May 15, 2024
Eitan explores Justo Sierra, one of Mexico City's oldest synagogues, with Monica Unikel, it's Director, a historian of Mexican Jewry. Monica provides insights into the food history of the Jewish Mexican community, showing Eitan the Syrian and Lebanese cooking utensils that immigrants would use to prepare the ground beef dish known as Kibbeh.
Thu, May 16, 2024
Before his trip, Eitan meets Mexico City native Chef Pati Jinich at her home kitchen in Chevy Chase, Maryland where they make Gefilte Fish a la Veracruzana, a traditional family dish representative of Pati's family history - one that blends her Eastern European ancestral roots with her native Mexican ones. Pati encourages Eitan to head to CDMX to fully unpack the Jewish-Mexican fusion culinary story there. After cooking, Pati and Eitan make a FaceTime call to Pati's sister, Karen, who owns a restaurant in Mexico City called Niddo.