About Kosher Cowboy
Recipes have a way of carrying people home.
A lifetime of Moroccan flavors, Sephardic traditions, family recipes, and the places that shaped the way I cook.
I was born in Morocco, grew up in Central America and the Philippines, spent much of my adult life in the Midwest, and eventually landed on a horse ranch in South Florida.
That's a lot of places to call home—and a lot of food cultures to experience along the way.
But some things have always followed me.
The smell of Moroccan spices. The food my mother and grandmother cooked. The traditions surrounding our Shabbat table. Fresh vegetables, olive oil, lamb, fish, breads, slow-cooked stews, and the unmistakable flavors of home.
Those memories are at the heart of Kosher Cowboy.
Here I share the recipes , traditions, and stories that have shaped the way I cook—and the dishes I still love putting on the table.
My Kitchen Has Always Been a Collection of Places.
Morocco gave me my culinary foundation.
I grew up in a home where food was deeply connected to family, tradition, hospitality, and celebration. My mother and grandmother were wonderful cooks, and many of the recipes they made were already generations old.
Later, life took me to Panama, Honduras, the Philippines, and eventually Kansas City, where I spent 25 years.
Each place added another layer.
Kansas City, in particular, gave me a front-row seat to America's great barbecue culture. I have always kept kosher, but living in barbecue country gave me an even greater appreciation for smoke, technique, bold flavors, and the care that goes into great food.
Today, those influences find their way into my cooking alongside the Moroccan and Sephardic traditions I grew up with.
Some of these recipes have been passed down for more than 300 years.
My mother and grandmother didn't think of themselves as preserving culinary history. They were simply making the food their mothers had taught them to make.
That's how recipes survive.
They travel with families. They cross borders. They change slightly from one kitchen to the next. And somehow, generations later, they still find their way onto a family table.
I feel lucky to have inherited some of those recipes.
My job is simply to make sure they don't disappear.
Some Recipes Are Really Family History.
A recipe can look pretty simple on paper.
Flour. Water. Spices. A little salt. A cooking time.
But behind those ingredients can be a person, a place, a holiday, a kitchen, or a memory.
My Grandma Perla's challah recipe is one of those recipes.
Written in French and passed down through the family, it connects me to a world that existed long before I started writing recipes down for the internet.
That's what I hope happens here: that these dishes continue moving forward rather than becoming memories of something that used to be.
Some recipes feed you. Others tell you where you came from.The Kosher Cowboy
Kosher Cooking Doesn't Mean Giving Up Flavor.
Quite the opposite.
Moroccan, Sephardic, Mediterranean, and Middle Eastern cooking are built around some of the world's most expressive ingredients: spices, herbs, olive oil, fresh vegetables, grains, fish, and slow-cooked meats.
Kosher cooking gives me a framework. Within that framework, there's plenty of room to explore.
The Best Part of Cooking Has Never Been the Food.
In my family, food was always about people.
Our home was a gathering place, especially on Shabbat. There was challah, lamb kefta, roasted vegetables, Moroccan stews, good conversation, and plenty of laughter.
I especially remember watching friends who had never experienced Moroccan or Sephardic food sit down at our table and discover it for themselves.
My mother's dafina and salade cuite didn't need an explanation after the first bite.
They ate. They laughed. They asked questions. And eventually they wanted to know when we were doing it again.
That's the part of food I love most.
It gives people a reason to sit down together.
From Morocco to the Midwest.
The recipes here aren't confined to one place or one generation. They're a reflection of where I've been, what I've inherited, and what I enjoy cooking today.
Moroccan Roots
The spices, techniques, flavors, and traditions I grew up with and continue to cook today.
Generations of Tradition
Family recipes, holiday dishes, and food traditions passed down through generations.
Room to Experiment
Respect the tradition. Keep the flavor. And don't be afraid to try something new.
I Had Recipes. I Had Stories. I Didn't Want to Lose Either.
I didn't start Kosher Cowboy because the world needed another recipe website.
I started it because I had recipes that deserved to be remembered.
Some came from my mother. Some came from my grandmother. Some had been passed down for generations. Others came from the places I've lived and the people I've shared meals with.
So I started writing them down.
Over time, that collection grew into something bigger: a place for kosher cooking, Moroccan and Sephardic food, Mediterranean flavors, holiday traditions, and the stories behind the dishes.
The goal is simple: preserve what matters, share what tastes good, and keep people coming back to the table.
There's More Than One Way to Come to the Table.
Whether you're looking for a recipe, planning a holiday meal, or simply curious about the food and traditions behind these dishes, there's plenty to explore.
Recipes
Explore hundreds of kosher recipes spanning Moroccan, Sephardic, Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, and other culinary traditions.
Holidays
Find dishes and traditions for Jewish holidays and the meals that bring families together.
Newsletter
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Shop
Visit the Kosher Cowboy shop for food, cooking, and other things inspired by the journey.
Come Sit at the Table.
If you're here looking for a recipe, I hope you find one.
If you're curious about Moroccan or Sephardic cooking, I hope you discover something you've never tasted before.
And if one of these dishes reminds you of something your own family used to make, then maybe we've done something even better.
Because food is at its best when it's shared.
Good food. Old recipes. New ideas. And plenty of room at the table.
B'tayavon. Buen provecho. Bon appétit.
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