Our food story

Korson

Our Family Kitchen — a living archive of the people, places, and dishes of this household.

Contributors: Joseph Korson

Ask someone who remembers

If this record is thin, ask a living kitchen. The question stays in the original words.

Culinary places and migration

Torrington Connecticut · New York City · Volgograd · The Atelier Restaurant · Jerusalem

How food knowledge traveled

This is not a genealogy. It records who cooked, who taught, and how a kitchen moved from one pair of hands to another.

Joseph KorsonContributor Esthermother breakfastRemembered cook menuRemembered cook

Dishes

Family recipes

en
Tomato, Essence Gel Tahini mousse or sorbet, Schug flow gel, Laminated pasty thins, Quail eggs
en
As told: duck breast, wild sage, pomegranate, red wine, saffron, potatoes, cardomen, cinnamon, pumpkin, pea, radishes, pea puree, seared protein (possibly duck breast, tuna, or steak), red sauce or coulis.
en
As told: graham cracker crumbs, sugar, melted butter, Philadelphia cream cheese, flour, vanilla, sour cream, eggs, graham cracker crumbs, sugar, melted butter, Phil. cream cheese, flour, vanilla, sour cream, eggs.
en
Lamb (Zanab) (1 for 10 people) Ask butcher to cut shoulder into smallish cubes Chop 4 big onions, pinch of parsley, 2 tablespoons turmeric - salt & pepper 4 " powdered cinnamon ½ cup oil (veg) Mix all tog - Place in pot & cook until tender - add 3 or 4 lemons (taste) when nearly
en
As told: fried eggs, green onions, cherry tomatoes, radish, cucumber, beet, pickled red onion, leafy greens, microgreens, feta-style cheese cubes, pesto, tahini, tomatoe tapanade, crusty baguette.

Stories and oral histories

Family testimony

Stories

A handwritten card for chicken of the woods (suggested)

Yes i walked a forest in russia with some friends who were avid foragers

Recorded by Joseph Korson

Family testimony

Stories

A preserved family document

The ATELIER RESTAURANT ВОСТОЧНЫЙ БАЗАР ШЕФ-ПОВАР ПЕРВЫХ ЛИЦ БЛИЖНЕГО ВОСТОКА ДЖОЗЕФ КОРСОН С ЕДИНСТВЕННЫМ УЖИНОМ В РОССИИ I created a menu you that celebrated the flavors of the middle east. I took well known dishes and recreated the experience as gourmet menu. From taking Mallawach a traditional yemin staple and transforming it into a an elegant starter to my interpretation of the traditional Mezze Plate. I also like to draw my dishes to imagine how is like to plate my dishes. This menu took dishes from Morocco, Lebanon, Yemin, Iraq and Israel

Recorded by Joseph Korson

Family testimony

Stories

A handwritten card for brunch plate with fried eggs and fresh salad

I created this picture for a restaurant i consulted on This was on Bethlehem Rd in Jerusalem This breakfast was traditional eating in the kibbutz movement but soon became a staple offering accross israel

Recorded by Joseph Korson

Oral history

I grew up in Torrington Connecticut in a country house in the hills. one

I grew up in Torrington Connecticut in a country house in the hills. one of my fondest memory was going to the general store. The place was like stepping back in time. It even had a penny arcade with old mechanical arcade style games. The candy in this store was the mass produced fare this was old style sweets. My favorite were the watermelon sticks that as you sucked on them the center was a harder candy techture and flavor and of course the new england salt water tafee in all thier chewy glorious flavors.

Recorded by Joseph Korson

Family testimony

Family recipe

A handwritten card for Lamb with prunes

Lamb (Zanab) (1 for 10 people) Ask butcher to cut shoulder into smallish cubes Chop 4 big onions, pinch of parsley, 2 tablespoons turmeric - salt & pepper 4 " powdered cinnamon ½ cup oil (veg) Mix all tog - Place in pot & cook until tender - add 3 or 4 lemons (taste) when nearly done (± 1½ hrs) take some juice from the pot & soak 2 pkts of stewed prunes in the sauce place a little cinnamon & sugar to taste & boil it up for 5 mins Put cooked meat in a dish & pour over sauce with the prunes on top - serve. Chicken (Zanab)

Recorded by Joseph Korson

Family testimony

Stories

Esther’s New York Cheesecake

my mother esthers favorite new york cheesecake recipe she makes it for special occasions. she has been making it since we were kids in connecticut to now in israel but the recipe is new york city born

Recorded by Joseph Korson

Family testimony

Stories

Wild sage scented duck breast — Oriental Bazaar, Volgograd 2022

Chef Joseph Korson made this dish for a ticketed Oriental Bazaar experience in Volgograd in 2022. The menu was created from the culinary heritage and ingredients found in the Middle East, using locally available ingredients from the restaurant's farm. The plate was sous vide and pan-seared wild sage scented duck breast, served on a pomegranate red wine reduction with saffron fondant potatoes, cardomen and cinnamon spice pumpkin, pea puree and braised radishes. A colored-pencil drawing records the composed plate.

Recorded by Joseph Korson

Family testimony

Stories

Mallawach for the high table

This is a dish I created for the high table from a yemin street food called mallawach. I had Mallawach as a street food growing up in Jerusalem. When I worked with the Prime Minister I created menus that express the different culinary cultures of the land of Israel. I’d take a traditional dish and deconstruct it and using chefs techniques transform it for high table.

Recorded by Joseph Korson

People

Joseph Korson

Contributor

Esther

mother

mother. my mother esthers favorite new york cheesecake recipe she makes it for special occasions. she has been making it since we were kids in connecticut to now in israel but the recipe is new york city born