Joanna O'Leary, My Jewish Learning Journalist Profile

Articles

The Fabulous Jewish Food of Las Vegas

1 month ago | myjewishlearning.com | Joanna O'Leary

We sing, we dance, we cook — how could Jews not have some part in Las Vegas becoming “The Entertainment Capital of the World?” While Jewish contributions to show business are diverse, vast and often unexplored, this article shines the spotlight on their impact on a different type of theater: the kitchen.
The Showstopping Jewish Historyof Green Goddess Dressing

2 months ago | jlifeoc.com | Joanna O'Leary

There’s one thing that’s clear about Green goddess dressing: People love it. Since its introduction in the early 1920s (more on that later), Green goddess dressing has amassed a hearty fan base that has sustained its popularity for more than a century. Manufacturer Seven Seas produced the first bottled version in the early 1970s and today, virtually every supermarket in America features at least one variety.
The Showstopping Jewish History of Green Goddess Dressing

Nov 18, 2024 | myjewishlearning.com | Joanna O'Leary

There’s one thing that’s clear about Green goddess dressing: People love it. Since its introduction in the early 1920s (more on that later), Green goddess dressing has amassed a hearty fan base that has sustained its popularity for more than a century. Manufacturer Seven Seas produced the first bottled version in the early 1970s and today, virtually every supermarket in America features at least one variety.
The 5 Best Jewish Food Moments in Ina Garten's Memoir

Oct 29, 2024 | myjewishlearning.com | Joanna O'Leary

When it comes to Jewish food personalities, there is no one quite like Ina Garten. Her non-fussy approach to entertaining and heart-warming self-deprecating sense of humor has enabled her to sell millions of cookbooks, host award-winning cooking shows and garnered her a rabid multigenerational following. During the pandemic, she won even more hearts with viral videos, especially her DIY recipe for a cosmopolitan. Even mega-celebrities such as Taylor Swift seem starstruck when they meet her.
What Most Americans Don't Know (But Should) About Tequila

Sep 5, 2024 | yahoo.com | Joanna O'Leary

While researching her doctoral thesis on denominations of origin in France, the United States and Mexico, Sarah Bowen discovered there was much she and other Americans don’t know about the stories and figures behind the history of tequila.
5 LGBTQ+ friendly amusement parks in the US (besides Disney)

Aug 23, 2024 | gaycities.com | Joanna O'Leary

Planning to take your family to the best LGBTQ+ friendly amusement parks in the United States this summer? With all due respect to Mickey, Disney isn’t the only game in town. While opinions on a Disney vacation vary, we’ve compiled a list of other top inclusive amusement parks with epic rides where love wins every time.
The Jewish History of Snapple

Mar 25, 2024 | myjewishlearning.com | Joanna O'Leary

Jews’ love affair with seltzer is well-documented, as are their contributions to the soda industry, but their roles as titans of tea is less well-known. The OGs of the Jewish tea scene include Samuel Zechnowitz, who started the Swee-Touch-Nee company in 1880. “Swee-Touch-Nee” is a rough transliteration of the Russian “tsvetochnyy chay” (flowery tea) and the original packaging included the name written in Cyrillic.
The Jewish History of America’s Favorite Crackers

Feb 13, 2024 | stljewishlight.org | Jordan Palmer |Joanna O'Leary

After watching the movie “Curly Top” for the first time, I was hooked. Not just on too-cute-to-be-true actor Shirley Temple (whose cinematic canon I would proceed to consume in its entirety in short order) but also on animal crackers. What were these anthropomorphized carbohydrates of which Temple crooned? Like her I wanted to have fun swallowing animals one by one.
Invidious Comparison Eating (ICE) Is One Of The Rudest Dining Habits, And You Might Be Doing It

Jan 4, 2024 | huffpost.com | Joanna O'Leary

Anything you can do, I can do better. I can do anything better than you. The scene: It’s an hour into a dinner party you’re hosting for “friends.” (Note the quotes.) Most of your guests are on their second (or third) round of adult beverages and are tucking into the main course — sumptuous grilled shrimp paired with grits, the latter of which you made yourself according to an old family recipe.
Invidious Comparison Eating (ICE) Is One Of The Rudest Dining Habits, And You Might Be Doing It

Sep 11, 2023 | huffpost.com | Joanna O'Leary

Anything you can do, I can do better. I can do anything better than you. The scene: It’s an hour into a dinner party you’re hosting for “friends.” (Note the quotes.) Most of your guests are on their second (or third) round of adult beverages and are tucking into the main course — sumptuous grilled shrimp paired with grits, the latter of which you made yourself according to an old family recipe.