I am so glad you found me here at OMG! Yummy. If you love Jewish food, Korean food, Hawaiian food, Middle Eastern food, and/or baking!, you are in the right place.
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My name is Beth Lee and I live in San Jose, California with my husband, also known as "Dormant Chef". In my first career, I told stories for Silicon Valley companies. But in 2010, I had an epiphany: I realized I prefer pita chips over memory chips.
With a little tech support from my late son, I started OMG! Yummy. When I’m not cooking, photographing, writing, live-streaming or eating!, I love to golf, pretend I’m a world traveler, and explore new grocery stores just for fun.
Everybody has a Story
When I started blogging, I discovered something really intriguing: the best stories are told in the kitchen and everyone who has a kitchen (or eats in one), has a story.
My food memories unfold in my bubbe's tiny New York City kitchen which was no larger than the single cabinet, stove, sink and refrigerator it contained. Her workspace was limited but her baking talent knew no bounds.
Even in her early 90’s, she still greeted us with hot home-baked challah bread, whose smell sweetened the hallway of her old apartment building on Avenue N on most Friday evenings.
With none of her kitchen skills or recipes documented, this blog was my springboard to document our family food experiences for generations to come.
But my food journey goes far beyond my Jewish roots. My husband's family is Korean American with family in Hawaii and grandparents that came from South Korea. And intertwined with my Jewish cultural roots, I have an obsession/expertise in the flavors and ingredients of the Middle East.
So expect to find recipes here for matzo ball soup, mandu and hummus. Because that is exactly what you'll find on any given day happening in my very own kitchen.
In 2021, I wrote my first cookbook, The Essential Jewish Baking Cookbook, with recipes from across the Jewish diaspora including Ashkenazic to Sephardic and Mizrahi specialties. I loved writing it, sharing it with all of you and plan to write more cookbooks representing my multicultural kitchen!
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I hope stopping by has inspired you to get in the kitchen, gather around the dinner table, share a story, create a memory, or just enjoy a meal with family and friends.
Pull up a chair, what’s your story…?
Follow me on social media:
Instagram: Follow my daily food adventures here.
Facebook (OMG! Yummy): I share recipes and events on my OMG! Yummy facebook page.
Facebook (Sumac & Sunshine): Join this Facebook group to learn all about the ingredients and cuisines of the Middle East and Mediterranean.
Kittch: Follow me to for free (for now) cooking demos!
Pinterest: Follow me to see not only what I'm making but what others are cooking from my recipes too!
Email me: beth at omgyummy dot com
Elliott Parker
Oh my stars, I am a terrible cook, but I decided to give it a go and follow your recipe for charoset because even I can mix and roast a thing or two! It was absolutely unbelievable—the feelings, the memories, the holy days just came flooding back to my brain!!! Thank you x ∞ for posting this. I don’t know why I don’t eat this the whole year ‘round. It really is that good.
Thank you.
Beth Lee
Hi Elliott - thanks for letting me know. This made me smile! This comment came in on my About page - did you make the Ashkenazi version or my new pomegranate version? (I love them both but inquiring minds want to know!) And I bet you are a better cook than you give yourself credit for!
Fran
Your recipes look yummy.
Beth Lee
thank you! Let me know what you've tried!
Annette
Hi Beth,
I met you yesterday at the ribbon cutting ceremony for Lyfe Kitchen. Thank you for being a great lunch companion. I'm definitely going back for the flatbread - it looked delicious 🙂
I enjoy your blog - everything looks so yummy. I would like to try your Creamy, Cheesy Garlicky Rice with Spinach recipe.
If you ever are in Palo Alto and want to eat at Lyfe Kitchen again, let me know!
~~ Annette
omgyummy
I will Annette! I enjoyed chatting and eating with you as well. Go to the LYFE Kitchen Facebook page and look at the photos from the opening - there's one of you! Yes - I am going back for the flatbread as well. Next week - I'll probably pop in for breakfast one morning. I'll let you know how that is.
Thanks for stopping by my blog - let's eat together again soon.
Richard Bernhardt
Who better to do this? I'm a fan! Life is made up of many flavors. Its a great thing to call forth those that are great! Keep on doing this Beth, I'm reading every issue and its a joy. And Happy Chanukah to you, your family and all of your readers! - Richard
neha
Hi Beth,
I was wondering if there's an email address where I could send you a note? I'd love to chat with you about your views on bloggers collaborating with consumer brands. Could you let me know how I can reach you?
Thanks!
Neha.
Mariya
Just found your blog and wanted to say hello. You have some great articles and recipes! I'm looking forward to coming back soon 🙂
Nina Killham
You keep on blogging! Your posts are fun and yummy. A pleasure to read. Thanks.
Eben Fowler
Saw a post you made about picking blueberries on Greylock near Pittsfield, MA. My grandparents lived in Pittsfield for 50 years and we went to Greylock for the same reason many years ago. Can't remember exactly where or what time of year, though it must have been summer. Can you recall where you did the picking? I hope to return with my wife in the next couple of years to relive that wonderful memory.
Eben Fowler
Kansas City
omgyummy
Hi Eben! It was a comment I made on the blog Bamitbach when she wrote about blueberry buns (http://bamitbach.wordpress.com/2010/04/25/blueberry-buns/#comments). Wow - your grandparents lived there for 50 years! Our family lived there for over 20 years - I was 11 when we moved to California. It was a great place to be a kid. And boy was the summer blueberry picking terrific. I will ask my parents if they remember any more details about where we went to do the picking and get back to you.
Lynn
Thanks for stopping by my blog Beth! In addition to sharing spectrum-y kids and being around the same age, I lived in San Jose for 7 years. I've been in Chicago since 2007 but spent my years out there working in hi-tech (of course) but really wanted to get back home when my daughter was diagnosed with autism in 2006.
But I'm a horrible cook, so that's where the similarities end...
Irene Saiger
Hi Beth,
Thanks for the link to my hamantaschen recipe and mentioning me in the article. I would love you to check out my blog as well.
All the best,
Irene
http://bamitbach.blogspot.com
omgyummy
Irene, I'm so glad you sent me the link to your blog. I really enjoyed your write-up about the hamantaschen. I see you are fairly new to blogging as well. It will be fun to follow along and stay in touch. Next I will have to compare your challah recipe to my grandmother's to see how similar they are. Happy cooking and happy blogging.
Georgia B.
What a wonderful blog. Not that I've read very many!! But it is so full of passion, Beth. And your passion is what makes your identity, my dear. Keep cooking, keep tasting and keep loving it all. Who knows, you might even convince me to start cooking! I can't wait for you to come to New York and set yourself loose on the food here.
Mary Gospe
Congratulations on your blog, Beth! My mouth is watering reading your recipes and reviews!
anita baranovsky
I am being very entertained by your blog. I must say the banana loaf sounds deadly delicious. I would enjoy the restaurants but will concentrate on the local ones.and keep some suggestions for your visits.
Congratulations on a successful effort!!
omgyummy
Thanks Anita! My goal is to stay entertaining and interesting enough for you to keep reading! One thing I forgot to mention about the "deadly delicious" loaf is that if you make it for your grandkids, the calorie count goes down because of the happiness you will be sharing.
kris
i like your description of the food "deadly delicious" lol its an odd saying tho