How to make Michael Twitty's matzoh ball gumbo, a soup of Black and Jewish cuisines
LOS ANGELES -- With a rainbow knitted kippah affixed to the crown of his head, Michael Twitty is paced and intentional as he moves through the test kitchen at the L.A. Times. He's here to make one of his classic Passover dishes, matzoh ball gumbo, which combines two recipes from his food memoir "Koshersoul."
The crimson stew adds buoyant, scallion-studded matzoh balls to a heartening okra gumbo, joining two staple dishes from Jewish and Black Southern cuisines. Chicken broth and diced tomatoes lend the finished gumbo their umami, with a Creole spice blend that imparts a gentle, humming heat.
Twitty, who hails from the Washington, D.C., area, says he's always wanted to winter in Los Angeles. He's been living at
