Eating with Esther: A Cooking Class about a Persian Jewish Icon

Join us for three weeks of cooking and art! In this class, we will explore some of the key nodes of history connected to the story of Esther and that are relevant to the Rembrandt exhibit at the Gardner (find the link below). You are welcome to join for just one class but we'd love to have you for all three! Class 1: Esther in her Moment: We’ll discuss Megillat Esther, its relevance to the Babylonian Captivity, and the inception of Persian Jewish history. We will also cook a recipe inspired by ancient Persian cuisine. Class 2: Esther in the Medieval Mediterranean: We’ll look at some of the history of transmission of Esther’s story that shaped how premodern Jewish communities understood her, as well as explain her special importance to Sephardic Jews and New Christians who ended up in Amsterdam. We will also explore how Persian Jewish food culture fundamentally shaped the culinary cultures of Jews across the premodern Mediterranean through the recipe we cook. Class 3: Esther in Amsterdam and at the Gardner: We’ll explore what led Rembrandt to interpret Esther as shown in the upcoming exhibit, and the connection of this representation to modern Persian Jewish culture. We’ll also cook one of the dishes that will be included in Sara’s tasting/demo at the Gardner. Each class will include a mix of discussion and hands-on experience cooking a recipe relevant to our discussion. This will be a delicious lead-in to the exhibit! Learn more about the exhibit here: https://www.gardnermuseum.org/calendar/evening-esther . . . Sara M. Gardner, PhD, is a culinary historian and cooking instructor. Sara is a scholar of the literature, culture, and cuisine of the Sephardic Jewish community from the medieval to the modern periods. A 2016-2017 Fulbright Graduate Research Scholar, she received her PhD in Spanish and Portuguese Studies from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities in 2026. She has presented her work at various international conferences, including the Oxford Symposium on Food & Cookery and the Dublin Gastronomy Symposium, and her scholarship has also been published in academic journals including the World History Bulletin and Brepols. Over the past decade, Sara has also taught cooking classes centered on Jewish foodways and identity from across the global diaspora. As a JArts/Vilna Shul Community Creative Fellow this past year, Sara taught Jewish cooking workshops across the Greater Boston area and hosted a culinary pop-up with Chef Noah Clickstein (Lehrhaus) and Wild Child Chocolates in Somerville exploring the flavors of the Sephardic Caribbean. Sara is also a published cookbook author; her first cookbook The Rosh Hashanah Seder Cookbook: Stories and Recipes from the Reform Jewish Community of Madrid was published in 2018. Currently, Sara shares recipes found through her research and learning opportunities through her online Jewish cooking school, Boka Dulse (www.bokadulse.com, @bokadulse on Instagram).