Take a Taste Tuesday with Alison Gutwaks

My name is Alison Gutwaks. I am a mother, wife, daughter, chef, recipe developer, blogger, entrepreneur and love anything made with lamb or waffles!

I have a personal chef company in Columbus, OH called AliBabka. I focus on each client, individually. Many clients come to me because they are busy and don’t have time to cook, or do not want to cook. I excel at designing specialized meal plans for individuals with dietary restrictions. Catering on a small scale is another area I enjoy, typically less than 50 individuals. I have been hired to accompany families on their vacations and cater to them as their personal chef.

One of my favorite recipes to make with my child comes from the book, “The Pediatricians Guide to Feeding Babies and Toddlers,” for which I wrote the recipes.

Almond Butter Bites
Make 20 Bars

1 C. Almonds
1 C. Dried Dates, pitted
1 C. Dried Apricots
1/2 C. Almond Butter
1 tsp. Vanilla Extract

Preheat oven to 350. Spread the almonds on a parchment lined baking sheet. Toast the almonds for 10-15 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally to ensure they don’t burn. Set them aside to cool.
In a food processor, chop the almond until they turn into the consistency of coarse flour. Add the dates and pulse a few more times to finely chop. Add the apricots, almond butter, and vanilla and pulse until the mixture is smooth doughlike consistency and does not contain any large pieces of dates or apricots. Flatten the mixture into an 8X8 inch parchment lined baking pan. Refrigerate or freeze for 1 to 2 hours then carefully cut into 20 bars. Keep the bars stored in an airtight container int eh fridge for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to one month.

My baby eats virtually everything. I have found kids by nature, copy their parents. If you eat it they will eventually try it, but it might take a few times! My son is only 1.5, so I don’t’ cook with him often. When I do, I’ll give him a plastic dull knife and we can chop together. He also loves counting with me as we measure out ingredients.

I reside in Columbus, OH with my loving and talented husband, Matan and wonderful 1.5 year old son, Azriel (Azi). I started a blog in culinary school and continue writing recipes at alibabka.com. Check out the website for more on my experience as a kosher chef in a non kosher culinary school and for fun recipes to try at home. If you are interested in hiring me for any occasion or trip, either locally or abroad, please contact me through my website, by email, or phone.

My dreams for the future are to continue making people happy through food and continue working on growing my skills and my business. I also hope to go on an African Safari one day…maybe as a personal family chef?

Each Tuesday for the next several weeks a fellow mom/friend/community member will be sharing a fun recipe, tips to include kids in the cooking process, or a great family restaurant for “Take a Taste Tuesday.” If you are interested in sharing your eating and/or cooking fun be sure to connect with me via email!