Community Magazine February 2019

Bar mitzvah party catered byAliza. Authentic handmade kaak belouz for swanee. Swanee wrapping and setup. SHEVAT - ADAR I 5779 FEBRUARY 2019 61 lead cooking parties and demonstrations. I specialize in birthdays andmother/daughter cooking events.” The Ghetto Gourmet is Born Before Aliza gave birth to her oldest child, Max, she specialized in custom homemade chocolates and cookies. She continued this specialty for a few years and then became pregnant with Eddie. After his birth, Aliza took some time off to focus on baby Eddie. As Eddie got older, Aliza found herself struggling with balancing motherhood and maintaining her sanity when trying to feed her two picky eaters. She explains that blogs were becoming popular and she came up with the name The Ghetto Gourmet. Her goal was to provide quick and easy recipes that looked and tasted delicious. Aliza kept the page anonymous for six months. “I wanted people to follow me because they liked the recipes, not because they knew me. I named it ‘The Ghetto Gourmet’ simply as a play on words, an oxymoron. You can’t really be a gourmet if you are ghetto.”  What excites Aliza about food blogging is seeing how kosher cuisine has changed. “I love finding so many new ingredients and flavors in the kosher aisle that you wouldn’t have seen years before. Kosher oyster sauce, lamb bacon, and kimchi (which is my new fave in the kitchen), and taking these new trends and adapting them to ‘tried and true recipes’ is what I love to do.”      About a year after The Ghetto Gourmet was launched, Aliza was approached by the Sephardic Community Center management to run culinary classes. One class became two, two became ten, and the rest is history. Aliza then began to offer cooking workshops in people’s homes. Day or night programs, birthdays to couple’s classes, to bat mitzvahs, The Ghetto Gourmet made it happen. Two years ago, Aliza added a catering branch to her business, which has been growing. A Balancing Act Maintaining a healthy work-life balance doesn’t come without challenges. “My family is the most important part of my life. The minute I see my career is negatively impacting my family, I will walk away from it. I work while my kids are in school and after they are in bed. It’s hard but it’s the only acceptable option for me. I never understood what my parents meant when they said they do everything for their children. Now I feel it in my bones - creating a bowl of comfort on a cold night or their favorite dessert to make their Shabbat extra special, that’s what I think about: how to make every moment a special memory for them.” And where does Aliza’s husband fit into her fulfilling career? “I always say I must have done something right, that I have Albert to share this ride with me. He’s an amazing man, fully supporting my passion and business. He is my rock. When I feel tired or defeated, he is there to lift me up and root me on. He helps me do what I love. If I have a night class, he is home early to do homework with the kids and tuck them in.”  One of Aliza’s biggest challenges was stepping back from her beloved blog when she became pregnant with Mia (now two). “I feared people would forget me, but my family came first. I committed to return my focus to The Ghetto Gourmet once my daughter is old enough for playgroup. I’m so blessed to be back - and loving every second of it.”  Labor of Love Her advice to young people about dreams and goals? “GO FOR IT, and have fun doing it. Don’t take yourself too seriously, be yourself, and don’t forget those around you in the process.”    I leave you with Aliza’s heartfelt hakarat hatov – “I’m humbled and thankful to Hashem for giving me the opportunity to do what I love. I have met incredible people and appreciate and love each and every follower. Words can’t describe how touched I am when a woman waves, says she follows me, and feels like she knows me, or someone screams, ‘Ghettttto!’” Look out for Aliza’s cookbook! It’s in the works, and she calls it her new baby – a labor of love!! Ellen Geller Kamaras, CPA/MBA, is an International Coach Federation (ICF) Associate Certified Coach. Ellen can be contacted at  ellen@lifecoachellen.com (www.lifecoachellen.com ).