How to make Michael Twitty’s matzoh ball gumbo, a soup of Black and Jewish cuisines

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. Michael Twitty became the first African American author to win the National Jewish Book Award in 2023 for his book “Koshersoul.” Chef and author Michael Twitty adds matzoh balls to okra gumbo in a Passover recipe from his “Koshersoul” book. Published in 2010, Ferris’ book “Matzoh Ball Gumbo” explores the historic foodways of Southern Jews, including the influence of Black Southerners and Black women in particular. Green and red onion, ginger and garlic add aromatic, peppery notes to chef Michael Twitty’s matzoh ball gumbo.