explain that someone can 
be both Jewish and born in 
South America. Today, as a 
famous chef she doesn’t need 
to explain herself as she is 
known for world-class eclectic 
cooking. 
Before the kitchen was 
her mainstay, the stage was 
her arena. Bernstein trained 
as a ballerina but pivoted to 
cooking after an injury. The 
practice and focus of dance 
prepared her for the culinary 
world. 
“The ability and strength to 
stand for 12-14 hours a day, 
carry large loads and have an 
economy of movement needed 
to get things done in small 
spaces and in quick times” was 
the perfect discipline, she says.
Bernstein entered the culi-
nary world three decades 
ago, when she was the only 
female in the room. She was 
ridiculed for being “too small, 
too Jewish and too feminine.” 
The verbal abuse and sexual 
harassment made her work 
harder and wear her lipstick 
proudly. One day, she sliced 
her finger in the kitchen and 
needed 20 stitches. The crew 
bet she would not return. She 
returned and said, “One day 
you will all work for me.” And 
that was exactly the case. 

DISHES WITH LATIN FLAIR
Today, she owns and operates a 
thriving catering business and 
several restaurants, all Miami-

based. In 2019, she opened 
Café La Trova on Calle Ocho, 
which is in the heart of Miami’s 
Cuban district. Bernstein and 
her husband are also partners 
in the internationally recog-
nized Miami Beach cocktail 
bar Sweet Liberty. They also 
opened La Cañita in Bayside, 
and soon she will open Sra. 
Martinez in Coral Gables, both 
in the greater Miami area.
“I feel my life (along with 
a lot of other people I know) 
can be told through food,” 
Bernstein says. 
One example is her extraor-
dinary “The Story of My Life 
Chicken Soup.” Dill, chayote, 
chili, cilantro and corn create 
a unique twist on Bernstein’s 
version of the classic chicken 
soup recipe. Because her mom 
always used Streit’s matzah ball 
mix for the base, she some-
times uses that, too. 
“It’s a soup that takes some 
skill to make great — it’s gelat-
inous and delicate,” she says, 
adding that her signature reci-
pe includes flavors and ingredi-
ents indigenous to Miami and 
other Latin countries. She also 
mentions the healing powers of 
chicken soup.
Her Latin flair is evident in 
another Jewish dish — brisket. 
She often serves it with chi-
michurri sauce. In her cook-
book Cuisine à Latina, she also 
includes a mustard-crusted 
brisket recipe and an Israeli 
couscous dish. One of her 
favorite recipes is her mom’s 

arroz con pollo (chicken with 
rice). In this recipe, she reveals 
the trick of cooking rice in a 
large quantity of stock and then 
adding beer! She describes how 
the beer plumps the grains 
and acts like a sauce. The arroz 
con pollo uses sazon completa 
(complete seasoning), which is 
a blend of salt, pepper, cumin 
and other spices that can be 
found in most Latin grocery 
stores or in the international 
aisle of a supermarket.
What does she cook or 
cater for Friday night Shabbat 
dinner? She prepares simple 
food like roast chicken, latkes 
and a whole fish with fennel. 
Bernstein describes her palette 
as delicate even though she is 
of Latin descent. Her favorite 
herbs are tarragon, dill, parsley 
and mint and, as for spices, she 
prefers ground fennel and fla-
vorful chili.
“I cook everything and 
anything; however, I begin 
with a sensibility that is over-
all Eastern European,” she 
explains.
Her nickname is Michy, 
which is what her family calls 
her. On Instagram, she’s 
chefmichy. “The way you 
cook is where you have been 
and the cultures you have been 
exposed to, which all combines 
into on big mishmash.” 

Carla Schwartz is the former editor 

of Style magazine, a former Jewish 

News columnist, community relations 

consultant and blogger. Visit her blog 

at motownsavvy.com.

style beer 
1 cup green olives, preferably 
stuffed with pimientos (plus 
more for garnish) 
1 cup frozen peas 
1 tsp. of your favorite hot 
sauce (I like Cholula’s)

Directions 
Heat the oil in a large, 
deep, heavy-bottomed 
skillet over medium-high 
heat. Add the onions, 
peppers and cook, stir-
ring until softened, 3 to 
4 minutes. Add the rice 
to the pan, stir for 1-2 
minutes. Add the stock, 
wine, butter, saffron 
liquid, sazon (if using), 
cumin and turmeric into 
the pan. Add the tomato 
paste and cook, stirring 
to coat the other ingre-
dients with the paste, 
for 3-4 minutes.
Add the garlic, pars-
ley, cilantro and 1 cup of 
the beer. Season with 
salt and pepper. Bring 
the mixture to a boil, 
reduce to a low simmer 
and add the olives, peas 
and hot sauce. Place 
the reserved chicken 
thighs and any juice that 
has collected on its dish 
into the rice. Cover for 
about 20 minutes. After 
20 minutes, uncover 
the pan and add the 
remaining beer to the 
skillet. Don’t stir! Cover 
again and cook until 
the beer is substantially 
absorbed by the rice 
and the chicken should 
be completely cooked 
through, about 10 more 
minutes.
Uncover the skillet 
and let simmer until the 
liquid is almost com-
pletely reduced, about 
5 minutes. Garnish with 
Spanish olives and 
serve. 

“I FEEL MY LIFE (ALONG WITH 
OTHERS PEOPLE I KNOW) CAN BE 

TOLD THROUGH FOOD.”

— MICHELLE BERNSTEIN

continued from page 47

JULY 7 • 2022 | 49

