Brad Mahlof, a kosher chef, showcases his Libyan-Jewish heritage on the PBS show, “The Great American Recipe.” He always thought of cooking as a hobby, but when asked by the producers of the show to be a contestant, he accepted the challenge. “There is basically zero representation of Libyan Jews in the United States, so to have my recipes featured is a great way to show the world how beautiful our culture and food are,” he said.

While an undergraduate at Brandeis University, he would make Shabbat dinners for his friends. “Just being Jewish makes so many of us home cooks, because we do Shabbat dinner every week. It’s less about the process,” he said. “I like the end result of everyone coming together and enjoying food.”                                                                                                                                                                                                                 PBS photo