Katz's Deli and Sababa Foods Founders Share Passover Recipe Blending Culinary Traditions

Jake Dell, fifth-generation owner of Katz's Delicatessen in Manhattan's Lower East Side, and Amy Dell, founder of Sababa Foods, have shared a Passover recipe that merges their distinct culinary backgrounds. The couple met in 2015 through a dating app and bonded over their shared experiences growing up in family restaurants. Jake's heritage is Ashkenazi, with Katz's representing his family's deli tradition, while Amy's father is Israeli with Tunisian and Moroccan roots, influencing her Sephardic culinary style through Sababa Foods. Their relationship milestones have centered around food, including their first family meetings at Shabbat dinners and a 2018 proposal featuring favorite New York dishes. They married in 2019, celebrating with events at both family restaurants. In fall 2025, they introduced a chili dish at Katz's that combines Amy's Saturday Sauce with the deli's meats, symbolizing their blended traditions. For Passover, they typically attend multiple seders with their families and host their own in their Manhattan apartment with their two children. The recipe they shared features slow-cooked lamb in spiced tomato sauce with chickpeas served over jeweled rice with dried fruits and nuts, incorporating Amy's Saturday Sauce. This dish reflects their combined Sephardic and Ashkenazi influences, creating new family traditions.