Product Description

In Jewish Holiday Cooking, Jayne Cohen shares a wide-ranging collection of traditional Jewish recipes, as well as inventive new creations and contemporary variations on the classic dishes.  For home cooks, drawing from the rich traditions of Jewish history when cooking for the holidays can be a daunting task.  Jewish Holiday Cooking comes to the rescue with recipes drawn from Jayne Cohen's first book, The Gefilte Variations -- called an "outstanding debut" by Publisher's Weekly -- as well as over 100 new recipes and information on cooking for the holidays.  More than just a cookbook, this is the definitive guide to celebrating the Jewish holidays.  Cohen provides practical advice and creative suggestions on everything from setting a Seder table with ritual objects to accommodating vegan relatives.  The book is organized around the major Jewish holidays and includes nearly 300 recipes and variations, plus suggested menus tailored to each occasion, all conforming to kosher dietary laws.  Chapters include all eight of the major Jewish holidays -- Shabbat, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Hanukkah, Purim, Passover, and Shavuot -- and the book is enlivened throughout with captivating personal reminiscences and tales from Jewish lore as well as nostalgic black and white photography from Cohen's own family history.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #420422 in Books
• Published on: 2008-02-11
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 592 pages

From Publishers Weekly
Cohen (The Gefilte Variations) celebrates both the variety and spirit of Jewish holidays and the variety of Jewish cooking in this appealing book. Each major holiday throughout the year, from Rosh Hashanah in the fall to Shavuot in early summer, has its own section of recipes, as does the weekly Sabbath; strictly observant Jews as well as those who are not entirely familiar with the religious significance of all the events will appreciate Cohen's detailed comments on their history and meaning at the beginning of each section. Those with less experience in planning big feasts will also be grateful for the variety of menu suggestions that accompany each holiday: Passover seders, a Hanukkah latke party with superb traditional and nontraditional latkes, a vegetarian dinner for Sukkot. Cohen draws on Jewish cuisine from every tradition: Leek Croquettes from Rhodes, stuffed chicken soup from Iran and a pineapple-coconut milk kugel from Bombay are just a few of the pleasantly exotic yet authentic offerings; she also puts new twists on old standards, as with Moroccan-flavored brisket and deconstructed kasha varnishkes that feature portobello mushrooms and eggplant in lieu of quantities of fat. Each recipe is helpfully coded to indicate whether it is meat, dairy or pareve, though she often provides variations to accommodate all needs in this book that's enjoyable to read and inspiring to cook from. (Mar.)
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Review
Part cookbook, part memoir and part how-to, "Jewish Holiday Cooking" could be the one go-to guide for all the Jewish holidays. Jayne Cohen gives the "why" behind their traditions and foods. Her Passover chapter is particularly detailed, tracing the development of the seder over the centuries, defining what "kosher for Passover" means, and giving ideas for planning the seder menu—including a vegetarian seder. Recipes for Passover include braised brisket with 36 garlic cloves and a chicken soup with fennel matzo balls, asparagus and shiitake mushrooms. Cohen is a graceful, informative writer who easily shares her enthusiasm for Jewish holiday cooking with readers. But there's a note of urgency as well. "Jewish cooking is above all bubbe (grandmother) cuisine, and through the meals that we share with our children, it is also our link to the future," she writes. "But unless you continue to update the recipes and create new food traditions, grandmother cuisine will die out when the grandmothers die, when no younger generations are eager to learn to prepare these foods." Sobering words, but this book offers delicious ways to honor traditions old and new.-- Bill Daley, Chicago Tribune

Cohen (The Gefilte Variations) celebrates both the variety and spirit of Jewish holidays and the variety of Jewish cooking in this appealing book. Each major holiday throughout the year, from Rosh Hashanah in the fall to Shavuot in early summer, has its own section of recipes, as does the weekly Sabbath; strictly observant Jews as well as those who are not entirely familiar with the religious significance of all the events will appreciate Cohen's detailed comments on their history and meaning at the beginning of each section. Those with less experience in planning big feasts will also be grateful for the variety of menu suggestions that accompany each holiday: Passover seders, a Hanukkah latke party with superb traditional and nontraditional latkes, a vegetarian dinner for Sukkot. Cohen draws on Jewish cuisine from every tradition: Leek Croquettes from Rhodes, stuffed chicken soup from Iran and a pineapple-coconut milk kugel from Bombay are just a few of the pleasantly exotic yet authentic offerings; she also puts new twists on old standards, as with Moroccan-flavored brisket and "deconstructed" kasha varnishkes that feature portobello mushrooms and eggplant in lieu of quantities of fat. Each recipe is helpfully coded to indicate whether it is meat, dairy or pareve, though she often provides variations to accommodate all needs in this book that's enjoyable to read and inspiring to cook from. (Mar.) (Publishers Weekly, December 17, 2007)

From the Inside Flap

"Food is truly magical. Through the simple act of eating, Jews partake of a mystical but very real communion with their families, their traditions,and the world itself." —Jayne Cohen

Jewish holidays are times for worship, family, and, of course, food. Favorite dishes handed down through generations of bubbes are often mainstays on the menu. But whether you need help re-creating a fondly remembered family dish or you're looking for ways to put your own stamp on holiday celebrations, you're new to the traditions or you simply want to reconnect with your roots, this book offers you a world of intriguing possibilities. From traditional Ashkenazi fare and tempting Sephardi choices to inspired contemporary variations, Jewish food maven Jayne Cohen has collected more than 200 soul-satisfying kosher recipes for the holidays—dishes that are guaranteed to create indelible memories and become new family favorites.

You'll find superb renditions of venerable Eastern European Jewish dishes here: kugels, latkes, rugelach, briskets, blintzes, matzoh balls, and more. Cohen also brings you mouthwatering dishes from Jewish communities throughout the diaspora, including Classic Hummus with Toasted Sesame-Cumin Matzohs, Moroccan Fish with Chickpeas and Saffron-LimeAioli, Fesenjan (Duck with Pomegranate and Walnut Sauce), Syrian Stuffed Zucchini in Tomato-Apricot Sauce, and Iranian Grilled Chicken Thighs with Sumac.

To give you even more choices, Cohen reinterprets dozens of traditional Jewish dishes for today's palates, offering recipes such as Smoked Whitefish Gefilte Fish with Lemon Horseradish Sauce, New Mexican Sweet Potato Latkes with Lime–Sour Cream Sauce, Braised Brisket with Thirty-Six Cloves of Garlic, and Upside-Down Caramel Cranberry Pecan Noodle Kugel, to name just a few. Her recipes emphasize fresh vegetables, fruits, and herbs, and use them in creative new ways: mint tea becomes the base of a chilled cucumber soup and meltingly tender eggplant moistens kasha instead of gobs of butter.

Cohen's book is as delightful to read as it is to cook from. Drawing on Jewish history and lore as well as intimate memories of her own family celebrations, she explains each holiday's special foods and dishes—and helps you understand how a wonderful meal can enrich the holiday's meaning. You'll find enchanting stories that bring to life the origins and significance of cherished food traditions—and take you from a synagogue courtyard in Italian wine country at Hanukkah to a hunt for a Passover recipe from a lost community in Provence.

Cohen provides detailed guidance on celebrating each holiday—Sabbath, Rosh Hashanah, breaking the Yom Kippur fast, Sukkot, Hanukkah, Purim, Passover, and Shavuot—offering multiple menus and practical advice, from latke lessons to strategies for accommodating vegan relatives at Seder. Complete with in-depth information on stocking the Jewish kitchen, step-by-step instructions, and treasured cooking secrets, Jewish Holiday Cooking is the only book you need to orchestrate unforgettable holiday meals.

Customer Reviews

Fantastic Book for People of All Religions!
This is a truly wonderful cookbook and an asset to anyone who loves food, regardless of their religious affliation. I am not Jewish, but having been born and raised in New York City I grew up loving classic Jewish dishes. This book covers them all, and goes one step further by reinventing these classics into truly gourmet masterpieces.Who would have thought that kugel could be transformed into a whimsical dessert such as Double Ginger-Caramelized Pear Noodle Kugel?! With wonderful stories and illustrations interwoven throughout the recipes, this book is a must have for any food lover.

kosher for today
I especiall y like the improvisation part. Here, In Gainesville, FL there is no kosher restaurant and kosher food is not easy to find. One ca never get a fresh kosher chicken here, only frozen.
The bok could use a few e-mail addresses where one can get kosher foods shipped wit h their price and estimated amount of potage for shipping. Thanks.

Good...but lots of repeats from "The Gefilte Variations"
This is a very fine cookbook--Jayne Cohen writes beautifully and her recipes are innovative and excellent. However, I was quite disappointed to find that many of the recipes in the book--and even the headnotes--are just reprints of recipes from her previous cookbook, The Gefilte Variations: 200 Inspired Re-creations of Classics from the Jewish Kitchen, with Menus, Stories, and Traditions for the Holidays and Year-Round. If you already own The Gefilte Variations, you may not want to purchase this cookbook, too.