The days are shorter; the nights are longer. The weather has changed and soon there may even be snow. We spend more time inside our snug homes.

Holiday times and family gatherings are on the horizon. It’s time to plan those menus.

There’s a song that goes “Make new friends but keep the old; one is silver and the other gold.” That applies to food at family gatherings, too, at least in my family.

Along with the turkey, we enjoy rodanchos, also known as pumpkin strudel, a Sephardic dish of filo rolled around seasoned pumpkin and then curled into a rose shape. Several cookbooks have recipes for this Thanksgiving appropriate dish including Joan Nathan’s Jewish Holiday Kitchen. And for a different kind of side dish, try Joan Nathan’s perfect for fall Alsatian Pear Kugel from Quiches, Kugels and Couscous.

To help you add some new taste to complement the family favorites, here are some great cookbooks. They’ll all be found in the 641.5 section in the library.

Remember-Jewish cookbooks are not just for Jewish holidays.

All of these books are treasure troves of good food, but the books by Joan Nathan are particularly recommended for the background and cultural context she provides . There are even many videos featuring holiday recipes.

Cohen
Jewish Holiday Cooking: a food lover’s treasury of classics and improvisations.

Frankel
Jewish Slow Cooker Recipes: 120 holiday and everyday dishes made easy.

Gur
Jewish Soul Food: from Minsk to Marrakesh; more than 100 unforgettable dishes updated for today’s kitchen.

Koenig
Modern Jewish Cooking: recipes & customs for today’s kitchen.

Marks
Encyclopedia of Jewish Food. (641.03)

Nathan
Jewish Holiday Kitchen
Jewish Cooking in America.
King Solomon’s Table: a culinary exploration of Jewish cooking from around the world.
Quiches, Kugels and Couscous: my search for Jewish cooking in France.

Solomonov
Israeli soul: easy, essential, delicious.

Sussman
Sababa: Fresh, sunny flavors from my Israeli kitchen.

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Aileen Grossberg

Aileen Grossberg, a professional librarian, is a long-time congregant and serves as volunteer librarian for Shomrei's Lampert Library. The library, one of the best-kept secrets at Shomrei is used by the Rabbi, congregants, students and teachers of the JLC (Hebrew School) and Preschool. It's a tremendous resource completely supported by your donations and gifts. Aileen also heads the Shomrei Caterers, the in-house food preparation group. Can there be any better combination…good food and good books!

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