Purchase Jewish Holiday Cooking:

Grandmother Rebecca Suffin holding
Jayne’s brother, Steven, who had a name for
everything—including Grandma’s upper arms.

Reviews & Advance Praise

 “This warm and inviting book takes generations of delicious tradition to a new and inspiring level. This is a masterful collection of classic, as well as sumptuous, elegant, new, and fresh, takes on the Jewish holiday kitchen that will make your holiday table shine, from the Sabbath through to the High Holidays to a gourmet Passover feast. Cohen has unveiled a whole new era of taste, elegance, and simply incredible flavors that would be at home in the finest restaurant and yet still earn the coveted "Bubbie's stamp of approval."
— Marcy Goldman, host of BetterBaking.com and author of A Passion for Baking and A Treasury of Jewish Holiday Baking.
 
“Jayne Cohen’s Jewish Holiday Cooking: A Food Lover’s Treasury of Classics and Improvisations includes all the ingredients of a powerful historical tale—there are stories passed between generations, magic found in matzoh crumbs, evolving traditions, passion, the voices of poets and writers, family dramas, and the flavors and tastes of the Jewish year. In this wonderful mix of Jewish food and cultural history, Cohen tells us how to guard and cherish our past, while recognizing contemporary desires for innovation and healthy, seasonal, locally procured ingredients.”
— Marcie Cohen Ferris, author of Matzoh Ball Gumbo: Culinary Tales of the Jewish South

“Rich in personal stories, culinary history, and treasured family recipes, Jewish Holiday Cooking pays homage to the rituals and feasts that have nourished generations. The greatest pleasure of Cohen’s collection is her sumptuous recipes along with the coveted tips and secrets she shares that elevate cooking from the ordinary to the sublime.”
— Grace Young, author of The Wisdom of the
Chinese Kitchen

“And I thought I didn’t need another Jewish cookbook. Jayne Cohen’s new book is a really good read—a wealth of interesting information and amusing anecdotes delivered in a warm, engaging voice. And these recipes are not just for the holidays; this cookbook has been in my kitchen for only a couple of weeks, and already it’s dog-eared. Jayne gives us both comfortably familiar recipes and ones that are filled with fresh and enticing flavors."
— Nancy Lazarus, coauthor of the Moosewood Collective cookbooks

“Jayne Cohen is an historian, story teller, food writer and cook with a broad knowledge of Jewish history and lore.  This excellent book is a delicious combination of her many talents.  When reading the book, I was torn between wanting to read more of her heartwarming family stories and interesting holiday facts, and running into the kitchen to cook her mouthwatering recipes.  Every Jewish person, and every person who knows a Jewish person, would benefit from owning this book.  Jayne has solved my holiday gift buying.  I will be giving my family and friends a copy of Jewish Holiday Cooking:  A Food Lover’s Treasury of Classics and Improvisations.”
— Marlene Sorosky Gray, author of Fast & Festive Meals for the Jewish Holidays

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. — Publishers Weekly

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