January 10, 2005 For the past fifty years I have given cooking classes that include recipes for contemporary and traditional dishes, as well as menus for all the Jewish holidays.   It is always very rewarding when I receive calls from students telling me that they loved the class and prepared all the dishes.  But my most recent cooking class is one of the most memorable. It happened when a close…

Rocky Road Clusters. Photos by Daniel Kacvinski This year, I gathered together all of the Passover dessert recipes I have made, dating back to our first seder in 1950 — more than 125. This was in anticipation of compiling them into my new project, a Passover dessert cookbook. I thought it would be fun to share some of my favorites in advance of the book’s publication, with a focus on some…

By JUDY ZEIDLER, Special to The Times Saturday night, the first night of Passover this year, will mark our 100th family Seder. When we were married just one year, my husband Marvin and I decided to observe the first two Seder nights of Passover in our own home, and we have done so ever since. The house we lived in 50 years ago was very small, but we borrowed chairs…

Chocolate truffle cupcakes. Photo by Dan Kacvinski Wine is an important part of the observance of Passover — at least four cups are poured during the seder service. I’m sure we all have noticed how our wine tastes have changed since childhood, when only the sweet, syrupy wines were available. But these days, our family and friends may choose from a wide variety of kosher Passover wines, not only from…

As the sound of the shofar officially closes the long day of Yom Kippur prayer, people head home a little weary but spiritually uplifted. It has been a tradition for our family to gather upon returning from synagogue for a break-the-fast meal. It began when our children were growing up, and we prepared a light brunch-style dairy supper. In many Jewish homes, a favorite way to break the Yom Kippur…

Nationwide, there are all sorts of activities to celebrate Father’s Day, different ways to honor the hard work of dads and their contribution to society. For our family, it is usually a fun party focused on enjoying each other’s company — and a special meal.  When our kids were growing up we lived on a ranch in Topanga Canyon, and we celebrated Father’s Day by having a picnic and a…