Stuffed Eggplant Rolls. Photos by Dan Kacvinski The holiday of Shavuot marks the receiving of the Ten Commandments by Moses, but it’s also a kind of Jewish Thanksgiving, when farm bounty and grains — “first fruits” — were brought to the temple. These often included wheat, barley, grapes, figs and dates. In modern times, Shavuot is a holiday that inspires the preparation of many delicious and traditional recipes that usually…

Sukkot is known as the Jewish Thanksgiving. It offers thanks for a bountiful autumn harvest of fruits, vegetables, nuts and grains. Many Jewish families begin building their outdoor sukkahthe day after Yom Kippur and will serve the first meal inside it on the evening of Oct. 8. The sukkah resembles the small huts that field workers lived in during the harvest season in ancient times. It can be decorated with Jewish…

There is something special about Chanukah, a time when all of our children and grandchildren gather from across the country to celebrate the holiday, which begins this year at sundown on Dec. 1. Lighting the candles, followed by family meals, singing songs, exchanging gifts and playing the dreidel game all add up to quality family time. What makes Chanukah such a festive occasion? Perhaps it starts with the aroma of…

It all started with Signora Grazia, an elderly cheese maker in Panzano, Italy. While vacationing in this Tuscan village, just 30 minutes south of Florence, we walked by her farm early one morning and saw the sign that read “Pecorino and Fresh Ricotta for Sale.” We hiked up the path and, peering through the open barn door, saw her making hot ricotta cheese in a big copper bowl over an…

While enjoying my favorite foods on a recent trip to Italy, I began to think about Chanukah, even though it was only October. This was a natural association, because the Italians love to prepare foods with olive oil, and the traditional dishes served during Chanukah are fried in oil to commemorate the tiny supply of oil that burned for eight days and nights in the ancient temple — a real…

Apples, honey and a freshly baked round challah are traditionally served at the beginning of our Rosh Hashanah dinner. The shape of the challah represents unending happiness, and foods sweetened with honey symbolize a sweet and happy new year ahead. Just before Rosh Hashanah, I start thinking of recipes featuring apples and honey, and what better way to combine them but in an assortment of desserts? Apples come in so…