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…

We love entertaining friends. The process is easy: We check our calendar, pick a date and discuss whom to invite, usually eight to 10 guests. It is fun to mix couples who have the same interests but have never met. At our last dinner party, we bought white cotton fabric to use as tablecloths and had a large selection of crayons and markers available. We then asked everyone to draw…

What makes the holiday of Purim so special for our family is more than the heroic story of Queen Esther. These days, our celebration wouldn’t be complete without a holiday meal that starts with all the grandchildren and great-grandchildren dressed up in costume to re-create the Purim story and making mayhem, using groggers —noise-makers — from our collection that are part of the table decor. The menu itself is much less chaotic….

Add a bountiful dessert table to your Thanksgiving feast Pumpkin Date Nut Bread. Photos by Dan Kacvinski Thanksgiving dinner calls to mind roast turkey with stuffing and gravy, sweet potatoes, rolls and cranberries. But the holiday meal wouldn’t be the same without a variety of pies and pumpkin desserts. My friend, chef Michel Richard, who started his career as a pastry chef, was once asked if dessert is necessary. “I…

Honey adds special touch to Jewish New Year Honey Chocolate Fudge Bars. Photos by Dan Kacvinski. Food coordinated by Judy Zeidler The use of honey for Rosh Hashanah symbolizes a sweet year and dates back to biblical times, when refined sugar was unknown. Its sweetness adds a distinctive flavor to a variety of dishes in addition to dessert: It can be used as a glaze for everything from carrots to broiled…