By Judy Zeidler (Photo by Dan Kacvinski) If you are in a dilemma about what to serve your family for Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and Sukkot, expand your menu options to include dishes that can be served in both the dining room and the sukkah. Rosh Hashanah (Sept. 8-10) usually occurs during the warmest days of the year, so I plan to serve a refreshing and delicious cold Apple-Spinach Salad…

Molded Chopped Liver with Concord Grape Wine Aspic. Photo by Morgan Lieberman Jewish cuisine has always gotten a bad rap, and very often I hear the expression that “heavy Jewish food” is not healthy, but we have been cooking nutritious Jewish food for our family for as long as I can remember. Students in my cooking class always ask me for a healthy recipe for chicken soup that tastes really…

The Thanksgiving holiday is the perfect time to invite family and friends to celebrate an American tradition with a home-cooked feast. The essential elements are turkey, stuffing, gravy, cranberry sauce and yams. And, of course, everyone looks forward to several delicious desserts. My mother was very proud of her very special veggie stuffing and used it for chicken as well as turkey. She mixed everything together and placed it in the bird…

During Shavuot, it’s a custom to serve dairy foods, such as cheese blintzes, cheese noodle kugels, cheesecake and even ice cream. But have you wondered where this tradition comes from? There are many explanations, but I like the theory that, at this time of the year, sheep and goats are still feeding their young, and milk products abound. Dishes prepared with wheat, barley, honey, olives and other “first fruits” of…

Ground Beef and Matzah “Lasagna” (See page 2) Photos by Dan Kacvinski. Food coordinated by Judy Zeidler Families will gather at sundown on March 25 and begin the eight-day observance of Passover, commemorating the centuries-old flight of the Jewish people from slavery in Egypt to their subsequent freedom. It is also known as the Festival of Matzah, or unleavened bread, because in their exodus, the Jews had little time to…

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…