Deeply rooted in ancient rituals, the seasonal rhythms of the land of Israel, and biblical commandments, the Jewish holidays mark a time for Jews around the world to reconnect with their spiritual lives, celebrate their history, and enjoy tasty foods laden with symbolic meaning. With Phyllis and Miriyam Glazer's The Essential Book of Jewish Festival Cooking as your guide, you will gain a rich understanding of the Jewish calendar year and its profound link to the signs of nature and the produce of the earth in each season. This landmark volume addresses a central question often left unanswered: Why do we eat what we eat on these important days? Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.

Setting this volume apart from other seasonal cookbooks, sibling authors Phyllis (an American-born food writer living in Tel Aviv) and Miriyam (a professor of literature at the University of Judaism in L.A.) not only provide the recipes and dishes suitable for each festival but offer the historical and theological background of each festival as well as their modern day rituals. Jewish observance has always revolved around food, with traditional dishes and ingredients associated with each festival, and the authors include not just traditional dishes but modern interpretations as well. From the Glazer Family Haroset, traditionally served at the Passover seder table, to Mom's Classic Hamantaschen for the Purim celebration, the authors take readers through the Jewish calendar, branching out to include the international inspirations of local cuisine that the Jews picked up and incorporated throughout their wanderings, both East and West. New dishes are also included from the biblically inspired Fragrant Chicken with Figs and the autumnal Cranberry Apple Crumb Pie to the simple but flavorful "Drunken" Salmon in Sherry-Butter Sauce, so suitable for Purim. Inserted throughout are fascinating explanations of traditions, historical developments and ingredients that make the book a good read as well as a good cookbook. (Mar.) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From: Reed Elsevier Inc. Copyright Reed Business Information

Phyllis Glazer, who grew up in New York and now lives in Tel Aviv, is a food writer and author of several other cookbooks; her sister, Miriyam, is a professor at the University of Judaism in Los Angeles. Here they offer both traditional and more contemporary versions of holiday dishes, with an emphasis on their historical significance for Jews around the world. Besides the major religious festivals from Passover to Purim, they include some not found in most other books, such as Tu B'Av, "the fifteenth of Av's little-known festival of love." Well-written headnotes set the context for the individual recipes, and boxes provide additional religious and cultural history. A good companion to Joan Nathan's classic Jewish Holiday Kitchen and Gloria Kaufer Greene's TheNew Jewish Holiday Cookbook, this is recommended for all subject collections. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From: Reed Elsevier Inc. Copyright Reed Business Information

Jewish holidays summon up memories of grandmothers preparing traditional, prescribed dishes for their broods. Sisters Phyllis Glazer and Miriyam Glazer, inspired by their grandmother, have devotedly produced The Essential Book of Jewish Festival Cooking. Filled with succulent recipes, this volume includes so much historical and religious data that it may serve as textbook as well as cookbook. Each successive holiday, beginning with the chief holiday, Passover, has its own series of traditional dishes although the authors are quick to acknowledge the range of traditions among the various branches of the Diaspora. Recipes are easy to follow and rarely require rare or hard-to-find ingredients. Everyone will be attracted to the little-known Tu b'av, a summer love festival. For it, the Glazers suggest a salad of goat cheese, arugula, and fresh figs--bound to be tasty whenever the ingredients are in season. Other recipes, for example, Purim's hamantaschen and Hanukkah's jelly doughnuts, vary the common ingredients with some original ideas. MarkKnoblauch. From: Syndetics Solutions, Inc. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.

Phyllis Glazer is an American-born food journalist based in Tel Aviv, Israel. She is the author of several cookbooks. She appears frequently on television and radio in Israel, and has been a guest on programs in the United States, India, and the United Kingdom Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.

Acknowledgments	ix
Introduction	xiii
A Note on Ingredients	xv
The Festivals of Spring
Passover	3
The Omer: Awaiting the Harvest	48
Shavuot	66
The Festivals of Summer
Tu b'Av	101
The Festivals of Fall
Rosh Hashanah	119
Yom Kippur	153
Sukkot	179
The Festivals of Winter
Hanukkah	219
Tu b'Shvat	255
Purim	274
Appendix I Menu Suggestions	301
Appendix II New Holidays During the Omer Period	311
Appendix III A Sabbath for the Land	315
Appendix IV Keeping Kosher	317
Bibliography	319
Index	321

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