This is a potato casserole that my Hungarian mother always made and was a family favorite.  One year it occurred to me that it was perfect for Passover.  I didn't really have the recipe written down so I tried my best to create it.  It is actually better reheated the second day.  My mother mixes it up before reheating so more parts get crispy.  I like how it looks, though, so I leave it as is.

Food Editor's Note:  This is the winner of the Passover 2003 ShalomBoston.com Recipe Contest!  It is a delicious departure from the typical potato dish – satisfying and creamy, with the unexpected added taste of eggs and a bit of tang from the sour cream.  With a few simple ingredients and easy instructions, this is a great addition to our recipe file.  Serve the potatoes as a side with a fish entree or with a salad for a complete main course.

Hummus was originally brought to Israel by Jews from Arab countries.  It is now eaten by everyone in Israel and by Jews and non-Jews throughout the world.  It is healthy, easy to make from scratch, and has a delicious, distinctive flavor.  It is traditionally eaten with fresh, warm pita bread, but can also be used as a dip with fresh vegetables or as an accompaniment to Israeli salad, falafel, and other Israeli dishes.  Tastes vary when it comes to hummus – some like it very thick, some thinner, some with added flavorings, and some with olive oil drizzled on top.  This basic recipe produces a fairly thick hummus – just add some of the reserved bean liquid or water or reduce the tahini paste to produce a thinner version.  There are instructions for flavor variations below the basic recipe.  Store the hummus in the refrigerator, but stir and let sit to take the chill off a bit before serving.

Food Editor's Note:  This is a vegetable dish that many people like to serve with a Rosh Hashanah dinner, as carrots are naturally sweet and provide good color and texture to a dinner plate.  But often the carrots come out too soft, too crunchy, too sweet, too gingery, or otherwise not up to expectations.  This recipe is a very easy one that leaves little room for variation in the final product.  Make sure you cut the carrots into pieces of equal size, so they cook evenly, and cook them just before serving so they don't soften more with a second heating.  It really is easy to do if you cut the raw carrots in advance and prepare the glaze in a separate bowl, ready to pour over the carrots and toss just before bringing to the table.

This is based on Joan Nathan's recipe in her original edition of The Jewish Holiday Kitchen (Schocken Books, 1979).  Joan uses whole chickens, cut up, but I have adapted it for boneless, skinless chicken breasts.  This recipe is easier than it looks and really tastes delicious.  The chicken stays moist and there is a wonderful just-sweet-enough sauce to go with the chicken and any rice or other grain side dish you choose.  Leftovers, if there are any, are good cold.  I have a natural aversion to reheated chicken (me and Julia Child!), but I've found that you can re-heat this chicken in the sauce – covered, at a low temperature, in the oven or at a reduced power level in the microwave – with little loss in flavor.  This is a wonderful dish to serve for a Rosh Hashanah dinner.

This is an easy, easy, easy dish that can be an hors d'oeuvre for a larger dinner or a quick treat of a meal for your family.  Kids absolutely love this, but so do the adults.  It tastes best when it is freshly made, so prepare just before serving – it will only take about 10 minutes.

This recipe comes from my paternal grandmother, Rebecca Chodosh. As was typical of her generation, she never wrote down any of her recipes. It took my beloved Aunt Pearl to stand by her side and diligently measure each ingredient and record the procedure. I've updated the method a bit to reflect modern techniques and equipment, but this cake will always bring back loving memories of two great ladies.

Both of these fine cooks liked to make taiglach on one day, then make the honey cake the next using the honey the taiglach had been boiled in. If you're lucky enough to have taiglach honey at hand, use it in place of the jarred honey, omit the ground ginger and reduce the amount of sugar to 1/2 cup.

This cake is a bit spongy in texture, and will have a fair number of small holes and tunnels. This is as it should be. The flavor is slightly spicy and the cake is not overly sweet. It will stay, wrapped well, for many days at room temperature and even longer in the refrigerator.

This is a recipe for a special occasion, when you want to serve meat, but dressed up in some way. My family and guests have enjoyed the flavors of this recipe, but they are quite strong and a bit unusual for beef. The meat ends up with a nice sort of crusty outside. I usually prepare it a day in advance of cooking it.

Food Editor's Note:
This dish is easy to prepare and makes a very nice presentation. I used rolled Delmonico roasts, but you can splurge and use a sirloin roast as well. The leftover beef is excellent served in sandwiches.