Even though people often don’t like the idea of lima beans, this is delicious. My mother, Joan Sudikoff, makes this dish. It is based on a recipe in the cookbook published by the Women’s Auxiliary of the Hebrew Rehabilitation Center.

Editor’s Note: One of our visitors requested a recipe for lima beans with beef, and I was surprised at the nostalgic reactions I received from people as I asked around for suggestions. From the ingredient list, you might think this is very tomatoey and sweet, but it is not. The gravy is delicious, there is plenty of it if you keep the roasting pan tightly covered with foil while cooking, and the carrots and beans do not get mushy (unless you freeze it). This is a very satisfying dish, one that Grandma probably made, and a little bit different from today’s common brisket variations. It is easy too – no browning the meat! – and will probably become one of your new family traditions!

In my family this has always been the “holiday” brisket. I make it pretty frequently now, even when it’s not a holiday, because my family likes it the most of all the different briskets.

Food Editor's Notes:  This is a delicious, healthful, and hearty soup that is easy to make.  Aside from a few basics that are identified with minestrone, such as tomatoes, beans, and Italian spices (basil, oregano, parsley), you can add whatever vegetables, pasta, and cooking liquids you have available in your refrigerator or pantry or whatever strikes your fancy.  This is also a versatile dish for the kosher kitchen, as it can be made pareve to serve with any meal, with no loss of flavor.  Sprinkling with parmigiana cheese just before serving is a dairy option, and using beef or chicken stock, or adding meat, makes a fleishig version that is even heartier and could easily serve as a main course.  Julie makes her minestrone with beef stock and hamburger meat.  Others use soup bones or pieces of chuck.  The amount of liquids used is also discretionary, depending on whether you like your minestrone thicker or soupier.  Add other vegetables if you wish, such as broccoli, cabbage, chick peas, or frozen corn or peas.  The assortment of ingredients adds not just flavor, but texture and color.  The recipe below is the version I made most recently and is totally pareve.  I could have used vegetable broth for part of the liquid, but I used just water and some red wine.  The flavor will of course vary with the specific ingredients used, but it is very hard to produce a less-than-delicious end-product.  The soup will usually thicken more when refrigerated, but just add more water, stock, or tomato juice or sauce, if you'd like to thin it out.  The recipe below can easily be doubled or tripled.

I first attempted this lamb dish in order to try a sephardic-style entrée for Rosh Hashanah.  It is easy to make and the flavor is very nice – something different if you're used to Eastern European traditional foods.  The three testers really enjoyed the dish and would be happy to eat it again!  The honey, sugar, and prunes provide the sweetness that is essential to a New Year festive meal.  I left out the almonds, as my daughter is allergic to them – these would add a little contrast in both color and crunch.  (Nuts are avoided in some traditions on Rosh Hashanah, but not in Morocco.)  On my next try, I am thinking of adding cubed butternut squash along with the onions and prunes.  Serve the lamb with rice pilaf and a salad.  This recipe serves 4-5 people and can easily be doubled.

This recipe is from Joan Nathan’s book, The Jewish Holiday Kitchen. It came to her via the wife of a former Israeli ambassador and is a kosher version of the famous Greek moussaka, which includes dairy products along with the meat. Joan says that eggplant casseroles like this are traditional in Israel today and have their roots in Rumania, Greece, and Turkey. I made this in stages, preparing the tomato sauce and meat mixture on one day, and then doing the eggplant, assembly, and cooking on the next day.

This mushroom and barley soup has a rich, thick texture and gives new meaning to the definition of comfort food! I think using fresh leeks instead of onions enhances the taste immeasurably. And, as is the case with most soups, the flavors intensify when refrigerated overnight.

This is a flavorable pea soup that will not take a lot of time to prepare.  I chop the onion, celery, and carrots in the food processor (separately), and I always use beef neck bones to have some meat to add back to the pot.  Sometimes I even add a small piece of flanken, in addition to the bones.  You can also add a handful of small pasta, such as ditalini, towards the end of the cooking time, to make it even heartier.  This soup can be a first course, or a meal unto itself, especially with the meat.