Our debut feature recipe is classic chicken soup. I wanted our inaugural recipe to be something traditional, something special, something memorable. But chicken soup? Doesn't everyone know how to make chicken soup? Maybe. But here is the version that my husband calls "the elixir of life." I make this stock every Thursday evening (for Shabbat dinner the next night), before every Jewish holiday, when a family member is sick, and whenever I have a good excuse. I use the stock as is, with noodles or other starch additives, or doctor it up to make a Chinese-style soup or a vegetable soup. I have a secret, though, that keeps me from being tied to my stovetop for hours, a secret passed down from my grandmother to my mother to me: Use a pressure cooker! My pressure cooker is probably the pot used most in my kitchen. I have three sizes for year-round use (the inexpensive Presto brand), and another set for Passover. Once the pot is put on the burner, the stock is done in about 30 minutes. If you insist, you can use a regular stockpot, but be prepared to stick around for two or three hours. Here it is: my easy, quick version of the Jewish penicillin.

This elegant chicken dish is marvelous for any special occasion, especially the Jewish High Holidays as it contains honey, wine, and dried fruit.  This recipe is a triple blessing – it's easy, can be doubled for a large crowd, and can be prepared in advance.  It's guaranteed to inspire rave reviews.

Food Editor's Notes:  I made this dish for a Shabbat dinner and everyone loved it.  Even the kids who didn't eat the fruit and vegetable garnishes liked the flavor of the chicken.  This is really easy to make and great for a crowd, as you can put it all together in advance and just pop it in the oven about 1 1/2 hours before you want to serve it.  It is pretty, with the colors of the apricots, sun-dried tomatoes, and black olives, along with the flecks of herbs on the golden-skinned chicken.  (I don't even bother to put the herbs under the skin as suggested, but just sprinkle it on top to save time.)  It is tasty, with lots of delicious flavors, none overwhelming, and not too sweet.  And it is healthy, with nutritious ingredients and little fat (be sure to trim the excess fat from the uncooked chicken).  I served this with a bulgur and orzo pilaf and oven-roasted asparagus.  Delicious!

This is a very easy, very quick dish to make for your family or for company. You can marinate the chicken breasts for as little as 30 minutes and still end up with juicy, flavorful meat. Or, place the chicken in the marinade and refrigerate overnight, for an added flavor punch and extra-easy preparation the next day. You can use chopped garlic in place of the garlic juice, but the pieces may burn on the grill. I always have a small bottle of chopped garlic in the fridge and I just tilt it to release enough juice for this recipe.

Food Editor's notes:  This is an adaptation of Pollo Fritto per Chanuka, a recipe in one of my favorite cookbooks, Edda Servi Machlin's The Classic Cuisine of the Italian Jews (Dodd, Mead & Co.)  This is a traditional Chanukah dish in Italy.  The oil makes it appropriate for the holiday, but of course it can be served year-round.  It is a different type of fried chicken than Americans are used to, but really delicious, reminding us of scallopini al limon (chicken or veal cutlets with lemon juice and white wine).  It also is healthier, using olive oil, most of which remains in the pan after the chicken is cooked.  We tested three variations of this recipe – with chicken pieces, boneless breast chunks, and schnitzel-style cutlets – and all three came out tasty.  Our favorite was the cutlets, as they are easiest to both cook and eat, and they had a slightly more pronounced lemon flavor due to their thinness.  Don't forget to pass the lemon wedges when serving – it really perks up the flavor!

This is a recipe that a friend gave me a few years ago.  I add raisins to it and think it makes a great lunch or dairy dinner with a salad.  It is very rich and creamy.

Food Editor's Notes:  This is one of our 2006 Passover Recipe Contest winners!  You won't believe how light and fluffy (yet still rich and creamy) a Passover kugel can be!  This is basically a sweet cheese noodle kugel without the noodles.  The farfel helps to hold it together, but doesn't make it dense or heavy.  This is a sweet treat – it comes out of the oven a beautiful golden brown and puffed up high.  It's best served like this, right from the oven – perfect for a brunch or company supper - but it's also wonderful reheated for breakfast, lunch, or a special snack.

Cheese blintzes are delicious and are much easier to make than most people imagine. The crepe batter mixes up in a minute and each pancake slips out of the pan in just about the same amount of time. The filling is also a snap to mix up and the forming of the blintzes is easily learned and quick work.

Small blintzes may be served as hors d’oeuvre, but I prefer to make larger ones and serve them as a main course, topped with sour cream. My mother eats them sprinkled with sugar, but I think this recipe produces blintzes which are sweet enough on their own. Of course blintzes may also be served for dessert, with or without a fruit topping or cinnamon and sugar. If you like blintzes that are less sweet, reduce the amount of sugar in the filling.

Blintzes are often served on Shavuot, as it is traditional to eat dairy foods on this holiday. But do yourself and your family a favor and make these filling, nutritious bundles more than once a year. They freeze well, and will be a welcome treat for any meal of the day!

Food Editor's Note: The glaze on this chicken is based on a bottled rib sauce, but gussied up with orange juice, sherry, and other good things. I made this for a Shabbat dinner with a large family group, and every bit was eaten. Relatives all agreed that it met ShalomBoston.com's high standards for entry into our recipe file. Enjoy as a sweet entrée on Rosh Hashanah or year-round.