Rosh Hashanah

This recipe is in the Mains chapter of my cookbook, but I have to say, I've eaten it at all times of day. It's made it to my breakfast table, and I've definitely whipped it up for a weekend lunch. After I eat it, I always feel so nourished and happy—and my body seems to love me for that. The spices are definitely what make this dish so special.

Sweet and tangy pomegranate juice brings a depth of flavor and rich color to this meltingly tender lamb stew. Serve with polenta or a grain salad and then nextover remaining lamb into sandwiches the next day.

Make this recipe your thing. Serve this vibrantly hued cured salmon with an assortment of easily assembled herbs, pickles, seedy breads, and schmears.

Olive oil–fried leeks add irresistible crunch, flavor, and an impressive look to this classic Thanksgiving side, while lemon turns up the dial on the zest. 

This roasted carrots recipe makes extra dressing, which is good because you’ll want to use it on your next burger, over broiled salmon, or in a grain salad.

One of my favorite crops from my husband’s farm are his fall carrots. I prefer the fall carrots because as the weather gets colder the vegetable sugars concentrate, yielding the sweetest carrots of the year. We use lots of carrots in this recipe, so that it’s more about the carrots than anything else. For the best flavor, serve it cold the day after you make it. You can substitute chickpeas for the black-eyed peas, if you prefer to use another type of bean.

For deep apple flavor, the fruit in this pie is macerated. The juice is then reduced to a syrup and returned to the filling, along with Chinese five spice powder (a blend of star anise, cinnamon, cloves, fennel, and Sichuan peppercorns).

This recipe actually makes three loaves—but more of this beautiful braided bread is a very good thing.

This two-ingredient chicken relies on nothing but kosher salt—lots of it—to yield crisp skin and juicy meat.

Dukkah, an Egyptian nut and spice mix, creates a deeply flavorful crust for salmon fillets when tossed with puffed amaranth.

This brisket is braised for hours, just as many Jewish briskets are, but we incorporate white wine instead of the more typical red, and butternut squash instead of potatoes. This makes for a lighter, brighter brisket, if such a thing exists, so it’s a better fit for holiday meals served during the warmer months.

Honey cake emerges from its hibernation around the High Holidays in the fall, when honey and other sweet foods are eaten to usher in a sweet new year. But as much as this is an early fall cake for the holidays, its warming spices make it a perfect winter cake that works both for dessert and in the morning with a cup of coffee.

This classic Polish soup is the ultimate in summer refreshment.

This cumin and paprika-spiced number gets added punch from a tangy green sauce and an avocado and cucumber salad.

A tomato-free version of the North African poached egg dish, shakshuka, perfumed with warm spices and dotted with creamy feta cheese.

Tart pomegranate, acting as both marinade and sauce, brings brightness and balance to this rich brisket. A pistachio-mint gremolata adds a touch of herbal freshness.

The stems from Swiss chard shouldn't be trashed; they add texture and a layer of flavor to any sauté.

The real magic here is in the pool of schmaltz, AKA rendered chicken fat, sizzling in the pan.