This recipe has always been a favorite at my holiday table. It was passed down from my Aunt Robin, who received from her friend, who discovered it years ago. The recipe always reminds me of fall, with its combination of creamy acorn squash and fresh apples It’s a wonderful way to get your kids to eat squash!

This recipe can be made ahead and frozen for up to four months.

These “fries” make up a delicious, nutritious side dish that pairs well a wide array of entrees, including roast chicken, grilled steak, burgers, fish and hearty salads. Sweet potatoes are nutrient-rich (they are a great source of dietary fiber, potassium, vitamin C and beta-carotene, which turns into vitamin A, as well as other vitamins and minerals). By baking the sweet potatoes, you avoid using a lot of oil and maintain the flavor and texture of the vegetable.

It’s fun to serve these fries “fast food” style as an appetizer in paper cups with a drizzle of sauce on top! You can use ketchup or mayonnaise as a topping instead of horseradish sauce, if you prefer.

This dish reminds me of my recent visit to Italy’s Tuscan countryside. White beans show up in all of Tuscany’s favorite recipes. They are rich and creamy and pair nicely with fresh herbs and spicy spinach. I enjoy this salad with fresh mozzarella balls, but it’s just as delicious without the cheese. Try using it as a topping on slices of crunchy bruschetta.

This recipe comes from my Great Aunt Bea. It has been winning devoted fans at Yom Kippur Break-Fasts and Shavuot meals for over seventy years. Everybody who tastes the kugel asks for the recipe, but Aunt Bea requested that the recipe be kept in the family, so unless you were born into the family or married into it (which my mother was lucky enough to do) you were out of luck.

Growing up, I couldn't wait for the day when I could start making the kugel on my own. I was thrilled at the prospect of preparing the secret recipe, relishing the compliments and then responding, "I wish I could tell you but it’s not up to me— talk to Aunt Bea.” And then, as I grew up and became a chef in my own right, I learned that food and eating is a shared experience. A few years ago I received permission from my mother to share the recipe, which I joyfully do now.

I make the kugel once a year, on Shavuot. Shavuot is the time when the Jewish People receive the Torah. We do not simply commemorate the original giving of the Torah, but we actively receive it each year, and we have the awesome obligation of passing it down to the next generation. While I wouldn’t quite equate the passing down of our laws with the passing down of a recipe, I would like to recognize that we each have the opportunity and the obligation to transmit our own traditions and shared experiences with one another and with each generation. And so my request is this: when you make the kugel and are asked for the recipe, please share it. Chag Sameach!

P.S. You can make this kugel with low fat products but for the best results, use full fat products.

Imagine combining a plate of hot cheese blintzes with the creamy filling of a banana cream pie. If you’re smiling right now, this is the dish for you. This simple soufflé is a luscious combination of flavors and textures that’s the perfect centerpiece for a dairy meal. And if you eat small portions, it’s not that fattening…

The rich colors of this dish create a jewel-like effect—the rice, tinted bright yellow by the turmeric, serves as a backdrop for the golden orange carrots and ruby red currants. It makes a brilliant side dish for plain grilled chicken or fish. For a fancy roast chicken, cook the Jeweled Rice and then use it to stuff the chicken (by placing it in the chicken cavity) before baking.

Having some homemade Passover Granola on hand opens up a whole new world of Passover desserts to you! Try this scrumptious version of a classic apple crisp and you may never go back to the brownie mix again.

Mix and match enough colorful vegetables and this dish can double as your centerpiece. Have fun with this recipe and experiment with different flavors and textures, using whatever vegetables strike your fancy at your grocery store or local farmers market.

I never thought I would voluntarily touch a brussel sprout. Not so much because I’d ever had a bad experience with them, in fact I think they’re very cute—they look like little baby cabbages. We just never ate them when I was growing up, and they have such a bad reputation. I don’t know why; it turns out they’re quite good. They have a bit of a kick, which mellows as you cook them and is a nice contrast to the seasonings and olive oil.

This simple recipe makes it easy to add a healthy new side dish to your repertoire, and the leftovers are perfect for open-door refrigerator munching.

In searching for information about asparagus, I discovered an entire website dedicated to “one of nature’s most perfect food[s].” Who knew that asparagus was a member of the Lily family? Or that an asparagus spear can grow ten inches in a twenty-four hour period? Or that the larger the diameter, the better the quality? The Michigan Asparagus Advisory Board, that’s who! Find out more fun asparagus facts at www.asparagus.org.

And find a simple, delicious way to enjoy this nutrient-packed vegetable right here.