Kosher cookbooks have come a long way. Today’s cookbooks are amazing, beautiful works of art. We love them for all they offer (even if it’s just as a beautiful page-turner on Shabbat). But we thought it would be fun to look back on the cookbooks that will always be staples in our kitchens: cookbooks that have have been on our shelves for years; cookbooks with stains from cooking, notes in the columns, and bookmarks on our favorite pages; cookbooks we were gifted at our wedding showers and birthdays way back when that helped us become the cooks we are today.
Below are some of those books. They each hold recipes that we go back to time and again. We have a feeling you’ll see some favorites of your own too.
Don’t see your favorite nostalgic cookbooks on our list? Let us know which ones you love in the comments below.
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Esty Wolbe (Host of Easy Does It):
I’m a sucker for Susie Fishbein. Does her collection count as one book or 100? Recently fell back in love with her Moroccan meat turnovers from Kosher by Design: Short on Time. They go really well with the Chumus recipe from a page or two before it.
Carrie Beylus (Kosherdotcom Director, General Manager):
My go-to cookbook is called just that – “My Favorites.” It’s handwritten recipes (mostly in pencil, in case I want to tweak them) in an old marble journal. These are “I tasted it somewhere and asked for the recipe” recipes…I’ve even got a few from restaurant chefs who were kind enough to share. Matza 101, though, by Jenny Kdoshim and Debbie Bevans is a hidden gem of a Passover cookbook for those that cook and eat gebrokts. I use it and recommend it to any that can find it (we found some used-condition listings on Amazon). Their tips and process for “preparing” the matzot for all their creative recipes is unique and foolproof. Each year, I make too many batches of the Matza Tortilla Chips on page 89 to count.
Chanie Nayman (Kosherdotcom Editor-in-Chief):
I would say the most used cookbook in my kitchen is the original Kosher Palette. I’ve made and adapted so many staples from there, including the Apple Bundt Cake, Chocolate Chip Sticks, and the Dairy Rugaluch that I make every Shavuos!
Rachel Kor (Managing Lifestyle Editor):
Cookbooks that offer everyday dinner ideas are great and all, but the cookbook I find extra special is Poopa Dweck’s Aromas of Aleppo. It has the most amazing Sephardic recipes from Mamoul to Kibbeh, and the recipes always end up tasting just like my great-grandmother from Egypt used to make. Recipes that bring me back like that will always have a special place in my book collection.
Raquel Malul (Kosherdotcom Marketing Assistant):
Poopa Dweck’s Aromas of Aleppo is just such a classic cookbook for anyone that is interested in Syrian cuisine. Also, I remember as a kid being gifted Susie Fishbein’s Kids in the Kitchen and I loved baking from there. Her lemon bar recipe is delicious!
Renee Schwartz (Kosherdotcom Recipe Editor):
Spice and Spirit holds a special place in my heart as it was my mother’s go-to for so many dishes and the first cookbook that I cooked through as a teenager venturing into the kitchen. It’s a classic. Then The Whole Foods Kosher Kitchen by Levana Kirschenbaum, which I received as a wedding gift (from Levana herself!), greatly influenced the cooking style I’ve settled into as an adult.
Shana Halpert (Editorial Assistant):
I happen to love the What’s Cooking? spiral cookbook. It has all the basics and super easy to follow recipes. My kids love their cheese latkes recipe, and I also make the Fudge Pie for dessert quite often.
Nechama Fink (Kosherdotcom Back End Management Assistant):
My number one go-to cookbook is one that my mom compiled of family favorites from over the years. There’s nothing like tried and tested recipes that you grew up on. I also use the Spice and Spirit cookbook, which always comes through in a pinch. My kids are particular fans of the Chocolate Brownie Cake and the Basic Muffins!
