Potato

The inclusion of fennel and a dash of Pernod puts a sophisticated spin on the classic chilled potato soup. Offer your guests iced tea with the meal.

"When I fled Greece during World War II and eventually relocated to Los Angeles, I brought with me the traditions of my home," writes Rebecca Levy. "A lot of these traditions have to do with food, and since sharing my heritage has always been important to me, I often make favorites from my homeland for friends and family. In addition, cooking for community events and teaching classes on Sephardic cuisine keep my schedule full." Pair this dish with rice pilaf or noodles.

Asparagus or peas may be added to this recipe. Gremolata—a mixture of lemon zest, garlic, and parsley typically sprinkled over osso buco (braised veal shank)—is not traditionally used in Italian Jewish vegetable dishes, but it gives this one lightness and sparkle.

We found celery root and Jerusalem artichokes equally delicious in this puree.

A creamy "comfort" soup that has plenty of richness without a lot of cream.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. Makes use of the microwave oven.

Use the large grating disk on the processor to make short work of preparing the vegetables.

An old-fashioned and versatile dish. Serve it over split hot biscuits (or toasted English muffins) for brunch or over egg noodles for a comforting simple dinner.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Pears and pear nectar add a delightful accent.

This recipe originally accompanied Poached Halibut with Black Truffles and Purple-Potato and Crab Gratin .

Although we feature smoked fish in this chowder, the recipe works equally well with fresh fillets of such white fish as cod, haddock, halibut, or snapper.