Wedding presents can be tricky to choose, that is if you don’t want to just stick some cash in an envelope. But cookbooks can be a thoughtful gift for newlyweds who like to cook, aspire to cook or just love cookbooks.
There are no shortage of Jewish cookbooks to choose from online or off bookstore shelves. In fact, there are so many Jewish cookbooks it can be overwhelming to pick from so many delicious-sounding options. Here is a list of some of the most beloved, and trusted cookbooks for any new couple, no matter if they love Israeli food, keep a vegetarian diet or plan to host big holiday dinners.
Joan Nathan’s Jewish Holiday Cookbook
Every Jewish kitchen should have at least one of Joan Nathan’s cookbooks, if not several. And classic Jewish holiday dishes from the queen of American Jewish food is an absolute must.
The Book of Jewish Food: An Odyssey from Samarkand to New York
This classic book by Jewish food legend Claudia Roden may not have fancy photos on every page, but it’s a book of deep substance, history and deliciousness whose recipes are researched and perfected. Anyone who is interested in Jewish food will want to devour it from start to finish.
The Book of New Israeli Food
The flavors and spices of Israeli cuisine can be exciting, and overwhelming. But Janna Gur’s first cookbook provides an education on the origins of Israeli food itself as well as dozens of perfect classic recipes from basic hummus to green Persian rice, stews, babka and more without sending readers off on a never-ending ingredient treasure hunt.
Zahav: A World of Israeli Cooking
Michael Solomonov’s award-winning cookbook is part storytelling and part mouth-watering recipes that any newlyweds will be excited to tackle together.
Aromas of Aleppo: The Legendary Cuisine of Syrian Jews
This book brings the traditional recipes and flavors of traditional Syrian cooking to life with personal stories and beautiful photos. There are delicious recipes, but also a fascinating history of the Syrian Jewish community.
Modern Jewish Cooking
Leah Koenig’s stunning cookbook offers the perfect guide to modern yet traditional dishes, with beautiful photos, creative twists and truly trustworthy recipes. This book would nicely complement one of the more classic books on this list for a perfect gift set.
Modern Jewish Baker
For the baker in your life, this beautiful book gives an overview of 7 different Jewish doughs including challah, babka, bagels, pita, rugelach, hamantaschen and pita, while also giving tons of fun variations for home bakers to experiment with. Each chapter walks you through the best tools to master each recipe and shares tips for what each dough should look and “feel” like plus step-by-step visuals.
The Gefilte Manifesto: New Recipes for Old World Jewish Foods
Jeffrey Yoskowitz and Liz Alpern’s goals have always been to bring New World sensibilities and flavors into Old World foods, like gefilte fish, kugel, challah and other Jewish classics. Their cookbook, like Leah Koenig’s Modern Jewish Cooking, is a perfect new-meets-old book that is beautiful, clean and the perfect gift.
Barefoot Contessa: Back to Basics
Jewish cooking isn’t just about the food: it’s also about hosting and welcoming guests into your home. Ina Garten not only provides an education in ingredients and cooking, but how to host a meal from start to finish with simple, perfect recipes.
The New York Times Jewish Cookbook
This enormous volume offers more than 825 recipes from around the world, which is sure to keep even the ambitious new cooks busy for some time.
The Moosewood Cookbook
Mollie Katzen’s vegetarian cookbook has been a classic in Jewish kitchens since its release over 30 year ago for good reason: The vegetable-forward recipes are simple, healthy and perfectly complement Shabbat meals, holiday dinners or everyday eating.
The Superfun Times Vegan Holiday Cookbook: Entertaining for Absolutely Every Occasion
For the vegan couple in your life, this book offers unique recipes for Hanukkah, Rosh Hashanah, Passover and everything in between.
