Cookbooks
The Dessert Table: 100 Joyful Jewish Sweets
By: Leah Koenig
W.W. Norton, September 1, 2026
The dessert table is the star of any Jewish gathering: sprinkle cookies and honey cake, airy meringues and flaky rugelach, sweets brimming with tender apples and bright pops of pomegranate. Eager to bring a little extra sweetness to all our tables, Leah Koenig takes us on a delightful tour through the 2,000-year-old tradition of Jewish sweets. She shares recipes and stories from historic Jewish communities in Venice, Syria, and Curaçao; home bakers from Hungary and Poland; and up-and-coming diaspora bakeries across the United States. Her 100 all-new recipes include creative takes on familiar favorites, like Chai-Spiced Cheesecake or Chocolate Turtle Babka, and bring lesser-known gems to the conversation, such as a lush Orange and Almond Cake and Fluffy Apricot Jam Doughnuts inspired by Hungarian fánk. Beloved for her well-researched storytelling and clear, encouraging directions born from her own kitchen, Koenig energizes the dessert canon as no one else can.
Praise for The Dessert Table
"The Dessert Table is like two books in one and both of them are great! One gives us fascinating stories about the culture, traditions, and sweets of the Jewish diaspora, and the other is chockablock with recipes we dessert lovers will want to make. It’s a must-read and a must-bake."
― Dorie Greenspan, New York Times–best-selling author of Dorie’s Anytime Cakes
"The Dessert Table is a delectable journey across the Jewish diaspora through the lens of sweets. Each compelling recipe tells a beautiful story and brings us to the table to savor celebration, togetherness, and comfort."
― Caroline Schiff, author of The Sweet Side of Sourdough
"Leah Koenig’s love letter to Jewish sweets gives us not just rock-solid recipes, but thoughtful, deeply researched storytelling from the global Jewish diaspora."
― Kristen Miglore, author of Genius Desserts: 100 Recipes That Will Change the Way You Bake
Portico: Cooking and Feasting in Rome's Jewish Kitchen
By: Leah Koenig
W.W. Norton, 2023
Portico: Cooking and Feasting in Rome’s Jewish Kitchen features over 100 deeply flavorful recipes and beautiful photographs of Rome’s Jewish community, the oldest in Europe. The city’s Jewish residents have endured many hardships, including 300 years of persecution inside the Roman Jewish Ghetto. Out of this strife grew resilience, a deeply knit community, and a uniquely beguiling cuisine.
Leah Koenig’s recipes showcase the cuisine’s elegantly understated vegetables, saucy braised meats and stews, rustic pastas, resplendent olive oil–fried foods, and never-too-sweet desserts. Home cooks can explore classics of the Roman Jewish repertoire with Stracotto di Manzo (a wine-braised beef stew), Pizza Ebraica (fruit-and-nut-studded bar cookies), and, of course, Carciofi alla Giudia, the quintessential Jewish-style fried artichokes. A standout chapter on fritters―showcasing the unique gift Roman Jews have for delicate frying―includes sweet honey-soaked matzo fritters, fried salt cod, and savory potato pastries (burik) introduced by the thousands of Libyan Jews who immigrated to Rome in the 1960s and ’70s. Every recipe is masterfully tailored to the home cook, while maintaining the flavor and integrity of tradition.
Praise for Portico
International Association for Culinary Professionals (IACP) - Award Winner, Best International Cookbook
National Jewish Book Awards - Finalist
"A gorgeous, heartfelt book that shines light on a uniquely delicious corner of Roman cuisine. A fascinating read―and a delight to cook from!" ― Gwyneth Paltrow, actor, CEO goop
"Leah Koenig combines her celebrated research skills and cooking chops with a tenderness that brings Rome’s Jewish recipes and stories to life. ― Adeena Sussman, author of Sababa
"How do you distill Europe’s most ancient Jewish cuisines into a single volume without compromising their richness? Ask Leah Koenig, who has assembled recipes that paint a complete portrait of Rome’s cucina ebraica. ― Katie Parla, author of Food of the Italian Islands
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By: Leah Koenig
Phaidon Books, 2019
The Jewish Cookbook is an inspiring celebration of the diversity and breadth of this venerable culinary tradition. A true fusion cuisine, Jewish food evolves constantly to reflect the changing geographies and ingredients of its cooks. Featuring more than 400 home-cooking recipes for everyday and holiday foods from the Middle East to the Americas, Europe, Asia, and Africa - as well as contemporary interpretations by renowned chefs including Yotam Ottolenghi, Michael Solomonov, and Alex Raij - this definitive compendium of Jewish cuisine introduces readers to recipes and culinary traditions from Jewish communities the world over, and is perfect for anyone looking to add international tastes to their table.
Praise for The Jewish Cookbook
-Named a "Best New Cookbook" of Fall 2019 by Food & Wine, Eater, The Kitchn, and Forbes
"A tome spanning the Jewish culinary canon... vibrant, exciting and hunger-inducing." - The Washington Post
"Koenig is a graceful writer [and] this is an excellent, thoughtful entry in Phaidon's expanding lineup of accessible cookbooks."—Publishers Weekly
"Among the recently published books on the topic of Jewish cuisine, Leah's is well researched, comprehensive and extensive, yet accurate." —Benedetta Jasmine Guetta on Shepherd
By: Leah Koenig
Chronicle Books, 2015
From a leading voice of the new generation of young Jewish cooks who are reworking the food of their forebears, this take on the cuisine of the diaspora pays homage to tradition while reflecting the values of the modern-day food movement. Author Leah Koenig shares 175 recipes showcasing handmade, seasonal, vegetable-forward dishes. Classics of Jewish culinary culture—such as latkes, matzoh balls, challah, and hamantaschen—are updated with smart techniques and vibrant spices. Approachable recipes for everything from soups to sweets go beyond the traditional, incorporating regional influences from North Africa to Central Europe. Featuring holiday menus and rich photography, this collection is at once a guide to establishing traditions and a celebration of the way we eat now.
Praise for Modern Jewish Cooking
"Leah is cementing her role as America's brightest future authority on Jewish food culture." - David Sax, author of Save the Deli and The Tastemakers
"Fans of Ottolenghi's Jerusalem will find much to treasure in Koenig's book. Her recipes, designed for the upcoming generation of Jewish cooks, are also a contemporary portrait of the global flavors and simple, fresh ingredients that are shaping the modern kitchen." - Publishers Weekly
"Leah is a cook grounded in tradition with an eye toward making the food accessible for a contemporary audience. Her recipes are as good as they sound." - Arthur Schwartz, author of Jewish Home Cooking: Yiddish Recipes Revisited
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By: Leah Koenig
Chronicle Books, 2019
The final (and sweetest) installment in the Little Book series, this book focuses on cookies, cakes, and all manner of Jewish treats. With 25 tasty recipes—from Orange-Chocolate Rugelach and Mocha Black-and-White Cookies to Fig Baklava and Cinnamon-Almond Babka—this slim collectible features traditional Jewish desserts . The year-round recipes are perfect for the home baker of any skill level looking to expand their repertoire. A lovely thank-you or holiday gift on its own, this scrumptious book can also be packaged with its two companion volumes (featuring Jewish appetizers and feasts) to round out any meal.
By: Leah Koenig
Chronicle Books, 2018
An elegant celebration of Jewish culinary traditions, the Little Book of Jewish Feasts offers the perfect dishes to feature at the center of the table. Leah Koenig shares twenty-five globally inspired Jewish holiday main dishes that will satisfy and delight, from Balsamic and Brown Sugar Brisket to Poppy Seed Chicken Schnitzel to Wild Greens Pie. Building on traditional flavors with the innovative and modern interpretations that Leah is known for, the book features vibrant photographs of each of the show-stopping recipes that embody the flavors of Jewish cuisine. With its delicious takes on the classics, as well as helpful tips for wine pairing and a primer on what to serve for each holiday in the Jewish calendar, this book is sure to bring joy to any festive gathering.
Little Book of Jewish Appetizers
By: Leah Koenig
Chronicle Books, 2017
The final (and sweetest) installment in the Little Book series, this book focuses on cookies, cakes, and all manner of Jewish treats. With 25 tasty recipes—from Orange-Chocolate Rugelach and Mocha Black-and-White Cookies to Fig Baklava and Cinnamon-Almond Babka—this slim collectible features traditional Jewish desserts . The year-round recipes are perfect for the home baker of any skill level looking to expand their repertoire. A lovely thank-you or holiday gift on its own, this scrumptious book can also be packaged with its two companion volumes (featuring Jewish appetizers and feasts) to round out any meal.
The Hadassah Everyday Cookbook: Daily Meals for the Contemporary Jewish Kitchen
By: Leah Koenig / Foreword by Joan Nathan
Rizzoli/Universe, 2011
The Jewish love of eating extends beyond the holiday table to the every day. And while chicken soup and challah sate our appetites on Shabbat, and classics from brisket to latkes grace our celebratory menus, what do we make for dinner on Wednesday night? Or eat for Sunday brunch? The Hadassah Everyday Cookbook answers these questions, sharing over 160 delicious, simple, kosher recipes that are destined to become family favorites.
The book's recipes span the culinary globe, combining iconic American and Jewish tastes with global cuisines. They celebrate seasonal produce and gourmet kosher ingredients, and cater to vegetarians and omnivores alike. Focusing on freshness, flavor and no-fuss technique, The Hadassah Every Day Cookbook brings the flavors of the world—and the farm—to the Jewish kitchen, and beyond.