Passover

Active time: 25 min Start to finish: 25 min

This traditional spongecake is rippled with cinnamon-sprinkled apples.

For convenience, the lamb can be prepared one day ahead, then slowly rewarmed before you plan to serve it.

One for the nut-lover. A refreshing apple compote is topped with an almond (or hazelnut) sponge. Simple and delicious, it's an ideal Passover dessert.

Save the beet tops for a quick side dish: just sauté them with garlic and olive oil, sprinkle with lemon, salt and pepper, and serve.

The primary difference between this kugel recipe and the traditional is its use of dairy, which would make it inappropriate at a meal with meat on the menu for those who observe kosher dietary laws.

The failure-proof cookie-like crust can be prepared ahead. Use any leftover dough to make a few cookies.

A spice cake that's great with coffee.

Works well as part of a vegetarian meal or as an accompaniment to meat or fowl.

The abundant use of leafy greens is one of the hallmarks of the food of the African continent in general. Here, the familiar collard green, which has become emblematic of African-American cooking, is given an Ethiopian twist in a dish that can be served either warm or at room temperature.

Just wonderful even when it is not Passover—fudgy, dense, delicious. Another "most requested" recipe.

The secret to these macaroons' texture is the Italian meringue, composed of egg whites and a boiling sugar syrup. When baking these for Passover, dust the sheets with matzo cake meal; you can use flour at other times.

This is an updated version of the chremslach passed down in my own family. I have never had a seder without it. A heavier version stuffed with cranberries appeared in many early American Jewish cookbooks as Kentucky grimslech.

Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 30 min

Active time: 45 min Start to finish: 4 1/2 hr

Renee brings the flavors of the Middle East to her special Friday-night chicken. Roast chunks of butternut squash and potatoes alongside to cook the whole meal at once. Look for roasting chickens next to the fryers.