Mandel Bread by Rachelle Leaf Berliner of Savannah, Georgia Rachelle writes that her Mandel Bread is famous in four states. Oil spray, for greasing cookie sheets 3 eggs 3 cups sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 tsp. vanilla extract 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder 3/4 cup vegetable oil 2-1/2 to 3 cups flour, plus more as needed 1 cup chopped pecans, or substitute walnuts 4 tablespoons ground cinnamon Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray two cookie sheets with oil. Using an electric mixer, beat the eggs together well. Add 1 cup of the sugar and cream the eggs and sugar. Continue the creaming process while adding the salt, vanilla, baking powder and oil. Slowly add 2 to 2-1/2 cups of the flour and the chopped nuts. If mixer has a dough hook attachment, change to the hook and add remaining flour. If dough is too moist, add more flour. Mix together the remaining 2 cups of sugar and the cinnamon. Shape the loaves and place on the greased cookie sheets. These loaves can be made any size desired, so long as they are no more than are to one inch high, but the easiest way is to lay them out in four equal amounts, running horizontally. Sprinkle the tops with the about 1/3 of the prepared cinnamon sugar. Bake the loaves for 22-30 minutes, depending on the size of the loaves. Each loaf should have a lightly browned top. Remove the mandel bread and turn the oven temperature up to 400 degrees F. Slice the loaves while the mandel bread still is hot. While hot, lay the slices on their sides back on the cookie sheets and sprinkle with 1/2 of the remaining cinnamon sugar. Use an extra cookie sheet if more space is needed. Toast in the 400 degree F. oven for 5 minutes, until the exposed sides are golden brown. Turn the slices and sprinkle with the remaining cinnamon sugar. Toast 3 minutes longer, until the exposed sides are golden brown. Like all good cooks, Rachelle has some tips: End pieces are the favorites. To create more ends, just make more narrow loaves. If there will be small children or people with false teeth eating these treats, grind the nuts instead of chopping.

Galicianer Noodle Kugel (Dairy) To tell the truth, my family never cared for noodle "kugel" (pudding.) We much preferred a peppery, Litvak-style potato kugel instead. That was before a neighbor, Mae Ilowite, shared her recipe with my mother. After Hitler, that old enmity between Litvaks and Galicianers long re-settled to New York City seemed absurd, so we happily have used Mrs. Ilowite's delicious recipe ever since. This treat is especially suited to a break-the-fast buffet after Yom Kippur, which usually is a dairy meal. The kugel can be completely prepared weeks in advance, baked, and then frozen. After returning from synagogue, the frozen kugel goes straight into a 350 degree F. oven for an hour. 16 ounces medium-wide noodles 4 tablespoons butter, melted, or to taste 8 medium eggs, well-beaten 2 pounds of cottage cheese 1/2 cup sugar, or to taste 1 cup seedless raisins 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a large baking dish such as a lasagna pan. Parboil the noodles for three minutes less than the package directions instruct. Drain well. Set aside and allow to cool for at least 5 minutes, so the heat of the noodles will not scramble the beaten eggs when they are added. Melt the butter. Beat the eggs together well. In a large bowl, add the cooked noodles, the melted butter, the cottage cheese, the sugar, the raisins and the cinnamon. Mix well, folding from the bottom to make sure that all the ingredients are blended. Add the beaten eggs and mix again. Transfer to the prepared baking pan. Place in the oven for 45 to 60 minutes, until the top is golden brown. Serves 8-12.

GALICIANER NOODLE KUGEL (Parve) Teena O. Wrubel writes that she makes this kugel in a parve version by substituting margarine for the butter, applesauce for the cottage cheese and canned, crushed pineapple instead of the raisins. She also replaces the white sugar with brown, and she says that her kugel is renowned in Nanticoke, Pennsylvania, where she moved from Queens, New York. Nanticoke is in a coal mining region, and Teena is one of the people responsible for persuading the town to light a public Menorah every Hanukah.

Rolled Cabbage (a/k/a "Holupshas") by Rachelle Leaf Berliner of Savannah, Georgia Most hostesses serve two meats for the Rosh HaShanah meals, usually a roast chicken or a brisket, plus a second entrée. Mrs. Berliner always serves these Rolled Cabbages as the "second meat" on these nights, and she prepares it again as an entrée to be served in the Succah, along with potato kugel. 2 large heads of cabbage 2 bottles of HEINZ "Chili Sauce," 16 oz each 15 ounce can of prepared Tomato Sauce 1-1/2 cups of water 1 teaspoon salt 3 tablespoons of pureed onion 2 ounces of honey 1/4 cup brown sugar, or to taste 1/2 cup raisins 1/2 cup cider vinegar, if necessary, or to taste, to cut the sweetness of the sauce 5 pounds ground beef salt and ground pepper 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 1/2 cup converted rice, uncooked oil spray for baking pan. Cut the hearts out of the cabbages and steam the cabbages over hot water until the leaves soften and spread. Allow the cabbages to cool before attempting to handle them. Take the cabbage heads apart, choosing about 30 large leaves. Trim off stem ends and de-vein the leaves. This process may be done a day in advance. Chop the remaining cabbage coarsely. Prepare the sauce: In a large pot, mix together the Chili Sauce, tomato sauce, water, 1-1/2 tablespoons of the pureed onion, the honey, brown sugar and raisins. Stir well. Bring to a simmer and simmer for approximately one hour, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching. After about an hour, set some of the sauce aside and allow to cool before tasting for seasonings. Add the cider vinegar to taste. Prepare the meat: Mix together the chopped meat, the remaining 1-1/2 tablespoons of pureed onion, salt and pepper, the garlic powder and the rice. Moisten with some sauce from the pot, approximately 1/2 to 1 cup, so that the meat is supple for handling, but not wet. Mix well. Pre-heat oven to 275 degrees F. Spray a turkey roasting pan with oil spray. Line the bottom of the pan with the coarsely chopped pieces of leftover cabbage, so that the base of the pan is covered. Any leftover pieces should be reserved for other uses, such as soup. Take each pre-steamed cabbage leaf. Center a heaping tablespoon of the meat mixture about an inch in from one end of the leaf, leaving generous margins of cabbage on either side of the meat. Fold in the two perpendicular sides of cabbage to cover the meat and then, from the edge of the leaf which has the meat on it, roll the leaf over and over until the cabbage is formed into tight packets. Place each of the cabbage rolls, seam side down, over the chopped cabbage already in the pan; layer the rolls if there is not sufficient space. Pour the sauce over the rolls. Cover and bake for 2-1/2 to 3 hours, basting every 45 minutes or so. Serves 8 as a main course or 30 as an appetizer. Rachelle offers several suggestions: Choose oval-shaped cabbages because their leaves roll best. Place the chopped meat along the shorter side of this leaf. This dish should be made a day in advance, to allow the flavors a chance to meld. Since some people just remove the cabbage wrappers, this recipe may be made more simply by chopping the cabbage and placing the chopped cabbage in the bottom of the baking pan. Make the chopped meat into meatballs and place on top of the chopped cabbage. Pour the sauce over all and proceed with recipe.