It was Thursday, 5 pm, and I am making a mental shopping list. The time is coming up where I will have to buy food and make plans for my Shabbat Meals. The problem is, what do I make? This is really the eternal question of a Jewish woman. I remember when I was younger my mom would make lists of meals and what she would serve at each meal. I always wondered how she did it. Now that I live alone, and have to fend for myself, it is up to me. Since I am always surrounded by books, and lots of them, I thought I’d give the cookbooks a glance. Not being one to have any at home, I was eager to see what a Jewish Cookbook had to offer. It was an interesting experience. After looking around some one particular cookbook ended up on my desk. What makes a good Jewish cookbook? The way I saw it, it’s all about tradition. We are a people who have relied on lineage, heritage, and tradition to keep us going. The same is true with food. The first book I picked up that really caught my eye was The Book of New Israeli Food by Janna Gur. Not only is the cover of the book beautiful, but the pictures inside really make you feel like you are walking down a street in Israel and eating the food itself. The pictures are so crisp that when you look through them you get hungry, and crave the different dishes. The tradition is rich in the pages as well, with such recipes as Hummus with Ful, Homemade Shwarma, and Sephardic dishes like Sofrito a dish similar to the classic Cholent. This cookbook is very well categorized, the recipes are written simply, and its aesthetically pleasing. This is one book I would definitely recommend. I even plan on making one of the fish recipes myself. Wish me luck!