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Pasta with Ricotta and Fresh Herbs

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Fig Fluden

This is one of those recipes that has pretty much disappeared in the United States, but those who remember it rave about it. A fluden, which comes from fladni or fladen, "flat cake" in German, is just that, a flat, double-or often multilayered flaky pastry filled with poppy seeds, apples and raisins, or cheese. It was originally common to southern Germany and Alsace-Lorraine, later spreading east to Hungary, Romania, and other Eastern European countries. Often flavored with honey, it was eaten in the fall at Rosh Hashanah or Sukkot and is symbolic, like strudel, of an abundant yield. I have tasted apple two-layered fluden at Jewish bakeries and restaurants in Paris, Budapest, Tel Aviv, and Vienna, sometimes made with a butter crust, sometimes with an oil-based one. But only in Paris have I tasted the delicious fig rendition, a French fig bar, from Finkelsztajn's Bakery. (Figs, my father used to tell me, were often eaten in Germany as the new fruit on the second day of Rosh Hashanah.) This recipe is a perfect example of the constant flux of Jewish foods. Today, with the huge population of Tunisian Jews in Paris, it is no wonder that the Finkelsztajn family spike their fig filling with bou'ha, a Jewish Tunisian fig liqueur used for kiddush, the blessing over the wine on the Sabbath. You can, of course, use kirsch or any other fruit liqueur instead.

Saada's Tabbouleh

This salad of bulgur and fresh mint is a specialty of Rachel's sister-in-law.

Chunky Gazpacho

Jícama-Date Canapes

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Cherry-Almond Trifle

Begin preparing this at least a day ahead.

Deviled Cocktail Sausages with Chutney and Lime Dipping Sauce

Cooked cocktail sausages are glazed with a sweet and spicy mixture flavored with Worcestershire sauce, and served with a sauce whose predominant ingredient is mango chutney.

Chewy Pecan Diamonds

This is a wonderful combination of cookie and candy, with the crumbly crust serving as counterpoint to the chewy caramel topping. For a nice presentation, place the cookies in paper candy cups, and set the cups in a basket; wrap clear cellophane around the basket, tie it up with raffia and decorate it with pine cones. Save the irregularly shaped leftover cookies to enjoy as a snack.

Trenette with Pesto, Potatoes and Green Beans

Basil is one of the favorite ingredients of the Italian region of Liguria, and there is no place in the world where it is more fragrant or put to such delicious use. It's the basis of the classic Genoese sauce, pesto, in which it is partnered with garlic, olive oil, pine nuts, and Parmesan and Pecorino Romano cheeses. It shows up most typically floating atop minestrone, drizzled over potato gnocchi, or - as here - tossed with trenette (the local ribbon pasta), potatoes and green beans.

Pistachio Brittle Cheesecake

A big finish for a big celebration dinner.

Vegetable Salad with Goat Cheese

(SALADE DE LEGUMES AU FROMAGE DE CHEVRE) This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Spiced Moroccan-Style Shrimp

Begin preparing this a day ahead.

Green Olive, Lemon, and Garlic-Roasted Leg of Lamb with Potatoes and Pan Gravy

Roasting the potatoes with the lamb gives them a wonderfully rich, meaty flavor.
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