I was there! Where were you?

Yes, I did go to the Book Fair, and it was the biggest it had been for years. Not quite as big as at its largest, but it was great. I'll tell you about the book I'm in and the cookbook I got there. See the pictures of me holding up a book and the same book on a shelf? I wrote Chapter 18 in that book. It's called HIDE and SEEK, and the publisher is Urim Publications. It's about the married women's requirement to cover their hair according to Jewish Law. There are a series of essays by women of varied practices and opinions from all over the world, and there are also a couple of explanations of the actual Halacha, Jewish Law.

When I was at their exhibit, I ended up getting a new cookbook they put out, TALK OF THE TABLE KOSHER COOKBOOK. It's a collection of recipes put together by the Parents' Association of the Aseh Chayil School, Efrat, Israel. On my way home, on the unbearably crowded bus, I pulled it out of my bag and read it, cover to cover.

Obviously, I haven't tried any recipes yet, but I can tell you that the vast majority seem nice and simple. That's what I like. There aren't tons of ingredients you have to buy and then throw away. My own personal thing is that I don't cook with soup powder, and some of the contributors do. There are lots of recipes without it. Some recipes, like the Split Pea Soup have only a couple of ingredients and the most easy to follow directions. What's really impressive is that they include recipes from some of Jerusalem's best restaurants, and those recipes are among the simplest. I can't wait to try the recipes!