Beni's Family Cookbook for the Jewish Ho

Jane Breskin Zalben offers enough recipes for latkes, hamantaschen and matzoh brei to satiate the most ravenous family in Beni's Family Cookbook for the Jewish Holidays, foreword by Joan Nathan. Her headnotes are sprinkled with homey anecdotes and Yiddish words: of day-old mandelbrot, ""Grandma says, `I could nearly plotz it's so delicious! And the almonds, heaven.' "" Zalben's illustrations of pudgy-cheeked bears in little frocks and sweaters are on the schmaltzy side, but her recipes promise to make celebrations tasty affairs. Note that the recipes aren't especially for children; adult cooks will be needed in many cases.