I am privileged to have extraordinary agents and generous friends, Elise and Arnold Goodman. They have been there for me from day one, fifteen years ago, when Elise first contacted me after reading a Rosh Hashanah article that I wrote for Gourmet, saying she was sure I was nursing “an idea for a book.” Simply stated, without them, this book would not be. I cherish their affection, unwavering support, and faith in me and aspire to always live up to their high standards.
From the first day we met, my editor, Pam Chirls, had a keen, clear-eyed vision that would shape the work into the beautiful cookbook it was meant to be. Many thanks also to the rest of the talented group at Wiley who helped make the book come to life: Natalie Chapman, publisher; and Pam’s hard-working team, Christine DiComo, assistant editor, and Christina Solazzo, senior editorial assistant. I am very grateful to production manager Leslie Anglin, who started the project, and to production editor Amy Zarkos, who completed it with such skillful attention to detail; to copyeditor Suzanne Fass and North Market Street Graphics for all their careful work; and to proofreader Elizabeth Marotta. Special thanks to the gifted Alison Lew of Vertigo Design for her splendid interior designs and layouts and for gracefully incorporating my treasured family photographs. Heartfelt gratitude to publicist Gypsy Lovett for always working so hard and so cheerfully to get the word out.
