My mother was a fabulous cook and hostess. She taught holiday cooking at our local temple and loved having friends over for barbecues.  I put together a small cookbook of basic recipes, including both her dishes and my own. Here is a sampling of her best recipes for summer entertaining, including her secret chocolate cake…

The end of May brings with it the Memorial Day holiday. To many, this signals the beginning of the summer season, in unofficial terms. There are cookouts, gatherings, and memories. In preparing for those, I found myself rummaging through the stack of cookbooks in my kitchen. I have cookbooks from generations before me, some from…