Hanukkah starts this Wednesday (November 27) at sundown, and it’s the perfect time to give a loved one Jewish Fairy Tale Feasts: A Literary Cookbook ($24.95, Tradewind).

Beautifully illustrated by Gabriola Islander Sima Elizabeth Shefrin, the cookbook is as much about Jewish lore as it is about recipes. Long-time YA sci-fi/fantasy writer Jane Yolen retells stories like “The Latke Miracle”, which Heidi E. Y. Stemple (Yolen’s daughter) follows up with clear, straightforward recipes.

While it’s geared to children, the book is a treasure for cooks of all ages interested in homespun recipes for things like matzo brei (in which matzo is broken up, soaked in egg, and then fried) and the traditions that surround the recipes.