I'm confused... is this a book or a cookbook? The short answer is, yes. This is a cookbook that was born from a story, and a desire to share everything there is to know about challah. So while it's full of recipes and how to make challah, it's also full of knowledge, inspiration and good stories. Basically, you'll use it to make the challah, and then sit down for a good read while eating said challah.

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Who took these gorgeous photos? Her name is Monica Pinto. She lives in a little town in Portugal, and yes—crazy person that I am—I flew her in to take the photos for the book. When you see the book, you will understand.

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And illustrations too? Yes, I can't help myself. I love pretty things. So, I had Lucy Engelman make us hundreds of beautiful little drawings to enhance the book, and let's not forget the step-by-step illustrations of 37(!) different braiding techniques that she painstakingly drew for us.

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So can you give me a sneak peek? Well, let's talk about the recipes first! There are 38 challah recipes, and they include all the classics, plus challahs for every holiday, exotic challahs from every pocket of Jewish communities around the world, ways to embellish a perfectly good challah to make it extraordinarily irresistible, recipes for things to make with extra challah dough and leftover challah.... I could go on and on.

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Any healthy options in a book of challah? Yes! A very important recipe in the book is my very own Gluten-Free Oat Challah that is a genuine challah, (with the blessing of Hamotzi recited on it) and so good, it will make your tongue do a little dance! It is the best recipe for GF challah out there. Believe me, I have searched. I also include extensive sourdough instructions, and an actual Sourdough Challah recipe! Of course, there are also Whole Wheat recipes, and Spelt Challah... the list goes on!

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It's 360 pages! What else is in this volume? The history of challah, and the deeper meanings. The connections between challah and life. The story of my own crazy journey in life and challah comparisons. The many laws and customs connected to challah, from every culture and throughout the ages. So many fascinating challah facts and stories... Also- over 37 different braiding techniques, all illustrated step-by-step! It's been suggested to me that this would also make a great coffee table book. You may need to buy 2.

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I'm scared to make a challah on my own. Is a book really going to help? I think of challah making as one of those lost arts that used to be passed down from Mama to daughter, but which lots of us need to figure out on our own in this modern world. So throughout the book, I am there to be your loving guide through the process. Answering every question, predicting every mishap, providing you with step by step directions, and lots of helpful tips!

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Who's the publisher? How do I get myself a copy, or 10,000? My publisher/book distributor is Feldheim publishing, you can buy it on their site. They are really good about getting books into stores, and of course on the web at places like Amazon. But if you happen to see a store that isn't carrying RISING! and you think it should (and of course it should) please let me know!

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Can you come to my house and make challah with me? Probably not. Unless you bribe me with cake. I'm easy like that. But I do plan to do a book/challah workshop tour. We can chat there! Please let me know if you have a favorite bookstore, or community venue, or book club...that you'd like to add to my tour. And who knows? Maybe we'll even bake challah together, it's happened before.

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