Behind the Scenes

At The Dessert Table photo shoot

Hello The Jewish Table Readers,

It is day three of five in photo shoot land, and I am currently ensconced in the gauzy, liminal world created inside a studio. There are mixing bowls and black Sharpies everywhere, a Nick Drake mix on the stereo, and sheet trays of cookies emerging from the oven at a dizzying clip.

We are shooting recipes from The Dessert Table: 100 Joyful Jewish Sweets—my next cookbook, which celebrates classic and contemporary Jewish desserts from around the world. The book won’t come out until Fall of 2026, but I thought I’d give you a little glimpse behind the curtain to see what goes into turning a manuscript filled with words and recipes into a big, bold, beautiful book.

Take a break from your Passover cooking or workday to take a peek inside the studio:

The first thing you notice when you walk into the studio? Tables lined with cake stands, candy dishes, silverware, cookie tins, and…

…so many linens. My vision for this book is to shoot Jewish desserts in a way that feels colorful, bright, and ever-so-slightly retro, without being stuffy or kitschy. I think the prop stylist, Maeve, absolutely nailed it with her selections.

I’m obsessed with this pouch, where the food stylist (Katie) keeps her collection of pastry piping tips.

Photo shoots are fun, but also a lot of intense work. These prep and shot lists keep everyone on target.

James (pictured above) flew in from London to assist Katie with food styling this week. Here, he’s mixing the batter for my strawberry cloud meringues.

Separately, I am smitten with the collection of stickers on Katie’s kitchen tool box. A photo shoot like this requires full concentration, and has provided a few days of semi-respite from the painful world outside. But talk of the insane tariffs (that will negatively impact book publishers who source paper and print books abroad), the even more insane fights the administration is picking with Canada (two of the crew members are originally Canadian), and the unbelievably cruel and illegal immigration crackdowns has managed to seep into the space. How could it not?

Coconut lemon curd macaroons getting ready for their closeup. The photographer, Nico, is a master at capturing light on both sunny and gray/rainy days—we’ve had both this week.

I love these “photo of the photo” shots. And I also love this apple sharlotka - such a light and airy twist on Jewish apple cake.

I adore the green plate in this photo so much. It makes the coconut cherry macaroons look even more homey and inviting.

This is one of the most unique—and beautiful—recipes in the entire book. Any guesses what it is?

The best part about a photo shoot (after the gorgeous photos)? The leftovers!