Before testing the cookbook "Jewish Home Cooking", Anna and Kristina take a field trip to New York City, the North American center of Jewish food. The cookbook strives to teach the home cook not only about traditional Jewish home cooking, but how it has transformed itself within North America and how to make it more healthily than it was a century ago. They attempt to make six dishes: gefilte fish, whitefish salad, chicken soup with matzo balls, pot roasted brisket, potato knishes, and challah. Their guest executive chef taster is
Jeff Nathan, the owner/chef of Abigael's on Broadway, arguably the premier kosher food restaurant in New York City, if not the US. Flying in from New York for this meal, Chef Jeff is hoping the two will be able to pull off the meal, but will be brutally honest with them if it is not up to standards. Despite some problems specifically with the knishes, Kristina manages to do some damage control. Anna is not so lucky with the matzo balls, but is proud of her work on the recipe which she placed the most focus, the challah. In addition, they test various smokers to hot smoke whitefish, and they taste test various brands of jarred kosher dill pickles.
—Huggo