Gil has been lecturing and performing cooking demonstrations for more than twenty years.  

     Gil presents lectures, such as Bagels: From Shmear to Eternity;   A History of Cholent;   and Is Kishke Named After the Wrapper or is the Wrapper Named After the Stuffing.   Each of these discussions focuses not only on an inconic Jewish food, ritual, or holiday, but also Jewish history and culture.

     Demos can be a bit more fun, as dishes are prepared and afterwards consumed.  Most of Gil's demos consist of 2 hours, entailing about 1½ hours of preparing four to six dishes, then 30 minutes for questions, tasting, and shmoozing.  He generally prefers to arrive about 2 hours before the beginning of the program to ensure that everything is prepared and ready to go before the attendees arrive.

     Gil designs the menu based on the needs and interests of the group. The topic can focus on a single item, such as making challah or chocolate, or be more general. Some possible themes are Jewish cooking around the World; Jewish vegetarian cooking; Shabbat around the world; healthier Jewish cooking; traditional Jewish cooking; tradition with a twist; quick and healthy; seasonal; winter produce; salads; and all chocolate or desserts.  

     Part of choosing the actual recipes depends on the logistics in the demo space and the amount of time of the demo. Thus if there are only a few hot plates to cook on, the menu will differ from that of a location with an available oven.  Once we have determined the recipes, we will email lists of ingredients and utensils to you.  Your group is responsible for procuring all ingredients and utensils.  It is suggested that you make copies of the recipes for those attending the demo.

     The fee for a single speech or demo is generally $350 to $750 plus any expenses, although reductions can be arranged for certain circumstances.  For a weekend scholar in residence, the fee to $750 to $1500. 

     You may be able to cover some or all of the expenses by holding a book signing and ordering copies of Olive Trees and Honey at a reduced rate directly from Wiley Publishers.  The amount of the discount depends on the number of books ordered and the ability to return unsold copies.  Please discuss the details with Sam Testa of Special Sales at (201) 748-6789.