Russ & Daughters: 100 years of appetzing

a national bestseller cookbook by niki russ federman & josh russ Tupper

with Joshua David Stein

Available for nationwide shipping, and in person at all Russ & Daughters locations.
CLICK HERE TO ORDER

From the legendary New York destination for Jewish appetizing, a beautiful and inspiring cookbook that encompasses history, tradition, and absolutely delicious food.

In 1907, a Jewish immigrant named Joel Russ landed in New York City, where he took a pushcart of smoked herring and built a legacy that would pass down through fathers and daughters (and sons and husbands and wives) for more than a hundred years. Four generations later, the ancestral heart of Russ & Daughters continues to bustle on the Lower East Side, with three more locations throughout the city .

Over the course of a century, Russ & Daughters has fed hundreds of thousands of customers, many considering a visit to the original shop on East Houston a family tradition or weekly ritual. Now, for the first time, Russ & Daughters brings its world-famous institution into readers’ homes. Its rich history is told through insider anecdotes from the family and characters on both sides of the counter; illuminating guides to its most famed offerings--smoked salmon, sable, sturgeon, herring, and caviar; and more than 100 cherished recipes for favorite foods like latkes, matzo ball soup, and bagel sandwiches, among many others.

Nothing can ever replace the experience of taking a number, kibbitzing with a slicer, waiting in line, and ordering your whitefish or belly lox. Yet this book captures some of that infectious Russ & Daughters appetizing spirit, and most importantly, brings families and friends together around the table.

download a sneak peek recipe:

Smoked Whitefish Chowder | Gravlax, Apples & Honey

CONTRIBUTORS:

Published by Flatiron Books. Co-authored by Joshua David Stein. Photographs by Gentl and Hyers. Interior and cover design by Portrait. Food styling by Mariana Velasquez. Illustrations by Jason Polan. Finished book photographs by Nick Johnson.

Endorsements

I have known the Russ family for generations. When I was a child, my dad took me at least once a month for a bit of elegantly sliced smoked salmon, a block of rich cream cheese, a dozen freshly baked bagels, and if he was feeling a flush, a big piece of delicious halvah. I have shopped and kibbitzed with the family ever since. This cookbook shares their history and provides us with delicious recipes that we all can make in our own homes. Mazel tov!

– Martha Stewart

New York is a city that never stops changing—but sometimes, the boldest act of innovation is having the courage to stay the same. For over a century, Russ & Daughters has been an anchor in a city of constant motion, a celebration of tradition, a beacon of hospitality. 100 Years of Appetizing isn’t just a cookbook—it’s a celebration of what happens when you do something so well, for so long, that it becomes about more than just the food. It becomes a legacy.

– Will Guidara, New York Times Bestselling Author of Unreasonable Hospitality

Five generations of Zimmerns have eaten food from, and in, Joel Russ’ Orchard and Houston Street stores. I cried holding these pages the first time I read them. These stories are all of ours, the hopes and the dreams, the sacrifices and losses, and the legend. My grandmother took me to the shop for the first time in 1965. Like all Zimmerns, I've been a regular ever since. Over the last 20 years Niki and Josh have become chosen family, a relationship bonded by schmaltz, held fast on cured fish. I want you to cook from this incredible book and become part of the story. What a mitzvah! Welcome to the family.

– Andrew Zimmern

One of my earliest memories is sitting in the window of our apartment, staring across the street at the Russ & Daughters’ neon, and wondering if my mom would remember to bring home halvah. This cookbook is a treasure trove of recipes, history, and culture that will be halvah for the heart and soul of any New Yorker.

– Liev Schreiber

No other cookbook I've seen has so gracefully translated the heart and soul of a storied brick-and-mortar establishment onto its pages. Then again, there's no other place quite like Russ & Daughters. Simultaneously timeless and topical, this book reminds us that everyone comes from somewhere, everyone has a dream, and everyone's gotta eat. Inheritors of a precious legacy, Niki and Josh have polished this diamond to high shine while giving its roots the honor it so rightfully deserves.

– Adeena Sussman, New York Times bestselling author of Shabbat and Sababa

press

NPR: Weekend Edition Saturday
Russ & Daughters in NYC celebrates '100 years of appetizing' and family
September 6, 2025
By Scott Simon, Samantha Balaban, Shannon Rhoades
Click here to listen

CBS News Saturday
The family behind New York institution Russ & Daughters
September 6, 2025
Russ & Daughters is a New York institution, and on this episode of "The Dish," learn how three generations have kept the doors open for more than 100 years.
Click here to watch

Jewish Telegraphic Agendy - NY Jewish Week
Russ & Daughters celebrates 111 years of Jewish New York history with a new cookbook
September 8, 2025
By Rachel Ringler
“Russ & Daughters: 100 Years of Appetizing” isn’t just a recipe collection. It’s a treasure trove of food history and Jewish storytelling inspired by one of the city’s oldest businesses.
Click here to read

WNYC’s All Of It with Alison Stewart
A Russ & Daughters Cookbook
September 9, 2025
The beloved Jewish restaurant Russ & Daughters has been open for more than a century. Now, a new cookbook from the fourth generation co-owners celebrates that legacy. Niki Russ Federman and Josh Russ Tupper discuss the cookbook Russ & Daughters: 100 Years of Appetizing and take calls from listeners about their favorite Russ & Daughters memories.
Click here to listen

The Wall Street Journal
Cookbooks That Celebrate Appetizing Traditions
October 10, 2025
By Andrew Coe
Click here to read

MSNBC’s Morning Joe
Legendary NYC eatery celebrates ‘100 Years of Appetizing’
October 13, 2025
Niki Russ Federman and Josh Russ Tupper join Morning Joe to discuss the new book 'Russ & Daughters: 100 Years of Appetizing'.
Click here to watch

upcoming Book Events

Wednesday, December 10, 2025
MANHATTAN (Upper East Side)
Zibby’s Bookshop Pop-Up at Minnie Rose
Niki Russ Federman and Josh Russ Tupper join author, publisher, and bookstore owner Zibby Owens for a live recording of her Totally Booked podcast. Then, stay for Minnie Rose’s holiday shopping party.
Click here for tickets

Monday, December 15, 2025
MANHATTAN (Lower East Side)
Hanukkah Party at Russ & Daughters Cafe
Celebrate the Festival of Lights with us on Orchard Street! We'll have a latke bar with all the traditional (and not-so traditional) toppings, sufganiyot, wine and cocktails, plenty of kibbitzing, and, of course, a joyous menorah lighting. This is a cocktail-style gathering (not a seated dinner) — come nosh, mingle, and toast to the season!
Click here for tickets

Wednesday, December 17, 2025
MANHATTAN (Lower East Side)
Tenement Museum
Join us as we celebrate Hanukkah with an appetizing evening of stories, family traditions, and of course—Russ & Daughters’ latkes. Niki Russ Federman and Josh Russ Tupper, as well as Russ & Daughters’ third-generation owner Mark Russ Federman, will be in conversation with Annie Polland, Tenement Museum President.
Click here for tickets

Sunday, March 22, 2026
SCARSDALE
JCC Mid-Westchester
Details to come.

past events

Sunday, September 7, 2025
SAN FRANCISCO
JCCSF
Bagels, babka, and a side of storytelling: celebrate a century of appetizing with Niki Russ Federman and Josh Russ Tupper at this special brunch and book conversation.

Thursday, September 11, 2025
MANHATTAN
The Temple Emanu-El Streicker Center
Niki Russ Federman and Josh Russ Tupper joined food journalist Gabriella Gershenson in conversation as part of the Festival of Jewish Food & Culture.

Sunday, September 14, 2025
MANHATTAN
Platform by JBF at Pier 57
An intimate conversation with Niki Russ Federman, Josh Russ Tupper, and four-time James Beard award-winning chef, cookbook author, and journalist Rozanne Gold.

Thursday, September 18, 2025
BROOKLYN
Center for New Jewish Culture with Congregation Beth Elohim and Community Bookstore
Niki Russ Federman and Josh Russ Tupper joined in conversation with third-generation owner of Russ & Daughters, Mark Russ Federman. Moderated by Daniel Squadron.

Saturday, September 20, 2025
MANHATTAN
P&T Knitwear - 180 Orchard Street, Lower East Side
A day of free events at local independent bookstore P&T Knitwear celebrated the Lower East Side community with free walking tours, giveaways, a live podcast recording, meet-and-greets with the Russ family, and a kid-friendly neighborhood scavenger hunt with a chance to win a prize basket valued at more than $500. Visit russanddaughtersday.com for full info.

Tuesday, October 14, 2025
LOS ANGELES
Skirball Cultural Center with Writers Bloc
Niki Russ Federman and Josh Russ Tupper in conversation with beloved food maven, Phil Rosenthal.

Sunday, October 19, 2025
MANHATTAN
Food Network NYC Wine & Food Festival
Smoked Fish Master Class with Josh Russ Tupper.

Monday, October 20, 2025
PHILADELPHIA
Philly Chef Conference at Drexel Food Lab
Authors Niki Russ Federman and Josh Russ Tupper celebrated the release of their new book in a discussion moderated by chef Rachel Sherman, food lab associate director in Drexel’s Food and Hospitality Management Department. A reception and book signing followed.

Sunday, November 2, 2025
MIAMI (Pinecrest)
Chef’s Table at The Hub - Temple Beth Am with Books & Books
A curated brunch from the Russ & Daughters team followed the conversation between Niki Russ Federman and Josh Russ Tupper, moderated by chef Michael Solomonov.

Friday, November 14, 2025
ATLANTA
Book Festival of the Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta
Niki Russ Federman and Josh Russ Tupper in conversation with Jenny Levison, restaurateur and cookbook author.

Tuesday, November 18, 2025
MANHATTAN (Midtown)
New York Public Library - Stavros Niarchos Foundation
Niki Russ Federman and Josh Russ Tupper in conversation with co-author Joshua David Stein.

Monday, December 1, 2025
WASHINGTON, D.C.
Sixth & I
Authors Niki Russ Federman and Josh Russ Tupper engaged in discussion moderated by best-selling author Daniel Pink. After the program was a feast of Russ & Daughters classics (straight from the Lower East Side).