Gil Marks, an award-winning cookbook author, culinary historian and writer died Friday morning in Jerusalem at age 62. Marks, a non-smoker, succumbed after a three-year battle with lung cancer. Marks, a West Viriginia native who lived most of his life in New York, is perhaps best known for his 2010 book 'The Encyclopedia of Jewish Food,' a 650-page tome that was the culmination of decades of research and covers ground from gefilte fish to mufleta, muaddara and melawach. Marks - who received rabbinic ordination from Yeshiva University and held master's degrees in social work and history - was the founding editor of Kosher Gourmet magazine, which was published from 1986-1992. In 1996 he published his first cookbook, 'The World of Jewish Cooking,' and went on to write 'The World of Jewish Entertaining' and 'The World of Jewish Desserts.'
(photo credit: The Jerusalem Post)