As contributor to the cookbook review project by Bernadette we reviewed The book of Jewish Food, An Odyssey from Samarkand and Vilna to the Present Day. The book combines more than 800 recipes with the stories and histories that have shaped Jewish cooking over the centuries. The book showcases the diversity of Jewish food. It’s about (Jewish) culture, about how food is part of our shared culture, how we are all connected and how food can help us understand history.
We prepared Joodse Boterkoek and Aliyah, a dish that combines chicken, tomato, tamarind, basil and cilantro. We served it with polenta. Both are delicious!
We also very much liked Fish Balls in Tomato Sauce as prepared by John Rieber. The fish balls are a combination of white fish with ginger and nutmeg. The dish originates from Egypt and Morocco. It will perhaps make you think of Gefilte Fish, a traditional appetizer. The recipe is not complex and the result as prepared by John looks great. One we will be making soon!
Jo Tracey prepared a Goulash Soup with beef, sweet paprika and a touch of chilli. She writes: “I first bought the digital version of this book a few years ago but I never got around to reading it or cooking from it until now. And what a treat it’s been.” The soup is rich and one we would cook on a wintery day.
Robbie Cheadle baked a Honey Cake, made with honey, brandy, coffee, cinnamon, cloves, orange zest, almonds and sultanas. Sounds wonderful! According to Robbie: “This cake is delicious, and we all enjoyed it. The orange zest, coffee, and honey create a lovely symphony of flavors.”
Bernadette herself chose a recipe from the Ashkenazi section of the book – Holishes or Stuffed Cabbage Leaves; a dish that appeared frequently in her childhood home. The leaves are stuffed with a combination of beef, rice and onion. The sauce is made with tomatoes, lemon, ginger, apple, raisins and honey. Not the most obvious combination! The result looked absolutely yummy.
The book of Jewish Food by Claudia Roden is available via your local bookstore or the usual channels for approximately 50 US$ or 40 euro. Highly recommended!
Cook and Drink 