The cookbook review project by Bernadette is a great way to explore cookbooks. The book of Jewish Food by Claudia Roden was not yet on our bookshelf, so we bought a copy of the 25^th edition for 40 euro.  Its subtitle is 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. 

The first time we saw Claudia Roden was during the 2016 Amsterdam Symposium on the History of Food. In 1999 she received the Prince Claus Award in recognition of her exceptional initiatives and achievements in the field of culture. She is author of the classic comprehensive book Food of Italy and member of the jury of the prestigious Johannes van Dam prize, awarded in 2016 to Yotam Ottolenghi. We were far too impressed to actually talk to her. A bit silly, agreed, and we will make up for it in April 2025 during the next Symposium.

The Netherlands

The Dutch Jewish community plays an important role in the Netherlands, and more specifically in Amsterdam. The community was formed in the seventeenth century by people who came from Portugal (Sephardi Jews) and from Germany and Eastern Europe (Ashkenazi Jews). In general the first group was worldly, cultured and well connected to the Dutch upper classes. The second group was poor and unskilled. They worked as market traders, food sellers (for instance pickled vegetables and salted herring with chopped onions, which is still a Dutch treat) and pedlars.

Over the years both groups influenced Dutch cuisine. According to food author and publisher Jonah Freud dishes such as Haringsalade met Bietjes (see here for our version) and Broodje Halfom (a bun with beef liver and salted beef (somewhat similar to pastrami) with white pepper) are typical examples of the Jewish influence on Dutch cuisine. Gemberbolussen (a sweet cake with ginger) and Kugel (a cake with almonds and pears) are still widely available in Amsterdam.

Two Recipes

We decided to make two recipes from the book. Boterkoek is very typical for the Netherlands. A rich combination of lots of butter, sugar, flour and a pinch of salt. Classic and easy to make. We slightly adjusted Claudia Roden’s recipe, inspired by Dutch Pâtissier Cees Holtkamp. Early on during his career he learned how to bake Boterkoek when he worked for a Jewish Bakery. 

The second recipe is for Aliyah, stewed chicken with tomatoes, tamarind, cilantro and basil. An intriguing combination and one we simply had to try. The recipe originates from the Georgian town of Kulashi. This small town was once the home of one of the largest Georgian Jewish communities.

Obviously we decided to enjoy a kosher wine with the Aliyah. We bought a bottle of Barkan Classic Merlot-Argaman 2021. The Argaman grape (an Israeli creation) is combined with Merlot. The result is an intensely coloured red wine with dark fruit, supple tannins and depth. In general, we would suggest a medium to full-bodied red wine with sufficient depth and length.

Your Bookshelf

We think this book should be on your bookshelf. 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. It took Claudia Roden 16 years to write it. We can only thank her for this impressive and relevant achievement.

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.

Recipes for Joodse Boterkoek and Aliyah on Bernadette’s website.