Product Description
Keeping kosher and celebrating the Jewish holidays receive an added, joyful dimension, with practical guidelines interwoven with spiritual insights into many aspects of Jewish life and observance. Recipes range from traditional favorites such as blintzes and chicken soup to Szechuan chicken, aduki-squash soup and many other international, gourmet and natural specialties. All in a clear, easy-to-use format with helpful symbols and numerous charts and illustrations. This cookbook is a staple in most Jewish homes. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (22)

Wonderful Cookbook - recipes work!
These recipes work.I've tried a lot of them, and they come out the way they are supposed to.I made a "Pavlova" having never heard of it before (turns out it is a favorite Australian dessert).It is a meringue volcano filled with either whipped cream or compote, and based on the directions I was able to make it correctly the first time.I give Spice and Spirit big thumbs up.

Modern Recipes
I bought this book as a gift for my newly married son and his wife because I enjoy using the recipes in the copy I have owned for years.The recipes are easy to follow and not old-fashioned like in other kosher cookbooks, and the book is beautiful in appearance.

A Gezunt On This Book!
Love, love, love this book. Yup, there are no illustrations, however, the recipes are so simple, one can surely picture the results in their head. Think of a food, it can be easily prepared, using this book!

Joy of Cooking for the kosher chef
Granted, this book is no frills.There are no pictures. Just lots and lots of recipes, categorized into:challah; dairy foods; soups; parve main dishes; meat & poultry mains; sides; cakes & pastrys; desserts & confections.It also has tons of information on kashrus and shabbat for beginners.It's like Joy of Cooking, but kosher.(Mind you, Joy of Cooking also doesn't have pictures.But it's a kitchen staple.)

I have a huge library now of kosher cookbooks and I have to say that no other book has a comprehensive collection of all the shabbat and kosher classics as Spice & Spirit.Recipes for different types of challah; cholents; noodle, potato, or broccoli kugels; blintzes; parve ice creams.

If you don't like the traditional recipes or if pictures are a must, I would point you towards Susie Fishbein and the Kosher by Design series, e.g. Kosher by Design, Kosher by Design Short on Time, and Kosher By Design Entertains.But I feel Spice & Spirit is a must have for any kosher home.Make it a gift for any new bride.It also has handy tips, like the amounts of flour necessary for doing mitzvahs like taking challah with or without the brocha.

Spice and Spirit is also available in a Passover edition.

Great beginner cookbook
This is a great cookbook for beginners -- those who keep kosher and non-kosher alike. It really is a classic and was a pioneer in the field of kosher cooking back in the day.I would suggest it for anyone, and there are some recipes I still use. However, if you are pretty comfortable in the kitchen and with the laws of kashrut I would recommend branching out to other newer cookbooks, like the "kosher by design" series. Also, when one is really comfortable with kosher cooking and ingredient substitutions (ie what you can switch out for a non-kosher or dairy ingredient and how it will affect the recipe) I strongly recommend the non-kosher classics like Joy of Cooking etc. for a greater range of options.
Again - a superb cookbook for beginners, but I would skip it in favor of some of the newer offerings if you know what you're doing...
... Read more

Product Description
Recipes from a range of countries with Jewish culture - 400 recipes & 1400 photographs ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

The "Torah" of jewish cooking
A truly amazing book. I received that book from a friend, and just by quickly skimming through I was amazed by this book. Not only it contains a very brief history of jewish culture over ages, but it also shows why/how different tastes have evolved in jewish culture. This book is no mean feat, as it covers most classical dishes found in different places of the world, with particular spices (for examples dishes of russian and eastern european jews with large use of dill, potates, creams, etc) but also from north african food with their specific tastes (very arabic ingredients and spices). It is also extensively illustrated, and well organized into different sections (meat, poultry, entrees, soups, deserts, vegan foods, salads, pickles, etc), even has a chapter on how to bake different breads.

This book is the most amazing cookbook I own (I have 40+ other), because of its "encyclopedical" quest to completeness and variety, and also because most dishes are quite easy to do. Really worth it for people who want to make easy and tasteful dishes for their friends, and also who want to discover in an entertaining manner the history Jewish culture through their food.

Great book for the Jewish and non-Jewish cook!
This 512-page book presents a journey through the history of Jewish cooking, including many centuries-old favorites, local adaptations, and modern classics. There are more than 400 recipes from Russia, Poland, Ukraine, Germany, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Morocco, Egypt, Iran, Israel, the Middle East, India, Latin America, and the United States. The recipes and techniques are accompanied by more than 1400 color photographs, plus a nutritional breakdown of every dish to help plan special diets. ... Read more

Product Description
From the food pages of The New York Times comes this authoritative, wide-ranging Jewish cookbook. Featuring nearly 800 well-tested recipes, this collection includes in-flu-ences from Northern Africa, Western and Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and the United States. It celebrates the history, culture, culinary creativity, and enduring tradition of Jews around the world. Mimi Sheraton, food critic and cookbook author, provides introductions to the book as well as to each chapter. Editor Linda Amster organizes chapters to cover every course from appetizers to desserts. Delicious recipes include both tradi-tional favorites and more recent variations that update the classics with a contemporary twist. All recipes are kosher and include dishes from dozens of well-known writers and chefs such as Ms. Sheraton, Alain Ducasse, Joan Nathan, Claudia Roden, Daniel Boulud, and Wolfgang Puck. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

NEW YORK TIMES JEWISH COOKBOOK
WITH OVER 825 RECIPES FROM AROUND THE WORLD THIS COOK BOOK BROUGHT BACK MANY MEMORIES OF THINGS MY BUBBIE MADE FOR ME AS I WAS GROWING UP IN BROOKLYN N.Y. THE FEW I HAVE TRIED SO FAR WERE LIP SMAKING

A wonderful Jewish Cookbook
I purchased the book for one recipe - Chicken Fricassee with Meatballs but to my surprise there are many, many great recipes in this book.My mother-in-law had such a great Chicken Fricassee recipe and I was always going to write it down but never did.Now that she is gone my sister-in-law and I are trying to recreate her recipe. I have the consistency and she has the taste so I hope the recipe in the cookbook will help us achieve our goal so that I can pass the recipe on to my daughter.

very good!
I use this book as an instrument of work and it is very helpfull. Is one of the book I own I can trust.

L. Schler
Fabulous, I've tried a number of recipes all have been a hit.I highly recommend this cookbook.

Not Worth The Price!
I just got the book today it has tons of recipes I am just disappointed that there are no pictures in the book. The recipes are great reminding me back to the day of childhood.But I found many other Jewish cook books with these same recipes in them at cheaper price with pictures! Look around for other Jewish cookbooks on amazon. You will find a few. Unfortunately I did that after I bought thisexpensive book when I found out this has not 1 picture in it. This Cookbook is expensive and for the price it should at least have pictures. I rate it 3 stars but I accidentally hit the 4 star rating. ... Read more

Product Description
Harriet Roth, bestselling author of three books about healthful eating, has reworked her family's traditional favorites and new Jewish specialties for minimum fat and maximum nutrition and flavor.In this unique cookbook of 350 fabulous, new low-fat, low-cholesterol recipes, you'll learn:
* Low fat versions of specialty holiday foods
* What goes on a seder plate
* How to make delicious meals such as Stuffed Chicken Breasts with Apricot Glaze
* How to prepare scrumptious desserts like Passover Chocolate Torte
* Cooking and nutritional tipsIncluding personal reminiscences, this cookbook will open up a world of healthful, flavorful cooking for anyone interested in Jewish cuisine.
* Harriet Roth's fans will be eagerly awaiting this affordable paperback edition of her newest cookbook in five years.
* Harriet Roth's previous cookbooks have been bestsellers.
* Harriet Roth is a "name-brand" authority in the area of low-fat, low-cholesterol cooking.
* This edition is being published in March, perfect for tie-in publicity for the Passover holiday. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Could have been....
This cook book could have been good--I don't know because so many pages had been cut out of the used version I purchased.It was a real disappointment to buy something that was described as "like new" and then learn (too late) that so many recipes had been removed.I won't buy this way again.

Original and Warm, but Dated
I must give this book high marks for originality and organization, and for thoroughness without repetition. In addition, the book transmits a genuine warmth of Jewish feeling. Harriet Roth does not care to be hip, ironic or vegan. She is just trying to get good-tasting Jewish food on the table with a minimum of cholesterol and sodium. I would like to visit Harriet Roth's kitchen and chat with her while she cooks.

Unfortunately, some of the recipes recall a more innocent time of free use of sugar and processed foods. In addition, the heavy use of nonfat dairy may put off some people (although, in fairness, it is hard to make traditional dairy food without dairy). Most of the recipes are for groups of 6 or more, and cannot be scaled down.

I like this book, but I do not use it much.

very good reference for jewish company cooking
I needed a reference for cooking for some Jewish friends....they loved it.I am not Jewish myself but, have prepared some of the recipes for my family and they were very good.I can't imagine I am the best person to ask, but anyway, I enjoyed this cookbook and it's recipes were well-recieved by all. ... Read more

Product Description
What do Latin American Ceviche and Asian Duck Stir-Fry have in common with Root Vegetable Tzimmes and Classic Chicken Soup with Matzoh Balls? They’re all examples of the inspired cooking that has made Jeffrey Nathan, host of Public Television’s top-rated New Jewish Cuisine, the most exciting kosher chef at work today. His innovative food captures the spirit of Jewish cooking while exploring a whole world of sophisticated flavors.

Jeffrey Nathan revives and reinvents Jewish cuisine for generations of people tired of the same old brisket and noodle kugel. In Adventures in Jewish Cooking, classic Jewish recipes get a delicious twist, like Stuffed Cabbage Rolls with Sweet and Sour Cranberry Sauce and Gefilte Fish Terrine with Beet and Carrot Salads. But Nathan also knows when to stick to tradition—in his confident hands, tried-and-true favorites like latkes and cholent have never tasted better. Inspired by Jewish cuisines from around the world, as well as a diverse palette of other ethnic flavors, these recipes are anything but bland or heavy. Israeli Chopped Vegetable Salad, Falafel-Crusted Salmon with Jerusalem Dressing, Syrian Lemon Chicken Stew, and Apple Cobbler with Almond-Streusel Topping are all so flavorful and nuanced that they can be served with pride on any occasion.

With ready-for-company menus perfect for Passover, the Sabbath, and more, plenty of weeknight options, and variations that make it easy to adjust many recipes to a meat or dairy meal, this is the book that adventurous Jewish cooks have been waiting for.Amazon.com Review
Anyone looking for new takes on Jewish cooking or fresh ideas for their kosher table will want to explore Adventures in Jewish Cooking. The book pushes the whole concept of Jewish cooking--let alone kosher restrictions--to the limit with inspired, internationally inflected dishes. Jeffrey Nathan, executive chef of Manhattan's acclaimed kosher restaurant Abigael's and host of the popular PBS cooking show New Jewish Cuisine, delivers all the standards of Jewish fare, but his Matzo Ball Soup is intensified with a spicy Latin American Soffrito and studded with saffron-infused matzo balls. His gefilte fish is a sophisticated terrine, adorned with jewel-like carrot and beet salads tossed with a tangy, sharp Horseradish Mustard Vinaigrette. Even his chicken soup is accented with Japanese miso paste. Besides updated versions of typical Jewish dishes, Nathan calls on his widely varied culinary experience to create kosher versions of more unexpected fare. Nori-Wrapped Salmon with Pea Shoot Salad would be impressive on any table--it's merely an added bonus that it also happens to be kosher. Turkey and Sausage Barley Jambalaya proves that pastrami, veal sausage, and turkey thighs can go head-to-head with the nonkosher meats normally found in this spicy Southern dish. Many of the dishes are impressive enough for the holiday table, making this a welcome resource for any cook looking for unusual takes on international cooking and those looking to add new dimensions to their kosher fare. --Robin Donovan ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

From the list of a cookbook junkie!
Since I've gotten the Create channel, all kinds of cooking shows I'd never heard of pop up, and Jeff Nathan's was one of them. He hangs out in the galley with some pals, cooking and swapping stories (they're all NUTZ!) having so much fun, I'd like to hang out with them in the galley myself. Naturally, a couple of recipes interested me, so I went looking to see if he had a cookbook--found it thru interlibrary loan, and then just had to have it in my collection. Some Jewish dishes are classics for me (latkes, brisket, etc) but this guy does out of the box kinda cooking--crazy stuff with matzo, like chocolate bark and lasagna--crazy, I tell ya! It's a fun and interesting book to read, just for the fun of reading (as many cookbooks that I buy are), and the recipes are an added bonus.

Anything but ordinary
author of Cooking Jewish: 532 Great Recipes from the Rabinowitz Family

from the Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles
August 30, 2002

When it comes to kosher fine dining, chef Jeffrey Nathan of New York's Abigael's restaurants wrote the book. Now, just in time for Rosh Hashana, he's written "Adventures in Jewish Cooking," a collection of innovative recipes that redefine kosher as a world-class cuisine.

"I want our customers to think of Abigael's not as a kosher restaurant, but as a great restaurant that happens to be kosher," says the vivacious chef whose PBS television show "New Jewish Cuisine" garnered a James Beard nomination.

And indeed they do. Jewish and non-Jewish diners alike, like Donald Trump and former New York Gov. Mario Cuomo, return for the adventuresome menu, outstanding service and elegant ambiance.

With "Adventures in Jewish Cooking," Nathan brings his imaginative, updated kosher cooking to the home chef with dishes such as Porcini-Crusted Striped Bass and Port Wine Syrup, Chicken and Veal Pate and Rack of Veal with Wild Mushroom Farfel Dressing.

"Kosher diners are more sophisticated today," he says. "A lot of people are more comfortable with the same things for Shabbat and the holidays, but when they go out to a restaurant, they don't want Shabbat roasted chicken."

While the recipes reflect Nathan's imaginative use of fresh ingredients and exotic influences from his travels -- Thai and Vietnamese are favorites -- he gives more than a nod to his ancestral roots. And rather than being restricted by the kosher laws, he soars to the challenge of updating and recreating traditional dishes.

"It's not all about innovation," he writes. "I can derive just as much satisfaction from taking a recipe from my heritage and making it the best it can be," like Classic Chicken Soup with Matzah Balls, Sweet Noodle and Fruit Kugel, and Superb Sabbath Cholent.

Nathan grew up in a predominantly Italian neighborhood in Queens, N.Y., and loved to watch his mom cook. "Instead of watching television, I was always potchkeeing around in the kitchen," he recalls.

As a dishwasher in an Italian restaurant, he discovered a passion for cooking by watching the chefs. "They were so fast and just looked like they were having fun, but I didn't really think of it as a career. All I knew was Julia Child on television."

In the Navy, Nathan became personal chef to the captain and officers, even cooking for Menachim Begin and Anwar Sadat. "Not only did I get to travel around the world, but when we'd pull into ports, I was given money to go out and search for ingredients and could then come back and experiment."

After the service, he attended the prestigious Culinary Institute of America under the GI Bill. "You can't beat that. Travel the world, learn a trade, then go to school, all on Uncle Sam. That was one of the smarter things I ever did."

Nathan worked at a number of New York restaurants, including Luchow's and New Deal, where he distinguished himself with unusual preparations of wild game and exotic meats, creating his now-legendary Venison Chili, which later, as the only kosher entry, took first place in the James Beard National Chili Cook-Off.

"It was a blind tasting, and we were up against a lot of upscale Manhattan restaurants. When the kosher one won, no one could believe it!"

After 20 years of cooking non-kosher, he opened Abigael's with partner Harvey Reizenman. "Abigael's was my beshert [destiny]," he writes. "I realized that I had come home, both spiritually and professionally."

"Adventures in Jewish Cooking" showcases that same passion for the new and respect for the old. "I believe in modernization of everything," he says, "but then again, there's tradition."

Nathan's holiday menus will inspire you to create new traditions of your own: Banana Sufganiyot Pudding for Chanukah, Savory Hamantaschen With Vegetable-Cheese Stuffing for Purim, and I can't wait for Pesach to try Matzah Napoleon With White Chocolate Mousse.

For Rosh Hashana, he's selected Roast Duck with Apple-Golden Raisin Sauce. "I think I may be the world's No. 1 duck fan," says Nathan, who divulges Abigael's double-cooking technique that guarantees a crispy skin without sacrificing moistness.

"It's very important to have sweet for the New Year," he reminds us. "I usually keep desserts pareve, but for a dairy meal I'll make Honey-Ginger Zabaglione Cream. It's harder to spell than to make it!"

And how will Nathan celebrate the New Year? "I always make taiglach at home with the kids [Chad, 13, and Jaclyn, 10]," who appear in "Adventures in Jewish Cooking" clad in chef's coats, helping their dad prepare Chocolate Mousse Flowerpots.

Not the usual Bubbeh Yenta's recipe book
"Oy gevald, that's not how my bubbeh prepared matzah ball soup," you will probably exclaim with shock when you first come across Jeff Nathan's version of that healing dish. "Neither did she cook brisket with apple cider and rosemary -- rosemary schmoesmary, she used to say!"

But once your shock subsides you will find yourself in posession one of the best kosher cookbooks out there. With a mish-mosh of ingredients and cooking methods from around the world, Jeff Nathan created a masterpiece guide for the I-need-a-break-from-the-potato-knish Jew. He was a pioneer when he opened up Abigail's, wandering into the Kosher-fusion restaurant desert. Back then there weren't yet kosher restaurants that served sushi, the idea of a good kosher restaurant was were you could get an oversized pastrami sandwich with a hummus appetizer.

Bottom line: great recipes for the kosher kitchen, with parve alternatives for many dishes requiring meat or dairy. When I need to cook for guests, I usually turn to Jeff for help. Most of the recipes have a Jewish twist to them (I cracked when I saw the recipe for "Gefilte Fish Terrine". He must've had one too many cups of Manischewitz wine that day, I thought.)

A "Must Have" Cookbook
Buy this book!I can't say enough good things about Chef Nathans' book!This is a great book for kosher cooks AND it is a great storehouse of recipes and techniques for any kind of cooking! With most cookbooks I am pleased if I walk away with one or two "keeper" recipes.With Chef Nathans' book, every recipe I've tried has been outstanding!When it comes to spices, these recipes present some unusual combinations; yet trust me every dish I've tried has come out perfectly and interestingly spiced!I can imagine how hard it was to create these recipes, then adapt them for the home; that hard work is certainly appreciated!Trying these recipes is somewhat like attending a master class in cooking!These are the types of dishes you remember when you go to a great restaurant and have fond memories about that special meal. I look forward to going to Abigael's restaurant to compare what I've made to the real version.My only complaint about the book is that it only comes in a hard-back edition.It would be wonderful if there were also a version in a spiral bound format where every page was laminated so you cook with it right in front of you.This is really an outstanding cookbook in every way and highly recommended.

Adventures in Cookbook Reviews
Disagreement makes the world go 'round.But when I read a review that I know to be out-and-out unfair, I have to jump in and set the record straight.

I have happily cooked my way through this book.I do agree with the readers who found some of the recipes time-consuming and difficult to shop for.However, the book is not advertised as "fast and easy" cooking (a claim that many other chef's books falsely use with abandon), so I wasn't surprised to see many of Nathan's restaurant's signiature dishes appear. Restaurant cooking should be different than home cooking, and this book offers both.As I often cook plain as well as fancy, I like his approach. Being a fan of his TV show, I knew to expect a chef's sensibility towards food--and few of them, for better or worse, count ingredients or bowls!

What rankles me is how jsholkoff talks about the lack of instructions. Did we cook from the same book?I have made both chocolate mousses in the book.Chocolate Flowerpots (OK, I served them in bowls and not individual clay pots) is not made with a ganache.Could this reviewer mean Matzo Napoleons with White Chocolate Mousse?If so, the instructions are spot on.And no where in the book did I see dropped temperatures or incomplete instructions for doneness.In fact, Nathan even tells you what level to place the oven rack.
Sherry Yard's book (which, by the way, I found full of inconsistencies and errors, and has photographs of desserts that are decorated with garnishes not in the book, which really peeves me)is ABOUT making desserts, so I would expect the mousse directions to be concise and detailed.Nathan's instructions for his mousses are not lacking, as I can attest from actually cooking them.I must admit that I take most amazon reviews with a huge spoonful of salt because I can often tell that too many people profile cookbooks that they have not even cooked from.

When you want a fancy dish for company, roll up your sleeves and tackle Nathan's Porcini Striped Bass with Smoked Trout Mashed Potatoes or similar tongue-(or toque-) twisters. Otherwise, there is lots of everyday fare, such as Grilled Chicken Breasts with Orange-Soy Marinade and Sea Bass Vera Cruz. ... Read more

Product Description
Jewish cuisine is truly international as many of its traditional dishes have evolved from the style of cooking of countries from all around the world where the Jews have settled throughout history. Some of the best-loved of these dishes are presented here in their vegetarian form, from the Russian-inspired perogen to the Spanish-influenced stuffed aubergines and rice and lentil pilaff. Here, too, are dishes for the festival of Passover. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Auditor
Every Jewish home should own this book,its helpful and has so many good and easy recipes to follow.This book has very healthy recipes and especially when you have small children,feeding them healthy meals is important. ... Read more

Product Description
'No-one will ever produce a richer, or more satisfying feast of the Jewish experience' - Simon Schama. 'One can't imagine a better food book than this, ever: for the reader and the cook' - Nigella Lawson, "Vogue". '"The Book Of Jewish Food" deserves its definitive article. It should stand as the book for many years...It is not likely to be surpassed' - "The Telegraph". 'Manna from Heaven' - "Independent on Sunday". ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A work of genius; breath-taking in its scope
Claudia Roden's opus, THE BOOK OF JEWISH FOOD, must be considered the definitive work on the history of the cuisine of the Jewish people.

Anyone wishing to own a single Jewish cookbook need look no further than THE BOOK OF JEWISH FOOD.

This is a work of amazing scholarship, tantamount to a doctoral dissertation which clearly would earn honors; a Nobel laureate if that award were to be granted for cookery books.

Roden takes on a subject that almost is too vast, covering every area in which there ever has been a Jewish population, including Ethiopia, India and China.

She not only presents a large variety of recipes typical of each separate region, but she illustrates both the similarities of these recipes and their differences.

The food, well, the food is marvelous; delicious enough in the description that one's mouth waters merely reading the text.

This book is much more than a cookbook. It is a work of social anthropology and food historiography, with recipes that are--yes!--good enough to eat.

THE BOOK OF JEWISH FOOD is a work of genius. It clearly is the definitive Jewish cookbook for the coming millennia. ... Read more

Product Description
In this beautiful new book, acclaimed author and chef Rabbi Gil Marks offers a complete guide to entertaining for Jewish holidays and other family celebrations.

From the time Abraham and Sarah entertained passing strangers in their simple tent, hospitality has been a significant aspect of Jewish life. For generations, Jewish parents have taught their children how to create a traditional home, passing down many lifetimes of accumulated wisdom along with their family recipes. But as the world changes, Jewish entertaining changes too. Modern Jews want to add exciting new dishes to their traditional menus and they want a practical guide to serving elegant meals whether for a large crowd or an intimate gathering. Now, in the only book of its kind, The World of Jewish Entertaining demystifies the experience of entertaining.

Marks presents a "Guide for the Perplexed Host," practical advice, easy-to-follow recipes for a wide variety of dishes from the most homey and traditional foods to haute cuisine, and complete menus for

Product Description
From the colonial era to the present, Marcie Cohen Ferris examines the expressive power of food throughout southern Jewish history. She demonstrates with delight and detail how southern Jews reinvented culinary traditions as they adapted to the customs, landscape, and racial codes of the American South. Richly illustrated, this culinary tour of the historic Jewish South is an evocative mixture of history and foodways, including more than thirty recipes to try at home. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Wonderful Surprise
My fiancé and I are Jews from Louisiana, and got this book as a gift. At first, we thought that it was a cookbook, but it is a history book with recipes.

Pleasantly surprised! Love it!

Lots of research, not many insights
This was a wonderful topic for a book -- how Southernness and Jewishness came together in the Jewish kitchen. Cohen Ferris, herself a Jewish woman from a small town in Arkansas, has done exhaustive research, no doubt a labor of love, and has perpetuated many people's memories.

The problem with the book is that it is quite repetitious. Ferris Cohen correctly points out that the culture and history of Atlanta, New Orleans, the Mississippi Delta, and so on are all distinct from each other. Then, however, she spends much of her time recounting menus of long-ago occasions and concluding, over and over again, that the balance between kosher and non-kosher food and between European and American Southern delicacies was important and hard to navigate, because food is so important in daily life.

It is not so much a question of Ferris Cohen's writing style but of the fact that she seemed compelled to put on paper all of the results of her painstaking interviews. Perhaps a more insightful historian could have made more of Ferris Cohen's material, but this book just seemed too long.

Matzo balls and memories
As a Deep South Jewish expatriate, I can't say enough about how thoroughly Marcie Cohen Ferris did her research.There is no doubt that she has covered the differences-and similarities-of the various southern states with great heart and accuracy!The sheer volume of names of those she got family information from is more than admirable.The book belongs in every Jewish household-northern and southern!And non-Jewish readers will get a wonderful picture of the influence food had in Southern Jewish homes-part of American culinary history.

Okay book
Good book if your into a history lesson but I was looking for more receipies.

Outstanding & interesting
This book is a wonderful compilation of Jewish history of the South and Jewish food of the South. Fascinating reading about the history and excellent eating. Enjoy! ... Read more

Product Description
Now any cook can make a nice chicken soup -- without guilt. This book guides you through the delicious recipes and cherished traditions of Jewish cooks from both the old world and new. Written by an an award-winning cookbook author and syndicated food writer on Jewish cooking. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Save Your Money
A complete waste of $$$, very few recipes. The only knish recipe is for spinich. Talks about A meat blintz but no recipe.Only good if you want to learn how to keep A kosher kitchen.

Good Cookin'
If you've never had to make homemade Challah before (or you don�t even know what that is) and always wanted to learn how, this the book for you.Jewish Cooking for Dummies is the perfect book for the novice Jewish chef.It has recipes for every major holiday, and some not so major ones, with recipes for every day of the week.Faye Levy, who has previously written other books on Jewish cooking, delivers again with a well thought out book.There are tips for keeping kosher, for substitutions, for making things faster.It's everything you need if you�re just starting out in the Jewish kitchen or in a kitchen in general.The only real complaint I have is that the recipes are very basic and that there aren't enough to go around.Also, many to the recipes take longer to make than listed in the book, especially when you first start making them.You gradually improve, but plan a little bit of a cushion into your work time.

Excerpted from Fullerton News Tribune 3-29-01
From Faye Levy, internationally renowned cooking authority and author of over 20 cookbooks, comes "Jewish Cooking for Dummies" (IDG Books Worldwide, $19.99), everything you ever wanted to know about Jewish cooking, complete with cartoons, from the holidays to kashrut (kosher laws), with tips from her toolbelt on everything from peeling a tomato to quartering a whole chicken. Her motto: "Have fun and be confident." "Lots of people want to celebrate with Jewish food but don't know how," says Levy, "converts, nonJews married to Jews, even those who grew up Jewish but never had the traditional foods." The Passover section (subtitle: "What Happened When the Bread Didn't Rise") demystifies the complexity of preparing for the seder, offering such must-try recipes as Garlic Roast Lamb, Asparagus and Carrots with a tangy Lemon Dressing and her luscious Passover Pecan Chocolate Cake...Levy stresses that Jewish cuisine does not have to be high in fat and calories. "Check any health food catalogue and you'll notice how many of the foods are labeled organic and kosher." ... Read more

Product Description

Thanks to the ever-increasing number of kosher products available to home cooks, it's never been easier or more satisfying to prepare delicious, wholesome, and healthful kosher meals. In this new collection of exciting recipes, acclaimed journalist, cooking teacher, and cookbook author Faye Levy presents a progressive, upbeat approach to nutritious kosher cuisine that highlights the pleasure of preparing and eating mouthwatering dishes that promote well-being.

Customer Reviews (3)

Jewish Cookbook for Your Shelves
This is an informative cookbook full of recipes arranged by holidays. I think you'll find lots of creative dishes to add to your table at any time of the year.

YUM
Healthier recipes both modern and old fashioned. It's about time! The speedy cholent includes wheatberries which give this version a great texture and the spices are really interesting. I love this dish. The tandoori chicken is great! Also nice spices and really tender chicken. Best of all are the desserts which are light and include ingredients that aren't hard to find. The Strawberry Shortcake in seconds cuts countless fat and calories because it has nonfat vanilla yogurt and low fat sour cream instead of heavy whipping cream. It's an awesome recipe.

healthy cooking for the jewish home
I found this cook book to be a very useful addition to my cook book collection. Some of the recipies are a variation of recipies that my grandmother taught me but the written versions of her recipies were lost during a move from one home to another. ... Read more

Product Description
No matter how far from home we go, refining our palates, leaving behind family cooking for more sophisticated fare, trading up from iceberg lettuce to arugula, from meatloaf to paté, from Velveeta to brie, we all have a special place in our hearts-and our stomachs-for our families' deliciously basic, special home recipes.

Born ofthe culinary traditions ofthe two very different sides of actress Pamela Hensley Vincent's Jewish-American family and her husband Duke Vincent's Italian-American background, The Jewish-Sicilian Cookbook recaptures, with charm, humor, and tasty and do-able recipes, the gastronomic nostalgia of two families that could be very much like any of our own.

The sixty-four recipes in this charmingly appointed cookbook range from quick salads to hearty stews and run the gamut from typically Jewish (Yetta's chicken soup and latkes) to the quintessentially Italian (Duke's Special Spaghetti). Some of the recipes represent the best of traditional modern American food, such as Manny's Hamburgers and Jack's Chef Salad, radiating a special feeling ofmid-century cooking and eating, with a Fifties sensibility that goes down as deliciously well today it it did then. The common ground of all family food traditions is "Food is Love," and this principle is irresistibly at play as Pamela Vincent recounts heartfelt anecdotes, describing fond memories of meals with loved ones, while sharing her favorite family recipes with all the enthusiasm of a favorite cousin presenting a cherished recipe on a much used recipe card. From a predawn breakfast of buttered matzoh and coffee with her grandfather to pasta night with Duke, The Jewish-Sicilian Cookbook will inspire readers to revisit fond food memories of their own as well as create new ones. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Pamela Hensley's Cook Book
This is an awesome cook book and I really enjoyed the pictures. I have been a fan of Pamela's for many years since the Buck Roger's and Matt Houston days.

A disgrace to both Jews and Sicilians.A Sham. A waste of money.
I couldn't find a -5 stars. The lowest I could find was 1 Star.Read on....

This is not a Jewish-Sicilian cook book. It is a combination of boring stories and Italian recipes. It is a Jewish as "Rosy O'Grady'sPassover Specialties."Would any Jew buy such a piece of work?Jewish comedians excluded.They need this material more than the kitchen.

Here is an example from one of the recipies entitled "....Signature Spaghetti".1/2 Beef bouillon cube with Parmigiano-Reggiano?What Kibbutz did this author live in? And all the other Sicilians are saying rosaries over the use of"beef bouillon cube".

The author does a disservice to both the Jewish and Sicilian community by trying to parade her writings under this title.

Don't waste your money.The book is a sham. ... Read more

Product Description
Jewish cooking is the daily expression of not only religious beliefs, but a cultural and family history. The recipes passed from one generation to another tell their own story of a family's past. An historically peripatetic people, Jewish communities can be found in every corner of the globe. Obliged by religion to adhere to the dietary laws of kashrut, Jewish cooks have adapted local cuisines to reflect their culture. When recreating an old recipe in a new land, they have worked with the available ingredients to produce dishes that unite religion with necessity, and past with present. Delicious hybrids, these dishes tell their own tale of Jewish families, their history and their culture.

The laws of kashrut deal with what is permitted or kasher (kosher-fit) and what is terefah (forbidden); with the separation of meat from milk products. Accordingly, Jewish Kitchen is divided into three main chapters-Meat, Dairy and Pareve (neutral). With a diverse international flavor, the recipes include among other Moroccan yellow split pea soup; Spicy Latin brisket with citrus and rum; Lebanese lamb and chicken meatballs; North African chicken with lemon and olives; Kurdistan stuffed vegetables; Honey and spice cake; Passover raspberry sponge; Chocolate coconut macaroons; and the mouthwatering Sufganiot-Israeli jam doughnuts.

The stories of nine Jewish families appear through the book. They tell of travel across continents; family celebrations; reunions and separations; war and peace. Each story is accompanied by a recipe and, among others, reveal the dishes cooked by Cuban Jews in Miami, Australians in Manchester, and Moroccans in Israel. A delicious, international fusion cuisine, food from the worldwide Jewish kitchen is as diverse as its cultural heritage.

"More than just another ethnic cookbook. The Jewish Kitchen emphasizes full-color photographs and extended stories showcasing globe spanning Jewish cuisine, tradition, and culture...offers a culinary wealth of traditional and succulent faire." --Library Bookwatch"Delight in the food of celebrations, festivals, and everyday life...a subject close to Hyman's heart..." --Lois Friedman, Jewish Press ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Think Global, Cook Local
author of Cooking Jewish: 532 Great Recipes from the Rabinowitz Family

from the Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles
December 19, 2003

An Auschwitz survivor, only one of four, returns to his Norwegian town to rebuild a Jewish community. A group of Spanish Jews, fleeing the Inquisition, cross the savage seas to Curacao and establish the oldest synagogue in continuous use in the New World. The tiny, but active, Jewish community of Salonika rebuilds itself on the ashen remains of what once was a 2,000-year-old thriving metropolis of Jewish culture.

Clarissa Hyman's beautifully photographed new cookbook, The Jewish Kitchen, is alive with miracles - stories of remnants of Jewish life, war-torn Jewish communities, displaced and rebuilding, bringing with them their glorious history, rich culture, and a cuisine passed through the generations, itself a story of miraculous survival.

This award-winning author crisscrossed the globe, visiting eight families in nine months, recording their stories, their recipes, even taking some of the location photographs herself. The rest she filled in through the miracle of email, which is how I interviewed her from her home in Manchester, England.

"The stories were as important to me as the recipes, because I believe in context and background, and I wanted to give snapshots of the Jewish world today to show that there are so many different aspects to the Jewish experience. Sadly, time and budget put limits on my voyage around the Jewish world, which is why email is so wonderful. It's been an unexpected
bonus, making friends around the world."

Hyman's nine months' work on the book - "research, traveling, writing, testing, a miracle in itself!" she said - started at the beginning of the year and ended just after Simchas Torah. Rosh Hashanah she spent in Trondheim. "Here was this tiny community that by all rights should not exist at all and that has been almost completely brought back to life after the Holocaust by one Auschwitz survivor, Julius Paltiel, who invited me to share the holiday with his family."

In Antwerp, Leila Rubens organized a lunch for 16 Jewish women from different countries. "Each arrived with a special family dish that none of her friends had ever sampled before," she recalled. "By the end of lunch everyone was swopping recipes, most of them included in the book. I didn't dare leave anyone out! It really brought the essence of the Jewish kitchen alive for me."

By Hanukkah, a favorite festival rich with childhood memories, she was home in Manchester. "I was the only child, so I always got to light the candles with the shammas and would sing, badly, Ma-oz Tzur to my proud parents and would get the first latke out of the pan." In fact, Manchester is the ninth spot on the tour, where Hyman recounts the miracle of her own family. Her grandfather survived the sinking of the Titanic and returned to Manchester to open a kosher deli called Titanics, where Hyman grew up. "I was raised in a pickle barrel," her mother would sometimes joke.

No Jewish cookbook would be complete without latkes, and Hyman's recipe is her own. But Hanukkah is about the oil, not the potato! Jews the world over also celebrate with doughnuts and fritters. Hyman tells of Moroccan and Turkish Jews who feast on special meals on the sixth and last nights of Hanukkah and of Russian Jews who used to celebrate a Flaming Tea Ceremony in which sugar cubes were dipped in brandy, placed on spoons and lit with candles.

For a change from latkes, Tunisian briks, when fried, are perfectly appropriate for the holiday. They recall a community that shrank from 80,000 in 1948, Hyman observed, to about 2,000 today, as Tunisians emigrated mostly to Israel and France.

From the Israeli food and wine writer Daniel Rogov come Pineapple Fritters, a classic for Hanukkah in Lyon, France, where owner Celestine Benditte-Strauss served them at her renowned Restaurant Cercle.

Rugelach for Hanukkah? Hyman describes the lesser known Hanukkah tradition of eating cheese and dairy products in memory of Judith, a brave Jewish widow who beheaded the enemy general Holofernes after feeding him...what? Hyman says "fatal small cakes." Some say perhaps she got him thirsty on cheese so he would drink wine and fall asleep. Others insist it was rich, creamy food for the same reason. While stories differ, the message is clear.

"One Jewish dish, twenty different versions. One Jewish story, twenty different tales. I doubt if there can ever be one single definitive explanation in Jewish lore. Regardless, Judith's bravery was said to have inspired Judas Maccabee. Who knows? I think it's more a case of parallel stories coming together. It's one of the wonderful things about Jewish food: We are as lavish with our symbolism and myths as we are with the sour cream. Any excuse for something delicious to eat!"

TUNISIAN BRIK WITH TUNA AND POTATOES
Serves 8
1 small onion, finely chopped
vegetable oil, for frying
3 1/2 oz canned tuna in olive oil, drained and crumbled
3 potatoes, peeled and boiled
1 egg, beaten
1 oz parsley, finely chopped
1 tbsp capers
1/2 tsp turmeric
pinch of harissa (or more to taste)
salt and pepper
16 sheets phyllo pastry or 8 sheets brik pastry

Lightly fry the onion in a little oil and let cool. Mash the tuna and potatoes with the rest of the ingredients except the pastry and oil and set aside. Cut the phyllo pastry into 6-inch squares. Brush a pastry square with oil; then place another phyllo square on top - you need 2 layers for each brik unless using special brik pastry.
Place a large tablespoon of filling in the center, then either fold to make an oblong or triangular shape. Moisten the edges with water in order to seal the pastry. Deep-fry for a minute at 375 °F until golden brown, turning if not completely submerged in the oil, then drain on paper towel.

PINEAPPLE FRITTERS À LA CÉLESTINE

serves 6-8

2 large pineapples, peeled, cored and thickly sliced
superfine granulated sugar, for dredging
1/4 cup Kirsch
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup warm water
7/8 cup beer
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp brandy
pinch of salt
2 egg whites, whisked
apricot jam, for spreading
vegetable oil, for deep-frying
superfine granulated sugar, for sprinkling

Dredge the pineapple with sugar, then sprinkle generously with the Kirsch. Let steep 30-40 minutes.
Sift the flour and mix with the water, beer, oil, brandy and salt to make a batter. Dry the pineapple slices on paper towel, then coat them with a thin layer of apricot jam.
While the oil is heating, fold the whisked egg whites into the batter. Take the fruit and batter to the stove. When the oil is not (350 ° F), dip the pineapple slices into the batter, then fry until golden brown on both sides. Serve hot, sprinkled with sugar, if desired.

HAZELNUT RUGELACH

Makes 32 small or 16 large

13 tbsp butter, softened
7 oz cream cheese
2 tsp superfine granulated sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted with a pinch of salt
1/4 cup brown sugar
4 tbsp cocoa powder
2 tsp cinnamon
7/8 cup finely chopped hazelnuts (or walnuts)
2 tbsp butter, melted
1 egg white beaten with a little water
granulated sugar (optional)

Cream the butter and cheese until well blended. Stir in the superfine sugar, then the flour and mix until the dough begins to hold together. Gather into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap and chill overnight.
Preheat the oven to 350°. Combine the brown sugar, cocoa, cinnamon and nuts and set aside. Cut the dough ball in half and return one half to the fridge while you work with the other. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pastry into a thin circle about 10 inches in diameter. The pastry may feel hard at first but it quickly softens. Use a cake pan or plate to help cut out a neat circle. Cut the dough circle into 16 or 8 equal pie-shaped wedges.
Brush the surface of the wedges with melted butter, then sprinkle evenly with half the nut mixture. Cover with a piece of plastic wrap and use a rolling pin to press the filing lightly down into the dough.
Remove the plastic wrap and roll up each wedge from the outside, wide end toward the point, so you end up with mini croissants. Place on a lightly greased baking sheet and brush with the beaten egg white. Sprinkle with a little sugar, if desired. Repeat with the remaining dough and bake for 20-30 minutes until golden brown. Let cool slightly before transferring to a wire cooling rack.

A culinary wealth of traditional and succulent faire
Compiled and organized by Clarissa Hyman (the 2002 Glenfiddich Food Writer of the Year), The Jewish Kitchen: Recipes And Stories From Around The World is more than just another ethnic cookbook, The Jewish Kitchen emphasizes full-color photographs and extended stories showcasing globe spanning Jewish cuisine, tradition, and culture. From Classic Cheesecake; Moroccan Chicken with Dates; and Persian Jeweled Rice with Chicken; to Iraqi Beet Kubba; Rubens Family Potato Chermslach; and Old-Fashioned Sweet Carrot Kugel, The Jewish Kitchen offers a culinary wealth of traditional and succulent faire. ... Read more

Product Description

Classic Italian Jewish Cooking starts with the ancient Italian adage Vesti da turco e mangia da ebreo ("Dress like a Turk and eat like a Jew"). In this definitive volume of Italian Jewish recipes, Edda Servi Machlin, a native of Pitigliano, Italy, a Tuscan village that was once home to a vibrant Jewish community, reveals the secrets of this delicate and unique culinary tradition that has flourished for more than two thousand years.

Customer Reviews (4)

Wonderful Book
I bought this book used, and boy what a bargain!It came in pristine condition.

I needed a Jewish-Italian cookbook, because although I love Italian food, I want to keep things kosher, and that means that most of the recipes in a regular Italian cookbook go to waste.I especially needed something for dairy antipasto that is not the same old same old that you usually see at Bar Mitzva's, etc.

I've tried a few of the antipasto recipes, and every one is a winner.All of the other recipes also look tasty and something I would like to try.As far as Italian Jewish cooking, I may never need another cookbook... but it seems the author has written a second!

It doesn't hurt that the author was born in 1926, making her the same age as my mom (may she rest in peace).She has wonderful stories to tell, and I feel her motherly presence through the pages.

I am very, very glad I purchased this book.

Buy it for the stories, not for the recipes
I've owned Classic Italian Jewish Cooking for over a year, and have made only a few recipes from it. I flip through it almost every week before I start cooking for the Sabbath, hoping to find something appealing.However, I don't find many of the recipes particularly enticing. Worse, what I have made has not turned out well.I'm an experienced cook, and I dubiously followed Machlin's instructions to add pap (bread soaked in water) to meat to make her meatballs with peppers. Wait, I thought- don't you normally add bread crumbs to meatballs? Yes, and for good reason- these completely fell apart, but they were delicious.

That has been my experience with the recipes I've made from this book- the results are tasty, but unattractive and somewhat failed, despite scrupulous adherence to detail and execution.I really enjoyed Machlin's stories of Jewish life in Italy, and I want to like this book more. If the recipes were as accurate as the stories are compelling, maybe I would.

A Wonderful Addition to your Kitchen

I have given this book a prominent position on its bookshelf, along with some other well used cookbooks. This book is an impressive looking volume, an inch thick, and lovingly designed.

The first 26 pages describe the author's life growing up in the Italian Jewish community before WWII--a culture that hardly exists anymore.

As for the cuisine, it follows the mediterranean pattern, with, here and there, a strong suggestion of the middle east. Thus, anyone who enjoys mediterranean/ middle-eastern cuisine, will appreciate this book

An added bonus, is a chapter on "Breads, Pizzas and Bagels". In this chapter, you will find 23 recipes, inclouding Sourdough Bread, and three recipes for Chollah--that's the rich egg bread that jewish people eat on the sabbath.

The author of this review is not jewish, but what of that? Good food is good food, and the food described here would be hard to improve upon.

Blended Families/Blended Recipes
I purchased this book for one of my co-workers who was engaged to be married. He is of an Italian background and his fiance's family is Jewish. They both love to cook. I was doing a search for Italian and Jewish cookbooks, seprately, not realizing that this book even exisited. The couple being married not only likes to cook, they enjoy more unusual and exotic tastes. This book had interesting recipes that came from a very specific region where there are Jewish and Italian people living in the same area, and therefore the book had delicious and quite different types of recipes that I had not seen before. In the week in which the couple returned from their honeymoon, my co-worker said they had already tried out several of the recipes and they thought that this book was one of the best and most thoughtful gifts they had received. Bon appetit and Mazaltov! ... Read more

Product Description
Over 150 lowfat Jewish vegetarian recipes with an international flavor are profiled, including Rosh Hashanah dinner suggestions and 33 Passover dishes. One can feast on Romanian Apricot Dumplings, Polish Apple Blintzes, Czechoslovakian Noodles with Poppy Seeds, and Ukrainian Kasha Varnishkes. Celebrate with Eggless Challah, Purim Hamentashen, Chanukah Latkes, and more. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Disappointing
This looked like a great cookbook by the title and the thought of making low fat dishes was appealing to me. I cooked a few recipes and found them bland and not very good.
They were low fat though!

Feel free to add more spices!
I normally love the cookbook offerings from the Vegetarian Resource Group and anxiously awaited the arrival of this one. However, many of the recipes are somewhat bland--I've remedied that by adding more flavorings as appropriate to the recipe. They are easy to make with clear instructions, but the flavor is somewhat lacking. (One example was the low-fat 'mock chopped liver,' which I made for my family and was roundly booed. Try the VRG regular high-fat version which uses walnuts--much better unless you are looking to cut fat!) But if you are looking for lowfat recipies, these are OK.

Easy to follow
This cookbook will be easy to follow and give more alternatives to eating a sound diet.

A slim but handy book
Considering the challenging subject matter, I have to appreciate this book even though it does not contain as much material nor is as professionally presented as many cookbooks.There are not as many Passover recipes as I'd hoped; but ANY source of non-dairy vegetarian Passover recipes is helpful to me, as I need to prepare dishes to bring to a meat-centric Passover seder where vegetarians will be in attendance.I have also just purchased the booklet Vegan Passover Recipes by Nancy Berkoff, which is brief but helpful as well.

I have not tried every recipe in Lowfat Vegetarian (I can't comment, for example, on the matzoh ball recipe another review complained about).One non-Passover dish that I particularly enjoy is the Romanian Paprikash (made of mushrooms, potatoes, paprika and other seasonings, and elbow macaroni).Many recipes involve legumes (beans, chick peas, etc.) and various grains. I think the recipes for foods that are originally low in fat probably come out better than the adaptations of traditional fat-ful Jewish food.

Some recipes questionable...
Some of the recipes presented here are quite tasty...but I found that many of them were thoroughly unworkable, as if they'd been translated into "vegetarian" without much thought.Matzoh balls are fussy enough with eggs -- with nothing to hold them together but potatoes, they're nearly impossible!Other recipes lacked flavor.In short, simply removing meat, dairy, and eggs does not necessarily make a good vegetarian recipe; something else needs to be provided to supply flavor and structure. ... Read more

Product Description
Chef, author, and Mediterranean cooking expert Joyce Goldstein follows her acclaimed Cucina Ebraica: Flavors of the Italian Jewish Kitchen with this remarkable exploration of Jewish cooking of the Mediterranean. In Sephardic Flavors, Goldstein uncovers the culinary history of the Diaspora, revealing in vivid prose and delicious recipes how the Sephardic Jews adapted the cuisines of their new homelands. Drawing upon the cultural and gastronomic heritages of Spain, Portugal, Italy, Greece, and Turkey, Goldstein has amassed a remarkable array of unique recipes and historical information. A fascinating voyage into culinary history as well as a compilation of superbly satisfying dishes, Sephardic Flavors captures the indomitable spirit and brilliant cuisines that continue to capture our imaginations today.Amazon.com Review
What is Jewish cooking? Most of us would cite matzo balls, gefilte fish, and other Eastern European-born fare. But there's a second Jewish food tradition--the cuisine of the Mediterranean Sephardim. Author Joyce Goldstein first encountered it in Spain, Portugal, Italy, Greece, and Turkey. Dishes such as Poached Fish with Walnut Sauce, Roast Chicken with Apples and Pomegranate, and Saffron Rice Pudding exemplify this delectable legacy. Part investigation of Sephardic cooking--of the migrations and religious directives that gave it life--and part paean to its bright, tantalizing flavors, Goldstein's cookbook should prove a revelation to all cooks, Jewish or not.

Starting with a history of the Spanish and Portuguese (Sephardic) diasporas that brought Jews to the Mediterranean, Goldstein then provides information on kosher law and a discussion of American Sephardim, among other relevant topics. Standouts among the recipes that follow include Fish with Rhubarb Sauce, Lamb with Green Garlic, and Meat Loaf with Sweet and Sour Tomato Sauce. The book's chapters on savory pastries and vegetables and grains are particularly noteworthy, and include such tantalizing recipes as Cheese-Stuffed Peppers and Pumpkin-Filled Filo Roses. With photographs of many of the dishes, suggestions for Sephardic holiday meals, and a wealth of anecdotes and lore throughout, the book uncovers an unexplored Jewish cuisine now available to all. --Arthur Boehm ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Great Sephardic cookbook
Sephardic cookbooks are hard to come by. This book is out of print now, but it was easy enough to find inexpensively.

Like all of Goldstein's books, the photography is exquisite and the recipes are simple, but creative. I love the menu planning pages at the beginning of the book and look forward to using these recipes to bring a bit of variety to the many Jewish gatherings I go to throughout the year.

great cookbook
I love this cook book. The recipes were good and there was very interesting interesting historical notes about Sephardic Jews.I highly recomend

Angry
Never received the book after contacting them still not response from either Amazon or the book company!!
Very dissapointed first time in over 20 yeas this has happened to me ordering books
Lost out on money and never want to work with Amazon again

An unusual cookbook
I bought this as a Christmas present for my wife on a whim as I was browsing the cookbooks. So far she has enjoyed it and even made the meatloaf recipe successfully (with hard-boiled eggs inside) withing the first week of having it. The recipes inside tend to lean more toward the Mediterranean than the Jewish but they are thoughtful and interesting without being too unusual. I'd reccommend itfor anyone who want an "off the beaten track" cookbook, and it's cheap, too!

Varied food, beautifully presented
We usually think one excellent dish is worth the price of a cookbook (think of the price you'd pay to eat an excellent dish at a restaurant), and we've made at least 3 or 4 out of this one already.Joyce Goldstein has also really sought out a nice variety of Sephardic cuisines.And the photographs are gorgeous. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

not fancy but wholesome jewish oriented recipes from around the world
This was once of the first cookbooks I got to use and start cooking so many years ago. Since my family usually only had fish, Italian and mostly jewish meals (I am from New England) there were many things I never tried. Ithink the first one I tried was a Persianchopped lamb dish (very good) . Iwas hooked to try more. Choosing from the holiday or country recipes I tried a few more.I just tried the chopped chicken livers but it was a little bland so I took it to another level. Greece, North Africa and other countries are represented and they are good to getting started with.Each chapter also has some jewish oriented fact and information that relates to the holiday or the country. Good solid jewish recipes here. Looking for out of the way different from the ordinary well this might not be the one for you. But it is a good start like it was for me to get to know cuisines and jewish food from other countries. ... Read more

Product Description
A celebration of Jewish kosher cooking and tradition, this expert cookbook offers all the recipes and information any cook needs to celebrate Passover, Rosh Hashanah, and many other Jewish holidays. 1,000 Jewish Recipes includes:

• Instructions for maintaining a kosher kitchen
• Information on the delicious culinary heritage of Jewish cultures
• Tempting and easy-to-follow recipes such as Three-Cheese Knishes and Old-Fashioned Roast Chicken.

While 1,000 Jewish Recipes may be the perfect reference cookbook for anyone interested in Jewish cooking, it is also, quite simply, a fabulous collection of recipes. Oven-Braised Short Ribs in Hot and Sweet Tomato Sauce, Hungarian White Bean Soup, French-Style Couscous with Wild Mushrooms, and Chocolate-Pecan Rugelach are all sure to be crowd pleasers. For those cooks particularly interested in the mores of Jewish cooking, there is a short section on keeping kosher, and every recipe is categorized as dairy, meat, or neither (pareve). --Leora Y. Bloom ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Must Have
This book is amazing. It has recipe suggestions for every holiday, even full menu suggestions :) Very happy with this purchase.

1000 jewish receipes- one of few cookbooks you'll ever need
This cookbook covers a broad range of cuisines from the different parts of the world where jewish people settled and adapted. There is a great variety of low fat and vegetarian receipes as well. This seller sent a book which was in very good condition.

BEST challah recipe ever
I have searched for Faye's email address to no avail so this is a good option too... I hope she reads this. The challah (special bread eaten on the Jewish Shabbat) recipe in this cookbook is the best I've ever made. It's easy to work with the dough (usually:) and always gets rave reviews! Actually, people are always somewhat shocked by how good it is because it isn't often you taste a challah THAT good!

I have tried quite a few challah recipes over the years and this one is definitely the best so far.

Thanks, Faye, for an amazing recipe!

Worth the Money.
My wife and I enjoy this book very much. Every week we select a recipe from the book for our church' Israel Class '.It is very easy to follow the directions in the book.We stongly recommend this book to anyone serious about Jewish cooking.

Another outstanding collection by Faye Levy
We have several of Faye Levy's cookbooks. I'm not sure this is my favorite; I probably prefer the more expansive layouts of some of her others. But we sure enjoy her recipes--probably the best blend of good taste and relative ease of preparation among Israeli-style Jewish cookbooks. ... Read more

Product Description
What we eat says so much about who we are and from where we come. Do you like your matzah brie sweet or savory? Is your chicken soup matzah ball or mulligatawny? Does your menu feature a cheese torta or a tofu salad? Wherever Jews have settled, they have adapted local tastes and ingredients to meet the needs of Shabbat and kashrut, creating a rich and diverse menu of flavors and styles, all still Jewish. In Entrée to Judaism, Tina Wasserman leads a culinary journey around the world and across the ages, from Spain to India, from Russia to Tunisia, sharing the histories and recipes of the great Diaspora communities and the many wonderful ways they have told their stories through food. Accessible, easy-to-follow recipes for the novice home cook and expert chef alike. Features Tina's Tidbits, fun facts and great cooking tips for every recipe. Includes over 275 recipes and dozens of full-color photos ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

a must have
wonderful book...great recipes, bought three, one for each of my nieces...have made many wonderful dishes using...a great gift

Especially recommended for family, professional, and community library Ethnic Cookbook collections
Jewish communities from around the world during the last two millennia of the diaspora absorbed a great many culinary traditions, transforming them to accord with the dietary and religious requirements that their faith required of them. The result is a rich diversity that is as much a part of the Jewish cultural legacy as the synagogue and the Torah. Documenting this remarkable culinary heritage is "Entree to Judaism: A Culinary Exploration of the Jewish Diaspora", an impressive 472-page compendium of authentic recipes compiled with commentary by Tina Wasserman, an award-winning cooking instructor, food columnist for 'Reform Judaism' magazine, and specialist in contemporary kosher cuisine. Superbly illustrated throughout in full color, "Entree to Judaism: A Culinary Exploration of the Jewish Diaspora" showcases more than 275 recipes featuring thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly' instructions. With palate pleasing, appetite satisfying dishes ranging from Syrian Apricot compote in Rose Water Syrup; Moroccan Chicken Kebabs; Greek Psari Saganaki; and Three-Potato Cheese Gratin; to Miniature Chocolate Almond Tortes; Kneidlach (Matzah Balls); Tunisian Briks; New York Style Cheesecake; and English Tomato Chutney, "Entree to Judaism: A Culinary Exploration of the Jewish Diaspora" is especially recommended for family, professional, and community library Ethnic Cookbook collections.
... Read more