Non Fiction: Cookery

In this section we'll keep you up to date with news of books you might be interested in. The information will come from the publishers' website and we will add our reviews as often as we can.

Do also look out for events information and keep us posted if you are an organiser.

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The Jewish Traditions Cookbook: An Extraordinary Culinary Encyclopedia with 400 Recipes and 1500 Colour Photographs Celebrating Jewish Cooking Down the ... That Helped to Influence and Shape It

Catherine Atkinson, Marlena Spieler, Trish Davies

Lorenz Books ISBN 9780754815846

April 2006

This awe-inspiring volume takes you on a fascinating journey through the evolution of a cuisine that is inexorably linked to the history and geography of its people, and in particular to the culinary traditions of the Eastern European countries, undeniably the foundation of so many classic Jewish dishes today.

This guide includes recipes from the many European, Middle Eastern, North African and American countries rich in Jewish heritage, in particular the Eastern European countries of Russia, Poland, the Ukraine, Germany, Austria, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Romania, Bulgaria and the East Adriatic.

The introduction traces the evolution of this well-travelled fare, and presents a veritable tapestry of recipes derived from a tradition of food sharing, festivals and the resourceful use of simple, local ingredients. An easy-to-follow chapter on the essentials of kashrut and kosher cooking explains the significance of the different foods, and the appropriate ways to prepare and eat them. Many recipes are cross-cultural fusions, and the reader is often given the option of using non-traditional ingredients or trying out non-kosher alternatives.
Every recipe has been tested and adapted to suit the modern kitchen.

Jewish Holiday Cooking

Jayne Cohen

John Wyley and Sons ISBN 9780471763871 

February 2008

In Jewish Holiday Cooking, Jayne Cohen shares a wide-ranging collection of traditional Jewish recipes, as well as inventive new creations and contemporary variations on the classic dishes. For home cooks, drawing from the rich traditions of Jewish history when cooking for the holidays can be a daunting task. "Jewish Holiday Cooking" comes to the rescue with recipes drawn from Jayne Cohen's first book, "The Gefilte Variations" - called an "outstanding debut" by "Publisher's Weekly" - as well as over 100 new recipes and information on cooking for the holidays. More than just a cookbook, this is the definitive guide to celebrating the Jewish holidays. Cohen provides practical advice and creative suggestions on everything from setting a Seder table with ritual objects to accommodating vegan relatives. The book is organized around the major Jewish holidays and includes nearly 300 recipes and variations, plus suggested menus tailored to each occasion, all conforming to kosher dietary laws. The chapters include all eight of the major Jewish holidays - Shabbat, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Hanukkah, Purim, Passover, and Shavuot - and the book is enlivened throughout with captivating personal reminiscences and tales from Jewish lore as well as nostalgic black and white photography from Cohen's own family history.

Jayne Cohen is the author of one previous book on Jewish cooking and celebrations -- The Gefilte Variations -- and is the co-author of The Ultimate Bar/Bat Mitzvah Celebration Book. She writes frequently about foodfor publications such as Bon Appetit, Gourmet, Food& Wine, the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, the Boston Globe, and Newsday. Cohen lives in Greenwich Village with her husband, and their daughter Alexandra returns home to cook at every holiday. Visit her Web site at www.JewishHolidayCooking.com

The Jewish Princess Cookbook

Tracy Fine & Georgie Tarn

Quadrille Publishing ISBN 9781844005062

2006

Perfectly attuned to todays Jewish Princess and all those who aspire to that lifestyle, this is a timely cookbook laced with humour and a dash of chutzpah. It brings the Jewish way of life, food and values into the 21st century!

In our ever changing world we have seen many trends concerning women come and go. Now the wheel has come full circle with the re-emergence of the modern housewife women who can combine family, work, looking great and, to put it in a nutshell, having their cake and eating it, but looking like they havent! The Jewish Princess Cookbook isnt just a cookbook its a way of life. Its slightly irreverent tone delivers a host of fabulous traditional as well as nouveau dishes of Jewish cuisine. With recent attention on Kabbalah, as well as the rise of bling, the playing field is more culturally diverse than ever. The Jewish Princess knows that eating remains at the heart of family life and this cookbook will be enjoyed by many for years to come.

By the time readers have read, cooked and enjoyed whats between the pages, they will realise they all have a little bit of the Jewish Princess within them.

Tracey Fine and Georgie Tarn first met at the tender age of nine and set off together down the road called life. They have both been very successful in their chosen fields: Georgie was a top London aerobics trainer and Tracey runs an international Internet giftware company. Now, with five children between them, they are involved in charity work, currently The Kiss for a Child which raises money for childrens projects in Eastern Europe and the former USSR. After a lifetime of experiences, they have used their knowledge and shared values to create The Jewish Princess Cookbook. Check out their website.

Mackerel at Midnight: Growing up Jewish on the Shetland Isles

Ethel G. Hofman

Mercat ISBN 9781841831107

2007

Ethel Hofman grew up in the only Jewish family on Shetland. This is the story of her family and childhood, and of the meeting of two diverse cultures in a unique landscape. Mackerel at Midnight blends memoir and cookbook, showing how food can strengthen family and cultural bonds, and celebrates the tolerance and warmth of one Jewish family and the community that embraced them.

Ethel G. Hofman grew up in Lerwick, Shetland and later emigrated to America where she now lives. She is a food journalist, author, and a past president of the International Association of Culinary Professionals.

Olive Trees and Honey: A Treasury of Vegetarian Recipes from Jewish Communities Around the World: Soups, Salads, Side Dishes and Main Courses for Holidays and Every Day

Gil Marks

John Wiley and Sons ISBN 9780764544132

November 2004

A classic collection of traditional Jewish vegetarian recipes from around the world.

Throughout life, there are countless Jewish celebrations and meals for which meatless dishes are included, enjoyed, even preferred. Here is the only vegetarian resource Jewish cooks will ever need to prepare vegetarian dishes for any holiday or occasion as well as for everyday meals.

The 300 recipes, which emphasize the signature flavors of time-honored dishes, span a tremendous range-soups, salads, grains and pastas, beans and legumes, egg dishes, savory pastries-and represent every part of the menu. The book also features practical cooking tips as well as in-depth essays on the cultural, historical, and religious relevance of traditional foods such as falafel, Sabbath stew, dumplings, kugel, and rice pilaf.

Gil Marks (New York, NY) is an expert on Jewish cooking. A chef, rabbi, writer, and historian, he is the author of three cookbooks, including The World of Jewish Cooking. He has been featured on radio and television, including Food Live on the Food Network.

New Jewish Cooking: Groundbreaking Kosher Recipes from Bevis Marks the Restaurant

Jason Prangnell

Absolute Press ISBN 9781904573449

September 2006

Ever since Bevis Marks The Restaurant opened it doors for business in 2003, adjacent to Britain's oldest synagogue, the food world has been flocking to its tables to enjoy groundbreaking recipes of Jason Prangnell's dairy-free kosher cuisine. Drawing on both Sephardic and Ashkanazi traditions, as well as modern European food influences, he has established his cooking as the benchmark of what modern Jewish cooking can aspire to. Jason's recipes are cookable and ideal for the home cook.

The Book of Jewish Food: An Odyssey from Samarkand and Vilna to the Present Day

Claudia Roden

Penguin Books ISBN 9780140466096

1999

Claudia Roden, author of The Book of Jewish Food, has done more than simply compile a cookbook of Jewish recipes--she has produced a history of the Diaspora, told through its cuisine. The book's 800 recipes reflect many cultures and regions of the world, from the Jewish quarter of Cairo where Roden spent her childhood to the kitchens of Europe, Asia and the Americas. Both Ashkenazi and Sepharidic cooking are well represented here: hallah bread, bagels, blintzes and kugels give way to tabbouleh, falafel and succulent lamb with prunes, which are, in turn, succeeded by such fare as Ftut (Yemeni wedding soup) and Kahk (savoury bracelets).

Interwoven throughout the text are Roden's charming asides--the history of certain foods, definitions (Kaimak, for instance, is the cream that rises to the top when buffalo milk is simmered) and ways of preparing everything from an eggplant to a quince. In addition, Roden tells you everything you've ever wanted to know about Jewish dietary laws, what the ancient Hebrews ate and the various holidays and festivals on the Jewish calendar. Detailed sections on Jewish history are beautifully illustrated with archival photographs of families, towns and, of course, food. The Book of Jewish Food is one that any serious cook--Jewish and non-Jewish alike--would gladly have (and use often) in the kitchen. --Kyle Dean

Mother and Daughter Jewish Cooking: Two Generations of Jewish Women Share Traditional and Contemporary Recipes

Evelyn and Judi Rose

Robson Books ISBN 9781861057310

2004

'Mother & Daughter Jewish Cooking' brings together two generations of Jewish cookery. In her popular and authoritative style, internationally acclaimed food writer the late Evelyn Rose takes the hassle out of preparing for all those family occasions that are so central to Jewish life. Two generations of Jewish women have come together to create this wonderful collection of recipes for cooks young and old. Evelyn Rose offers traditional Jewish recipes, just the way your mother and grandmother used to make them. For more contemporary, bolder, and lighter tastes, her daughter Judi offers updated and all-new dishes. Cooking is as much about family and friends as it is about good food, and that's just the spirit conveyed here.

The Healthy Jewish Cookbook: 100 Delicious Recipes from the Mediterranean to Persia, Asia and the Far East

Michael Van Straten

Kyle Cathie ISBN 9781856265591

May 2005

Jewish cooking is traditionally associated with heavy, fat-laden food - deep-fried latkes, food cooked in chicken fat and extremely sweet desserts. But this impression is largely based on the food of Middle and Eastern Europe, which has travelled to north London and New York. In fact, Jewish food has many more influences and traditions from the Jews who spread themselves around the rest of the world and developed their own cuisine, unique to the countries they inhabited but still flavoured with their Middle Eastern origins and the strict requirements of Jewish dietary laws.

This book takes you on a fascinating journey around the world looking at how Jewish cookery adapted to new countries and why it offers so many health benefits. There is the healthy Mediterranean diet of the Greek Jews as well as the Moorish influences of the Jews expelled by Spain in the fifteenth century, full of antioxidant-rich fruit and vegetables. Then there are the grain-based dishes from north Africa and the fragrant salads of Persia, and not forgetting classic recipes for cinnamon balls and omega-3-rich smoked salmon.

With around 100 recipes for all occasions, including a good proportion of vegetarian recipes, this is a treasure trove of exciting, healthy food.