“Food is not rational. Food is culture, habit, craving and identity.”
– Jonathan Safran Foer
How many times have your memories of beloved family members included the special dishes they cooked and served with love, the evocative aromas that wafted through their homes, and the holidays where a contingent of family and friends gathered to eat and celebrate together?
The Jewish Holiday Table is a delightful compendium of delectable recipes arranged to follow the seasons and the Jewish holiday calendar starting with Rosh Hashanah. It is also a treasury of family histories and traditions from around the Diaspora. A preponderance of them reflects the families’ Sephardic roots in the lands around the Mediterranean and in the Near East, with some excursions into Europe, and other diverse locations including Mexico and Brazil. For this Ashkenazic Jew, with my own family roots in Ukraine, Moldova, and Lithuania – or what was commonly written “Russia” on the U.S. census forms around 1900 – it was a delicious departure to parts somewhat unknown. I didn’t have much exposure to other Jewish cuisines or traditions until I was well into my adult life. Since then, the wide world of Jewish food has opened to me. The Jewish Holiday Table cookbook has helped to enhance my experience.
Of course, I thoroughly enjoyed the kugels, blintzes, and prakas (sweet and sour stuffed cabbage) prepared with love by my mother, grandmother and aunts in Philadelphia, and those dishes and many more relate to memories dear to my heart. And, as a little girl, while I didn’t quite grasp that the carp swimming in my maternal grandmother’s bathtub would soon be incorporated into her gefilte fish, the wonder of their presence is certainly something I will never forget.
This beautifully designed and photographed book offers a very personal look into the odysseys of 30 Jewish families as they moved from country to country, bringing along their family recipes, and adding others as time passed. Each family story is unique, and their take on their holiday recipes and tradition is their own, but each is perfect for sharing, so readers/home cooks can incorporate any or all of these recipes and menus into their repertoires for their own gatherings.
In addition to the stories and recipes, what also makes this cookbook special are the photographs of the very attractive and appealing table designs, with a mix of dinnerware and serveware that has been carefully chosen to enhance the presentation of the dishes of each family. The food styling beautifully shows off each dish, but with an unpretentious heimish approach that makes the table look as inviting as it would in a family’s dining room.
As I read each of these family stories and recipes, I added a Post-It® Flag to each page that featured a recipe I wanted to try, and now my copy is bristling with markers. I have already started making my way through them, generally choosing recipes that featured current seasonal vegetables like zucchini and eggplant, and as we move through the year, and the weather cools, other dishes will make their way to my table – even if they don’t exactly correspond to the holiday they were intended for.
My husband, who grew up in the “meat and two veg” tradition of British cooking in a non-Jewish home, is fortunately an adventurous and willing taste tester. So far, we have enjoyed the Lieberson’s Red Cabbage, Date, and Beet Salad for its combination of flavors, but also appreciated how well it retained its freshness, texture and taste for several days. The Berrie’s Sautéed Zucchini was an excellent use of the ubiquitous summer vegetable. My supply of the green squash also made its way into the Shefi’s savory Zucchini Pashtida (Zucchini Casserole), which I have found also freezes very well. Another delicious new experience for us was the AlmoronÃa (Baked Chicken with Eggplant and Onions) from the family of Chef Esther Serruya Weyl. I am thinking about having family over during the fall holiday period to enjoy some of the other recipes I have identified and can’t wait to try.
I plan to mix and match menus based on what I know of my family’s preferences. The next batch of dishes I plan to prepare includes: Khoresh e Beh (Lamb Stew with Quince and Dried Apricot) also from the Liebersons; Pantras (Fried Crepes with Chicken), Lubia Meetha (Green Beans with Garlic and Spices), and Spiced Walnut and Apricot Semolina Cake from Max Nye; Cassola (Italian Cheesecake) from Lorenza Pintar; Cauliflower Beignets from Anna Polonsky; and for Passover, Charoset Balls, Spiced Fish Patties with Artichokes, and a Roast Chicken with Spring Vegetables from Rinat Tzadok. I can hardly wait to prepare and taste all of them, and I’m sure there will be more to follow.
The Jewish Holiday Table is a wonderful addition to the cookbook library in any Jewish home and would also make a special gift – for a birthday, engagement or wedding shower, Mother’s Day, Hanukkah, or just because you care. There is something delicious in it for everyone who loves to eat, and inspiration for all those who love to cook and entertain.
While the renowned TV chef Julia Child ended her programs with “Bon Appetit”, in Yiddish we say “est gezunterheyt”, in Hebrew “b'tayavon”, and in Ladino, "Kome kon gana".
Book details: Naama Shefi & the Jewish Food Society with Devra Ferst; Copyright © 2024 by Naama Shefi and Jewish Food Society.
Published by Artisan, an imprint of Workman Publishing, a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc.
