The Book of Jewish Food

Just as with another of her books, Arabesque, with The Book of Jewish Food Roden manages to combine food writing with recipes that make this book a delight to both read and cook from. She explores her own Jewish roots and the culture and history of the whole diaspora by writing about the meals, traditions and recipes she uncovers on her search for Jewish food.

The recipes are organised in two broad sections - Ashkenazi and Serphadic - and within different food categories within these two broad distinctions. Some of the recipes are complicated or time consuming, but many are simple and plenty could be made from regular ingredients you have in the kitchen right now (though half the fun is finding out about new ingredients or new ways to show more use ingredients you thought you already knew about). For this household there is the added bonus that many of the recipes are vegan - especially those of the Bene Israel, the Jews of India - or are easily 'veganised', though this is more true for the Serphadic than Ashkenazi section.

I also found it very interesting to find many recipes my non-Jewish grandmother cooked, obviously influenced by her Prussian roots - much of what is perhaps now considered 'Ashkenazi food' was once just 'poor middle European people food'.

Even if you are not Jewish or even interested in Jewish culture, try and get your hands on this book. The food writing is fantastic and the recipes are worth exploring. show less

I used this book quite a bit over the years. I have many Jewish friends and we always seem to talk about food. They must eat as much as Greeks, then. My favourites include sephardic fish balls in a tomato sauce, really simple but really good. Well, to be honest, the sephardic dishes are terrific compared to the Ashkenazi ones. I mean food of northern Europe, especially peasant type food is fairly limited to potatoes, cabbage, fish and chicken. (though I do like cabbage rolls and variations on potatoes, necessity is the mother of invention. But they manage to squeeze a lot of tasty stuff out of pastries and biscuits. I've had friends make me blintzes and matzo ball soup, roast chicken, kugel and knaidlech pirogi and on and on. Its OK, show more but it comes from another place. I don't wish to offend as I'm sure the sentiment is big. As expected, there are so many ways to prepare chicken, it must surely be the most universal of meats. What is interesting is the north African and middle eastern dishes so closely match what everyone else ate. I could happily exist on okras and eggplants and lamb and chicken and spices and rices and tomatoes and on and on.

I like all the historical and cultural introductions to each country. At times it's a toss up between the cultural and historical notes and the recipes. Roden suggests that even egg and lemon soup, what I call as greek as greek can be, may have originated in Iberia. Which is a disappointment as I could never tell my mother that this is even possible. She may die on the spot. But Roden only hints, hedging her bets, culture is sensitive. And I will never, never tell my mother of Roden's Egyptian moussaka either. Heart attack followed by a stroke. show less

This is a wonderful cookbook. Claudia Roden not only compiled recipes - she also compiled stories and anecdotes and historical descriptions of various Jewish communities around the world. Her book has become an essential part of my cooking routine during every major Jewish holiday, to the point that when the book was lost in my move to DC I immediately rushed to a bookstore to get a replacement... Indispensable.

Good reading. Good eating. What more could you want?

This is more narrative than most of Roden's cookbooks. Which only serves to make you want to cook every recipe she describes.

Far more than a cookery book, this is a beautifully presented history of Jewish life and culture, with lots of wonderful recipes thrown in.

The best source for recipes - vegetables, passover cakes- and a very interesting read!

I haven't actually cooked a lot out of it but is a fascanating read.