Scan barcode
A review by unorgaynized
The Book of Jewish Food: An Odyssey from Samarkand to New York: A Cookbook by Claudia Roden
5.0
4.5 stars
I never thought I would be the type to have *fun* reading a cookbook— God, am I getting old??
This book, I genuinely did enjoy reading— the pages were beautifully designed, the cover was gorgeous, and it was full of anecdotes, both familial and personal, histories, and pictures. Recipes were from known regions, and acknowledgments of where the dishes were popular and originated, if they’re still popular today, and how Jews may have adapted them, or why they loved them.
I much enjoyed the histories behind the dishes and the familiarity Claudia Rodin had with them, as well as her own connections— growing up in Cairo, with family, friends, and companions from different Jewish heritages. She truly loves what she’s doing, enjoys her research, and it was visible on every page I excitedly devoured. While I’m a terribly picky eater, there’s definitely several recipes that have caught my eye and I look forward to sharing with friends and family.
This book, however, was published in 1996. Due to this, some terms or concepts might be slightly outdated, and research was certainly tougher. There is a page explaining why there are no recipes from Ethiopian Jews, and the reason given (recipes and dishes were difficult to find) seemed strange, particularly after the well-researched recipes of Ashkenazic Jews, Sephardim, Maghrebi Jews, Mizrahi Jews, Indian Jews, Bukharian Jews, presented along with histories. It is for that reason and that singular reason alone that I am not rating it 5/5.
I never thought I would be the type to have *fun* reading a cookbook— God, am I getting old??
This book, I genuinely did enjoy reading— the pages were beautifully designed, the cover was gorgeous, and it was full of anecdotes, both familial and personal, histories, and pictures. Recipes were from known regions, and acknowledgments of where the dishes were popular and originated, if they’re still popular today, and how Jews may have adapted them, or why they loved them.
I much enjoyed the histories behind the dishes and the familiarity Claudia Rodin had with them, as well as her own connections— growing up in Cairo, with family, friends, and companions from different Jewish heritages. She truly loves what she’s doing, enjoys her research, and it was visible on every page I excitedly devoured. While I’m a terribly picky eater, there’s definitely several recipes that have caught my eye and I look forward to sharing with friends and family.
This book, however, was published in 1996. Due to this, some terms or concepts might be slightly outdated, and research was certainly tougher. There is a page explaining why there are no recipes from Ethiopian Jews, and the reason given (recipes and dishes were difficult to find) seemed strange, particularly after the well-researched recipes of Ashkenazic Jews, Sephardim, Maghrebi Jews, Mizrahi Jews, Indian Jews, Bukharian Jews, presented along with histories. It is for that reason and that singular reason alone that I am not rating it 5/5.