New York Times Jewish Cookbook: More Than 825 Traditional and Contemporary Recipes from Around the World » (First Edition)

Linda Amster is manager of news research at The New York Times and the editor of The New York Times Passover Cookbook.

Mimi Sharaton is one of the country's best known food writers and experts on Jewish cooking. She is the author of several successful food books, including From My Mother's Kitchen and, most recently, The Bialy Eaters: The Story of a Bread and a Lost World. She is also a former restaurant critic of The New York Times, where her articles on food appear frequently.

From the food pages of The New York Times comes this authoritative, wide-ranging Jewish cookbook. With almost 800 well-tested recipes by Times food writers, this collection includes influences from Northern Africa, Western and Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and the United States. It is a collection to cook from as well as to celebrate the history, culture, culinary creativity, and enduring tradition of Jews around the world.

Mimi Sheraton, food critic and cookbook author, has written a full introduction to the book as well as to each chapter, providing context and expertise to entertain and inspire. Editor Linda Amster has organized chapters to cover every course: appetizers, breads, soups, fish, meat, chicken, vegetables and salads, grains and dairy delights, cakes, cookies, and other desserts. Delicious recipes include both traditional 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, Daniel Boulud, and Wolfgang Puck.

This useful, appealing, and imaginative volume will delight those who celebrate Jewish culinary culture, and is sure to set a new standard on the Jewish cookbook shelf.

Publishers Weekly

Despite coming from the prolific New York Times stable of books, this volume may prove a disappointment to those with some knowledge of Jewish cuisine. Sheraton's introduction points out that "Jewish food is the world's oldest fusion cuisine," but the book appears to apply a thin definition of what makes each dish Jewish. With such a vast number of recipes, time-honored dishes are well represented, including the ubiquitous Classical Gefilte Fish, Kasha Varnishkas and Cholent Brisket, although the latter is not fully represented compared to the numerous tagines included. While drawing on many traditional dishes that will be immediately recognized by Ashkenazic and Sephardic Jews, many recipes rely on just one or two ingredients for their Jewishness, such as chickpeas in the Warm Chickpeas with Lemon and Olives or honey in David Bouley's Fava Beans with Honey, Lime and Thyme. Despite the lack of clarification for their inclusion, the sheer volume of recipes means that there is something for everyone-from the more traditional to something modern to expand the repertoire. (Sept.) Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.