The recipes are set out in a series of menus for specific occasions and themes — think Friday night dinner; Mother’s Day tea; Tel Aviv and Mediterranean meze. For Mother’s Day tea the ideas include custard chiffon cake with passion fruit icing; rainbow tomato tart, almond scones and flower shortbread biscuits.
There are also tips on how to throw a party; templates for invitations tips for how to style up your table. Every photo is a delight. (Not kosher)
This gorgeous book gives an insight into shared Jewish and Polish classics[Missing Credit]
Another eye-catching collection — this time of Polish bakes.
Not surprisingly, many of Ren’s mouth-watering recipes feel reminiscent of Jewish classics. There is a Wild Blueberry Babka, poppy seed-laden cheesecake and sweet onion and poppy seed rolls which immediately made me think of Jewish platzels.
Of course — Poland being the birthplace of our favourite bready snack — there are bagels. Here, a Krakowian-style bagel known as obwarzanek Krakowski — which have been sold in Krakow for more than 600 years. The bread is more decorative than regular bagels, having been twisted before shaped into the all-important circle.
Ren’s research is meticulous and I loved reading her stories of the likely Jewish origins of many of her bakes. (Not kosher)
Naama Shefi has created a colourful tour of world-influenced Jewish food[Missing Credit]
This one might be better for Purim as it’s on pre-order until next week.
Still worth a mention as it’s another beautiful-looking collection of recipes, this time supplied by individual contributors curated by Naama — who founded the Jewish Food Society. The non-profit organisation preserves and celebrates Jewish culinary heritage via their digital recipe archive.
The book follows the festivals from Rosh Hashanah through Chanukah and Purim into Pesach, Shavuot and finally a series of seasonal Shabbats.
The recipes are from a world of influences, mirroring Israel’s melting pot. From a Soviet Seder and Ukrainian latkes to Moroccan lemon chicken for Yom Kippur and Iraqi Shabbat breakfast.
Matzah ball soup for instance comes straight-up (from Mitchell Davis) or with the balls stuffed with chanterelle mushrooms (from Sasha Shor) or in a Mexican-influence soup with chile and coriander as part of Fany Gerson’s Mexican-influenced Ashkenazi recipes. You get the vibe.
It’s hard to pick favourites, but my eyes and stomach were caught by Alon Hadar’s Kadeh (Kurdish cheese and spinach-stuffed bread) and Idan Cohen’s poppy seed babka to be served for his family’s German-influenced Shabbat. (Kosher) (Out next week but available on pre-order)
Stylish secrets and her mother's old favourites[Missing Credit]