Joan
Nathan has created a masterful blend of food and
culture. She takes her reader on an extraordinary
journey through the history of the land of Israel and
the development of modern Israeli food. I was delighted
to visit all the different ethnic communities that have
contributed to Israeli cuisine, and my mouth watered
just imagining the feast that Joan Nathan describes."
--Teddy Kollek, former mayor of Jerusalem
In this richly evocative book, Joan Nathan captures the
spirit of Israel today by exploring its multifaceted
cuisine. She delves into the histories of the people
already settled in this nearly barren land, as well as
those who immigrated and helped to quickly transform it
into a country bursting with new produce. It is a
dramatic and moving saga, interlarded with more than two
hundred wonderful recipes that represent all the varied
ethnic backgrounds. Every recipe has a story, and
through these tales the story of Israel emerges.
Nathan shows how a typical Israeli menu today might
include Middle Eastern hummus, a European schnitzel
(made with native-raised turkey) accompanied by a
Turkish eggplant salad and a Persian rice dish, with,
perhaps, Jaffa Orange Delight for dessert. On Friday
nights she visits with home cooks who may be preparing a
traditional Libyan, Moroccan, Italian, or German meal
for their families, the Sabbath being the focal point of
the week throughout Israel (all her recipes are
accordingly kosher). And she takes us to markets
overflowing with vegetables, fruits, herbs, and spices.
To gather the recipes and the stories, Nathan has been
traveling the length and breadth of Israel for many
years--to a Syrian Alawite village on the northern
border for a vegetarian kubbeh and to Bet She'an for
potato burekas; to the Red Sea for farmed sea bream and
to the Sea of Galilee for St. Peter's fish; to
Jerusalem's Bukharan Quarter for Iraqi pita bread baked
in a wood-fired clay oven, to the Nahlaot neighborhood
for Yemenite fried pancake-like bread, and to a Druse
village for paper-thin lavash; to a tiny restaurant in
Haifa for Turkish coconut cake and to a wedding at
Kibbutz May'ayan Baruch in the upper Galilee for
Moroccan sweet couscous; and to many, many other places.
All the while, she seeks out biblical connections
between ancient herbs and vegetables and their modern
counterparts, between Esau's mess of pottage and today's
popular taboulleh, and she delights us with tales of all
she encounters.
Throughout, Joan Nathan shows us how food in this
politically turbulent land can be a way of breaking down
barriers between Jews, Moslems, and Christians.
Generously illustrated with colorful photographs, this
enormously engaging book is one to treasure, not only as
a splendid cookbook but also as a unique record of life
in Israel. |
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0679451072 ···
Hardcover ··· 433 Contents
- Introduction
- Breakfasts and the Brunch
Fare
- Appetizers—In the Beginning
- Breads
- Soups
- Salads—From Eden and Other
Gardens
- Vegetables and Vegetarian
Dishes
- Fish
- Chicken, Turkey, Quail, and
Duck
- Meat Dishes—Kotleti, Kofta,
Kebab, and Ktzitzot
- Desserts
Appendices
- A Few Suggested Menus
- A Note on Israeli Wine
- Guide to Good Eating in
Israel
- A Note on Ingredients
- Glossary of Terms
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