Description
Book SynopsisIn this extraordinary cookbook, chef and scholar Hélène Jawhara-Piñer combines rich culinary history and Jewish heritage to serve up over fifty culturally significant recipes.
Steeped in the history of the Sephardic Jews (Jews of Spain) and their diaspora, these recipes are expertly collected from such diverse sources as medieval cookbooks, Inquisition trials, medical treatises, poems, and literature. Original sources ranging from the thirteenth century onwards and written in Arabic, Spanish, Portuguese, Occitan, Italian, and Hebrew, are here presented in English translation, bearing witness to the culinary diversity of the Sephardim, who brought their cuisine with them and kept it alive wherever they went. Jawhara-Piñer provides enlightening commentary for each recipe, revealing underlying societal issues from anti-Semitism to social order. In addition, the author provides several of her own recipes inspired by her research and academic studies.
Each creation and bite of the dishes herein are guaranteed to transport the reader to the most deeply moving and intriguing aspects of Jewish history. Jawhara-Piñer reminds us that eating is a way to commemorate the past.
Table of ContentsTable of Contents
Preface by David Gitlitz
Introduction
Bread and Snacks
El Pan de los Siete Cielos: The Bread of the Seven Heavens
Mufakhkhar: The bagel from Syria
Empanaditas with spinach and cheese
Empanaditas with eggplant
The making of peot: The challah of Spain in the thirteenth century
Baked muğabbana: Cheese pies
Falafel: Simple chickpea croquettes
Matza: Unleavened bread
Calentita: Chickpea flour cake
Corn tortillas: A Passover Mexican crypto-Jewish dish
Vegetables and Eggs
Güesmo: A Swiss chard dish
Huebos hammados: Red hard-boiled eggs
Eggplant almodrote: Eggplant, garlic and cheese dip
Acelgas con garbanzos: Swiss chard stew with chickpeas
Eggplants
Eggplant isfīriyā croquettes
Almoronía: Eggplant and meatballs
Sweet fried eggplants to break the fast
Caçuelas: Eggplants with saffron and Swiss chard for a converso wedding
The Explicitly Jewish Dishes
“A Jewish dish of chicken” with stuffing
“A Jewish dish of chicken”
”Jewish partridge,” stuffed
”A Jewish dish of partridge”
”A stuffed buried Jewish dish”
”A Jewish dish of eggplants stuffed with meat”
Makābīb la’nūhā al-yahūd: Meatballs cursed by the Jews
Meat and Fish
Adefina: The iconic slow-cooked chickpea and beef stew
Cecina and namkasūd: Dried meat
Tharīd: Thick soup with unleavened bread and chicken
Oriza: Wheat grain and chicken stew
Meat pie of the Fernandes conversos from Bahia
Converso fish stew
Converso fish pie
The Yom Kippur “Menu” of the Conversos from Mexico
Gaspar Váez, 1640
Salomón Machorro, 1650
Soups
Fidāwīsh: Short vermicelli noodles with tuna, saffron, and mint
Puchero: Maimonides’ Chicken Soup
Maimonides' Regimen of Health Menu
Green vegetables sauté
Gazpachuelo: Lemon broth
Quince, Pear, Apple and Pomegranate Juice
Desserts and Pastries
Murakkaba: The Moroccan mufleta
Muhallabiyye: Almond rice pudding
Nuegados: Orange and honey fried dough
Isfenğ: The Andalusian donut
Maqrūṭ: Fried diamonds with dates and walnuts
Hojuelas, fazuelos or fijuelas
Rice and honey pudding
Berenjenas confitadas con canela: Candied eggplants with cinnamon
Neulas encanonadas: Brik pastry rolls with almonds and honey
Maimonides Cake
Own Creations Based on Historical Sources
Manioc cheese balls with candied pimentas biquinho vermelhas
Cottage cheesecake
Batbot: Flat and chewy Moroccan bread
Tortitas de acelga: Chickpea flour croquettes with Swiss chard
Pão de queijo: Tapioca cheese balls
Rose apple tart
Spinach mina
Acknowledgements
Bibliography
Index
List of Illustrations
