The Seasonal Jewish Kitchen by Amelia Saltsman

My rating: 5 of 5 spoons

ggggg

What a gorgeous cookbook! Beautiful inside and out and filled with heavenly dishes just waiting to fill you house with luscious smells calling even the most reluctant eater to the table. Many are very simple such as Apple, Fennel and Watermelon Radish Salad, Oven Braised Romanian Chicken (yum!), Israeli Salad or the super delicious Late Spring Chicken-in-a-Pot, but utterly delectable. Try the Baked Pasta with Spinach, Ricotta and Brown Butter or surprise your family with amazing Chocolate Pavolovas with Tangelo Sorbet and Seville Orange Sauce. There are so many to choose from, and you're sure to find a delightful array of new dishes to love.

There is a section on what exactly Jewish food is and instructions on how to use the book. For instance, this is not necessarily a kosher book, but many recipes are easily adaptable to kosher guidelines just as vegetarians and vegans can easily find much to love here. There is the classic section on essential ingredients (something I personally appreciate in cookbooks highlighting other cultures), kitchen fundamentals and so forth. There is also a section of Seven Basic Recipes that are the foundation of Jewish cooking. From there it moves to the recipes which are divided into six chapters arranged two month micro-seasons beginning with September & October. This book goes the extra mile with three indexes: Recipes by Course, Recipes by Kosher Category and your classic Index. Major Jewish Holidays are listed with the Hebrew date and the Gregorian Timeframe listed and there is a nice resource guide as well.

I love the thought and care that went into this book. The author's love for the Jewish food and tradition shines through. I highly recommend you give it a try.

I received a copy of this book from Sterling Epicure through the Lisa Ekus Group for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.