Customer Reviews

Arthur Schwartz's Jewish Home Cooking: Yiddish Recipes Revisited

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The fact that the author is the foodmaven.com comes across clearly, since he adds so much rich information on Jewish food history with each recipe. It is a pleasure to read. And then there are the photos. As he writes in the intro, food is a connection to the Jewish past and our faith. Sure, more Jews eat pizza than chopped liver, more eat sushi and salad nicoise than chopped herring and gefilte fish, but those classic foods are in our Jungian collective unconscious. And now for the recipes.

Appetizers (Forshpeiz) include recipes for arbes, chopped eggs and onions, chopped herring salad, schmaltz, black radish (ritach, as in ritach mit tzibeleh), vegetarian chopped liver (2 recipes), romanian eggplant salad, 2nd Avenue Deli's health salad/slaw, pitcha, chrain, and gefilte fish (mit carrots).

Some SOUPS are Chicken w/ knaidlach, kreplach, mushroom barley (did u know that mushrooms were free and plentiful in the woods of Lithuania), borscht (3 kinds), and Schav. Some SIDES include three, count 'em, 3 kugels, latkes, shlishkas, kishkas, dermas, tzimmes, and cabbage and noodles (u know.. that mouse in rataouille should have made cabbage and noodles for the critic) (hint... salt the cabbage first)

Some MEATS are cholent, flanken, brisket, stuffed cabbage, potted meatballs, (a history of romanian steakhouses; an essay on why Jews like chinese), karnatzlach (little sausage), salami and eggs, chow mein, and pepper steak. Not to mix meat and milk in the same paragraph, but some DAIRY recipes included are: Ratner's brown gravy, blintzes, lox fliegles, pickled lox; lox,eggs & onions; and whitefish salad.

There is a whole chapter for passover dishes, including an apple cake and matzo buttercrunch and ingberlach (matzo farfal ginger candy).
Speaking of Passover, some BREAD recipes include one for tzibeleh kuchen. Did you know that Jewish corn bread is actually a sourdough ryte? DESSERT recipes include rugelach (kipfel), babka, and hamantaschen.

Arthur Schwartz has once again written an outstanding collection of recipes that are far more then just great recipes--this book, like his Naples at Table (also highly recommended) and his others, is a history of the food of a people--historically accurate, informative, and great cooking--he really teaches you how to cook, why to cook it the way he does, and how to enjoy it best. His personable manner, writing talent, and enthusiasm make this a great book to cook from, learn from, and enjoy! Buy a copy for yourself and one for a friend--it will make a terrific gift.

From the moment I received this cookbook, it started to bring back memories of the 50's and 60's when families spent the holiday's together. All the recipes were from a different time, foods that you don't get today. A lot of the recipes were buried with my grandmother and aunts. I found them again in this book, same recipes, just modernized a little.
Looking at them I pictured the recipes being prepared by my grandmother, mother and aunts. I can smell the delicious aromas and almost taste the foods.
Anyone looking to bring back their memories of growing up should purchase this book.

Excellent book. I made the brisket in the book and it was wonderful. I also made the Apple Cake and it was the best. I would consider giving this book to brides.
FS

Arthur takes us on a trip down memory lane-- the food of our bubbies, brought with them from the "Old
Country," some adapted to, or created for Jewish life of the new country. Arthur has updated the recipes, so that they can be enjoyed without guilt. Potato pancakes, noodle kugel, Roumanian carnzelach (meat "sausages")
--and more.

His delightful commentary--he is a very knowledgeable guy--makes the book a great read, and his careful testing of every recipe makes him one of the most trustworthy food writers around. There are plenty of cookbooks about the food of the Ashkenazic Jews--but this book is unique. A wonderful companion to Arthur's superb "New York Food."

Great recipes for all the famous Jewish classics and many of the not so famous ones.
The paprika chicken recipe is great as is the kuggel one (although I prefer mine richer). I made the caramelized cabbage with noodles, a dish I'd never heard of but now consider a great addition to my family's side dishes. The chicken soup recipe was also good.

There were also great illustrations of Jewish food and Jewish cooks to illustrate and lend the book a festive air. I haven't tried any of the sweet dishes but come the next round of holidays I expect to.

Finally, the book contains fascinating text about Jewish culinary history. I learned a lot about where Jewish food developed, what created the classic Jewish flavor combinations, and provided insight into a mostly gone era of Jewish dairy restaurants, Romanian steakhouses, bialy bakeries and other varieties of Jewish restaurants beyond the bagelries and delicatessens.

I am sending this book as a gift to my friends. Most of the recipes I know from my heritage, but it wasn't the recipes that made me enjoy this book it was his introductions to each. A must buy for the generation whose parents were born here!

My husband and I love this cookbook. It brings back a lot of memorys for my husband and we have tried many of the recipes. They are all good.

The stories are so similar to our own lives. It really is a joy to read.

I study Jewish cooking, and I'm a Chef in Brazil. Very good book for begginers or not.

Being new to Jewish cooking, I found this cookbook to be very beginner friendly. My family LOVES every single recipe! I have finally found recipes from my husband's childhood memories and couldn't be happier!