Review
Laura Silver's at-times poetic meditation on knishes is not only a cultural history of this filled lump of dough, as meticulously researched as any doctoral thesis, but also a Proustian personal memoir with, no less, even hints of James Joyce in the way Silver intones and uses the rhythms of Aramaic Jewish liturgy, Yiddishkeit and Yiddish humor to tell her story. The knish has never been put to better use. I loved it.
-- Arthur Schwartz, author of Arthur Schwartz's Jewish Home Cooking: Yiddish Recipes Revisited
Truly riveting, Laura Silver's Knish: In Search of Jewish Soul Food weaves personal taste memories with the intricate past of knishes, making for a compelling, well-researched biography of these iconic Jewish pastries.
--Joan Nathan, New York Times food writer and author of Quiches, Kugels, and Couscous: My Search for Jewish Cooking in France
"Laura Silver has elevated the common knish to its rightful place in the pantheon of Jewish soul foods along side bagels and lox, pickles, and pastrami. She reminds us with equal parts passion and humor that the knish is much more than simple street food. It represents a whole culture worthy of admiration, preservation, and enjoyment."
--Mark Russ Federman, author, Russ & Daughters: Reflections and Recipes From The House That Herring Built
A lovingly researched book that elevates the knish, arguably the humblest of Jewish foods, into a weighty symbol of history, identity, and family. Knishes haven't met anything this good for them since the invention of mustard.
--David Sax, author of Save the Deli: In Search of Perfect Pastrami, Crusty Rye, and the Heart of Jewish Delicatessen
-- Arthur Schwartz, author of Arthur Schwartz's Jewish Home Cooking: Yiddish Recipes Revisited
Truly riveting, Laura Silver's Knish: In Search of Jewish Soul Food weaves personal taste memories with the intricate past of knishes, making for a compelling, well-researched biography of these iconic Jewish pastries.
--Joan Nathan, New York Times food writer and author of Quiches, Kugels, and Couscous: My Search for Jewish Cooking in France
"Laura Silver has elevated the common knish to its rightful place in the pantheon of Jewish soul foods along side bagels and lox, pickles, and pastrami. She reminds us with equal parts passion and humor that the knish is much more than simple street food. It represents a whole culture worthy of admiration, preservation, and enjoyment."
--Mark Russ Federman, author, Russ & Daughters: Reflections and Recipes From The House That Herring Built
A lovingly researched book that elevates the knish, arguably the humblest of Jewish foods, into a weighty symbol of history, identity, and family. Knishes haven't met anything this good for them since the invention of mustard.
--David Sax, author of Save the Deli: In Search of Perfect Pastrami, Crusty Rye, and the Heart of Jewish Delicatessen
“A whimsical, mouthwatering and edifying odyssey through New York neighborhoods and beyond.”—Sam Roberts, New York Times
"If you need to know anything about the knish, this is your book."—Forward
“[T]he Mark Kurlansky of the knish”—New York Observer
“Silver’s single-subject work of social history has been shaped with skill and nuance and—to continue chewing on the metaphor—seasoned with sharp humor and deep affection, not just for the pastry but for all the people whose lives it has touched. . . . Her voice is energetic and deeply personal. . . . An accomplished piece of research shared in a delightfully readable way.”—Kirkus Reviews
“Silver has a good time on her quest for the knish, and readers will too.”—Chicago Jewish Star
“Her book is a heartfelt and amusing read that begins with a journey to connect with a food she shared with her late grandmother . . . .Silver herself is a thoroughly funny, modern woman, but with the soul of a bubbe.”—Paula Shoyer, Jewish Food Experience
“Even if you’ve never eaten a lot of knishes in your life, this is an utterly charming book to read of a bygone world and Ms. Silver’s hope for a revitalization of the once well-known “Jewish soul food.”—Jewish Post & Opinion
"To Laura Silver, a knish is not just a knish. Silver, the world’s leading knish expert (self-proclaimed, but it’s hard to imagine anyone else possessing greater expertise), has spent years researching the iconic stuffed savory pastry closely associated with Jewish cuisine. She’s written a book on the topic; she has traveled across the country in search of the ideal knish; she’s even gone so far as to traipse around Manhattan’s Lower East Side dressed in a rubbery yellow knish costume.”—Boston Globe
