WHISK — Cookbooks at Volume
THE JEWISH COOKBOOK Leah Koenig — reviewed by STELLA
Sold on Challah! And some other delights…
Some cookbooks on your bookcase become favourites and The Jewish Cookbook has become one of my go-to’s since the start of 2023. Every year, for a few now, I plan a birthday celebration around a particular cuisine and this year it was a Jewish feast. Bagels for lunch, an aubergine dish for dinner (à la Ottolenghi), and challah for breakfast. The challah was so delicious, it has become one of our household’s favourite semi-sweet special breads. Here are this week’s loaves. One is a three-plait, the other a four. I haven’t tried a six-plait yet, but anything could happen. The dough is straightforward to make with a good consistency making it easy to knead and shape. It took a little longer to rise, thanks to the cooler seasonal kitchen, but it was worth the wait. I love the combination of oil, eggs, and a little sugar. It’s lighter than a buttery brioche ( and easy to make) but still just as delicious. I’m a fan of a sesame seed topping, but it’s good plain or with poppy seeds for a flavorsome contrast. And the result — on the cooling rack — was quickly sliced for a warm late-afternoon snack. It keeps well, and if it does get a bit stale it’s excellent for French toast.
The Phaidon Cookbooks are renowned for their broad coverage, and in The Jewish Cookbook you will find everything from breakfast to dinner, cakes and dessert, drinks and condiments. The five bagel recipes will keep you attempting to decide which you like the best, and the wonderful variety of fritters and latkas will have you happily standing by your frying pan flipping.
The contributions from chefs, foodies, cafes and restaurants bring contemporary twists and personal takes, as well as the international breadth and diversity so intrinsic to Jewish cuisine. (If you want a Jewish cookbook that explores this diverse cuisine and history in more detail, Claudia Roden’s The Book of Jewish Food was recently reissued and we usually have it in stock) . And the editor of this collection, Leah Koenig, blends it all together wonderfully. So get your bundt tin ready for kugelhopf, get a pot out for borscht, and add sahlab to your winter drinks — it’s a milky drinkable pudding from the Middle East with a splash of vanilla and rosewater, topped with cinnamon and nuts. Warming, sweet and tasty.
