Despite coming from the prolific New York Times
stable of books, this volume may prove a disappointment to those with some knowledge of Jewish cuisine. Sheraton's introduction points out that "Jewish food is the world's oldest fusion cuisine," but the book appears to apply a thin definition of what makes each dish Jewish. With such a vast number of recipes, time-honored dishes are well represented, including the ubiquitous Classical Gefilte Fish, Kasha Varnishkas and Cholent Brisket, although the latter is not fully represented compared to the numerous tagines included. While drawing on many traditional dishes that will be immediately recognized by Ashkenazic and Sephardic Jews, many recipes rely on just one or two ingredients for their Jewishness, such as chickpeas in the Warm Chickpeas with Lemon and Olives or honey in David Bouley's Fava Beans with Honey, Lime and Thyme. Despite the lack of clarification for their inclusion, the sheer volume of recipes means that there is something for everyone—from the more traditional to something modern to expand the repertoire. (Sept.)
