THE BOOK OF JEWISH FOOD
An odyssey from Samarkand and Vilna to the present day
Claudia Roden
Published by Penguin, H/B $53.95

This is one of my favourite books, not just because Roden has indusputable knowledge, but she is one of the most respected recipes writers in the world. Of the hundreds of recipes we have tried from her books in 30 years of cooking, we have never had a recipe fail. This type of dedication is rare and precious and this book, in combination with A New Book of Middle Eastern Cooking (1968 and in continuous print) have been our entry, and remain pivotal and inspirational for our cooking from these regions.
When a culture spreads out through the world because of persecution, wars, famine or for all three reasons they take with them their culture. Two, three, even six generations later, whilst they will have preserved their religious rituals and traditions, their cooking will have subtly changed. The changes are mainly due to the ingredients they use, which is always subject to availability and climate but as if by osmosis and as long as it fits with their religious food laws their migratory homeland permeates their cooking.
Claudia Roden is an exemplary recipe writer, but her painstaking research translates not just into authentic recipes but her beautiful prose adds weight to the journey of the recipe.
The Book of Jewish Food is one of my favourite cookbooks and one that I never tire of reading or cooking from.