Sephardi : cooking the history : recipes of the Jews of Spain and the diaspora, from the 13th century to today

In this extraordinary cookbook, chef and scholar Hélène Jawhara-Piñer combines rich culinary history and Jewish heritage to serve up over fifty culturally significant recipes. Steeped in the history of the Sephardic Jews (Jews of Spain) and their diaspora, these recipes are expertly collected from such diverse sources as medieval cookbooks, Inquisition trials, medical treatises, poems, and literature. Original sources ranging from the thirteenth century onwards and written in Arabic, Spanish, Portuguese, Occitan, Italian, and Hebrew, are here presented in English translation, bearing witness to the culinary diversity of the Sephardim, who brought their cuisine with them and kept it alive wherever they went. Jawhara-Piñer provides enlightening commentary for each recipe, revealing underlying societal issues from anti-Semitism to social order. In addition, the author provides several of her own recipes inspired by her research and academic studies. Each creation and bite of the dishes herein are guaranteed to transport the reader to the most deeply moving and intriguing aspects of Jewish history. Jawhara-Piñer reminds us that eating is a way to commemorate the past. "This is no ordinary cookbook. It is a cookbook steeped in the history of the Sephardic Jews, culled from such diverse sources as medieval cookbooks, Inquisition trials, medical treatises, and poems. The recipes it contains follow the history of the Jews of Spain and the Sephardic Diaspora. A culinary story is unearthed thanks to detailed analysis of real sources from the thirteenth century onwards. Whether written in Arabic, Spanish, Portuguese, Occitan, Italian, or Hebrew, the recipes bear witness to the culinary richness of the Sephardim, conversos, who were able to transport and bring their cuisines to life wherever they went. Spain, Morocco, Egypt, Turkey, Italy, Brazil, the Dominican Republic, and Mexico are all countries where the culinary culture of the Sephardim lives on. Each bite transports us to the most deeply moving and intriguing aspects of the history of the Jews. Eating is to re-remember"-- Provided by publisher