A Legacy of Sephardic, Mediterranean and American Recipes

Name: A Legacy of Sephardic, Mediterranean and American Recipes
Author: Rachel Almeleh
ISBN: 978-1-4897-0345-3

by Rachel Almeleh ‧ RELEASE DATE: Dec. 30, 2014

An inviting collection of Sephardic and Mediterranean recipes.

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Almeleh’s cookbook offers a cornucopia of recipes from Sephardic and other cuisines.

Almeleh’s passion is Sephardic cuisine, food of “Jews who were expelled from Spain during the Inquisition of 1492, many of which were allowed to settle in the Ottoman Empire.” Her parents were born on the formerly Ottoman Isle of Rhodes, though they met after immigrating to Seattle, Washington. The early death of her mother meant that Almeleh spent a great amount of time in the kitchens of her aunts and cousins, absorbing the traditional recipes in order to make them for herself. The book includes the range of Sephardic dishes that she learned from her extended family of cooks, a treasury of foods that demonstrate the influence of Spanish, Mediterranean, and American tastes. The recipes are organized by meal, starting with pastries, eggs, and breakfast foods, followed by snacks, appetizers, breads, pastas, entrees, and desserts. Special holiday sections include recipes for Passover and Thanksgiving. Many of the large pages contain color photographs of the dishes in various stages of completion. Directions are concise and to the point, as Almeleh offers tips but few shortcuts: many of the dishes are time-consuming, just as they were for the generations of Sephardic cooks through the ages. From boyos to bulemas to burecas to baklava, an entire history of migration and tradition are present in the food. Many recipes are vegetarian or suitable for those with nut and gluten allergies, though they are not always marked as such and may require some digging to uncover. The fun of this volume is sifting through its clutter for dishes the reader has never encountered, such as, for instance, the pretzel-like resha, which comes via Almeleh’s “dear cousin Esther.” The true standout is the Passover section, a collection of quashjadu, kiftes, and macaroons that dispels any notion that Pesach is a matzo-based holiday. Standard American cuisine is well-represented, particularly of the cookies-and-cakes variety. In fact, Almeleh might have done a book of desserts alone: there are three different recipes for pumpkin pie alone.

An inviting collection of Sephardic and Mediterranean recipes.

Pub Date: Dec. 30, 2014

ISBN: 978-1-4897-0345-3

Page Count: 166

Publisher: LifeRichPublishing

Review Posted Online: Sept. 14, 2015

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2015

Review Program: Kirkus Indie

Categories:

GENERAL NONFICTION

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NUTCRACKER

by E.T.A. Hoffmann ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 28, 1996

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This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)

Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996

ISBN: 0-15-100227-4

Page Count: 136

Publisher: Harcourt

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996

Categories:

GENERAL NONFICTION

- BOOK REVIEW
THE NUTCRACKER AND THE MOUSE KING
by E.T.A. Hoffmann ; adapted by Natalie Andrewson ; illustrated by Natalie Andrewson

- BOOK REVIEW
THE NUTCRACKER
by E.T.A. Hoffmann & illustrated by Julie Paschkis

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TO THE ONE I LOVE THE BEST

EPISODES FROM THE LIFE OF LADY MENDL (ELSIE DE WOLFE)

by Ludwig Bemelmans ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 23, 1955

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An extravaganza in Bemelmans' inimitable vein, but written almost dead pan, with sly, amusing, sometimes biting undertones, breaking through. For Bemelmans was "the man who came to cocktails". And his hostess was Lady Mendl (Elsie de Wolfe), arbiter of American decorating taste over a generation. Lady Mendl was an incredible person,- self-made in proper American tradition on the one hand, for she had been haunted by the poverty of her childhood, and the years of struggle up from its ugliness,- until she became synonymous with the exotic, exquisite, worshipper at beauty's whrine. Bemelmans draws a portrait in extremes, through apt descriptions, through hilarious anecdote, through surprisingly sympathetic and understanding bits of appreciation. The scene shifts from Hollywood to the home she loved the best in Versailles. One meets in passing a vast roster of famous figures of the international and artistic set. And always one feels Bemelmans, slightly offstage, observing, recording, commenting, illustrated.