The New Mediterranean Jewish Table - by Joyce Goldstein (Hardcover)

About the Book

"For thousands of years, Jewish people have lived in a global diaspora, carrying culinary traditions bound by kosher law. For many, Ashkenazi and Sephardic cooking define Jewish cuisine today, but in The New Mediterranean Jewish Table, Joyce Goldstein expands the repertoire with a comprehensive collection of over 400 recipes from the greater Mediterranean, including North Africa, Italy, Greece, Turkey, Spain, Portugal, and the Middle East. This vibrant treasury is filled with vibrant and seasonal recipes that embrace fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, small portions of meat, poultry, and fish, enhanced by herbs and spices that create distinct regional flavors. By bringing Old World Mediterranean recipes into the modern home, Joyce Goldstein will inspire a new generation of home cooks as they prepare everyday meals and build their Shabbat and holiday menus"--Provided by publisher.

Book Synopsis

For thousands of years, the people of the Jewish Diaspora have carried their culinary traditions and kosher laws throughout the world. In the United States, this has resulted primarily in an Ashkenazi table of matzo ball soup and knishes, brisket and gefilte fish. But Joyce Goldstein is now expanding that menu with this comprehensive collection of over four hundred recipes from the kitchens of three Mediterranean Jewish cultures: the Sephardic, the Maghrebi, and the Mizrahi.

The New Mediterranean Jewish Table is an authoritative guide to Jewish home cooking from North Africa, Italy, Greece, Turkey, Spain, Portugal, and the Middle East. It is a treasury filled with vibrant, seasonal recipes--both classic and updated--that embrace fresh fruits and vegetables; grains and legumes; small portions of meat, poultry, and fish; and a healthy mix of herbs and spices. It is also the story of how Jewish cooks successfully brought the local ingredients, techniques, and traditions of their new homelands into their kitchens. With this varied and appealing selection of Mediterranean Jewish recipes, Joyce Goldstein promises to inspire new generations of Jewish and non-Jewish home cooks alike with dishes for everyday meals and holiday celebrations.

From the Back Cover

"I'm grateful for this fascinating collection of recipes and lore. Goldstein has a scholar's inquisitive nature and a chef's fine-tuned palate--a winning combination. She knows her subject and her audience, and boy, can she cook!"--David Tanis, chef and author of One Good Dish

"Joyce Goldstein has done it again. The New Mediterranean Jewish Table has all the updated yet authentic and delicious recipes of her past cookbooks, as well as charming anecdotes and regional variations of Mediterranean Jewish cooking. You can see the seasoned hand of an experienced cook in all the recipes."--Joan Nathan, journalist and award-winning author of Jewish Cooking in America

"An incredible book written by an incredible cook! Goldstein makes Jewish Mediterranean cooking approachable, sophisticated, and downright delicious."--Michael Solomonov, chef and owner, Zahav

"One of the most impressive recipe collections to be published in many years. Every dish may be tied to ancient traditions, but Goldstein has done such a masterful job of tweaking and updating them for contemporary cooks and tastes and putting them into historical and cultural context that every single one is an enticement to get into the kitchen and cook."--Arthur Schwartz, author of Jewish Home Cooking: Yiddish Recipes Revisited

"Goldstein has a way of layering history, ritual, flavor, and tradition into a sacred way of eating and gathering. She uses culinary traditions to break down the walls that, for so long, have housed separate identities of Middle Eastern Jews. Through food, Joyce is able to bring these groups together while simultaneously celebrating their individuality, both in style and flavor. We all come from somewhere, and this book underscores how thousands of years of cross-continental movement and trade have made room for many cuisines that are not so disparate after all."--Cortney Burns and Nick Balla, chefs, Bar Tartine

"An amazing taste tour of traditional Jewish foods from Tunisia, Spain, Syria, Algeria, Italy, and more. Joyce Goldstein's deep research and exceptional recipe writing skills make this a book you will use and benefit from for as long as you're cooking and eating."--Ari Weinzweig, author of Zingerman's Guide to Good Eating

"Joyce Goldstein remains remarkable not only for her prolific contribution through writing, cooking, and cookbooks about her beloved culinary Mediterranean but also for continuing to broaden all of our cultural and historical horizons and showing how varied these cuisines really are. Who better to enlighten us about the largely unknown melding of the Mediterranean diet and Jewish culinary traditions, centuries old, yet ready to be discovered and celebrated? Old World food in a New World kitchen indeed!"--David Kinch, chef and owner, Manresa Restaurant

Review Quotes

"Goldstein's mission is to both educate and inspire her readers, beginning with a comprehensive lesson on these different Jewish cultures, and delve into the seasonings and techniques that mark their homelands."

-- "San Francisco Chronicle" (4/17/2016 12:00:00 AM)

"A comprehensive volume . . . bound to become our new traditions."-- "Southern Jewish Life Magazine" (11/1/2016 12:00:00 AM)

"A virtual encyclopedia of everything you've ever wanted to know about the foods of the Mediterranean. . . . This is not just a cookbook. It is a delicious food history book."-- "Canadian Jewish News" (5/10/2016 12:00:00 AM)

"Excellent. . . . Contains a long, impressive list of other Mediterranean Passover dishes."-- "Haaretz" (4/14/2016 12:00:00 AM)

"Feels like the culmination of a lifetime's work."-- "The Globe and Mail" (4/12/2016 12:00:00 AM)

"Joyce Goldstein provides an excellent guide to these tasty dishes... [this book] should inspire adventurous cooks."-- "Association of Jewish Libraries"

"You see the sheer bounty and diversity of the Jewish cuisines of the Mediterranean and Middle East in the book's 425-plus recipes. Goldstein backs up her recipes with practical tips and clear instructions but also dives deeper, weaving in history and culture of the Mediterranean Jewish communities with meticulous sourcing and credits. . . . Her scholarship makes for a fascinating read."-- "Chicago Tribune" (4/13/2016 12:00:00 AM)

"... an authoritative guide... a treasury filled with vibrant, seasonal recipes... Just reading the information after each recipe about its origins is a wonderful learning experience without even making the recipes which should be great fun for cooking enthusiasts, foodies, cookbook collectors and others who enjoy new tastes."--Sybil Kaplan "The Jewish Post & Opinion" (7/15/2016 12:00:00 AM)

"A cookbook that educates as well as inspires."--Florence Fabricant "New York Times" (4/11/2016 12:00:00 AM)

"A deep, rich dive into Mediterranean Jewish culture."-- "San Francisco Magazine" (3/1/2016 12:00:00 AM)

"Her newest book makes it easy to go beyond matzah ball soup, brisket and all the usual Eastern European dishes to the healthy, flavorful foods of the Mediterranean Jewish table."--Susan Barocas "Moment Magazine" (8/1/2016 12:00:00 AM)

"The variety of recipes from different countries, the use of unusual spices, the historical information about each dish, and the general tone of the book as one that will delight your senses, make this a perfect book for anyone with a love of food and a desire to explore new cuisines or variations on a somewhat familiar dish... Makes a great gift to yourself or for others with adventuresome palates!"--Ellen Sue Spicer-Jacobson "Women's Voices for Change" (9/13/2016 12:00:00 AM)

"Thorough research and excellent recipes make Goldstein's latest an instant classic."- STARRED review
-- "Library Journal" (3/15/2016 12:00:00 AM)

About the Author

Joyce Goldstein was chef and owner of the groundbreaking Mediterranean restaurant Square One in San Francisco. Prior to opening Square One, she was chef at the Chez Panisse Café and visiting executive chef at the Wine Spectator Restaurant at the Culinary Institute of America in Napa. Today she is a cooking teacher, consultant to the restaurant and food industries, and prolific cookbook author. Her most recent book is Inside the California Food Revolution: Thirty Years that Changed Our Culinary Consciousness (UC Press, 2013).