New! An FJC Cookbook Club
Feasting While Exploring and Discussing Jewish Cookbooks
Joan Nathan’s King Solomon’s Table: A Culinary Exploration of Jewish Cooking from Around the World begins this new series
Tuesday, May 22 at Noon / for FJC Members Only
RSVP by May 18
Come to FJC to select a recipe or consult with Pamela Rothstein, who can help you select one and send it to you
FJC gets its own cookbook club! I have participated this past year in the Woods Hole Library’s Cookbook Club, joining after becoming intrigues by an article in the New York Times about a cookbook club on Martha’s Vineyard. Throughout these lovely, abundant dinners that feature a dish made by each participant, I couldn’t stop thinking that this would be an excellent fit for FJC members to gather in community, enjoy a beautiful meal, learn new recipes, and discuss the fascinating and exciting world of new Jewish cookbooks, restaurants, and chefs. There are so many outstanding new books that celebrate Sephardic, Israeli, kosher, deli food, plus Jewish baking, from deli ryes to newfangled babka.
A second session is already planned for the summertime.
Background on King Solomon’s Table, an around-the-world collection of recipes from the global Jewish diaspora, and Joan Nathan (just in case you are not familiar with the James Beard Award-winning cookbook author and Jewish cooking authority)
Driven by a passion for discovery, King Solomon is said to have sent ships to all corners of the ancient world, initiating a mass cross-pollination of culinary cultures that continues to bear fruit today. With King Solomon’s appetites and explorations in mind, here celebrated author Joan Nathan gathers more than 170 recipes that span the millennia: from classics like Yemenite Chicken Soup with Dill, Cilantro, and Parsley; Spinach and Feta Bourekas; Hummus with Preserved Lemon and Cumin; and Hamantaschen with Poppy Seed or Chocolate Filling…to contemporary riffs on traditional dishes such as Smokey Shakshuka with Tomatoes, Peppers, and Eggplant; Homemade Herbed Labneh with Beets and Puy Lentils; Baghdadi Chicken with Rice, Coconut, and Cilantro; and Roman Ricotta Cheese Torte. We travel with Joan from India to France, from Italy to Mexico, from El Salvador to Israel and, of course, all across North America, in a gorgeously illustrated culinary exploration that is filled with fascinating historical details, personal histories, and fantastic recipes that showcase the diversity of Jewish cuisine. It is the most ambitious and satisfying book of Joan Nathan’s stellar, four decades-long career.
Joan Nathan is a frequent contributor to The New York Times and other publications. She is the author of eleven books, including Jewish Cooking in America and The New American Cooking, both of which won both James Beard Awards and IACP Awards.