Yummer Reading

Sephardic Israeli Cuisine: A Mediterranean Mosaic

Hippocrene Books, 261 pp., $24.95

Kaufman begins this book with the observation that Israel lacks a single cuisine, but rather, it is an amalgam of influences from all of the diverse geographies and cultures of its people. She illustrates the culinary influences of the Sephardic Jews (Greece, Italy, Morocco, Yemen, Ethiopia, Spain, etc.) and the influences of the Ashkenazic (Eastern European Jews) and how the two have blended to produce a lively, full-flavored authentic food culture.

An excellent recounting of Jewish history and Sephardic wanderings is followed by chapters on the original foods of the Holy Land; a definition on what is considered kashrut, or kosher; and a description of the Jewish holidays. All terms are described, and there is a wonderful glossary.

There are some real treasures to be found in this book: Spicy Apricot Lamb Shanks, Chicken With Kumquats, Fish Stuffed with Dates, Spinach-Wrapped Lamb Meatballs, Potato and Leek Patties, Pumpkin and Cheese-Stuffed Turnovers, Red Wine and Chocolate "Salami," and some amazing Purim Roses, made from coiled sheets of thin pastry drenched in syrup (although we found them better with the addition of rosewater to the syrup).

While many Mediterranean cookbooks can seem disjointed due to the fact that they try too hard to include all of the cuisines of the countries bordering the sea, Kaufman's book is razor-sharp in its focus. It centers squarely on Israel yet manages to bring all of the contributing cuisines into the fold.