Michael Twitty’s is an interesting combination of personal identities. As he frequently reminds us in his new book Koshersoul, he is African American, Jewish, gay, and a southerner. These all combine to create the passionate blend that is his character, and as a food historian and active gastronome, they also filter into his food. This is a big part of […]
Tag: America
97 Orchard: From the Jewish Food Bookshelf
This book was not exactly what I thought it would be when I purchased it. And that was a very good thing! Let me start from the beginning as I explain a bit more about this different sort of entry “From the Jewish Food Bookshelf.” Before I bought 97 Orchard by Jane Ziegelman, I knew that it was connected with […]
Jewish Food Names We Rarely Think About
When people think about Jewish Food names, they often come up with those that are derived from Hebrew, Yiddish, or Ladino, or those that are clearly tied to Shabbat, holidays and other Jewish celebrations. And yet, there is another category of Jewish Food names that many overlook, but which are the most obvious, since they display their Jewishness as openly […]
Ashkenazi Food: Unrecognized Diversity
Anyone who has read my blog regularly knows that I try very hard to explore Jewish Food beyond the Ashkenazi staples that so many people think of when they think of Jewish Food. However, I also do my best to “defend” Ashkenazi food against the attacks I see as unwarranted. People think of it is boring, un-tasty, and monolithic. In […]
The Jewish Connection to a New Years Soul Food Classic
One of the amazing things you uncover when you study food is the similarities between foods of different cultures. Flavors, cooking methods, symbolism and more — when similar things crop up in the cuisines of distinct cultures, they underscore how connected we all are, rather than the things that separate us. A symbolic New Years food from the American South […]
Q&A: All About American Jewish Deli
I love answering questions about Jewish Food history, and some time ago, in my newsletter, I asked people to email me with anything they wanted to know. My long-time friend Julie responded with some queries about American Jewish delis. As fate would have it, the most common topic I was asked about while on my recent lecture tour in America, […]
Borscht’s Belt Wraps Ashkenazi Food and Broader Jewish Cuisine
When it comes to holiday food, my mother is a real traditionalist. No need to ask what will be served at the Seder, for example, because it would be the same every year. Which was also the same as what her mother prepared. One of those standard Pesach/Passover dishes was always knobl borscht. I am much less of a traditionalist […]
Bagel, Knish & Haroset, Oh My! (On Books About Iconic Jewish Foods)
Of all the books I’ve come across during my research into Jewish Food, there are many wonderful ones (and some that are less great, too, of course). They fall into a wide array of categories, from cookbooks to histories, dry-but-informative academic texts to just entertaining (whether more or less informative). One of the more interesting breakdowns I’ve encountered is how […]
Why Hot Dogs are the Greatest American Jewish Food
American Jewish food is most typically defined as pastrami sandwiches, chocolate babka, or bagels and lox. But I am here to argue that the greatest American Jewish food may actually be the humble hot dog. No dish better embodies the totality of the American Jewish experience. What’s that you say? You didn’t know that hot dogs were a Jewish food? […]