Aromas of Aleppo: The Legendary Cuisine of Syrian Jews
Author: Poopa Dweck
When the Aleppian Jewish community migrated from the ancient city of Aleppo in historic Syria and settled in New York and Latin American cities in the early 20th century, it brought its rich cuisine and vibrant culture. Most Syrian recipes and traditions, however, were not written down and existed only in the minds of older generations. Poopa Dweck, a first generation Syrian–Jewish American, has devoted much of her life to preserving and celebrating her community's centuries–old legacy.
Dweck relates the history and culture of her community through its extraordinary cuisine, offering more than 180 exciting ethnic recipes with tantalizing photos and describing the unique customs that the Aleppian Jewish community observes during holidays and lifecycle events. Among the irresistible recipes are:
•Bazargan–Tangy Tamarind Bulgur Salad
•Shurbat Addes–Hearty Red Lentil Soup with Garlic and Coriander
•Kibbeh–Stuffed Syrian Meatballs with Ground Rice
•Samak b'Batata–Baked Middle Eastern Whole Fish with Potatoes
•Sambousak–Buttery Cheese–Filled Sesame Pastries
•Eras bi'Ajweh–Date–Filled Crescents
•Chai Na'na–Refreshing Mint Tea
Like mainstream Middle Eastern cuisines, Aleppian Jewish dishes are alive with flavor and healthful ingredients–featuring whole grains, vegetables, legumes, and olive oil–but with their own distinct cultural influences. In Aromas of Aleppo, cooks will discover the best of Poopa Dweck's recipes, which gracefully combine Mediterranean and Levantineinfluences, and range from small delights (or maza) to daily meals and regal holiday feasts–such as the twelve–course Passover seder.
Judith Sutton - Library Journal
Dweck is one of the coauthors of a beloved series of cookbooks called Deal Delights, with traditional Aleppian Jewish recipes (Deal, NJ, is one of the largest communities, along with Brooklyn, of Aleppian Jews in the United States). Her big, impressive new book presents the social and culinary history of the Syrian Jews, along with close to 200 recipes. Obviously a labor of love, it was written to help preserve the foods and traditions of this venerable community (Dweck notes that the last Jew left Aleppo in 1987; the approximately 100,000 Jews of Aleppian descent who live in the United States, Central and Latin America, and Israel today represent "the largest Sephardic community in the Diaspora"). She includes both simple, everyday recipes and more elaborate dishes for the holidays and other celebrations; headnotes provide context and information on ingredients and techniques. There are also dozens of color photographs of the recipes and of Dweck's family and friends cooking and eating together, as well as period photographs of Aleppo at the turn of the century. A "Syrian Guidebook to Jewish Holidays and Life-Cycle Events" and several glossaries conclude the book. Highly recommended.
How to Cook for Crohn's and Colitis: More Than 200 Healthy, Delicious Recipes the Family Will Love
Author: Brenda Roscher
How to Cook for Crohn's and Colitis is a cookbook for anyone who suffers from inflammatory bowel disease (IBD, not to be confused with irritable bowel syndrome) or cooks for someone who has the disease. While there is no known cure for Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis, their symptoms can be controlled in part by following the dietary guidelines of the American Dietetic Association and those outlined in Dr. Fred Sabil's Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis: Everything You Need to Know and by other experts.
Brenda Roscher provides sound nutritional advice and outlines the unique dietary needs of people with IBD, showing how to incorporate this information to make healthy choices about which foods to eat.
The recipes in How to Cook for Crohn's and Colitis are designed for the home cook, with easy-to-understand directions and ingredients found in local grocery stores. Because they are simple, many of the recipes can be prepared quickly, which makes them convenient for busy cooks. Finally, the recipes are designed with families in mind, to create meals that everyone can enjoy.
How to Cook for Crohn's and Colitis also contains informative sidebars on such topics as: Tips on Dining Out, Organic vs. Non-Organic Foods, How to Read a Nutrition Label, Kneading Bread Dough, and Tips on Skimming Fat from Broth. It also contains a reading list for anyone who wants to learn more about IBD and nutrition, plus a comprehensive index.
The recipes are organized into the following categories: appetizers, chili-chowders-soups, salads and salad dressings, sandwiches, breads savory and sweet, beef and pork, poultry, fish and seafood, pasta and sauces, sidedishes, condiments, and sweets.
Deborah Lee - Library Journal
Roscher, with over 25 years as a cook and restaurant manager, experienced a potentially deadly flare-up of Crohn's disease in 2001. The result of her subsequent research into both Crohn's and colitis is this cookbook, designed to provide patients with tasty recipes that will supposedly lesson the likelihood of flare-ups. However, most of the dishes are similar to those found in many general collections. Readers will find such recipes as a standard potato salad mixture, Sirloin Tips on Rice, or Maple-Glazed Carrots. Even the dessert options are very common (e.g., Bren's Apple Pie, Cherry Pie, Pumpkin Pie), although they do offer alternatives that are lower in fat than the typical recipe. The fat per serving is probably reduced further by the sometimes unrealistic servings: most pumpkin pie recipes cannot serve up to ten people! A nutritional analysis is not provided for each recipe, so users must consult another source to compile accurate per-serving nutritional specifics. Recommended only for very large or highly specialized cooking collections.
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