The Sephardic Kitchen: The Healthy Food and Rich Culture of the Mediterranean Jews Book

Expelled from Spain during the Inquisition, the Sephardic Jews scattered to all corners of the Mediterranean. Their strong traditions and varied cultural experience, combined with the fertile climate in which they settled, created one of the most flavorful and distinctive cuisines in the world. It is a melding of delicious flavors from all around the warm salt waters of the Mediterranean - Portugal, Spain, Italy, France, Algeria, Greece, Morocco, Israel, and the remains of the Ottoman Empire. In each distant place the Sephardic Jews cooked inventive and delightful meals whose flavor comes more from herbs and spices than from fat. The core ingredients - fresh fruits, spices, olives, nuts, tomatoes, fennel, eggs, and seafood - are as tasty as they are versatile. Alongside his recipes Rabbi Sternberg relates the rich history and lore of the Sephardic Jews, to whom hospitality is one of the most important virtues. "When visiting the home of a Jew from a Mediterranean country, one is usually greeted with an apology from the host or hostess for the poor and limited quality of the food being served," says Rabbi Sternberg. "The apology is generally followed by a lavish buffet with a dazzling array of mouthwatering appetizers and salads." Rabbi Sternberg also explains Jewish holiday traditions and culinary celebrations, from Sabbath dinners to observations of the High Holy Days.