I am going to admit right off that I am not Jewish, I do not have very much knowledge of Judaism, and all I know about Passover is that it commemorates the escape of the Jewish people from Egypt and the oppression of slavery. However, there is no reason I can't pass along this story of finding good food for Seder dinner. If you listen to NPR, you may have heard this story. I know I don't have much knowledge of Jewish rituals, but I've heard a lot of grumbling about how Passover or Seder dinner food could be more satisfying. That may not be the case if your ancestors are Sephardic Jews, those who came from Mediterranean countries. The food is full of spice and aroma, or so says the author of a new cookbook on the subject.
Poopa Dweck, a first generation Syrian-American Jew, and Michael J Cohen compiled a "coffee table cookbook" last year that includes a great deal of history. The book is called "Aromas of Aleppo: The Legendary Cuisine of Syrian Jews". If you're interested in finding some different for Seder this year, or maybe next year at this point, this book may be worth a look. From the look of it, though, I think that "Aromas of Aleppo" may be worth a look any time of the year.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
4-17-2008 @ 6:31PM
Alex said...
I'm not sure an author named 'Poopa' would inspire me to buy a cook book ...
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4-17-2008 @ 10:48PM
Stef said...
As an example myself (Stefanie Cirillo isn't the most Jewish name around), I tend not to make assumptions of Judaism based on someone's name, but I thought for sure someone named Shayna Glick was Jewish! This is why we do not assume! :)
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4-18-2008 @ 12:19PM
ABT said...
I was going to say something similar to what Stef said. It's like that episode of Seinfeld in which everyone was talking to a woman with the last name "Chan" thinking that she was Chinese when she wasn't.
Alanna and Emily are Jewish, right? I know that Marisa is half Jewish.
Oy. When people mess with your perceptions it's a head trip. :)
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