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

The Sephardim were Jews who settled in medieval Spain during the Diaspora. Expelled from Spain and Portugal in the 1490s by the Christians, most Sephardic Jews migrated elsewhere around the Mediterranean, taking with them a cuisine richly influenced by the sensual cooking of their former Muslim rulers. Rabbi Sternberg records the history of Sephardic cooking and presents food you can't wait to prepare. Dishes like Ajada, a garlic spread, and a spinach and yogurt salad seasoned with dill are typical of the sunny, mostly simple-to-prepare food in this book. Sternberg's writing is flat but the richness of information and the vivid descriptions of each dish, including their Ladino names, hold your attention. Brief folk tales at the end of each chapter are enchanting. Sternberg's recipes are easy to follow, even if you've never made food like this.