For much of the twentieth century, the New York Jewish deli rivaled-- and in some ways surpassed-- the synagogue as the primary gathering place for the Jewish community. The deli, argues Merwin, reached its full flowering not in the immigrant period but in the interwar era, when the children of Jewish immigrants celebrated the first flush of their success in America by downing sandwiches and cheesecake in theater district delis. But it was the kosher deli that followed Jews to the outer boroughs of the city, and became the most tangible symbol of their continuing desire to maintain a connection to their heritage.
James Beard Award Winner: A cultural history and culinary travelogue from “the M.F.K. Fisher of pickled meats” (A. J. Jacobs). These days there are very few places you can get authentic hot pastrami sandwiches, delicious matzo ball soup, and chewy, crusty rye. In this travelogue, die-hard delicatessen lover David Sax searches out the best Jewish delis around the United States—and the world—and digs deep into the history of the deli: its characters, greatest triumphs, spectacular failures, and uncertain future. Going far beyond New York landmarks, past and present, like Katz’s, the Carnegie Deli, and the Second Avenue Deli, to Chicago, Florida, LA, Montreal, Toronto, Paris, and beyond, Save the Deli is the story of diaspora, and of one man’s quest to save a defining element of the culture—and the food—he loves. It even includes a glossary of food and Yiddish terms, for the goyim or the woefully assimilated. Just don’t read it on an empty stomach. “An epic journey, akin to The Odyssey but with Rolaids.” —Roger Bennett, author of Bar Mitzvah Disco
For Jewish deli devotees and DIY food fanatics alike, The Artisan Jewish Deli at Home is a must-have collection of over 100 recipes for creating timeless deli classics, modern twists on old ideas and innovations to shock your Old Country elders. Photographs, historical tidbits, reminiscences, and reference material round out the book, adding lively cultural context. Finally, fifty years after I started eating pastrami sandwiches and knishes at Wilshire’s Deli in Cedarhurst, Long Island, Nick Zukin and Michael C. Zusman have written a cookbook that allows delicatessen enthusiasts to make their favorite deli dishes at home. Making your own knishes? No problem. Rustle up your own pickles? Bring it on. Michael and Nick manage to make deli food simultaneously contemporary and timeless, which is no easy feat. If reading The Artisan Jewish Deli at Home doesn’t make you hungry, you’ve never rhapsodized over a pastrami sandwich or driven a hundred miles for a transcendent plate of latkes. If my grandmother, the greatest Jewish deli–style cook I’ve ever known, were alive she’d be kvelling over this book.” —Ed Levine, founder of Seriouseats.com “Michael and Nick’s handsome book brings some of your favorite deli recipes and memories into your home kitchen. Their pickles, knishes, and pastrami are just like you remember, only better!” —Joan Nathan, author of Jewish Cooking in America “Before you open this book, be sure to crack a window, because your house will soon reek of the glorious funk of delicatessen. The mouthwatering scent of baking bagels, bubbling soups, and steaming pickled meats will conquer every square inch of available air, bathing it all in a rich, delicious patina of schmaltz. Don’t be surprised if a sarcastic waiter named Abe appears in your kitchen. The Artisan Jewish Deli at Home will turn any house into a delicatessen worth its weight in knishes.” —David Sax, author of Save the Deli If you don’t happen to live near one of the new wave of artisan-style Jewish delis that have sprung up around North America over the last few years, not to worry. With this book, the world of Jewish deli, in all its unsubtle splendor—can be yours in the comfort (and privacy) of your own kitchen. And it’s not that hard. Really. On top of all the Jewish deli classics, The Artisan Jewish Deli at Home offers updates and new angles on the oldways that are bound to thrill the palates of a modern generation of eaters focused on quality ingredients and a lighter-handed approach to a traditionally heavy cuisine. The chapters are organized into: Starters and Sides; Soups and Salads; Eggs, Fish, and Dairy; Beef; Bagels, Bialys, and Breads; and Pastries, Desserts, and Drinks. The range of favorite recipes include: Crispy Potato Latkes with Chunky Ginger Applesauce; Summer Chicken Salad with Tomatoes, Cucumber and Cracklings; Wise Sons’ Chocolate Babka French Toast; Home Oven Pastrami; and Celery Soda. Added cultural context comes from quick-hitting interviews with Joan Nathan and other Jewish food luminaries; histories of a few deli stalwarts such as bagels and pastrami; and first-hand reports from within the walls of the authors’ favorite temples of modern Jewish gastronomy located across the country including: Mile End Delicatessen in New York City; Wise Sons Delicatessen in San Francisco; Kenny & Zuke's Delicatessen in Portland, OR; Stopsky's Delicatessan in Mercer Island, Washington; and Caplansky's Delicatessen in Toronto.
The Second Avenue Deli has been an internationally renowned Gotham landmark for nearly half a century. Over the years, its founder, Abe Lebewohl, provided the best Jewish fare in town, transforming his tiny ten-seat Village eatery into a New York institution. The Second Avenue Deli Cookbook contains more than 160 of Abe Lebewohl’s recipes, including all of the Deli’s peerless renditions of traditional Jewish dishes: chicken soup with matzo balls, chopped liver, gefilte fish, kasha varnishkes, mushroom barley soup, noodle kugel, potato latkes, blintzes, and many more. These versatile dishes are perfect for any occasion—from holiday dinners to Sunday brunches with friends and family. The late Abe Lebewohl was a great restaurateur in the showman tradition and a well-known and much-loved New York personality. His famous Deli attracted hundreds of celebrity patrons, many of whom have graciously contributed to this cookbook not only personal reminiscences but also recipes, running the gamut from Morley Safer’s family brisket to Paul Reiser’s formula for the perfect egg cream. A wonderful blend of New York and Jewish history and mouthwatering recipes, The Second Avenue Deli Cookbook provides a delicious taste of nostalgia.
Murder's on the menu in this savory debut. Gwen (nee Katz) Silver heard the brisket at her uncle's Jewish deli, Murray the Pastrami Swami--the only one of its kind in Nashville, Tennessee--was "to die for." But she didn't realize that meant literally. . . When Gwen learns she's inherited Murray's, the native New Yorker leaves her chaotic career and messy divorce behind to start over in Nashville. But the venture seems doomed from the start. Murray's taken his recipes and secret list of food suppliers to the grave with him, and ruthless real estate developer Royce Sinclair will stop at nothing to try and sandwich Murray's into his already overstuffed portfolio. Then, on Kosher Karaoke Night, longtime customer Buster Sergeant bites into his brisket. . .and bites the dust. The coroner says food poisoning, but Gwen's not convinced. Now, with the help of hunky police detective Beau McClintock, "Nashville Katz"--as Gwen is quickly nicknamed--will find herself adding "private investigator" to her resume--and a new love to her life. A native of Brooklyn, New York, Delia Rosen is the author of A Brisket, A Casket and One Foot in the Gravy. She now lives in Maine. She spends her time between writing and searching for good bagels.
Noah and Rae Bernamoff, owners of the New York City restaurant Mile End, celebrate the craft of new Jewish cooking with more than 100 soul-satisfying recipes and gorgeous photographs. When Noah and Rae opened Mile End, their tiny Brooklyn restaurant, they had a mission: to share the classic Jewish comfort food of their childhood. Using their grandmothers’ recipes as a starting point, they updated traditional dishes and elevated them with fresh ingredients and from-scratch cooking techniques. In The Mile End Cookbook, the Bernamoffs share warm memories of cooking with their families and the traditions and holidays that inspire recipes like blintzes with seasonal fruit compote; chicken salad whose secret ingredient is fresh gribenes; veal schnitzel kicked up with pickled green tomatoes and preserved lemons; tsimis that’s never mushy; and cinnamon buns made with challah dough. Noah and Rae also celebrate homemade delicatessen staples and share their recipes and methods for pickling, preserving, and smoking just about anything. For every occasion, mood, and meal, these are recipes that any home cook can make, including: SMOKED AND CURED MEAT AND FISH: brisket, salami, turkey, lamb bacon, lox, mackerel PICKLES, GARNISHES, FILLINGS, AND CONDIMENTS: sour pickles, pickled fennel, horseradish cream, chicken confit, sauerkraut, and soup mandel SUMPTUOUS SWEETS AND BREADS: rugelach, jelly-filled doughnuts, flourless chocolate cake, honey cake, cheesecake, challah, rye ALL THE CLASSICS: the ultimate chicken soup, gefilte fish, corned beef sandwich, latkes, knishes With tips and lore from Jewish and culinary mavens, such as Joan Nathan and Niki Russ Federman of Russ & Daughters, plus holiday menus, Jewish cooking has never been so inspiring.
A delightful celebration of Jewish delicatessens in an accessible comics format, full of history and humor, and guaranteed to make you hungry. Beloved culinary and cultural institutions, Jewish delis are wonderlands of amazing flavors and great food—bright, buttery, briny, sweet, fatty, salty, smoky. . . . In The Jewish Deli, comics artist and deli aficionado Ben Nadler takes a deliciously entertaining deep dive into the history and culture of this food and the places that serve it up to us across the counter. Chapters guide readers through the details and delights of each major food category, all playfully illustrated and each more irresistibly noshable than the last, including: Meat Fish Bagels and bread Schmears Soups and sides Sweets Drinks A visual treat, this accessible and informative nonfiction graphic novel delivers stories of tradition and innovation, celebrations of iconic menu staples, flavor profiles, food preparations, ordering advice, spotlights on legendary and up-and-coming delis, and much more. DELICIOUS HISTORY: The history of a people is found in its food, and in this book! Trace the history of Jewish cuisine from ancient days to the birth of the modern deli as we know and love it now. DESTINATION DINING: When this book makes you hungry, plan a visit to one of the sensational North American delis featured in its pages, including Manhattan's Kenny and Ziggy's, Montreal's Schwartz's, Atlanta's The General Muir, Brooklyn's Shalom Japan, and many more FOR FOODIES AND FOLKS ALIKE: Nadler shares colorful, researched stories of deli food, preparations, traditions, and innovations that entertain and inform, whether you're a deli expert or just find yourself wondering where bagels (or babka, or matzo ball soup, or the Reuben) come from. FUN COMICS STYLE: Fans of Relish: My Life in the Kitchen and Cook Korean: A Comic Book with Recipes will love Ben Nadler's fresh and colorful illustrated approach to the food and culture of the Jewish deli. Perfect for: The ultimate gift for foodies, deli devotees, and anyone hungry for more culinary knowledge Jewish history and culture buffs A must-have resource for all who love Jewish customs, cooking, and comedy Pairing with Jewish foods or cookbooks for birthday, bar or bat mitzvah, Chanukah, or Passover hostess gifts Fans of nonfiction comics and graphic novels
Magnetic duo and stars of the Brooklyn food scene, Liz Alpern and Jeffrey Yoskowitz revitalize Old World food traditions for today's modern kitchens in their debut cookbook.
From nationally recognized Jewish brand Wise Sons, the cookbook Eat Something features over 60 recipes for salads, soups, baked goods, holiday dishes, and more. This long-awaited cookbook (the first one for Wise Sons!) is packed with homey recipes and relatable humor; it is as much a delicious, lighthearted, and nostalgic cookbook as it is a lively celebration of Jewish culture. Stemming from the thesis that Jews eat by occasion, the book is organized into 19 different events and celebrations chronicling a Jewish life in food, including: bris, Shabbat, Passover and other high holidays, first meal home from college, J-dating, wedding, and more. • Both a Jewish humor book and a cookbook • Recipes are drawn from the menus of their beloved Bay Area restaurants, as well as all the occasions when Jews gather around the table. • Includes short essays, illustrations, memorabilia, and stylish plated food photography. Wise Sons is a nationally recognized deli and Jewish food brand with a unique Bay Area ethos—inspired by the past but entirely contemporary, they make traditional Jewish foods California-style with great ingredients. Recipes include Braided Challah, Big Macher Burger, Wise Sons' Brisket, Carrot Tzimmes, and Morning After Matzoquiles, while essays include Confessions of a First-Time Seder Host, So, You Didn't Marry a Jew, and Iconic Chinese Restaurants, As Chosen by the Chosen People. • Great for those who enjoyed Zahav: A World of Israeli Cooking by Michael Solomonov, The 100 Most Jewish Foods: A Highly Debatable List by Alana Newhouse, and Russ & Daughters: Reflections and Recipes from the House That Herring Built by Mark Russ Federman • A must for anyone looking to expand their knowledge of Jewish cuisine and culture
