The Yiddish Family Cookbook

Book excerpt: The year is 1914. Yiddish speaking Jewish women are integrating into their new American home at a rapid rate. Who would have thought that a nutritionist in 1914 would recommend: *olive oil as the best and cleanest cooking fat, *pure lemon juice as a salt substitute, *using almond milk in sauces (for meat dishes) Braun advises all this and more with charm, wit and intelligence, and Weingrod's translation conveys the flavor of Braun's original to make this book both a valuable historical document and a treat to read. Joan Nathan (doyen of Jewish cooking) comments: "It is wonderful to have this translation available to those who do not speak Yiddish. Dos Familien Kokh Bookh in English is a fantastic entry to the canon of Jewish cookbooks." Hasia Diner (American Immigration Historian at NYU) adds: "This book gives a peek into the lives and sensibilities of Eastern European Jewish women in America, at a moment in time when they put themselves onto the path of integration into American life." In short, a wonderful "World of Our Mothers" (or grandmothers), which includes 200 recipes, attitudes, and a nutritionist's concern for health - all done with old fashioned wit and wisdom.