The Jewish Kitchen

Jewish cooking is the daily expression of not only religious beliefs, but also a cultural and often family history. The recipes passed from one generation to another tell their own story of a family's past. Obliged by religion to adhere to the dietary laws of Kashrut, Jewish cooks have adapted local cuisines to reflect their culture. Similarly, when recreating an old recipe in a new land, they have worked with the available ingredients to produce dishes that unite religion with necessity, and past with present. Hybrids, these dishes tell their own tale of Jewish families, their history and culture. The laws of kashrut deal with what is permitted or forbidden: with the separation of meat from milk products. Accordingly, "Jewish Kitchen" is divided into three main chapters meat, dairy and pareve (neutral). With a diverse international flavour, the recipes include among others Moroccan yellow split pea soup, Spicy Latin brisket with citrus and rum; Lebanese lamb and chicken meatballs; and Passover raspberry sponge.

Clarissa Hyman is an award-winning food/travel writer and restaurant reviewer whose work has appeared in The Times, The Daily Telegraph, Country Living and Food and Travel. She has twice been nominated for the prestigious Travelex writing award and regularly appears on BBC Watchdog. She is the author of Cucina Siciliana.