I converted to Judaism several years ago, but I have never really been able to keep kosher to any extent (still living with my mom, etc. etc.). Here in Oklahoma, there isn’t exactly a strong Jewish presence either, so I have almost no exposure to Jewish food, which I know is a strong component of Judaism.
So I’m looking for recommendations on books or websites that will explain the typical Jewish/kosher meal and provide some recipes.
My favorite Jewish cookbook ever: The Book of Jewish Food. “Jewish food” is a difficult thing to define, as Jews have adapted the cuisine of all the places they have lived to suit Jewish dietary laws, with hugely varied results. I’m the kind of person who likes to know the story and the ethnography behind the recipes, so I love this book. (Plus my family is Ashkenazi from Central/Eastern Europe, and the book has a lot of Sephardic recipes from much warmer climates, so it’s fun to try new things.)
I’m also fond of The New York Times Jewish Cookbook, though it’s not nearly as rich in stories and therfore not quite as much fun to browse. It’s got a lot more contemporary recipes, though, including some from current celebrity chefs.
However, the Ashkenazi classic my mom always uses (when she’s not using one of my grandmother’s recipes) is out of print, but you still might be able to find it somewhere, and it has lots of explanations of dietary laws, etc.
The Spice and Spirit cookbook is pretty much de riguer in Kosher households. It’s great with both recipes and Jewish tradition info (as it relates to food).
Welcome to the fold!
Thanks- I will definitely look into these 