It’s been a while since the last time we gave away a cookbook, so we figured it was time to do it again! I’m so excited that we get to give away one of my favorite Jewish cookbooks–the stunning and incredible Olive Trees and Honey: A Treasury of Vegetarian Recipes from Jewish Communities Around the World by Gil Marks.
This book touches on so many important pieces the Jewish culinary world often misses. For starters: vegetables. We often like to imagine the Jewish culinary heritage as one dominated by meat. I have friends who don’t consider a meal appropriate for shabbat unless it contains at least two different meat dishes. In fact, until relatively recently, meat was more of an accent or side dish than the centerpiece of Jewish meals. Gil Marks reminds us of the importance of vegetables in our culture by making them the showstoppers of this cookbook. From Turkish braised leeks to Syrian pumpkin patties, this book highlights (almost) every possible way that Jews have prepared vegetables all over the planet and throughout history.
The other amazing thing Gil Marks accomplishes is really giving a voice to Jewish communities from around the world. We hear about kugels and borscht all of the time, but we often neglect dolma and paprikash. Olive Trees and Honey really digs deep and looks at the entire Jewish world of food.
Not quite as expansive as his Encyclopedia of Jewish Food, Olive Trees and Honey is still a treasure trove of over 300 recipes for you to play with, sample, and learn from. Just like we do here at The Nosher, every recipe in the book is labeled as pareve or dairy (no meat labels needed!) and includes tips on how to serve the various dishes. Perfect for vegetarians and meat eaters looking to expand their repertoire, I know you’ll love Olive Trees and Honey.
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And it can be yours! All you have to do is post your favorite vegetarian entree in the comments below by May 16th. We’ll pick one at random and send you a copy!
pareve
Pronounced: PAHRV or pah-REV, Origin: Hebrew, an adjective to describe a food or dish that is neither meat nor dairy. (Kosher laws prohibit serving meat and dairy together.)
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