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Designed and
manufactured in the
USA to consistently
exceed the demands
of frequent travel

Sephardic Season

Two new cookbooks highlight the flavorful
cuisine of Iberian Jews.

ANDI&MCY

r ." The Choice of Frequent Travelers

BY ANNABEL COHEN

is ethnic. We're also very curious. It's
this curiosity that leads us to taste
new foods. The added fame and
f popularity is any indication,
acceptance of the Mediterranean diet
Sephardim are "hot". For years,
has also propelled the popularity of
all many American Jews knew
healthy Sephardic flavor combina-
about Sephardim were that
tions.
they were descendants of Jews who,
By and large, however, Jewish food
in the Middle Ages, lived in Spain.
in the United States has been of the
They were dutifully taught in reli-
Eastern European or Ashkenazic vari-
gious schools that in 1492 (an easy
ety. And at no time is this more obvi-
date to remember because of the
ous than during Jewish holidays.
Christopher Columbus incident of
Latkes and blintzes served during
the same year), Spanish Jews were
Chanukah are distinctly Ashkenazic
forcibly converted to Catholicism or
fare. Most American Jews are
expelled from the country. The result-
Ashkenazim, one could argue. In
ing Diaspora sent Jews to the
actuality, there is no real reason for
Netherlands and throughout the
these traditional foods to be eaten
Ottoman Empire.
during Chanukah. Other than that
Why are Sephardim so "in"? One
they're cooked in oil or with cheese,
reason is the food. If that sounds sim-
two elements that remind us of the
plistic, it is. As a whole, American
story of Chanukah, these foods are
Jews are an extremely well-traveled —
regional foods which we've come to
and well-fed — gang. Many have
associate with the holiday.
been to Europe and Israel. We're
Sephardim have their own versions
exposed to ethnic foods from early
of what's traditional. Until the last
on. After all, in America, Jewish food
decade or so, recipes for
Sephardic cooking were lim-
ited. While some cookbooks
ATIONALji:WISti BOOK AWARD WINNER
included a spattering of
Sephardic recipes in their
mostly Ashkenazic collec-
tions,
books dedicated to
'7'17 e
P`i . 5 and
s
this
subject
were hard to
of c S Pri
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•
find. Now if you want to
explore Sephardic cooking,
CaTLITZ LIN DA KAI .3.1\' !DSO N
cat
V
z
there are several book offer-
/x."4 li.t.wic..sf 1, i
ings and Internet Web sites
dedicated to this cause.
There are two new cook-
books, however, that deftly
explore the Sephardic palate
and offer interesting and
tempting recipes and history
from this unique area of
Jewish history.
Joyce Goldstein's newest
work, Sephardic Flavors:

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AL,

Jewish Cooking of the
Mediterranean (Chronicle,

$35), invites readers to

