jews d in the King Solomon’s Table Tracing Jewish recipes around the world with Joan Nathan. PHOTOS BY VIVIAN HENOCH VIVIAN HENOCH SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS ABOVE: Chef Aaron Egan of the Eastern Market Community Kitchen holds Joan Nathan’s latest cookbook as she does a demonstration at the Jewish Food Festival recently. RIGHT: Nathan signs her books at the Federation Women’s Philanthropy event. AZERBAIJANI KUKUSA 3 tbls. olive oil 2 large sweet onions, sliced very thin About ½ cup chopped chives 3 scallions, diced About 8 oz. fresh Swiss chard or spinach, trimmed of stems and chopped 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 bunch cilantro, finely chopped ½ bunch dill, snipped Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste 1 tsp. ground turmeric 8 to 10 large eggs A handful or arugula or other bitter greens or herbs ½ cup walnuts, coarsely ground Heat the olive oil in a 12-inch non- stick pan set over medium heat. Add the onions, chives, and scallions and sauté until golden, about 15 to 20 min- utes. When the onion mixture is golden, add the Swiss chard or spinach, garlic, cilantro, dill, salt and pepper to taste, 24 September 14 • 2017 jn and turmeric and cook for about 10 minutes over low heat, until any liquid released from the spinach and herbs is evaporated. Whisk the eggs in a mixing bowl, then carefully incorporate the eggs into the vegetables and herbs in the frying pan, using a rubber spoon to smooth the surface. Cook covered, over low heat, for about 10 minutes, or until the eggs are set. The color should be deep green, almost black. Uncover and bring to the table in the frying pan with a handful of arugula on top and sprinkle with the walnuts. You can also serve this cut up at room temperature as an appetizer or snack. NOTE: In Azerbaijan, the many varia- tions of this dish includes vegetables ranging from asparagus to eggplant to squash. I have made this dish with kale, bok choy and arugula and served it sprinkled with feta as well as the nuts. Just keep the ratios about the same, and you’re sure to have a delicious dish. Yield: 8-10 servings • W hat happens when Joan Nathan, celebrated author known in culinary circles as the “Queen of Jewish Cooking,” meets Federation’s Women’s Philanthropy for brunch? By no means is it the usual kind of kuchen and coffee klatch. On Aug. 28, more than 200 women gathered to talk food with Nathan at a Federation 2017 Campaign event in part- nership with Temple Beth El and Hazon Detroit. When Joan Nathan talks food, she’s all over the place. Literally. She is a James Beard Award-winning cookbook writer with 11 books under her belt. A University of Michigan alumna, encyclopedic in her knowledge of Jewish history, ancient trade routes, commerce and produce, dietary tra- dition and Jewish migratory patterns from biblical times through the ages, Nathan has traveled to more than 30 countries to amass the bounty of her latest book, King Solomon’s Table: A Culinary Exploration of Jewish Cooking from Around the World (Alfred P. Knopf, 2017). CONSIDER THE BAGEL So, what makes Jewish food uniquely Jewish? According to Nathan, we might consider the bagel. In the introductory pages of her book, she explains, “My favor- ite way to picture Jewish food is as that beloved Jewish staple, the bagel. A mass of flour, water, salt and yeast is combined to form a dough; and so, too, Jewish cuisine has been created, using ingredients and techniques local to its people. As the dough is rolled and stretched, so the people, and their cuisine, begin to spread. New ideas, new foods and new recipes are picked up along the way.” Nathan has a story in every pot, uncov- ered in thousands of kitchens she has visited over the years. Before her Women’s Philanthropy event, Nathan delighted her audience at the second annual Michigan Food Festival hosted by Hazon Detroit at the Eastern Market. There she prepared a dish of Babylonian (Iraqi) origin called Azerbaijani kukusa — an herb-infused frit- tata she described as “the perfect wander- ing comfort food.” WHAT MAKES FOOD JEWISH? As Nathan explains, the Jewish foods that hold us together as a people have three dis- tinctions. First, they derive from the Jewish dietary laws. “Even if you do not observe the laws of kashrut, they are in the back of your mind,” she says. “Just as are the music, the prayer, the laws of Judaism, the whole gestalt. It’s all is in our DNA. “Second, is our obsession with food. Even in ancient times, Jews were obsessed with the quality of the food they consumed. Ancient Jews were grain merchants, cattle dealers, wine makers, bakers. Our tables always have been central to family, celebra- tion, religious observance and community. We are obsessed with ingredients and care how things are prepared, and that obses- sion is carried from generation to genera- tion.” And third, Jewish food is adaptable — eclectic and local. “Jews always have adapt- ed food to the manner and where they have lived. Judaism is international, and Jewish restaurants are now international as well,” says Nathan, citing two notable examples: Balagan (Hebrew slang for hullabaloo) in Paris and Mishiguene (Meshuggah) in Buenos Aires. PASS THE PLATES In closing, Nathan’s parting message to her audience is simple: “Pass down our traditions in the kitchen,” she advises. “You can’t go for carry-out sushi all the time and expect our children to keep these tradi- tions. I feel it’s our duty as parents — as mothers, fathers and grandparents — to tell our stories through the food we eat because these food traditions are our life.” • For more recipes from King Solomon’s Table, go to joannathan.com. This story first appeared on myjewishdetroit.org., where Vivian Henoch is editor.