The pleasures of the Jewish table come alive in this comprehensive collection of traditional and contemporary recipes from around the world interwoven with eloquent essays on ingredients, people, and cultures.

Jewish communities throughout the world have forged dynamic cultures from ancient traditions and the bounties and limitations of their adopted homelands. Although many of these communities have disappeared, their legacy lives on in the memories, homes, and, especially, the kitchens of Jews throughout the Diaspora. In this important new collection, writer and food columnist Matthew Goodman has assembled more than 170 recipes from Jewish communities throughout the world, handed down through generations and now preserved in this historic volume. The recipes range from such icons as bagels, kugel, and chopped liver to delights mostly unknown in America, such as chelou, an Iranian rice specialty; Turkish borekas; flaky cheese-filled turnovers, and even shitzlach; a sweet blueberry pastry unique to Toronto.

Bringing these recipes alive are essays scattered throughout on the cultural and culinary histories of these international communities, and the ingredients and dishes that are their specialties. Every reader is guaranteed to learn something, whether it's the genesis of the bagel or the incredible rise and tragic fall of thriving Jewish communities in Salonika and Baghdad.