The Basics on Jewish Cookery - What is Jewish Cooking ?

Just as there are many strands to the religion, so it is for Jewish cooking. Although many of the so called traditional recipes associated with Jewish festivals have been passed down from generation to generation, they will have also absorbed a lot of the local culture and environment over time. The Jews of Western Europe and America have come from all parts of the World, but particularly from Russia, Poland, Eastern Europe and North Africa. Therefore geography, ethnicity, and native culture have all been strong influences on defining different strands of traditional Jewish Cooking.

However all Jewish recipes share one common set of rules – the laws of Kashrus / Kosher as laid out in the Bible. Essentially they prohibit the eating of certain foods, they dictate the preparation of other foods, and exclude the mixing of milk and meat.

My aim as a Chef, has been to take the traditional recipe and give it a modern, stylish twist that will ensure that they both present and taste well, whilst still being easy to make, and bring a touch of the past to regular family occasions What I seek to do is to create modern Kosher recipes that are set out in a step by step format that make them easy to follow and above all they fit in with a busy persons lifestyle

Here are a couple of my sample jewish dishes for you to look at:

You don’t have to be Jewish ………………………

Today in this country, there is a mass media enthusiasm for cooking. On television we have in excess of 20 hours per week of cookery programmes, and popular chefs are influencing the new trends in food. Newspapers have regular cookery columns, and new books are being published all the time highlighting the latest style and method of cooking. Restaurants are always creating new recipes that then set a fashion.

Jewish cooking is not exclusive to Jews. It is accessible, tasty and generally easy to make. Boiling, frying or stewing are easily mastered in any kitchen and with everyday ingredients available in any supermarket. So even if you are not Jewish, I hope that you will be inspired to try something new, something with a heritage, and we hope a long term future. Enjoy