Joan Nathan’s latest book, The Foods of Israel Today, is part cookbook, part history book and partly an anthropology book. The book doesn’t represent a national cuisine; rather it is a compilation of the many influences that have shaped the culinary world in Israel.
 
When I first began reading The Foods of Israel Today I thought to myself, “this isn’t Israeli food. ” The answer lies in Nathan’s own writing (pages 4-5 of the book), “But an Israeli cuisine? A cuisine is usually defined as cooking which derives from a particular culture. Since the Jewish population has essentially been dispersed throughout the world, Jewish food, and by extension the food of Israel, while centered in the Jewish dietary laws, which were expounded in the Book of Leviticus, subsumes the cuisines throughout most of the world. Unlike in France and Italy, for example, where cooking has been grounded in the same soil for thousands of years, in Israel the ‘new food’ is a hybrid, inspired by every corner of the world, but with an increasing emphasis on native ingredients.”
 
This cookbook offers quite a bit to read beyond just recipes, primarily in the form of personal stories and anecdotes). The Foods of Israel Today is a collection of over 300 recipes, from people of all types of ethnic backgrounds and walks of life. The book also includes recipes and stories from people whose names will easily be recognizable to the reader, as well as recipes from chefs/owners of many of the country’s restaurants, and just ‘plain folk’.
 
This book will be a wonderful addition to any kitchen and would make a lovely gift.
Order the book, here.