Olive Trees and Honey: A Treasury of Vegetarian Recipes from Jewish Communities Around the World

For more than three millennia, vegetarian cooking has been a central component of the rich fabric of Jewish culinary tradition around the world. Olive Trees and Honey is a tribute to this vital realm of Jewish heritage, showcasing an authentic collection of vegetarian dishes that have graced Jewish tables across the ages from Alsace to Uzbekistan, and are still very much alive today—at holidays, rituals, festivals, and everyday meals alike.

In virtually any kitchen today, cooks need to possess a broad repertoire of vegetarian dishes for themselves or their guests—for health, theological, philosophical, or other reasons. In Olive Trees and Honey, eminent Jewish cooking expert Gil Marks presents a magnificent treasury of meatless fare suitable for any table: 300 simple, enticing recipes that accentuate signature flavors of time-honored dishes. The classics here—soups, salads, pastas, legumes, vegetable stews, egg dishes, and more—represent every part of the menu from an expansive global palette.

From savory pastries like Syrian Miniature Lentil Pizzas to hearty entrées such as Moroccan Mashed Potato Casserole, nourishing Romanian vegetable stews to wholesome legume dishes like Tunisian Chickpeas with Greens, Marks brings the world of Jewish vegetarian cooking to the home kitchen. For those observing kosher laws, each recipe is labeled as Dairy or Pareve. Many recipes include tips and variations for years of fresh, inventive meals.

Through brief chronicles of the Jewish diaspora's vegetarian legacy in diverse corners of the world and sidebars woven throughout the book, Marks sheds light on the origins and evolution of cuisines and dishes—and of the communities that created them. There are chapters on suitable recipes for key Jewish holidays and on essential ingredients and seasonings. Maps in each chapter chart the paths of several unique gustatory traditions through history.

Perfect for the vegetarian kitchen or as a complement to meat-based menus, the exquisite dishes in these pages will enrich any diet and bring warmth to any table. At once a practical guide to Jewish vegetarian cooking and an illuminating portrait of its journey across continents and centuries, Olive Trees and Honey is a celebration of this enduring global mosaic.

"Few international vegetarian cookbooks . . . even approach this one in caliber, scope or sheer range of flavor. It is a treasure that anyone from any ethnic, religious or culinary tradition can embrace."

—Vegetarian Times

"A land of wheat and barley, of grape vines and fig trees and pomegranates; a land of olive trees and honey . . . you shall eat and be satisfied."

—Deut. 8:8-10

A Celebration of classic Jewish vegetarian cooking from around the world

Traditions of Jewish vegetarian cooking span three millennia and the extraordinary geographical breadth of the Jewish diaspora—from Persia to Ethiopia, Romania to France. Acclaimed Judaic cooking expert, chef, and rabbi Gil Marks uncovers this vibrant culinary heritage for home cooks. Olive Trees and Honey is a magnificent treasury shedding light on the truly international palette of Jewish vegetarian cooking, with 300 recipes for soups, salads, grains, pastas, legumes, vegetable stews, egg dishes, savory pastries, and more.

From Sephardic Bean Stew (Hamin) to Ashkenazic Mushroom Knishes, Italian Fried Artichokes to Hungarian Asparagus Soup, these dishes are suitable for any occasion on the Jewish calendar—festival and everyday meal alike. Marks's insights into the origins and evolution of the recipes, suggestions for holiday menus from Rosh Hashanah to Passover, and culture-rich discussion of key ingredients enhance this enchanting portrait of the Jewish diaspora's global legacy of vegetarian cooking.

GIL MARKS, a chef, rabbi, writer, and historian, is a leading expert on Jewish cooking and the author of three cookbooks on the subject, including The World of Jewish Cooking. He has been featured on radio and television, including the Food Network's Food Live. The founding editor of Kosher Gourmet magazine, he now writes for Kosher Today and other Jewish and food-related magazines. He has taught at The Culinary Institute of America and at Macy's De Gustibus.

Acknowledgments.

Introduction.

Food Traditions of a Mosaic of Jewish Communities.

Seasonings and Flavors Important to Jewish Cuisines.

Vegetarian Foods for Special Occasions and Jewish Holidays.

CHEESE AND DAIRY SPREADS.

PICKLES, MARINATED VEGETABLES, AND RELISHES.

SALADS.

SOUPS.

SAVORY PASTRIES.

COOKED VEGETABLE DISHES.

VEGETABLE STEWS.

BEANS AND OTHER LEGUMES.

GRAINS.

DUMPLINGS AND PASTA.

EGGS.

SAUCES AND SEASONINGS.

Glossary.

Index.