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Jane Breskin Zalben
offers enough recipes for latkes, hamantaschen and
matzoh brei to satiate the most ravenous family in
Beni's Family Cookbook for the Jewish Holidays,
foreword by Joan Nathan. Her headnotes are
sprinkled with homey anecdotes and Yiddish words:
of day-old mandelbrot, "Grandma says, 'I could
nearly plotz it's so delicious! And the almonds,
heaven.' " Zalben's illustrations of pudgy-cheeked
bears in little frocks and sweaters are on the
schmaltzy side, but her recipes promise to make
celebrations tasty affairs. Note that the recipes
aren't especially for children; adult cooks will
be needed in many cases.
Copyright 1996
Reed Business Information, Inc. |
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From School Library Journal
Grade 5 Up. Those who have delighted in Zalben's
family of Jewish bears (adult fans in particular) will
no doubt want to own this charmingly illustrated
cookbook. Recipes are arranged by holiday, beginning
with a brief description of its importance and related
rituals. Recipes from both Ashkenazic (Eastern
European) and Sephardic (Iberian-peninsula rooted)
Jews are included. Illustrated with tiny detailed
vignettes of table settings, food items, and bear
family portraits, the book has genuine child appeal,
but the recipes are written for experienced cooks. No
warnings are given to seek adult help when frying in
oil, chopping, grating, or removing hot, heavy pots
from the oven or burner; nor are there detailed
instructions for kneading dough, slicing brisket, etc.
Although some of the introductions make the essence of
the holiday accessible to those with little background
about the religion, many are based on previous
knowledge of the beliefs, history, customs, and
traditions that are a part of the Jewish year. Because
many of the recipes are excellent, adult collections
needing Jewish holiday cookbooks may want to purchase
Zalben's treasury despite its childlike format.?
Susan
Scheps, Shaker Heights Public Library, OH
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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Product Details
Reading level: Ages 4-8
Hardcover: 96 pages
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR) (October 15, 1996)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0805037357
ISBN-13: 978-0805037357
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