Leah Koenig’s new cookbook, “The Dessert Table: 100 Jewish Sweets,” is about to get such a workout in our kitchens. Maple-tahini Rice Krispies treats? Almond croissant rugelach? White chocolate lime babka?! And that’s just the tip of the Jewish-inspired dessert iceberg.
Leah is a giant in the Jewish food space — this is her seventh cookbook, a follow-up to the incredibly researched and wonderfully delicious “Portico: Cooking and Feasting in Rome’s Jewish Kitchen” — so it’s no surprise that when we asked her to share the things that bring her Jewish joy, she went heavy on the culinary (not that our stomachs are complaining).
Here are eight things that bring food writer Leah Koenig Jewish joy:
My Persian rice cooker: Anyone who has tried making tahdig (Persian-style rice with a crunchy, golden cap) knows it can be painstaking and anxiety-inducing. But my beloved Pars rice cooker is specifically designed to turn out excellent tahdig and fluffy rice with next to no effort. You add rice, water, oil and salt, set the time for an hour, and it flips out golden, crunchy and perfect. Tahdig is now a regular part of my family’s Shabbat dinner.
Old Jewish books: My family recently visited The Met Cloisters museum and spotted a gorgeous, 800-year-old copy of the Torah in strikingly good condition. It was coincidentally turned to my husband’s bar mitzvah portion, and it gave me all the chills.
Noah Wyle as Dr. Robby: I grew up watching (and swooning over) Noah Wyle play the naive medical student, John Carter, on “ER.” So it is a delight to see him all grown up — grizzled and in charge — as Dr. Michael “Robby” Robinavitch on “The Pitt.”
Jewish cookbooks that tell a story: I strive to tell the stories, history and context behind the recipes in all of my cookbooks, so I appreciate other books that do the same. The Ethiopian-Jewish cookbook “Gursha“ and “Dobre Dobre: Baking from Poland and Beyond“ are two recent favorites.
The borscht at B&H Dairy: I make regular pilgrimages to B&H Dairy — an East Village hole-in-the-wall that serves Ashkenazi comfort food. Their hot, garlicky borscht is always a must order. Paired with a tuna sandwich on house-baked challah and a Diet Coke? It’s joy upon joy upon joy.
Jewish children’s books (the good ones): There are a lot of awful Jewish children’s books out there. But the great ones, like “The Carp in the Bathtub,” “The Night World,” “Joseph Had a Little Overcoat,” “The Little, Little House,” “The Triumphs of Fuzzy Fogtop” and “The Latke Who Couldn’t Stop Screaming” etc., are truly excellent. They’re genuinely engaging stories that capture something beautiful or hilarious (or both) about Jewish life. I will happily read them on repeat.
NY Shuk’s Rosey Harissa: NY Shuk’s dried spice blend (a mix of chili peppers, paprika, rose petals, garlic and other spices) is an instant meal brightener. I use it in soups, stews, meat dishes, vegetable dishes, eggs, everything. I run out of it so fast!
My great-grandparents’ gefilte fish bowl: My prized possession is a century-old wooden bowl that my great-grandparents carried with them on their journey from Lithuania to America. My great-grandmother used it as a chopping bowl for making gefilte fish. When I was growing up my family used it to stash candy for after dinner treats, which is a tradition I have continued with my kids.
New Year, More Kveller. A few dollars keeps Kveller joyfully, honestly free.
