(JTA) – A steaming bowl of chicken soup. Crispy, flaky schnitzel. Rich, chocolate rugelach. These are the foods that come to mind for many when they hear the term “Jewish comfort food.”
What happens when one gives that tradition an uber-contemporary twist?
Some answers can be found in Shannon Sarna’s second cookbook, “Modern Jewish Comfort Food,” which was published last Tuesday: Thanksgiving turkey kreplach, funfetti mandel bread, mac and cheese kugel.
Sarna, who focused on giving baked goods the 21st-century treatment in her first book, “Modern Jewish Baker” (think banana bread chocolate chip challah and s’mores hamantaschen) is also editor of the Jewish food blog The Nosher (which is owned by 70 Faces Media, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency’s parent company). Her site regularly publishes content on international Jewish cuisine, so she naturally brings that Diasporic lens to her own recipes, too.
Take classic chicken soup — yes, she includes all the hits, along with her experiments — which is presented in a few versions, including a Yemenite style that incorporates ingredients such as ginger paste and marrow bones. Sarna’s shakshuka, the Israeli tomato and egg-based dish, can be modified into a Mexican-inspired version or a smoky vegan version.
The full package is mouth-watering and beginner friendly.
Sarna spoke to JTA about what comfort food means to her and what she hopes readers will take away from her book in trying times.
JTA: What is comfort food for you?
SS: I think it’s relatable. I think it’s unpretentious and that’s what I love. I can appreciate a fancy meal and I certainly can appreciate what those chefs do, but that’s the opposite of what I fall in love with and the opposite of what I want to produce. I think comfort food also speaks across cultures.
What should readers expect in the book?
This is very much a cookbook for home cooks, for people who want to learn, and for people who are going to really make the recipes. I wanted it to be something that people actually use in their kitchens.
I think one of the things I’ve learned in my role as editor of the Nosher is about how people learn visually, so having the step-by-steps in “Modern Jewish Baker” was an aspect that I wanted to recreate in this book.