When I went to hear June Feiss Hersh speak about RECIPES REMEMBERED at the Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage in Beachwood, Ohio, I expected to hear about food, get some recipes, and maybe sample some of the dishes from the book. What I got instead was an informative, interesting, and most enjoyable talk about how she came to write the book. I also bought two copies, one for myself and one for my daughter and daughter-in-law who had been on a Jewish Heritage tour.
RECIPES REMEMBERED is not a typical cookbook. It is not arranged by type, e.g., salad, soup, appetizer, entree, dessert, nor does it have pictures of any of the foods. It is more of a story of Holocaust survivor families telling their favorite or “best” dish. They come from many European countries from the Ukraine to France, from Russia to Greece. There are variations of the same dish, such as chicken soup, roasted chicken, and brisket. There are also some unusual recipes including bialys, plum cake, yellow pepper soup, and potato chip kugel. The introduction to each recipe provides interesting commentary and the directions are complete and easy to follow. All the recipes are kosher.
To gather the recipes, June Feiss Hersh interviewed each of the survivors for several hours, often with one of his or her family members present. That process is explained in the Introduction. She heard their stories: Where they were before the Holocaust, how they survived it, and what their lives have been like since the end of World War II. Sonia and Zus Bielski, who led the partisans portrayed in the movie Defiance, as well as several members of the group are among them. The survivors’ stories introduce each recipe and their pictures are included.
There is a small section, “Navigating the Book,” It is worth reading to gain insight into how to duplicate, tweak the recipes, or figure out what you may have done wrong. She includes feedback sections for most of the recipes. At the end of the book is a Glossary of Yiddish words not all of which have to do with cooking. If someone tells you to add a bisel something, you know how much that is.
Each recipe was tested before it was placed in the book. In some cases, professional cooks augmented the stories to honor survivors, some of whom were members of their families.
All profit from the sale of the books are donated to Museum of Jewish Heritage in New York and other nonprofits. She said she is willing to travel to speak about the book. Just pay for her travel expenses. It’s a bargain! ( )