Introduction

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         This cookbook published by B’nai B’rith International is a collection of recipes from around the world. It features recipes from China, Japan, Germany as well as many others. As it was printed in 1968, it features recipes from countries that are now free from the USSR. Some of the recipes are quite simple and others are more complex. A rather contemporary example of how cookbooks were assembled in the mid to late twentieth century. The dishes featured within the book exemplify the tastes of an urban Jewish family in that period.

         The range of recipes is listed in the Table of Contents, where cold and hot dishes for lunch and dinner are listed by their inclusion of various proteins. Chicken, Beef and Fish are the main inclusions. Some of the dishes are listed underneath the “Old Fashioned” heading, where all the recipes are of Jewish origin. At the beginning of the book, there is a list of Jewish Blessings that correspond to traditions of the faith relating to food.

         Some of the Jewish recipes that are featured are quite well known, such as Gefilte Fish. The international ones are from a range of different places and all represent the unique methods of cooking within them. A recipe from Scotland – Cock-a-Leekie, seems to be a play on words with the traditional French dish, Coq-au-Vin. Considering that the book was written for a Jewish audience, all the dishes have been adapted to follow kosher dietary law. As a result, any of the international dishes that would include pork have either been altered or omitted entirely.

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