Matzah and Flour

Recipes from the History of the Sephardic Jews

by Hélène Jawhara Piñer

Published by: Academic Studies Press

Imprint: Cherry Orchard Books

Language: English

400 Pages

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9798887195445

Published: October 2024

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Description
Contents
Contributors
Praise
Media

Foreword

Introduction

Map

THE OLD AND HOLY BREADS

Ancient Judean Bread

1. Ancient Judean Bread

The Mishneh Torah Breads of the Rambam

2. Rambam’s “Poor Man’s Bread” (Lechem Oni) for the First Day of Passover

3. Rambam’s Sweet Passover Matzah for the Other Holy Days of Passover

4. Rambam’s Savory Passover Matzah for the Other Holy Days of Passover

The Shulchan Arukh

5. The “Shulchan Arukh” Orach Chayim 455:6 Matzah

6. The “Shulchan Arukh” Orach Chayim 453:2 Matzah

7. Matzah Ashirah: Rich Man’s Egg Matzah from “Shulchan Arukh” Orach Chayim 444:1

MATZAH & FLOUR

FOOD & HOLIDAYS

ROSH HASHANA

Spain

8. Suares Fried Unleavened Tortillas for Rosh Hashana (Matute, Spain)

YOM KIPPUR

Spain

9. María García’s Matzah and Chicken Soup to Prepare for the Yom Kippur Fast

10. Isabel Rodríguez’s Hojuelas to Break the Fast (Toledo, 1677)

11. Toledan Biscuits and Hot Chocolate from Isabel Rodríguez to Break the Fast (1677)

12. Creamy Hot Chocolate

Mexico

13. Gaspar Váez’s Fish Empanadas for after Yom Kippur

14. Manuel de Lucena and Álvaro de Carrión Yom Kippur Tortillas

SUKKOT

Mexico

15. Quince Cake with Honey

16. Caramelized Quince Sauce

17. Turcos

18. Fig and Almond Tortas

19. Beef Empanadas

20. Manjar Blanco (White Pudding)

21. Roasted Chicken with Preserved Lemon and Dates

HANUKKAH

Spain

22. Suares Fried Pastelicos

23. Bimuelos: Fried Sephardic Anise Donut Balls

Mexico

24. Turcos: The Crypto-Jewish Sweet and Sour Pastry

Morocco

25. Isfenğ: The Andalusian Donut

PASSOVER

Brazil

26. Pascoa do Pão Asmo: Passover of the Unleavened Bread (Bahia, 1591-1592)

Portugal

27. Bolos Asmos for Jejum das filhós: The Fast of the Flat Cakes

28. Isabel Gomes’ Five Flatbreads of Salvation

29. Felipa Cardosa’s Chestnut Matzah for Passover

30. Cecilia Cardosa’s Matzah and Sweet Lamb for Passover

Spain

31. Rollicos de Angelina

32. Madam Bernal’s Egg Tortas for the Easter of the Flowers

33. Cristóbal and Angelina de León’s Round Tortillas

34. Pesach Wine Flat Cakes from Juana de la Fuente and Beatriz Días Laínez

35. Catalan Matzah “Brie,” From Mossen Dalmau of Tolosa

36. Hormiguillos: Milk, Honey and Almond Matzah Soup

37. Gerona Rabbi’s Lamb and Pa Alis

38. Joan Çarriera Salmon, Artichokes and and Pa Alis Stew (Gerona)

39. Isabel Núñez’s “Dirty” Bread with Passover Salad (Salamanca, 1620)

40. Gabriel and Graçiana’s Matzah and Lamb Pies for Passover

41. Andalusian Soup from María Días’s Passover Seder

42. Ana Cortes’ Cocas and Roasted Lamb from the Jewish Ghetto of Majorca

43. Unleavened Flat Snow Cakes of María Gonzáles

Mexico

44. Blanca Enríquez’s Mexican Small Cakes

45. Salomón de Machorro’s Fish Tacos

46. Passover Indian Wheat and Herbs Crackers

47. Chestnut and Date Haroset Balls from Ferrara

48. The Castellanos’ Lamb and Lettuce Stew with Unsalted Bread

49. Shmira Matzah: Freekeh Bread

Morocco

50. Murakkaba: Moroccan Mufleta for Mimouna

51. Seffa: Sweet Fideos for Mimouna

52. Sweet Couscous

SHAVUOT

Italy

53. Monte Sinai: The Jewish Marzipan Pastry

Spain

54. Bread of the Seven Heavens

Morocco

55. Barkoukch: Sweet and Creamy Couscous Porridge

SHABBAT

Brazil

56. Meat Pie of the Fernandes Conversos from Bahia for Shabbat

Mexico

57. Mexican Shabbat Fried Fish

58. Salted Flatbreads

59. Carne Asada: Grilled Marinated Beef

60. Ground Nut Halvah

Spain

61. Beef Empanada

62. María Garcia’s Young Pigeon Pie for Shabbat

63. Bernal and Maria Alvares’ Breadcrumb and Swiss Chard Frittata

64. Cilantro and Garlic on Unleavened Bread with Cheese

65. Diego García Costello’s Fish Empanadas for Shabbat

66. Goat Meat Stew and Unsalted Barley Cakes for Sabbath in the Canary Islands

67. 13th Century Andalusian Challah

68. Garlic and Parsley Challah Croutons

69. The Geniza Hummus + my hummus recipe

Arabia

70. Harīsa: Wheat Grain and Chicken Stew

MARZIPAN

Spain

71. Ruperto de Nola’s Marzipan, 1529

72. Unbaked Marzipan with Egg Whites

73. Original Marzipan

EVERY OCCASION

Italy

74. Pignolata al Miele: Fried and Honeyed Italian Pastries

75. Frittole: Sweet Orange and Raisin Italian Donuts

76. Rafioli Fatte all’Hebrea: The Venice Inquisition Sweet

77. Pignorati: De’ Medici Italian Cookies with Pine Nuts and Almond Paste

Thessalonica

78. Formigo: White Garlic and Almond Soup with Picos Camperos Breadsticks

Spain

79. Hormigo: Breadcrumb Chicken

80. Ysabel Veles’s Stewed Chards with Cheese and Breadcrumbs

MAIMONIDES

Morocco

81. Ḥarīra: Flour Soup

82. Modern Ḥarīra: Tomato and Flour Soup

THE PORTRAIT OF LOZANA:

THE LUSTY ANDALUSIAN WOMAN

Andalusia

83. Fideos: Tuna with Vermicelli Noodles

84. Aldonza’s Empanadillas

85. Couscous With Chickpeas

86. Small Green Meatballs with Cilantro

87. Hojuelas: Rolled and Fried Pastry for Esther

88. Pestiños: Deep-Fried Pastry from Andalusia

89. Hemp Nougatine (Brittle)

90. Sesame Seed Nougatine (Brittle)

91. Nuégados: Orange and Honey Fried Pastry

92. Cordovan Sopaipas: Small Fried Cakes

93. Hojaldres: The Siam Squash Puff Pastry

94. Hormigos: Hand Made Semolina Couscous

95. Talvinas: Barley Porridge with Silan

96. Zahínas: Sorghum and Orange Porridge

97. Nabos sin Tocino y con Comino: Turnips with Cumin Seeds and Bread Crust

98. Olla Reposada: Adafina, The Iconic Sephardic Dish

99. Col Murciana con Alcaravea: Murcian Cabbage with Caraway

100. Boronía: Eggplant and Meatball Stew

101. Cazuela de Berenjenas Mojí: Stuffed Eggplant Casserole

102. Rosquillas de Alfaxor: Honey Stuffed Rings

103. Alfajor: Honey and Nut Sandwich

CREATIONS

104. Shortbread with Dates

105. Eid al Banat: Fried and Honeyed Crowns for Girls’ Day

106. Mantecados: Velvety Cinnamon Spanish Cookies

107. Date and Pomegranate Cake for Rosh HaShana

108. Passover Chocolate and Nut Bars

109. Sephardic Matzah Toffee

110. Mollete: Floured Rolls from Antequerra

111. Middle Eastern Cookies with Tehina, Chocolate, Sesame, and Labneh

112. Mexican Sopaipillas with Sweet Chipotle Sauce

113. Sweet and Buttery Braided Challah

114. Za’atar and Nigella Chickpea Crackers with Labneh

115. Potato Matzah

116. Purple Corn Tortilla and Fried Eggplant with Tehina, Lime and Cilantro sauce

117. Cheese Tapioca Matzah

118. Ma’assal: Moroccan Lamb Stew

119. Batbot: Flat and Chewy Moroccan bread

120. Passover Muruzia jam

121. Apple Bunuelos with Tea and Honey

122. Ocho Candelikas: Hanukkiah Challah Candles

123. Burnt Basque Cheesecake

124. Andalusian Angel Hair Challah

125. Salmorejo and Matzah: Cold Tomato Soup from Andalusia

Index

Bibliography

Acknowledgments

“There is no better conduit of ancient Sephardic tradition than my friend, Hélène Jawhara Piñer. She has dedicated her life to this work to bring us the history and recipes of medieval Spanish Jewry with this fascinating cookbook. A must read—Matzah and Flour is historically eye-opening and of course, delicious.”
— Mike Solomonov, Co-owner & Chef of Zahav

“What a brilliant concept for a Jewish cookbook! Leave it to Helène to find a way to offer her groundbreaking scholarly work through such a delicious, accessible lens. Through her concise writing and beautifully photographed recipes, she shows us just how essential flour in all its forms has been to Sephardic cooking, and how it reflects the community’s rich history from ancient to modern timeline.”
— Adeena Sussman, author of Shabbat: Recipes and Rituals From My Kitchen To Yours and Sababa: Fresh, Sunny Flavors from My Israeli Kitchen

“Hélène’s ability to teach me about the history of Jewish food-ways always has me at the edge of my seat, the fact that I want to make every recipe in this book is just a bonus!”
— Jake Cohen, New York Times bestselling author of Jew-ish and I Could Nosh

“In this deeply researched book, Hélène has done an amazing job weaving together history, culture, religion, and food to tell the story of how flour is at the root of so much spirituality and is the heart of Sephardic Jewish cooking.”
— Chef José Andrés

“Piñer’s Matzah and Flour is a brilliant culinary journey. Piñer takes the reader on her quest for Sephardic bread recipes. Leaving no stone unturned, she time travels throughout history using ancient primary sources as a guide. The result is a fascinating foray, rich with stunning photographs and irresistible recipes that beautifully showcase the breadth of the Sephardic diaspora.”
— Sari Kamin, Public Programming at the James Beard Foundation

“Only an erudite food historian could give us this unique treasure of recipes from ancient Judea, medieval Europe, and the worldwide Sephardic diaspora. Matzah and Flour makes Sephardic history edible. This is a cookbook like no other. A revelation!”
— Barbara Kirshenblatt-Gimblett, Ronald S. Lauder Chief Curator, Core Exhibition, POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews

“Hélène Jawhara Piñer masterfully demonstrates how a quotidian ingredient like flour can reveal multifaceted aspects of Jewish life and culinary practices throughout the ages. Add to that historic recipes that are as intriguing as they are mouthwatering.”
— Gabriella Gershenson, co-author of Love Japan: Recipes from Our Japanese American Kitchen

“Matzah and Flour is more than just a cookbook; it's a culinary journey that blends the vibrant flavors of Sephardic heritage with Mexican cuisine. It is a celebration of diversity and tradition, with each carefully curated recipe telling a story of cultural fusion and Jewish culinary heritage. As someone who loves both Mexican cuisine and the rich tapestry of Jewish food, I was thrilled to explore this delightful cookbook.”
— Pati Jinich, James Beard Award Winning Chef & TV Host; author of Treasures of the Mexican Table

“Matzah and Flour is a marvelous book—at once scholarly, practical, and fun. Hélène Jawhara Piñer traces the Sephardic diaspora through the Old World and into the New, from Spain and Morocco to Mexico, Brazil, and beyond. Drawing on sources that range from the Bible and Maimonides to the records of Inquisition tribunals, she tells stories through matza and muffins, noodles and couscous, tortillas and empanadas. Her easy-to-follow recipes feature flours made from wheat, barley, chickpeas, chestnuts, rice, and more. She takes readers on a journey to see the existential, emotive, and practical importance of food for Jewish peoples and their neighbors across the ages.”
— Heather J. Sharkey, University of Pennsylvania

“Matzah and Flour is an exceptional work that intertwines tradition and modernity with unique mastery. Helene Jawara Piñer takes us on a culinary journey that not only explores the cultural roots of cuisine but also reinterprets ancestral ingredients with surprising creativity and sensitivity. As a chef, I am deeply inspired to see how this book reimagines classic recipes for a new generation, while preserving the soul of each dish.”
— Chef Daniel Ovadía, owner of Merkava restaurant