Poopa Dweck: Aromas of Aleppo

By JULIETTE ROSSANT On the cover of Poopa Dweck and Michael J. Cohen's Aromas of Aleppo: The legendary Cuisine of Syrian Jews (Harper Collins 2007) is a bowl of olives – green cracked olives with flecks of red pepper and olive oil, black olives and red olives - surrounded by gold leaf and photos of a family around a table and piles of pastries. Except for the photo of the family, the food is typical of the glorious food of Syria, arguably the best in the Middle East. And perhaps that is just the point. This is a wonderful book if you are curious about the cuisine and customs of the Jews of Aleppo. But it is just as fascinating if you are more generally interested in the cuisine of the Middle East. Many of the recipes, photos and descriptions in this coffee table book could be about the cuisine of the Moslems or Christians of Aleppo. Aleppo's Jewish community dates back to the 6th century bce, with a large influx of Sephardic Jews arriving in the centuries after their expulsion from Spain in 1492. There is no longer a Jewish community in Aleppo; with the last Jews leaving after Hafez al-Assad lifted a travel ban in 1991. Poopa writes that communities of Aleppo's Jews exist in the US (Brooklyn) and throughout South America and Israel in tight-knit communities: Their ties transcend national boundaries: a New York Aleppian could walk into the home of his Panamanian cousin and breathe in the same enchanting aroma that he knows well from his mother's Brooklyn kitchen. (p. 7) It is the cuisine of women and ritual. : Aleppian Jewish women take pride in being savvy food shoppers, excellent cooks, and warm hostesses. These qualities are embodied in the concept of suffeh (pronounced SUH-feh), which literally means "orderliness" but is understood by Aleppian Jews to mean a high degree of poise, an appreciation of etiquette, and an ability to create a feeling of domestic warmth that even exceeds the effusive, open-armed hospitality of Middle Eastern Lore. (p. 8) Throughout the book are instructions about food and practice. At the back of the book is a complete section: A Syrian Guidebook to Jewish Holidays and Life-Cycle Events (pp. 327-267). To get a sense of this cuisine, just check the Maza Recipes chapter (meze or appetizers). Poopa and co-author Michael (both Syrian Jews) give a recipe for Za'atar (p.20), the fragrant thyme spice mixture spread on loaves of bread before they are baked. More unusual is the use of tamarind in familiar Middle Eastern dishes – more commonly found in Persian and Indian cuisine. They have recipes for Tangy Tamarind Bulgur Salad (p. 44) that also uses mild Aleppo pepper (described on p. 44). There is also Tamarind Beet-Onion Salad (pp. 47) and Miniature Tamarind Minced Meat Pies (p. 50). Bulgur appears in a number of these recipes like Golden Ground Meat Filled Bulgur Shells and Raw Beef-Bulgur Patties (Kibbe Neye) (p. 63) more traditionally made of raw lamb in Lebanon that has been pounded to a paste and mixed with savory spices. Aromas of Aleppo is full of the history of the kitchen – the traditional ways women in Aleppo fed their families and practiced their religion. It is a beautiful book that captures the history and cuisine of Aleppo Jews in recipes and photographs of interest to anyone curious about the Middle East. Previous articles: Lilia Zaouali: medieval Cuisine of the Islamic World Claudia Roden: Arabesque Arab Table: May Bsisu Sufi Cuisine: Nevin Halici Oldest Cuisine in the World: Jean Bottero Sensual Language of Bakhlava: Diane Abu-Jaber [Cookbook Reviews - complete] Technorati Tags: superchefblog, Juliette Rossant, super chef, celebrities, chefs, food, restaurants, cooking, branding, cuisine, blogging, food blogging --> back to Super Chef