Aromas of Aleppo, The Legendary Cuisine of Syrian jews
by: Poopa Dweck
August 1, 2007, Ecco press
400 pages
Review by: E. Broderick
If you’ve ever had the pleasure of being a guest in the home of Aleppian Jews, you will understand why Aromas of Aleppo is the first cookbook I chose for cookbook week. The cuisine of Syrian Jews is indeed legendary, as is their hosting. You will not leave hungry. Arrays of colorful plates and dainty foods that have been individually folded and stuffed will greet you. You will hear tales of amazing women of valor – including the spectacular dishes they made. You will be taken care of, body and soul.
Aromas of Aleppo, written by Poopa Dweck, focuses specifically on the food of Jews from Aleppo, Syria. While they mostly now live in the diaspora, their food traditions remain strong. Dweck takes the reader on a trip through time, explaining how the different diaspora communities came to their current locations, but also what life was life back in Syria and how this was reflected in the gastronomic offerings.
I do not use Aromas of Aleppo for the recipes (I actually find Rae Dayan’s For the Love of Cooking to be easier to work with, if slightly less comprehensive). Instead, I drool over the photos. This is the ultimate coffee table book – it’s kind of huge, it will not fit easily on your lap or the little holders people have for standard sized cookbooks, and the photos are glossy and intriguing.
Also not to be missed is the section on life cycle events and holidays foods in the back. One can learn about many interesting and unique customs, some of which are kept to today and some of which are not, and which foods pair with which holidays. Plus there are historic as well as current day photos to bring the entire thing to life.
If you do want to try your hand at a few of the recipes – and I can’t blame you!- My personal favorites are Djaj wa Rishta (chicken and spaghetti), which is always a huge hit with all ages, and Keftes (tamarind stewed meatballs). Plus, if you’ve never made Tamarind concentrate yourself (almost nobody has, it’s sold in stores these days) it’s worth trying once for the experience.
Aromas of Aleppo is a book that wants to take you on a journey. You should let it.