A Mediterranean Rosh Hashanah Table

In "A Mediterranean Rosh Hashanah Table," Naomi Ben-Ami presents a culinary guide for the Jewish New Year that emphasizes produce and regional culinary traditions. The book explores how ingredients like late-summer tomatoes, herbs, eggplant, and pomegranates can form the basis of a vibrant holiday meal. It distinguishes between various Jewish communities and their distinct culinary inspirations, carefully labeling contemporary dish combinations while preserving the historical context of inherited recipes. The author's approach focuses on building menus around climate and flavor profiles, rather than presenting a monolithic "Mediterranean" cuisine.

This cookbook details a progression of dishes, from mezze and salads to fish, poultry, grains, vegetables, fruits, and pastries, considering factors such as temperature, color, and symbolic meaning. It connects specific dishes, such as a roasted leek preparation, to traditional practices, and provides linguistic and geographic context for items like date and sesame pastries. The book also includes market guidance for selecting and substituting produce, particularly for cooks in the US, and uses weight measurements for precise results in delicate preparations. Five distinct menus are provided, ranging from casual outdoor meals to formal dinners, each with preparation sequences and wine-free beverage suggestions. Brief profiles of cooks within the book address themes of migration and the limitations of broad regional culinary classifications.