An amusing, yet serious alphabetical rundown of Jewish foods — with explanations written by food personalities and writers like Ruth Reichl, Jill Kargman and Tom Colicchio — covers the expected (bagels, chopped liver) and less so (Chinese food). Most entries come with recipes, and some with dissenting opinions. There’s Eric Ripert on gefilte fish, Gail Simmons on pickles, Ruth Westheimer on pomegranates (and a tip on removing the seeds) and the spice expert Lior Lev Sercarz on kosher salt. The book is the work of Alana Newhouse, the founder of Tablet, an online magazine of Jewish news and culture. She said the selections reflect the foods that relate most closely to the American Jewish experience.
“The 100 Most Jewish Foods: A Highly Debatable List” by Alana Newhouse (Artisan, $24.95).
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