Whether you’re Jewish or not, you’ll find much of interest in Lise Stern’s “How to Keep Kosher: A Comprehensive Guide to Understanding Jewish Dietary Laws” (William Morrow, $24.95).
Stern, whose family switched to a kosher kitchen when she was nine, observes kosher rules in her own home today. That means she follows centuries of rabbinical interpretation of Old Testament and Talmudic instructions on permitted foods and preparation; the rules are complex, made more so by hundreds of years of interpretation and the introduction of new foods.
Stern’s clear explanations of the rules and the reasons behind them will help those who want to start exploring kosher ways, and will enlighten those who want to broaden their sensitivity to others’ ways. Giraffe, for example, can be kosher (if slaughtered properly); squid never can be. Microwave popcorn may be off limits if its ingredients include lipase, a cow enzyme used to provide artificial butter flavoring.
Stern also discusses kitchen procedure–especially as it pertains to holidays, such as Passover–and provides recipes for familiar Jewish dishes. There’s a traditional potato kugel, with onions and stock, and there’s a contemporary version with sweet potatoes with rosemary and olive oil. The roasted green beans recipe looks yummy, and so does the one for slow-roasted savory brisket.
All in all, Stern makes a complex and complicated system understandable. To her great credit, she also makes it fascinating, even to those of us who don’t keep kosher.
