Product Description

During Spain's infamous Inquisition, Jews were forced to flee the country for more welcoming shores. Many of these refugees landed in northern Africa, specifically Morocco, and a unique cuisine was born of the marriage of Spanish, Moorish, and traditional Jewish culinary influences. SCENT OF THE ORANGE BLOSSOMS celebrates this cuisine, presenting the elegant and captivating flavors passed down through generations of Jews in Morocco. The mouthwatering recipes include Fresh Fava Bean Soup with Cilantro for Passover, Chicken Couscous with Orange Blossom Water for Yom Kippur, and Honey Doughnuts for Hannukah. Illuminating the important connection among food, family, and tradition, the recipes are interspersed with letters between mothers and newly married daughters, discussing special events and menu planning. ‚Ä¢ Features black-and-white photography of traditional Sephardic families.‚Ä¢ Includes sample menus for all major Jewish holidays. 

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #853457 in Books
• Published on: 2004-03-01
• Released on: 2004-03-01
• Original language: English
• Dimensions: 1.25 pounds
• Binding: Hardcover
• 208 pages

From Publishers Weekly
Morse, author of eight cookbooks, teams up with Mamane, a resident of Morocco's "cultural capital" Fez, to bring the unique cuisine of Moroccan Sephardic Jews to the American table. When Spanish Jews fleeing the Inquisition settled in Morocco, they combined culinary elements of the three cultures into a vibrant new one. The dishes that resulted follow the traditions and biblical prohibitions of the Sephardim, and marry together foods available in Morocco along with ingredients and culinary refinements brought from Spain. The opening chapter describes the basic ingredients and methods, and the recipes that follow cover everything from soups to meat, breads to fish, and desserts to drinks. From the Chicken with Onions, which uses saffron and ginger, to the Meatballs in Cinnamon-Onion Sauce, the dishes, redolent with spices, incorporate the exotic flavors of a rich tradition. Descriptions accompanying the recipes share cultural details: the Lentil and Garbanzo Bean Soup, for example, is used by Muslims to break fasts during Ramadan and by Sephardim to do the same after Yom Kippur. Also interspersed throughout are letters from mothers to their daughters recounting special events and personal reminiscences of Moroccan Sephardic life in communities and in kitchens. These welcome additions to the recipes provide charming pictures of a lifestyle and culture, and make this volume as enjoyable to read as it is to cook from.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
In the 15th century, the Spanish Inquisition forced a huge wave of Sephardim to immigrate. Many settled in North Africa, especially Morocco. Among other changes, ingredients such as chili peppers, tomatoes, saffron, and orange flower water entered the Sephardim kitchen. Today, however, primarily because of immigration and the demands of modern life, the Sephardic tradition is disappearing. With that in mind, Morse, the author of several other North African cookbooks, and Mamane, whose ancestors fled to Fez during the Inquisition, determined to document the Sephardic contributions before it was too late. Along with recipes such as Passover Fava Bean Soup and Thursday Evening's Butter Couscous, they include holiday menus, Mamane's nostalgic reminiscences of her extended family, and historical background. Strongly recommended.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
The aptly titled Scent of Orange Blossoms presents Sephardic Jewish cooking from Morocco. Kitty Morse and Danielle Mamane collaborated on this collection of recipes combining Moroccan, Spanish, and Jewish cooking. As the title implies, this cuisine offers more aromas and spices than the more familiar cooking of North European Jews. Preserved lemons, turmeric, chili peppers, cumin, and cilantro figure among the seasonings. Olive oil replaces butter as the fat of choice. Morocco's indigenous variety of white truffles appears in some recipes. And the dishes' original names reflect French, Spanish, Arabic, and Italian influences. Hearty Holiday Potato and Meat Pie forms an elaborate centerpiece for a meal of multiple accompanying salads. The authors cite the Sephardic festival of Mimouna, the last evening of Passover, when Muslims offer their Jewish neighbors a lump of leavened starter dough to replace the yeast discarded during Passover. Mark Knoblauch
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