From the Jewish Heartland: Two Centuries of Midwest Foodways reveals the distinctive flavor of Jewish foods in the Midwest and tracks regional culinary changes through time. Exploring Jewish culinary innovation in America's heartland, Ellen F. Steinberg and Jack H. Prost examine recipes from numerous midwestern sources, both kosher and non-kosher, including Jewish homemakers' handwritten manuscripts and notebooks, published journals and newspaper columns, and interviews with Jewish cooks, bakers, and delicatessen owners. Settling into the cities, towns, and farm communities of Ohio, Indiana, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Missouri, Iowa, and Minnesota, Jewish immigrants incorporated local fruits, vegetables, and other comestibles into traditional recipes. Such incomparable gustatory delights include Tzizel bagels and rye breads coated in midwestern cornmeal, baklava studded with locally grown cranberries, tangy ketchup concocted from wild sour grapes, rich Chicago cheesecakes, and savory gefilte fish from Minnesota northern pike. Steinberg and Prost also consider the effect of improved preservation and transportation on rural and urban Jewish foodways and the efforts of social and culinary reformers to modify traditional Jewish food preparation and ingredients. Including dozens of sample recipes, From the Jewish Heartland: Two Centuries of Midwest Foodways takes readers on a memorable and unique tour of midwestern Jewish cooking and culture. Ellen F. Steinberg is a writer, researcher, and anthropologist as well as the author of Learning to Cook in 1898: A Chicago Culinary Memoir. Born and raised in Chicago, she currently lives in River Forest, Illinois. Jack H. Prost is an associate professor of anthropology at the University of Illinois at Chicago. He has taught and written on the anthropology of cuisine and food taboos.
"A specialized resource for scholars of Judaica and food-devotees alike, the book presents classics such as gefilte and matzos alongside lesser-known dishes. It is a sometimes nostalgic look at preserving authenticity while embracing creativity."--Publishers Weekly
"A fascinating overview of historic Jewish foodways throughout the Midwest, with many examples of recipes brought to the Midwest by Jewish immigrants. I know of no other work on Jewish American food with this concentration and breadth."--Joan Nathan, author of Jewish Cooking in America
