Matzah and Flour

Hélène Jawhara Piñer received her PhD in Medieval History and the History of Food from the University of Tours and the University of Bordeaux. Author of Sephardi: Cooking the History (2021) and Jews, Food, and Spain (2022)—a National Jewish Book Award finalist—she has lectured at Yale University, the University of Pennsylvania, Bar Ilan University, and other prestigious institutions. Recently, Piñer was awarded a Visiting Research Fellowship from the Schoenberg Institute for Manuscript Studies at the University of Pennsylvania Libraries, where she’ll conduct her research in 2024.

Foreword

Introduction

Map




THE OLD AND HOLY BREADS




Ancient Judean Bread

1.Ancient Judean Bread




The Mishneh Torah Breads of the Rambam

2.Rambam’s “Poor Man’s Bread” (Lechem Oni) for the First Day of Passover

3.Rambam’s Sweet Passover Matzah for the Other Holy Days of Passover

4.Rambam’s Savory Passover Matzah for the Other Holy Days of Passover




The Shulchan Arukh

5.The “Shulchan Arukh” Orach Chayim 455:6 Matzah

6.The “Shulchan Arukh” Orach Chayim 453:2 Matzah 

7.Matzah Ashirah: Rich Man’s Egg Matzah from “Shulchan Arukh” Orach Chayim 444:1 




MATZAH & FLOUR

FOOD & HOLIDAYS




ROSH HASHANA

Spain 

8.Suares Fried Unleavened Tortillas for Rosh Hashana (Matute, Spain)




YOM KIPPUR

Spain 

9.María García’s Matzah and Chicken Soup to Prepare for the Yom Kippur Fast

10.Isabel Rodríguez’s Hojuelas to Break the Fast (Toledo, 1677)

11.Toledan Biscuits and Hot Chocolate from Isabel Rodríguez to Break the Fast (1677)

12.Creamy Hot Chocolate




Mexico 

13.Gaspar Váez’s Fish Empanadas for after Yom Kippur

14.Manuel de Lucena and Álvaro de Carrión Yom Kippur Tortillas 




SUKKOT

Mexico 

15.Quince Cake with Honey

16.Caramelized Quince Sauce

17.Turcos

18.Fig and Almond Tortas

19.Beef Empanadas 

20.Manjar Blanco (White Pudding)

21.Roasted Chicken with Preserved Lemon and Dates




HANUKKAH

Spain 

22.Suares Fried Pastelicos

23.Bimuelos: Fried Sephardic Anise Donut Balls




Mexico 

24.Turcos: The Crypto-Jewish Sweet and Sour Pastry




Morocco 

25.Isfenğ: The Andalusian Donut




PASSOVER

Brazil 

26.Pascoa do Pão Asmo: Passover of the Unleavened Bread (Bahia, 1591-1592)




Portugal

27.Bolos Asmos for Jejum das filhós: The Fast of the Flat Cakes

28.Isabel Gomes’ Five Flatbreads of Salvation

29.Felipa Cardosa’s Chestnut Matzah for Passover 

30.Cecilia Cardosa’s Matzah and Sweet Lamb for Passover




Spain 

31.Rollicos de Angelina

32.Madam Bernal’s Egg Tortas for the Easter of the Flowers 

33.Cristóbal and Angelina de León’s Round Tortillas 

34.Pesach Wine Flat Cakes from Juana de la Fuente and Beatriz Días Laínez

35.Catalan Matzah “Brie,” From Mossen Dalmau of Tolosa

36.Hormiguillos: Milk, Honey and Almond Matzah Soup

37.Gerona Rabbi’s Lamb and Pa Alis 

38.Joan Çarriera Salmon, Artichokes and and Pa Alis Stew (Gerona)

39.Isabel Núñez’s “Dirty” Bread with Passover Salad (Salamanca, 1620)

40.Gabriel and Graçiana’s Matzah and Lamb Pies for Passover

41.Andalusian Soup from María Días’s Passover Seder

42.Ana Cortes’ Cocas and Roasted Lamb from the Jewish Ghetto of Majorca

43.Unleavened Flat Snow Cakes of María Gonzáles 




Mexico 

44.Blanca Enríquez’s Mexican Small Cakes

45.Salomón de Machorro’s Fish Tacos

46.Passover Indian Wheat and Herbs Crackers 

47.Chestnut and Date Haroset Balls from Ferrara

48.The Castellanos’ Lamb and Lettuce Stew with Unsalted Bread

49.Shmira Matzah: Freekeh Bread




Morocco 

50.Murakkaba: Moroccan Mufleta for Mimouna

51.Seffa: Sweet Fideos for Mimouna

52.Sweet Couscous




SHAVUOT

Italy 

53.Monte Sinai: The Jewish Marzipan Pastry




Spain

54.Bread of the Seven Heavens




Morocco 

55.Barkoukch: Sweet and Creamy Couscous Porridge 




SHABBAT




Brazil 

56.Meat Pie of the Fernandes Conversos from Bahia for Shabbat




Mexico 

57.Mexican Shabbat Fried Fish 

58.Salted Flatbreads

59.Carne Asada: Grilled Marinated Beef

60.Ground Nut Halvah




Spain

61.Beef Empanada

62.María Garcia’s Young Pigeon Pie for Shabbat

63.Bernal and Maria Alvares’ Breadcrumb and Swiss Chard Frittata

64.Cilantro and Garlic on Unleavened Bread with Cheese

65.Diego García Costello’s Fish Empanadas for Shabbat

66.Goat Meat Stew and Unsalted Barley Cakes for Sabbath in the Canary Islands 

67.13th Century Andalusian Challah

68.Garlic and Parsley Challah Croutons

69.The Geniza Hummus + my hummus recipe




Arabia

70.Harīsa: Wheat Grain and Chicken Stew




MARZIPAN




Spain

71.Ruperto de Nola’s Marzipan, 1529

72.Unbaked Marzipan with Egg Whites

73.Original Marzipan







EVERY OCCASION

Italy 

74.Pignolata al Miele: Fried and Honeyed Italian Pastries 

75.Frittole: Sweet Orange and Raisin Italian Donuts

76.Rafioli Fatte all’Hebrea: The Venice Inquisition Sweet

77.Pignorati: De’ Medici Italian Cookies with Pine Nuts and Almond Paste




Thessalonica

78.Formigo: White Garlic and Almond Soup with Picos Camperos Breadsticks




Spain 

79.Hormigo: Breadcrumb Chicken 

80.Ysabel Veles’s Stewed Chards with Cheese and Breadcrumbs






MAIMONIDES

Morocco 

81.Ḥarīra: Flour Soup

82.Modern Ḥarīra: Tomato and Flour Soup







THE PORTRAIT OF LOZANA:

THE LUSTY ANDALUSIAN WOMAN




Andalusia 

83.Fideos: Tuna with Vermicelli Noodles 

84.Aldonza’s Empanadillas

85.Couscous With Chickpeas 

86.Small Green Meatballs with Cilantro

87.Hojuelas: Rolled and Fried Pastry for Esther

88.Pestiños: Deep-Fried Pastry from Andalusia

89.Hemp Nougatine (Brittle)

90.Sesame Seed Nougatine (Brittle) 

91.Nuégados: Orange and Honey Fried Pastry

92.Cordovan Sopaipas: Small Fried Cakes

93.Hojaldres: The Siam Squash Puff Pastry 

94.Hormigos: Hand Made Semolina Couscous

95.Talvinas: Barley Porridge with Silan 

96.Zahínas: Sorghum and Orange Porridge

97.Nabos sin Tocino y con Comino: Turnips with Cumin Seeds and Bread Crust

98.Olla Reposada: Adafina, The Iconic Sephardic Dish

99.Col Murciana con Alcaravea: Murcian Cabbage with Caraway

100.Boronía: Eggplant and Meatball Stew

101.Cazuela de Berenjenas Mojí: Stuffed Eggplant Casserole

102.Rosquillas de Alfaxor: Honey Stuffed Rings

103.Alfajor: Honey and Nut Sandwich




CREATIONS




104.Shortbread with Dates

105.Eid al Banat: Fried and Honeyed Crowns for Girls’ Day

106.Mantecados: Velvety Cinnamon Spanish Cookies

107.Date and Pomegranate Cake for Rosh HaShana

108.Passover Chocolate and Nut Bars

109.Sephardic Matzah Toffee 

110.Mollete: Floured Rolls from Antequerra 

111.Middle Eastern Cookies with Tehina, Chocolate, Sesame, and Labneh  

112.Mexican Sopaipillas with Sweet Chipotle Sauce

113.Sweet and Buttery Braided Challah

114.Za’atar and Nigella Chickpea Crackers with Labneh 

115.Potato Matzah 

116.Purple Corn Tortilla and Fried Eggplant with Tehina, Lime and Cilantro sauce

117.Cheese Tapioca Matzah 

118.Ma’assal: Moroccan Lamb Stew 

119.Batbot: Flat and Chewy Moroccan bread

120.Passover Muruzia jam

121.Apple Bunuelos with Tea and Honey 

122.Ocho Candelikas: Hanukkiah Challah Candles

123.Burnt Basque Cheesecake 

124.Andalusian Angel Hair Challah

125.Salmorejo and Matzah: Cold Tomato Soup from Andalusia




Index

Bibliography

Acknowledgments