OP: From My Mother's Kitchen

Harper & Row, Publishers, New York, 1979. Hardcover. Very Good Plus. First printing.

There have been hundreds of Jewish cookbooks over the years, but a particular few have won the hearts of those cooks who yearn for the good old way that “we used to eat at home.” Solidly on that list—the favorite of so many—is From My Mother’s Kitchen (1979). 

Mimi Sheraton (1926–2023) was a restaurant critic, a documenter of the food world, both in and out of the Jewish sphere, and the author of many books. This one is not only a joyous collection of recipes but also, by osmosis, a document of a way of living and a culture that sprang from the Old World and transformed in the US. 

Sheraton was raised in Brooklyn in a “modern” home, which had its origins in Central Europe. Like many other Jewish families from that part of the world, hers had left behind the strict dietary rules and traditions of Orthodox households. So for some, this will be a startling book. Amidst the potato kugel, kasha varnishkes, kneidlach, and tzimmes are an occasional crab salad with dill and other treif delectables. That is how her family ate, and Mimi Sheraton is an honest reporter. 

Everyday dishes are all here along with the special holiday treats—blintzes, potato latkes. For Passover, borscht, gefilte fish, and, naturally, matzoh brei, all of them tasting of home.

For this first printing copy, the book block and case are in Near Fine condition with the jacket showing minimal shelfwear and one closed tear to the rear. This copy comes with a handful of newspaper clippings found laid in. Suitable for collectors or for those simply in need of their first and last noodle kugel recipe.