To be seated at a Sephardic table is to bare witness to centuries of a mesmerizingly rich cultural heritage overflowing with traditions and festivities, symbols and superstitions, stories and insights, fragrances, tastes and culinary secrets – all handed down from generation to generation around the ever-present Sephardic feast.
Following the expulsion of the Jews in 1492 by King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain, Sephardic Jewish communities spread to new shores bringing with them their rich gastronomic heritage from Moorish Spain which naturally evolved into a wonderfully complex fusion of flavours incorporating Ottoman Turkish, Greek, Hispanic, African and other influences.
Deeply inspired by her roots and constantly immersed in its traditions, author, artist and Sephardic cuisine expert Stella Cohen has set out to record the legacy of this vibrant, fascinating yet vanishing world for posterity and tell the story of her own family’s cultural journey from Rodos (where her great-grandfather Haham Yaacov Capouya, was the esteemed sage and Rabbi of Rhodes) to Rhodesia (today known as Zimbabwe) where she has raised her family to continue the traditions as passed on to her. In 1986, “Sephardic Cuisine” by Stella Cohen, a humble spiral bound cookbook, was independently published under the auspices of the Sephardic community of Zimbabwe and quickly became an international success, being reprinted many times over. For more than ten years, Stella has worked at revising and extending the original to include a more thorough exploration of the age-old subject and the techniques and traditions around it.
Stella’s Sephardic Table is a treasure trove of inspiration for the soul, filled with over 250 sumptuous easy-to-follow recipes, all lavishly illustrated and garnished with anecdotes, Ladino sayings, essays and rare insights into family-cherished tips and tricks traditionally passed from mother to daughter.