A Kabbalah of Food: Stories, Teachings, Recipes

by Hanoch Hecht

Overview

Inspiring, mystical, and often surprising Chassidic tales combine with teachings and favorite Jewish recipes to nourish body and soul.

Stories and food have always been central to Jewish life, and in this book, they are uniquely tied together. Thirty-nine Chassidic tales, revolving around food and eating and accompanied by spiritual teachings, delve into the mysteries of the Kabbalah, the joy of the Chassidim, and the power of religious faith and acts of kindness (mitzvot). Sixty-three recipes highlight Kosher cooking and the special foods traditionally prepared for Shabbat and the major Jewish holidays, including such favorites as knishes, latkes, gefilte fish, brisket, kugel, bagels, and challah bread. Many of the recipes are suitable for children to learn to cook.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781948626323
Publisher:	Monkfish Book Publishing Company
Publication date:	11/03/2020
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	5 MB

About the Author

Rabbi Hanoch Hecht is the spiritual leader of the Rhinebeck Jewish Center in Rhinebeck, NY; the director of Chabad of Dutchess County; and the administrator of Camp Emunah, one of the largest girls’ camps in New York State.

A member of an extended family of notable rabbis in the United States and around the world, Rabbi Hecht is the son of Rabbi Shea Hecht, a well-known activist in the Lubavitcher community in Brooklyn, NY, and the grandson of the late Rabbi Jacob J. Hecht, who was the assistant and translator for the famed Lubavitcher Rebbe. Rabbi Hecht is also known as the Six-Minute Rabbi, and is the innovator of the renowned Six-Minute Torah, a speed series of classes on Judaism geared toward businesspeople with busy schedules.

A recipient of the Dutchess County Regional Chamber of Commerce’s 40 Under 40 Shaker Awards, Rabbi Hecht has taught Kosher cooking at the Culinary Institute of America and was the first rabbi to appear on The Food Network’s Chopped, competing with a priest, a nun-in-training, and a pastor. His recipes exploring Kosher and modern Jewish cuisine have been featured in publications all over the globe. Rabbi Hecht lives with his wife Tzivie and their family in Rhinebeck, NY. This is his first book.

Read an Excerpt

Contents

Introduction xiii

Part 1: Stories and Teachings

The Mystery of Kabbalah 3
The Mystical Cakes 5
The Mysterious City 10
Four Sons, the Feast, and the Godly Spark 16
The Tzaddik’s Evil Spirits 20
King David’s Psalms 23
The Three Worlds 28
A Seder without Spiritual Powers 30
The Miser’s Thirst 35
Coffee to Keep Me Awake 37
Drinking Medicine 41
The Yearlong Indulgence 43
The Shabbat Recipe 45

The Joy of the Chassidim 49
Why the Rebbe Laughed 51
A Taste of Eden 55
A Gift for the Rebbe 57
Sitting in My Plate of Food 60
Bringing Healing through Food 62
Stale Bread and Water 65
Herschel the Goat Lover 67
Bring the Tea 70
Dancing with the Food 72
The Greatest Seder 75
The Substituted Matzah 77

The Power of Religious Faith 81
The Sukkah Guest 83
The Tutor, the Prince, and the Bagel 87
Kosher Matzah for Passover in the Ukraine 91
A L’Chaim to God 93
A Glutton for God 95
The Choicest Pieces 99
But This Meat Isn’t Kosher! 101
Chofetz Chaim and the Challah 105
The Prodigy and the Butcher 107
But Is This Food Kosher? 110
Food Comes from Heaven 112
The Untouched Whiskey Distillery 115

Mitzvot! 117
The Bread in the Ark 119
The Holy Drunk 122
The Hungry Neighbor 127
Feeding the Poor 129
When Fasting Is Not Holy 131
The Loan That Led to Spiritual Delight 134
The Vinegar-Flavored Cholent 136
Is It Better to Eat a Little or a Lot? 139
A Messy Mensch 141

Part 2: Recipes

Cooking (and Eating) to Connect to God 145
The Jewish Holidays at a Glance 150

Shabbat 153
Passover 175
Shavuot 181
Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur 185
Sukkot and Simchat Torah 190
Chanukah 192
Tu B'Shevat 196
Purim 199
Breakfast Dishes 202
Dips and Salads 208
Desserts 219
Year-Round Family Favorites 223

Recipes Index 231
A Glossary of Jewish and Chassidic Terms 233
Acknowledgments 237

Table of Contents

Introduction to the Stories

Part 1: The Mystery of Kabbalah

• The Mystical Cakes
• The Mysterious City
• Four Sons, Feast, Godly Spark
• The Tzaddik’s Evil Spirits
• King David’s Psalms
• The Three Worlds
• A Seder Without Spiritual Powers
• The Miser’s Thirst
• Coffee to Keep Me Awake
• Drinking Medicine
• The Yearlong Indulgence
• The Shabbat Recipe

Part 2: The Joy of the Chassidim

• Why the Rebbe Laughed
• A Taste of Eden
• A Gift for the Rebbe
• Sitting in My Plate of Food
• Bringing Healing Through Food
• Stale Bread and Water
• Herschel the Goat Lover
• Bring the Tea
• Dancing with the Food
• The Greatest Seder
• The Substituted Matzoh

Part 3: The Power of Religious Faith

• The Sukkah Guest
• The Tutor, the Bagel and the Prince
• Kosher Matzoh for Passover
• A L’Chaim to God
• A Glutton for God
• The Choicest Pieces
• But this Meat Isn’t Kosher!
• Chofetz Chaim and the Challah
• The Prodigy and the Butcher
• But Is this Food Kosher?
• Food Comes from Heaven
• The Untouched Whiskey Distillery

Part 4: Mitzvot!

• The Bread in the Ark
• The Holy Drunk
• The Hungry Neighbor
• Feeding the Poor
• When Fasting is Not Holy
• The Loan that Led to Spiritual Delight
• The Vinegar-flavored Cholent
• Is It Better to Eat a Little or a Lot?
• A Messy Mensch

Part 5: Recipes

Introduction to the Recipes
The Jewish Holidays at a Glance
Shabbat Recipes
• Challah
• Yummy Pesto Butter
• Dill Salmon
• Moroccan Salmon
• Sephardic Spicy Fish
• Classic Gefilte Fish Balls
• Spicy Gefilte Fish Balls
• Baked Chicken
• Chicken Liver with Mushroom Sauce
• Chicken Schnitzel
• Sephardic Chicken
• Chicken Soup
• Chicken Soup with Matzoh Balls
• Fried Broccoli
• Cholent
• Kishke
• Potato Kugel
Passover Recipes
• The Seder Plate
• Charoset
• Brisket
• Almond Sugar Cookies
Shavuot Recipes
• Sweet Cheese Blintzes
• Lokshen Kugel
• Cheesecake
Rosh Hashanah&Yom Kippur Recipes
• Merren Tzimmes
• Fruit Compote
• Honey Cake
• Apple Cake
Sukkot&Simchat Torah Recipe
• Holishkes (Stuffed Cabbage)
Chanukah Recipes
• Fruit Blintzes
• Sufganiyot (Jelly Donuts)
• Potato Latkes
• Cheese Latkes
Tu B’Shevat Recipes
• Pomegranate and Couscous Salad
• Cheese Salad
• Fig Salad
Purim Recipes
• Hamantaschen
• Kreplach
Breakfast Dishes
• Montreal-Style Bagels
• Challah French Toast
• Gravlax
• Matzoh Brey
• Shakshuka
Dips&Salads
• Hummus
• Matbucha (Moroccan Tomato Dip)
• Tahini Dip
• Beet&Arugula Salad
• Cucumber Salad
• Garden Salad with Ginger Dressing
• Israeli Salad
• Lemon Pepper Carrot Salad
• Potato Salad
Desserts
• Dessert Tzimmes
• Easy Napoleons
• Rugelach
Family Favorite Recipes
• Kosher Pickles
• Knishes
• Cheese Bourekas
• Falafel
• Israeli Salad
• Pita Bread

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

“Rabbi Hanoch Hecht has done the impossible by uniting the highest Kabbalistic insights with gastronomic delights. A truly delicious combination.” — Rabbi Aaron L. Raskin, author of Thank You, God, for Making Me a Woman and co-author of The Rabbi and the CEO

“Anybody interested in Kosher cooking and Jewish recipes should be reading Rabbi Hanoch Hecht's A Kabbalah of Food.” —Justus Rosenberg, professor emeritus of languages and literature at Bard College and author of The Art of Resistance: My Four Years in the French Underground

“These stories transport us back to Old Eastern Europe and demystify Kabbalistic principles; I savored each one like a fine wine. Rabbi Hecht’s traditional Jewish recipes similarly evoke wonderful memories of my family enjoying the cooking of my grandfather, who was a Kosher chef.” —Michael Weiss, chair of wine studies at the Culinary Institute of America and author of WineWise and Exploring Wine

“As someone lucky enough to have enjoyed Rabbi Hanoch’s delicious food and wonderful Torah in person, I can attest that reading this book offers a taste of the real thing. A Kabbalah of Food is a treat for mind, soul, and palate.” —Samuel (Shai) Secunda, Jacob Neusner Professor in the History and Theology of Judaism at Bard College and author of The Iranian Talmud: Reading the Bavli in Its Sasanian Context and The Talmud's Red Fence: Menstruation and Difference in Babylonian Judaism and Its Sasanian Context

"Rabbi Hecht, a former competitor on the Food Network show Chopped, combines his passion for Jewish teaching and food in this entertaining volume."—Publishers's Weekly

"When his antics made the teacher send him out of class, Hanoch Hecht would head to the school cafeteria and hang out with Mrs. Kraus, the school cook. There, in exchange for his help with her chores around kitchen, she shared her cooking secrets with the mischievous yeshiva boy. And thus began his love for cooking. Today the spiritual leader of the Rhinebeck Jewish Center in New York’s Hudson Valley and director of Chabad of Dutchess County, Hanoch Hecht was the first rabbi ever to compete on Food Network’s Chopped. In this delightful book, Rabbi Hecht weaves precious Chasidic tales and spiritual teachings around the theme of food. With more than sixty recipes, this book will nourish the soul and stimulate the palate." —Lubavitch Magazine, Winter 2020/2021 issue