(Jewish Group) 'Modern Jewish Comfort Food' gives classics a 21st-century spin

[Behind the Aegis]

Mac and cheese kugel, funfetti mandel bread, vegan shakshuka: ‘Modern Jewish Comfort Food’ gives classics a 21st-century spin


Mac and cheese kugel, funfetti mandel bread and beet latkes are three of Shannon Sarna's contemporary twists on classic Jewish comfort foods. (Sonya Sanford/Doug Schneider)

A steaming bowl of chicken soup. Crispy, flaky schnitzel. Rich, chocolate rugelach. These are the foods that come to mind for many when they hear the term “Jewish comfort food.”

What happens when one gives that tradition an uber-contemporary twist?

Some answers can be found in Shannon Sarna’s second cookbook, “Modern Jewish Comfort Food,” which was published last Tuesday: Thanksgiving turkey kreplach, funfetti mandel bread, mac and cheese kugel.

Sarna, who focused on giving baked goods the 21st-century treatment in her first book, “Modern Jewish Baker” (think banana bread chocolate chip challah and s’mores hamantaschen) is also editor of the Jewish food blog The Nosher (which is owned by 70 Faces Media, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency’s parent company). Her site regularly publishes content on international Jewish cuisine, so she naturally brings that Diasporic lens to her own recipes, too.

Take classic chicken soup — yes, she includes all the hits, along with her experiments — which is presented in a few versions, including a Yemenite style that incorporates ingredients such as ginger paste and marrow bones. Sarna’s shakshuka, the Israeli tomato and egg-based dish, can be modified into a Mexican-inspired version or a smoky vegan version.

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