If you’re a Jewish vegetarian or vegan and have ever lamented that so many culturally Jewish foods seem out of reach for you, Micha Siva’s new cookbook, Nosh, is here to turn that around.
For Siva, who studied cooking in culinary school and pursued a nutrition degree in college, food is not just about fueling your body – it’s so much more. It’s about connecting to your family, your history, tradition, and your community. The connection to her Jewish community and the memories of cooking traditional Jewish dishes with her grandmother are a clear driving force in her passion for her foods, and it’s something that shines through in this book. But as she developed a more “plant-forward” health-based lifestyle in adulthood, some of those traditional Jewish foods from her childhood, often made with meats and fish, didn’t quite fit within her diet.
The central theme of Nosh is Siva’s creativity in finding a way to adapt some of these traditional Jewish foods and adapt them to be more plant-based and healthy while still having those nostalgic flavors and meaning. Maybe you don’t eat beef anymore, but that doesn’t mean you might not still long for that feeling you had while eating brisket, which is where Siva steps in with recipes like her Savory Pulled Mushroom and Tofu “Brisket.”
Photo by Micha Siva
Or maybe you’re preparing a brunch and wish you could still do bagels and lox, missing that smokey and salty flavor you get from the lox. In a stroke of genius, Siva came up with a recipe for Carrot Lox that gets you those flavors using things like liquid smoke and nori seaweed to become the bagel topping you’ve been craving.
Photo by Micha Siva
But this book isn’t just for those who are already vegan or vegetarian. It’s for anyone who has thought about incorporating more plant-based foods into their life or who has thought about cutting back on meat but has been unsure of where to start. Something I could personally appreciate was the way Siva lays out a comprehensive guide to what it means to eat “plant-forward.” Have you wondered about protein substitutes? Dairy? How you’ll get your daily iron content? This cookbook is ready to educate you on all of it.
As Siva points out, for the Jewish cook, dairy-free recipes can be useful, not just for those looking for ways to make dishes pareve to have with some of your meals. But if you do love your cheese, she does have some real dairy recipes included, that still offer an exciting and tasty twist, like her Tahini Mac and Cheese Noodle Kugel.
Photo by Micha Siva
Being married to a vegetarian myself, I enjoyed perusing Nosh for all these fun, new ideas for plant-based recipes, and I was really amazed by all the possibilities that I would have never thought of. There are so many great tips available that are so valuable for weeknights, Shabbat, holidays, Passover-friendly adjustments, and more that I know I’ll probably be going back to this book in the future when I’m in need of help feeding the vegetarian in my life.
But beyond all the talk about plant-based diets, I could feel Siva’s love for her Jewish traditions and family at the core of every dish she put together. Maybe it won’t be traditional the way some people remember. However, it’s still about celebrating Jewish heritage and finding a way to honor the old ways with a twist of something new without sacrificing the meaning and beauty that made it special.
