COOKBOOK REVIEW: Fress by Emma Spitzer

Shane | 27 July 2017 | Reply

COOKBOOK REVIEW: Fress by Emma Spitzer

Hachette Australia
April 2017
Hardcover, $39.99
Reviewed by Shane Pinnegar

Cooking

6.5/10

A 2015 UK Masterchef finalist, Emma Spitzer brings the experience of her mother’s Jewish culinary knowledge, and her mother-in-law’s Algerian upbringing, not to mention her travels in North Africa, Egypt and further afield, in Fress (from a Yiddish word, meaning “to eat copiously and without restraint”)

It’s an exotic mix that combines many of the Northern African flavours that have become more popular in recent years, and embraces her family’s Polish and Russian roots.

Za’atar, harissa, pomegranate, dukkah, fetta, chicken soup, chick peas and labneh all feature prominently in some wonderful dishes, though Spitzer does lean more heavily on traditional recipes, rather than striding boldly into new territory.

That’s not entirely a bad thing: traditional dishes are traditional for a very good reason. They use indigenous ingredients to their best, and have stood the test of time. Even in these multi-cultural times, there is much exoticism in the likes of Bourekas (mini puff pastry pies), spiced cod falafel, sumac chicken, Schnupfluden (sort of a German version of gnocchi) with creamy mushroom sauce, and her Israeli White Chocolate Cheesecake and Baklava with Chocolate Drizzle are just to die for.