The Book of Schmaltz: Love Song to a Forgotten Fat

Author(s): Michael Ruhlman

Professional Cookery | Preserving | Offal

For culinary expert Michael Ruhlman, the ultimate goal in cooking is flavour and for certain dishes nothing introduces it half as well as schmaltz. A staple ingredient in traditional Jewish cuisine, schmaltz (or rendered chicken fat), is at risk of disappearing from use due to modern dietary trends and misperceptions about this versatile and flavor-packed ingredient. THE BOOK OF SCHMALTZ acts as a primer on schmaltz, taking a fresh look at traditional dishes like kugel, kishke and kreplach and also venturing into contemporary recipes that take advantage of the versatility of this marvelous fat. Potatoes cooked with schmaltz take on a crispness and satisfying flavour that vegetable oil can't produce. Meats and starches have a depth and complexity that set them apart from the same dishes prepared with olive oil or butter. What's more, schmaltz provides a unique link to the past that ought to be preserved. 'Schmaltz is like a thread that runs through a great tapestry,' says Ruhlman's neighbour, Lois, whose cooking inspired his own journey into the world of schmaltz. 'It's a secret handshake among Jews who love to cook and eat.'


Product Information

The definitive book on schmaltz - a staple in Jewish cuisine and a 'thread in a great tapestry,' by one of America's most respected culinary writers.

"It's about time that schmaltz got its due. And from, no less, a great food writer who isn't Jewish. Michael Ruhlman understands, as too many Jews don't, that Yiddish cooking is a worthy cuisine, deserving of attention and respect - not to mention the carefully composed recipes and gorgeous photographs you'll find in this book."----Arthur Schwartz, author of "Jewish Home Cooking: Yiddish Recipes Revisited"

Michael Ruhlman started writing about the lives of chefs twenty hers ago and he soon found an interest in becoming a trained cook himself. His innovative and successful food reference books include Ratio, The Elements of Cooking, Ruhlman's Twenty and Charcuterie. He lives in Cleveland, Ohio with his wife, photographer Donna Turner Ruhlman.

General Fields

  • : 9780316254083
  • : Little, Brown & Company
  • : Little, Brown & Company
  • : 0.606
  • : August 2013
  • : 224mm X 171mm X 18mm
  • : United States
  • : November 2013
  • : books

Special Fields

  • : Michael Ruhlman
  • : Hardback
  • : 641.5676
  • : 176
  • : Colour photographs throughout