Moise Safra Center Cooking Class and Book launch "Jews, Food and Spain", New York

Sephardi: Cooking the History with Hélène Jawhara-Piñer

In this extraordinary cooking class, chef and scholar Hélène Jawhara-Piñer has selected some of her favorite recipes from her latest cookbook, Sephardi: Cooking the History. Recipes of the Jews of Spain and the Diaspora, from the 13th Century to Today, to serve up in our culinary studio.  Steeped in the history of the Sephardic Jews and their diaspora, these recipes are expertly collected from such diverse sources as medieval cookbooks, Inquisition trials, medical treatises, poems, and literature.  Original sources ranging from the thirteenth century onwards and written in Arabic, Spanish, Portuguese, Occitan, Italian, and Hebrew, bear witness to the culinary diversity of the Sephardim, who brought their cuisine with them and kept it alive wherever they went.

Jawhara-Piñer provides enlightening commentary for each recipe, revealing underlying societal issues from anti-Semitism to social order. Hélène Jawhara Piñer holds a doctoral degree in Medieval History and the History of Food. In 2018, she was awarded the Broome & Allen Fellowship of the American Sephardi

Federation, dedicated to recognizing outstanding academic accomplishments and services to the    Sephardic community, as well as encouraging continued excellence in the field of Sephardi studies.

Each creation and bite of the dishes are guaranteed to transport you to the most deeply moving and intriguing aspects of Jewish history. Jawhara-Piñer reminds us that eating is a way to commemorate the past.

Members: $50 admission | $75 Admission + Book

Non Members: $72 admission | $95 Admission + Book