Can you recommend an English Jewish cookbook?

[PrettyCandles]

I need a kosher cookbook with English recipes. I luurve Claudia Roden, but she's not quite what I'm looking for right now, and I just don't seem to get on with Evelyn Rose - nothing I make from her book comes out right.

Any suggestions?

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but you have totally missed the point cod, deliberately so, i think.

Yeah, Cod. Definitely smug married .

Nobody obliges you to do anything. You can choose your own level of observance. You can choose whether or not to associate with people who choose to observe differently, or who believe differently.

I don't know about Islam, but Judaism does not damn people who observe differently. We do not get sent to Hell. For that matter, Judaism doesn't believe in Hell at all.

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be very careful "arguing about religion"

Not oppressed at all rubyrioja - just think that trying to justify beliefs/religion is pretty pointless and dangerous - I think its best to ignore comments about sexist nature of religion ( any religion really) or outdated/outmoded beliefs ..........

Do you think I'm justifying, or arguing, Lisalisa? You're right, sadly we do have to be careful about that sor tof thing. But I don't feel that I am - I certainly don't feel that I have to justify myself - I hope I'm explaining, rather.

It's true, RubyRioja, that there are pressures to conform. That's going to be the same in every society, no matter what the common link. But you can get people like LisaLisa and me, who in a way are at opposite ends of the spectrum by choice, not by upbringing or ignorance, yet we can accept each other as a Jew, and treat each other with respect, with liking and with tolerance for our differences.

Did you see the BBC series 'Jews'? Caught a couple of them - was interested as the first was set in the area I live. Thought the contrast between Hasidic and Orthodox observance an interesting one, esp the 'double covering' most women in my local community practise versus the rather glamorous wigs seen in Hendon...

Re: the stresses of orthodox observance, I wsa struck by one comment (from an Anglican vicar): that his (Jewish) friend had a long and often difficult list of rules to follow, but is he did follow them he was fine. Christianity doesn't have 'rules' (esp not if you're C of E ) but they were instructed to 'love your neighbour', which is actually far more difficult to follow.

I do find the attitude to girls (rather than women, who as adults presumably have more choices) problematuic: although girls don't technically have to follow the dress code until they are 12 or 13, most families round here would expect them to be wearing tights, longer skirts etc. from three. Which is too young IMO.

An interesting thread to develop from recipe discussions

wig + hat or headscarf. Because modern wigs look too 'real'.

But Effie, that's not religious (about the little girls), it's cultural. It is a practice that a certain group of people have developed, and to live in that group you conform to that group's expectations.

Jews are also instructed to Love Thy Neighbour.

sorry that was kind of my point - same religious intructions I presume but big cultural differences re: the way they are applied. Although the film made a big deal out of the way the Hasidic community is cut off from the outside world (no tv was mentioned a lot) without pointing out all the local councillors, community groups, health workers etc. etc. who do interact with others. Not to mention our neighbours who helped DH break into our flat with the aid of a tin of kosher tomatoes . Makes a better story I suppose...

Oh I see, sorry. Wish I'd seen the film myself - everything I've heard about it makes me think that the producers emphasised the difference from most people's 'norms' and the deliberate isolation, rather than showing anything about how such a different group can live within a wider community. But then the former makes better drama.

Exactly. And the subject of the film was portrayed as the only ex-con in the village (no mention of his brother, also in the film, having been done for election fraud ). Personally I think the story of how the community does interact with the wider world would make a better film. There is a definite gender divide - I talk to women at the baby clinic, DH talks to the men in the park (they give him parenting advice )