Hoffy's, The Jewesh kitchen

The traditional Jewish restaurant

Hoffy’s, in Antwerp, Belgium, has been

a household name in gastronomy for

more than 30 years. Orthodox and hip,

kosher and cool: the meals presented

by the Jewish Hoffman brothers in

Hoffy’s, their restaurant-cum-takeaway,

are one big culinary paradox. Prepared

according to the dietary rules of

Kashrut, but pimped so creatively that

the traditional food has become trendy.

Judaism has many traditions and

rituals, including in the kitchen. The

practice of kosher is well known, but the

fact that there are different dishes for

each of the many Jewish festivals is less

familiar. The Jewish religious calendar

determines which meal ends up on the

table. For example, there is the typical

gefilte fish on the weekly sabbath, latkes

or potato pancakes during Hanukkah,

stuffed cabbage rolls for the Feast of

Tabernacles and filled hamantaschen

pastries at Purim.

For this book, the Hoffman brothers

delve into the rich history of Jewish

ritual feasts and reveal their family

recipes for these dishes, which have

been handed down from generation to

generation. For each recipe, they also

briefly explain the link between the dish

and the festival. As a reader you gain a

special insight into the culinary habits

of an otherwise very closed community.

With enlightening texts by Marijke

Libert and atmospheric photos by Piet

De Kersgieter.