From the legendary New York destination for Jewish appetizing, a beautiful and inspiring cookbook that encompasses history, tradition, and absolutely delicious food
In 1907, a Jewish immigrant named Joel Russ landed in New York City, where he took a pushcart of herring and built a legacy that would pass down through fathers and daughters (and sons and husbands and wives) for more than a hundred years. Four generations later, the ancestral heart of Russ & Daughters continues to bustle on the Lower East Side, with three more locations throughout the city.
Over the course of a century, Russ & Daughters has fed hundreds of thousands of customers, many considering a visit to the original shop on East Houston a family tradition, weekly ritual, or New York experience. Now, for the first time, Russ & Daughters brings its world-famous institution into readers' homes. Its rich history is told through insider anecdotes from the family and characters on both sides of the counter; illuminating guides to its most famed offerings--smoked salmon, sable, sturgeon, herring, and caviar; and more than 100 cherished recipes for favorite foods like latkes, matzo ball soup, babka, and bagels, among many others.
Nothing can ever replace the experience of taking a number, kibbitzing with a slicer, waiting in line, and ordering your whitefish or belly lox. Yet this book captures some of that infectious Russ & Daughters appetizing spirit, and most importantly, brings families and friends together around the table.
"Five generations of Zimmerns have eaten food from Russ & Daughters. I cried holding these pages the first time I read them. These stories are all of ours, the hopes and the dreams, the sacrifices and losses, and the legend. I want you to cook from this incredible book and become part of the story. What a mitzvah!"
--Andrew Zimmern
"I have known the Russ family for generations. When I was a child, my dad took me at least once a month for a bit of elegantly sliced smoked salmon, a block of rich cream cheese, a dozen freshly baked bagels, and if he was feeling a flush, a big piece of delicious halvah. I have shopped and kibbitzed with the family ever since. This cookbook shares their history and provides us with delicious recipes that we all can make in our own homes. Mazel tov!"
--Martha Stewart
"One of my earliest memories is sitting in the window of our apartment, staring across the street at the Russ & Daughters' neon, and wondering if my mom would remember to bring home halvah. This cookbook is a treasure trove of recipes, history, and culture that will be halvah for the heart and soul of any New Yorker."
--Liev Schreiber
"No other cookbook I've seen has so gracefully translated the heart and soul of a storied brick-and-mortar establishment onto its pages. Then again, there's no other place quite like Russ & Daughters. Simultaneously timeless and topical, this book reminds us that everyone comes from somewhere, everyone has a dream, and everyone's gotta eat."
--Adeena Sussman, New York Times bestselling author of Shabbat and Sababa
"New York is a city that never stops changing--but sometimes, the boldest act of innovation is having the courage to stay the same. For over a century, Russ & Daughters has been an anchor in a city of constant motion, a celebration of tradition, a beacon of hospitality. [This] isn't just a cookbook--it's a celebration of what happens when you do something so well, for so long, that it becomes about more than just the food. It becomes a legacy."
--Will Guidara, New York Times bestselling author of Unreasonable Hospitality