Gursha Timeless recipes for modern kitchens, from Ethiopia, Israel, Harlem, and beyond

Chef and owner of Harlem's Tsion Café, Barhany displays a beautiful tapestry of Ethiopian foods and traditions. With many stories of her Ethiopian Jewish family and cultural traditions, Barhany paints a vivid picture that captures both her personal journey and appetizing food descriptions. Recipes include berbere (an Ethiopian spice blend), injera (the classic flatbread often used like a plate for other foods), genfo (teff porridge), shakshuka (poached egg in tomato sauce), and many more. The names of each recipe are written in Amharic and English, ingredients are separated for their respective parts and are not too hard to find, and although instructions are written in paragraph form, most are not too lengthy or complicated to follow. Even newcomers to Ethiopian cuisine will be able to cook these flavorful dishes and will not be disappointed. Barhany succeeds in showing how, with the foundations of garlic, ginger, and onion, anyone can create a beautiful Ethiopian dish infused with abundance and generosity.

Chef, restaurant owner, and activist Barhany invites readers on her journey from Ethiopia to Sudan, then to Israel, and ultimately to Harlem in New York City, where she developed her unique fusion cuisine. In this book written with Elisa Ung (cowriter of Mango and Peppercorns: A Memoir of Food, an Unlikely Family, and the American Dream), Barhany opens by providing a window into her Ethiopian Jewish culture, sharing her family history and personal stories from her childhood, and recounting the caravan that brought many Ethiopian Jews to Israel. In the kitchen, Barhany's approach is simple and reassuring, emphasizing that all one needs to succeed are ginger, garlic, and onions. Her recipes, organized by course, are not only flavorful but also predominantly kosher, reflecting a variety of cuisines with a strong foundation in Tigary traditions. There are also plenty of seafood and vegetarian dishes throughout, some of which get very spicy. The most special chapter is the last, "Holidays, Celebrations, and Rituals," which creates menus for special occasions from the preceding recipes. Barhany's narrative captures the culture and history of the Beta Israel community, and her unique foodways offer recipes that are sure to delight a wide range of audiences. VERDICT This is a one-of-a-kind cookbook that reflects Barhany's life journey and introduces readers to a rich culture and its history.--Sarah Tansley