Abadi, Jennifer Felicia 1967(?)–

* Indicates that a listing has been compiled from secondary sources believed to be reliable, but has not been personally verified for this edition by the author sketched.

PERSONAL: Born c. 1967.

ADDRESSES: Home—New York, NY. Agent—c/o Author Mail, Harvard Common Press, 535 Albany St., Boston, MA 02118.

CAREER: Writer. Graphic designer and illustrator in New York, NY; cooking teacher.

WRITINGS:

A Fistful of Lentils: Syrian-Jewish Recipes from Grandma Fritzie's Kitchen, Harvard Common Press (Boston, MA), 2002.

SIDELIGHTS: Jennifer Felicia Abadi's A Fistful of Lentils: Syrian-Jewish Recipes from Grandma Fritzie's Kitchen is a collection of more than 125 recipes. Judith Sutton, writing in Library Journal, pointed out that "her well-written, readable text provides historical context as well as family reminiscences and anecdotes." In her book, Abadi explains the foundation of the food culture that began centuries ago after Sephardic Jews fled from Spain and settled in Syria. Most of the members of Abadi's family have since relocated to Brooklyn, New York, which is home to approximately twenty percent of the less-than-150,000 Syrian Jews worldwide.

Abadi and the other women of her family learned to cook from Abadi's grandmother, Fritzie, and A Fistful of Lentils compiles family recipes handed down through the generations. These recipes retain the Sephardic tradition—all are kosher—but rely on the spices and fragrances of Middle Eastern food, with hints of ancient Asian influences. In the volume Abadi comments that "there are just a few spices … you should taste the lemon juice; you should be able to taste the mint."

In addition to recipes, including special dishes for holidays, the book contains a list of specialty stores and a menu planner. A Publishers Weekly contributor stated that Syrian-Jewish cooking is "an art form, shared among neighbors and families but closely guarded from outsiders. Luckily, Abadi offers these secrets in her book."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

BOOKS

Abadi, Jennifer Felicia, A Fistful of Lentils: Syrian-Jewish Recipes from Grandma Fritzie's Kitchen, Harvard Common Press (Boston, MA), 2002.

PERIODICALS

Booklist, April 15, 2002, Mark Knoblauch, review of A Fistful of Lentils, p. 1372.

Boston Globe, April 17, 2002, Penny Schwartz, review of A Fistful of Lentils, p. E4.

Library Journal, March 15, 2002, Judith Sutton, review of A Fistful of Lentils, p. 104.

Publishers Weekly, January 21, 2002, review of A Fistful of Lentils, p. 83.

San Francisco Chronicle, May 22, 2002, Karola Saekel, review of A Fistful of Lentils, p. 1.