12/11/2013

<Book Club> Natsu Nishiura

Why I chose the book? The book is written about Jewish life and her familys history. I am interested in both. I like cooking and the book has many Jewish recipes. The book is a memoir. I like reading to someones memories.

Miriams Kitchen
Elizabeth Ehrlich

About the author - Elizabeth Ehrlich

Elizabeth Ehrlich (born October 12, 1954) is an American Jewish author. She was born in Detroit, and currently lives in Westchester County, New York. The title Miriams Kitchen came from her mother in law Miriam

Progress Status
> I have read two third of the book( about 200p). The book has 13 chapters and was divided in each month. > I have read it from September(1st chapter) to April. Each chapter is not a continuous story. She wrote various topics at random about the month.

Summary of the book

The author, Elizabeth, thought about her life as Jewish American. And she mentioned her relatives history. She explained Jewish religious ceremonies and rules. Sometimes she suffered and had doubts their rules. Miriam, her mother in law, told Elizabeth many stories in the kitchen with her recipes. It meant that she wanted Elizabeth to know and hand on their culture and history. She found she had a duty to take over her relatives history and her religion to a next generation. She described Miriams cooking episodes very carefully. She observed Miriams motion and voice minutely. It was like sacred ritual things.

Interesting point -1- Kosher Kitchen

<How to keep Kosher Kitchen> >You must not mix dairy and meet.
And so, if you want to keep ideal kosher kitchen, you have to use two sinks, two heats , two ovens, two shelves ,two dishwashers, two sets of dishes, two sets of utensils and cutlery.

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Interesting point-2- common knowledge

Interesting point-3- Subtitles

Elizabeth used subtitles for expressing her feelings in all chapters. They indicated her mind to be Jewish American. They were very useful to catch the chapters point.
They are examples (in turn)

She had different common knowledge

Elizabeth didnt know that they got presents in Christmas because they didnt celebrate Christmas of course. New year is in September under Jewish calendar. ( they have also different New Year in China, in India, in Thai etc.) It depends on religion, culture and history. I know other countries or other culture have different customs. But she lives in the USA. If I were her, I would be confused about the differences because her friends and her society have different common knowledge.

Longing(desire), Inheritance, Obligation, Observance, Decisions, The life force, Community, Continuity.
> Elizabeth said that she was Jewish and American, and the identification with her hybrid roots was also strong. she strove to be pure hybrid.

What I leaned from this book

A kitchen and foods have a strong connection to memories. It remained me that I talked with my mother in a kitchen as we were cooking when I was young. It was a ordinary thing, however it was a precious time. I learned a lot of things from my mother in the kitchen. Strict religious rules were really hard as I thought. And they dont keep every rule faithfully. In the book, her relatives (her parents, her grand parents, her uncle aunt) told her their reminiscences a lot. I have never listened my grand parents history and I dont have grandparents and in low either. If only I could have listened their stories before.

I wish I would cook Jewish dishes!

10

Egg Salad

Apple Cake

Chicken Soup

Potato Pancakes