Nosh: Plant-Forward Recipes Celebrating Modern Jewish Cuisine

by Micah Siva

For those who want to connect with Jewish culinary history while following a plant-based diet, Nosh offers more than 80 recipes that can be served at shabbat, holidays, and even better, every day.

Nosh is the cookbook for the modern Jewish kitchen, drawing inspiration from history through a 21st century lens. Food is a central part of the Jewish culture, and those who don't connect with the foods of yesterday may feel as though a part of their heritage is missing. With the rise in plant-based eating across the globe, Nosh, and its more than 80 recipes, is an ideal guide for those looking to connect with and share their Judaism in a way that feels authentic in today's landscape. Author, food writer, and registered dietician Micah Siva hopes to inspire meals not only for the holidays, but for the simple joy of elevating beloved Jewish flavors into everyday life.

Genres: Cookbooks, Nonfiction, Cooking, Food, Foodie

256 pages, Hardcover

Published March 5, 2024

About the author

Micah Siva is a trained chef, registered dietitian, recipe writer, and food photographer, specializing in modern Jewish cuisine. After graduating from the Natural Gourmet Institute of Health & Culinary Arts, she pursued a career in nutrition and later worked for global brands, media outlets, and publications in food media. She shares Jewish-inspired, plant-forward recipes through her blog, Nosh with Micah. Micah lives in San Francisco, California, with her husband, Josh, newborn son, and their mini sheepadoodle, Buckwheat.

Reviews

[Lynne · Rating 5 out of 5]

As an avid cook, going on my ninth year of being vegan, I thought I’ve learned all the techniques possible. But here are some new ones! I taste tested the mushroom brisket, Mandelbrot, latkes, cucumber, salad, and pomegranate lentil tabouli. All were outstanding! I also plan to try many more items from this book. Thank you to Toledo Jewish Federation for bringing this author to our small community and for the delicious event.

[Leah M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and The Collective Book Studio for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I didn’t really expect or plan to read two Jewish cookbooks back to back, but if there’s ever a time to do this it is in the weeks preceding the High Holy Days. With the exception of fast days, most Jewish holidays involve a ton of cooking and have some traditional foods associated with each. I enjoy incorporating some new recipes into our own holiday celebrations whenever possible.

Plant-based meals can be fantastic, and I do my best to incorporate at least one plant-based dinner weekly. This works fantastically when I’m on my own, but not all of my family members have as adventurous a palate as I do. So I’m always on the lookout for a creative new reimagining of traditional and well-loved recipes that everyone at the table will enjoy. Or at least most people at the table, since we tend to be a bunch of picky eaters.

Siva takes some of the most well-known recipes in Jewish cuisine and makes them sound (and look) equally, if not more, delicious than the originals, without the meat. The recipes are paired with gorgeous photographs of the finished product, which absolutely played a role in how many pages I bookmarked. Hint: It’s almost all of them. She also includes a brief note about the recipe, and even offers substitutions to make for the recipe to be vegan.

While most people think of chicken soup, matzo balls, bagels and lox, and pastrami when it comes to Jewish cuisine, these foods are associated with Ashkenazi Jews, or those who lived in Eastern Europe during the diaspora. However, ignoring the traditional foods of Mizrahi Jews (diaspora communities throughout the SWANA region) and Sephardi Jews (who spent diaspora in Spain, Portugal, and some regions of the Ottoman Empire) misses out on some fantastic flavors and exciting ways to eat foods that we have every single year.

The book starts out with sample menus for Shabbat as well as all the other Jewish holidays, followed by a glossary of Jewish food terms. From there, she transitions to the good stuff — the recipes. Breakfast and brunch get their own section, while additional recipes are broken down by where they fit into the meal: soups; salads, spreads, and sides; main dishes; breads and desserts; drinks (both alcoholic and not); and essentials, which include seasoning blends, jams, and other pantry essentials.

I have been loving the way that Jewish cuisine is experiencing what feels like an upswing. Shabbat dinner, Passover seders, Purim hamantaschen, dairy entrees for Shavuot, the celebration of Rosh Hashanah with sweet foods, and Chanukah latkes and sufganiyot (donuts) all have new life breathed into them with vegetarian and vegan options. Rather than utilizing highly processed meat substitutes, Siva incorporates fruit, vegetables, grains, and dairy (or non-dairy substitutes) to create healthy and tasty recipes. Overall, this is a fantastic book whether you’re Jewish or not, and whether you follow a plant-based diet or not, because so many of these recipes had my mouth watering even though I also love the traditional and meat-inclusive recipes. But there’s no way I’m ever trying a different honey cake recipe than the one that has graced our Rosh Hashanah tables every year of my life. So don’t miss this one!

[Goth Radio Hour · Rating 3 out of 5]

The carrot lox was amazing! In general Nosh has excellent flavor profiles across each dish I made. The portions were a good size, and the pictures were pretty to boot too!

My biggest gripe about this book is with a recipe that is labeled vegan in the header, but then has honey as an ingredient, to only then in the variations box at the bottom suggest to use a different sweetener to make it truly vegan. If those things had been switched, i.e. put honey as the variant it would have been fine.

Apart from that (hopeful typo) this cookbook has delicious vegan recipes, and I appreciate Siva taking the time/space to add a text box about how mushrooms do not count as protein and should be used with tofu/beans to round the dishes out.

[Liane · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is the book I’ve been waiting for!

I’ve been vegan for years, and have been waiting for a high quality cookbook that focuses on Jewish food, I’m so excited to try these recipes!

[Online Eccentric Librarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

More reviews (and no fluff) on the blog http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/

Although I am not Jewish and so cannot attest to how these taste compared to the non-plant based versions, I can say that what is in here is very good. The recipes have tips for vegetarian palettes as well, providing a lot of options when serving guests. The book is full color, full of photographs and nicely laid out.

The book breaks down as follows: Noshing through tradition, breakfast & brunch, soups, salads/spreads/sides, mains, baking and desserts, cocktails and beverages, essentials, index, measurement conversions. Recipes include: mohn cookies, garlic toum, lemony blintzes, halvah granola, yossi's lemony lentil soup, floater herbed matxo balls, pomegranate lentil tabbouleh, vegan potato latke, sweet potato and sage vareniki with hazelnuts, creamy mamaliga, everything bagel spice, vegan egg cream, halvah milkshake, and many more.

Each recipe comes with a large photograph. Many have tips about Jewish holidays/traditions celebrations. Serving size and completion time are given at the top. Allergy considerations are expressed through small symbols (e.g., wheat, completely plant based, etc.). There is a nice description of the food as well as personal insights by the author. Ingredients are listed on the left and separated by type (e.g., for apple and honey porridge, the ingredients for the apple topping and the ingredients for the porridge itself are listed separately). Directions are in large chunky, unnumbered paragraphs. Many recipes have large callout boxes with tips, notes, variations. There is no nutrition information.

The book also has tradition chapters in the beginning: shabbat matrix, holiday and everyday menus, Jewish food glossary, helpful hints. I found this particularly useful since I was not as versed in especially the terms but also many of the holidays and traditions. The first item I made was a hummus and I appreciated that there were variations (I ended up making the harissa spicier version) and it came out very well. There are some really good and well thought out tips throughout.

In all, very pleased with the book. There are a LOT of recipes but the directions were easy to follow and the ingredients not too difficult to find. I appreciated all the photography and this is well presented. I think the only thing I miss was having directions in short numbered paragraphs rather than than large unnumbered blocky paragraphs. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

[Lauren Alpert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nosh, Plant-Forward Recipes Celebrating Modern Jewish Cuisine is packed with vibrant stories, information about Jewish cuisine, cooking vegan, and gorgeous photos along with delicious recipes. Everything is so neatly organized and incredibly detailed. There’s a Shabbat Matrix which I can really relate to, and a section that covers nutrients and substitutions which is so helpful. The holiday menus, Jewish food glossary and helpful hints are fantastic, there’s even a “how to use this book” section that makes everything so easy. I’ve made a few of the recipes, and they are outstanding. I make the Matzo Olive Oil Granola all the time. It’s so delicious and easy, and a healthy snack anytime. I made the Tempe and Artichoke Marbella, but I substituted with Tofu because that’s what I had. I loved the description for this one, it brought me back to my childhood when my mom make this dish (with chicken) all the time. I haven’t had it since, because I’m vegetarian, so I was excited to make this. It was packed with flavor, and it tasted even better the next day as leftovers. The photos in this book are so gorgeous and the graphic design is superb. I want to make everything. I’m using to use this cookbook for a long time. You don’t have to be vegan or vegetarian or even Jewish to love this book. You just have to love healthy, delicious and beautiful food.

[Macy · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a lovely, decadent and yet healthier cookbook than so many others for this style of food. . With the holidays coming up I thought this might offer some healthier twists on recipes I’ve made before and offer some new recipes to share that won’t turn my/our arteries into solids. This book offers just what I was looking for. The recipes are delicious, easy to follow, are delicious and are accompanied by lovely photographs. I decided to try a few of the recipes and they were so good. I made the lemon lentil soup, and chickpea noodle soup and next up will be the sweet and sour cabbage soup. Also made the latkes, Za’atar and feta khachapuri (I did use pizza dough from my favorite pizza shop) and I know this is going to be a staple over the winter. Can’t wait to try the cast iron potato and caramelized onion kugel, and a bunch of the desserts, the lemon blintzes, the kreplach and others. I try to eat vegetarian/pescatarian most of the time for health reasons and these recipes offer many wonderful options for any day, but particularly for the holidays when we all typically leave the table stuffed in need of a nap. A nice book for your own collection, but also as a gift instead of bringing yet another bottle of wine.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley.com in exchange for a fair and honest review.

[Karalee Shotola · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a vegetarian, I am always intrigued by plant-based cookbooks. Nosh includes over 80 recipes for breakfast, soups, salads, mains, desserts, and drinks based on plant-forward Jewish cuisine. The cookbook begins with an introduction to nosh and a plant-forward lifestyle, suggested menus, and a Jewish food glossary, which is great for those not that familiar with plant-based dishes or Jewish food. Next are the recipes.
The recipes include an introduction to the dish, an ingredient list, directions, cook time, and dietary labels including if the recipe is vegan, contains egg, contains dairy, is gluten-free, and Passover-friendly. I like that the cookbook includes dietary labels because those with allergies or dietary restrictions can easily see if the recipe is suitable for them. Also, most of the recipes include a photo, which I appreciate because I am not that familiar with Jewish dishes.
Some of the dishes I would like to try are the Lemoney Blintzes, Vegan Potato Latkes, Savory Pulled Mushroom and Tofu "Brisket", and Salted Honey Apple Fritters. Overall, Nosh is a great cookbook for those interested in plant-forward Jewish dishes.

Thank you NetGalley for sending this book for review.

[Brianne C. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the best cookbook I've come across in years! The recipes are vegetarian/vegan twists on traditional Jewish dishes. I'm not Jewish myself, but I have Jewish friends. Having veg versions of the recipes for food I've enjoyed with them in the past is amazing!

What I love:
-The adaptations are really creative, sometimes swapping meats for proteins like tofu, tempeh, or chickpeas, but also for veggies like cauliflower or celeriac!
-The photos are bright and colorful!
- The recipes are marked with allergens and dietary restrictions for quick reference(contains eggs, contains dairy, gluten-free, vegan, and Passover friendly!)
- It has full menu suggestions for several Jewish Holidays

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Anonymouse · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not Jewish and few of my Jewish friends keep kosher so I'm a little far from the inherited diet and ritual that Micah Siva grew up with. But I'm always interested in evolving culinary traditions and this book fits right in. Ms. Siva, whose family is eastern European Ashkenazi and who married into a Sephardic family, has taken up the challenge of adopting and adapting these traditions to vegetarian and vegan ideals. "Nosh" is a cookbook filled with interesting ideas for mundane and celebratory meals meals, adapting traditional meat-based recipes to use different ingredients and pulling in other vegetable based recipes, particularly from the Mediterranean region and around the Levant. I enjoyed the recipes and their presentation.

I received an eARC from the publisher through NetGalley.com.

[Victoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes a pretty cover is all I need. I read cookbooks for fun and knowledge. I collect cook books that I want to go back to over and over.

The cover of Micah Siva’s NOSH: Plant forward recipes celebrating modern Jewish cuisine caught my eye because of the black and white cookies in the corner (hubby’s favorite) and the giant NOSH superimposed 3D over chicken soup, hummus and other goodies. I am the queen of a good snack (even if it is a three course meal) After that, it went a little down hill.

Don’t get me wrong; it is a beautiful book filled with fabulous photos, tons of stories and explanations about eating “plant forward” and a Jewish food glossary. (Woo hoo).

I like my pictures labeled. I’m old. I don’t want to guess what I’m looking at; I want to be told.

In progress …

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

That was beautiful! First of all, I loved the pictures. So bright and cheery. Secondly, I loved the recipes and their creativity. The one thing that makes a cookbook stand out is that it should inspire/excite you to cook (well I think so anyway) and this hit the spot. There's variants for each recipes and honestly quite flexible. The ingredients list wasn't overwhelming or intimidating and many recipes are quite useful for people who work or are in college. Many of them can be meal prepped. There's also a mix of comforting, sweet, spicy and fancy which is to say something for everyone.

Thanks to the publisher for this ARC!

[Debra Lipton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an amazing cookbook. The recipes are so delicious and so easy to follow and the book is beautiful! Of all my cookbooks this one has the best layout. It makes following the recipe so easy. I've already made half of the recipes in the book and each one has been delish. This cook book is the perfect modern veg take on classic jewish recipes. My family has been obsessed with the recipes! The cover and all the photography are beautiful too, such a good one to put on a display in my kitchen. Love it!

[Rachel Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everything about this cook book is so well done from start to finish! The formatting/layout of the book is very organized which makes for an easy follow along and the beautifully curated pictures bring the recipes to life on the pages. The recipes themselves are a fresh take on plant-based modern Jewish cooking; which might sound niche but can be (and is) enjoyed by all! It is so clear that this book was made by Micah with love, thoughtfulness, and dedication which shines through on every page. Get this book now and start cooking memories with your loved ones!

[Bozhena Levine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you The Collective Book Studio and NetGalley for the advanced electronic review copy of this wonderful book. This is a wonderful compilation of Jewish recipes adapted with the plant-based diet in mind. I’ve been making the original recipes with meat, fish, and dairy all my life and am so excited to see and try the healthier, plant-based version with easily available ingredients. Gorgeous photos, wonderful descriptions, and delicious recipes combine into this must-have book. Looking forward to purchasing multiple copies for myself and presents.

[Joan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ll tell you up front I didn’t read the whole book. I’m NOT a cook! I read this to see how she handled various memories of mine. She got a high grade when she raved about Kasha (roasted buckwheat). I did knock a star off for the sin of unlabeled if delicious looking dishes. I need captions to know what I’m looking at (second sentence again!). I am going to try to buy a copy of this, so clearly I loved what I read! I’ll give to my daughter (in law) who IS a cook!

[Jodi Bennett · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is beautiful with wonderful pictures and captivating stories for each recipe. There are so many wonderful recipes to try. I like the way everything is laid out, quite the usual fashion. The essentials section covers quite a bit and they all sound delicious. There are pictures for almost every recipe, beautiful pictures showing what the final dish should look like. I really enjoy that aspect to know I have made the dish properly. So many recipes to try, now where to start???

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading over these recipes and am excited about trying many of them out with my family. The information about eating a more plant oriented diet was presented in an easy to understand way, while the descriptions of each recipe grabbed my attention and made me interested to read more. I'm truly looking forward to making many of these recipes.

[Erika P. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book so much! Thank you to NetGalley and the Collective Book Studio for the cookbook. I really enjoyed the new takes on classic recipes that I didn't think could be done with plant-based ingredients. In particular, I'm excited to try making the hamantaschen. Highly recommend!

#nosh #netgalley

[Kell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, what a needed book this is! I recently found out I am Eastern European with Ashkenazi Jewish! This looks to be a fantastic way to explore my roots at the table! It also looks like the recipes could help with a few stomach troubles. Thanks so much for putting this together!

[Lorraine Gregory · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this cookbook and highly recommend it! It's a creative way to eat some traditional Jewish foods while also incorporating more plants into your diet.

I personally loved all of the family stories and history incorporated throughout. I learned about Micahs family and Jewish traditions!

[Sue Siva · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderfully presented way to “nosh” into a healthier lifestyle. These recipes are not only delicious but showcase the benefits of a plant based diet while exciting the palate. Kudos to Micah for getting us back to our roots with plants!!

[Jonathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Must have cookbook! We have loved all of these recipes, which have been a huge hit with friends and family! Nosh recipes have been part of our regular rotation. Cannot recommend highly enough, buy Nosh today!

[Zachary Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

The definitive cook book on plant based Jewish cooking. Cannot say enough great things about it! The flow, the recipes, the creativity, it is a must have for any kitchen and cook.

[Barry Grobman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful work of art!!! Great recipes, pictures and everything is so delicious!!! Flavours jump out !!
Love this book!!

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nosh is an interesting cookbook that offers vegan versions of Jewish staples. It includes everything from matzo balls to black-and-white cookies and everything in between. It's varied and unique.

[Peggy Nehmen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a BEAUTIFUL cookbook! Tasty recipes, amazing photography. It has both vegan and vegetarian recipes. Yummy!

[Davida]

I liked looking at the pictures and reading the recipes, but I'm returning it to the library for the next person. I don't really use paper cookbooks anymore, sadly.