Back in the days when Jewish food didn’t mean much beyond bagels for most New Yorkers, before za’atar was available in local supermarkets and the word shakshuka slipped easily off American tongues, Joan Nathan was already exploring the diverse world of Jewish cooking . . . laying the groundwork to becoming the world’s greatest authority on Jewish cuisine.

In her latest cookbook, My Life in Recipes: Food, Family, and Memories, Nathan shares her story and invites readers on her odyssey of discovery, from Germany to New York, Paris to Israel, and the meaning she found in two of our varied culinary traditions.

Inviting us to take a seat at her table, Joan returns to The Temple Emanu-El Streicker Cultural Center for a whirlwind tour of her discoveries, from the pomegranate syrup used by Syrian Jews in muhammara to the pungent fragrance produced by adding cinnamon to chicken and her own special take on black-and-white cookies.

A frequent contributor to The New York Times, among other publications, Joan Nathan is the author of twelve previous books and winner of multiple James Beard Awards.

Nathan will be in conversation with Ruth Reichl, New York Times bestselling author of five memoirs, the novel Delicious!, and the cookbook My Kitchen Year. Her newest and second novel, The Paris Novel, will be published in late April 2024. She was editor in chief of Gourmet magazine, and previously served as restaurant critic for The New York Times, as well as food editor and restaurant critic for the Los Angeles Times. She has been honored with six James Beard Awards.

$36 GENERAL ADMISSION + BOOK (IN-PERSON)
$45 VIRTUAL + BOOK (US ONLY)