Born in 1936 to a Syrian-Jewish family in Cairo, Claudia Roden studied in London to become a painter before becoming engrossed by the stories and recipes of Britain’s expatriate Egyptian community. She began teaching Middle Eastern cooking from her home, hosting the BBC series “Claudia Roden’s Mediterranean Cookery” and becoming a prolific food journalist and cookbook author. The Book of Jewish Food won the James Beard Foundation Cookbook of the Year Award and the National Jewish Book Award. Roden has updated and expanded her popular 1968 cookbook for a more savvy and knowledgeable audience. Not that every recipe is changed; many are not, but Roden does attempt not to rely too much on butter and oils.

Source: New York Times February 12, 2026 17:44 UTC