With this third book, Marks revisits the territory covered in The World of Jewish Cooking and The World of Jewish Entertaining, encompassing Jewish food from around the world. While the previous two books were notable for the wide range of recipes they provided, it appears that Jews all around the world consume similar desserts. More exotic delicacies like Calcutta Coconut Bread Pudding and Persian Rice Flour Cookies are outnumbered by Hungarian “Farfel” Bars, which cleverly call for shredding the dough into pellets, and Ashkenazic Honey-Spice Cookies. Marks once again provides excellent recipes as well as interesting tidbits of information, such as Talmudic mentions of sweets and a review of the various cheeses used in Jewish cooking. Greek Anise Fritters and Italian Anise Fritters, as well as Algerian, Raised Donuts, and Dutch Yeast Fritters, are all featured in a chapter dedicated to fried pastries. The Ashkenazic Fruit Coffee Cake and German Apple Coffee Cake (both made with yeast dough) have a lot in common (which Marks suggests making with apples, pears, plums, or peaches). There are lots of holiday goodies, including several Hamantaschen varieties and a Passover dessert chapter that includes everything from a simple Passover Sponge Cake to a Sephardic Baked Matza Custard. Overall, his book is a lively collection of classic meals.
