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Letters to Aromas |
14 The Square
Ringley Chase
Whitefield
Manchester, M45 7 UL
England
5th March, 2008
Dear Mrs. Dweck,
On visiting my daughter in Israel in September I was reading the ‘Jerusalem Post’ weekend supplement when I came across a book review for your book ‘Aromas of Aleppo’. I read the review several times and it really caught my interest.
On returning home, with a copy of the paper, I went on to Amazon and found that it was possible to purchase a copy of your book, which I promptly did.
Nothing could have possibly prepared me for the amazing experience of receiving my copy. When it arrived I opened the parcel and sat, turning the pages with amazement! It was as if my whole family jumped out of the pages to greet me!
There I met my grandparents, parents, aunts, uncles – in fact all my long since departed relatives. My mother, whose parents were born and married in Aleppo, but left there on their marriage to set up home and raise a family in Manchester, cooked just the same as all your recipes.
My father, who was born in Aleppo but grew up in Cairo with his Syrian born father and Turkish born mother, never lost his taste for this food. I have found many cookery books along the way but was always disappointed with the results of the dishes I made. I also did not like the fact, that even though some of these books were written by Jewish cooks, the recipes contained non kosher items so were difficult to reproduce. My mother died when I was 20, and even though I could cook before then, it never seemed necessary to write down her recipes, so I only had the ‘taste’ in my head. Of course all our parents and grandparents kept strictly kosher homes.
I immediately bought a copy for my daughter in Israel and my daughter in England, both of whom are married with families. Even though they are both married to Ashkenazi Jews they also love this cuisine, and have already tried several of your recipes, all of which work wonderfully. We are all, my cousins and my daughters and I, are still plucking up the courage to try to make kibbehs, which of course you make sound easy, but we know are very hard!
This seems to be one recipe and method which has died with our mothers and grandmothers.
I then proceeded to buy copies for several of my cousins, without telling them, so that when their copies arrived they were also as amazed as me. We have all decided this is too beautiful a book to be put in a shelf but needs to be on a coffee table.
We have all enjoyed reading the history of your family and the tales of the Jews of Aleppo, and looking at the beautiful pictures.
Our family names, Choueka, Tawil and Labaton are names with which I am sure you will feel familiar. The Choueka name, which had several different spellings with each brother leaving for pastures new, was all one family.
In Manchester, there is still a very thriving Sephardic community made up of Syrian, Egyptian, Persian, Iraqi and Moroccan Jews who try to keep all the old traditions, but many of the younger ones marry Ashkenazi Jews and also do not have the same interests in cooking as many of us do! Still it is all a history lesson for them and it is awakening new interests for them in the past lives of their grandparents. We, of my generation were all mostly born in England.
I am sure that your publishers would find an excellent market in this country for your book, and if you would possibly do a book tour of Manchester and London I would happily be willing to help promotes a visit to Manchester for you!
Once again, thank you so much for such a wonderful experience. May you go from strength to strength, together with your wonderful family.
Yours most sincerely,
Denise Margolis (nee Choueka)
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Dear Poopa,
I’m not sure that you know me or even remember me but I did introduce myself to you this past winter at Yeshiva of Flatbush when they had the day of inspiration for the kids.
Anyway – I wanted to take a moment to express to you what your cookbook “Aromas of Aleppo” means to me. My mom died when I was eleven and I’ll never forget the first thing I said to my dad when he came to tell me “who is going to make us Friday night dinner now?”
All of these years I said to myself- Isn’t that silly- but now that I have a family of my own I see how important Friday night dinners and traditional foods are to my children and husband.
I can’t remember my mother’s recipes so I rely on your wonderful book (and of course my mother – in- laws recipes too) to help me prepare authentic Syrian cooking and pass down our traditional foods to my children. Even though I’m married 20 years, your cookbook comes out every Friday morning just to make sure I get it right and so my mommy could be proud of me that I am carrying on our traditional Friday night and I am feeding her grandchildren well!
Thank you for being such a big part of my life without even knowing it.
May Hashem bless you and your family.
Love, Rochelle Beyda
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Dear Poopa,
How can I ever express how much I enjoyed reading Aromas of Aleppo. This is not just another cookbook! Aromas of Aleppo is a magnificent collection that is to be savored like the finest Aleppian delicacy.
Reading Aromas of Aleppo is like taking a stroll down memory lane. Your words have transported me to a place I’ve never been, Syria; and to many places I remember fondly.
While reading your book, I experienced a roller coaster of emotions. I found myself moved to tears as well as chuckling with laughter. I found myself nostalgic for the past and looking forward to the future.
Your well researched book has touched me in so many ways. I am so proud of our rich heritage and am reminded not to take it for granted. I look forward to continuing our traditions and passing them on to the next generation. More importantly, I am truly inspired because you have elevated my faith and love for Hashem and I know that my prayers will take on new meaning.
Aromas of Aleppo is indeed a treasure that no home should be without. Poopa, thank you for a job well done. May you continue to be a source of inspiration to those around you.
Sincerely yours,
Carole Azizo
Mabrook!!! You did it B'H!!!!
The book is so gorgeous and useful; great stories, pictures, instructions......
What else can I say? I'm so so proud of you!
I remember when Rebbetzin Ruchama Shain was writing her books, she told me it took her about 9 months; and she felt like that was alot! I think she did the first one on a manual typewriter! So, she said it was like having a baby!
And AoA took years!!
I just wanted to give you my congratulations and I am sure that Jesse a'h is gaining more and more "schar" for all that his parents are doing in his memory. I hear that the learning in NYC is going great!
I thought that you would be interested in the below (perhaps for Rachamim's family?).
Wishing you a healthy and happy year with lots and lots of simcha, health and good news!
Love,
Linda
Poopa,
You have really done the Sephardic Community a great service. What a tremendous accomplishment , putting together this book. The text, the photos, the recipes, the history, and your own sense of pride, which is now being passed on to all of us. I am so grateful. Thank you for having the vision and the perseverance.
Hope you , Sammy and the family have a healthy, and meaningful, New Year. You have started it off beautifully.
Love, Mozelle (David sends his best)
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Poopa Dweck’s interview on The
Leonard Lopate show
NPR 10/09/07
PRESS RELEASES
The Chicago Tribune
The Loas Angeles Times
The San FranciscoChronicle
The Record
Ladies Angel Network
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Links for Aromas of Aleppo by Poopa Dweck:
Ancient Flavors in a New Home
By FLORENCE FABRICANT
Published: September 5, 2007
http://query.nytimes.com
Culinary Orientalism
In The New York Times Magazine by Jon Fasman, 9 December 2007
http://www.brijit.com/subject/0/Poopa-Dweck
TimeOUT New York
http://www.timeout.com/newyork/articles/restaurants-bars/24154/kitchen-aid
Syrian cooking spicy and sweet
By Temima Schulman | Published 08/24/2007 | Arts & Leisure |
http://www.jstandard.com/categories/Arts-&-Leisure/?Page=5
http://www.northjersey.com
By Charles Perry, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
September 12, 2007
http://thehollytree.blogspot.com/2007/09/aleppo-style-rosh-hashana.html
Jewish Women's Archive
http://jwablog.jwa.org/node?page=1
FAYE and YAKIR LEVY , THE JERUSALEM POST
Nov. 15, 2007
http://www.jpost.com/
The Boston Globe
http://www.boston.com
http://countingsheep.typepad.com/
December 22, 2008 – Poopa Dweck on Aromas of Aleppo
http://www.augustana.edu/wvik/listings-aboutbooks.htm
By Judith Sutton, New York -- Library Journal, 8/15/2007
http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6466065.html
Book Tours, Books Signings & Interviews
China Book Tour
October 21st - November 7th 2007
Shanghai, Beijing, Hong Kong
Ladies’ Angel Network
Wednesday, November 15, 2007
11a.m. – 2 p.m
1101 East 7th Street, Brooklyn, New York
www.sephardicangelfund.org
Interview:
Nextbook.org Podcast
“In the Kitchen Cooking Interview”
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Yeshiva of Flatbush Communications Fair
919 East 10th Street
Brooklyn, New York
11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Interview:
New York Times Magazine
‘Year in Ideas’ Issue -
Exploring the heterodoxy of the
Arab world through Cuisine
December 9th, 2007
Lecture & Book signing:
67 Wine and Spirits
Monday, December 10th 2007
170 Columbus Avenue
New York, NY 10023
Lecture & Book Signing:
Long Beach Synagogue
December 12, 2007
7:30 p.m.
161 Lafayette Boulevard
Long Beach, New York
Lecture & Book Signing:
Kol Hanearim
Thursday, December 20th 2007
10:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Neman Hall, Beverly Hills
1317 North Crescent Heights Boulevard
West Hollywood
Grand Chabad Banquet, Shulchot Convention
Invited by Shulchot of China
New York
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Congregation Kehilath Jeshurun (KJ or CKJ)
Tuesday, February 5th 2008
East 85th Street, New York
Contact: Nava Bettinger
Lecture & Book Signing:
Happy Homes
Sunday, March 9th, 2008
11 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Brooklyn, New York
Book Signing:
Borders Time Warner
April 8, 2008
10 Columbus Circle
New York, NY 10019
212.823.9775
Lecture & Book Signing:
The Jewish Museum
Thursday, February 21, 2008
6:30 p.m.
1109 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10128
212.423.3200
Lecture & Book Signing:
Sweet Table
Edmond J. Safra Synagogue
American Sephardi Federation
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
11 East 63rd Street
New York, NY 10021
Lunch & Learn:
Brandeis University National Women’s Committee
Monday, March 31, 2008
1811 Ocean Parkway
Brooklyn New York 11223
718.336.0178
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