Feeding Women of the Talmud, Feeding Ourselves: an erudite cookbook

Teaming up with Kenden Alfond was one of the most fun and captivating work experiences I’ve had. Kenden has long been a figure in the Jewish food world, and has a unique perspective on food and Jewish learning. 

I served as the Talmud editor for Kenden’s collaborative cookbook connecting the women of the Talmud with healthy foods that honor them. Contributors were assigned either a Talmudic woman to explore via Jewish learning and their own modern midrash, or to explore via food. My role was to ensure that the Talmud contributors had an accurate reading of the Talmudic texts, and to ensure that all the small details relating to the texts were accurate- from translations, to footnotes. 

Given my roots in Jewish studies and my love of food, this was the perfect project for me. I was more than honored and delighted when it deservedly won the Jewish Book Council’s Natan Notable Book Award.

In this passage below, Shira Eliassian, a PhD candidate at Yale, writes about Homa, the wife of the Talmudic sage, Abaye:

“Abaye, however, was not one for kowtowing to conventional social norms. He married Homa, in spite of paranoid attitudes towards twice-widowed women. In marriage as well, Abaye was not plagued by anxieties that his wife would act inappropriately. He served her as much wine as she pleased, even if he wasn’t interested in drinking himself. Abaye did not fear Homa; he trusted her. He treated her as an equal, and not as a liability.” 

“Working with Tiki as an editor was a true partnership. She generously shared her ideas and knowledge while always providing a listening ear to my concerns and questions. Her collaborative approach made the entire process a genuine pleasure.”

— Kenden Alfond, author, Feeding Women of the Talmud, Feeding Ourselves