Celia Gurevitch Jewish Community Library

I read today (via BB) that

Researchers have found evidence of a 3,000 year old beekeeping operation in northern Israel. The apiary, consisting of somewhere between 75 and 200 beehives, contains the oldest human-made beehives ever found. (Hebrew University archaeologist Amihai) Mazar’s team has so far uncovered 25 cylindrical containers for bees in a structure that is centrally located in the ancient city at Tel Rehov. High brick walls surrounded the apiary. Beehives sat in three parallel rows, each containing at least three tiers. Each beehive measured 80 centimeters long and about 40 centimeters wide. (See picture)

I checked our collection and did not find any books on honey or beekeeping. We have a number of books though with either or both of these words in their title. From this list I selected A drizzle of honey: The lives and recipes of Spain’s secret Jews, by David Gitlitz, to introduce. The book won the National Jewish Book Award, and has gorgeous typography, albeit the pictures are all drawings and not photographs. Nevertheless, the effect of paging through the book is still mouthwatering. Recipes include salads and vegetables, eggs, fish, fowl, beef, lamb and goat, sausages, meat and fish pies, breads, desserts and snacks, and holiday foods.

I was curious to find whether the first part of the title refers to a specific quote or just a cooking expression. Fortunately Amazon.com allowed me to search the entire text of the book. I found three recipes where honey needs to be drizzled, but nothing else. This means that the introductory chapters, that include pages about Jews and “conversos”, Sephardic cuisine and the inquisitions, and eating in Late Medieval Iberia did not refer to the title phrase. The first part of the book closes with a tractate on how to cook medieval in a modern kitchen.

I am afraid I cannot finish this review, I have to go and find something to eat fast…