Matzoh Ball Gumbo: Culinary Tales of the Jewish South.

MATZOH BALL GUMBO: CULINARY TALES OF THE JEWISH SOUTH. By Marcie Cohen Ferris. Hardcover, $29.95. The University of North Carolina Press, www.uncpress.unc.edu.

Growing up in a Jewish family in Blytheville, Arkansas, Marcie Cohen Ferris first became aware of the sometimes complicated, sometimes wonderful culinary "compromises" made by those who observe religious dietary laws in a land filled with pulled pork and seafood gumbo. After inheriting both of her grandmothers' recipe boxes, she was inspired to dig deeper into just how food has shaped Jewish culture in the South. The result is Matzoh Ball Gumbo, a compelling book that starts with a dash of regional history and throws in heaps of personal stories and unique recipes for a flavorful bite of a rarely examined part of Southern life.

In Savannah, Georgia, the family behind Gottlieb's Bakery created an "unofficial emissary of Jewish culture" by introducing Gentile customers to the flavors of the Old World, while Jewish families in New Orleans adapted to their environment by developing recipes like "dirty matzoh" dressing and kosher chicken and sausage gumbo. A chapter is devoted to Jewish families in the Mississippi Delta, like the Grundfests of Cary, who enjoyed treats like salted pecans and homemade blintzes topped with strawberry jelly. "Delta Jews gather regularly at the synagogue, dinner table, youth activities, and even golf tournaments to affirm their community," Cohen Ferris writes. "... And they craft a personal Judaism as a way to remain Jewish while living in places far removed from larger Jewish communities."

In the end, perhaps it is that desire to find their own distinctive place while assimilating to their surroundings that led these creative cooks to produce such a rich melting pot of Southern and Jewish cuisines.

MISSISSIPPI PRALINE
MACAROONS

This is a favorite dessert served at community
Passover seders sponsored by
Vicksburg's Congregation Anshe Chesed.

3 large egg whites, at room temperature
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
Pinch salt
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup pecans, roughly chopped
35 to 37 pecan halves for topping

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease 2
or 3 large baking sheets, or line the sheets
with foil and grease the foil.

In a large bowl with an electric mixer at
medium speed, beat egg whites, cream of
tartar, and salt until frothy. Increase mixer
speed to high, and continue beating,
adding brown sugar gradually (in small
handfuls) and scraping the bowl once
until whites form stiff, glossy peaks. (This
will take a few minutes.) With a large rubber
spatula, fold in chopped pecans.

Drop batter by heaping teaspoonfuls
onto a prepared baking sheet, spacing them
1 inch apart. Press a pecan half into each,
flattening cookie slightly. Bake until macaroons
are set and feel hard and crisp, about
35 minutes. Transfer to wire racks to cool
completely, then store in airtight containers
to keep crisp. Yield: 35-37 macaroons.

Ann Grundfest Gerache

Vicksburg