Melbourne’s inaugural Jewish Food Festival is coming to Elsternwick this December, and it’s bringing some big names with it.
Joan Nathan – arguably the Julia Child of Jewish cooking given her bestselling cookbooks, cooking shows and magazine features – will be headlining the festival, pulling the curtain back on Jewish cuisine across the world. While we all know our babkas, matzah and falafels, Joan will instead be showcasing the Jewish foods of lesser-known Yiddish communities from places like Iran, Cuba, Ukraine and Italy.
Alice Zaslavsky, Rita Erlich and the Monday Morning Cooking Club will also be there to represent the local Jewish foodies of Melbourne, hosting cooking demonstrations, tastings and conversations all about Jewish cuisine and the importance of food when it comes to festivals and rituals in Judaism.
Bring the family along and catch the Jewish home bakers’ competition and children’s cooking activities, and stop by the pop-up bookshop to get some quality cookbooks full of all your favourite Jewish recipes.
The festival is happening at the Kadimah Jewish Cultural Centre and National Library in Elsternwick on Sunday, December 11. Tickets are on sale now for $110 and include access to all events, a complimentary morning tea and lunch, plus food tastings.