“Angels at the Table” by Yvette Alt Miller, Continuum Press, $34.95 hardcover, 394 pp.
Yvette Miller is an Orthodox woman in Chicago who grew to become observant over the years, and made Shabbat observance a serious and significant part of her life. She is married with four children, ages 2 to 9, teaches Sunday school, and contributes to Jewish websites.
“Angels at the Table” is really a basic book for the person who has no knowledge about Shabbat and how to observe it or for someone who wants a reference work to any aspect of the 25 hours of Shabbat observance.
The 15 chapters of useful advice provide step by step instructions and include: an overview of Shabbat, the rules and laws of the evening, dinner table blessings, dinner and after, early morning, morning services, lunch, afternoon, Saturday evening, Torah questions for the Shabbat table, songs for Shabbat, activities on Shabbat and 69 traditional recipes.
While the recipes are really good, the style of presenting them leaves something to be desired. Recipes are sometimes simplistic (e.g., “zest the lemon” — grate the lemon’s shiny yellow surface). She neglects to tell readers to preheat the oven and sometimes when cooking on a burner, forgets to mention into what kind of pan to put ingredients.
The book concludes with the blessings after a meal and an appendix.
The details are infinitesimal. For example in the “Shabbat early morning” chapter, she discusses awakening prayers, the mindset, breakfast, dressing (including kippah and tzitzit), women’s hats, modesty, makeup and hair, and the unchanging aspects of Jewish dress and behavior.
Her style is very chatty and personal without being preachy, and that is one aspect of the book that makes it enjoyable to read, even if you know the rules and laws and customs. There is history, there are anecdotes, and the reader really comes to know Miller.
This would be a great gift for someone embarking on conversion or considering becoming observant whose knowledge of Shabbat is rudimentary or to a newly married couple or a family with young children exploring how they want to relate to Shabbat observance.
Here is a typical Shabbat recipe from the book.
Easiest Roast Chicken
Serves 6
1 whole raw chicken
2 Tablespoons olive oil
Large dash salt
Large dash pepper
Large dash garlic powder
1-2 sliced onions
4-5 sliced garlic cloves (optional)
1/4 cup fresh herbs — sage, rosemary, tarragon (optional)
Optional rib:
1 lemon zest and juice
2 Tablespoons virgin olive oil
2 Tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon cumin
Large dash salt
Large dash pepper
(numbering is mine)
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place chicken in a roasting pan, feet side down. Sprinkle with oil, then salt, pepper and garlic powder. Scatter onion slices around the chicken; place a few onion slices in cavity and under skin. (As an option, place garlic and/or herbs under skin too.)
2. Lightly cover chicken with foil, leaving an opening between the foil and pan. Place in oven and bake at 400 degrees F. for 1-2 hours until skin is crisp and golden brown and juices run clear when you prick the chicken above the thigh.
To make rub, grate the shiny skin of the lemon and combine with juice, oil, paprika, cumin, salt and pepper. Spread on chicken skin before roasting.
