Janna Gur (in

Hebrew Hebrew (; ; ) is a Northwest Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Historically, it is one of the spoken languages of the Israelites and their longest-surviving descendants, the Jews and Samaritans. It was largely preserved ...

: ז'אנה גור) is an Israeli

food writer Food writing is a genre of writing that focuses on food and includes works by food critics, food journalists, chefs and food historians. Definition Food writers regard food as a substance and a cultural phenomenon. John T. Edge, an American food ...

, editor, translator and

cook book A cookbook or cookery book is a kitchen reference containing recipes. Cookbooks may be general, or may specialize in a particular cuisine or category of food. Recipes in cookbooks are organized in various ways: by course (appetizer, first cou ...

author and an expert on

Israeli Israeli may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the State of Israel * Israelis, citizens or permanent residents of the State of Israel * Modern Hebrew, a language * ''Israeli'' (newspaper), published from 2006 to 2008 * Guni Israeli ...

and

Jewish cuisine Jewish cuisine refers to the worldwide cooking traditions of the Jewish people. During its evolution over the course of many centuries, it has been shaped by Jewish dietary laws (''kashrut''), Jewish festivals and holidays, and traditions cen ...

. She was the chief editor and the publisher along with her husband Ilan Gur of "Al Hashulchan" culinary magazine for 27 years.

Biography

The only child of mathematician and a

medical doctor A physician (American English), medical practitioner (Commonwealth English), medical doctor, or simply doctor, is a health professional who practices medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring health through th ...

, Gur was born in the Latvian capital

Riga Riga (; lv, Rīga , liv, Rīgõ) is the capital and largest city of Latvia and is home to 605,802 inhabitants which is a third of Latvia's population. The city lies on the Gulf of Riga at the mouth of the Daugava river where it meets the Ba ...

in the then

Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...

and immigrated to Israel in 1974. Upon reaching army age she joined the

IDF IDF or idf may refer to: Defence forces * Irish Defence Forces * Israel Defense Forces *Iceland Defense Force, of the US Armed Forces, 1951-2006 * Indian Defence Force, a part-time force, 1917 Organizations * Israeli Diving Federation * Interac ...

's academic corps and studied

English literature English literature is literature written in the English language from United Kingdom, its crown dependencies, the Republic of Ireland, the United States, and the countries of the former British Empire. ''The Encyclopaedia Britannica'' defines E ...

at the

Hebrew University The Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HUJI; he, הַאוּנִיבֶרְסִיטָה הַעִבְרִית בִּירוּשָׁלַיִם) is a public research university based in Jerusalem, Israel. Co-founded by Albert Einstein and Dr. Chaim Weiz ...

.Ilan Evyatar (March 21, 2010)
"Preserving more than pickles"
''

The Jerusalem Post ''The Jerusalem Post'' is a broadsheet newspaper based in Jerusalem, founded in 1932 during the British Mandate of Palestine by Gershon Agron as ''The Palestine Post''. In 1950, it changed its name to ''The Jerusalem Post''. In 2004, the paper w ...

'' She did her military service as an

Officer An officer is a person who has a position of authority in a hierarchical organization. The term derives from Old French ''oficier'' "officer, official" (early 14c., Modern French ''officier''), from Medieval Latin ''officiarius'' "an officer," fro ...

in the

Israeli Navy The Israeli Navy ( he, חיל הים הישראלי, ''Ḥeil HaYam HaYisraeli'' (English: The Israeli Sea Corps); ar, البحرية الإسرائيلية) is the naval warfare service arm of the Israel Defense Forces, operating primarily in ...

, where she taught technical English to future naval officers. Gur went on to MA studies in literary translation at

Tel Aviv University Tel Aviv University (TAU) ( he, אוּנִיבֶרְסִיטַת תֵּל אָבִיב, ''Universitat Tel Aviv'') is a public research university in Tel Aviv, Israel. With over 30,000 students, it is the largest university in the country. Locate ...

while working as an

El Al El Al Israel Airlines Ltd. (, he, אל על נתיבי אויר לישראל בע״מ), trading as El Al (Hebrew: , "Upwards", "To the Skies" or "Skywards", stylized as ELAL; ar, إل-عال), is the flag carrier of Israel. Since its inaugural ...

flight attendant A flight attendant, also known as steward/stewardess or air host/air hostess, is a member of the aircrew aboard commercial flights, many business jets and some government aircraft. Collectively called cabin crew, flight attendants are prima ...

to help finance her studies. The work with EL Al gave her the opportunity to travel and world sparked early interest in

gastronomy Gastronomy is the study of the relationship between food and culture, the art of preparing and serving rich or delicate and appetizing food, the cooking styles of particular regions, and the science of good eating. One who is well versed in gastr ...

.Katherine Martinelli (May 5, 2011)
"She turned Israel from wasteland to taste land"

Jewish Chronicle Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

Online She translated into Hebrew, from Russian,

Mikhail Bulgakov Mikhail Afanasyevich Bulgakov ( rus, links=no, Михаил Афанасьевич Булгаков, p=mʲɪxɐˈil ɐfɐˈnasʲjɪvʲɪtɕ bʊlˈɡakəf; – 10 March 1940) was a Soviet writer, medical doctor, and playwright active in the fir ...

's satire ''

Heart of a Dog ''Heart of a Dog'' (russian: links=no, italic=yes, Собачье сердце, Sobachye serdtse) is a novella by Russian author Mikhail Bulgakov. A biting satire of Bolshevism, it was written in 1925 at the height of the NEP period, when commu ...

'' and from English,

Yael Dayan Yaël Dayan ( he, יעל דיין, born 12 February 1939) is an Israeli politician and author. She served as a member of the Knesset between 1992 and 2003, and from 2008 to 2013 was the chair of Tel Aviv city council. Her service on the city cou ...

's biography of

Moshe Dayan Moshe Dayan ( he, משה דיין; 20 May 1915 – 16 October 1981) was an Israeli military leader and politician. As commander of the Jerusalem front in the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces (1953–1958) du ...

''My Father, His Daughter''. She thought that she had found her vocation as a literary translator but then she met her husband, Ilan Gur, a journalist and an

independent publisher A small press is a publisher with annual sales below a certain level or below a certain number of titles published. The terms "indie publisher" and "independent press" and others are sometimes used interchangeably. Independent press is general ...

, who introduced her to the world of magazine publishing. In 1991, one month before the

Gulf War The Gulf War was a 1990–1991 armed campaign waged by a 35-country military coalition in response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Spearheaded by the United States, the coalition's efforts against Iraq were carried out in two key phases: ...

, the couple launched Al Hashulchan, with Janna Gur as the

chief editor An editor-in-chief (EIC), also known as lead editor or chief editor, is a publication's editorial leader who has final responsibility for its operations and policies. The highest-ranking editor of a publication may also be titled editor, managing ...

. The last decade of the 20th century was the formative one for the local food revolution and the interest in gastronomy was immense. originally conceived as a

trade journal A trade magazine, also called a trade journal or trade paper (colloquially or disparagingly a trade rag), is a magazine or newspaper whose target audience is people who work in a particular trade or industry. The collective term for this ...

for chefs and restaurateurs, developed a following among local

foodie A foodie is a person who has an ardent or refined interest in food, and who eats food not only out of hunger but also as a hobby. The related terms "gastronome" and "gourmet" define roughly the same thing, i.e. a person who enjoys food for pleas ...

s and in time evolved into a popular general interest food and wine magazine, considered the premier

culinary Culinary arts are the cuisine arts of outline of food preparation, food preparation, cooking and food presentation, presentation of food, usually in the form of meals. People working in this field – especially in establishments such as res ...

Hebrew speaking magazine widely ready by amateurs and professionals alike. The magazine closed in the fall of 2017 after 27 years and 387 issues. In 2001, Al Hashulchan Media Group was established – as a specialized cook book publishing house. Janna Gur, as the chief editor, was involved in editing of over 40 Hebrew cookbooks, among them Sheshet – "The Kitchen Helper" series, which offered innovative approach to understanding recipes and cooking techniques. Nira Russo, a famous Israeli food writer, wrote about the first book in the series: "if you have a budget for just one cookbook, a definitive one, this is the book you should get." In 2002, Gur hosted a regular food segment on Channel 1 "Good Morning Israel" show. She continues to frequently appear on TV and radio, talking about food and wine and local culinary culture.

The Book of New Israeli Food

"The Book New Israeli Food" was the first Janna Gur authored. Published by Al Hashulchan in 2007 and one year later by Shocken Division of the

Random House Random House is an American book publisher and the largest general-interest paperback publisher in the world. The company has several independently managed subsidiaries around the world. It is part of Penguin Random House, which is owned by Germ ...

Publishing house. It was shortlisted for the " Jewish Book Council Awards" in 2009, and chosen as one of the 25 best cookbooks for 2009 by "

Food & Wine ''Food & Wine'' is an American monthly magazine published by Dotdash Meredith. It was founded in 1978 by Ariane and Michael Batterberry. It features recipes, cooking tips, travel information, restaurant reviews, chefs, wine pairings and season ...

Magazine". At once a

coffee-table book A coffee table book, also known as a cocktail table book, is an oversized, usually hard-covered book whose purpose is for display on a table intended for use in an area in which one entertains guests and from which it can serve to inspire convers ...

to browse and a complete cookbook, the book features over 200 recipes, an historic introduction and background stories on various aspects of local gastronomy, such as

olive oil Olive oil is a liquid fat obtained from olives (the fruit of ''Olea europaea''; family Oleaceae), a traditional tree crop of the Mediterranean Basin, produced by pressing whole olives and extracting the oil. It is commonly used in cooking: f ...

, wine, local

markets Market is a term used to describe concepts such as: * Market (economics), system in which parties engage in transactions according to supply and demand * Market economy *Marketplace, a physical marketplace or public market Geography *Märket, a ...

, grill etc. The German version of the book was published in 2007 by Umschau Verlag. Since the book was published, Gur has been touring and lecturing about Israeli and Jewish Food, and is involved in various media projects promoting Israeli gastronomy.

Jewish Soul Food from Minsk to Marrakesh

Janna Gur's second book, published in 2014 by Shocken is part of her ongoing project to preserve Jewish ethnic cuisines. Based on the premise that the only way to keep a cuisine alive is to cook the food, Gur created a collection of 100 dishes from various Jewish communities, worth preserving for their taste and practicality and suited to a contemporary kitchen. In 2015 a Dutch translation of the book was published by Terra Publishing House.

Shuk – the Heart of Israeli Home Cooking

Gur's latest book which she co-authored with the Israeli-American chef Einat Admony (chef of Taïm and Balabousta restaurants) was released in September 2019. The book, that features 140 Israeli recipes, along with background stories on local food markets (), key ingredients, seasonality and cooking techniques, has been named as one of the 10 Top Cookbooks for the Fall of 2019 by

Publishers Weekly ''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of B ...

and was awarded a starred review. Shuk: From Market to Table, the Heart of Israeli Home Cooking
Publishers Weekly.

References

External links

Janna Gur's website

The Book of New Israeli Food Reviews
Janna Gur's website
Janna Gur blog
at

Jewcy ''Jewcy'' is an online magazine of Jewish pop culture and offbeat news. The site was launched on November 15, 2006. ''The Guardian'' has described ''Jewcy'' as "a cultural icon" and "at the forefront of a reinvention of Jewish identity by young U ...

* Naomi Kooler (April 8, 2009)
"Author has seen many changes in Israeli food"
''

The Boston Globe ''The Boston Globe'' is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes, and has a total circulation of close to 300,000 print and digital subscribers. ''The Boston Glob ...

'' * Joe Crea (September 23, 2008)
"Author Janna Gur sets rich table for Jewish holidays with 'The Book of New Israeli Food'"

Cleveland.com ''The Plain Dealer'' is the major newspaper of Cleveland, Ohio, United States. In fall 2019, it ranked 23rd in U.S. newspaper circulation, a significant drop since March 2013, when its circulation ranked 17th daily and 15th on Sunday. As of Ma ...

* Linda Morel (September 10, 2009)
"New Year meals in Israel reflect international sensibilities"
''Jewish Weekly'' *

Matthue Roth Matthew "Matthue" Roth (born June 30, 1978) is an American columnist, author, poet, spoken word performer, video game designer, and screenwriter. Beginning his career as a slam poet in San Francisco, Roth gained attention for his unusual blend o ...

(October 16, 2008)
"A Taste of Israel"
''

The Forward ''The Forward'' ( yi, פֿאָרווערטס, Forverts), formerly known as ''The Jewish Daily Forward'', is an American news media organization for a Jewish American audience. Founded in 1897 as a Yiddish-language daily socialist newspaper, ' ...

'' * (October 4, 2010)
"Israel Food and Culture: Israel on a plate"
'' The Financial Express''
Al Hashulchan website

"The Wandering Chickpea" Article by Janna Gur
in

Mark Bittman Mark Bittman (born February 17, 1950) is an American food journalist, author, and former columnist for ''The New York Times''. Currently, he is a fellow at the Union of Concerned Scientists. Bittman has promoted VB6 (Vegan Before 6:00), a flexit ...

's blog,

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gur, Janna Israeli journalists Israeli women journalists Israeli translators Israeli Jews Women cookbook writers Women food writers Israeli food writers Year of birth missing (living people)