Naomi Ross

Illustration by Lea Kron

I’ve had many a teacher tell me that I sometimes make things more complicated than they need to be. When it comes to choosing Soundbites subjects, with the input of my amazing editor Chanie, I seek those with exotic food connections. (Who remembers the guy who predicted weather so food companies knew how much wheat to buy for their cookies?) Then it hit me. I’d never interviewed a cookbook author in this column!

It’s a good thing the thought came just in time to speak to Naomi Ross, who just released The Giving Table. Check out how she marries cooking and chesed into one great book!

Where is your food inspiration from?

My mom worked full time, and I spent a lot of time as a child with my grandmother. She would spend hours in the kitchen. I dedicated my cookbook to her because she cooked by feel, old school. She’d call me over periodically when she was making a dish and say, “Come taste this. What do you think, does it need more salt or pepper? Is it sweet enough?” And 20 minutes later she’d call me back to re-taste it. I didn’t realize it then, but she was teaching me how to adjust flavors based on my palate.

I started baking at 12 (which now, as an instructor, I see is normal). My mom encouraged it and taught me how to beat egg whites. In practical terms, everything I learned was from any recipes I could get my hands on. There was no Food Network or YouTube, and because cookbooks generally didn’t have photographs, a lot more imagination had to be employed.