Since the 2010 opening of “Mile End Deli” in Brooklyn’s Boreum Hill neighborhood, husband-and-wife team Noah and Rae Bernamoff have artfully remixed the kosher-style deli in New York. More recently, the couple has expanded the “Mile End” brand, with a NoHo offshoot of the deli and the publication of their new cookbook, The Mile End Cookbook: Redefining Jewish Comfort Food from Hash to Hamantaschen.
Mile End, historically one of Montreal’s immigrant neighborhoods, was primarily home to the city’s Jewish community until the 1950s. Although the ethnic composition of Mile End evolved constantly during the latter half of the twentieth century, the neighborhood retains a large Hasidic community today. In recent years, the multicultural district has also undergone a creative renaissance, brimming with independent cafes and a thriving gallery scene, while also serving as a hub for artists and musicians.
Drawing on the neighborhood’s history of diversity and artistic revitalization, the Mile End Cookbook incorporates this essence into a fresh anthology of classic Montreal-style Jewish plates with a modish twist, seasoned with some Quebecois and Brooklyn favorites. The nostalgic preface and introduction lay out Noah and Rae’s odyssey in establishing the “Mile End” concept while paying tribute to the couple’s family histories. The recipes also combine a fresh edge while maintaining a conventional core: favorite Montreal classics, such as the Smoked Meat Sandwich and Bagelach are interspersed with edgier dishes such as the Duck Maple Sausage and the Lemon-Chile Pickled Asparagus. A section on sauces allows for a simple addition to any meal — from staples with a slight remix (Lemon Mayonnaise), to more innovative additions (Scallion Sauce, with a zesty, garlicky kick), and the eclectic feel is far from lost in the dessert section. The Mile End Cookbook is a guidebook for reinventing some beloved Jewish comfort food, while providing a diverse taste of Montreal, Brooklyn, and everything in between.
