Alfred Dreyfus at the table

In an Israelite family from Alsace like the Dreyfuses in Mulhouse, the meal does not follow the starter-main course-dessert grid but rather the religious calendar and the rhythm of the week. Friday evening (Erev Shabbat) opens a festive meal after the lighting of candles; Saturday midday, one eats a dish prepared the day before and kept warm all night, as no fire is lit on Shabbat; on weekdays, the cooking is simpler, but chicken soup returns as a comfort. The rule of kashrut strictly separates milk from meat: it is this that shapes all choices.

Butter being forbidden with meat by kashrut, Jewish cooks in Alsace would melt and preserve goose fat (schmaltz) as cooking fat: it gives dishes their deep aroma and roundness. Alongside it, grated horseradish (meerrettich) brings the sharp, clear pungency that is a hallmark of both Alsatian and Jewish cuisine.