Biography
My new book, SCATTERED EMBERS--THE FOOD AND FOLKLORE OF THE JEWS OF MEXICO, is a story of the Jews who came to Mexico in three different waves of Immigration. It is their story, and their history.
This is a story through the foods that the Jewish people brought with them, reinterpreted their manner of cooking, and produced a culture of culinary perfection.
The recipes are from the Sephardic Jews that were introduced to the lively and spicy chiles of Mexico, and blended that cuisine with the aromatic and fragrant foods of the Middle East. The recipes from the Ashkenazi traditions, the bland, but flavorful and filling foods were also influenced by the colorful and flavorful foods of Mexico and a vibrant and new culture was born.
One cannot understand this history without a historical perspective and the timeline in this book provides that. From 8000 BCE when in Israel, a farming culture was established by cave dwellers, foraging for their food and herding animals for consumption, to the present, when Mexico City now proudly has a Jewish mayor.
An extensive glossary provides the reader with the information on the foods of the Mexican Jewish immigrants and the definitions of any and all of the many holidays and festivals that exist in that culture.
The vintage photos that are provided in Scattered Embers gives a glorious view of life amongst the Jewish immigrants that came to Mexico, prospered and made it their home.
It is a travelogue, a cookbook, and a history lesson of a proud, ambitious and hardworking people.
Sheryll has collaborated and completed a stage play in two acts, titled "SHIVA", and is looking for a home for production.
Ms. Bellman published her first book, Through the Shopping Glass: A Century of Christmas Windows in New York City (Rizzoli International Publications, fall of 2000). A wonderful, informative and very well received book that should endure for years to come.
America's Great Delis--Recipes and Traditions from Coast to Coast, Ms. Bellman's second book, was originally published in 2005 and will be re-released in March of 2010 by Seller's Publishing. Here she explores and explains the history of the Delicatessen culture in America, tracing the roots of deli foods through time. This book is chocked full of history, archival photos, recipes and anecdotes.
America's Little Italys--Recipes and Traditions from Coast to Coast is a history of all of the Little Italys in America with an emphasis on the Italian history of each unique community, containing a wealth of vintage photos and recipes from most of the individual restaurants, bakeries and food shops in Boston, New York, San Francisco, Providence, New Orleans and more. As many of the Little Italys are disappearing, this book gives the rich and storied histories that must be preserved.
You Might Be a New Yorker If ... is the fourth book by Ms. Bellman and is available only as an ebook at this time. A list of 264+ ways one might think/act/behave/or adapt as a New Yorker. This ebook is a must for any native New Yorker or anyone just visiting and hoping to blend in with the culture of the city.
With an appreciation and love of all things visual, she has made it her mission to seek out all that is catching to the eye and write about it. Her love of nostalgia is evident.
Her writings have appeared in USA Today and NPR. Ms. Bellman co-produced a children's educational video entitled "I Can Build" which teaches children how to build a playhouse with the help of an adult and to envision a project through to completion. The video won numerous awards, including the Dove Award for Excellence in Family Values and Best Children's Educational Video for 1997.
With a B.S. in Microbiology from The University of Arizona and graduate work towards a Ph.D. in Immunology, Ms. Bellman realized that cultural history and pop culture sparked her interest more than science. From designing rooms to designing foods, the appreciation of all things ephemera is what she enjoys.
Ms. Bellman has three grown children, seven grandchildren, and lives in New York City.