Russ & Daughters: 100 Years of Appetizing

From the legendary New York destination for Jewish appetizing, a beautiful and inspiring cookbook that encompasses history, tradition, and absolutely delicious food

In 1907, a Jewish immigrant named Joel Russ landed in New York City, where he took a pushcart of herring and built a legacy that would pass down through fathers and daughters (and sons and husbands and wives) for more than a hundred years. Four generations later, the ancestral heart of Russ & Daughters continues to bustle on the Lower East Side, with three more locations throughout the city.

Over the course of a century, Russ & Daughters has fed hundreds of thousands of customers, many considering a visit to the original shop on East Houston a family tradition, weekly ritual, or New York experience. Now, for the first time, Russ & Daughters brings its world-famous institution into readers’ homes. Its rich history is told through insider anecdotes from the family and characters on both sides of the counter; illuminating guides to its most famed offerings--smoked salmon, sable, sturgeon, herring, and caviar; and more than 100 cherished recipes for favorite foods like latkes, matzo ball soup, babka, and bagels, among many others.

Nothing can ever replace the experience of taking a number, kibbitzing with a slicer, waiting in line, and ordering your whitefish or belly lox. Yet this book captures some of that infectious Russ & Daughters appetizing spirit, and most importantly, brings families and friends together around the table.

Niki Russ Federman is the fourth-generation co-owner of Russ & Daughters. She is the daughter of Mark and Maria Federman, the granddaughter of Herbie Federman and Anne Russ, and the great-granddaughter of Joel and Bella Russ. Though she was raised in the store, prior to rejoining the business with her cousin Josh, in 2006, she worked in arts administration in San Francisco. She has been featured in The Sturgeon Queens, the award-winning documentary about Russ & Daughters; television shows such as Taste the Nation with Padma Lakshmi and Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations; and publications including The New York Times, The New Yorker, Food & Wine, Zagat, Vogue, and W Magazine. She was inducted into the Manhattan Jewish Hall of Fame and has an encyclopedic entry in the Jewish Women’s Archive. She is a member of the Independent Restaurant Coalition and Les Dames d’Escoffier. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband, Christopher, and children, Maya and Elan.

Josh Russ Tupper is the fourth-generation co-owner of Russ & Daughters. He is the son of Jon Tupper and Tara Federman, the grandson of Herbie Federman and Anne Russ, and the great-grandson of Joel and Bella Russ. Raised in an ashram in upstate New York, Russ Tupper was working as an engineer in Portland, OR, when the opportunity arose to join his family business. He arrived in 2002 and, since 2009, has been leading Russ & Daughters with his cousin Niki. Called ＂the Babka Baron＂ by the New York Times, Russ Tupper has spearheaded collaborations with brands such as Puma and SHUT skateboards as well as regulars like Jake Gyllenhaal. He has taught at the YIVO Center for Jewish Research and Astor Center. Russ Tupper lives with his wife, Denise, and his daughter, India, in Queens.

Joshua David Stein is a cookbook and children’s book author, journalist, and restaurant critic. His work includes Notes from a Young Black Chef and My America, with Kwame Onwuachi; Il Buco: Stories & Recipes, with Donna Lennard; The Nom Wah Cookbook, with Wilson Tang; Vino: An Essential Guide to Real Italian Wine, with Joe Campanale; Jang: The Secret to Korean Cooking, with Mingoo Kang and Nadia Cho; Why I Cook? with Tom Colicchio and many more. Among his children’s books are What’s Cooking?; Can I Eat That?; Brick: Who Found Herself in Architecture; Solitary Animals: Introverts of the Wild; and The Catalogue of Hugs. He lives in Brooklyn with his sons, Augustus and Achilles.