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Braided: A Journey of a Thousand Challahs Paperback – September 18, 2018

by Beth Ricanati MD (Author)
4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 211 ratings
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What if you could bake bread once a week, every week? What if the smell of fresh bread could turn your house into a home? And what if the act of making the bread―mixing and kneading, watching and waiting―could heal your heartache and your emptiness, your sense of being overwhelmed? It can. This is the surprise that physician-mother Beth Ricanati learned when she started baking challah: that simply stopping and baking bread was the best medicine she could prescribe in a fast-paced world.


2018 National Jewish Book Award Finalist
2018 Foreword INDIES Winner
2019 Readers' Favorite Awards Finalist
2019 Wilbur Award, Nonfiction Winner
2020 Eric Hoffer Award, First Horizon Award Finalist
2020 Eric Hoffer Award, 1st runner up in Nonfiction
2020 Eric Hoffer Award, Grand Prize Shortlist Finalist
2020 Next Generation Indie Book Awards Finalist
2020 Next Generation Indie Book Awards Winner
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Previous page
  1. Print length
    184 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    She Writes Press
  4. Publication date
    September 18, 2018
  5. Dimensions
    5.5 x 0.5 x 8.5 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1631524410
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1631524417
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

2020 Next Generation Indie Book Awards Winner in Women's Issues Nonfiction
2020 Next Generation Indie Book Awards Finalist in Body, Mind & Spirit
2020 Eric Hoffer Award, Grand Prize Shortlist Finalist
2020 Eric Hoffer Award, 1st runner up in Nonfiction - Home
2020 Eric Hoffer Award, First Horizon Award Finalist
2019 Wilbur Award, Nonfiction Winner
2019 Readers' Favorite Awards, Finalist in Nonfiction - Cooking/Food
2018 Foreword INDIES Winner, Self-Help
2018 National Jewish Book Award in Women's Studies, Finalist

“In reading Beth Ricanati’s Braided: A Journey of a Thousand Challahs, one feels as if one is drinking from a spiritual fountain that allows a new wave of life to surge within them. This book offers both a recipe and a path to personal growth and healing. Packed with insight and wisdom, it is one of those rare books that every woman should read.”
—Readers' Favorite, five stars

“Ricanati's memoir with recipes is a well-written investigation into her maturation as a doctor, her growth as a wife and mother, and the increasing wisdom she gained while pondering Jewish rites and rituals.”
—Booklist, starred review

“‘I knead for my needs,’ the author insists—and readers are likely to join her.”
—Kirkus Reviews

“I smiled while reading this book—I couldn’t help it. It’s not about making challah healthy, it’s about challah-making as healthful. Buy this book for any friend and they’ll get it, they’ll smile, and they’ll learn why you honored them with it.”
—Mike Roizen, MD, four-time #1 New York Times bestselling author and founder of RealAge.com

“This is the perfect prescription for a happy life: slow down, be present, and bake challah. Beth Ricanati has taken the mindfulness movement to kitchens everywhere. This book inspires readers to practice being fully present with yourself and your friends and family during the most nurturing of times.”
—Suze Yalof Schwartz, author of Unplug: A Simple Guide to Meditation for Busy Skeptics and Modern Soul Seekers and CEO/founder of Unplug Meditation

“Beth Ricanati has written a unique book: part recipe, part health, with a whole lot of soul. Reading her book is like making a new friend—you feel transported to her California kitchen. A yummy, cozy and inspiring read.”
—Lori Palatnik, author, media personality, and founding director of The Jewish Women’s Renaissance Project

“This is not just a book about making bread. It is a book about making choices, and like a good challah is at times chewy, evocative, and a little sweet. Its wisdom transported me back to the kitchens of my grandmothers and the knowledge that in complicated times, the way forward is always the simple and beloved.”
—David Baum, PhD, DMin, speaker, coach, conversation architect, and author of Lightning in a Bottle and The Randori Principles

“A women’s wellness doctor who prescribes the practice of baking bread? I feel like this is exactly the kind of out-of-the-box thinking that is going to save the world right now.”
—Jennie Nash, author of The Victoria’s Secret Catalog Never Stops Coming and Other Lessons I Learned From Breast Cancer and founder of AuthorAccelerator.com

“Beth Ricanati’s book is like having coffee with a girlfriend: honest, interesting, and thoughtful. Part memoir, part cookbook, part health guide—but more than all of these, Braided is a book that will inspire you to dig deep, think about life, and make challah, maybe even at the same time.”
—Ruchi Koval, director of Jewish Family Experience and author of Conversations with God

“Some of my favorite moments in teaching American Jewish women’s history surround the home and the politics of gender and domesticity—a contemporary space that Beth Ricanati has reclaimed for herself and for all of us through the simple ritual of weekly challah baking. In class, my students discover that contemporary Jewish women can now choose and participate in ancient traditions and rituals in ways that empower them rather than control them. Ricanati's beautifully written story of challah, the joy of creating real food for those we love, and the healing power of being in the moment enlivens this precious inheritance, never more needed than now.”
—Marcie Cohen Ferris, Professor, American Studies Department, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

“The book reads in part like a food memoir and in part like a love letter to the act of challah baking. After reading it, it is hard not to gather your own ingredients and immediately start kneading.”
—Rochelle Newman Rubinoff, JUF News

“Interspersed with anecdotes about her patients, accounts of her upbringing and schooling, and sidebars on nutrition, cooking tools and ingredients, [Braided] explains how the slow-paced, wondrous process of baking bread has enabled Ricanati to feel “present” in a fast-paced world, while also fostering a connection to her roots, other women, and her community.”
—Jennifer Rak, The Jewish Week, Food & Wine

“It is an inspiring and deeply hopeful story, centered by a deceptively simple task.”
—D. Ferrara, Story Circle Book Reviews

“I am enamored with this book. Not only do I love the easy and friendly style in which it is written . . . Reading her book puts you right there in the kitchen with her while you also gain deep respect for her journey as a physician, mother, and spouse.”
—Krysta Gibson, New Spirit Journal

About the Author

Beth Ricanati, MD is an award-winning author who has built her career around bringing wellness into women’s everyday lives, especially busy moms juggling life and children. She has practiced internal medicine at the NY-Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center and the Cleveland Clinic. In addition, her writings have appeared in peer-reviewed medical journals and many lifestyle blogs. Ricanati lives in the Los Angeles area with her family and one challah-loving dog.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ She Writes Press (September 18, 2018)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 184 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1631524410
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1631524417
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 0.5 x 8.5 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 211 ratings

About the author

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Beth Ricanati MD

Beth Ricanati MD

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Beth Ricanati, MD's debut book, Braided: A Journey of a Thousand Challahs chronicles her journey of a thousand challahs and one woman’s quest for wellness and peace. This physician-mother has built her career around bringing wellness into women’s everyday lives, especially busy moms juggling life and children. Ricanati lives in the Los Angeles area with her family and one challah-loving dog.

Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
4.7 out of 5
211 global ratings
Spiritual medicine & self care like no other.
5 Stars
Spiritual medicine & self care like no other.
I don’t usually write reviews. The description of the book spoke to me on Amazon so I bought it. Then it sat on a shelf for about 8 months. I started reading it today. Never have I felt so connected to an author from an introduction. Page 6 of the intro made me cry and page 8 made me laugh out loud. I feel like Dr. Ricanati wrote this book for me, and I’m sure many other readers feel the exact same. I want to meet Beth. I already feel connected and know we would be fast friends. I can’t wait to read more. I will be purchasing to gift to friends. Highly recommend.
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Top reviews from the United States

Vista - Sievers
5.0 out of 5 stars Great info!!!
Reviewed in the United States on March 17, 2024
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I like the easy to read, nice to learn information! Beautifully written and gorgeous pictures!
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lisa w.
5.0 out of 5 stars Delightful, inspiring book!
Reviewed in the United States on November 14, 2018
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Such a delightful, inspiring book.... I loved it and am reading again already! Dr. Ricanati shares her expert thoughts and her personal stories in such a beautiful and informative memoir. Just reading the book itself was a great way for me to slow down, focus on "being present," and carve out time to practice mindfulness and ritual. Since reading the book, I have been inspired to create my own personal rituals, one of which is baking challah every week! Dr. Ricanati's recipe and tips on baking challah were easy and very accessible even for someone like me who is not a baker. And I loved her personal stories about how rituals like this can make a house a home.

I also think this book is a great gift, and I have bought it for all of the women in my family and my closest friends for the holidays.... I can't say enough great things about this book!!
One person found this helpful
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Darla Oldynski
5.0 out of 5 stars Bread baking
Reviewed in the United States on March 17, 2024
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I love baking bread .And this book made it more of a pleasure!
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J Sirb
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent guide to making your first Challah
Reviewed in the United States on December 12, 2022
Verified Purchase
This is a book written as if you were in the authors kitchen. In it she guides you how to make a Challah from scratch. Along the way she imparts wisdom on living a good life. She includes the blessings for the Sabbath and the challah. Everything you need to know to start your own tradition.
One person found this helpful
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Kim
5.0 out of 5 stars Spiritual medicine & self care like no other.
Reviewed in the United States on November 19, 2023
Verified Purchase
I don’t usually write reviews. The description of the book spoke to me on Amazon so I bought it. Then it sat on a shelf for about 8 months. I started reading it today. Never have I felt so connected to an author from an introduction. Page 6 of the intro made me cry and page 8 made me laugh out loud. I feel like Dr. Ricanati wrote this book for me, and I’m sure many other readers feel the exact same. I want to meet Beth. I already feel connected and know we would be fast friends. I can’t wait to read more. I will be purchasing to gift to friends. Highly recommend.
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Kim
5.0 out of 5 stars Spiritual medicine & self care like no other.
Reviewed in the United States on November 19, 2023
I don’t usually write reviews. The description of the book spoke to me on Amazon so I bought it. Then it sat on a shelf for about 8 months. I started reading it today. Never have I felt so connected to an author from an introduction. Page 6 of the intro made me cry and page 8 made me laugh out loud. I feel like Dr. Ricanati wrote this book for me, and I’m sure many other readers feel the exact same. I want to meet Beth. I already feel connected and know we would be fast friends. I can’t wait to read more. I will be purchasing to gift to friends. Highly recommend.
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EG
5.0 out of 5 stars A challah each week....
Reviewed in the United States on September 23, 2018
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Dr. Beth Ricanati’s book Braided is a fun, easy read of one woman’s journey to figure out how to manage it all... a balancing act. She realized that by stopping each week to take time out for herself was the best medicine she could self-prescribe. Baking and making challah is restorative and healing and allows us the opportunity to connect with a greater community and disconnect from our busy lives...and of course we wind up with something delicious as the end result. For Beth, it’s not “An apple a day keeps the doctor away”. But rather “A challah each week gives us the presence we seek”. I am truly inspired by her words and inspired to start making my own challah each week!!
4 people found this helpful
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Story Circle Book Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars Success in challah - and life
Reviewed in the United States on September 21, 2018
Beth Ricanati is impressive. An Ivy League graduate, a practicing medical doctor, a mother, a wife, a writer, a clinician at prestigious hospitals, she presents as super-woman. Even as she describes sneaking glances at her Blackberry at a mother-and-child Hebrew class, we know she has it all, right?

Of course not. Or to be more accurate—not all the time.

Since the world discovered that women are needed to labor both in and out of the home, various groups have tried to force women into various molds. We must be assertive professionals. We must be dedicated parents. We must be submissive sex toys. We must be religious. We must escape from the old-fashioned bonds of religion. Possibly, there are women who manage this elusive "all"—or at least, some bespoke version of "all". God (or Goddess) bless 'em.

The truth is that neither all women, nor all men, can be pigeon-holed. Ricanati strives to meet her own expectations, as well as those of her culture—modern American—and religion—Jewish. In her own mind, she fails as much as she succeeds. She's too hard on herself. She did a hell of a job.

In her striving, she has an epiphany. A friend suggests that she make challah, the decoratively braided, slightly sweet bread. When she decides to try it, she discovers something about herself. Piling on obligations and expectations is a recipe for disaster. The more one tries to "do" things, the more one feels inadequate. We will never do everything we think we should, and our efforts will fall short of magazine-layout perfection.

Does that mean we stop "doing" or become slapdash? No. Ricanati discovers that the secret to satisfaction is not the result—perfect or not—of one's efforts. Satisfaction is derived from being in the moment, experiencing the process, feeling the success or failure as learning something new, and sharing the experience.

So it is with challah. Ricanati spends a great deal of her book describing the type of salt, the amount of sugar, the process of proofing yeast. She shares her experiments, her failures and her dedication to making challah almost every week for more than ten years. Learning to make challah forces her to focus, to pay attention to every step, to question her choices and, perhaps most importantly, to fill her home with the warm scent of baking.

Along the way, Ricanati reconsiders her professional and family choices, her very idea of "succeeding."

Maybe Ricanati could have taken up knitting or sky-diving to reorient her life, but challah is more manageable. It is inexpensive, hard to completely mess up, requires some attention (but not laser-like focus), and yields a shareable result. It requires very little in the way of equipment, so you can make it in almost any kitchen.

Ricanati takes inspiration from diverse sources: a cowboy teaches her about where to let dough rise. Another mother gives her the word on how to add ingredients. Her father's death intensifies the religious aspect of challah baking. In return, the process centers her. The complexity of the six-braid loaf draws her into a trance of complete concentration.

It may be too pat to say that Ricanati changes her career path while exploring challah—but maybe not. Baking is more than a hobby. It is an expression of her life and heritage, a way to connect with others while baking, a proud accomplishment, a gift to others. Challah is described in Torah, a link to her faith. In all, challah is a fine medium for transformation.

In her book's conclusion, Ricanati describes how every aspect of her life and work has changed since she began baking challah. It is an inspiring and deeply hopeful story, centered by a deceptively simple task.

by D Ferrara
for Story Circle Book Reviews
reviewing books by, for, and about women
5 people found this helpful
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Literary Mom
5.0 out of 5 stars Warm, Wise and Wonderful
Reviewed in the United States on October 12, 2018
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Dr. Beth Ricanati's book is a warm, satisfying literary treat! It is a glorious, easy to digest combination of the mindful, the spiritual and the practical, he non-fiction version of Nora Ephron's Heartburn meets a secular version of Abraham Joshua Heschel's The Sabbath as interpreted by Joan Nathan channeling Perri Klass. I have ordered more copies to share with my observant Jewish family members but also with non-Jewish friends who love to bake! The ultimate message here is that modern life is way too chaotic and that challah baking, this ancient public ritual can be intimate and grounding, rooting us in our daily lives.
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Top reviews from other countries

Dott. Doron Recanati
5.0 out of 5 stars An inspiring and flowing read
Reviewed in Italy on August 21, 2019
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I have gifted this book to my daughter a few months ago and she's loving it! In her words: "This book is inspiring me so much and it comes at a time, in my adult life, when I find myself increasingly exploring our Jewish heritage and traditions"
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Challah Mummy
5.0 out of 5 stars What an inspiring and excellent book! Buy it now!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 22, 2018
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This is a beautifully written, sensitive and comforting book. I would thoroughly recommend it to anyone who has in interest in baking, tradition, family and connecting with others in unexpected ways.
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