Chef Alon Shaya Releases WWII Recipe Collection

The new cookbook preserves culinary traditions from families impacted by World War II.

Updated on Oct. 16, 2026 in Recipes

Bold flat-color illustration of a single piece of bread in a bowl, symbolizing the preservation of culinary memory from World War II. — Chef Alon Shaya and historian June Hersh have compiled a cookbook of recipes preserved by families throughout World War II. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

Chef Alon Shaya and food historian June Hersh have released a new cookbook featuring recipes preserved by families during World War II. The project captures stories and dishes from Holocaust survivors, prisoners of war, and Navajo code talkers.

Why it matters

The authors aim to use the documentation of these recipes as a vehicle to honor victims and preserve cultural memory. By recreating these dishes, they ensure that the experiences of those who lived through the era remain tangible for future generations.

The collection includes specific recreations of dishes once prepared by prisoners of war and family recipes saved by the Fenves family before their deportation to Auschwitz. These accounts were verified through research beginning at the Ravensbrück concentration camp.

The players

Alon Shaya

He is a prominent chef who investigates culinary history and the intersection of food and memory.

June Hersh

She is a food historian who collaborates on projects focused on preserving historical narratives through recipes.

The details

Shaya began the project after discovering a signed scrap of a Nazi flag at the Ravensbrück concentration camp. Working with Hersh, he compiled these recipes, including those saved by Maris, the Fenves family cook, to document the resilience of food traditions during wartime.

Chef Alon Shaya hosts a book release event at NOLA Brewing on Sunday, October 18, 2026.

Culture Shift

This project reflects a broader societal trend of using archival food studies to ground abstract historical narratives in tangible, lived experiences. It follows a pattern set by documented efforts to preserve the personal histories of those affected by the Holocaust.

New Orleans residents can attend the book release event this Sunday at NOLA Brewing to meet the authors. The cookbook offers home cooks a way to engage with these historical accounts by recreating the preserved recipes in their own kitchens.

The takeaway

Preserving recipes from historical conflicts provides a powerful way to keep the cultural identity of displaced families alive. Readers are encouraged to document their own family history through oral interviews and recipe sharing to ensure legacy knowledge is not lost.