Would you put jalapneos in matzo ball soup? This Mexican Jewish cookbook says, 'si'

Page through Sabor Judío: The Jewish Mexican Cookbook, and you’ll either be salivating or slightly stunned (or maybe both), depending on your palate and how you feel about messing with tradition.

Mediterranean couscous with chipotle salsa, plantain chile kugel and gefilte fish in red salsa are among the recipes offered by co-authors Ilan Stavans and Margaret E. Boyle. Stavans, an Amherst College professor, was born and raised in Mexico City’s Jewish community. Boyle, a Bowdoin College professor, grew up in Los Angeles in a Mexican Jewish family.

Now, if you’re a purist with a sensitive stomach — like my mother-in-law of blessed memory, who couldn’t bear mustard, mayo or even spaghetti sauce, never mind jalapeño peppers — Sabor Judío might not be for you. But if you’re an adventurous eater, these recipes will get you rethinking holiday menus as well as what you’re making for dinner tonight.

After all, fusion cuisine is really a Jewish tradition: We’ve been adapting our diets to local ingredients in diaspora for centuries.

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Hell, I'd put jalapeños in just about anything. I recently made a habanero-infused peach pie...it was fucking delicious!

(I still don't know why I can't put special characters in the subject line!! )