The Punk-Rock Queen of the Jews

Every once in a while, I enjoy a good memoir. I define a good memoir as one that makes me desperately want to sit down and have a cup of coffee with the writer. This was that kind of memoir. Rossi was so interesting, so familiar and unfamiliar at the same time. Having grown up in a very Jewish neighborhood and having spent some time with religious Jews and living close to Crown Heights, the Chasidim are familiar to me, though I certainly learned more about their way of life from Rossi who was shipped off there by her parents because they could not handle her because she rebelled by being into punk rock music (that is the unfamiliar part, since it is not my kind of music) and by being gay. Rossi's sassy voice throughout as well as her growing up to accept some things about Judaism and making them her own but keeping true to herself made this a very compelling read for anyone, especially those who have struggled with family and religion. This definitely makes me want to find more out about Rossi's life.
Thanks to NetGalley and Books Forward for allowing me to read and review this fascinating memoir.

I picked up this book because as a Jewish woman myself, it sounded intriguing! I had never heard of Rossi, the author, before. This is Rossi's second memoir and it's her coming-of-age story.

Rossi is raised in a quirky, Orthodox Jewish family in wealthy Rumson, NJ (home of Bruce Springsteen). She grows up feeling out of place both in her family and in the town where she's raised. Rossi's parents expect her grow up to be a nice Jewish girl and marry a Jewish boy. By the time Rossi is 16, she's rebelled into a punk-rock queer-leaning teenager who has run away from home. She's found by her parents and brought to Chasidic Crown Heights, Brooklyn, NY to be "reformed" by an ultra-Orthodox rabbi.

Most of the rest of this story takes place over the next two years. The New York of the early 1980s is a gritty, edgy one—not the NY of today. Rossi is thrown into a pretty terrifying situation and deals with food insecurity, sexual violence/trauma, homophobia, and religious trauma. So keep this in mind if any of these are triggers for you. But it’s also a story of neshama, the Hebrew word for soul. Rossi makes connections with her Jewish “sisters” in Crown Heights which helps her get through these couple years. Rossi’s story touches on events like the AIDs epidemic and experiencing 911 as a New Yorker. All in all, I would recommend this memoir if you’re Jewish, queer-identifying, a New Yorker, a feminist, enjoy punk rock, and/or just enjoy reading memoirs of strong women!

Chef Rossi or Slovah Davida Shana bas Hannah Rachel Ross, is a well-known figure in the food sector, appreciated for her cooking style and vibrant personality. Her works reflect her cultural heritage.

When young, she ran away from home for not following the rules her parents imposed. But her freedom didn't last long, and she moved to Crown Heights, Brooklin. There, even under the supervision of the Chasidic rabbi, Chef Rossi was against any type of violence and prejudice that came to her life; nobody narrow-minded of her background influenced her.

As a rebellious punk rock rule-breaker and feminist, she was later well-known for her unique style, which combines tastes from other cuisines to create distinct and tasty dishes. With extensive experience in the food industry, she rose to prominence through her catering company, The Raging Skillet, which she founded in New York City in the 1990s.

This establishment gained popularity for its unique catering services, which frequently cater to clients and occasions with a cuisine that defies typical culinary rules. Chef Rossi's distinct personality and colourful style have contributed to her popularity, making her a sought-after figure for media appearances and public speaking events.

Thus, she incorporates elements of her ancestry into her cooking, creating dishes that combine flavours with new twists on traditional cuisine. She mixes her work with a sense of comedy and resistance, challenging expectations and attracting viewers with her unique culinary style. Her creativity, enthusiasm, and commitment to exploring new frontiers in food and cultural expression make her a prominent figure in the field.

This book is both brilliant and satisfying. It rekindled my curiosity about the super-talented executive chef, and her journey is truly inspiring for those who aspire to pursue their dreams. Rossi is a shining example of a successful woman in a male-dominated industry, encouraging other women to be true to themselves. Work, dedication, and perseverance are the keys to her success.

Went into this book very blind, but the title intrigued and I knew I was in for a ride. Rossi's voice is very fun and engaging throughout the book, I had just a good time reading it. Though I'm not Jewish, I can 100% relate to her queer expierence and also just being an edgy teen living life like there's no tomorrow. As a coming of age story, I think there's something many different people can get out of- the religious expierence, the Jewish expierence, the queer expierence, or just being a teen in any point in time. Additionally, there's not a lot of mainstream discussion of the intersectionalies and Judaism, so hearing Rossi's first hand expierence was very eye-opening in a sense, though I know Rossi's expierences are not universal. Still, it's an important addition to the Queer Memoir Canon.

However, I do have complicated feelings with some of the issues/situations Rossi discussed in the book. As another reviewer mentioned, there are interesting portrayls of the Hispanic and Black people Rossi met during her time in Crown Heights. As a memoir, I think so introspection have these pretty steorytpical portrayls would be nessaricy on her part. I'm sure these people acted the way they did, I don't think Rossi is lying just to be racist or anything. But New York in the 80s is such a different landscape than now, and I think it would have been very important during her final "looking back on New York" chapter to discuss these points.

Thank to Netgalley and She Writes Press for an Advanced Reader Copy.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! Chef Rossi has lived quite a life, and it was an interesting memoir to read. As a Jewish woman, I was interested to see her experiences, and it didn't dissapoint! I will say that there is some sexual violence in the book, so if you find that triggering, you may want to skip it.

Also, the formatting was a bit wonky on the kindle, but not so much that it interfered with my reading!

Rossi has been through it all. As a rebellious teen, her parents decided to ship her off to an orthodox Jewish household in the hopes that it would force their daughter to be a rule-follower (and hopefully, to them, straight). There, she's blessed by the Rebbe but the household patriarch makes her life as uncomfortable as possible. The second she's able to, she escapes and finds apartments with her friends, couch surfs, and has a brief stint of homelessness. She cycles through jobs, girlfriends (once she realizes that she's in fact gay), and lots of canned asparagus.

Her relationship with herself and her parents is complicated to say the least: they visit unannounced with plenty of food to show they care but they're still the same ones who shipped her away. Luckily she has a community of friends who help her along the way, until a turning point in one of her best friendships disintegrates her trust.

This was such a great memoir to read, and one unlike any other I've read. It's punchy, it's crass, it's laugh out loud funny. I'm so glad Rossi came out shining on the other end.

It took me a minute to figure out why the author’s name was familiar. When I saw that she’s also known as Chef Rossi, I remembered her old columns in BUST magazine, where she published informal recipes designed to encourage playfulness and experimentation in the kitchen, and I immediately wanted to read her memoir. The title was pretty attention-getting, too.

I really enjoyed reading this. It reads like a novel, which I mean as a compliment — I’m not saying it doesn’t read as real! I’m the same age as Rossi and many of her adolescent preoccupations and interactions with popular culture of the 1970s and 1980s resonated with me, although we’re from different parts of the country and have very different backgrounds. That’s one of the things I liked about this memoir; I learned a lot about contemporaries Judaism.

I enjoyed this story so much that I looked up Rossi’s other projects, and I discovered she has a regularly updated podcast. I may like it even more than this book. I’m looking forward to reading her previous book.

I recommend The Punk Rock Queen of the Jews. It felt like catching up with an old friend.

Thank you to #NetGalley, #SheWritesPress, and #Rossi for the ARC of #ThePunkRockQueenoftheJews.

I hadn’t heard of Rossi before this book but it was written so intimately and honestly that I finished feeling like I knew her well. This was an insight into a fascinating life story, often times feeling stranger than fiction. It was a great story about finding one’s place and growing into oneself.

What a book! Chef Rossi has had quite a life, a very challenging life, which she has written about with incredible description. I was fully involved with this book! To have parents that send you off to Crown Heights?? Horrible! and then she has to grow up on her own??. This both hysterically and heartbreaking written memoir had me on the first page! Her writing is totally reader involving and the stories...good grief!
I could NOT put it down..in fact I didn't want the book to end. I hope there will be a sequel! Bravo, to you, Rossi!!! and Bravo to your strength!

I will admit and tell you the only reason I was interested in this book was because of the title. So, basically, I went in blind and I came out in color and already have another book of hers about being a chef in my wishlist.

Her parents told her to be a nice Jewish girl and marry a nice Jewish boy. Chef Rossi wanted no part of that, and at the age of 16, her parents sent her to live with other girls under the tutelage of a Chasidic Rabbi. She reluctantly does do the things she is expected to do; even though she would much rather be doing something else.

I enjoyed meeting her parents, the fellow ladies at the Jewish house, her girlfriends, and her friends. At age 18, when she is of the age where she can do what she wants, she leaves and starts over.

I really enjoyed this book.

This was such an interesting memoir! It does an amazing job of making you feel like you’re in New York in the 80’s and anyone who has felt like they didn’t fit in with their families can relate. It also teaches so much about Chassidism, none of which I knew before reading this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and BooksForward for an advanced copy of this book.

I'd never heard of Rossi before reading her memoir. While I had vastly different experiences, I found her extremely relateable. This is an honest and readable book.

On a side note, I also remember the NYC of the 1980s with clarity. When I visit I am always blindsided by how much has changed.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC.

Memoirs are a great way to get to know a person and the place and time that shaped them. I was unfamiliar with Rossi before reading this book and now have insight into most of her life, up to a point. She experienced so much all before the age of seventeen and seems like an incredibly strong person.

Thank you NetGally for the e-ARC.

I loved this book. It grasped me right away and has not yet let go. The storytelling and character development are excellent and the descriptions of the setting are wonderful. I found the book very emotive - some parts left me laughing, others left me crying. The discussions of Chassidism are fascinating. Overall this book is a great read. Thank you to Netgalley and She Writes Press for the advance reader copy.

This was such an interesting memoir! Being Jewish myself, I really enjoyed reading about the life of Rossi who never quite fit in with her family nor with the Chasidic Jews who she was sent to live with when she was a child. Honestly, some parts of the book seemed like I was reading a fiction book - not because it sounded fake, but because I was in awe over the unbelievable things that happened to her over the course of her life. Not fitting in with her family or with the Chasidic Jews was just the tip of the iceberg. I don't want to give out spoilers, but I'm amazed at how her life turned around after such struggles when she was younger. This was a great read especially if you're Jewish or from NY - lots of references to both! 5 stars!