A Star of David emblazoned on its title page, Aunt Babette’s Cook Book provided the 19th-century Jewish homemaker with recipes for gefilte fish, challah, and latkes. These dishes, however, shared space with oyster stew, ham salad sandwiches, and dozens of other decidedly un-kosher foods.

Aunt Babette’s Cook Book provides a window onto Reform Judaism as it was practiced a century ago. Yet Aunt Babette, despite her influence, has remained an elusive figure—until now. The woman behind the legend was Chicago homemaker Bertha Kramer, a prominent member of the city’s Reform Jewish community.

In conjunction with the Spertus exhibit Uncovered & Rediscovered: Stories of Jewish Chicago, culinary historian Jane Ziegelman shared the story of Bertha Kramer, her kitchen, and the world in which she lived.

Jane Ziegelman is the director of the culinary center at New York’s Tenement Museum. Her writing has appeared in a number of newspapers, magazines, and books, including The New Cook’s Catalog. Following her talk, she signed copies of her book, 97 Orchard: An Edible History of Five Immigrant Families in One New York Tenement.