Kosher Foods Books - Page 2

Kosher by Design: Picture Perfect Food for the Holidays & Every Day

Susie Fishbein

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 23 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Pretty Pictures, No Substance 1 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

I purchased this book because everyone in the community was gaga over it. What I found when I actually looked at it was that all it is is a bunch of pretty pictures and that's the big wow. Sure, the recipies are good, but they're not "Oh my G-d!" like everyone is about this book. It's got menues and organization tips. All in all, I'd say that this is a good book for someone who is young and just getting married who has never had to cook meals before. If you are an advanced cook who likes to make your own menues, is familiar with other recipies that are similar, and enjoys challenging recpies, this is not the book for you. It was sort of a disapointment. It's mostly hype.

Not really one for us goyim 3 out of 5 stars.
1 of 2 people found this review helpful.

Reading Kosher By Design brings home a subtle distinction between Jewish food and Kosher food. The latter is the traditional food of Jews as was prepared in their ancestral homelands; the former is food prepared according to Jewish law. This is important, because Kosher By Design is about the latter. As a foodie who was raised Catholic and now identifies as atheist, this is going to color my perceptions of the book substantially.

Most of the recipes in this book are the sorts of things that can be easily found (and, if necessary, trivially modified) in mainstream cookbooks. To call them homey would be a bit of an understatement -- many of these recipes are the sorts of things that would be passed along on scraps of paper between friends. Many of them have a whiff of Sandra Lee about them, using some premade convenience foods here and there (as other reviews have pointed out, this occasionally compromises kosher observance). There is of course a decent amount of Jewish food in there -- there couldn't not be -- though most of it is American Ashkenazic, with a bit of a lack of diversity; even a few token Sephardic or Mizrachi dishes would be a good idea, especially given the author's emphasis on dish presentation. The layout of the book... well, it's not that it's unattractive, it just looks a bit dated, like it was published in 1983 and not 2003.

So, fundamentally, this cookbook has little to recommend it to anyone who doesn't keep a kosher kitchen -- with one big exception. It has very good coverage of all the important Jewish holidays, so for someone who wants to know more about Jewish observances, this is actually pretty good for that purpose. But to a more general audience... well, let's put it this way. If you happen not to have a diabetic in your family or circle of friends, you'll have little use for a diabetic cookbook, as virtually everything in there is a modification of something you can find elsewhere in an unmodified form. This book is much the same thing, which is not to say you might not find a few recipes you'd like despite not having a kosher kitchen, but it's definitely a look-before-buy proposition for a goyish buyer. It's not a bad book; it's just rather specialized.

Kosher By Design Entertains: Fabulous Recipes For Parties And Every Day

Susie Fishbein

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 24 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

BEAUTIFUL BOOK 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 5 people found this review helpful.

I GAVE THIS BOOK AS A GIFT, BEFORE I WRAPPED IT I LOOKED THROUGH IT. THE PICTURES OF THE FOOD ARE BEAUTIFUL. THE RECIPES SOUND GREAT, MOST OF THEM NOT TOO DIFFICULT.

Fantastic recipes! 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 2 people found this review helpful.

I purchased this book right before Sukkot, at my (21yr. old) daughter's request - before she was due to arrive for the holiday. Not only did it arrive (early) in time for the holiday - but the recipes were great!. We brought one of the salads to a friend for one of the meals, and she insisted on getting the recipe from us. The recipes are doable - and come out delicious. Would definitely recommend this book.

Editorial Review:

Susie Fishbein has done it again! A new cookbook with all the elegance and flair of the original best-selling Kosher by Design, with more magnificent photography, great ideas and an array of fabulous recipes! Each recipe is simple yet elegant enough for any Shabbat, holiday, party or everyday meal. In addition, Susie reveals the secrets of successful hostesses. From an outdoor picnic to a formal anniversary dinner, Susie knows how to make your guests feel at home.

Kosher By Design Entertains features:
Over 250 brand new recipes and 200 stunning color photographs
Triple-tested recipes ensure accuracy, ease of preparation and elegant presentation
Nine different party formats complete with menu suggestions
Tips on creating the perfect ambience
Special Passover index
Resource and Buying Guide

Spice and Spirit: The Complete Kosher Jewish Cookbook (A Kosher living classic)

Esther Blau, Tzirrel Deitsch, Cherna Light

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 17 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Don't miss this one! 5 out of 5 stars.
7 of 8 people found this review helpful.

This book is awesome! Although indispensable for those who keep kosher, it is wonderful for anyone with tastebuds. (I'm a Christian.) The recipes are much-loved, tried-and-true favorites, which are very clearly written to virtually ensure success (e.g., even telling what size saucepan to use -- which you'll appreciate if you ever had to switch to a larger pan halfway through the recipe, thereby leaving two to scrub). Everything in it is wonderful; these are the recipes folks swear by, so you can try them with complete confidence. Awesome book! It sounds expensive only until you see it.

My personal favorite 5 out of 5 stars.
7 of 7 people found this review helpful.

I love cookbooks, to read and look through. This one is the best. It has all the basic recipes and loads of information abouth jewish life and general cooking. When I am looking for a good basic recipe I know it will be here. I have given this as a shower gift many times. There are many cookbooks out there with more updated recipes and pictures (this book has no pictures) but when I need something to come out right, not be too difficult, and taste good I go for this book. The brownie and Basic (fruit)filled cakes I have made hundreds of times and they keep asking for them.

Matzoh Ball Gumbo: Culinary Tales of the Jewish South

Marcie Cohen Ferris

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 9 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Since early colonial times in America, Jewish southerners have been tempted by delectable regional foods. Because some of these foods--including pork and shellfish--have been traditionally forbidden to Jews by religious dietary laws, southern Jews face a special predicament. In a culinary journey through the Jewish South, Arkansas native Marcie Cohen Ferris explores how southern Jews embraced, avoided, and adapted southern food and, in the process, have found themselves at home.

From colonial Savannah and Charleston to Civil War era New Orleans and Natchez, from New South Atlanta to contemporary Memphis and across the Mississippi and Arkansas Deltas, Ferris examines the expressive power of food throughout southern Jewish history. She demonstrates how southern Jews reinvented traditions as they adjusted to living in a largely Christian world where they were bound by regional rules of race, class, and gender.

Featuring a trove of photographs, Matzoh Ball Gumbo also includes anecdotes, oral histories, and more than thirty recipes to try at home. Ferris's rich tour of southern Jewish foodways shows that, at the dining table, Jewish southerners created a distinctive religious expression that reflects the evolution of southern Jewish life.

Food At The Time Of The Bible: From Adam's Apple To The Last Supper

Miriam Feinberg Vamosh

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 6 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Depends on What You're Looking for 4 out of 5 stars.
6 of 6 people found this review helpful.

If you're a pastor or Bible studier, this is an excellent, fun, and interesting book. There are lots of illustrations, although the quality of some of the pictures is lacking.

If you're a cook or someone looking into healthier eating, it may not be exactly what you're looking for. There are a couple dozen recipes at the back of the book, but explanation on ancient food techniques related to the recipes leaves you wanting more information.

If you're just curious and interested in the way the Old World esteemed and prepared food this is probably just the book for you. Whatever your reason for considering it, it is a nice book, although a little thinner than I expected.

GOOD FOOD 5 out of 5 stars.
5 of 5 people found this review helpful.

GREAT BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON FO0DS IN BIBLE TIMES. PICTURES ARE GREAT. I WANTED A BOOK TO HAVE A BIBLE FOODS PARTY FOR YOUNG TEENS. WELL PRESENTED IN A WAY THAT ALL COULD TAKE A PART. BROUGHT IT TO A FRIEND'S HOUSE AND THEY WOULDN'T LET ME TAKE IT HOME. I THINK THERE WILL BE MORE ORDERS FOR AMAZON.

Passover by Design: Picture-perfect Kosher by Design recipes for the holiday (Kosher by Design) (Kosher By Design)

Susie Fishbein

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 20 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

There is Mighty Fine Eating Between These Pages 5 out of 5 stars.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful.

I am not religious, observe no conventions other than exchanging gifts at Christmas. That said, why am I writing a review of this book? For me there is only one reason for owning a cookbook and that is the recipes inside. Either they're good or they're not. You cook up a dish, if it's tasty, if your family or company like it, then you try another, then another. If you and yours get on with the recipes, then you have a winner, if not, well then you don't.

This book is a winner, but before I go into the recipes, I'd like to say that the book is elegantly done, the photographs are mouthwateringly gorgeous and the book has been laid out very professionally. You can tell Ms. Fishbein, Mr. Uher and their publishers really cared about this project.

But do the recipes pass muster? Yeah, I gotta say they do. My first outing with this book was the Meat and Potato Roll. It was easy to do, so easy that I wondered why it was in a cookbook. I made it without a hitch and it was divine. So a couple days later I decided to try something a bit more complicated and did the Portobello Stacks with Honey Balsamic Ketchup for a starter and jeepers were they ever good. This was something I never would have thought of making by myself and now it's something I'll be making for years to come. That alone makes this book a gem as far as I'm concerned.

But wait! There's more. The Caramelized Parsnip Carrot Soup is simply to die for, as are the Turmeric Matzo Balls. You know in my wildest of wildest dreams I never would have thought I'd be doing Matzo Balls, but I'm into this cookbook now and I can't get out. I suppose one of the reasons for my captivity is the photographs. One look and you're drooling. You just gotta start cooking.

In conclusion, this book passes with flying colors the only test a cookbook should have and that's the recipes inside it. Follow these recipes and you'll please not only your family and company, but yourself as well. There is mighty fine eating between these pages and I'll be using this cookbook for years to come.

Editorial Review:

In this fifth cookbook in the celebrated Kosher by Design series, Susie Fishbein makes Passover preparations elegantly simple. Featuring a blend of Passover-adjusted Kosher by Design favorites, with over thirty brand-new recipes and full-color photos, this is one cookbook you'll love to use throughout the holiday.
Passover by Design features:
**Over 30 brand-new recipes, many developed with kosher catering star, Moshe David
**Over 130 Kosher by Design favorites reformulated and retested for Passover
**Over 140 full-color images throughout, with over 40 brand-new photos
**Quick and easy table decor and entertaining ideas
**Useful, year-round healthy cooking techniques
**Comprehensive index for easy cross-referencing
**Also includes over 130 gluten-free recipes which makes this the perfect year-round cookbook for those on a gluten-free diet.

2nd Avenue Deli Cookbook: Recipes and Memories from Abe Lebewohl's Legendary Kitchen

Sharon Lebewohl, Rena Bulkin, Jack Lebewohl

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 15 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

The food at The 2nd Ave. Deli is what your grandmother, mother, or a friend's family cooked. (Especially if you are not Jewish but loved being well fed.) From its recipes for Schmalz (the rendered chicken fat indispensable to real, old-fashioned Jewish dishes) and what is arguably the best chopped liver in the world, to Health Salad (a mayonnaise-less, sweet coleslaw), potato kugel (a dense, crisp-crusted pudding), six versions of chicken soup, a Honey Chiffon Cake served for Jewish New Year, and Mandelbrot, an almond-studded Jewish biscotti, this cookbook offers the best of the hefty, soul-satisfying Jewish cooking that is the ultimate comfort food.

Having survived World War II, and, at 19, hungry to succeed, Abe Lebewohl arrived in New York City in 1950, a Jewish immigrant from Russia. His first job was working in a deli on Coney Island. In 1954, he took over the tiny luncheonette near New York's bustling Lower East Side, which he renamed the 2nd Ave. Deli. From that day forward, he looked after his customers (and everyone else he felt needed it) with spontaneous generosity. The stories in this book from his daughter and other people who knew Abe bring to life the passion and love he served along with the best authentic Jewish home cooking--making it clear why he was called the Mayor of Second Avenue. The deli, a magnet for tourists and New York City locals, is now also a memorial to Abe Lebewohl, who was killed in 1996 during a robbery after the restaurant had closed for the night. His daughter wrote this cookbook as a memorial to him, as well as to share the family's recipes for elemental Jewish cooking. Its 166 recipes, black-and-white photographs, and inspiring text make this a joyful celebration by his family and friends. --Dana Jacobi

Cooking Jewish: 532 Great Recipes from the Rabinowitz Family

Judy Bart Kancigor

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 7 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Got kugel? Got Kugel with Toffee Walnuts? Now you do. Here's the real homemade Gefilte Fish – and also Salmon en Papillote. Grandma Sera Fritkin’s Russian Brisket and Hazelnut-Crusted Rack of Lamb. Aunt Irene's traditional matzoh balls and Judy's contemporary version with shiitake mushrooms. Cooking Jewish gathers recipes from five generations of a food-obsessed family into a celebratory saga of cousins and kasha, Passover feasts – the holiday has its own chapter – and crossover dishes. And for all cooks who love to get together for coffee and a little something, dozens and dozens of desserts: pies, cakes, cookies, bars, and a multitude of cheesecakes; Rugelach and Hamantaschen, Mandelbrot and Sufganyot (Hanukkah jelly doughnuts). Not to mention Tanta Esther Gittel’s Husband’s Second Wife Lena’s Nut Cake.

Blending the recipes with over 160 stories from the Rabinowitz family—by the end of the book you'll have gotten to know the whole wacky clan—and illustrated throughout with more than 500 photographs reaching back to the 19th century, Cooking Jewish invites the reader not just into the kitchen, but into a vibrant world of family and friends. Written and recipe-tested by Judy Bart Kancigor, a food journalist with the Orange County Register, who self-published her first family cookbook as a gift and then went on to sell 11,000 copies, here are 532 recipes from her extended family of outstanding cooks, including the best chicken soup ever – really! – from her mother, Lillian. (Or as the author says, "When you write your cookbook, you can say your mother's is the best.")

Every recipe, a joy in the belly.

The New York Times Jewish Cookbook: More than 825 Traditional & Contemporary Recipes from Around the World

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 5 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

From the food pages of The New York Times comes this authoritative, wide-ranging Jewish cookbook. With almost 800 well-tested recipes by Times food writers, this collection includes influences from Northern Africa, Western and Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and the United States. It is a collection to cook from as well as to celebrate the history, culture, culinary creativity, and enduring tradition of Jews around the world.

Mimi Sheraton, food critic and cookbook author, has written a full introduction to the book as well as to each chapter, providing context and expertise to entertain and inspire. Editor Linda Amster has organized chapters to cover every course: appetizers, breads, soups, fish, meat, chicken, vegetables and salads, grains and dairy delights, cakes, cookies, and other desserts. Delicious recipes include both traditional favorites and more recent variations that update the classics with a contemporary twist. All recipes are kosher and include dishes from dozens of well-known writers and chefs such as, Ms. Sheraton, Alain Ducasse, Joan Nathan, Daniel Boulud, and Wolfgang Puck.

This useful, appealing, and imaginative volume will delight those who celebrate Jewish culinary culture, and is sure to set a new standard on the Jewish cookbook shelf.

Secrets of a Jewish Baker: Recipes for 125 Breads from Around the World

George Greenstein

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 8 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Perfect for the serious baker 5 out of 5 stars.
15 of 16 people found this review helpful.

The point of "Secrets of a Jewish Baker" is not just to provide you with recipes, but rather to help you create professional-quality loaves in your own kitchens. If you find you have difficulty making a truly light and airy loaf of bread, a whole-grain loaf that's tasty as well as nutritious, or a crusty loaf like your favorite baker's, you won't have any trouble with these tasks by the time you've made a few recipes from this book.

The book opens with wonderful notes on basic materials you'll need (as well as optional ones), ingredients, special bakers' techniques, handy tricks and tips to make things easier on yourself, and even a trouble-shooting section to help you figure out what might have gone wrong with a loaf of bread and how to fix it. Usually such sections teach me nothing new; here I definitely learned things.

As for the recipes, they come out nothing short of stunning. The cheese bread disappeared so fast you'd think it had been a figment of our imaginations. Most surprisingly for me, the cracked wheat bread and bran bread disappeared just as quickly-I think of bran as tasteless and unappealing, but these healthy breads were moist, tender, and delicious. The coffee cake made a yummy (if rather sinful) breakfast, as did the peach streusel muffins. The techniques for creating great crusts worked like magic, particularly on the Irish raisin bread, which was similarly delightful.

The book includes a handful of morning "programs" of baking that interleave instructions for several recipes at once, enabling you to easily make a week's worth of bread in one morning. This worked beautifully for us. The recipes also include variations designed for the food processor and the six-quart stand mixer, with different ratios of ingredients to take advantage of those items' form-factors; thus you can easily adapt the recipes to the equipment you have on hand. My only warning is that the stand mixer recipes seem sized to the new, heaviest-duty six-quart stand mixers, so be sure to double-check your mixer's rating for how many cups of flour it can tolerate. (You can always use his basic recipe amounts in your stand mixer if it won't tolerate the higher-quantity mixer variations.)

This is a stunning bread cookbook, particularly for anyone who wants to make professional-quality breads in their home kitchen, or who wants recipes for healthy, whole-grain breads that taste amazing!

Editorial Review:

For more than 20 years, George Greenstein owned and operated a Jewish bakery in Long Island. In this highly acclaimed cookbook, he reveals the unwritten tips that were passed down in his family through three generations of bakers. With a broad selection of basic breads, authentic New York-style staples, and ethnic favorites, SECRETS OF A JEWISH BAKER covers everything bakers need know to ensure a successful loaf every time.