A Conversation with Susie Fishbein

Tonight on Blogtalkradio we will be speaking with Susie Fishbein, at 10:00pm (Eastern Time). Susie is the author of the Kosher by Design cookbook series. As she celebrates the 10th anniversary of the first book’s appearance she just published her eagerly awaited eighth title (Kosher By Design- Cooking Coach).

Susie Fishbein has been the featured celebrity guest on cruise ships as well as at week-long culinary adventures in Israel and Italy. She’s been profiled in The New York Times and CNN. The Forward has named her one of the 50 most influential Jews in America.

She was an honored guest at the White House in recognition of the National Jewish Heritage Month, she has taught at Macy‘s De Gustibus School of Cooking and has been a guest on dozens of network TV and radio shows. She’s also been featured at the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival at Disneyworld

Meanwhile, in case you missed it, why not listen to last week’s show with award winning cookbook author Jayne Cohen?

Please don’t forget to tune us in, this evening at 10:00pm (Eastern Time). We’ll be wait’n for ya!

CS

Jayne Cohen’s Jewish Holiday Cooking

The Jewish calendar is filled with celebrations, each has its unique foods and traditions. What better way to celebrate than with columnist, blogger, cook author Jayne Cohen‘s Jewish Holiday Cooking? Ms. Cohen covers the spectrum of Jewish cooking around the world. Her dishes – though often traditional – include many a delightful surprise, an update in taste.

The recipes are peppered with quotes from the vast world of Jewish writing ranging from the Talmud to Nathan Englander, from Chaim Grade to Sholem Aleichem, from the Zohar to Shmuel Hanagid and more. It is obvious this is not just a cookbook, it is a paean to Judaism, its timeless spiritual and cultural values, with the recipes representing a way to celebrate it all.

As I browse through the pages, it is obvious the author loves many genres of books, her quotes, her references, her intros to the individual recipes, her writing in general becomes “unputdownable.” As you leaf through, as you read through, not only do you see yourself at the very locals she’s traveled but you can smell and taste as well. Written in the best tradition of M.F.K Fischer, Joseph Wechsberg, Hillaire du Berrier and Ruth Reichl, Ms. Cohen leaves you begging for more…

With Chanuka coming up in less than a month, what could be better than an interesting latke recipe to whet one’s appetite?

Garlic-Rosemary Potato Latkes

Pareve
Yield: About 4 servings

These exceptionally fragrant potato pancakes require no topping or sauce as adornment. They are perfect as is, ready to accompany any roasted or grilled chicken or meat.

Ingredients:

• About 1 1/2 pounds Yukon gold or 3 large russet (baking) potatoes, peeled
• 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped garlic
• 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1 tablespoon matzoh meal or unbleached all-purpose flour
• About 3/4 teaspoon salt
• About 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• Olive oil, for frying
• Sea salt (optional)

Directions

1. Shred the potatoes, using the shredding disk in a food processor. (Don’t wash out the food processor–you’ll be using it again right away.) Transfer the potatoes to a colander or strainer and use your hands or a wooden spoon to press out as much moisture as possible.
2. Remove the shredding disk from the processor and replace with the steel blade. Return about one third of the shredded potatoes to the food processor. Add the garlic and rosemary and process, using the pulse motion, until roughly pureed. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Add the remaining potatoes, the egg, matzoh meal or flour, salt and pepper to taste, and the baking powder to the bowl. Mix until thoroughly combined. Let stand for 10 minutes to mingle the flavors.
3. In a 10- to 12-inch heavy skillet (cast-iron is ideal), heat about 1/4 inch of oil over high heat until hot but not smoking. Drop 1/4 cup of the potato latke batter into the pan and flatten with a spatula. Repeat with more batter, cooking no more than 4 or 5 latkes at a time; crowding the pan will give you soggy latkes.
4. Regulate the heat carefully, reducing it to medium as the latkes fry until golden and crisp on the bottom, about 4 minutes. To prevent oil from splattering, use two spatulas (or a spatula and a large spoon) to turn the latkes carefully. Fry until crisp and golden on the other side.
5. It’s best to flip the latkes only once, so that they don’t absorb too much oil. So, before turning, lift the latkes slightly with the spatula to make sure the underside is crisp and brown.
6. As the latkes are done, transfer them to paper towels or untreated brown paper bags to drain.
7. Continue making latkes in the same manner until all the batter is used. If necessary, add more oil to the pan, but always allow the oil to get hot before frying a new batch.
8. Serve straightaway, sprinkled with a little coarse salt, if you’d like. Or if necessary, keep the latkes warm in a 200 degree F oven (arrange them in a single layer on a rack placed over an oven-proof platter or baking sheet) and serve when they are all ready to be brought to the table.

From Jewish Holiday Cooking: A Food Lover’s Treasury of Classics and Improvisations
by Jayne Cohen (print edition: Wiley 2008; e-book: 2012).
Visit jewishholidaycooking.com

Enjoy, gentle reader, enjoy! And… don’t forget to tune in this coming Wednesday at 10:00pm (Eastern Time) when we will be talking with Jayne Cohen; we’ll be waiting!

CS

Kosher By Design Cooking Coach

Mark van Doren once said: “A good teacher is one who makes himself progressively unnecessary.” Susie Fishbein – that quintessential teacher – is looking to wean devoted Kosher by Design cooks, off the book and onto self-actualization in the kitchen with her new cookbook “Kosher by Design Cooking Coach.”

Cover Used by permission: ArtScroll Shaar Press

With over 400 full-color pictures by the talented John Uher, 10 pictorial coaching sections and a cross referenced index of 120 new recipes, this 8th title in ArtScroll‘s Kosher by Design series, imparts essential skills, techniques, tips and tools to help us excel in the kitchen. Cooking Coach includes sections on essential kitchen equipment, why 3 culinary knives will do the trick, key tips on buying and preparing fish, meat, chicken and side dishes, and my favorite, an easy to follow playbook of recipe variations that help stretch the budget without being mealtime boring or left-over repetitive.

The lay out is so picture laden and easy on the eye it could pass for an idiot’s guide to the kitchen were it not for its elegant descriptive content. I think what we all love about Susie most and what’s made her series such an enormous success, is her ability to deliver fool-proof recipes that are delicious and make us look like culinary heroes to our family and friends. In this latest cookbook, Susie wants to up the ante and move her loyal audience beyond the written recipe, teaching us essential skills to help us develop, discover and explore our own creative cooking abilities beyond the text and within our own selves; the ultimate gift of a true teacher.

From the book, page 184:

Bulgogi

Used by permission: ArtScroll Shaar Press

Photo by: John Uher, on page 185

Yield: 4 – 6 servings

Bulgogi is Korea’s most famous street food. It is also served in homes and restaurants, prepared on tabletop hibachi-style grills.

The key to this dish is slicing the meat paperr thin so it absorbs all the flavors of the marinade and cooks quickly. If you freeze the meat for 30-45 minutes out of it packaging in a piece of foil or parchment, it will be much easier to slice nicely.

• 8 cloves fresh garlic, sliced
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce **
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
• 1 1/2 pounds filet split, cut into paper thin 1/16 inch slices
• 1 head Bibb or Boston lettuce, separated into leaves.

Dipping Sauce

• 1 cup soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 2 tablespoons fresh ginger, peeled and minced
• 1/2 teaspoon roasted or toasted sesame oil
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1. In a medium bowl mix the garlic, soy sauce, brown sugar, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, and cayenne. Add the sliced steak. Toss and stir to separate the slices and make sure they are well coated. Allow to marinate at room temperature for 15-20 minutes.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon canola oil in a large in a large skillet over medium heat. Remove the meat from the marinade and discard any remaining marinade. Sear the meat, in a single layer, allowing room between slices, you may need to do this in batches. If so, wipe out the pan between each batch and heat a bit more. oil. Don’t move the meat around. Get some good caramelization and then, using tongs, turn each slice over and repeat on the second side, 3-5 minutes in total cooking time.
3. Roll 1/2 cup meat in a Bibb lettuce leaf. Repeat until all the meat is rolled. Transfer to a plate or a platter.
4. In a small bowl, prepare the the clipping sauce. Whisk together the soy sauce, honey , ginger, sesame oil, and red pepper flakes.

** True Worcestershire sauce contains anchovies. If the kosher certification mark stands alone, then the percentage of anchovies is less than 1.6% of the whole product. Many rabbinical authorities say that this is okay to use with meat. If the kosher certification is on the label has a fish notation next to it, the level exceeds 1.6%; do not use it in meat dishes.

Page 27,  in the Playbook section, lists what you can do with the leftovers of the above recipe:

Make a tasty ASIAN BEEF SOUP with your leftovers: In a soup pot, heat 1 tablespoon canola oil. Add 1 sliced onion, 10 sliced shiitake mushrooms, and 2 teaspoons fresh grated ginger. Sauté until the mushrooms and onion sare wilted. Add 6 cups chicken stock.  1/4 cup shredded carrots, a handful of pea pods, and 1 thinly sliced stalk bok choy. Bring to a simmer; cook for 10 minutes. Mix in 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1/2 teaspoon roasted sesame oil, and 1 teaspoon sriracha chilli sauce. Chop the leftover bulgogi and add to the pot along with 2 scallions thinly sliced on the diagonal.

Enjoy, enjoy!

SYR

Kosher by Design Cooking Coach Book Signing

It’s always interesting to see how fame re-frames a person.  This past Tuesday eve – on the tenth anniversary of Susie Fishbein’s first book of her wildly successful Kosher by Design (published by ARTSCROLL) – the launching of her 8th cookbook (Cooking Coach) took place at Pomegranate Supermarket.

Photos by: Photos by Tibor Tóth

Gavriel Sanders introducing Susie Fishbein..

Susie, fresh from a summer cooking tour of Tuscany, is as gracious, unpretentious and down to earth as ever.  Amazingly, she still has that warm, approachable ‘everywoman’ in the kitchen, poised well within a comfort zone honed by years of test and taste experimentation and exploration of ingredients prepping meals for family and friends. Her early training as a teacher who inspired fourth graders to harness the essential techniques and tools beyond the blackboard factoids through cementing experiences, was very much in evidence now as chef extraordinaire. Susie seeks to achieve similar goals for her avid fans in cooking coach; “My true job is to free people from cookbooks and the written word to become more intuitive cooks”

Susie, in action!

As Albert Einstein once said: “I never teach my pupils; I only attempt to provide the conditions in which they can learn.”   Susie ‘s latest features easy to follow step by step pictorial Game Plan covering essential equipment, stocking one’s kitchen and key essentials for prep and cooking of meat & poultry, fish, salads & soups from appetizers through desserts. Cooking Coach has a well-organized Playbook detailing creative makeovers for yesterday’s leftovers to new alternate dishes bearing but a dash of resemblance.

Fellow bloggers and members of the press sampled Playbook in action as Susie demoed onstage; ground turkey sautéed with frozen spinach transformed into three wonderful fresh dishes: Turkey Taco Eggrolls, Turkey Stuffed Mushrooms and a terrific pasta penne dish using Pomegranate’s own Marinara Sauce.

Turkey Taco Eggrolls

Gavriel Sanders, Artscrtoll‘s publicist for the Kosher by Design series, mc’d and fielded questions from the audience, delivering a seamless media event. Pomegranate was the perfect host and venue for this private media reception.

Susie Fishbein and her dad, at the book signing

Susie signed copies of the complimentary Kosher by Design Cooking Coach that the evening’s participants received in their swag bag along with complementary products from Pomegranate.  A full review of Susie’s new cookbook will be featured here next week along with a recipe. Thanks to Susie Fishbein and Pomegranate for a most delightful evening and an exciting new cookbook to reach for, until we intuitively ‘get it’ and need but reach within.

SYR

Flounder With a Crunch

Anyone who’s been following this blog over the last couple of years, knows that until three years ago I never tasted fish during the first 6 decades of my life, however, when I finally was trapped into tasting them… I found it a great culinary experience.  It showed me what I’ve been, unnecessarily, depriving myself of!

The following easy to make recipe appeared in a book published in 2004 by the Arie Crown Hebrew Day School in Skokie, IL. From Crowning Elegance, a cookbook that combines superb recipes with an elegant flair:

Photo from: Crowning Elegance, page 210

Dairy or Parve — Serves 4

Crushed prestzels are a welcoming change from the basic breadcrumb topping. They add a nice cruch and a salty flvor, balancing the simplistic flavor of flounder.

Ingredients

• 1 pound flounder fillets
• 1 egg beaten
• 3 tablespoons Dijon Mustard
• 1 tablespoon milk or non-dairy creamer
• 1/4 tablespoon black pepper
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 cup coarsely crushed prestzels
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 lemon sliced, optional garnish

Directions

1. In a shallow bowl, using a fork, combine egg, mustard, milk and pepper.
2. on a large piece of plastic wrap separately place flour and pretzels .
3. Coat fish with flour, dip fish into mustard mixture. Dredge fish in crushed pretzels to coat both sides well.
4. In a large skillet, over medium high flame, heat oi. Cook fish in batches for 3 to 4 minuteson each side or until golden brownand fish flakes easily with a fork.
5. Serve hot and garnish with lemon slices.

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes

Enjoy, gentle reader, enjoy!

CS

Manna From Heaven

Richmond,VA’s Rudlin Torah Academy, published Manna from Heaven – while it differs from cookbooks designed to woow the reader as he or she imagines the various recipes, this one shows that you need not be a Cordon Bleu trained Chef to prepare succulent, wholesome dishes.

The underlying philosophy behind this cookbook is that food and Judaism are inextricable parts of each other, as stated in the preface. As such, you will find recipes for every holiday, for every occasion whether a party or just for the immediate family.

This is a cookbook designed to make the average cook shine, with sections such as:

• Effortless
• Breads
• Spreads and Dips
• Appetizers
• Soups
• Salads
• Meat Poultry
• Fish
• Dairy and Bruch
• Side Dishes and Vegetables
• Desserts

From the easy – last minute preparations – to more complex dishes everything here is easy to make, and yet every recipe from Strawberry Bread to Blue Cheese Ball, from Marinated ‘Shrooms to Tomato Soup with Herbs and Feta, from Brandied Fruit Salad to Fail-Proof Rib Roast, from Arroz con Pollo Valenciana to Salmon in Orange-Honey Marinade, from Mediterranean Strata Lite to Ratatouille in Phyllo, from Peanut Butter-Chocolate Crispy Treats to Rugelach and more, are

During chol hamo’ed and the last days of yom tov I was in Richmond, VA and had the privilege of tasting a superb challa (one of the best I ever had!) made by the lady who created it for this cookbook. Here’s the recipe:

No Need to Knead Challah

(page 21) – Yields 8 loaves

Ingredients

• 6 packets quick rise yeast
• 2 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar
• 4 cups warm water
• 5 pounds plus 3 cups bread flour
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 8 extra large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups oil.
• 1 egg plus 3 tablespoons water for wash
• Sesame or poppy seeds, optional

Directions

1. Dissolve yeast plus 2 tablespoons sugar in 2 cups warm water in a medium bowl, Set aside. In an extra large bowl, mix flour and salt together  and make a well in the center. In a separate bowl mix together remaining sugar, eggs and oil.
2. Add yeast mixture and 2 additional cups of warm water to sugar, egg amnd mixture. Slowly pour egg and yeast mixture into the well in the flour and mix. Make sure that all the flour is mixed into the dough. Mix only enough to combine all the ingredients. Cover with a damp cloth and either leave in the refrigerator overninght or let rise at room temperature until doubled in bulk, 2 -3 hours. In the morning, remove from refrigerator and place on a clean surface. Divide up dough into 8 portions, roll each portion into 3 ropes and braid loaves.
3. Spray baking sheets or large loaf pans and place challa on or in them. Cover again with damp cloth and allow to rise for 2 hours. Preheat oven to 350 F. Beat egg with water and brush on challah. Sprinkle with either sesame or poppy seeds if desired. Bake 25-30 minutes until loaves are golden brown. Remove from oven and place on racks until cool. Challah may be wrapped in foil and frozen.

Each section opens up with a quote from sifrei kodesh, because this is more than just a cookbook, it shows the connection between what goes into a Jew’s mouth and his/her spiritual growth. You can order the cookbook online at the Rudlin Academy’s website. While you most likely did not attend the Culinary Institute of America nor Johnson and Wales University, you will still wow your family and friends with these recipes!

CS

On Tonight’s Internet Radio Show: A Conversation with Gloria Kobrin

This evening at 8:00pm (Eastern Time), The Kosher Scene Radio Show will host Gloria Kobrin. Who is Gloria?

Gloria Kobrin, has been married for 40 years. As a mother of two, grandmother of two, she’s cooked her whole life for groups ranging from 4 to 100. She specializes in creating delicious gourmet food that is not only easy enough for the home cook to prepare but also happens to be Kosher. Mrs. Kobrin is the author of the Kosher Cookbook App for iPhone and iPod.

Gloria shares her recipes and cooking tips on her Kosher Cookbook page on Twitter.com/Koshercookbook, on Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/KosherCookbookApp?ref=nf, and on her blog at: www.koshercookbook.blogspot.com.

Soon after Gloria married she, and a friend, began the Kosher Gourmet weekly column in the Jewish Week. She also taught a Lunch and Learn series of cooking classes at Yeshiva University, while – at the same time – selling boutique baked goods from her home: fruit tarts, candied nuts, and specialty birthday cakes.

Besides cooking, and baking, she’s been quite busy ghost writing poems and speeches for Bar Mitzvahs, weddings and miscellaneous celebrations. She has a certificate in translation (French to English) from NYU School of Continuing Education and is a trained mediator  for community issues and has additional training in family and divorce mediation.

We will be discussing not only her cooking and baking, but who she is as a person and as a proud Jew.

Meanwhile, in case you missed it please listen to our archived show with Menachem Lubinsky, the walking encyclopedia of kosher marketing and its history.

Please tune us this evening on BlogTalkRadio.com/kosherscene, at 8:00pm (Eastern Time), The Kosher Scene Radio Show will host Gloria Kobrin. We’ll be wait’n for ya!

CS

This Coming Wednesday Evening’s Radio Show – Bonnie R. Giller

Our guest on Blogtalkradio.com, this coming Wenesday at 8:00pm (Eastern Time) will be Nutritionist Bonnie R. Giller. What are her credentials? Bonnie R. Giller, MS, RD, CDN, CDE, has published two cookbooks: Recipes to Remember – Heart Healthy Can Be Delicious and Passover the Healthy Way: Light, Tasty and Easy Recipes Your Whole Family Will Enjoy. She is now hard at work on a third cookbook which will contain over 300 recipes for healthy living.

She has been in private practice since 1987.  Her main message to people who are trying to lose weight is that Diets Don’t Work.  Bonnie would like to introduce the concept of Intuitive Eating which is eating mindfully and not mindlessly.

In her practice she also provides Medical Nutrition Therapy, which is treatment of various disease states through nutrition, as for example with diabetes.  Bonnie Giller is a certified diabetes educator and work extensively with people who have diabetes and pre-diabetes.  She provide nutrition services for those with gastrointestinal issues as well.

On these days when we hear so much about healthy eating habits, when the traditional Eastern European Jewish cuisine – while delicious – can actually be harmful, Mrs. Giller delivers the message that healthy eating need be neither boring nor unimaginative. As her books attest, you can eat healthy and still enjoy the wholesome flavor of myriads of dishes. The secret lies in the ingredients and the preparation.

Meanwhile, in case you missed it, why not listen to our conversation with Ladino‘s owner/Chef Alexandre Petard?

Don’t forget to tune us in this coming Wednesday at 8:00pm (Eastern Time), for a very interesting, informative, entertaining talk with Bonnie R. Giller.

CS

Passover The Healthy Way

The author of Passover The Healthy Way is a Registered Dietitian, Certified Diabetes Educator and Certified Dietitian-Nutritionist. She provides Medical Nutrition Therapy for weight management, diabetes and other medical conditions to both adults and children. With such experience one would expect Bonnie R. Giller‘s cookbook to be filled with succulent and nutritious dishes. You know something? If that’s what you expect you will certainly love this cookbook!

It has gebrochs and non-gebrochs recipes (though the gebrochs outnumber the non-gebrochs). The featured dishes are divided into eight categories:

• Soups and Other Meats
• Fish
• Vegetables
• Side Dishes
• Kugels
• Dairy Dishes
• Desserts & Baked Goods

It includes 5 Appendixes:

• Measurement Equivalents
• Tips for Sodium Reuction
• Cooking and Baking
• Substitutions
• Food Labeling Terms

Mrs. Giller has graciously allowed us to share one of her poultry recipes:

Photo by the cookbook author: Bonnie R. Giller

Matzo Stuffed Chicken Cutlets

(Gebrochs) – Serves 10

10 (5 oz.) boneless chicken breasts

Stuffing:

1/2 tsp. olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
5 whole matzo boards finely broken
1/2 cup medium dry Concord wine
1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth
1 egg white
1/2 tbsp. paprika
1 tbsp. pepper

Sauce:

1/3 cup low fat mayonnaise
2 tbsp. ketchup
1 tbsp honey

1. Suate onion in olive oil until tender, but not browned.
2. Add broken matzohs and toast lightly.
3. Cmbine wine, egg white, seasonings, and chicken broth to matzoh mixture.
4. Mix well until matzoh is soft and mixture is heated through.
5. 5. Take 1/4 cup of stuffing, place in the middle of each chicken cutlet and roll. Secure with toothpick, if needed.
6. Combine mayonnaise, ketchup and honey in a bowl. Mix well. Spread on top of chicken cutlet rolls.
7. Bake at 350 F. for 30 to 40 minutes.

Serving size: 1 (4 0z.) stuffed chicken cutlet
Exchanges per Serving: 4 Meat, 1 Starch, 1/2 Fat

Nutrition Facts

Calories: 266                                                                                                 Cholesterol: 83 mg
Total Fat: 4.5 gm                                                                                                 Protein: 36 gm
Saturated Fat: 1 gm                                                                               Carbohydrate: 17 mg
Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5 gm                                                                 Dietary Fiber: 2 gm
Monounsaturated Fat: 0.5 gm                                                                     Sodium: 198 mg

You may order this book at: www.passoverthehealthyway.com.Enjoy, gentle reader, enjoy!

CS

Today’s Radio Show

This afternoon at 5:00 pm (Eastern Time), we will talk with Doris Schechter of My Most Favorite Food on BlogTalkRadio.com. Doris arrived on these shores in 1944 as part of a transport of refugees from Europe and as a guest of President Roosveldt. She eventually opened up My Most Favorite Dessert Company and in time moved her enterprise to its present location where it became a full service restaurant, combining a bakery and a cafe (beautiful and sedately elegant in its theme) – with superb fare – under the name My Most Favorite Food.

Doris is the author of two cookbooks available online and at the restaurant: At Oma’s Table and My Most Favorite Dessert Company Cookbook. She will talk to us about her coming to this country as a young kid, becoming an entrepreneur, cookbook author and succeeding at every endeavor.

Meanwhile in case you missed it, you can listen to the archive of last week’s show with cookbook author Lévana Kirschenbaum. We spoke about her newest cookbook, The Whole Foods Kosher Kitchen and the concept behind “whole foods,” their health advantage and benefits.

Don’t forget to tune us in this afternoon at 5:00 pm (Eastern Time), we will talk with Doris Schechter of My Most Favorite Food on BlogTalkRadio.com. We’ll be waiting for you!

CS