No Jewish cookbook worth its kosher salt would be caught dead without a recipe for chicken soup, chopped chicken liver or braided challah bread for the Sabbath.
”The Gourmet Jewish Cook” by Judy Zeidler (Morrow, $22.95) is no exception. Traditional recipes for all the Jewish holidays-from Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur to Hanukkah and Passover-are included in the first part of this new work. That`s exactly what a reader would expect to find.
The unexpected is what follows in Part Two. For instance, who would have thought recipes for fortune cookies, chicken enchiladas, sopaipillas, osso buco and pesto genovese with pasta and potatoes would find their way into a kosher cookbook? But they have.
This melting pot for nearly 600 recipes with different ethnic origins and yet all within the kosher dietary laws is an interesting culinary approach, if not unique. Some may remember an earlier effort along these same lines, namely ”Kosher Cuisine” by Helen Nash (Random House, 1984).
Zeidler, who is a syndicated food columnist, a cooking show host on cable television and co-owner of several restaurants in the Los Angeles area, explores the international theme on a much grander scale, centering on the festive occasions that draw family and friends together. As a result, most of her recipes are for eight or more persons.
The ”more” in this case is an Israeli bar mitzvah buffet for 48. It includes eggplant with tahini (a sesame seed paste), dolmas, falafel, tabbouleh, pita bread and baklava.
One menu that stands out is Zeidler`s ancient Persian seder, which makes
”a delicious change from the usual Passover fare,” she says. It includes steamed green onions with egg-lemon sauce, chicken with dried fruit and almond stuffing, Persian-style lamb shank stew and an apricot sponge cake.
There is a lot here that deserves attention, from Jewish and non-Jewish cooks alike. However, one might have hoped for something better than a two-sentence explanation of what ”kosher” means.
Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, comes 10 days after Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, which falls in September or early October. The traditional dinner prior to the 24-hour fast for Yom Kippur should be hearty enough to tide one over, the author says, but ”not too salty or spicy so that thirst will become a problem or taste buds become overly stimulated.”
ROAST CHICKEN WITH VEGETABLES AND WHOLE GARLIC CLOVES
Preparation time: 25 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour
Yield: 10 servings
An unpeeled garlic clove should be placed on top of each chicken serving of the following dish, Zeidler says.
2 onions, thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 carrots, peeled, thinly sliced
5 small red potatoes, unpeeled, quartered
1 green pepper, stemmed, seeded, thinly sliced
1 can (15 ounces) peeled tomatoes with juice
1 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup olive oil
2 chickens (3 pounds each), cut into pieces
12 medium mushrooms, quartered
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley
1 whole head of garlic, cloves separated, unpeeled
1 tablespoon dried rosemary or thyme
Salt, freshly ground black pepper
1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Put onions, minced garlic, carrots, potatoes, green pepper and tomatoes in a large roasting pan. Heat to a boil over medium heat. Add wine and simmer for 5 minutes.
2. Heat oil over medium heat in a large skillet and quickly brown chicken pieces on both sides to seal in juices. Transfer browned chicken to roasting pan and baste with onion-tomato mixture to coat chicken. Add mushrooms, parsley, unpeeled garlic cloves, rosemary, salt and pepper to taste. Cover and bake for 1 hour, or until chicken is tender. –
