HIP KOSHER THE JEWISH PRINCESS COOKBOOK Tracey Fine and Georgie Tarn McBooks Press, Inc., 2008. 224 pp. $18.95 ISBN: 978-1-59013-161-9
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hen I mention that I’m reviewing The Jewish Princess Cookbook, I encounter this response: Isn’t “JP” cooking ordering takeout? This is the seeming paradox bridged by authors Georgie Tarn and Tracey Fine, self-proclaimed Jewish Princesses. The duo’s idea is that while many a Jewish gal enjoys shopping, beautification, and eating out, a real Jewish princess balances it with running a lovely home that upholds the centrality of food in the Jewish tradition. To achieve this balance, Tarn and Fine provide recipes that are non-time-consuming, have under ten ingredients, and that look impressive too. I try out these claims, first cooking Paella Miami, a kosher version of the seafood classic, for a large Shavuot dinner. While this recipe breaks the ten ingredient rule and does leave me slaving away for much of an afternoon, it certainly fulfills my goal of wowing the crowds; it looks beautiful mixing rice and fish with red peppers, black olives, and green peas, and it tastes even more delicious cold the next day. In the true spirit of the Jewish Princess, I meet my sister for a birthday treat at the spa (and, yes, some shopping afterwards) and still have to make the first course for a Shabbat dinner that night. I whisk up the Parsley Potato Salad which is extremely easy and pretty and avoids the heavy mayonnaise frequently associated with the dish in favor of olive oil and added greens. The Jewish Princess Cookbook combines simple, nutritious, and snazzy recipes interspersed with the wit and advice of its authors, women who truly have their couture and bake their apple cakes too. LE
PAELLA MIAMI Serves 6 oil, for frying 2 tablespoons vegetable and diced 1 green chili, deseeded deseeded and chopped 1 medium red pepper, 2 teaspoons garlic puree sliced and cubed 2 large beef tomatoes, fish stock 5 1/4 cups vegetable or fron saf 2 generous pinches of ximately 7-8 oz.) pro (ap et 1 fresh salmon fill ximately 10 oz.) 1 fresh cod fillet (appro 1 3/4 cups rice ximately 6 oz.) 1 fresh tuna fillet (appro and drained ted pit , 4 oz. black olives taste to er pp pe Salt and black as pe zen 1/2 lb. fro sliced into rings 1 red onion, peeled and
Ronnie Fein Da Capo Press, 2008. 244 pp. $16.95 (pbk.) ISBN: 978-1-60094-053-8 (pbk.)
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any of today’s kosher cooks are interested in expanding their repertoire beyond traditional Jewish cuisine. There is a growing trend to replace grandma’s chicken soup and kasha varnishkas with kosher meals that are both modern and eclectic. With over 175 recipes, Ronnie Fein’s latest cookbook, Hip Kosher, offers an antidote to conventional Jewish fare with a wide selection of easy to prepare contemporary dishes. With Fein’s explanation of kashrut and helpful cooking hints accompanying each recipe, every cook—from the novice to the seasoned pro—has something to gain from Hip Kosher. Her recipes, based on healthy and fresh ingredients include: gazpacho, curried quinoa stir-fry, salmon with pineapple CURRIED QUINOA ST mango salsa, chicken with IR-FRY dates and toasted 1 cup Quinoa almonds, yogurt spice 1/4 cup extra virgin oli ve oil cake, and an array of I medium onion, chopp ed vegetarian dishes. 1/2 small red bell pepp er, chopped With recipes that 1/2 cup thawed frozen peas appeal to any palette and 1/4 cup chopped dried apricots are suitable for a host of 1/4 cup toasted cashews occasions, this is the per1 teaspoon curry powd er fect cookbook for the Salt and freshly groun d black pepper, to tas adventurous cook who te 1 cup firm tofu, cut int o small cubes wants to have fun in the 1 tablespoon minced fre sh parsley kitchen. LES
pan with the vegetable Coat a large, deep frying and garthen add chili, pepper, oil (I usually use a wok), t, stirutes over moderate hea lic and cook for five min tomathe tinuously. Next, add ring the ingredients con s. ute min five r g for anothe toes and continue stirrin r me sim and n fro saf with the Pour in the stock along by e g and eye on the mixtur for ten minutes, keepin tuna d all the fish except the stirring occasionally. Ad to rice the d Ad s. r ten minute and simmer for anothe r me sim and ts, ten con h the the pan, mix it in the wit ppe s. Add the tuna, salt, and for another ten minute utes. k for a further five min per, and olives and coo s. In ute min five r for a furthe Add the peas and cook le litt a in gs rin ion on té the a separate frying pan, sau h. of the paella to garnis olive oil and add on top . sy of McBooks Press, Inc Recipe reprinted courte
Bring 2 cups water to a boil in a saucepan ov er high heat and add the quinoa. Lower the heat, cover the pan, and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until all the water has been absorbe d. Set aside. Heat the oli ve oil in a wok, stir-fry pan, or sauté pan over mediu m heat. Add the onion and be ll pepper and cook for 2-3 minutes or until softened. Add the peas, apricots, cas hews, curry powder, and salt and pe pper to taste and coo k for 1 minute. Add the quino a and cook, stirring to distribute ingredients evenly. Ad d the tofu and toss the ingredients gently. Cook for 1-2 mi nutes or until the ingred ients are hot. Dish out and sprink le parsley. Makes 4 ser vin gs. Natural quinoa is covere d with saponin, a natura l substance that protec ts the seeds by repelli ng insects and birds. It is importa nt to rinse the grains un der cold water to remove it (it tastes bitter) but most packaged brands, available in tra ditional supermarkets as well as specialty stores are alr eady rinsed. From the book Hip Ko sher by Ronnie Fein. Re printed by arrangement with the Perseus Books Group (www.perseusbooks.com ). Copyright (c) 2008.