5 comments about Passover by Design: Picture-perfect Kosher by Design recipes for the holiday (Kosher by Design) (Kosher By Design).

1. This is an excellent Passover Cookbook. I made delicious and new foods for the holiday which were enjoyed by all. The desserts were delicious and put a nice ending to a scrumptious meal.



2. Passover by Design is a wonderful cookbook because the recipes can be used during Passover, and the rest of the year. Don't think that the title means that these recipes should be reserved for just Passover, but really they are very tasty dishes for all year. There are many qualities about this book that make it one that you will use time and time again.
   
   Susie Fishbein pours much into this book. The photography is very good. Most recipes have pictures so you will know what the dish you are making is susposed to end up like. She gives you options when preparing a recipe, a particular ingredient may not be available, do not worry, she has alternatives listed if you can't find particular ingredient. She gives you serving suggestions, so you table will be attractive and appealing.
   
   I really like the collection of recipes that she put together. I like that with using this cookbook many dishes can be prepared ahead of time. So you don't need to rush around right before the meal, but you can select a dishes that can be prepared ahead of time, and others can be prepared right before serving.
   
   Some of the recipes that I thought were particularly outstanding were the Meat and Potato Roll, which is a meat roll stuffed with a mashed potato filling. The Cream of Sweet Potato Soup with the Roasted Pecans is an ingredible, need I say more on this one? For salads her roasted beet salad is unique and filling. She has a very nice artichoke chicken that is easy to put together, but has complex flavor.
   
   I like that there is a lot of thought put into this book. I like that the recipes are well thought out, and have rich and complex flavors without being too fussy or too gourmet. The recipes have the right amount of panache and the right amount of familiarity that your family and guests will enjoy your dishes. I recommend this book for Passover, and honestly the rest of the year, don't let this title mean that you only pull this book out once a year, take advantage of this rich cookbook and enjoy these dishes all year long.



3. 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.



4. I love this book. The recipes are terrific. It's beautiful! I've lent it to others who have then ordred it for themselves. It's the new Bible for Passover recipes.



5. It's always hard to find good recipes for Passover....look no further Susie Fishbein has done it again!!!!

5 comments about Kosher by Design: Picture Perfect Food for the Holidays & Every Day.

1. 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.



2. 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.



3. one of the best cookbooks ever - great recipes that taste amazing and look pretty. all levels of difficulty. recomend to everyone.



4. I don't own this cookbook myself--my boyfriend's mother does, and I cook out of it sometimes when I'm at their home for Shabbat and I'm doing the cooking. I don't think it would be practical for day to day cooking for me at the moment: I'm a graduate student, and I don't think I would be able to eat my way through six servings of pomegranate chicken before it spoiled. However, for family cooking, I think this book is excellent and everything I've made out of it has been met with great enthusiasm.
   
   Some of the recipes are more intensive than I would want to cook on a daily basis, but just as many of them come together very quickly--the artichoke chicken, for example, or the emerald soup, both of which seem very sophisticated once they're finished and plated for how absurdly easy they come together. I tend to prep everything before I start to cook something--that probably helps. Still, just yesterday I cooked a batch of challah and a three course meal out of this cookbook at the same time without too much difficultly and believe me, that's saying something.
   
   I'd give it five stars, but I think the organization's a little odd and hinders the book's usefulness in several respects--they've got holiday menu ideas, for instance, scattered throughout the cookbook, with very little relation to where the actual recipes for the menu are, so I really wish they'd have just grouped the holiday menu ideas all together in the front rather than speckling them in at random (I can just see myself getting irritated when looking for a menu for Purim, for instance, and not remembering whether it's in with the pastry or in with the appetizers) Sometimes Fishbein recommends what holiday an item might be good for, or what side dishes might go well with an entree, or what wine might be complimentary, and sometimes she doesn't. I wish she did this more often; I'm an experienced enough cook that I usually have a good sense of what will compliment and what would clash, but I could see that being very helpful, and I'm not very experienced at matching wine to a meal, something I'm occasionally asked to do when I'm cooking for others.
   
   Still, I think this cookbook is a very good addition to any family kitchen, kosher or not: the recipes are modern and tasty enough to satisfy any family, Jewish or kosher or not. It's one I'll definitely be interested in picking up for myself when I'm cooking for more than just myself on a regular basis.



5. Wonderful recipes, great menu plans, and amazing photos! The bread machine challah recipe is the best I have ever tried.
   
   This would be a thoughtful hostess, housewarming, or bridal shower gift as well.

5 comments about Let's Nosh (World Snacks).

1. We received this book as a gift after our daughter was born. At first, only we understood the cute rhymes. Now our daughter is old enough to recognize many of the foods and understand the book. It's so nice to see our family's traditional foods reflected in a children's book.



2. 
   I like this series for kids. It's a nice way to get kids curious about foods from different cultures, different ethnicities.
   
   I didn't enjoy this book as much as some of the others, but that may just reflect the fact that Jewish cooking isn't as good as other cultural foods. We may be the only ethnic group that doesn't find comfort in our own comfort foods, at least that's my take on it, for numerous reasons, some of which I will respectfully not go into, as they are not flattering to my family.
   
   But still, a nice book, a nice series. If you are fortunate enough to live in a neighborhood with a good variety of ethnic restaurants, and fortunate enough to have children with temperaments conducive to public dining, these books are a nice supplement to the feast.



3. My one year old son loves this board book! We actually have the entire series. It's fun and creative, and I don't have to worry about him ripping the pages. We are hooked!



4. All of of these little board books by Amy singer are great. Perfect for the toddler who loves to turn the pages and learn about something a little different than, ball, duck, and dog!



5. This book is, like Wilson Sanger's other books, a lot of fun. The rhymes are a pleasure to read aloud, and the pictures are clever. We love to introduce the kids to a variety of foods/cultures, and this book is a great way to do just that. Because we're not Jewish, we can't vouch for the authenticity of the depictions. She does include a pronunciation guide for us Gentiles in the back - much appreciated. Both of my kids (now 5 and 2) love these books. It's fun to start out the last rhyme by saying, "Today my tummy says: let's nosh," and hearing them finish "on lots and lots of matzoh!"

5 comments about Olive Trees and Honey: A Treasury of Vegetarian Recipes from Jewish Communities Around the World.

1. "A land of wheat and barley, of grape vines and fig trees and pomegranates; a land of olive trees and honey . . . you shall eat and be satisfied." Deut. 8:8-10
   
   Tracing vegetarian Jewish Diaspora recipes is no easy task: Rabbi and chef Gil Marks has created a painstakingly researched cookbook that at times reads more like a history book. With recipes from Azerbaijan to Yemen, Olive Trees and Honey is a catalogue of the vast variety of Jewish vegetarian cuisines, including chapters on cheese and dairy spreads, pickles and relishes, soups, salads, savory pastries, cooked vegetable dishes, vegetable stews, beans and legumes, grains, dumplings and pasta, eggs, and sauces and seasonings.
   
   Each section features fascinating information about the origins and spread of each type of cuisine, often with illustrative maps. Some examples include a map of which type of cheeses are popular in which Diaspora community, or the spread of stuffed cabbage from Persia. Each recipe contains a myriad of further variations to try. Every recipe is labeled Dairy or Pareve for those keeping kosher, and many recipes offer Pareve alternatives (which generally are vegan).
   
   Some of the more interesting recipes that caught my eye were Moroccan Pumpkin Soup, Hungarian Wine Soup, a sangria-like cold soup (red wine and fresh/frozen fruit mixed with orange juice, lemon juice, sugar, cinnamon, and cloves), Middle Eastern Bulgur-Stuffed Cabbage, Sephardic Cauliflower Patties (perfect for Passover if made with matza meal), Indian Coconut Rice, Middle Eastern Wheat Berry Stew, and the classic Ashkenazic Sweet Noodle Pudding (Kugel).
   
   Also included are suggested vegetarian menus for special occasions and holidays. This is a monumental work and one of the most beautiful vegetarian cookbooks out there, refreshing for the soul as well as body. I only have two small complaints: Rabbi Gil Marks wrote the excellent (and out-of-print) World of Jewish Desserts, with over 400 Diaspora recipes. I would have liked to see the incorporation of more of his well-researched desserts as a final sweet note (there are recipes for several pastry-based desserts included). Also, the large number of variations in addition to the core recipes (example: ten recipes for red lentil soup, many of which are minor variations of the basic Sephardic Red Lentil Soup) made this a bit overwhelming; although I enjoyed browsing through the 300+ recipes, I honestly don't see myself ever making more than a handful on a regular basis.



2. This is essentially an international cookbook focusing on cuisines of places which have historically had significant Jewish populations (although not much on Ashkenazi cuisine). Much of the cookbook is divided by vegetable. For many recipes, variations are presented, some of which transfer the recipe from one cuisine to another. The food is delicious and this is one of the only mainstream cookbooks with Ethiopian recipes. Highly recommended. My only warning is that Marks expects you will be feeding a large group, so singles beware... my huge batch of lovely Persian rice just didn't get finished.



3. I love this book. The recipes are so good, and are quite unique and easy to make. Instructions are well explained, and some are simply amazing.
   
   My friends recommended the book and it is great (Written by Brett's wife!).



4. I purchased this cookbook a few weeks ago and have made 3 dishes so far. The Egyptian Potato Soup was delicious - nice and creamy without any dairy. It had a beautiful vibrant color with a wonderful potato/lemony taste. I also tried the Romanian Potato and Vegetable Patties. They were pretty good; not my favorite veggie patty but not bad at all. Lastly, I made the Ashenazi barley with mushrooms which was very yummy. I plan to try many more recipes as they all look really delicious. I enjoy reading the small blurb about each recipe. All in all, a wondeful Jewish Vegetarian Cookbook that I highly recommend.



5. excelent recipies, some that i never saw anywhere else. i also love all the stories. i only wish there were a few photos, but even so, this book is much, much better than any other book on jewish cooking i have ever come across.

5 comments about Kosher by Design Short on Time: Fabulous Food Faster (Kosher by Design).

1. I bought this book for our synagogue library and was impressed from the moment I received it. I tried about 6 different recipes, and all were tasty if not delicious, and most were actually fast unlike many other "quick" recipes. I like having pictures to go with the recipes, and don't mind some short-cut ingredients such as using bottled sauces.



2. They may not be as quick to make for those of us whose kitchen skills are not up there with Susie Fishbein's, but the directions are clear, pictures helpful, and most of all, the recipes are tasty.



3. We've already made quite a handful of dishes from this book and every single one of them came out incredibly, robustly delicious. This book has become a staple in our kitchen!



4. This new cookbook has pictures and recipes that are true to its title. I made 3 different recipes one evening for dinner and everyone of them turned out to be fabulous. The two-toned tomato pesto tart was a real winner and with tomatoes coming into season everyone should try this one -it was easy and fast to make. I used it as my first course rather than a salad. The spicy potato stacks were an interesting addition to my meal. My main course was a prime rib and the dessert was a chocolaholics favorite - warm runny chocolate souffles. Since everyone is short on time one or two of these recipes work very well when preparing dinner for your family or company and you will have fabulous food faster.



5. Another great cookbook from Susie Fishbein......these are the only cookbooks I use!!!! Can't wait for the next one in the series

5 comments about The Book of Jewish Food: An Odyssey from Samarkand to New York.

1. It's evident from some of the reviews below (some of which betray a bizarre provincialism among the writers) that this book engenders some controversy in some sectors of the Jewish community. Well, I am not Jewish, so to me, such debates are a tempest in a teapot, especially as this is one of my most favorite cookbooks in my entire collection.
   
   A good ethnic cookbook tells its culture's story alongside the food, as food is and always has been a critical part of any culture. What makes this book's perspective unique is how much of its story is told in the past tense -- the horrors of the Holocaust resulted in a vast resettling of much of the Jewish population of the world, and a consolidation in places such as the United States, Israel, the UK, and Canada. Roden's book, therefore, becomes something of a record of a wide variety of Jewish cuisines, a sort of time capsule containing many pasts to be sent to a single future. Yes, the Sephardic/Mizrachi section is quite a lot larger than the Ashkenazic section, but the shtetl culture was only the largest microcosm of a vast diversity of Jewish cultures that mostly reflected the countries they developed in (the titles of the recipes, in a multitude of languages including English, Yiddish, Ladino, Arabic and French, bear as much witness to this as any other aspect of the book). One suspects that 800 recipes isn't nearly enough to do a decent job of covering the ground Roden set out to cover, but what's there is such a huge wealth of data as it is that it seems pointless at best to fault her for it.
   
   Claudia Roden has always been one of my favorite cookbook authors, primarily on the strength of this book. She writes excellent historical sidebars, and also seems to be very fond of the idea (Leo Rosten was another practitioner) of including jokes in a reference work. Her closeness to the background (she is of Egyptian Jewish extraction) gives it a personal touch as well. Her James Beard Award was well deserved, and this surely stands out as her best work (it certainly is my favorite out of the three of hers that I have). It isn't the last word in Jewish food by a long shot, but it's an unbeatable opening gambit.



2. This beautiful book is meticulously researched to provide a really inclusive view of Jewish history that explains Jewish food. The recipes are perfect--foods your Bubby made for both every day and holidays. Like most ethnic food, these aren't complicated recipes and your mouth waters just reading them. I never had an urge to make pickles but now I can't wait for next summer's cucumber harvest. The book itself really is gorgeous, too. It's a big hardback with wonderful photographs and illustrations detailing Sephardic and Ashkenazy foods and customs as well as world regions that were part of the diasphora, but you certainly don't have to be Jewish to appreciate any part of this book.



3. If I want to go to sleep with a warm fuzzy feeling, then this is the book I read. I love that Claudia Roden is a human being who can go around the world and find welcome in so many homes and kitchens. The historical vignettes and photographs are what make this volume priceless. Although people have made criticisms in regards to the finer points of Kosher and non-Kosher, it is quite clear that this cookbook is not primarily for the benefit of Jewish cooks. The educational component of this extremely charming work is quite obviously directed at the reader who is interested in the ways of life of various communities of the diaspora. The historical availability of ingredients is largely geographically dependent for any cuisine. These days, if we live in a big city with an international airport and various ethnic communities, a cook can buy almost anything. The development of a cuisine though is totally dependent on the availability of ingredients. It is totally inappropriate to quibble about the fact that both Jews and other local people also consume the same foods. None of that makes the spirit of this book any less genuine. That is precisely what makes Ms Roden's work so real. There are 'comfort foods' and then there are 'comfort books'. The Book of Jewish Food is both.



4. This book has given me an insight in to the way of life of many jewish cultures around the world. While some may argue that the recipe sources do not originally come from the Jewish home, that has never been the case and what we now consider to be the Traditional Jewish recipe is one that had been adopted by the communities that keep them and change them, while their sources no longer even hold them with the same regard.
   
   The book gives wonderful impressions of life for Jewish people in many parts of the world and I have read the book, often as a book as opposed to a cooking aide many times. At the same time some recipes in this book are wonderful and complement our Shabbat cooking regularly. We have found recipes that we have cooked for many years in our home and in my parents home that she offered with differences we never considered and now love and would not do without.
   
   One reviewer indicated that Ms. Roden mentions the use of liver and how she noted its kashuring requirements. While the review found the method wanting, there are many families with different levels of kasrut and different levels of observance. Rather I would expect someone to realize that while it is a recipe book, if you are more or less observant, then you should use your common sense as well and follow the rules you need to. Cooking is not about following strict directions, but rather experimentation to come up with the flavor and methods that work best for you. On the Con, it is not comprehensive though I don't expect it to be as there is only so much room in a book. I for one absolutely love this book.



5. I was given this book several years ago by a friend who is also Jewish. I had never gotten around to actually reading it until recently. While it is not geared at all for keeping Kosher (which I do not), and I have not yet used the recipes, the history is very, very good and interestingly written. While reading it, I definitely understand and feel the part of my history that no longer exists. I have two criticisms, though. One, there are inconsistencies in some of the history where in one chapter the author makes one statement and a few chapters later, she will make a contradicting statement (i.e. stating first that bagels were German in origin and later stating they were Polish). My other more major criticism is that the book is definitely pro-Sephardi. This in and of itself is not a bad thing, but the author is presenting both Ashkenazi and Sephardi histories and recipes. Additionally, and far worse, there are some instances where the author actually makes what appear to be degrading and somewhat condescending remarks about the Ashkenazi culture. However, setting those two issues aside, I think this is a wonderful book and I plan to purchase it as a gift for several of my Jewish friends. Also, in looking at several of the Ashkenazi recipes, they are very similar to the ones my mother taught me. (Yep, that means I'm Ashkenazi.) But I can't wait to try out some of the Sephardi dishes!

5 comments about Quick & Kosher - Recipes From The Bride Who Knew Nothing.

1. I've made quite a few things from this book and my family has liked them all. Also, they are as easy as the author says they are.



2. I own many outstanding kosher cookbooks, so was looking forward to this one -- only to be grossly disappointed.
   
   Although the book is large, much of that is white space, and the print is small and faint. (The pale green is almost invisible, and the pale black not much better. I guess the publisher was trying to prevent people from photocopying recipes, but gypping those who paid big bucks for the oversized book is grossly unfair.)
   
   One problem with the recipes is that they call for either weight or cups, rather than X cups (Y ounces), which proves very helpful when you're purchasing the items and don't know how many cups are in a can, or how many vegetables will produce x cups. This is an easy step which anyone charging this much for a book should have taken.
   
   In a similar vein, the book should either give precise sizes or define a "medium-sized" bowl/pan. Those of us seeking "quick and easy" don't want to have to wash an extra bowl or pan because the first one was the wrong size -- and such decisions are subjective, usually based upon how large our families were.
   
   It also seems as though almost every recipe calls for mayonnaise. However, no variations were cited for this or anything else. I, myself, like to know what other options would work.
   
   Likewise, a disproportionate number of recipes call for commercial puff paste ... simple recipes you can find in most cookbooks, and for which you wouldn't even need a cookbook.
   
   The book would have been fine had it been printed in a clear typeface, cited variations rather than padding it with umpteen similar ways to use commercial puff pastry, and charged a normal price. $34.99 is a ridiculously high sum to charge for white space. For that price, one has a right to readable text, clear measurements, passably different recipes (particularly those based on a single commercial product), etc.
   
   The list goes on and on, and seems grossly unwarranted in a $34.99 book. With countless absolutely phenomenal kosher cookbooks readily available (most right here on Amazon), don't waste your money on this one.



3. Worst Jewish cookbook I've ever seen! Pages are large, but most of that is white space, with faint, tiny printing. This book was clearly designed to prevent photocopying, without concern for the people who spent big bucks purchasing it.
   
   IMHO, the author's attempts at humor fall far short of the mark. If you want a witty kosher cookbook, buy Sara Kasden's wonderful Love and Knishes, which also offers fabulous recipes. These were fair at best.
   
   I didn't need to spend $35 on a cookbook to learn that using jarred marinara sauce would be quicker and easier than making it from scratch. That's an example of what you'll find here. There are awesome (and gorgeous) kosher cookbooks available, most right here on Amazon, and one of Susie Fishbein's is for quick, easy, and delectable. Don't waste your money on this overpriced loser!



4. I'm pretty surprised to see such negative reviews since I love it. The recipes are short and simple and even though some are "non-recipes" (like the ducksauce chicken) they are good to have on hand for when you absolutely positively only have time to slather some duck sauce on some chicken. The book is for busy people who enjoy cooking but don't want to spend eternity in the kitchen. Try it- you'd be surprised how tasty some of the non-recipes are! By the way, there are plenty of actual recipes in there too and everything I've made so far was a big hit. Another bonus is that most of the recipes are accompanied by a picture- very helpful- and appealing.



5. I originally bought this cookbook for a new bride who did not know how to cook. I have to admit that once I opened Quick & Kosher, I couldn't put it down! I enjoyed reading the author's stories and comments. The photographs are beautiful and inspirational. The recipes are truly quick and simple, but delicious. To date, I have purchased 10 copies of this wonderful book. I had to keep one copy for myself. The others were bought as gifts: two for new brides, two for my twenty-something sons, and the other five for friends who have been married from 19 to 35 years with two to seven kids! If someone likes to spend hours in the kitchen creating exotic dishes with many ingredients and steps to follow, then this is not the cookbook for them. I have already made many different dishes from the cookbook and my family and friends have raved about each selection. I get periodic calls from all of the gift recipients updating me on their latest creations and thanking me over and over for buying them their copy of Quick & Kosher. This cookbook is for everyone who needs to cook, wants delicious meals, but wants to get out of the kitchen!

5 comments about Hip Kosher: 175 Easy-to-Prepare Recipes for Today's Kosher Cooks.

1. Bravo! I tried 3 recipes at different times: Couscous with Dried Cranberries and Toasted Almonds, Tomato Salad with Toasted Bread and Feta Cheese, and Meatballs in Marinara Sauce. This book actually tempted me to go into the kitchen and try them. Not a place I generally like to be but it was quick and better still it not only worked but I receive received raves from my grandchildren. I am now going to work my way through the fish chapter for my husband and myself.
   Thank you Ronnie Fein



2. This book is a great find - from fun recipes filled with loads of learning made easy. I look forward to flipping through the pages and finding a new recipe to try - they've all been hits with our friends so far. Easy to follow - definitely well tested - and they all paste the taste test of top notch food! Thank you, Ms. Ronnie Fein, for bringing this book to us!



3. This book is a winner. The recipes are simple, modern, and focused on fresh fruits, vegetables, healthy entrees. It arrived on Wednesday and by the following Sunday, I had experimented with six different recipes ranging from terrific side dishes to salmon to dessert. All were winners and I'll make them all again. This cookbook IS hip and you don't have to be kosher to enjoy it.



4. Ms. Fine's new book is perfect for those of us who are not born cooks. Her tips and sidebars give excellent advice and make the recipes easy to execute. My favorite so far is Turkey Couscous Salad for which I used chicken that I had on hand. It is simple and delicious, not like anything I have prepared before. Ms. Fine also suggests other ingredients that would work in this dish; I will experiment with these. A wonderful recipe for lunch or supper on a warm summer's day.



5. I was amazed at how many ways Ms. Fein has figured out how to make kosher food fun! The cover caught my eye, I wasn't even looking for a new cookbook. But boy am I glad I stopped and picked it up.
   I don't know where to begin, all the recipes look so fabulous!
   Love the creativity and the user friendly design of the book.
   Thanks so much!!

5 comments about Aromas of Aleppo: The Legendary Cuisine of Syrian Jews.

1. Not only are the recipes inside delicious, but the pages look edible! A beautiful book both visually and spiritually. To have a culinary volume include such incredible recipes and meaningful information on Sephardic customs is both heartwarming and inspiring. After receiving this book, I loved it so much that I bought 3 more as gifts! I just want to know how Poopa and her family can eat like that and stay so thin and beautiful?



2. This book caught my attention because I have a close friend from Aleppo, who always produces amazing food and is a wonderful host. I found the recipes fascinating not only for their visual and gustatory appeal, but for the stories and photos that accompany them throughout the book.



3. This book has awakened my love of the amazing cuisine and history of the Jews in Aleppo. The Syrian Jewish Community is rich in passion, tradition, and great food. This book opens my senses and raises my appreciation for all of it. Highly recommended view of these taste delights and the tradition and community from which they come.



4. Great book, some recipes are not very original, but over all it contributes to the legendary Aleppian cuisine that I wish to see more materials about it to share with the world of sophisticated cuisines.



5. What a lovely compilation of recipes, pictures and history! It brought back a lot of memories of food I enjoyed in my younger years but had forgotten existed. There is not a large Jewish community where I now live. It's certainly leading me back to food I love and now that I know how to prepare it, it will certainly be a part of my daily fare! It's also my new coffee table book.
   
   Belana

5 comments about Arthur Schwartz's Jewish Home Cooking: Yiddish Recipes Revisited.

1. I study Jewish cooking, and I'm a Chef in Brazil. Very good book for begginers or not.



2. From the moment I received this cookbook, it started to bring back memories of the 50's and 60's when families spent the holiday's together. All the recipes were from a different time, foods that you don't get today. A lot of the recipes were buried with my grandmother and aunts. I found them again in this book, same recipes, just modernized a little.
   Looking at them I pictured the recipes being prepared by my grandmother, mother and aunts. I can smell the delicious aromas and almost taste the foods.
   Anyone looking to bring back their memories of growing up should purchase this book.



3. Recently I read Arthur Schwartz's New York City Food, and immediatelt thereafter his 'NEW' Jewish Home cooking. I loved the first and was left feeling cheated by the second. Jewish home cooking is loaded with material Arthur simply lifted from his earlier book. Yes, he owns the copyright to the earlier book, but I resent having paid good money to be seved leftovers I'd seen before.



4. Arthur takes us on a trip down memory lane-- the food of our bubbies, brought with them from the "Old
   Country," some adapted to, or created for Jewish life of the new country. Arthur has updated the recipes, so that they can be enjoyed without guilt. Potato pancakes, noodle kugel, Roumanian carnzelach (meat "sausages")
   --and more.
   
   His delightful commentary--he is a very knowledgeable guy--makes the book a great read, and his careful testing of every recipe makes him one of the most trustworthy food writers around. There are plenty of cookbooks about the food of the Ashkenazic Jews--but this book is unique. A wonderful companion to Arthur's superb "New York Food."



5. Excellent book. I made the brisket in the book and it was wonderful. I also made the Apple Cake and it was the best. I would consider giving this book to brides.
   FS