T S

LIGHT

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11/30
2001

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f the seeds from the lemon fall
into the salsa, it's OK, because
everyone will know that it is
fresh," instructs Canadian
kosher cookbook author Norene
Gilletz.
Seventeen women and one man
eagerly watch as she prepares her sim-
ply salsa recipe — the first dish of the
evening. The holiday cooking demon-
stration and dinner, held at the home
of Debbie Stern, is an effort to raise
-
money for the B'nai Writh Youth
Organization, a youth group for
Jewish teens.
Recipes in hand, the group intently
watches as Gilletz, a master low-fat
kosher chef, prepares five other dishes
for the dinner, carefully explaining her
every move. One unique dish, pop-
corn stuffing mounds, is a low-fat way

to enjoy stuffing, substituting popcorn
for bread. Another dish, lemon dill
chicken, can be baked in parchment
paper, perfect for spicing up any holi-
day table.
"Every culture has its own dishes,
but most things transcend. I think
there are no boundaries. Kosher cook-
ing is very in," says Gilletz, whose fifth
kosher-style cookbook, The Food
Processor Bible, recently made its debut.
"I thought the vegetarian stuffing
was delicious. I have both of her cook-
books from her previous demonstra-
tions," says Sharon Schwartz, who
offers a holiday cooking tip. "It doesn't
have to be fancy — just try to keep it
fun."
Micki Grossman agrees. "The pop-
corn recipe was delicious. It was also
good to know that the chicken recipe

can be made for one or 10 because
recipes usually .cn11 for a minimum
amount. For the holidays, I believe that
people should relax, cook and invite
people over. They are about family; you
should sit down and be together."
To enjoy a delicious and relaxing
holiday, Gilletz also offers many holi-
day tips of her own:
Cook with what you've got.
Do what you do best.
Get organized ahead of time.
If possible, share the cooking with
friends and family.
Prepare as much as possible in
advance.
Soups, brisket, honey cake, matzo
balls and gefilte fish can all be frozen
before or after.
Dry baking can be done ahead of
time.

Prepare fresh dishes no more than
one day prior to the meal.
Try not to overindulge too much.
Balance a heavy holiday meal with eat-
ing a lighter lunch before the holiday
and doing more physical activity.
Make what you like, but don't be
afraid to experiment. Try something
new, but don't try it for company.
Stick with your traditional dishes
because your family will look for
them.
You want to have a happy table and
create good food memories.
"I believe that when you are cook-
ing and you're in a bad mood, your
food won't come out right. You have
to put love in your cooking and love
who you're cooking for, says Gilletz.
"Do it with joy, not °y?"

