Jewish Book Fair

Designing Woman

Cookbook author provides

recipes, plus ideas for table

decoration, flower arranging

and entertaining at home.

SUZANNE CHESSLER

Special to the Jewish News

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10/24
2003

82

usie Fishbein compiled a cook-
book to raise funds for her chil-
dren's school and thoroughly
enjoyed the experience.
A bookstore close to her New Jersey
home connected her with a publisher,
and the result is Kosher By Design
(Artscroll/Shaar . Press; $32.99), filled
with 250 recipes (many of which can be
adapted for Passover), photographs of
presentation ideas, explanations of
Jewish traditions and suggestions for
holiday celebrations.
The colorful contents will be dis-
cussed at the Oak Park and West
Bloomfield Jewish community centers,
accompanied by cooking demonstra-
tions and samples for everyone to taste.
"There's not a recipe in the book I
don't love," says Fishbein, who spent a
summer trying new approaches to foods
recommended by family members and
friends and testing them out by inviting
small groups of people into her home.
'As I was working on the book, my par-
ents offered to send me to culinary
school, but I declined. I wanted to
include only foods that could be pre-
pared in regular kitchens."
Working with a party planner and
photographer, Fishbein included innova-
tive combinations of appetizers, soups,
salads, main courses, side dishes and
desserts. While explaining the require-
ments of kosher kitchens, she also
explores contemporary dining, including
the selection of kosher wines to comple-
ment the foods being served.
Recipes that allow for eye-pleasing
tables include "Two-Tone Sweet Pea and
Carrot Soup," "Red Bliss Potato Salad,"
"Honey Mustard Cornish Hens,"
"Vegetarian Cholent," "Tzimmes
Souffle" and "Wry Berry Cookies."
"I always stress the importance of
reading directions and having ingredi-
ents ready before starting any cooking

project,"
says
Fishbein,
who follows
through
with the
work habits
she stressed to students as a fourth-grade
teacher. "My husband and I have main-
tained our weight throughout this expe-
rience by watching our calories throu
out the day."
Here is just a sampling of recipes from

Kosher by Design:

VEGETABLE SOUP W111-1
SWEET POTATO
1/4 cup olive oil
2 small onions, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 (28 oz.) can crushed tomatoes
6 cups vegetable stock, can use bouillon
dissolved in water
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut
into 1/2 - inch cubes
1 (15 oz.) can white kidney (cannel-
loni) beans
2 cups frozen green beans
1 t. salt
1 t. freshly ground black pepper
1 T. fresh basil (about 4-5 leaves),
minced
1 (20 oz.) box frozen corn kernels
In a large soup pot, heat oil over medi-
um heat. Add the onions and saute about
6-7 minutes or until translucent. Add the
garlic and saute 2-3 minutes longer.
Add the tomatoes, stock and sweet
potatoes. Bring to a boil. Add the white
beans, green beans, salt, pepper and
basil. Return to a boil. Lower the heat
and cook for 30 minutes. Stir in the
corn and heat through. Yield: 6 servings.

CHICKEN OREGANATA
2 plum tomatoes, diced
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
4 Yukon gold potatoes, unpeeled

and diced
1 onion quartered
1 chicken, cut in 1/8ths,
with skin
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 t. kosher salt
1/2 t. freshly ground black
pepper
1/2 t. garlic powder
1/4 cup fresh oregano
leaves
1/4 cup olive oil
Preheat oven to 450
degrees. In the bottom of
a heavy baking dish, place
the tomatoes, potatoes
and onions. Place the chick-
en pieces on top of the veg-
etables. Sprinkle on the
chopped garlic, salt, pepper,
garlic powder and oregano.
Drizzle with oil. Bake
uncovered for 45 minutes to
1 hour. Yield: 4 servings.

SPINACH CHEESE LASAGNE
1 (10 oz.) package frozen chopped
spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry of
liquid
1 pound cottage cheese
1 large egg
1/2 t. oregano
freshly ground black pepper
3 (7 oz.) bags shredded mozzarella,
divided
1 (26 oz.) jar marinara sauce
9 - 12 lasagne noodles, uncooked
1 cup water
Preheat oven to 350
degrees. In a large mixing
bowl, combine the
spinach, cottage cheese,
egg, oregano, pepper and
1/2 of the mozzarella.
Grease a 9- by 13-inch
shallow pan. Ladle a thin
layer of sauce on the bot-
tom of the pan. Lay down
3-4 noodles, 1/2 of the
cheese mixture and a layer
of sauce. Top with 3-4
more noodles, the rest of
the cheese mixture and a
layer of sauce. Add 3-4
more noodles and a layer
of marinara sauce. Top
with remaining mozzarella.
Pour water around the
sides. Cover and bake for
45 minutes; uncover and
bake 30-40 minutes
longer. Cheese will be
melted and bubbly. Yield:
10-12 servings.

FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE TORTE
5 large eggs
8 oz. unsweetened chocolate
4 oz. best-quality semisweet chocolate
1/2 cup water
1 1/3 cups sugar, divided
1 cup (2 sticks) margarine
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly
coat a 9-inch springform pan with non-
stick cooking spray.
Crack the eggs into a small glass or
metal bowl. Place them on the stovetop
but not over a direct flame. You want to
warm the eggs, but not cook them. This
will allow the eggs to triple in volume
when beaten. Set aside.
In a medium pot, melt the chocolates,
water, 1 cup sugar and margarine over
medium heat, stirring with a spoon.
Remove from heat. Let cool.
Transfer the eggs to a mixing bowl.
Add the remaining 1/3 cup sugar to the
eggs and beat until tripled in volume.
With a rubber spatula, fold the choco-
late mixture into the eggs.
Pour into prepared pan. Bake 30-35
minutes; it will be a little loose in center.
Serve warm or at room temperature
with whipped cream and raspberries.
Yield: 10 servings. El

Susie Fishbein offers a cooking
demonstration 11 a.m. Monday,
Nov. 10, at the JCC in West
Bloomfield, $7; and 7 p.m. the
same day at the JCC in Oak Park,
$7. (248) 432-5577.

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