a four questions

Platinum chats with Paul Kohn.

With seven children and 13 grandchildren,

I WHAT BOOK, CD OR OTHER MEDIA
ARE YOU LONGING TO SHARE?
There's a relatively new book out by Robert L.
Wolke about the science of cooking called What
Einstein Told His Cook. There have been other
books about the chemistry and dynamics of
cooking, but Wolke takes it to a whole new level.
He talks to people considered "science geeks" and
also to those whose last science class was in high
school. The book has some interesting recipes
included, with many of the concepts discussed.
At Quality Kosher Catering, we're also developing an
artisan bread series as a result of having just gotten a
new bread-baking oven, and a definitive book on the
subject is Rose Levy Beranbaum's The Bread Bible.
Great breads and an easy read!

caterer PAUL KOHN is used to feeding a small

army. As Kohn and his wife, Leah, raised their

kids — Ely, 35, Ricki, 33, Saraliza, 32, Dovid,

30, Devorah, 29, Daniel, 22, and Avi, 18 — in

their Southfield home, he also nurtured Quality

Kosher Catering, his business for more than

three decades. Kohn started the company in

1978 with his late mother, Elizabeth (known

as Etta), a renowned kosher caterer in her

own right. The business' home base is now
Congregation Shaarey Zedek in Southfield. "My mother was an

outstanding teacher," Kohn recalls. "The one thing she always

said was, 'You've got to start with quality.' She made every effort

to seek out the best food and freshest ingredients." At first, Kohn

readily admits, he was more comfortable in the classroom than

in the kitchen. A graduate of Wayne State University in Detroit, he

had a successful career as a chemistry and biology teacher. But

IF YOU COULD HAVE BRUNCH WITH

his catering business has flourished and now includes 15 full-time

44 ONE BIBLICAL OR HISTORICAL

staff members (and at times, as many as 100 part-time staffers)

JEWISH FIGURE, WHO WOULD IT BE?
Adam and Eve — they were originals! They had to be
open-minded, with no "box" to encumber their think-
ing, and everything they had to do was creative and
unique. Living in a garden was a good choice; having
the Creator as your mentor is a great choice. I would

who can comfortably serve 1,600 people in one sitting for wed-

dings, b'nai mitzvah, holidays and other celebrations and events.

"This is the one business where everyone's an expert," Kohn says.

"They've been eating all of their lives, so they know." Here, we ask

Paul Kohn our version of the Four Questions. — Robin Schwartz

like to hear from them about how they saw the world
and what their hopes and dreams were for the future.
They probably had a perfect marriage (no in-laws); the
whole world was theirs to enjoy.

2

WHAT IS YOUR FAVO
EWISH FOOD?
01 never really looked at food as being "Jewish" or
traditional, but we do have one very rustic fish recipe
that's a Kohn family tradition. I was born in Hungary,
and every Friday night we had a fish dish made with
Danube carp. It's much different from American carp,
and it's cooked soupier with nuts, onions, carrots and
celery. It was the sauce everyone liked — more than
the fish. My wife knows how to make it, and she made
it for me once when she was nine months pregnant
with our seventh child. Right after Kiddush, she went
into labor. We spent the night at the hospital, and the
children forgot to put the fish in the refrigerator. I still
remember being disappointed that I didn't get to eat it!

A

WHAT WOULD PEOPLE BE SURPRISED
TO KNOW ABOUT YOU?
That I'm a bit of a thrill seeker. I've been skydiving,
scuba diving — and this year I've scheduled a dive with
great white sharks!

ANIAL1A

CARRARA

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SEPTEMBER 2008 •

YIN platinum