Arts & Entertainment CookinF With Hadassah! Rock the boat and your family's taste buds with these 160 easy-to-prepare recipes. Suzanne Chessler Special to the Jewish News D on't look for traditional brisket and kugel recipes in The Hadassah Everyday Cookbook: Daily Meals for the Contemporary Jewish Kitchen (Rizzoli; $34.95), which debuts this month. The 160 offerings speak more to mod- em-day families and their busy lives. Author Leah Koenig, whose educational and work background has brought togeth- er religious and environmental interests, shows combinations that smack of diver- sity and meet her personal tests for taste, nutrition and regional agriculture in a Breakfast 0 ... Smoked Salmon Scrambled Eggs These eggs feature the smoky salty taste of a Jewish breakfast icon: lox. For over-the-top flavor, spoon them over a lightly toasted everything bagel. Dairy: Serves 4 1 /2 cup sour cream 4 tablespoons chopped dill plus more for garnish 8 large eggs 3 tablespoons milk Salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 tablespoon olive oil Half a medium onion, minced 4 ounces smoked salmon, roughly chopped 1.Combine sour cream and dill in a small bowl and set aside in the refrigerator. Whisk together eggs, milk. Salt and pepper to taste in a medium bowl and set aside. 2. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook until translu- cent, 5-7 minutes. Add eggs and cook, stirring with a rubber spatula, until eggs hold together but are still slightly soft, about 5 minutes. Add smoked salmon and continue cooking 1-2 minutes until eggs are firm. 3. Divide eggs onto serving plates and dollop sour cream mixture on top. Sprinkle with reserved dill and more pepper. Jewish framework. "My goal was to include ideas that would make people feel excited to get into the kitchen," says Koenig, 28, a freelance food writer who grew up in Chicago and now works out of her Brooklyn home. "I especially wanted to inspire people who are not comfortable cooks and make them feel there was a place where they could start:' Koenig, who has written for a range of publications from the New York Times to the Forward, took some recipes, like pep- per steak and apple walnut bread, from the kitchen she knew growing up. The oth- ers have been acquired from friends, chefs and food bloggers. "I didn't want the selections to be just my voice," she says. "I particularly love the Moroccan orange and olive salad, the eggs in tomato sauce and the granola with tahini. "Being someone who has worked a 9-5 job and had to come home and cook after that, I've learned a lot of good go-to dishes." Koenig does her own cooking in a strictly kosher kitchen since marrying musician Yoshie Fruchter, whose group Pitom soon will be appearing at the JCC Stephen Gottlieb Music Festival. While she grew up in a Conservative home, his Lunch ... Dinner ... Turkey Sandwich with Simple Fig-Onion Jam Citrus Cod with White Wine Who says a turkey sandwich has to be boring? This fig-onion jam, ready in just 20 minutes, dresses up any sandwich. Mix things up by substituting chicken, sliced tofu or Brie in place of turkey. Meat: Makes 2 sandwiches 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 onion, thinly sliced 2 tablespoons fig preserves 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar 4 slices whole wheat or multigrain bread 6-8 ounces sliced cooked turkey breast 2 cups arugula 4 fresh figs, thinly sliced (optional) 1. Heat oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and sauté, stirring occasionally until browned, about 10 minutes. Add the fig preserves and balsamic vinegar; turn heat to low and cook, stirring frequently, until onions turn a deep brown, 5-10 more minutes. Remove pan from heat and let cool slightly. 2. Spoon fig-onion jam on two pieces of bread and layer turkey, arugula and fig slices, if using, on top. Top each sandwich with remaining pieces of bread. Slice in half before serving. Store any remaining jam in an airtight container for up to two weeks. Orange, lime and lemon juice add bright flavor to this baked fish. Parve: Serves 4 1% pounds cod fillets (or any white fish) 1 /2 cup white wine Juice of 1 orange Juice of 2 limes Juice of 1 lemon 1/4 cup olive oil 1 teaspoon lemon zest 1 teaspoon orange zest 1 shallot, minced 3 scallions, thinly sliced, plus more for garnish 1 teaspoon kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper 1 yellow onion, sliced 1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Rinse fish, pat dry and place in a glass baking dish. 2. Whisk together wine and citrus juices. Add oil in a slow stream, whisking until emulsified. Stir in zests. 3. Pour wine and citrus dressing on top of fish. Sprinkle garlic, shallot and scallions on fish and season with salt and pepper to taste. Arrange onions around fish. If desired, add a few thin rounds of one or more of the citrus fruits to the dish for color. 4. Bake for 20-25 minutes until fish is cooked through. Serve topped with additional scallions, if desired. family's Modern Orthodox observances influenced their kosher choices. The book, with royalties benefiting Hadassah, is complemented by the pic- tures of Lucy Schaeffer, former photo edi- tor at Food & Wine magazine and photog- rapher for nearly 15 cookbooks. "I'm putting together a tour of cooking demos in support of the boor Koenig says. "I want readers to understand how they can make the recipes their own. "For me, cooking is not about mak- ing anything super fancy although that's fun. It's about showing your love through what you make to feed and nourish other people, the spirit of Jewish cooking." Purim Dining, Persian Style ust in time for Purim, which this year falls on March 20, comes the publication of another new kosher cookbook, Persian Food from the Non-Persian Bride (Feldhein; $34.99). Written by Reyna (a Venezuelan who started her spiritual quest at age 12 when she discov- ered her family were anusim - Marranos, or Crytpo-Jews), the book is written for even the most inexpe- rienced cooks. Reyna, who now lives the Jewish life she had always aspired to with her husband and five boys in Boston, took a crash-course in Persian cook- ing taught by her future mother-in- law and mastered the art of authen- tic Persian cooking by the time she walked down the aisle. For an authentic Persian meal this Purim, she recommends Water Challah and Salmon Kebab as appe- tizers; Chicken with Eggplant as an entree; Tabouleh Salad and Beet Salad as sides; and Persian Halvah and Purim Cookies for dessert. II j RECIPES REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION COPYRIGHT THE HADASSAH EVERYDAY COOKBOOK: DAILY MEALS FOR THE COMTEMPORARY JEWISH KITCHEN, UNIVERSE, NEW YORK, 2011. March 10 2011 39