I’m proud to be part of a revolutionary wave of food bloggers taking kosher food in all directions and bringing it home to the masses. We all owe a great debt to Susie Fishbein, whose series of Kosher by Design cookbooks has been a boon to home cooks since 2003 (and whose MA in science education makes her a more authoritative cook in my eyes). I’ve enjoyed cooking from them and the dishes always come out great. See below for an exciting announcement about Susie’s new book, an awesome giveaway, and preview one of her new recipes!
First a short trip down KBD memory lane. Here are a couple of my favorites.
I made this Salami Quiche Florentine from Kosher by Design Short on Time my own by using a incorporating salami two ways: uncooked and fried to crispy chewiness for an array of textures (all you see on top is the crispy garnish, but there’s so much meaty deliciousness hiding underneath) and using my personal dough recipe for the crust.
This Moussaka of eggplant and meat from Kosher by Design Entertains was incredibly rich and flavorful. I really loved the baked bechamel topping in combination with the savory meat and tender eggplant.
And now, Susie is releasing the final installation of her series, Kosher by Design Brings it Home: Picture-Perfect Food Inspired by My Travels. I received an abridged sample to preview, and I can’t wait to cook my way through.
To help Susie celebrate this milestone, the kosher food blogging community is hosting a virtual release party including a huge contest, giving away:
- Grand Prize: A $500 Visa gift card
- Second Prize: A Bosch Mixer
- Third Prize: A COMPLETE set of AUTOGRAPHED Kosher by Design cookbooks (AKA the “kallah shas”)
I’m also giving away (to a US address only) a signed copy of the newest cookbook, Kosher by Design Brings it Home. Head over to A Jew’s Bouche on Instagram feed to see how to enter.
I prepared a recipe from the new book, Roasted Eggplant with Silan Techina (recipe below). Silan is date syrup, and the sweetness blended really well with the pungent raw garlic and the nutty sesame paste. This recipe is definitely a keeper
Silan Techina
1 cup raw tahini (sesame paste)
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
4 cloves fresh garlic, minced
pinch kosher salt
¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
½ cup warm water, plus more as needed
¼ cup silan (date syrup)
Roasted Eggplant
3 large, long eggplants
1/3 cup olive oil
Salt
pepper
pomegranate seeds, for garnish
radishes, sliced paper-thing on a mandolin, for garnish
scallions, thinly sliced, for garnish
Prepare the silan techina: In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal “S” blade, puree the tahini, lemon juice, garlic, salt, pepper, ½ cup warm water, and silan. You may need a bit more warm water to thin to desired consistency. Set aside.
Prepare the roasted eggplant: Preheat the oven to 400F. Cut the eggplants in half lengthwise, cutting straight through the green stalk. Using a sharp knife, make 3-4 “X” marks to score the eggplant flesh without cutting through to the skin.
Place the eggplant halves, cut-side up, on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush them heavily with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for 35-40 minutes; the flesh should be soft, flavorful, and nicely browned. Remove from the oven; allow to cool.
Transfer the roasted eggplant to a platter or plates for serving. Drizzle on the silan techina; garnish with pomegranate seeds, radish slices, and scallions.
UPDATE: I couldn’t resist sharing my version of another amazing recipe from Susie’s new Kosher by Design cookbook, and I even got to give her feedback directly in the comments!
A photo posted by A Jew’s Bouche (@ajewsbouche) on
Riena berger says
02/22/2016 at 11:36 amsounds great!