Four cookbooks, just in time for Passover

More than 7,000 copies of "The Kosher Palette II — Coming Home" have been sold since it was released on March 15. The book, follows the success of the award-winning "The Kosher Palette," published in ‘000. Both books were published as fund-raisers for the Joseph Kushner Hebrew Academy/Rae Kushner Yeshiva High School in Livingston. Among the sections is one on planning Pesach meals, with a useful list of Pesachdik substitutions.

Cookbook

For example, if a recipe calls for one ounce of baking (unsweetened) chocolate, the book suggests you substitute three tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder plus one tablespoon of oil or melted margarine; for one teaspoon baking powder, substitute 1/4 teaspoon baking soda (yes, it’s kosher l’Pesach, in new boxes) plus 1/’ teaspoon cream of tartar; if the dish must be kept for a while, add 1/4 teaspoon potato starch.

The spiral-bound hardcover costs $’9.95 plus $1.80 tax for New Jersey residents. To order, call (973) 597-1115, ext. 1197, or visit www.thekosherpalette.org.

"The healthy Jewish cookbook—100 delicious recipes from around the world," by Michael van Straten, includes a foreword by Bunny Grossinger, daughter-in-law of Jennie Grossinger of Grossinger’s Hotel fame and noted cook. The book includes health-conscious adaptations of the author’s mother’s Ashkenazi recipes. For one luscious-sounding dairy dessert, for Passover or any other time, see his recipe for baked apples stuffed with figs. He tells us that "apples are rich in pectin, a form of soluble fiber that helps reduce cholesterol while figs contain anti-cancer agents, healing enzymes, and digestion-improving natural chemicals." (See recipe.) The paperback book includes beautiful color photographs with almost every recipe. It costs $’1.95 and is published by North Atlantic Books/Frog. Ltd.

"A Taste of Nostalgia — Tales and recipes to nourish body and soul" by Rabbi Abraham J. Twerski, M.D., and Judi Dick, combines stories with recipes. Twerski, a psychiatrist and medical director of Gateway Rehabilitation Center in Pittsburgh, Pa., provides the book’s religious foundation and anecdotes. (Twerski tells us, for instance, that "Many European Jews did not use fish in any form on Pesach. They devised a method of using ground chicken that was shaped into balls, poached in rich tasty broth, and served in place of gefilte fish." See recipe.)

Dick adds the culinary expertise. The hard-cover book, released this month by ArtScroll, costs $’4.99. It’s charming and the stories are delightful, but there is no index.

"Passover Cookery—In the Kitchen with Joan Kekst" offers recipes for every type of diet including low-fat, low-sugar, low-carb, and vegetarian, as well as child-friendly foods. The "Countdown to Passover" guide includes a six-week schedule for preparing for the holiday. Kekst has been a food columnist for the Cleveland Jewish News for ‘0 years. Cooks always welcome colorful and flavorful side dishes, such as Kekst’s "Middle East roasted tomatoes." (See recipe). The soft-cover book by Five Star Publications, Inc., costs $’4.95.

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