Cooking Kosher the New Way by Jane Kinderlehrer
Tuesday, September 22nd, 2009
At this time of year during the Jewish New Year, I browse through my Jewish cookbooks for recipes and menu ideas. One of my favorite Jewish cookbooks is Jane Kinderlehrer’s Cooking Kosher the New Way: Fast, Lite, & Natural. I have been a fan of the author for about 30 years, when I purchased her early book, Confessions of a Sneaky Organic Cook, which helped me when I made the transition to a natural foods diet. Kinderlehrer was a former editor of Prevention Magazine, and I used to read her column “Table Talk,” so I trust her approach to cooking naturally.
While the title implies that it is only a cookbook for Jewish people who keep kosher, the book is actually user-friendly for anyone interested in Jewish cuisine, kosher or non-kosher, Jewish or non-Jewish. For example, Chapter 2 is called Lower Your Cholesterol with Beans & Grains, Chapter 4 deals with being a healthy vegetarian, Chapter 15 focuses on tofu, and Chapter 16 highlights bread baking.
The chapters on Jewish holidays contain some tempting recipes that you may wish to try as a culinary experience. For example, the recipe below is a delicious dessert for this time of year, when apples are coming into their own. Jane’s holiday recipes, start with Passover (spring) and cover all the major holidays with their culinary counterparts. Each chapter has a page or two of information that sets the stage for the recipes. For example, Chapter 8 discusses the High Holidays (occurring now) explaining the traditional foods for this season.
The information in the Introduction, entitled “Kosher is Not Enough,” reflects my own feelings about kosher not necessarily being healthful. Here is an excerpt from p. 11, discussing kosher dishes handed down from mother to daughter for generations.
“….They may be kosher, but they are neither wholesome nor nutritious. In fact, they have been shown to be harmful and been implicated as contrinuting to such debilitating conditions as high blood pressure, diabetes…obesity, etc.”
So Jane has taken these often unhealthful kosher dishes and cleaned them up so they are acceptable for anyone seeking a more natural diet. Actually, because the author’s philosophy is so aligned with mine, this is usually the first book I grad for a special holiday recipe or when I want to make a traditional Jewish dish such as noodle kugel (noodle pudding). Below is an example of one of the recipes I made for Rosh Hoshana. It came out moist and not too sweet, so it can be used as a dessert or as a breakfast treat.
Cooking Kosher the New Way is published by Jonathan David Publishers. The price for the hardbound book is $19.95
Honey-Apple Walnut Cake
2 large eggs*
1/2 cup orange juice concentrate, undiluted
1/3 cup olive oil (I used macadamia nut oil)
1/2 cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup oat bran (I ground up flaked oats)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 1/2 cups diced unpeeled apples (I used organic)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
In a large mixing bowl or ina food processor using the steel blade, blend together the eggs, orange juice concentrate, oil, honey and vanilla.
In a smaller bowl, combine the flour, oat bran, baking powder, baking soda, and nutmeg.
Combine the two mixtures and mix just to moisten the dry ingredients. Fold in the apples and nuts.
Line a 13 X 9 X 2-inch baking dish with parchment paper, or grease it lightly with a little oil, or use a vegetable-based cooking spray. Transfer the mixture to the baking dish.
Bake in a preheated 350-degree F. oven fort 30 to m40 minute or until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool on a rack. Cover and let stand overnight to allow for the flavors to meld. (I made it in the morning and served it in the evening and it was delicious.)
Yield: 8 to 10 servings.
* You can also use an egg substitute if eggs are not in your diet. I use a brand called ENER-G.
