Yemenite Jews in Israel live longer and healthier lives than other Israelis. Over the years, many researchers have attributed the Yemenite\’s good health to the simplicity of their cooking and their use of herbs and spices. Fenugreek, for example, a staple spice in our kitchens, has shown promise in research to treat diabetes and high cholesterol.
While this was the third year for Kosher World, it was the first time the show joined with the ethnic and halal markets, under the umbrella of the World Ethnic Market.
\”Susie Fishbein has done for Jewish cooking what [rabbi and author] Aryeh Kaplan did for beginning Judaism,\” said Rabbi Shimon Kraft of the 613 Mitzvah Store on Pico Boulevard. \”They\’re buying her cookbooks en masse. She\’s a genius at editing and putting everything all together.\”
Oxnard\’s population is more than 70 percent Latino, which could explain why Tierra Sur, the finest new kosher restaurant on this coast (or almost any other), has decided to open with a decidedly Mediterranean-Spanish flavor, with a large dose of Tuscany thrown in for good measure.
For New York chef and restaurateur Jeffrey Nathan, Sukkot is a time to practice what he preaches in his new book, \”Jeff Nathan\’s Family Suppers: More Than 125 Simple Kosher Recipes.\”
With flavorful and fun recipes that use ingredients and combinations far from what used to be considered traditional Jewish cooking — think Juniper Berry and Peppercorn Crusted Skirt Steak with Spiced Onions — this book can add flare to a tired repertoire for both connoisseurs and amateurs.
The first time Tina Wasserman prepared gefilte fish for Passover, it smelled up her whole house. The fish was past its prime, but it wasn\’t spoiled, so \”it didn\’t make my family sick,\” she said. But still, the experience was so horrifying that she didn\’t attempt to prepare gefilte fish again for many years. Since then, Wasserman, who is Reform Judaism Magazine\’s food columnist, has learned a thing or two about gefilte fish.
President Bush is declaring his hope for a Palestinian state loud and clear, and no wonder — it\’s almost the price of entry to the alliance with Europe that he urgently wants to revive.
While some food writers automatically push the same old latke and brisket menu at Chanukah, Susie Fishbein offers a lighter touch by mixing in Mediterranean fare. And although she tweaks culinary tradition, she honors it. Fishbein believes in presenting beautiful food in unique ways.
Latkes are a simple form of potato preparation, as potato dishes go. But simplicity in cooking, as the food writer Richard Olney wrote, is a complex thing. I have had rubbery latkes, starchy latkes, undercooked latkes and latkes so greasy that two of them could run a diesel engine for a week.
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