At last, Nathan has produced a companion volume to his PBS cooking show New Jewish Cuisine. Executive chef of the kosher Abigael's Restaurant in New York, Nathan offers a mix of traditional and modern recipes spiced with occasional personal anecdotes and asides. The book covers appetizers, soups, salads, meat, poultry, fish, breads and brunches and dessert. Many of Nathan's offerings, such as the Fennel-Crusted Snapper with Grapefruit-Cilantro Sauce, the Asian Duck Stir-Fry or the Crispy Creole Chicken Breasts, reflect recent food trends and diverse cultural influences. The time-honored "heritage recipes" are sometimes given a new twist, as with the Sweet Noodle and Fruit Kugel, which brims with the unusual combination of dried cranberries and other dried fruits rather than just the customary golden raisins. Taking into account Jewish dietary laws, each detailed recipe is designated "Meat," "Dairy" or "Pareve" (containing neither meat nor dairy products). Many dairy dishes, such as the refreshing Lemon Mousse with Blueberry Parfaits, include a pareve variation. Explanatory notes appear at the end of recipes and in sidebars sprinkled throughout the book; they cover such diverse subjects as toasting nuts and using raw eggs safely. Nathan rounds out the book with suggested holiday menus and sources for hard-to-find ingredients (such as the kosher version of Japanese rice wine). With surprises on every page, this truly innovative cookbook earns its name. (Sept.)
