New Kosher Cuisine: Healthy, Simple, & Stylish

Despite the limitations placed on kosher chefs, Nash, in her third cookbook (Kosher Cuisine and Kosher Kitchen), attacks the problem head-on. She promises to shake up even the most jaded eater of gefilte fish and stuffed cabbage. Inspired by personal tragedy, she decided to focus on taste as experience and health as a must. Incorporating both New Age fusion (such as in white fish pate and southwestern ratatouille) and classic Eastern European dishes (see cholent and pot roast), Nash expands upon the oft-criticized kosher cuisine’s lack of imagination. Realizing that most people don’t have hours to spend in the kitchen, Nash recommends preparing and freezing a dish in advance, “so that you can feed a family or entertain without too much hassle at the last minute.” Perhaps even more useful than the actual recipes, though, are the indexes placed at the back of the book. Ranging from helpful tips on equipment and cooking (for example, “to rescue a soup or stew that is too salty, add a raw potato”) to specifics on technique (e.g., how to seed tomatoes), the back sections are indispensable for cooks of any level. (Sept.)