Community cookbooks are part of our Jewish American cultural history. They may begin as a guide to learning about “American life and American ways” for turn of the century immigrants, as the original Settlement Cook Book did in 1901, selling over 2 million copies to date. They may start as community fund-raisers — the nonprofit Settlement Cook Book Company raised thousands of dollars for Settlement House and its successor, the Jewish Community Center of Milwaukee. But they often evolve into classic cookbooks.
“Kosher Palette II: Coming Home” takes the traditional fund-raising aspect of a collection of nice Jewish ladies’ favorite recipes to a whole new level. The follow-up volume to “Kosher Palette,” which raised $600,000 for the Livingston, N.J., Hebrew Academy and Yeshiva High School, lists Kraft Foods, Pepperidge Farms and Manischewitz as corporate sponsors.
The professional press release that accompanied my copy touts the fresh look and focus. A theme page in each section adds simple entertaining suggestions for things like arranging flowers and plating desserts. There are professionally styled food photographs, tips on wine pairing from a wine consultant, and recipes submitted by over 100 community members.
In addition to the traditional sections on Meats, Fish and Side Dishes, recipes are also categorized as “Family Friendly” “Quick and Easy” “Sophisticated” and “Freezes Well”. The Menu Sampler for Jewish Holidays is particularly helpful.
The following are two recipes from the “Kosher Palette II” cookbook.
Cream of Asparagus Soup | Serves 6
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) margarine or butter
1 onion, chopped
3 cups asparagus pieces
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. white pepper
4 cups Manischewitz chicken broth or parve bouillon
1/2 cup soy milk, nondairy creamer or half-and-half
Heat margarine in a 3-quart saucepan over medium heat and sauté the onion until tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in asparagus. Cook for 1 minute. Add flour, salt and white pepper and mix well. Stir in broth gradually. Cook until thickened, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low. Simmer covered for 15 to 20 minutes or until asparagus is tender. Stir in soy milk.
Puree soup in a food processor or blender. Return pureed soup to the saucepan. Cook until heated through. Serve hot or refrigerate, covered, until chilled and serve cold. (If chilled soup becomes too thick, thin with additional creamer.)
Zucchini, Tomato and Mozzarella Tart | Serves 4 to 8
1/2 package (1 sheet) frozen Pepperidge Farms puff pastry, thawed
1 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
6 Tbs. plus 1/4 cup freshly shredded Parmesan cheese, divided
1/2 cup thinly sliced fresh basil
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1 Tbs. chopped fresh oregano
2 small zucchini, cut into thin rounds
3 to 4 plum tomatoes, thinly sliced
2 large eggs
1 cup half-and-half
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
Roll out pastry dough to 1/8-inch thick. Trim edges to a 13-inch circle. Press pastry into a greased 9- to 10-inch springform pan. Chill 1 hour. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese over the bottom of crust and top with 6 Tbs. Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle basil, green onions and oregano on top. Arrange a layer of zucchini, then top with a layer of tomatoes, in concentric circles. Whisk eggs, half-and-half, salt and pepper in a medium bowl; pour over tomato layer. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese. Bake 45 to 60 minutes or until center is set and crust is golden brown. Serve warm or at room temperature.
To order “Kosher Palette II: Coming Home” ($29.95), call (973) 597-1115 ext. 1197, or visit www.thekosherpalette.org.
Rebecca Ets-Hokin is a certified culinary professional. Visit her Web site at www.GoRebecca.com. She can be reached at [email protected].