[an error occurred while processing this directive]		Two new books show the way to lighten up traditional cuisine by Louise Fiszer Just in time for post-Pesach puffiness, two new "light" cookbooks come to the rescue. In "Festivals of Lite Kosher Cook Book," Gail Ashkanazi-Hankin presents rich, traditional recipes from Ashkenazic and Sephardic Jewish communities around the world with an eye toward reduced calorie and fat intake. She begins with "Lite and Healthy Tips," a chapter devoted to tricks of the low-fat trade that most of us are familiar with, such as reducing the amount of meat in the diet and substituting tofu for dairy products. However, I was surprised to find that the square end piece of brisket is less fatty than the pointed end, so perhaps it is a valuable chapter after all. The remainder of the book is segmented into meal courses from appetizers to desserts and a hefty chapter devoted to Passover fare. For those who are really counting, Ashkanazi-Hankin has included the nutritional values at the end of each recipe -- carbs, fat, protein, cholesterol, sodium and fiber. While most recipes seemed appealing, I wanted to try those that delivered the most bang for the buck -- in other words, low in fat and calories, and high in flavor. Brazilian Black Bean Soup, North African Poached Fish and Romanian Zucchini Kugel were among the most taste-tempting. Now for dessert, we go to the second book, "Light Jewish Holiday Desserts" by Penny Wantuck Eisenberg. The attractively photographed jacket has a mouth-watering line-up of very rich-looking desserts such as Apricot Rugelach, Apple Plum Galette, Mandarin Orange Cheesecake, Raspberry Charlotte and Chocolate Marble Pound Cake. Could the author really take the guilt out of indulging in these sweet endings? The reader is able to refer to the nutritional information in the sidebars to find out. The book is arranged by holidays, with information on the recipes' symbolic value as well as cooking tips. I was impressed by the vast variety of desserts Eisenberg offers, from bite-size cookies, to feed-a-crowd sheet cakes to fresh and dried fruit compotes, cobblers, crisps and gratins. Most recipes require the hands of a fairly experienced baker and can be quite time-consuming since everything has to be made from scratch to maintain the "light" aspect of the book. NORTH AFRICAN POACHED FISH Serves 4 1 pound fish fillets ( pollack, cod, orange roughy) Marinade: 1 tsp. turmeric 1 tsp. paprika salt and pepper 1 lemon, peeled and halved Poaching ingredients: water 2 tsp. olive oil 2 carrots, sliced 8 green olives, sliced 1/2 lemon, peeled and quartered Rinse and pat the fish dry, and place in a shallow baking dish. Sprinkle the turmeric, paprika, salt and pepper over the fish. Squeeze half the lemon over the fish. Cover and marinate in refrigerator about 1 hour. To poach: Add approximately 1/2 inch of water to skillet. Remove fish from marinade and place in skillet. Slice remaining half of lemon and add to skillet with remaining poaching ingredients. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat for approximately 15 minutes or until fish flakes and is opaque. Carefully transfer the fish to a serving dish. Continue to simmer liquid until reduced by one half. Pour over fish. Discard the lemon. To serve, chill fish just to room temperature or slightly cooler. DEEP DISH PEAR-CHERRY GRATIN Serves 4 3 medium Bosc pears, firm but ripe 1/2 medium lemon, squeezed into 4 cups cold water 3 Tbs. granulated sugar 1/8 tsp. cinnamon 1 Tbs. cornstarch 1/8 tsp. vanilla 1/4 cup dried cherries Bread topping: 3 slices Vienna bread or other pareve, non-spongy white bread 2 tsp. firmly packed light brown sugar 2 tsp. canola oil Place a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Peel, halve, core and cut the pears into 1/2-inch chunks. Place the pears in the lemon-water as each one is cut. Drain the pears and place them back in the empty bowl. Stir in the sugar, cinnamon, cornstarch, vanilla and cherries. Spoon the fruit into 4 individual ramekins or into an ovenproof serving dish. Cover with foil and bake the fruit for 30 to 40 minutes or until tender. Remove from the oven and let cool until warm. While the fruit is cooling, prepare the topping. Cut off the bread crusts, tear the bread into large pieces and place in a food processor. Pulse-process until the bread is in crumbs. There should be some small crumbs and some larger pieces in about 1/8-inch cubes. Toss the bread crumbs with the brown sugar. Sprinkle with oil and toss again with a fork until the crumbs are lightly coated with oil. Place the crumbs on a foil-lined cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes or until nicely browned. Sprinkle the crumbs over the top of the fruit, and serve immediately. If you prefer crumbs that are not as crispy, sprinkle the baked crumbs on the fruit 5 minutes before serving. "Festivals of Lite Kosher Cook Book" by Gail Ashkanazi-Hankin (192 pages, Pelican, $23). "Light Jewish Holiday Desserts" by Penny Wantuck Eisenberg (336 pages, Morrow, $25). Louise Fiszer is a Palo Alto cooking teacher, author and the co-author of "Jewish Holiday Cooking." She is Recipe Queen at Virtual Vineyards at www.virtualvin.com Her col-umns alternate with those of Rebecca Ets-Hokin. Questions and recipe ideas can be sent to the Bulletin or to lfiszer@virtualvin.com

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