Shelves Cleared, Books Out, Almost Gone

When we had our house built and kitchen planned thirty-five years ago, cookbooks, diet books, childcare books etcetera were very important to me and read a lot. In recent years I haven't opened a single one of them. So, even though in the new kitchen, that wall of closets where the shelves are will remain, the books are going. The shelves will be used for my coffee accessories, the French Presses, mugs, whatever fits.

A few months ago when I first advertized that I had cookbooks and others for the taking, some neighbors took some. But now I'm still stuck, so I took them all down, put them in a box and advertised that they're near my door.

 Now, barely twelve hours later, the box is emptier.

Gd willing more books will find customers/readers. Whatever doesn't will be taken to be placed next to the paper recycling box in the neighborhood. 

Nowadays, when I need a recipe, which is rare, I just look on the internet. Even my recipes can be found on the internet, on this blog!

Making Kitchen Progress, Who Wants These?

One of my tasks before redoing the kitchen, Gd willing, is to get rid of things that have been in it for decades, which I don't use.  And like many people, especially experienced and confident cooks, I don't open my old cookbooks.

Way back when I did love and utilize cookbooks, I'd frequently read them cover to cover and then internalize general principles. Except for cakes, I'd very rarely follow a recipe exactly. Besides eliminating or seriously reducing the amount of salt and other seasonings, it was usually impossible to find all of the ingredients in my pantry/kitchen. I became a "housewife" in late June,1970, and two months later we docked in Israel. Post-tzenna* Israel had plenty of food, but not all of the the ingredients in the American recipes.

My mother bought/sent me not only cookbooks, but lots of books about natural health, dieting, pregnancy and child-raising. I added many books and health/vegetarian magazines to the collection. But it has been a very long time, decades, since any of them have been opened and read. When I need a recipe, instead of taking down a few books, going through the index, putting small pieces of paper to mark the pages and then reading and comparing, I just check with Chef Google. Isn't that what almost everyone does?

So, as I've planned and envisioned my new kitchen, the bookshelves** will morph into my coffee corner. Gd willing in a few months, maybe by my next birthday, we'll be seeing my percolator, French Presses and coffee mugs on those shelves.

I've already given away more than half of the actual cookbooks. If anyone is interested in any of the remaining books, please come and get them.

*צנע tzenna or zenna, was the term for the austerity days of great financial difficulties and hardships in the early years of the State of Israel. The population grew dramatically, as Jews from all over the world hurried to our Historic Homeland. Basic food items were rationed, and families/citizens were given coupons to try to make it possible to share the limited supplies.

** That wall closet is to be re-doored with new formica to match the new cabinets on the other walls.

Bye, Bye Books

It may have been years since I have looked at any of the books here, mostly cookbooks and natural health books.

In my new kitchen, Gd willing, these shelves will be recycled and doored to hold percolator, French press, mugs and other thins I use daily.

If anyone wants some books, now is the time to come and take or arrange delivery.

Cooking From Cookbooks? Passé?

I've been married forty-four and a half (44 1/2) years, and I have quite a collection of cookbooks, diet books and healthfood books. My mother and other relatives used to get me all of the kosher cookbooks they could find mostly during the 1970's. I have a full collection of Adelle Davis books and the then popular Italian, French and Chinese Kosher series that had the crazy Yiddish type food names.

When I planned my kitchen over thirty years ago, I made sure I'd have book shelves for them:

Do you recognize any of the titles there?

I also used to have a small box for index cards on which I copied my favorite recipes or recipes I had gotten from now forgotten sources and people. That was a trick I learned from a friend to keep my cookbooks clean and also kosher for Passover.  But a number of years ago, I threw that out. It was disgustingly dirty and not used much, except for the Hamantasch cookie dough.

In the old pre-internet days, if I was looking for a recipe, I'd pull out a number of cookbooks that could possible contain the sort of recipe I needed. I'd open the index and search and then go page by page sticking little pieces of paper to hold the place, and then I'd read all the options, choosing which to follow or combine.

Now, since I'm a food blogger, I've blogged most of my recipes, so it's just easiest to check my own blog with the help of google. And if I'm looking for a new recipe, or something I haven't blogged, I just "google" with some key words, compare the recipes and cook. I've never been very OCD about following an exact recipe. If you look up things like chocolate cake, meatballs or challah, you'll find such a variety of recipes and instructions...

• Nu, what do you do?
• Do you cook from cookbooks?
• Do you still have your own recipe files?
• Ot do you just buy ready-made or what?

Modern Kosher, The Modern Menu

Kim Kushner's The Modern Menu, Gefen Publishing House, is very much the modern kosher cookbook for the Modern Orthodox or to be perfectly honest a very good cookbook for anybody looking for a cookbook for special meals.  The fact that the very tempting and attractive recipes are kosher is almost irrelevant. 

Kushner's book isn't a "Jewish cookbook."  Don't buy it for the young bride who wants to bake challah and make the traditional Ashkenazi foods.  You won't find challah, geffilte fish, kneidelach or latkes.  And the Moroccan foods she includes, such as her bourekas, aren't at all like you'll find in one of the popular bourekas joints in Israel.  It's all very modernized. And it all looks delicious.

I've reviewed quite a few kosher cookbooks, and my practice is to read them, review them and then give them to my sister-in-law.  She cooks by recipe; I don't.  I have no doubt that she will absolutely love this cookbook.  Even I'm tempted to try a recipe*, which is pretty much unheard of in my kitchen.

Unless I missed it, there's no explanation of what kosher means or how to plan a kosher meal by not serving meat/poultry and a side dish or dessert made with butter.  Actually, I only noticed one of the butter using recipes that indicated that margarine could be substituted. Could it be that Kushner originally wrote it for the general market (meaning publisher) and not the Jewish or Israeli one? Also in only one of the mentions of the crab, which isn't at all kosher, is it explained that she really is referring to surimi, which is mock crabmeat made from kosher fish.

Kushner has some important recipes "hidden away" as part of a larger recipe, like the pesto in Baby Lamb Chops with Pesto Croute. (exactly how it appears in the book)

This recipe calls for frenched lamb chops, which are chops with the meat cut away from the end of the rib so that part of the bone is exposed. Frenching the chop makes it cleaner and let’s call it fancier, almost like a lamb lollipop, if you will! Your butcher can do this with the quick swipe of a knife; asking him or her to do this makes fast work of this simple-to-prepare dish. Croute simply means “crust” in French. Fancy.
Serves 6

Ingredients

1 handful fresh basil, washed and dried well
½ handful cilantro, washed and dried well
3 garlic cloves, peeled 
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
½ cup pine nuts, toasted
¼ cup unseasoned dried bread crumbs, plus more for sprinkling
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
12 baby lamb chops, frenched

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

In a food processor, combine the basil, cilantro, and garlic. Pulse until coarsely chopped. Add the olive oil and pine nuts and process until the mixture forms a paste, about 30 seconds. Transfer the mixture to a bowl, stir in the bread crumbs, and season with salt and pepper.

Season both sides of the lamb chops with salt and pepper. Prepare a grill or set a grill pan over high heat. Sear the lamb chops on both sides, about 1 minute per side. Transfer to a baking sheet.

Place a spoonful of pesto in the center of each chop, then spread it evenly over the surface. Sprinkle with additional bread crumbs and drizzle with olive oil. Bake until the crust is golden and crisp and the lamb is pink inside, about 10 minutes. Serve warm.

A recipe I really must try is her *Lemon Celery Root Salad with Walnuts.

This salad takes me right back to my childhood home in Montreal: It was on the table, without fail, every Friday night. The funny thing is, I hadn’t a clue that the primary ingredient was celery root; I just knew that I loved the mild celery-like flavor and creamy texture. I love preparing dishes with somewhat unusual ingredients such as celery root; it’s what keeps me interested in cooking.

Ingredients

1 celery root, rough outer skin discarded, root halved

Juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

¼ cup chopped walnuts, toasted

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

On the large holes of a box grater or in a food processor fitted with the grater disk, grate the celery root. Transfer to a medium serving bowl. Pour the lemon juice and olive oil over the celery root, add the walnuts, and season with the salt and pepper. Toss to thoroughly coat and serve.

Serves 4 to 6

There really are many interesting recipes to choose from, and I like the fact that Kushner doesn't obsess over her cooking.  She likes to experiment, which is what we should all do.

The Modern Menu is for the sophisticated kosher cook or any cook who wants good food without too many complicated steps.

.

More About "Persian Food from the Non-Persian Bride" by Reyna Simnegar

Just like a great meal that leaves flavor memories on your tongue and mind, I hope that you're hoping for more about the Persian food I wrote about in my cookbook review of  Persian Food from the Non-Persian Bride by Reyna Simnegar.

I've just received some pictures and recipes for you to sample, adapt in your kitchen.

Chicken with Eggplants
Joojeh Bodemjune
You should have seen how long it took to make this chicken the “authentic” Persian style. Momonbosorgue (my husband’s grandma) taught me this dish and it took us the whole afternoon! She is the sweetest little lady and she really knows her food. I closely watched her while tending to this dish and measured her every move while she sang basunak (wedding songs)…. However, there was no way I was going to spend all that time in my kitchen making just chicken! So, here is the non-Persian-bride-friendly version. It tastes the same!
Tricks of the trade
If you don’t want to fry the eggplants, feel free to broil them. Although it is optional, gureh gives this recipe a great tangy taste and a very exotic look. Gureh is available at Middle Eastern shops.

1 chicken, cut in pieces
1 onion, finely chopped
½ teaspoon turmeric
1 tablespoon salt, plus extra for the eggplant
¼ teaspoon pepper
2 garlic cloves, pressed
½ cup water
1 eggplant, peeled and cut lengthwise into ½ inch slices
2 potatoes, peeled and sliced into ¼ inch rounds
¼ cup canola oil, for frying
1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
¼ teaspoon saffron powder
½ cup gureh (unripe grapes) (optional)


1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. In a 9″x13″ roaster, place the chicken pieces skin side up and sprinkle with onions. Rub the chicken with turmeric, salt, pepper, and garlic. Add the water, cover with foil, and bake for 1 hour.
3. In the meantime, sprinkle eggplant with salt. When they have sweated (about 15 minutes), rinse and dry them. Fry the eggplant in a medium skillet until browned. Set aside.
4. Remove the chicken from the oven, uncover, and use food tongs to transfer the chicken pieces from the roaster to a bowl. Add the tomato paste and saffron to the chicken juices in the roasting pan and mix well. Add the potatoes, covering the bottom of the roaster. Return the chicken pieces, skin side up, and drape the fried eggplant slices on top. Drizzle with gureh, if using. Return to oven and bake, uncovered, for another hour.

Yield: 6-8 servings

This seems like a great salad, though in Israel I'd cook the beets myself. I don't think I've ever seen them canned:

Beet Salad
Salad’e Chogondar

An easy salad that can be put together in a blink! I also use this salad for the Persian Yehi Ratzons in the Seder for Rosh Hashana.

2 (14.5-ounce) cans sliced beets
1 bunch scallions, finely sliced
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon cumin
1 tablespoon olive oil

Combine all ingredients and toss well.

Yield: Approximately 3 cups, depending on the size of the slices.

This "one pot meal" is very tempting:

Yellow Split Pea Stew
Choreshte Lape

Probably one of the most popular Persian stews, Choreshte Lape is a meal in itself! It has an extraordinary texture and a delicious tangy taste. It is sublime on a canvas of white rice and sprinkled with very thin French fries (which you can make from scratch if you have the time…but since I don’t, I use canned potato sticks instead).
Tricks of the trade
Remember how a Persian’s cook reputation can be ruined by overcooking basmati rice? Well, if a Persian cook’s yellow split peas are all mushy and shapeless, that reputation is down the drain as well! But there is nothing to worry about, since the trick of whole-yet-tender split peas is simply sautéing them in a bit of oil with a dash of cinnamon. I know what you are thinking…don’t try it with the rice…the trick doesn’t work there!

1 large onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, pressed
¼ cup olive oil, plus 1 tablespoon extra to fry the split peas
2 pounds stew meat
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
2 cups yellow split peas
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 cups water
1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
1 large tomato, diced
5 whole dehydrated limes (lemon omani) (3 pierced and 2 crushed )
½ cup bottled lemon juice or the juice of 3 fresh limes

½ cup canned potato sticks or narrow French fries (optional)


1. In a 6-quart saucepan, sauté the onion and garlic in olive oil until the onion starts to become translucent (about 1 minute). Add the meat; cover and cook until meat no longer looks red, stirring occasionally. Add salt and pepper.
2. In the meantime, sauté split peas in 1 tablespoon of oil for 1 minute. Add the cinnamon and mix well. Set aside.
3. Uncover the browning meat and add the water, tomato paste, diced tomato, dehydrated limes, lime juice, and sautéed split peas. Cover and simmer for 1½ hours or until meat is tender and split peas are soft but still whole.
4. Serve hot in a casserole dish. Garnish with potato sticks or French fries, if desired.

Yield: 8-10 servings

Here's a basic recipe for Persian Rice. It's not like the rice my now-Tunisian daughter taught me to make:

Persian Steamed White Rice
Chelo

Many people become extremely intimidated when it comes to making Persian rice. You have to trust me when I tell you it is really not a big deal—just don’t tell anyone Persian I said that! All you need to do is to imagine that instead of making rice, you are making pasta. Most of us know how to make pasta; it is probably what you ate everyday when you went to college! You are going to cook this rice in boiling water with oil and salt, just like pasta. You are going to wait until the rice is “al dente” (when you bite a grain of rice it should still have a white dot in the middle), just like pasta. Do not overcook Persian rice or your reputation as a Persian cook will suffer! And last, you are going to drain it, just like pasta.
The difference comes next: Persian rice has one cooking step that pasta doesn’t have. Persian rice gets steamed. Think of it this way: since this rice is fancy it requires a “spa treatment.” What is the result when you pamper yourself at the sauna? A new you! What is the result when you treat your rice to a “spa treatment”? Each and every grain of rice becomes its own entity and a pearl from heaven! What is the best after-effect of a “spa treatment” for a woman? It makes her a better wife, a better mother—and a better cook! What is the best after-effect of a “spa treatment” for Persian rice? The most scrumptious, crunchy, golden crust: TADIG!
To make this rice you will need a colander—and the smaller the openings, the better. You don’t want your precious rice to slip out! Also, many Persian cooks wash and soak the rice as if it were dirty laundry…I am sorry, I keep my laundry in the basement and I don’t have time for all that soaking, so trust me when I tell you that you don’t need to do it!
The quantities in the recipe below might seem large, but considering that Persians breathe rice, it goes really fast. If you want to make a smaller quantity, try only 3 cups rice, 8 cups water, ¼ cup oil, and 1 tablespoon salt. Also, any basmati rice will do. I prefer using Deer brand but other brands, like Tilda, are also good. Basmati rice is also available in whole-grain brown; although it is a little stickier, it is absolutely delicious and healthful!
Tricks of the trade
Chelo cooks very quickly. Therefore, when I make Chelo, I always make sure to have a colander ready in the sink to drain the rice so I do not overcook it. Also, when you steam the rice by placing the paper towels between the lid and the pot, make sure these are safely away from the heat. After this rice is steamed, it is important to tilt the lid to allow any extra steam to escape so that the crunchy bottom does not become soggy.
I often cook this rice on Thursday and have it ready to steam on Friday a few hours before Shabbat.

Part 1: Cooking the rice
5 cups basmati rice, checked and rinsed
12 cups water
½ cup canola oil
3 tablespoons salt

Part 2: Steaming the rice and making tadig
¼-inch canola oil poured into the bottom of the saucepan
2 tablespoons water
¼ teaspoon turmeric or powdered saffron (optional, for a more authentic flavor)

To cook the rice
1. Fill a large nonstick saucepan (at least 6 quarts) with 12 cups water; add oil and salt. Cover and bring to a brisk boil over high heat.
2. Add the rice and continue cooking over medium to high heat, stirring occasionally.
3. After 3–5 minutes, use a slotted spoon to scoop some grains from the water. Break one grain in half to make sure it is “al dente” (see above). Turn off the heat and pour rice into the colander to drain; set aside.


To steam and make tadig
1. Place the empty 6-quart saucepan back onto the stovetop over medium heat. Add ¼-inch canola oil and 2 tablespoons water. Add turmeric and/or saffron powder. Stir together.
2. Add the drained rice and shape it into a pyramid. Cover the pot and cook for 5–7 minutes until rice begins to steam.
3. Uncover and place 2 paper towels (one on top of the other) over the rice. The ends will extend outside the pot. Replace the lid tightly.
4. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for 45 minutes. Turn off the heat and tilt the lid until ready to serve.
5. With a wide spatula, scoop the rice from the pot, making sure not to disturb the crust (tadig) that formed on the bottom of the pot. Serve the rice on a flat serving platter, mounding it into the shape of a pyramid. Turn the tadig out onto a flat serving platter by inverting the pot, as you would invert a cake pan, or cut it into pieces and serve around the rice.

Yield: 8 servings

Now, aren't you hungry? If you try out the recipes, please let me know!

Jamie Geller Cookbook Review-- Stay Tuned

This is a "pre-review," since I don't have time to do the book justice at this moment.

When I was at the Jerusalem International Book Fair a few weeks ago I spoke to a couple of people about my willingness to review books on my blogs.  One author promised to send me hers.  I even took a picture of her to use for it, but no book arrived.  At another stand, the publicist wasn't there, so I left my name and email.  He, davka, contacted me that very evening and sent me two packages from different publishers.  So I have lots of varied reading material.

Among the books are two cookbooks.  At first I thought that I'd review them together, but each is a very heavy fascinating volume, and they each deserve an individual review.  I chose Jamie Geller's Quick & Kosher to read first, because Hadassah, In the Pink, has mentioned her many times on facebook.  I figured that any friend of Hadassah's is a friend of mine...

I love the chattiness of the book.  Being Israeli for the past forty years and of a different generation, I'd never heard of Jamie Geller before I read Hadassah's references.  Then as I read the book, I noticed the commercialization, mentioning products by name, espcially kosher.com, which seemed very, very familiar.  Hadn't it hosted a Kosher Cooking Carnival? Good to know that I'm not all that senile, even at my advanced age.  kosher.com had hosted KCC #49, but I don't think that Geller posted it.

Just that you know, G-d willing, there will be a book review pretty soon...

Kosher by Design Teens & 20-Somethings: cooking for the next generation - Book Review

Kosher by Design Teens & 20-Somethings: cooking for the next generation and is Good for the Previous Ones, Too!

That’s right! Personally, besides things that are undoubtedly geared to specific age groups, like infant teething rings, I don’t like such specific pigeon-holing as the title. I think that Susie Fishbein and her publishers sell the book short by pegging it specifically for youth and young adults. This isn’t a criticism of the book, not at all. That’s how things are marketed. They want to make sure that singles will feel that the book is written for them, because Susie’s core readership cooks for family and guests.


I’m the type of person who has friends of all ages, ranging from my parents’ age to my kids’. I don’t think we should limit our social life to those of our exact age and generation. I’m saddened that some of my neighbors refuse to try out our long-running Shiur Nashim (Women’s Torah Class) on Shabbat, because they only want to go to one for “young women.” Personally, I love the mix of ages, ideas and experience.


Now, let’s get back to Kosher by Design Teens & 20-Somethings: cooking for the next generation by Susie Fishbein, the latest in her amazingly popular kosher cookbook series. It really is an excellent cookbook well-organized, easy to follow instructions, lovely pictures etc. It’s definitely an American cookbook, and that’s not just because I recognize foods from my sister-in-law’s Westchester, NY, table. It’s because all of the ingredients, measurements, brands etc. are American. There is no information page with equivalents so people like myself in Israel would know how much butter there is in a “stick,” or what Fishbein means by a box of soup stock etc. Since some ingredients are only available in the states, there should be an appendix with substitute lists. There has been a very well-orchestrated publicity campaigns all over the international Jewish blog world, so the book should have had been edited better for international use.


Also, to make it easier for those shaky in their kashrut, I’d color-code meat and dairy options when they’re for the same recipe, or every recipe. For instance, the Corn Potato Chowder can be either meat, dairy or parve. I’d have the meat ingredients in red and the dairy in blue, so people will have an easier time sorting things out. I’m a great fan of color-coding. When I ran the ready-made sandwich wagon department for a Bagel Restaurant, I color-coded the sandwich labels. It made it much easier to identify the cream cheese from the tuna. It was perfect until a very handsome guy who happened to be color-blind began working in the department. For Jeff, I added shapes. I’m sorry to begin this review with criticisms. Please don’t get me wrong; I do like the book. In the guidelines for reviewers we were told that we may and should add our constructive criticism.


I love reading cookbooks, but when I cook, I don’t follow them. That’s right; I don’t follow recipes. I use cookbooks for inspiration. And this cookbook is very inspiring. Admittedly, the recipes aren’t my usual style, but I’m getting lots of ideas from them. Years ago I bought myself one of those stick- blenders, which I’ve hardly ever touched. I can use it with some of the book’s recipes. There are some really delicious-looking vegetable recipes, like the Creamy Parsnips-Spinach and Za’atar Cauliflower. I’d probably substitute celery root for the parsnips, because I’m always looking for ways to cook those roots instead of throwing them out.


Considering that the book is marketed for students, the young and probably not yet married, it’s important that the recipes will be easy to divide to fewer servings. There are quite a few recipes which can easily be made for just one or two people; for instance, the Herbed Flounder Package. One of Jerusalem’s most handsome bachelors  once made something similar for us. He added more vegetables making it a “one pocket meal.”

The fun of cooking is being creative, and Susie Fishbein does seem to enjoy cooking. Back to cooking for fewer people, it would have helped to get information about freezing the food and cooking in advance. Busy people can’t cook every day. Even though I’m no longer working and traveling daily, I cook as I did then. I do all of my weekly cooking for Shabbat. The soup, meat and some of the side-dishes last the entire week. It’s so much more efficient.


I must admit that I was unpleasantly surprised at all the “hidden sugar” in recipes like Garlic Rosemary Filet Split. It would never have occurred to me to use ingredients like sugar and jam in meat, vegetables etc. Those diabetic and on strict diets should be aware of this. I’m going to have to check with my sister-in-law who cooks many similar dishes to those I discovered in Kosher by Design Teens & 20-Somethings: cooking for the next generation. I’m very curious about how many “non-sweet” recipes have sugar.


I do recommend the book. There’s lots of basic cooking and kitchen information, like the reminders to wash hands. I thought she was quoting me! And yes, the recipes are clear and easy to follow.


My cooking style is very different, much simpler. I use fewer tools, bowls etc. and fewer ingredients. While reading Kosher by Design Teens & 20-Somethings: cooking for the next generation  I developed more of an appetite for writing my own cookbook.


And for those of you, who are anxiously awaiting news, whether or not you’ve won the free copy of the book, I’ll be going over all of the rhyming slogans this week and G-d willing around Rosh Chodesh Kislev, November 7, I’ll post the winning slogan. So, if you’ve entered the contest and haven’t yet sent me your contact information please send it ASAP along with another copy of your rhyme. Most of the comments/entries don’t have easily identifiable names, addresses etc.

I was there! Where were you?

Yes, I did go to the Book Fair, and it was the biggest it had been for years. Not quite as big as at its largest, but it was great. I'll tell you about the book I'm in and the cookbook I got there. See the pictures of me holding up a book and the same book on a shelf? I wrote Chapter 18 in that book. It's called HIDE and SEEK, and the publisher is Urim Publications. It's about the married women's requirement to cover their hair according to Jewish Law. There are a series of essays by women of varied practices and opinions from all over the world, and there are also a couple of explanations of the actual Halacha, Jewish Law.

When I was at their exhibit, I ended up getting a new cookbook they put out, TALK OF THE TABLE KOSHER COOKBOOK. It's a collection of recipes put together by the Parents' Association of the Aseh Chayil School, Efrat, Israel. On my way home, on the unbearably crowded bus, I pulled it out of my bag and read it, cover to cover.

Obviously, I haven't tried any recipes yet, but I can tell you that the vast majority seem nice and simple. That's what I like. There aren't tons of ingredients you have to buy and then throw away. My own personal thing is that I don't cook with soup powder, and some of the contributors do. There are lots of recipes without it. Some recipes, like the Split Pea Soup have only a couple of ingredients and the most easy to follow directions. What's really impressive is that they include recipes from some of Jerusalem's best restaurants, and those recipes are among the simplest. I can't wait to try the recipes!

Everyone's cooking

There's some really nice stuff on Carnival of the Recipes.

Plenty of people no longer buy cookbooks, since all you have to do is google in the ingredients or basic food, and presto, you have a choice of recipes. It's easier than taking a stack of books off the shelf, going through the indexes (spelling?), making lists and sticking pieces of paper and comparing...

Now I'm off to my exercise class, and when I return, G-d willing KCC...........