About Ethel G. Hofman and
Everyday Cooking for the Jewish HomeWhat do Roasted Red Snapper with Dates, Sorrel Soup, Braised Leeks with Sun-dried Tomatoes and Plum Torte have in common? Along with brisket, borscht and blintzes, they are all delicious examples of Jewish dishes enjoyed everyday all over the world. In EVERYDAY COOKING FOR THE JEWISH HOME (HarperCollinsPublishers; October 1997; $25.00/hardcover) Ethel G. Hofman makes these and over 350 recipes accessible and easy for the contemporary Jewish home and any home that wants healthful appetizing international fare with flair.
By combining the wealth of new kosher products available with modern cooking techniques and equipment, Ms. Hofman shows how the most inexperienced or time-challenged cook can produce up-to-date dishes like Lemon Tahini Broiled Duck Breasts, Creamy Gazpacho with Almonds and Artichokes, Farfel with Plum Tomatoes and Pinenuts and Maple-Drenched Almond Latkes with little time or effort. Trained as a home economist, she illustrates how to lower fat and calories in new versions of old favorites such as Vegetarian Chopped 'Liver', Reduced-Fat Matzoh Brie and Stuffed Cabbage. With a chapter entitled "What is Kosher?", parve, meat and dairy sections within each chapter, substitutions for the Kosher kitchen, and plenty of non-meat dishes, there is something for everyone here, whether Kosher, vegetarian or just plain hungry.
EVERYDAY COOKING FOR THE JEWISH HOME is the delightful convergence of Ethel G. Hofman's career as a professional food writer and her study of Jewish cooking throughout the world. In her travels she has found recipes from places as far-flung and exotic as Persia (Sweet Carrot and Date Dome), Morocco (Roasted Pomegranate Chicken) and India (Quick Curried Couscous), and as close and comforting as one's Bubbe (Oma's Noodles and Blueberries) or an old friend (Eggs Benjamin). There are recipes here from the black Jews of Cochin (Indian Jewish Chicken), from hotels in the Catskills and kibbutzes in Israel (Minted Peach Soup, Israeli Eggplant Rolls), and from unlikely places like Scotland (Jewish Scottish Strudel, Maccabean Rarebit), where Ms. Hofman was raised in the only Jewish family on the remote Shetland Islands and where she first learned to "cook Jewish" from her mother. Desserts include Australian Pavlova, Papaya with Lemon Cream and Coconut from the Caribbean Jews, and subtly spiced and marinated fruit dishes from the Mediterranean and the Middle East. An international Passover menu chapter closes the book, while festive occasions are marked by special foods throughout, as in Arbis (peppered chickpeas) served at the Shalom Zachar ceremony welcoming a newborn son. In EVERYDAY COOKING FOR THE JEWISH HOME, Ethel G. Hofman imparts her love of this food and its rich and varied history with warmth and scholarship. There have been many Jewish cookbooks written, but few so practical, comprehensive and fascinating.
Ethel G. Hofman is a past president of International Association of Culinary Professionals, a nationally syndicated Jewish food columnist, and regular contributor to The Philadelphia Inquirer and many culinary and Jewish publications. She lives in Philadelphia with her well-fed husband.
All contents Copyright ©1997 Kosher Express.