by Ron Kaplan
NJJN Features Editor

April 17, 2008

Veteran cookbook author Susie Fishbein finds “thematic” editions easy to produce.

“You know exactly what you’re going after, exactly what you can work with and what you can’t work with.”

Her latest offering, Passover by Design (Art Scroll Shaar Press), contains more than 130 “Passover-adjusted” recipes, including such eclectic yet easy-to make fare as veal scaloppini with kumquats, sliced beef with shitakes and cherry-brandy sauce, potato-crusted snapper with mushroom sauce, along with side dishes, and, of course, desserts.

Fishbein — whose previous books include Kosher by Design, Kosher by Design Short on Time, and Kosher by Design: Kids in the Kitchen — started her newest book “the day after Passover ended last year.” She hustled over to the supermarket to grab any leftover kosher for Passover goods with which to experiment. “Once it’s gone, it’s gone. You can’t find Passover imitation mustard in December.”

She compared her post-holiday creative frenzy to The Iron Chef, a popular cooking program on The Food Network in which professionals use one main ingredient to create a full meal, including appetizer, entree, and dessert. “The challenge is, what can I do to make this exciting and different using these ingredients?”

Fishbein understands that holiday cooking can be stressful. How are we going to make through eight days without bagels, pizza, or pasta? “I think when people get nervous, they throw a bag of brown sugar and a can of cranberry sauce on a brisket because they forget they know how to cook [properly].”

Nutritional trends have eased the burden somewhat. “People are pretty clear on what low-carb or no-carb eating is. Passover is the same thing: take away all the grains, the white flour…. If you’re looking for good meals, forget the fake pasta. It’s never going to taste as good as regular.”

Instead, Fishbein suggests high-protein foods with lots of vegetables. Basically, she’s talking about meals you eat during the year anyway, sans the hametz. “I think that takes the pressure off,” she said.

And those culinary Pesach staples: matza, oil, and eggs? “Stay away from things that are fried. Matza brie is a treat, it’s not something you should eat every day.” The majority of her recipes are gluten-free: no matza, matza farfel, or matza meal. “This book is not heavily matza-ed because I don’t want to eat that way for a whole week.”

But what about of the children; what can they take for lunch with a minimum amount of culture shock?

“Kids are not only about the fast food things anymore. They really have heavier developed palates. I don’t think it’s a stretch to send your kids with a chicken salad or a schnitzel with cut-up vegetables on the side.”

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Recipes

QUINOA TIMBALES WITH GRAPEFRUIT VINAIGRETTE
1 20-oz. box quinoa, rinsed and prepared according to package directions
2 Tbsp. margarine
1 small zucchini, cut into 1/4" dice
1 small carrot, peeled, cut into 1/4" dice
1 small yellow squash, cut into 1/4" dice
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. fine sea salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
3-4 cucumbers (each 8"-10"), unpeeled
olive oil

Grapefruit vinaigrette:
3 Tbsp. juice from a large grapefruit; save segments for garnish
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp. fine sea salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Garnish:
zucchini, unpeeled
yellow squash, unpeeled

In a large skillet, melt margarine over medium heat. Add zucchini, carrot, and squash. Saute until soft, four to five minutes. Season with garlic powder, ginger, salt, and pepper. When quinoa is cooked, drain and add to vegetables. Toss to mix. Set aside.

Using a hand-held mandolin, cut 32 thin, lengthwise slices of cucumber. Brush eight four-ounce ramekins with olive oil. Stand cucumber slices around inside perimeter of the ramekin in a double layer to form a surrounding wall. Pack one-half cup of quinoa mixture into each ramekin. Hold a plate over the top of each ramekin and flip out the timbale.

In a small bowl, whisk grapefruit juice, extra virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper; drizzle vinaigrette over each timbale.

Garnish with grapefruit segments and shapes cut out of the zucchini and squash.

Serves eight.

GIANT ZEBRA FUDGE COOKIES
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 cups sugar
2 cups matza meal
1 cup good-quality Dutch process cocoa powder
4 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 tsp. baking powder
Confectioners’ sugar, sifted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line two large cookie sheets or jelly-roll pans with parchment paper. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, mix oil, sugar, matzo meal, cocoa powder, eggs, vanilla, and baking powder until a soft dough forms. Roll the dough into 18 balls slightly larger than golf balls.

Fill a small bowl with confectioner’s sugar and stir with a fork to break up any clumps. Lower balls, one at a time, into confectioners’ sugar and toss to coat heavily and completely. Transfer to prepared pans. Leave room between dough balls, as cookies spread during baking.

Bake for 18 minutes. If you like, you can make smaller cookies; form walnut-sized balls and bake for 12 minutes.

Cool completely. Yield: 18 large cookies.

WILD MUSHROOM VELOUTE SOUP
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 cup (about 4 oz.) sliced shiitake mushrooms, stems discarded
2 cups (6-7 oz.) sliced oyster mushrooms
2 cups (6-7 oz.) sliced crimini mushrooms
2 cloves fresh garlic, chopped
1 small onion, cut into 1/4" dice
1/8 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 cup (1 stick) margarine or butter
1/4 cup potato starch
7 cups chicken or vegetable broth, warm
1/8 tsp. fine sea salt
1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Heat oil in medium pot over medium heat. Add mushrooms and saute until tender, about four minutes. Add garlic and onion. Cook for four to five minutes. Sprinkle in thyme. Add margarine or butter and melt. Slowly sprinkle in potato starch. The mixture will form a sticky mixture called a roux. Slowly add stock and simmer; whisk well, scraping the bottom. Cook uncovered, for 20 minutes to cook out the starchy taste. Season with salt and pepper.

Serves eight.

LIP-SMACKING KOSHER FOR PASSOVER BROWNIES
8 1/2 oz. margarine
10 oz. chocolate
10 oz. sugar
6 eggs
3 1/2 oz. walnuts
2 1/2 oz. potato starch
3 oz. almond powder
1 tsp. baking powder

Line pan with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt margarine and chocolate in a double boiler over barely simmering water. Place eggs and sugar in a bowl and whisk for three minutes.

Mix the dry ingredients together. Add melted margarine and chocolate with the eggs, add dry ingredients and mix for two minutes.

Bake for 15 minutes.

Eric Attias
Executive chef, David Citadel Hotel-Jerusalem, Israel

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