I couldn’t be more excited to be a part of the Kosher by Design Brings it Home VIRTUAL BOOK RELEASE PARTY! I’ve been a fan of Susie Fishbein since the early years, before there was a Busy In Brooklyn and the only things I knew how to cook came out of a cookbook. When I got married, her books were my go-to for Shabbos and Yom Tov meals and everything in between. In the early days of BIB, I posted some of her recipes like this, this and this and was honored to attend her book release party for KBD Cooking Coach where I met her in person for the first time.
I have a deep respect for Susie’s work because she was the go-to kosher recipe developer before there were hundreds of cookbooks to compete with, an endless supply of free recipes on the web to copycat and growing network of kosher foodies who share, connect and interact in the industry. Fishbein literally set the groundwork for all the kosher cookbooks to come with her solid cookbook collection filled with original and unique recipes as well as beautiful food photography. I’ve followed Susie’s journey through the years and I’m thrilled to see a culmination of her travels in her last of the KBD series, Bringing it Home.
As a foodie, I have learned that the only way to really expand your culinary horizons is to travel. Traveling opens your eyes to unique ingredients, food combinations and flavors that you never thought of or experienced. Not all of us have the luxury to host culinary tours throughout the world, so luckily Susie has done the work for us. In Kosher by Design Brings It Home, she fills us in on her travels throughout Israel, France, Italy and Mexico, sharing food traditions and fiercely guarded recipes that are unique to those regions. It’s an honor to have an inside look into restaurant and chef’s recipes throughout the kosher world and I can’t wait to start cooking more cultural cuisine!
Purchase Kosher by Design Brings it Home on Amazon.
A book release party is nothing without a giveaway, and what a giveaway it is! Follow these instructions to enter.
Ranchero Soup
Reproduced from Kosher by Design Brings it Home, by Susie Fishbein, with permission from the copyright holders, ArtScroll/Mesorah Publications.
When teaching a class on Passover cooking at the Ritz Carlton in Cancun one year, I wanted to create a Southwestern soup that did not contain beans. This keeper, with its egg-drop soup effect, is so simple and is brightened with a pop of chilies, lime juice, and silky avocado.
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 onion, peeled, cut into ¼-inch dice
4 cloves fresh garlic, finely chopped
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes or whole peeled tomatoes, with their liquid
4 cups chicken stock or vegetable stock
2 large eggs
½ jalapeño, minced
1 avocado, peeled, pitted, cut into tiny cubes
2 scallions, green part only, thinly sliced on the diagonal ¼ cup loosely packed cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
juice of ½ lime
additional limes, cut into wedges, for garnish
In a large soup pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion; cook until translucent, 5-6 minutes; do not allow it to brown. If it begins to brown, lower the heat. Add the garlic; cook for additional 3-4 minutes, until garlic is shiny.
Add the tomatoes with their liquid. If they are whole, use your hand to squeeze and burst them. Add the stock. Simmer, uncovered, over low heat, for 30 minutes.
In a small bowl, whisk the eggs. Whisk the soup and while whisking, slowly drizzle in the eggs, whisking all the time. Simmer for 4 minutes. Ladle into bowls.
In a small bowl, stir together the jalapeño, avocado, scallions, cilantro, and lime juice. Top each bowl with a spoonful of this garnish. Serve a lime wedge with each bowl.
YIELDS 8 SERVINGS
