Lest you think that this entire book is about decadent recipes that will wreak havoc with your diet, there are plenty of offerings to make even your nutritionist smile. Fishbein notes in her introduction that during her time cooking with French and Italian chefs, she worked in kitchens that had no pantries, with almost all of the ingredients coming fresh from the farm or the field. Because the produce was of such high quality, she found that many European chefs kept their preparations to a minimum in order to allow the natural flavors to shine through. In addition to recipes that spotlight a potpourri of incredibly photogenic fruits and vegetables, quite a few others feature protein-packed ingredients like quinoa, lentils, edamame, chick peas and farro, giving you plenty of options for filling dishes that are lighter, healthier and, most importantly, delicious.
Case in point: the porcini-crusted sea bass is the poster child for healthy eating, with thick slabs of fish coated with a seasoned porcini mushroom dust and served atop a bed of garlic-infused baby spinach leaves. The harissa maple parsnips balance hot Tunisian flavors with the distinctive sweetness of maple syrup, as well as cumin, coriander, cayenne pepper, garlic and lemon juice, creating a virtual party of flavor in your mouth. Salad lovers may just find themselves in seventh heaven with over a dozen recipes; some are uber-healthy and feature nothing but vegetables, while others are amped up with the addition of steak, boneless chicken breasts, olive oil-packed tuna and even slices of hot dogs, in the adorably named Stadium Salad that references Fishbein’s many trips to major league ball parks in honor of her baseball-loving son Eli. Quite a few of these salads feature innovative pairings of ingredients. The Lumina market salad from the Israeli restaurant of the same name mixes Persian cucumbers, kohlrabi, fennel, radishes and cherry tomatoes with a lemon-based dressing while another French-inspired salad pairs wheat berries, green beans, grape tomatoes, radishes and Kalamata olives in a lemon Dijon dressing with fresh mint and basil leaves.
In a book full of gorgeous recipes and a global culinary journey, what struck me most what Fishbein’s final recipe. Over the past twelve years Fishbein has invited us into her home and her heart, sharing her personal experiences and adventures with us. After all that time, we kind of feel like honorary members of the Fishbein family, or at least really close friends. How appropriate then that she ends her gastronomic odyssey with the Fishbein family brownie recipe and this note:
“My mother-in-law, Myrna Fishbein, was famous for her brownies. They were a rich, dense, fudgy chocolate. Kids used to write to her from summer camp because they knew the reward would be a box of these goodies. Purim meant that my husband and his dad would whip up dozens of batches. Fishbein Brownies have even been credited with saving the life of an Israeli soldier who left his base to pick up his care package of brownies and just missed being in an attack.
“Over the years, times have changed, availability of brands have changed and I have fiddled with the recipe, but I can think of no better end to the Kosher by Design series than with this, an ode to my husband’s history, an evolved version of a simple, yet always satisfying, sweet, happy ending.”
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Eggplant And Tomato Tart
Yields 9 servings
Each morning, when my tour group left to explore Provence, we left laden with goodies for a picnic lunch. The picnic always included salad, a fish dish, a grain, and a different version of Pissaliediere. Pissaliediere is the French flaky cousin of pizza, which is traditionally topped with olives and caramelized onions. I love this version with eggplant and olives, but feel free to change up the toppings. For a dairy meal, you could add some feta cheese to the olive mixture.