Talk of the Table: Kosher Cookbook

Talk of The Table boasts a unique combination of over 175 recipes from homemade delicacies to professional fare, including contributions from a number of Jerusalem's most popular caterers and restaurants such as Ticho House, Olive, and Caf Rimon, as well as treasured and varied offerings from talented home cooks. Mediterranean dishes include Stuffed Grape Leaves, exotic Meatballs with Pomegranates, and sumptuous Kuba Soup. Ashkenazi food ranges from Pastrami Chicken Roll to colorful Tomato and Black Olive Salad, and Rich Pumpkin Soup. Desserts such as Hot Apple and Pear Cake, Seriously Fudgie Brownies, and the spectacular Bubby Yetta's Hamentashen, will tempt and delight.

Like many fundraiser cookbooks, it contains family recipes that are unavailable elsewhere. The recipes originate from Jewish communities throughout the world, from Libya to Iraq and from France to the United States.

Most of the recipes are straightforward, and require a limited number of ingredients, something particularly useful for people with busy lives. The layout is attractive with ingredient lists and instructions side-by-side in separate columns. Most ingredients are in English measurements, and metric units are always converted. In addition, there is a chart of measurement equivalents at the end of the book. The range of cooking is wide, from appetizers to desserts and vegetarian dishes. One of my favorites was the mushroom and wild rice soup, which proved to be a very hearty dish that is simple to prepare. This title will have appeal as a general cookbook, and as a special volume on the world of Jewish cooking. It is recommended for individual cooks and for general Judaica libraries with sections on food and cooking. --James LaForest, AJL Newsletter

The recipes in Talk Of The Table Kosher Cookbook for the most part come from the normal down-to-earth home cooks who know what it means to cook for a family.... If you are looking for simply interesting and good recipes (all Kosher) then a quick perusal of Talk Of The Table Kosher Cookbook does answer and fit that bill. Some of the recipes are indeed interesting and good. Some seem to be fairly delicious unique food creations. --Ted Gross, Help! I Have A Fire In My Kitchen blog

There are 177 recipes divided into: soups, salads, entrees, eggs and dairy, accompaniments, baked goods and desserts. The book concludes with measurement equivalents, an index, thank yous and student photographs. The black and white photographs look very nice in this book and fit the style well. Among the recipes which look particularly intriguing to try are: cream of sweet potato soup, Iraqi kubah soup, lamb tajine with Jerusalem artichokes, cranberry kugel, and Mediterranean potatoes. Recipes which attracted my attention to try from restaurants include Denise with olive oil, lemon and rosemary from La Guta; Onion quiche from Little Jerusalem restaurant in Ticho House; no bake cheesecake from Cafe Rimon; and Frozen Chocolate Mousse Pie from Hillary Morris Catering.

How thoughtful of the compilers to list the phone numbers of the caterers.

The contributors names are listed by their recipes, ingredients are listed for use in Israel and outside and directions are paragraphed. --Sybil Kaplan