Sukkot Giveaway (& Review) #3: Simply Southern with a Dash of Kosher Soul Cookbook

Welcome to day 3 of the 3-day Sukkot Giveaway. All giveaways will close tonight at midnight and the winners will be notified and announced tomorrow morning! Be sure to enter all three giveaways.

Several week ago, a reader (Hi, Amara!) approached me about reviewing a community cookbook that she was involved with.

With so many great kosher cookbooks out there, I wasn’t sure this was the best fit for KOAB. But when I read the specs on the Simply Southern with a Dash of Kosher Soul cookbook, I was intrigued! (And in all honesty, I’m a huge fan of the Paula Dean style – butter, butter, butter – of cooking.)

A few days later my review copy arrived and I was wowed!

But before I even had a chance to delve into the recipes, my husband and sons had ripped the book out of my hands – I think it was the mouth-watering fried chicken (recipe on p. 145) on the cover that hooked them.

They were furiously dog-earring the recipes they wanted me to make. But I had a better idea: “Why don’t you do the cooking, honey?” I sweetly asked my husband.

Lucky for me, he obliged! He picked out a seafood chowder (pg. 36) and cheese straws (pg. 11) and set off to the grocery store.

The smells in the kitchen were enticing… and the finished product was even better!

Both of my boys gobbled up the chowder – even my picky eater! And while I’m not the biggest fan of corn (understatement), I loved the golden color and sweet flavor it added to the chowder. My husband even sent my oldest with leftovers for lunch the next day and shared a bowl with his good friend, to rave reviews.

I would be lying, though, if I didn’t say that the cheese straws were the hands-down favorite. You can’t go wrong with puff pastry and cheese – at least not at my house.

There are many more recipes on our short-list, including a few that I expect to feature in our Sukkot meal plan, such as:

  •  Arugala, Leek and Potato Soup (p. 37)
  • Chicken, Cabbage and Noodles in Peanut Sauce (p. 70) – a great way to use leftover chicken!
  • Orzo Salad with Dried Cranerries and Caramelized Almonds (p. 72)
  • Southern Belle Pepper Pesto Linguini (p. 107) – with cilantro, my favorite herb!
  • Thai Spiced Cilantro Chicken (p. 136)
  • Salmon with Pistachio, Basil and Mint Butter (p. 157)
  • Potato Parsnip Latkes (p. 186)
  • Zucchini Carrot Terrine (p. 191)

And then there are the desserts… oh, how I love Lemon Meringue Pie (p. 195)… and I’m totally trying the Champion Cobbler from Louisiana Peach Festival (p. 213)… and my kids will absolutely devour the Cowboy Cookies (p. 225), I’m sure!

As you can tell, the recipes in Southern Cooking with a Dash of Kosher Soul are varied – and very mouthwatering!

Simply Southern is a compilation of 300 of the best recipes submitted to the cookbook’s editorial committee at the Margolin Hebrew Academy, a small Jewish day school in Memphis, TN. In addition to the rich traditions conveyed through the family recipes, the narratives in the book provide a wonderful look at the history of Jewish life in the South.  Simply Southern with a Dash of Kosher Soul retails for  $34.99, but because the production costs were all covered by donations, 100% of the proceeds go to funding Jewish education in the Memphis community.

If you would like to order a copy, just go to the Simply Southern with a Dash of Kosher Soul website. Scroll about half-way down the page to the order button. Right now, all books ship for FREE! (It says free shipping is only through Rosh Hashana, but proceed to check-out with Paypal, and you will be charged $0 for shipping.)

One lucky KOAB reader will win their own copy of Simply Southern with a Dash of Kosher Soul courtesy of the Margolin Hebrew Academy. To enter this giveaway, just complete the instructions on the Rafflecopter.

The first entry is mandatory: Leave a comment on this post telling me what your favorite cookbook is (kosher or not). 

The rest of the entries are optional – but remember: The more ways you enter, the better your chances are of winning!

(If you are reading this in your email or via Google Reader, you will need to click through to the blog to leave your entries.)


Comments

  1. my favorite cookbook is Kosher by Design Short on Time, although I do have favorite recipes in every cookbook I own…

  2. My aunt made up a book of our family recipes. And then gave it to me as a wedding gift. I love having all of the recipes together in one place. Definitely something I’ll pass down to my girls.

  3. I love an old Weight Watchers cookbook I have from the early 90’s – all of my faves are there!

  4. it’s a tie:
    Gatherings (by Netivot HaTorah day school in Toronto)
    and The Silver Palate cookbook

  5. Natural Foods Cookbook by Mary Estella is hands down the easiest to use healthy vegetarian dairy free cookbook. And then there is Spice and Spirit for all else! It is good to be well rounded!

  6. Usually anything that stresses fast. Quick and Kosher, Kosher by Design: Short on Time.

  7. I love the Amit Chicago cookbook. The best, simple recipes ever!

  8. Spice and Spirit

  9. Aish Hatorah’s Taste of Shabbos- Simple & Classic.

  10. I use the Kosher Pallet and Kosher by Design Cookbook a lot. Kosher by Design Lightens up is my current favorite

  11. My favorite cookbook is definitely Kosher by Design Short on Time. I love the pictures in the book, it motivates me to cook!

  12. Jennifer H. says

    My favorite is California Kosher.

  13. My fave is Quick and Kosher by Jamie Geller!!!!! Love it!!!!!!

  14. Eve Ben-Horin says

    I really love the kosher by design – lightens up.

  15. spice and spirit and a taste of shabbos

  16. Favorite is Kosher By Design.

  17. gatherings. love that book! but the truth is, i like to read cookbooks like they are novels…i can sit and read cookbooks all day 🙂

  18. Missfrizzly says

    I love good to the grain by Kim Boyce – all the recipes use whole grains, including interesting ones like amaranth, teff, quinoa, etc – it’s all baked goods, though…I also just started reading Alice waters’ cookbook, the art of simple food and I love it – I love her philosophy on food ( I like mark bittman, too).

  19. Kosher by design the original

  20. Usually a toss up between Tke Kosher Palette and Kosher by Design.

  21. Evelyn Behar says

    My favorite kosher cookbook is “Gatherings” – everything I’ve tried has turned out beautifully!

  22. My favorite is Where’s Mom now that I need her? It’s a great book I got in college. Now we use it for easy recipes that we build off of.

  23. My favorite cookbook is kosher by design kids in the kitchen. i love cooking and have even more fun when I can share it with them.

  24. My favorite is the Kosher by Design Entertains-the apple gallette and squash pie are fabulous!

  25. My favorite cookbook is the one that I have been compiling over the last few months. It contains recipes from my mother, grandmother, sister, sisters in laws and good friends and from magazines, websites, etc. It started out as a way to organize my recipes but it has become much more that just that. Hopefully it will become something I can share with interested parties.

  26. I LOVE cookbooks, I have a friend from memphis who owns this cookbook and she always makes the most amazing stuff from it! My favorite that I have right now is probably Kosher by Design.

  27. I love the pampered chef cookbooks, but mostly get most of my recipes on line or through friends.

  28. ”gatherings” from a jewish school from toronto. Its one of my favorites!

  29. Sandi Jarrett says

    My current favorite cookbook is Vegan With a Vengence. Although I am not vegan, there are so many great recipes in the book. Some are great as sides (and because they are vegan can be used with either meat or dairy dishes) and others are great as main dishes.

  30. The original Moosewood cookbook is SO awesome.

  31. Meal Makeover Moms–family friendly recipes with slight variations to make them healthier. For example, oatmeal cookies with oil instead of margarine. Lots of simple ideas. It really changed how I cook.

  32. Betty Crocker cookbook. Simple. Straight foward.

  33. joy of cooking. teaches you about food.

  34. Jamie Geller’s “Quick and Kosher”

  35. Love this giveaway. Although I have a bazillion cookbooks already, I can always use another. My favorite cookbook at the moment is Baking by Dorie Greenspan.

  36. Quick and Kosher! helps get dinner and shabbos ready so quickly!

  37. Rebecca starr says

    Kosher by design by Susie fishbein for sure! They are the best!

  38. The Kosher Baker by Paula Shoyer. My wife has taken cooking classes from her and I must say everything she’s made has been yummy!

  39. Pillsbury Cookbook

  40. The Dairy Gourmet (not sure if that’s the right name) by Sarah Lasry. Every recipe is heavenly and it has some great basic recipes (like the pizza sauce, crepes) that I use with other combinations not from the book.

  41. Spice and spirit

  42. Simply the Best.

  43. Spice and spirit.

  44. I have sooo many favorites. Spice & Spirit is a must (mine needs to be rebound…can’t get a new one because of all my treasured notes I’ve written in it), but I love KBDE Entertains, Kosher Palate, Mark Bittman’s HTCE & HTCEV, and we can’t forget Norene Gilletz…I take out a big stack when planning special menus. I’ve gotten into Joan Nathan too, and would love me some Dorie Greenspan if I had the time.

    Never mind the 600+ recipes I’ve collected on my hard drive!

  45. My favorite cookbook is Kosher by design short on time.

  46. I end up using Kosher Palette and Quick & Kosher most often.

  47. How to Cook Everything is my go-to book – always – and I love everything Mark Bittman has ever written. I have most of his books! 2nd fave author is Joan Nathan….

  48. The cookbooks my mother z”l wrote out by hand and typed on a typewriter in the early – late 1980s. Treasures!

  49. Rob Rothenberg says

    Fix-it and Forget it for Diabetics (Crock pot cooking)

  50. Kosher by desgin short on time