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.)
Kosher by design- I love the zucchini carrot bread.