The New York Times Passover Cookbook : More Than 200 Holiday Recipes from Top Chefs and Writers [Hardcover]

Linda Amster (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 17, 1999

The classic book that has inspired Passover Seders for more than a decade

From the paper of culinary record comes a delicious trove of more than 200 recipes that celebrate the festivity of the Passover table. Compiled from decades of Times articles, The New York Times Passover Cookbook represents Jewish cuisine from tables and restaurants around the world—six kinds of haroseth, for example, and seven versions of matzoh balls.

There are cherished traditional family recipes passed along for generations, as well as innovative kosher dishes to enhance your table not just at Passover, but throughout the year, from such celebrated chefs as Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Charlie Trotter, Wolfgang Puck, and Alice Waters. A special feature, the personal reflections of acclaimed Times writers Molly O'Neill, Ruth Reichl, and Mimi Sheraton about how Passover has enriched their lives, may become meaningful additions to your own Seder service.

Dozens of delectable main-course choices for either meat or dairy meals are yours to enjoy—entrees like Jean-Georges' Baked Salmon with Basil Oil; or the Braised Moroccan-Style Lamb with Almonds, Prunes, and Dried Apricots; or a variety of roast chickens, classic and contemporary. For vegetables, consider the abundant selection of memorable side dishes: Carrot and Apple Tsimmes, Beet Crisps, Butternut Squash Ratatouille, and the Union Square Cafe's Matzoh Meal Polenta. And the book's dazzling array of desserts, from Gingered Figs to Passover Brownies, ensures that the festivities will end on a sweet note.

The Seder is one of the most beloved and significant occasions of the Jewish year—let The New York Times Passover Cookbook help you make it as joyous as can be.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Finally, you can put aside those yellowed newspaper clippings this holiday! The New York Times Passover Cookbook collects almost 50 years' worth of delicious Seder recipes from the Times and its contributors, from Florence Fabricant's Classic Gefilte Fish to Barry Wine's Tsimmes Terrine. With more than 200 recipes, the book travels around the world of Jewish cuisine, from Artichokes, Sephardic Style--a spicy, fried, Egyptian dish--to Mississippi Praline Macaroons, a recipe that traveled with its originator from Vienna, Austria, to Natchez, Mississippi. Because the book includes recipes from both Ashkenazic and Sephardic traditions, editor Linda Amster notes that the ingredients in some recipes may not be acceptable to other communities (for example, the allspice in Claudia Roden's Matzoh-Meat Pie perfectly reflects its Arab-Jewish influences, but probably would be out of place on an Ashkenazic Passover menu).

Through the years at the Times, many Passover recipes have come from accomplished home cooks in the New York area (such as Florence Aaron's Salmon and Egg Salad). More recently, however, the paper has given some star chefs a turn at the traditional Seder dishes, so you'll also find such gourmet delights as Jean-Georges Vongerichten's Beet Tartare, Paul Prudhomme's Veal Roast with Mango Sauce, Charlie Trotter's Carrot Consommé, and Maida Heatter's Chocolate Walnut Torte. In addition to the wealth of recipes, The New York Times Passover Cookbook features a thoughtful introduction on the meanings of the Passover ritual by Joan Nathan, author of the award-winning Jewish Cooking in America. Threaded through the book are four essays by Times critics and columnists Ruth Reichl, Mimi Sheraton, Molly O'Neill, and Howard G. Goldberg. Goldberg's informative piece on Kosher wines may cause you to put the sweet Manischewitz aside for a dryer Israeli Cabernet or a Californian Semillon. Whether you're looking for a classic apple-nut Haroseth or a fusion-cuisine Southwestern Tsimmes Stuffed in Anaheim Chiles, The New York Times Passover Cookbook is an excellent, comprehensive sourcebook for the Passover meal. --Rebecca A. Staffel

From Publishers Weekly

Passover is celebrated at the table with ritual words and food; this serious new collection does justice to both. And as Amster, a regular contributor to the New York Times food pages, points out, there's another tradition associated with Passover. Every year, home cooks eagerly await recipes, conforming with the holiday's dietary restrictions, published in the Times. The 175 recipes reprinted from cookbooks by the paper's well-known food writers, as well as by celebrated chefs, range from the traditional to the innovative and are drawn from European, Mediterranean and Middle Eastern traditions. Anne Rosenzwieg offers a haroseth recipe that uses rhubarb. The section on gefilte fish includes Wolfgang Puck's variation, served in cabbage leaves, and Barbara Kafka's version, prepared in the microwave. In addition, Amster imparts seven ways to roast a chicken, including Chicken Breasts with Green Olives and Tomatoes. Paul Prudhomme serves up his Veal Roast with Mango Sauce, a dish he prepared in Jerusalem in honor of the city's 3000th anniversary. Nathan's knowledgeable foreword describes dietary restrictions and offers definitions and explanations of the symbolism behind the food. Taken together, Amster has produced what may be the definitive word in Passover cookbooks, from recipes to the feelings evoked by sitting at a beautifully set, bountifully laden table.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow Cookbooks; 1 edition (February 17, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0688155901
• ISBN-13: 978-0688155902
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.7 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #540,646 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

33 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Welcome and refreshing new ideas for passover, April 18, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The New York Times Passover Cookbook : More Than 200 Holiday Recipes from Top Chefs and Writers (Hardcover)

This year for the first time in many years I made a few different charosis recipes, a new chicken recipe, and a new kugle - all from this cookbook, and they were all delicious and beautiful to look at. I was so pleased I bought copies for my daugher and daughter-in-law. Every Jewish kitchen should have this book. It is definitely something to pass on in a family. From Liz Levine

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Favorite Passover Cookbook, March 9, 2003

By 

R. Tuttle "rebeccadt" - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The New York Times Passover Cookbook : More Than 200 Holiday Recipes from Top Chefs and Writers (Hardcover)

I am a definite "foodie", and an Orthodox Jew. I'm always looking for new recipes to try out. I frequently take out cookbooks from local libraries to try them out, and purchase the most useful ones. There is a definite dearth of good Kosher for Passover cookbooks, so I was thrilled to find this one last year.

I am buying this one today. This is not a cookbook for beginners, but all the recipes I tried were worth the effort, and were delicious. I can't wait to try some more recipes this year. It's so nice to find some recipes for Passover that are not the usual chicken/potatoes combo. There are also many recipes to use year round.

I would also like to answer the person who said the this cookbook is not for any Orthodox Jews. He/she forgot that there are many type of Orthodox Jews. If you do not eat gebrokts (a mixture of matza meal & liquid) during all but the last day of Pesach, then there are some recipes that you will not be able to use. If your tradition (minhag) is to peel all fruits and vegetables, go ahead. You think the NY Times writers are chasidish??? Please! You can get many kosher for Passover for cookbooks with recipes from your community.

Please remember that your type of Yiddishkeit is not the only one. There are many Orthodox Jews who will not have problems with any recipes in this cookbook. And again, there are still many good recipes in this cookbook, even if you don't eat gebrokts.

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Passover Cookbook Ever!, April 18, 2000

By 

Lois Canter (Southampton, NJ) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The New York Times Passover Cookbook : More Than 200 Holiday Recipes from Top Chefs and Writers (Hardcover)

Every year I buy a new Passover cookbook to add variety to the Seders. This is the Best One Yet! The commentaries are delightful to read and the recipes I am cooking today smell wonderful. Because you know who submitted each recipe, there is a sense of family unlike most cookbooks.I can't wait to serve my family! This has become my favorite Passover collection!