Customer Reviews

Passover by Design: Picture-perfect Kosher by Design recipes for the holiday (Kosher by Design)

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I love the Kosher by Design series. I love the layout of the cookbook itself and the beautiful color photographs of almost every recipe. The recipes are great and are things that I would actually make containing ingredients that I might actually find at my local supermarket. And most of them are not too simple (i.e. add a can of beans to a can of meat and voila, dinner!) nor are they too complicated (i.e. having 20 or more ingredients), but rather the perfect blend for cooks who have to run a busy household but still want tasty food that can impress their guests.

However, if you've got several Kosher by Design cookbooks on your shelf already, you'll find that this Passover edition repeats a great many of the recipes from the others--with the same photographs. And if not exactly copied, many are adjusted only slightly by using matzoh instead of graham crackers. I would have to say that 35% or more of the book are repeats from other editions. I was a bit disappointed to find this out. But I probably would have bought the book anyways. For those of us who have a strictly kosher kitchen, you can't really use your chometz-dik, year-round cookbooks during Passover anyways.

I would recommend it, but with full disclosure.

EDIT: A kind commenter pointed out that the number of repeat recipes is far higher than I estimated. There are 130 old or modified recipes from the Kosher by Design series in this Passover edition, and only 30 new recipes.

If you found this review helpful, please let me know!

As this book was published, the author approached her first Passover since the death of her beloved mother-in-law, Myrna Fishbein, and so, the book is dedicated to her. Recipes are tagged if they are non-gebrokts. Not only are the Passover recipes splendid, but the presentation ideas are extremely helpful and creative. For example, each seder participant can pick a chore out of a bowl (serve the soup, clean the first course, pour the wine). It makes chores and helping out more organized and fun. Or consider serving the karpas and salt water in a Bento Box. Or check the wine labels at the seder. Tell a Jewish story about each of the countries that the wines are from (Israel, USA, Chile, New Zealand, etc.)

Recipes include APPETIZERS (14) - highlights are Salmon Tataki, Tri-color gefilte fish (3 layers, requires salmon for one layer, dill and cucumbers for another, and a springform pan), and Steamed Sea Bass and Savoy Cabbage. Idea: serve the horseradish in a scooped out zucchini slice.

SOUPS (over 18) include creamy peach, carrot coconut vichyssoise, chicken, broccoli and almond bisque, and a thick wild mushroom veloute. In terms of colorful matzo balls, there are tomato, tumeric, and spinach versions.

There are over 20 SALADS, including Seared Ahi Tuna Nicoise; Cucumber Dill; Grilled Beef and Radish; Fatoush; and Mango Tuna with Goat Cheese. The coolest is a Watermelon and Beet Salad served in a martini glass with mint and basil sprigs. There are 27 POULTRY recipes. Includes Chicken Lollipops, Greek Garlic Chicken, Fiesta Turkey Burgers, Pastrami Stuffed Turkey Roast with a Pineapple Glaze, and Ratatouille Chicken Stew. The nineteen MEAT recipes include Lamb Chop with Parsley Pesto, Brisket with Shallots and Potatoes, Braised Rib Roast with Melted Tomatoes, Veal Scaloppini with Kumquats, and a Fig Marsala Sauce.

Of the over 20 FISH/DAIRY recipes, my faves were Tower of Snapper and Eggplant, Halibut with Zucchini Confit, Tuna Croquettes, Parmesan Crusted Grouper (yes Parmesan can be kosher), Matzo Brei, and Blintz Souffle. The 24 SIDE DISHES include Cauliflower Popcorn, Cauliflower Francaise (she loves cauliflower), Matzo Primavera, Meichel (her mother in law's farfal mushroom pilaf), Hasselback Potatoes (never has a potato looked so lovely), a cranberry pineapple kugel, Thai Quinoa, and Quinoa Timbales with Grapefruit Vinaigrette. As for Afikomens, or DESSERTS, there are 28, including Ebony and Ivory (mouse), Chocolate Mousse Pie, Melon Granitas, Best Ever Sponge Cake (the trick is in the egg white beatings), a compote that serves a mere 25 people, and brownies, cookies, and sorbet. Btay Avon

I have to admit my knowledge of Passover food is very limited and I was excited to receive this book for review. I am always interested in learning about new foods and how to prepare them.
My first impression of it awed me as I glanced upon the sheer beauty of the composition of this work. The cover looked alive and inviting, and the illustrations of the food looked so tempting I simply knew I would have to try each and everyone.
I set out to do just that,but of course time did not permit, so I chose just a few. My first choice was Easy Meat Roast, found on page 138. The ingredients were few, the instructions simple and let me tell you the meat absolutely delicious. I decided to add Hasselback Potatoes, found on page 194 to my dinner and my family loved the entire experience. Yummy! The meal looked like I spent hours on it, but truly it was quite quick and easy to prepare. That is a plus.
This book contains 170 recipes, given to you with simple instructions and beautiful photos that are sure to call to you to give them a try. I highly recommend this wonderful book, and not just for Passover meals, but for every family that wants a tummy delicious encounter with food anytime of the year.
Very well done, exceptional.

My wife was so excited when I brought home a copy of Passover by Design. Most people dread cooking for Passover, particularly since it's traditionally such a "meat'n'potatoes" holiday, punctuated with lotsa matzah! We were impressed that Susie Fishbein has created recipes that are kosher for Passover, but look like year round dishes. I notice she's reworked many popular recipes from her series and made them kosher for Passover, so we don't have to do all that pesky ingredient substitution and recalculating flour to potato starch ratios! There are some pretty cool new recipes in here that I really want to test drive before Passover, like the Creamy Peach Soup, the Beef Roulade on Creamed Parsnips, and I'm itching to get into that Chocolate Chip Cheesecake. I see this cookbook is not quite as big as the previous ones, but it also costs less too. So - fair trade off. The pictures are beautiful to browse, but they make me hungry. We've been Fishbein fans since her original Kosher by Design came out about five years ago. Great idea having a cookbook like this for such a daunting eight-day holiday as Passover. Thanks again, Susie!

I am not religious, observe no conventions other than exchanging gifts at Christmas. That said, why am I writing a review of this book? For me there is only one reason for owning a cookbook and that is the recipes inside. Either they're good or they're not. You cook up a dish, if it's tasty, if your family or company like it, then you try another, then another. If you and yours get on with the recipes, then you have a winner, if not, well then you don't.

This book is a winner, but before I go into the recipes, I'd like to say that the book is elegantly done, the photographs are mouthwateringly gorgeous and the book has been laid out very professionally. You can tell Ms. Fishbein, Mr. Uher and their publishers really cared about this project.

But do the recipes pass muster? Yeah, I gotta say they do. My first outing with this book was the Meat and Potato Roll. It was easy to do, so easy that I wondered why it was in a cookbook. I made it without a hitch and it was divine. So a couple days later I decided to try something a bit more complicated and did the Portobello Stacks with Honey Balsamic Ketchup for a starter and jeepers were they ever good. This was something I never would have thought of making by myself and now it's something I'll be making for years to come. That alone makes this book a gem as far as I'm concerned.

But wait! There's more. The Caramelized Parsnip Carrot Soup is simply to die for, as are the Turmeric Matzo Balls. You know in my wildest of wildest dreams I never would have thought I'd be doing Matzo Balls, but I'm into this cookbook now and I can't get out. I suppose one of the reasons for my captivity is the photographs. One look and you're drooling. You just gotta start cooking.

In conclusion, this book passes with flying colors the only test a cookbook should have and that's the recipes inside it. Follow these recipes and you'll please not only your family and company, but yourself as well. There is mighty fine eating between these pages and I'll be using this cookbook for years to come.

How we've come a long way in Passover cooking. As a kid, my mother had a few limited cookbooks put together by different sisterhoods. Now, we have a gamut of gourmet cookbooks and recipes available. Susie Fishbein's Passover by Design follows the successful Kosher by Design and contains over 100 reformulated recipes from Kosher by Design plus 30 new ones and many gluten-free recipes.

The 170-recipe book comes with beautiful color photos of what many of us probably will never create. After all, John Uher, the photographer with Godiva Chocolates as one of his clients is behind photos in the cookbook. Nonetheless, the photos inspire and give you a good idea of how something will turn out even if it's half as pretty.

With many of the recipes hailing from Kosher by Design, is it worth purchasing Passover by Design? Furthermore, 170 recipes isn't a lot by cookbook standards. It depends. Those who are pros at reformulating recipes from the Kosher by Design into Pesach-approved recipes may find the investment not worth it unless the 30 recipes, décor ideas, and presentation tips appeal enough. Strict Passover observers should find this book a worthy buy so they don't have take out the hametz-based books.

In fact, we reworked a few recipes from Kosher by Design before the release of the Passover book and they turned out scrumptious. It also surprises to see the use of premade items such as gefilte fish as many expect a gourmet cookbook like this to start from scratch.

Only one person in my family is a pro Passover cook while the rest of us are amateurs. Both groups find the gourmet recipes surprisingly easy to create. The recipes bring a fresh approach and great taste to revive many of us who eat the same thing year after year for Passover.

I have enjoyed Ms. Fishbein's other cookbooks but found this one to be just a collection of the exact same recipes from her other books.. and even the same photos!!!!.. there are very few NEW recipes. I was VERY disappointed and will return it. I doesn't seem "kosher" to do this... I thought I would be getting all new recipes.. don't be fooled!!!!!

My husband got this book for me last year when we began to go Kosher. I started using it last Passover, but I used the recipes in it through out the year. This year I purchased a second book because I kept lending it out to others. The second book is now a resource for my Torah observant, going Kosher, small group.

I love this book. The recipes are terrific. It's beautiful! I've lent it to others who have then ordred it for themselves. It's the new Bible for Passover recipes.

Passover by Design is a wonderful cookbook because the recipes can be used during Passover, and the rest of the year. Don't think that the title means that these recipes should be reserved for just Passover, but really they are very tasty dishes for all year. There are many qualities about this book that make it one that you will use time and time again.

Susie Fishbein pours much into this book. The photography is very good. Most recipes have pictures so you will know what the dish you are making is susposed to end up like. She gives you options when preparing a recipe, a particular ingredient may not be available, do not worry, she has alternatives listed if you can't find particular ingredient. She gives you serving suggestions, so you table will be attractive and appealing.

I really like the collection of recipes that she put together. I like that with using this cookbook many dishes can be prepared ahead of time. So you don't need to rush around right before the meal, but you can select a dishes that can be prepared ahead of time, and others can be prepared right before serving.

Some of the recipes that I thought were particularly outstanding were the Meat and Potato Roll, which is a meat roll stuffed with a mashed potato filling. The Cream of Sweet Potato Soup with the Roasted Pecans is an ingredible, need I say more on this one? For salads her roasted beet salad is unique and filling. She has a very nice artichoke chicken that is easy to put together, but has complex flavor.

I like that there is a lot of thought put into this book. I like that the recipes are well thought out, and have rich and complex flavors without being too fussy or too gourmet. The recipes have the right amount of panache and the right amount of familiarity that your family and guests will enjoy your dishes. I recommend this book for Passover, and honestly the rest of the year, don't let this title mean that you only pull this book out once a year, take advantage of this rich cookbook and enjoy these dishes all year long.