Customer Reviews

Quick & Kosher - Recipes From The Bride Who Knew Nothing

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

You aren't going to find any "OMG WOW" recipes in here. Maybe one or two. But what you will find are staple kosher dishes with really really easy and tastey ingredients.
Yes some of the recipes may seem like no brainers "duck sauce, ketchup & pepper flakes" over chicken. But I remember when I knew NOTHING in the kitchen and that would have been a help.
Teaching me how to make a loaf of gefilte fish..while for some people this may seem like a no-brainer..there was a time when I needed to be taught how.
This cookbook will teach you ALL those "kosher food basics" and even toss in a few more. (curried coconut couscous.. it was AMAZINGly delicious).
I am now an experienced cook, used to making complicated and interesting recipes that use 3 pieces of equipment and an array of pots and pans. I look forward to trying out more of these recipes which bring back the days of learning how to "boil water".
Don't be fooled though.. the recipes may be simple.. but from the looks of them.. they will be YUMMY!
If you are looking for more "original" and "inventive" recipes.. you might try to Susie Fishbein cookbooks. (Be prepared to pull out all your pots and pans..)

Worst Jewish cookbook I've ever seen! Pages are large, but most of that is white space, with faint, tiny printing. This book was clearly designed to prevent photocopying, without concern for the people who spent big bucks purchasing it.

IMHO, the author's attempts at humor fall far short of the mark. If you want a witty kosher cookbook, buy Sara Kasden's wonderful Love and Knishes, which also offers fabulous recipes. These were fair at best.

I didn't need to spend $35 on a cookbook to learn that using jarred marinara sauce would be quicker and easier than making it from scratch. That's an example of what you'll find here. There are awesome (and gorgeous) kosher cookbooks available, most right here on Amazon, and one of Susie Fishbein's is for quick, easy, and delectable. Don't waste your money on this overpriced loser!

I'm pretty surprised to see such negative reviews since I love it. The recipes are short and simple and even though some are "non-recipes" (like the ducksauce chicken) they are good to have on hand for when you absolutely positively only have time to slather some duck sauce on some chicken. The book is for busy people who enjoy cooking but don't want to spend eternity in the kitchen. Try it- you'd be surprised how tasty some of the non-recipes are! By the way, there are plenty of actual recipes in there too and everything I've made so far was a big hit. Another bonus is that most of the recipes are accompanied by a picture- very helpful- and appealing.

As a working mom who is also a grandma of eight, I picked up this book because of the title - quick and kosher. Not only are the recipes quick to prepare, they are creative and delicious. So far, my famly has enjoyed a different salad every night and although the Chilled Salmon with Dijon Dipping Sauce is listed under the appetizers - I served it as a main course and received rave reviews. And by the way, the author's stories are as entertaining as the recipes are delicious!

What a novel cookbook! It's both a cookbook and a funny, warm, true story about a Jewish bride who found herself lost in the kitchen and decided to take matters into her own hands, learning what she could about how to cook.It is a beginners book for new cooks with all the helpful hints they will need. It is a refreshing review for experienced cooks who have perhaps forgotten some very fundamental recipes. The recipes are extremely clear; the photos are beautiful and allow you to see what the finished product will look like. The added chapters on wine and shopping are informative and represent the total food experience that one is looking for when planning a special meal.With so many cookbooks on the market, it's certainly fun to find one that is humorous as well as informative. signed, an old cook ready to learn new tricks

I own many outstanding kosher cookbooks, so was looking forward to this one -- only to be grossly disappointed.

Although the book is large, much of that is white space, and the print is small and faint. (The pale green is almost invisible, and the pale black not much better. I guess the publisher was trying to prevent people from photocopying recipes, but gypping those who paid big bucks for the oversized book is grossly unfair.)

One problem with the recipes is that they call for either weight or cups, rather than X cups (Y ounces), which proves very helpful when you're purchasing the items and don't know how many cups are in a can, or how many vegetables will produce x cups. This is an easy step which anyone charging this much for a book should have taken.

In a similar vein, the book should either give precise sizes or define a "medium-sized" bowl/pan. Those of us seeking "quick and easy" don't want to have to wash an extra bowl or pan because the first one was the wrong size -- and such decisions are subjective, usually based upon how large our families were.

It also seems as though almost every recipe calls for mayonnaise. However, no variations were cited for this or anything else. I, myself, like to know what other options would work.

Likewise, a disproportionate number of recipes call for commercial puff paste ... simple recipes you can find in most cookbooks, and for which you wouldn't even need a cookbook.

The book would have been fine had it been printed in a clear typeface, cited variations rather than padding it with umpteen similar ways to use commercial puff pastry, and charged a normal price. $34.99 is a ridiculously high sum to charge for white space. For that price, one has a right to readable text, clear measurements, passably different recipes (particularly those based on a single commercial product), etc.

The list goes on and on, and seems grossly unwarranted in a $34.99 book. With countless absolutely phenomenal kosher cookbooks readily available (most right here on Amazon), don't waste your money on this one.

I was excited to buy this cookbook b/c of the concept- who wouldn't want fast and easy meals? But most of the recipes in there are a joke- they are too simple- they don't even qualify as recipes- example? duck sauce chicken. you know what's in it? Duck sauce and chicken. That's it. Come on. That's not a recipe! And there are quite a lot of these non recipes recipes. For this price, I felt like I was ripped off. Plus, I had printing "defects" in my copy. I flipped through the entire main course section and couldn't find one original easy chicken dish in there. nothing. I gave it one star, because of the nice binding and clear and easy layout. (not even for the pictures- do I really want or need to see a pic of a whole raw chicken? disgusting!) I'm going to see if it's returnable, because this is the worst cookbook I have ever purchased. Please, save your money for a good one (like what's cooking- that's simple and original)

I don't know why people have bashed this cookbook - I absolutely love it, and I am an experienced cook! I made my entire Shabbat from this and everyone raved over the recipes. I made the Oniony Chicken, the stew with the flanken and bean soup mixes (I wasn't able to cook it the full 3 hours and it was STILL excellent!), and the Aroz con Pollo. All were excellent and exceptionally easy.

I find Jamie's humor comforting and warm and I just thoroughly enjoyed using this cookbook for the first time this week. I loved her honesty and wit.

Truly an excellent cookbook that I will reach for time and time again. Thank you Jamie Geller! :)

Just when you think you've seen it all in kosher cooking and cookbooks, along comes a cookbook like Quick and Kosher to make one realize that there is MORE! Jamie Geller's book is not only gorgeous to look at, inspiring to read, but the recipes are fabulous. I am poring over every beautifully detailed page to add recipes to my cooking repertoire and buying wines to match. Jamie's anecdotal, honest commentary on each recipe is like having your best friend cooking with you in the kitchen. I have ordered several to keep on hand for new brides, old brides, friends and family to give as gifts. Yasher Koach to Jamie Geller for reinventing the kosher cookbook and elevating the status of cookbook from kitchen cabinet to coffee table!

Once I purchased this awesome book, six other women who came to my house and perused through it ordered the book, as well.