Budget Cooking Elegant Dining: The Kosher Experience [Illustrated] (Hardcover)

~ Sue Epstein (Author) "The three key ingredients to budgeting without sacrificing taste or quality are planning, flexibility and creativity..." (more)
Key Phrases: Budget Cooking, The Kosher Experience, Suggested Menus (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

For the balaboosta (homemaker) who runs the kitchen on a budget, or would like to! Dozens of Kosher recipies for Hanukkah, Shabbat, Purim, and all year long. Common sense information on how to budget meals, the best ways to use leftovers, and how to create menu plans that work.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 235 pages
• Publisher: Simcha Media Group (NJ); illustrated edition edition (September 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0943706629
• ISBN-13: 978-0943706627
• Product Dimensions: 9.7 x 8.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,914,598 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Budget Cooking Elegant Dining: The Kosher Experience, August 13, 2005

By	Monita Olive "Cookbooks EtCetera" (Sunny Southern Texas) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

"Budget Cooking - Elegant Dining" - 'The Kosher Experience', written by Sue Epstein is a cookbook that you'll want to add to your collection. I hope there is a volume 2 soon!

From the beautiful cover photo of veggies arranged as a bouquet on a silver platter to the budgeting tips inside of this 200+ page cookbook, one can tell lots of thought and design went into planning it.

The pages are easy to open and lay flat and all pages have no more than one recipe per page, with room in the margins for note taking, (or a place for stickie-notes for those who do not like to pencil in notes in cookbooks). The recipes serve from 4 to 12, depending on kind of recipe and they all appear to be straight forward and with readily available ingredients.

There are hints for budgeting and if followed, there is no reason why a meal cannot be elegant as well as affordable. Shopping tips, such as using house brands, eating before shopping (thus not buying everything in sight because it ALL looks delicious), and leaving children at home because we know they can add to the carts, are just a few of the hints she has listed.

I like the idea of simple, white dishes dressed up with colorful cloth napkins, natural garnishes of fruits or vegetables to dress up a serving plate, and even adding a few slices of lemon to water can dress up a meal and make it elegant.

Sue Epstein covers it all -- even menu planning and a list of Jewish Holidays and Life Cycle Events. Not being Jewish myself, I appreciate the list of holidays and the meanings associated with them. While "Budget Cooking-Elegant Dining" is a Kosher cookbook, you don't have to cook Kosher in order to enjoy the recipes that Sue has brought together for the traditional Jewish home. There is something here for everyone.

Having all the ingredients on hand for Sue's "Spinach Oriental" recipe I decided to try it tonight for dinner. It was a refreshing switch from my usual Spinach Salad. I am including the recipe below for you to try.

Spinach Oriental

1 pound fresh spinach
2 tablespoons oil or parve margarine
1 teaspoon grated onion
2 teaspoons sesame seeds
2 tablespoons soy sauce

Wash spinach well. Drain and remove tough stems.
In a skillet, heat the oil or margarine.
Add onion and sesame seeds and saute over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the seeds are browned.
Add drained spinach and soy sauce.
Cover and cook about 5 minutes or until tender. Serves: 4

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Kosher cookbook ideal for ANY cook, June 6, 2005

By	Sonia Martinez "foodiesleuth" (Big Island of Hawaii) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Sue Epstein and I have been cyber foodie friends for a few years....I was so excited Saturday to get her cookbook that I decided to spend the afternoon reading it. I thoroughly enjoyed it! Written in an easy style, Sue's ideas on entertaining and her advise on budgeting, being flexible and yet creative at the same time are simple ideas that most of us might already be aware of, yet bear repeating.
The recipes are well written and in an easy to follow format.
A feature I liked is the margin on each page for the cook to write her own notes, adaptations or impressions of the recipe. In some recipes, Sue has added her own little notes with a
hint or tip at the bottom of the note section.
Elegant dining on a budget might seem like a contradiction in terms, but Sue's many years of catering and teaching about cooking has shown her the way and she generously shares her tips with the reader. How to make your entertaining memorable without being costly; ideas on how to use leftovers for better advantage; careful menu planning ideas to take advantage of seasonal produce and products and a whole wonderful section on substitutions and equivalents.
As a non-Jew, I was very interested in Chapter 5 since she simply
explains the Jewish Holidays and Life Cycle Events. We have all
heard the names of the different holidays, but most of us don't
realize the meaning of them and Sue has also provided menus
appropriate for each. There is one whole chapter on Passover and the traditional and some not so traditional recipes associated with this holiday.
Several recipes captured my attention and have been marked for trying very soon, but there were two that really called to me and will be made today: Fresh Mushroom Soup (page 86) and Boursin-Style Cheese (page 123)
Whether you are Jewish or not, keep a kosher kitchen or not, this is a must in your cookbook library.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars For serving up affordable holiday feasts, July 20, 2003

By	Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

Budget Cooking Elegant Dining: The Kosher Experience by cooking expert and teacher Sue Epstein, is an exquisitely written guide to cooking within kosher directives while on a budget, and yet creating an elegant and delicious culinary experience. From Baked Bologna; Carrot Bread; Baked Nile Perch; and Beverly's Brisket; to Cream of Cucumber Soup; Veggie Bake; Pecan-Praline Bread Pudding; and Strawberries in Orange Juice, Budget Cooking Elegant Dining is excellent and economical resource for serving up affordable holiday feasts or fine daily cuisine for a kosher household.