[.ca] The New York Times Passover Cookbook: More Than 200 ... (ISBN 0688155901)

From Amazon.com:
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

reply to the south american review below:
I wrote a 5 star review (listed below) in February 1999. I enjoy this cookbook and have given it on sveral occassions as a gifts to friends. I find it useful and interesting, both practical and bon chic. I am writing, though, to respond to a two-star review, below, from a south american reviewer that states that "Orthodox jews don't use matzoh meal, or any vegetables that cannot be peeled" and that for him or her "this cookbook is useless." That is fine for that writer, but may I respond that the author of this cookbook, in the introduction to the book, states clearly, how the recipes were vetted with many respected rabbis and institutions. Yes, there are small sects of Jewish 'Orthodoxy' that choose not cook with matzah or matzah meal as an ingredient. If you are a member of one of those groups, then you might not find all the recipes in the book helpful. But 'in the main', the majority of Jews in the Western and Northern Hemispheres cook with matzah, matzah meal, and fruits and vegetables. The Orthodox Union (OU) has its hecksher on many matzoh meal products. Thus, I continue to recommend this book.

An absolute necessity if you ever prepare a seder meal!:
This cookbook is so wonderful, so essential, I can't recommend it heartily enough. Perhaps my greatest endorsement is this: I really use these recipes THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, not just at Passover! I'm the type of cook who rarely makes the same dish more than once. Here, there are several recipes I make again and again. The cover recipe, Pot Roast with Red Wine and Onions, is reason enough to order this book. The matzoh balls I make every year from these pages and they are always easy, fluffy, and to die for. Another fantastic feature is the abundance of recipes for those "other" days of Passover--the in-between days when you're not going all out for a Seder meal but you still want something delicious. The contributors to this book are remarkable in their expertise and their diversity. Every Jewish cook should have this book!

totally not for orthodox cooks:
I am terribly sorry to have to write this, but the author of the book is obviously not orthodox. Most of the recipes use matzoh meal and one even had FLOUR!! Orthodox jews don't use matzoh meal, or any vegetables that cannot be peeled. We don't use spinach, strawberries,etc., or matzoh for cooking or baking. We use potato starch for baking. It can't be used in the same quantity of flour because it's much thicker. There wasn't one single recipe using potato starch! For me, this cookbook is useless.

great book:
This cookbook is fantastic. Try the carrot souffle on page 110. It is delicious and has a unique texture. It is somewhat like carrot cake. However, the recipe doesn't tell you to turn it out of the pan, which you should do. Some of the recipes are difficult to make if you live in a community, as I do, that doesn't have a kosher butcher. Also, I wish that there were more simple recipes. I am struggling to satisfy my children during Passover, and this cookbook doesn't help much with that. Still, it is a great resource to have on hand.

Favorite Passover Cookbook:
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.