After I attended a private media reception for Susie Fishbein’s newest cookbook, Kosher By Design Cooking Coach, my friends were bombarding me with questions about the recipes! “How’s the cookbook?” “Do you love the recipes?” “Should I go buy the cookbook?” Well, let’s just say that the answer to all of those questions is YES! Let me just say that all of the opinions in this review are completely my own. After meeting Susie at her launch party, I can truly say that I am a huge fan of not only her cookbooks but also her passion for food and teaching the world how to have fun in the kitchen.
GAME PLAN:
There are many layers to Susie Fishbein’s newest cookbook. The Cooking Coach isn’t just a book of recipes; it’s also an education in cooking technique and budget-stretching ideas. Let’s start at the beginning with the Game Plan. From the minute you open the cookbook, you are treated to an education on the equipment every cook should have in the kitchen. From knives and cutting boards to buying the perfect pots and pans, Susie’s comprehensive list won’t leave you empty handed. If you’re a novice chef, moving in to your first home or just a cook that likes to keep things simple, some of the items on the list may be a little out of your league. Sure, everyone needs sharp knives but don’t worry if they are Japanese or European. And you know I love a good candy thermometer, but I don’t own a deep frying thermometer and I’m not running out to buy one any time soon.
My favorite part of Susie’s Game Plan is the check list of good ingredients that you should have in your pantry at all times. Many are as simple as fresh eggs, lemons and olive oil, while others are more exotic, like sriracha (my favorite hot sauce), mirin and chicken bones. Let me tell you, with all of those ingredients in your kitchen, you can follow any of Susie’s recipes in a snap. Nice planning, Susie, nice planning!
Each section of the Cooking Coach begins with a Game Plan. Besides the incredible recipes, THIS is my favorite part of the cookbook! You will learn plating and garnishing technique’s, how to perfectly dress and prepare a salad, how to spatchcock a chicken and carve a turkey, the differences in cuts of meat, how to hard-boil and soft-boil and egg, and more! Want to know the difference between flour, all-purpose flour, cake flour and bread flour? Just turn to page 291 in the Dessert Section!
THE PLAYBOOK:
Susie’s family is anti-leftovers. I, on the other hand, can eat the same leftovers over and over again but I can understand how one might not want to see the same food every night. So the Playbook section is all about recycling your leftovers in new ways. From Appetizers all the way through Side Dishes, Susie gives you tons of ways to remake her recipes into completely new dishes. For example, when making Helene’s Turkey Taco Eggrolls (Susie taught us how to make these delicious eggrolls and the supporting dishes at her launch party), make a double batch of the filling and freeze some for later. When you are ready to use the ground turkey, defrost and mix with jarred marinara sauce to make stuffed portobello mushroom caps. By using this concept throughout Cooking Coach or in any of the other recipes you find in cookbooks and online, you will never have to eat plain leftovers again…unless you want to!
Turkey Taco Eggrolls pg. 46
RECIPES:
Now on to the most important part of any cookbook- the recipes! If you are new in the kitchen and cooking for the first time, you might be a bit intimidated by many of the recipes in Cooking Coach. There are a lot of ingredients, even in some of the more simple dishes. But if you have the patience to go grocery shopping with a long list, the directions for the recipes aren’t too out of control. Susie obviously has the knack for telling a story with her recipes and you can’t really get lost following her perfectly laid our directions. Just don’t forget to read the directions a day or two before you plan to make any of her recipes! That tip goes for making any new dishes. You never know if you’ll have to marinate something overnight or make a dough that needs to be refrigerated for 3 hours…
Susie has graciously allowed me to share a few of her recipes from Cooking Coach. Choosing my favorites was nearly impossible but I was able to narrow it down! Since I can only share two, I also wanted to share a few gorgeous photos of my other favorites just so you can check them out when you buy (or win below) the cookbook. Drool away:
Blueberry and Fig-Glazed Duck Breasts, pg. 134
Lamb Shanks with Cherries and Port pg. 198
Now on to the recipes: Just click on the names to find the full printable recipes. I chose these two recipes because the flavors are some of my favorites and I hope you feel the same.
1. Pecan Pie French Toast Bake: I am absolutely in love with bread pudding and this french toast bake reminds me of a combination I would make up in my own kitchen. Pecans, pancake syrup, challah and lots of dark brown sugar!
Pecan Pie French Toast Bake pg. 250
2. Miso-Glazed Eggplant: I never say no to miso-glazed eggplant! Never! If it’s on a menu, I order it. Now I can make it myself!
Miso-Glazed Eggplant pg. 264
Now that you’ve seen what Kosher By Design Cooking Coach
