Kim Kushner is an author, culinary instructor and mother of four.
Her cooking style reflects her busy, multitasking life and her cookbooks were some of the first to showcase beautiful, modern kosher cooking that is light, healthy, and international.
I own dozens of kosher cookbooks (and hundreds of cookbooks in all), and one of the most unusual (and helpful) things in I ♥ Kosher is Kim’s detailed illustrated guide to kitchen tool essentials, freezer and fridge essentials, and spice shelf must-haves, as well as “sips”: sauce and dip, or foods that can be used interchangeably as sauces or dips.
In Chapter 1, Ready to Go, you’ll find pickles, sips, marinades and veggie preparations that can be used to quickly assemble or garnish starters or salads. Appetizers and Nibbles features smoked salmon carpaccio with jalapenos, walnut and rosemary savory biscotti, rustic tartlets two ways, wine and cheese boards and farmers’ market boards for easy entertaining.
My favorite way to enjoy a relaxed morning can be found in the Brunch chapter, where options like chocolate cinnamon “Z” loaf with cinnamon swirl butter, lemon and bursting berry loaf, shakshuka, tartines, and other warming dishes that will get your day off to a great start with minimal fuss.
Quick Stove-Top Mains includes a vegetable curry, sliced Denver steak, grilled veal chops, poultry and a pasta bowl with charred broccoli and baked ricotta, while salads and sides offer a rainbow of colorful, healthy vegetable options including spinach, watermelon and watermelon radish salad, heirloom tomato, citrus, olive and herb salad, kadaif nests filled with spinach, caramelized onions and edamame mash, cabbage slaw with golden raisins and tahini drizzle, asparagus, brocolini and green beans with lemon and hazelnuts. For me, this chapter alone is worth the price of the book. As a vegetarian, I’m constantly on the lookout for new and creative veggie mains, and the beautiful, easy-to-assemble salads in I ♥ Kosher have quickly become part of my hectic weeknight cooking rotation.
Desserts are on the lighter side, including magical meringue kisses, honey-drizzled watermelon with herbs, chocolate-dipped figs with pistachios and rose petals, tahini chocolate chunk cookies with sea salt, and one-bowl Nutella brownies.
Ingredients are measured in both metric and US imperial, which I appreciated as I prefer to bake by weight rather than volume. Handy tips for make-ahead, freezing, and reheating (along with the aforementioned illustrated guide to freezer and fridge essentials) means that this is a book I cook from regularly even on worknights. I loved the inclusion of Israeli, Mediterranean, Asian and Latin flavors, and that dishes are on the lighter side.
Gorgeous photography by Kate Sears beautifully showcases Kim’s recipes and gives plenty of visually striking plating ideas (I particularly loved the casual yet elegant vegetable and cheese platters and salads plated on slate).
Verdict: I ♥ Kosher is a gorgeous cookbook that shows that elegant international cuisine is doable by any level of home cook, and Kim’s thoughtful tips on prep and storage take the stress out of entertaining as well.
(Thank you to Kim for the review copy!)
For more information, check out: https://kimkushner.com/
Instagram: @kimkushnercuisine