Kosher Diva To Debut Teens & 20-Somethings Cookbook
Online, October 14, 2010 (Newswire.com) - Brooklyn NY - Since her first cookbook bearing the Kosher by Design moniker appeared in 2003, self-taught chef Susie Fishbein has become the culinary heroine of borscht-bored kosher cooks throughout North America. So influential is the home-based wife and mother of four that in May 2010 Fishbein was invited to the White House in recognition of Jewish American Heritage Month.
As a feature highlight of the upcoming New York area KosherFest conference on October 26-27, Fishbein (aka the Kosher Diva) will officially launch her seventh cookbook, Kosher by Design Teens & 20-Somethings: cooking for the next generation, aimed at the young and digital-savvy fast food generation and those who cook for them. Along with scheduled signings, Fishbein will also conduct a tasting demo based on the new cookbook.
Noting how her family life has influenced her career as a cookbook author, Fishbein said, "When my kids were younger, I published Kosher by Design Kids in the Kitchen. They learned to cook simple recipes with me. I have a couple of teens now and their appetites have changed. This new cookbook equips young adults with knowledge and skills to create their own amazing foods - from a quick and delicious snack to a whole party."
While unapologetically a Jewish mother, Fishbein's recipes are light-years beyond traditional chicken soup, gefilte fish, and kasha varnishkes. In fact, among the 100 new recipes, little is discernibly Jewish (OK - the Hot Pretzel Challah, perhaps - and there is a tasty Chicken Soup recipe). Teens & 20-Somethings serves up tantalizing American-style dishes such as Turkey Sliders, Peanut Butter and Banana French Toast, Tater Tot Casserole, and Tie-Dye Cookies.
The international influences in this cookbook are abundant. Imagine coming home to a dinner made by your college student, featuring Mexican Pizza Empanadas, Creamy Gnocchi Pesto Salad, Thai Chicken Burgers, Hoisin Vegetables, and finishing with a Chocolate Tart in Pretzel Crust. There are dozens of suggestions here to "eat your way around the world."
Award-winning food photographer John Uher, whose client list includes Godiva Chocolates and Bacardi Rum, has worked with Susie since the original Kosher by Design was released in 2003. Uher's 100+ images in Teens & 20-Somethings are vivid and motivating.
Fishbein provides clear and simple guidance throughout the cookbook to help young cooks develop confidence in preparing dishes that appeal equally to the eye and palette. She offers important tips for healthy eating, safety in the kitchen, essential utensils, and menu planning.
Anyone with food sensitivities will appreciate the convenient sidebar symbols that indicate gluten-free, fat-free, dairy-free, and vegetarian recipes. In accordance with kosher cooking requirements, each recipe is clearly marked as meat, dairy, or parve (neither meat nor dairy).
She also encourages her culinary proteges to go beyond personal or family cooking; she offers four lively party templates, including a baseball theme and a board game night.
Susie's sold-out coast-to-coast cooking demos, along with her appearances on national television and radio, have elevated kosher cuisine to a more sophisticated level in public perception. Book critic Benyamin Cohen, former editor of youth-oriented Jewsweek.com and American Jewish Life, says of Susie Fishbein, "She's a phenom - singlehandedly redefining kosher cooking."
But bottom line: What can the average digital-centric teen or 20-something expect to find in this curiously different cookbook? Susie quips, "Delicious fun - LOL!"
Publisher ArtScroll Shaar Press releases Kosher by Design Teens & 20-Somethings to the general book market on October 27th.
About the Author
Susie Fishbein is an everyday cook who loves to share her passion for cooking and entertaining with friends and family. Her enthusiasm for food and entertaining led to the creation of her best-selling cookbook, Kosher by Design, published in 2003 by ArtScroll Shaar Press. Since then, Fishbein has debuted Kosher by Design Entertains, Kosher by Design: Kids in the Kitchen Kosher by Design: Short on Time, Passover by Design, Kosher by Design Lightens Up, and the newly published Kosher by Design Teens & 20-Somethings. Unit sales in the series have exceeded 400,000 copies.
As a teen, Fishbein loved to carve floral centerpieces from vegetables. In her dorm days, she cooked up gourmet meals on a one-burner hot plate. Having earned an MA in science education, Susie decided to combine her love for cooking and teaching and thus was born the bestselling Kosher by Design cookbook series. Today, Susie travels the country sharing culinary techniques through book signings and cooking demonstrations. She has appeared on national television shows such as The Today Show and Sheila Bridges Designer Living, as well as on Martha Stewart Radio. She presented her cooking talents at the International Festival of Food and Wine at Epcot Center in Orlando in October, 2006. She has also taught at the prestigious De Gustibus Cooking School in New York as well as onboard Chosen Voyage kosher cruise lines. In May 2010, she marked Jewish American Heritage Month at the White House with the President and other dignitaries.
To learn more about Susie Fishbein and her cookbooks and to see hi-rez images from Teens and 20-Somethings, please visit www.kosherbydesign.com/media.