Just in time for summer cooking and entertaining — and thinking ahead for the early onset of the High Holy Days (Rosh HaShanah is Sept. 9), here’s a taste of “Simply Southern — With a Dash of Kosher Soul.” Tracy Rapp and Dena Wruble are the editors of the book, a fund-raiser for the Margolin Hebrew Academy/Feinstone Yeshiva of the South (formerly the Memphis Hebrew Academy) in Memphis, Tenn. The book showcases “traditional kosher recipes turned Southern and traditional Southern recipes turned kosher.” Cooks can learn about Jewish life in the South through personal stories of some of the contributors and color photographs accompany many of the Jewish “soul food” recipes.

The book is a compilation of almost 300 Southern cuisine “classic” recipes, adhering to kashrut, chosen from 1,500 entries by the book’s editorial committee at the school, a small Orthodox day school. More than 2,500 copies have been sold since the book’s release in December.

The hard-covered, spiral-bound book is available at bookstores, Judaica shops, including the Judaica House in Teaneck, and online at http://www.simplysoutherncookbook.net.

Here’s a nice summer choice, perhaps even for a Shabbat lunch if you are serving meat. I am sure you could substitute chicken or maybe firm tofu instead of steak.

Molasses Marinated Meat Salad With Poppy Seed Dressing

Meat and marinade

1/2 cup molasses

1/4 cup coarse grain mustard

1-2 lb. skirt steak

Blend molasses and mustard. Pour over steak. Marinate for two hours or overnight. Grill or broil to desired degree of doneness. Cut steak into thin slices.

Dressing

1 cup vegetable oil

3/4 cup sugar

1 tsp. dry mustard

2 tbsp. chopped onion

1/3 cup apple cider vinegar

1 tsp. salt

1 tbsp. poppy seeds

Whisk together oil, sugar, mustard, onion, vinegar, salt, and poppy seeds until smooth.

Salad

1-2 packages Bibb, romaine, or iceberg lettuce

1 cucumber, diced

1 cup cubed mango

1 red onion, chopped

1/2 cup dried cranberries (optional)

Sliced apples

Arrange lettuce, cucumber, mango, red onion, and cranberries on platter. Place meat slices over salad. Drizzle dressing over all. Garnish with sliced apples.

Yield: four servings

Carmelized Onions
and Pecan Green Beans

(Two savory delights from the garden in one easy dish!)

2 pounds green beans

4 tbsp. margarine

1 cup coarsely chopped pecans

1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced

1 tbsp. sugar

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

Bring pot of water to boil. Add green beans and cook five minutes. Drain and plunge into ice water. Green beans will be al dente. Melt margarine in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté pecans about five minutes until toasted. Remove from skillet with a slotted spoon. Add onion to skillet. Cook and stir 15 minutes until caramel-colored. Stir in sugar. Return pecans and add green beans. Add salt and pepper. Cook five more minutes.

Mississippi Mud Brownies

(We’ve been told by someone who grew up in the South that this is a typical Southern dessert. Bring your sweet tooth to dinner!)

1 cup chopped pecans

2 sticks butter or margarine

1 (4-oz.) semi-sweet chocolate baking bar, chopped

2 cups sugar

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

4 large eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

3/4 tsp. salt

1 (7-oz.) jar marshmallow fluff

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place pecans in a single layer in a shallow pan. Bake 8-10 minutes until toasted and fragrant. Place butter or margarine and chocolate in a large glass bowl. Microwave on high power 1 minute, stirring at 30-second intervals or until smooth. Whisk in sugar, flour, cocoa, eggs, vanilla, and salt. Pour batter into a greased 15x10x1-inch jelly roll pan. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and spread marshmallow fluff on top.

Chocolate Frosting

1 stick butter or margarine

1/3 cup milk or soymilk

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 (16-oz.) package powdered sugar

I tsp. vanilla

Melt butter or margarine in a saucepan. Whisk in milk and cocoa. Bring to boil, whisking constantly. Remove from heat. Gradually add powdered sugar, stirring until smooth. Stir in vanilla. Immediately drizzle frosting over warm brownies. Sprinkle with toasted pecans.

Yield: 16 servings

In time for High Holy Day gift-giving, pastry chef and teacher Paula Shoyer has published her first cookbook, “The Kosher Baker” (Brandeis University Press/University Press of New England), seeking to “breathe fresh life into pareve desserts and breads.” Shoyer is the editor of Susan Fishbein’s cookbooks “Kosher by Design Entertains” and “Kosher By Design Kids in the Kitchen.”

Many recipes contain amusing anecdotes, beginning with one from Shoyer herself, found in the preface. “In the beginning,” she writes, “my mother baked once a year with cake mixes during Passover.” The story continues, with the author explaining how the book came to be. Nearly one-fourth of the recipes can be mixed in one bowl and are ready for the oven in 15 minutes.

The cookbook is beautifully illustrated — with color and black and white photos by Michael Bennett Kress — making it easy to visualize what the dessert will look like.

For those with a diabetic in the family, Shoyer has included no-sugar-added desserts in the “Passover & Other Special Diets” section (see recipe below for Mandelbread — No-Sugar-Added). There are also gluten-free, nut-free, and vegan choices.

Sections are clear and easy to follow, with advice on storing, freezing, thawing, must-have tools and ingredients, and tips and techniques. The book is for the novice or cook-on-the-go, as well as for more serious bakers. Sections range from recipes with 15-minute preparation time (“Quick & Elegant Desserts”); to “Two-Step Desserts,” with 15-30 minutes prep time; to “Multiple-Step Desserts & Breads,” which take more than 30 minutes to prepare.

There is something for everyone, and all 160 plus recipes, “from traditional to trendy,” are dairy-free. Why not get a copy at local Judaica or retail bookstores or from Amazon.com and give it to a friend? You might then ask the recipient to make you a few of its mouth-watering desserts.

No-Sugar-Added Mandelbread

The Kosher Baker

Makes about 30 cookies

This is a helpful recipe to have — particularly if a diabetic is joining you for dinner. The cookies are delicious, though sugar-free. They can also survive a voyage.

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp. baking powder

Dash of salt

¾ cup granulated sugar substitute, such as Splenda

1 tsp. sugar-free vanilla syrup

3 large eggs

½ cup canola or vegetable oil

¼ cup orange juice

1/3 cup sliced almonds

1/3 cup whole, unsalted, cashews, or shelled pistachio nuts (for pistachios, about ¼ pound of nuts in their shells)

1/3 cup dried cranberries (not the sweetened kind)

1/3 cup raisins

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment.

2. In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar substitute, vanilla syrup, eggs, oil, and orange juice. Set aside.

3. Place the sliced almonds and cashews or whole pistachio nuts in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Process for about 45 seconds, or until the nuts are in small pieces but not completely ground. You can also place the nuts in a bag and band with a rolling pin until they are in small pieces. Add to the dough. Place the cranberries and raisins in the food processor and chop into small pieces, about 30 seconds. You can also chop by hand. Add to the dough and mix in.

4. Divide the dough in half and use your hands to shape into 2 loaves, 3 x 8 inches each. Place on prepared cookie sheet about 4 inches apart.

5. Bake for 35 minutes. Slide the parchment off the cookie sheet. Use a sharp knife to slice each loaf into ¾ to 1-inch slices.

6. Place a new piece of parchment on the cookie sheet and place the slices cut-side down on the parchment. Bake for 5 minutes. Let cool on a rack.

Storage: Place in an airtight container or freezer bags and store at room temperature for up to five days or freeze up to three months.

I am always excited to receive and use synagogue cookbooks, and it has been awhile since one came my way, so when “Favorite Recipes from Congregation Gesher Shalom” in Fort Lee was published, I was thrilled. The spiral-bound, easy-to-use cookbook edited by Paige Soltano and Rachel Schulman, with recipes by congregants, includes appetizers, soups and salads, vegetables, main dishes, breads, desserts, and traditional and holiday recipes.

With the cold weather upon us, a nice hot brisket dinner sounded just right.

Melt-In-Your-Mouth Brisket

Susan Kolodny

3 lbs. brisket
1 envelope pareve onion soup mix
1 cup ketchup
1 12-ounce can regular Coke
3 carrots cut into 1-inch pieces
1 medium onion, sliced

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place brisket in roasting pan, fat side up. Combine ketchup, soup mix, and Coke in a bowl. Pour over brisket. Add carrots and onions around brisket. Cover pan with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Bake 2 1/2 hours, uncovering for the last half hour. Remove from oven and transfer brisket to a cutting board. Let meat rest for 20 minutes before slicing against the grain.

Sweet Potato Pudding

Shirley Weinstock

6 large sweet potatoes or yams
6 tbsp. brown sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup orange juice
2 tbsp. margarine, melted
1 tsp. vanilla extract
pinch of salt

Topping

3 tbsp. margarine, slightly softened
1/2 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake sweet potatoes until very tender (1 hour, 20 minutes). Remove and let cool. Reduce heat to 350 degrees. When potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut in half, scoop out flesh, and mash until smooth. (You should have about 4 cups.) Stir in brown sugar, eggs, orange juice, margarine, vanilla, and salt.

Place in casserole dish.

To make topping, combine the margarine, brown sugar, and pecans. Sprinkle over potato mixture. Bake for 30 minutes. Serve hot. Serves 8.

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Newlyweds Yael and Jason Gevertzman of Teaneck have published “Newlywed Kosher: A Marriage of International and Traditional Kosher Cuisine.” The hardcover book, in its second printing, has more than 150 international and American recipes, some with color photos. The recipes are simple to follow and most use common ingredients. All recipes include suggestions for foods to pair the dish with, using other recipes in the book, as well as “helpful (healthy) hints” and “(low-fat) alternatives.” Categories include appetizers, salads, soups, poultry, meat, sides, fish and pasta, brunch and dairy, and desserts.

During the couple’s first year of marriage, they experimented with cuisines from Italy, Spain, Cuba, Turkey, France, China, Thailand, and Mexico. The book sells for $29.95 and is available at http://www.NewlywedKosher.com.

Pollo Ajillo

Spanish Garlic Chicken

Serves 4-6

1 (8 pieces) cut-up chicken
Salt and black pepper
4 tbsp. vegetable oil
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 tsp. parsley flakes (Editor’s note: I prefer fresh parsley)
Sprinkle of thyme
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 tsp. lemon juice

Season the chicken with salt and pepper.

Brown the chicken, skin side down, in oil in a large skillet or wok. Cook for 10 minutes.

Flip chicken so skin side is upward. Add garlic, parsley, and thyme to skillet. Cook for five minutes to brown.

Add wine. Cook for 10 minutes to reduce.

Add lemon juice.

Cook for 15 minutes more or until done.

Mediterranean Sea Style Pasta

Serves four

1/2 box spaghetti
1 tbsp. olive oil
5 sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 lb. salmon, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. chives
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
Sprinkle of parsley flakes (Editor’s note: Fresh parsley is preferable)
3 oz. tomato sauce
1/2 tbsp. sugar
(Optional) 1 tsp. red pepper flakes

Cook spaghetti according to box directions. Drain and set aside.

Sauté sun-dried tomatoes and garlic in olive oil over medium-low heat for two minutes.

Add diced tomatoes and salmon pieces. Cook for five minutes.

Add spices, tomato sauce, and sugar. Cook on low flame for another 10 minutes or until salmon is cooked.

Add spaghetti and mix. Cook for two more minutes.

Add red pepper flakes to make the dish spicy, if desired.

Preparing for a break-the-fast meal should not be overwhelming. It is as simple as being organized and ready to go with plans in place to make an organized break-the-fast happen.

First, make a workable list and follow it. If you are a list-writer normally and already have several in your kitchen, write this list on a really bright piece of paper, so you can find it easily. Think about your guests and their diets. Is there anyone who needs to be dairy-free? gluten-free? low sugar or low salt, etc.? People with special needs appreciate the extra care.

Let us start with that list, beginning with non-food shopping items. I recommend using paper goods, but purchase sturdy ones and also decent utensils (don’t look to scrimp here; imagine someone’s plate dropping or leaking onto your carpet or chairs). You can even buy pretty, inexpensive bowls and trays for serving. Add colorful napkins and the table will look pretty.

Serving buffet style works best for a break-fast. Don’t forget to buy lots of tins. Make sure you have orange juice (really necessary when breaking the fast), apple juice, coffee ready to be perked, milk or half-and-half, and seltzer, water, and, perhaps, soda. Don’t forget the ice!

My menu this year will consist of bagels, lox, and different cream cheeses (more to come later); salads, including tuna and egg, (also chopped egg whites); herring in cream sauce with lots of onions; a tray of sliced tomatoes and red onions; a bowl of sliced cucumbers; and a tray of low-fat sliced cheeses, including Muenster, American, and Swiss. Ahead of time, I will prepare a blintz soufflé, quiches, macaroni and cheese, and a lasagne. (This is way too much food, but I try to make a nice variety). Dessert will be simple — fruit, pick-up cake, cookies, and my favorite, candy.

Going over the preparation, buy the bagels as late as you can on Friday and pack them in bags of six in a zipped plastic bag. Buy plain cream cheese (reduced fat is fine) and separate it out into a few small bowls. Add a sprig of chopped-up scallions. You can do the same by chopping up carrots and celery (red pepper, too) to make a veggie cream cheese. If you want to cut down on costs, buy a small amount of lox, and make lox spread, instead of serving sliced lox.

Buy beautiful Jersey tomatoes and large red onions. Look for the Kirby cucumbers. Persian ones are crispy, too. The tuna should be in water, not oil. I finely chop celery into ours. The same goes for egg salad. Leave out the salt and pepper and, instead, let your guests season their salads to taste. The salads should be made on Friday, but if need be, Thursday will be fine.

As for the blintz soufflé, I will make mine on Friday, as late as possible. Quiches and macaroni and cheese can be made (and cooked) on Wednesday or Thursday, not before. For the lasagne, I follow the directions on the box of no-cook lasagne noodles. You can even freeze the mixture.

As soon as you walk in the door after Yom Kippur ends, set the oven (if your oven has a timer, set it to cook the items that need heating — quiche, lasagne, and blintz soufflé). Put up the coffee.

Since the salads will already be on platters and ready to go from the refrigerator, let guests help you take everything out and set on the table. Everyone is going to come in very hungry, so the sooner everything is out, the better it will be.

Don’t forget to pour yourself a delicious cup of coffee, put up your feet, and have someone bring you a plate of food! Have an easy fast everyone.

For more recipes visit the Cooking With Beth Blog at www.jstandard.com

There is a new cookbook on the block — “B’tei ‘ avon! Family Favorites, from our Tables to Yours.” It was published by The Gerrard Berman Day School (GBDS) in Oakland. The spiral-bound 130+ page soft-covered book offers lots of great recipes, including appetizers, soups, salads, main courses, vegetables and side dishes, breads, rolls, pastries, cakes, cookies, desserts, brunch, Passover dishes, and “everything else,” a section with kid stuff including recipes for clay, bubbles, and paper maché. It is the type of book one will continually use as a reference and will quickly become a staple as the go-to book for a family event or simple meal.

Recipes in the “community” cookbook come from GBDS faculty, alumni, families, school founders, and even some of their ancestors who passed down recipes to them. Funds raised from the sale of the books support GBDS educational and social events. Books cost $16, which includes shipping and handling. Send checks payable to GBDS with cookbook written in the memo line to the Gerrard Berman Day School, 45 Spruce Street, Oakland, NJ 07436, call Amy Shafron at (201) 337-1111, ext. 302, or tinyurl.com/gbdscookbook.

Thinking about Sukkot and the impending fall weather? Here are two recipes that will work nicely served “family” style.

Caponata

Rosalie Berman

2 large egglplants, diced into
1 inch cubes

3 medium onions, chopped

1 15-ounce can crushed tomatoes

1 cup chopped celery

salt and freshly ground pepper,
to taste

2 ounces capers, washed

1/3 cup pine nuts (optional)

2 tablespoons sugar

4 tablespoons wine vinegar

olive oil

1/3 cup ripe olives, pitted and sliced

olive oil spray (Pam preferably)

Put the diced eggplant on a cookie sheet and spray with the olive oil spray. Bake at 400 degrees until lightly browned. Turn periodically so it browns on all sides. Meanwhile, in a large pot, sauté the onions until golden brown. Add the tomatoes and celery, and simmer until the celery is tender (about 15 minutes). Put the eggplant cubes into the pot with the onion/tomato mixture, then add the capers and pine nuts. Mix the sugar and vinegar until the sugar is dissolved. Add salt and pepper to taste and add the eggplant mixture. Cover and cook slowly for about 1/2 hour. Stir occasionally to prevent scorching. Add the olives. Chill, covered, in the refrigerator. It keeps for about a week and the flavor improves. Makes about 3 quarts.

Serve as a side dish, appetizer with crackers, or tossed over pasta — hot, warm, or cold from the fridge. Delicious however it is served. — RB

Baked corn pudding (dairy)

Melissa Molnar

1/2 cup butter or margarine

1/4 cup onion, chopped

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

4 cups milk

6 eggs, slightly beaten

2 cups, shredded Cheddar cheese

2 bags frozen corn, thawed and drained

2 tablespoons parsley flakes

3/4 cup seasoned breadcrumbs

3 tablespoons melted butter or margarine

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 13 x 9 inch (3 quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray. In a 4-quart Dutch oven, melt 1/2 cup butter over medium heat. Add onion and cook 3 to 4 minutes, stirring frequently until tender. Stir in flour, salt, and pepper until well blended. Stir in milk. Cook 4 to 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until thickened. Gradually stir in eggs and cheese, then corn and parsley. Pour into baking dish.

In a small bowl, mix breadcrumbs and 3 tablespoons melted butter; sprinkle over corn mixture. Bake uncovered 55 to 65 minutes or until mixture is set and knife inserted in center comes out clean. Let stand 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

This recipe is absolutely amazing and enjoyed by everyone! -MM

For more Sukkot recipe ideas from “B’tei’ avon!” visit this week’s “Cooking With Beth” blog at http://www.jstandard.com.