Miriam Pascal is a very impressive young woman. She is proof that you don’t need to have professional training to be a Culinary Professional. She also is an extremely talented photographer; and she is completely self-trained. She is the blogger, recipe developer, author and photographer behind the popular kosher blog, OvertimeCook.com.
Many people follow her and love her creations because her food is approachable. After the success of her first cookbook, Something Sweet she immediately started to write her second, Real Life Kosher Cooking.
Here is why you need this cookbook:
My immediate thought is that it’s a very practical cookbook. I love that every recipe has a “plan ahead” note at the bottom, and some have a “variation” note – which helps you decide what you’ll do before you start cooking. While it may not be relevant to some, I really appreciate the legible and neat font used in the book. It helps me quickly scan the recipe while creating something without getting lost in fancy typography.
Each recipe has an intro that gives you a little detail about the recipe, which is nice to know where the inspiration came from, and describes the flavor profile. As with most kosher cookbooks, every recipe is divided into sections of meat, dairy and pareve (since you cannot mix the two when you keep a kosher diet and pareve just means it’s neutral and does not have either meat, dairy or derivatives) but Miriam went a step beyond. She created other sections like sauces and staples, “before you start” which includes what kind of salt, or oils to use, the importance of a good chef’s knife and whether or not to use disposables while cooking. As a side note, she mentioned and thanked all her recipe testers, which I think is very thoughtful of her and shows how down to earth she is. Each section has a menu suggestion which gives you inspiration on some pairings and has titles such as “family brunch”, “Brown bag lunches”, “Guys night” , “Diet Friendly Shabbos (Sabbath) Dinner” and even a Pesach (Passover) guide in the back! Miriam has really laid it all out to make it easy for anyone to tackle these recipes.
As a trained culinary professional myself, I strive to really teach people tips and tricks that can help them feel more confident in the kitchen. Therefore, I can truly appreciate the extra lengths that Miriam has gone to make the reader feel just that with her cookbook! I have already tabbed several recipes to make, and I know you will too! Here is the amazon affiliate link to her book: Real Life Kosher Cooking:family-friendly recipes for every day and special occasions.
HOW TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY
You could be the winner of this awesome cook book!
- SUBSCRIBE to The Kosher Tomato blog by entering your email at the bottom of this post (or from any section on my website)
2.”Like” and comment “subscribed!” on this post on my Instagram @Thekoshertomato after you’ve subscribed
3. An email will be sent Saturday night, December 23, 2017 to announce the winner! (Open to US residents only)
THAT’S IT! Good Luck Everyone!!!
Recipe reprinted, with permission from Miriam Pascal
Ingredients
- 2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
- 1 Tablespoon oil
- 2 large onions, cut into strips
- 1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cubed
- 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 4 cups water
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon chile powder
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- bread or pasta, optional, for serving
Instructions
- In a large frying pan over high heat, sear beef cubes for about 1 minute on all sides, until browned. Place meat into slow cooker.
- Add oil and onions to pan; cook for about 5 minutes, until the onions start to brown. Add to slow cooker.
- Add remaining ingredients to slow cooker; cook on high for 4-5 hours or on low for 6-8 hours.
- Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Serve with crusty bread or pasta if desired.
- VARIATION: Instead of using a slow cooker, you can do this in a pot. After browning the meat and onions, bring ingredients to a boil; then simmer over low heat for a few hours. Add more liquid if stew seems dry.
- PLAN AHEAD: You can prepare the stew ingredients the night before; keep them in the fridge in the slow cooker insert, and come home to a nice hot supper! This stew can also be frozen in an airtight container. Reheat in microwave or on stove top.
I love cookbooks. The more the merrier!
This is a great one! If you want to enter the giveaway, all you have to do is enter your email below this post – or anywhere on my site to subscribe to my blog. Good luck!
Don’t have Instagram! I want this cookbook! l LOVE THE KOSHER TOMATO-I’m a subscriber – I Love Miriam Pascal!
That’s so nice to hear Ellen! Don’t worry, you don’t need instagram to be entered in the giveaway. As long as you subscribed to my blog – you’re in the running!!! Good luck!