Soup: A Kosher Collection

Steve Pitt is a Toronto-based freelance writer and an award-winning journalist. He has written many young adult and children's books, including Day of the Flying Fox: The True Story of World War II Pilot Charley Fox.

Reiss grew up surrounded by soup. Her parents owned a kosher catering
company called Desserts Plus, and Pam is carrying on the family business
after picking up a degree in restaurant management. This book is a
collection of nearly 100 recipes she either learned on the job or picked
up while travelling around the world. Although all the recipes are
kosher, that does not mean you have to be Jewish to cook them. Kosher
means a type of food where the ingredients have been certified pure and
prepared in accordance with Jewish dietary laws set down thousands of
years ago. Reiss’s own cooking motto—“keep it simple and use the
best ingredients”—dovetails nicely with the spirit of kosher.

Reiss starts off with a discussion of basic cooking techniques and
ingredients. Her recipes are grouped by soup type: vegetarian, dairy
(milk/cream, cheese), fish, meat (poultry, beef, lamb), and fruit and
dessert soups. Fans of classic Jewish cuisine will find many traditional
favourites, like Matzo Ball Soup with Fresh Herbs and Beet Borscht. If
you prefer something a little more adventurous, there are also recipes
for Mexican Rice and Bean, Mushroom Barley, Kale and Pasta, Carrot Dill,
Apple Cheddar, Blueberry, Middle Eastern Squash and Couscous, Curried
Asian Meatball, Asparagus and Corn Egg Drop, Chili Cheese, Chicken
Satay, Purple Cabbage and Apple, Shredded Duck, French Onion, Lamb and
Lentil, Greek Lemon Rice, Saffron and Garlic Fish, Chocolate, Chili
Cheese, Ten Bean with Smoked Turkey, Roasted Garlic and Potato, and
Strawberry Sambuca soups. Sixteen colour photos of finished soups help
whet the reader’s appetite. Nutritional information is included for
each recipe. Because all these recipes are within the skill range of
beginner cooks, this is an excellent book for the soup novice.