“B’te Avon III Tasteful Treasures” from North Boundary Hadassah, three-ring binder, $25 plus $7 postage and handling; order from or North Boundary Hadassah, 4711 Golf Road, Skokie, Il. 50076
For the 40-some years I’ve been involved with food as a food writer, cookbook author and cookbook reviewer, I have maintained that cookbooks created with contributions by individuals are the best cookbooks. Grass roots contributors are creative, resourceful, original, imaginative and inventive.
Many of these are produced as fundraisers for organizations as is the case with this cookbook by a Chicago Hadassah chapter.
I had the opportunity to know and work with 10 of these women when I served as president of the Great Plains Region, which had joint activities with the Big Chapter of Chicago of which North Boundary is a part. Another woman who worked on the book, Evie Lowenthal, used to live in the Kansas City metro area and recently joined the North Boundary Chapter.
It was a great joy to peruse the pages and make notes of recipes I want to try. The three-ring notebook format is functional and user friendly and the enormous collection makes it an extremely practical book.
This kosher cookbook has indication by each recipe whether it is dairy, meat or pareve.
Whatever you want is here — everything from appetizers to frozen desserts. There are no less than 13 different recipes for cheesecakes. The Passover chapter, with a total of 70 recipes, could be its own book.
There is an index of contributors with recipe names and pages and an index of recipes by categories.
Among the many recipes I liked are Couscous Chicken Salad; Cheesy Potato Bake; Chicken and Vegetable Tagine; Chocolate Chip Banana Bread; Orange Snowballs; and Chocolate Chip Mandel Bread for Passover.
Was there anything I would change? Yes. Many pages had blank space which could have been used for a sentence or two by the contributor giving the recipe’s origins, how long he or she had made it and why the recipe was included in the cookbook.
I am also disappointed that the number of servings is missing from some of the recipes.
If you’re looking for a special gift, order a copy of this cookbook. It will delight anyone who receives it — a new bride, someone celebrating a birthday or anniversary, a house gift or a holiday present. While you’re at it, buy one for yourself.
Here are some recipes from “B’te Avon III:”
Broccoli Noodle Casserole
Pareve
8 oz. med. noodles, cooked and drained
1 envelope onion soup mix
1 (10 oz) pkg. broccoli, thawed and drained
3 large eggs, beaten
1 c. non-dairy creamer
1/8 lb. pareve margarine
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray pan bottom of 8x8 ovenproof dish. Mix all ingredients and place in dish. Bake for 55 minutes.
Oh, Nuts!
Pareve
1 egg
1 T. water
1 (1-lb) bag pecans
1 c. sugar
1 t. cinnamon
1 t. salt
Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Froth the egg and water. Coat the pecans in this mixture. Mix the sugar, cinnamon and salt. Toss the coated pecans in this mixture. Spread into a greased 9x11 ovenproof pan. Bake for 40 minutes. Stir every 10 minutes. Spread onto a cookie sheet to cool. Store in a sealable bag or covered container.
Grilled Chinese Chicken Burgers Meat
1 lb. ground chicken or turkey
1 (8 oz.) can water chestnuts, drained and finely chopped
½ c. cilantro, chopped fine
1 green onion, minced
1 t. five-spice powder
¼ c. bread crumbs, ground fine
1/3 c. hoisin sauce
In a large bowl, place chicken, water chestnuts, cilantro, onion, five-spice powder, bread crumbs and 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce. Mix until just combined. Form into four patties of equal size. Grill until done and brush with hoisin sauce.