Sweet and spicy cooking

It all started simply enough; a typical first parent-teacher's association (PTA) meeting of the Vancouver Hebrew Academy (VHA), with the requisite shmoozing and "catching up with the news," along with the planned meeting's agenda. Someone mentioned fund-raising and plans for the PTA for the coming year. The PTA's secretary, Michal Israel, innocently mentioned that a cookbook, published and made up of recipes from the parent body of the VHA, would be a good choice. The response was immediately enthusiastic – "What a great idea!"

From that seed of an idea came about the plans of how to organize the cookbook, with Israel taking the reins and running with them. Alongside her, Jodi Bloom, another parent with great computer skills. Slowly but surely, they started assembling the recipes, with the parents of different classes contributing to different food categories. There are nine categories in the cookbook: soups; salads and dressings; vegetable dishes; pasta and rice; fish, meat and chicken; desserts; bread; cakes and cookies; and finally, Pesach recipes.

It was strongly felt that a contribution from the students would be an asset to the cookbook, as well as a thrill to those students whose artwork was picked. The call went out for artwork from the student body to provide the cover and back cover pages. The staff and students at VHA co-operated, with whole classes taking part in producing paintings, drawings and sketches as candidate pieces. It was a very difficult decision! A colorful cloth wall hanging, depicting the fruits of Israel, by Grade 1 student Sophie Turner, was picked to grace the cover. Grade 3 student Sarah Isaacs' tempera painting, "Jerusalem of Gold," was chosen for the back cover. Pen and ink sketches by other Grade 3 students were placed among the pages inside.

Some of the recipes are family "heirlooms," passed down from generation to generation. They range from classics to nouveau cuisine; Ashkenazi staples to exotic Sephardi recipes. As a reflection of the varied recipes within its covers, and of world Jewish cooking, the title Sweet and Spicy Kosher Cooking was chosen. Some dishes are suitable for large gatherings and for Shabbat dinners, as well as holiday cooking. An example of two menus, one suitable for Shavuot, in which it is customary to eat dairy dishes, and a meat meal for Shabbat dinner, would be:

For a Shavuot dairy meal, gingered carrot soup, spinach salad with oranges and pecans, baked fish with papaya salsa, couscous pilaf, mushroom quiche and brownie cheesecake. For a Shabbat meat meal, creamy pumpkin soup (parve), Moroccan carrots, Chinese cabbage salad with pine nuts, Turkish mushrooms, herb rice, grilled London broil with rosemary and cinnamon marble cake.

Being a kosher cookbook, many of the recipes are clearly marked as to whether they are dairy, parve or meat. The editors went to Rabbi Daniel Isaacs, head of Judaic studies at VHA, for advice with regards to kashrut guidelines. As a result, there is a comprehensive kashrut guideline in the cookbook, as well as methods for checking vegetables. For someone new to kosher cooking, the guideline is very useful and clearly outlined. As well, the cookbook includes a metric conversion table for weights and oven temperatures.

The Vancouver Hebrew Academy family is thrilled to have brought this project to fruition. It is hoped that the community will discover this great cookbook at the venues where it is offered: Chagall's at the Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver, Omnitsky's, Sabra's, the Kosher Food Warehouse and, as well, at the school office, 5435 Baillie St. (604-266-1245). The cost is $20. Look for it, and get ready to delight your palate and tempt your tastebuds!

Gail Mattuck is the chair of the parent-teacher's association of Vancouver Hebrew Academy.