Kim Kushner - The Modern Menu

Kim Kushner

Photography by Andrew Zuckerman
Introduction Photography by Nick Lee
Food styling by Victoria Granof

Copyright Kim Kushner Cuisine LLC
Jerusalem 2013/5773

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be translated, reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without express written permission from the publishers.

Book Design: Manual

ISBN: 978-965-229-611-5

1 3 5 7 9 8 6 4 2

Gefen Publishing House Ltd.
6 Hatzvi Street
Jerusalem 94386, Israel
972-2-538-0247

Gefen Books
11 Edison Place
Springfield, NJ 07081
516-593-1234

www.gefenpublishing.com

Printed in Israel

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Kushner, Kim.
The modern menu : simple, beautiful, kosher / Kim Kushner ; photography by Andrew Zuckerman ; introduction photography by Nick Lee.

pages cm

Includes index.

ISBN 978-965-229-611-5

1. Kosher food. 2. Comfort food. I. Title.

TX724.K87 2013

641.3--dc23

2012051186

To my mind, less is more,
simple is always best, and food
should look as good as it tastes
and taste as good as it looks.

A thoughtfully prepared dish
is far more interesting than
a perfectly prepared one.
In fact, I never approach any
dish with the idea that it will
be perfect.

Introduction

The concept for this book has been building for the last decade. During these years I have been teaching, out of my own kitchen, various groups of friends how to cook and put together menus. As with most things in my life, this role as teacher happened somewhat serendipitously, when a friend who had sat at my table many times asked if I would give her and a few girlfriends some cooking tips. I agreed, and fell in love with teaching the moment I demonstrated the proper way to chop an onion. And Ive been teaching ever since. Theres nothing better than helping a fearful neophyte become a fearless cook, or turning a reluctant taster into a gourmand, or transforming a non-baker into a pastry pro. Not only is it gratifying to show students how to turn out simple, beautiful dinners, but it is even more satisfying to know that I had empowered them to take chances in the kitchen.

Before too long, I was receiving specific requests from my students. One wanted to prepare a meal that would reinvigorate her relationship with her husband. Another wanted to put her mother-in-laws pot roast to shame. The desires ran the gamut, but they all had one thing in common: my students wanted to use cooking as a way to make themselves and their families feel good. Cooking has always been my form of therapy and I was thrilled to help others use it as a tool to better their own lives.

I have students who diligently take notes and faithfully reproduce every recipe to the letter. Some students need just a little guidance to set them on their way to cooking more varied and exciting dishes. Others come simply for the fun and camaraderie of cooking with like-minded women. But all leave with the important reminder that gathering around food is one of lifes greatest pleasures. Indeed, I learned this from a very young age: I grew up in a food-loving family helmed by a mother who expressed all of her hopes and dreams through her food. Looking back, I now realize why my first instinct, whenever theres something to celebrate or commemorate, is to cook. When a friend has a baby, I bake a delicious cake. When new neighbors move into the building, I drop off a box of homemade biscotti. And whenever I feel the need to butter up my sons teachers, I bake up a batch of sticky cinnamon rolls to share with them.

At the end of the day, everyone needsand lovesto eat, especially when whats on offer is made with love. And the truth is, a thoughtfully prepared dish is far more interesting than a perfectly prepared one. In fact, I never approach any dish with the idea that it will be perfect. Not only is this attitude freeing, but it inspires me to try new ingredients, flavors, and techniques. To my mind, less is more, simple is always best, and food should look as good as it tastes and taste as good as it looks.

Ive prepared the recipes in the following pages dozens of times; theyre tried and true, foolproof, and beautiful. To a person, my students always want to know what goes with what, so Ive organized the recipes into menus, named for the way the dishes make me feel. Theres a Vibrant menu, filled with color, which inherently translates to flavor; the Crisp menu is loaded with pleasing crunch; the Saucy menu highlights the transformational power of a well-made yet simple sauce. The menu arrangements are simply suggestions; feel free to mix and match as you like. But never, ever skimp on the passion you put into making any dish, right down to a simple salad dressing. Because when it comes to cooking, what you put into it is what you get out of it.

Kim Kushner
New York City, 2013

Such strong childhood
memories filter into everything
that I make. Its never been
about achieving perfection
in the kitchen, only about
achieving satisfactionand
a little bit of happiness.
In my life, food is and always
has been about sharing.

Food should taste as good as it looks, and look as good as it tastes. Thats long been my abiding principle in the kitchen. Im especially drawn to dishes that radiate bold, rich colors: the striking green of a freshly made pesto, the snow white interior of a slice of kohlrabi, the brick red of a bracing harissa.