Cantor Mitch - Kosher cuisine for a new generation

Copyright 2014 Cantor Mitch Published by Red Portal Press, an imprint of Scarletta All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. For information, write to scarletta Press, 1201 Currie avenue, Minneapolis, MN 55403, U.S.A, www.scarlettapress.com. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Mitch, Cantor. Kosher cuisine for a new generation / Cantor, Mitch. page cm Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 978-1-938063-54-1 (ebook : alk. paper) 1. Jewish cooking. I. Title. TX724.M59 2014 641.5'676DC23 2014009881 Design and Production: Mighty Media, Inc., Minneapolis, MN Cover: Aaron DeYoe Interior: Chris Long Editor: Alex Kuskowski Photo CreditsAdrian Danciu: pages 5, 22, 30, 34, 46, 50, 52, 88, 96, 125, 151, 162 Brenda Piekarski: pages 14, 16, 48, 54, 56, 64, 66, 68, 73, 76, 122, 126, 132, 134, 138, 142 Matthew Winchell: pages 8, 13, 20, 22, 27, 32, 37, 58, 78, 80, 83, 84, 86, 87, 94, 108, 109, 119 Personal and family photographs supplied by author and other additional images licensed from Shutterstock.

Distributed by Publishers Group West

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A note about the QR codes used in this book: Download a free mobile app and scan the image! It will direct you to specific videos or songs at www.cantormitch.com.

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She puts up with all my shtick while showing me great love and affection. I would like to dedicate this book to them and to the generations of people yet to come. We are part of a chain made up of the past, the present, and the future. May the links we forge be strong and built on the wisdom of those who came before us. Cantor Mitch never travels far without his two favorite insturments: his voice and his guitar! W hen I was ten years old my parents and I took a trip to Miami to visit relatives. From the backseat of the car I listened to them sing songs they loved. My dad really couldnt carry a tune, but singing with my mom he wasnt so bad! After a few minutes, I decided to join in.

They were having so much fun and I wanted to be part of it. With a big voice, I let it all out! My father almost immediately pulled the car to the side of the road. My mom looked at my dad, my dad looked at my mom, and they both turned to look at me. Then they said the words I will remember for the rest of my life. My God, you can really sing! You could say my singing career began on that day! You might ask, What does singing have to do with cooking and keeping kosher? The answer is everything! As a teenager, I would come home to the delightful smell of the meal my mom was making for dinner. I would always ask, What are we eating tonight? One day after telling me what she was cooking up she said, Taste this.

What do you think it needs? From then on, I started to help her with dinner after school. I was always so happy I would start singing while we cooked. After my bar mitzvah I was asked to join my synagogue choir. As a teenager, I found spirituality through Jewish music. For me it was a direct path to God. Nothing I do in my life today is possible without the help of God.

And everything I do has spirituality within it. Whether singing, playing an instrument, worshiping, or preparing a meal, everything connects to God. There is a phrase found in Eastern philosophy, Mind, body, and spirit. It forms a triangle that is unbroken. I didnt know it as a teenager, but I was making my own triangle: music, spirituality, and food. They are all a part of me.

My faith in God, my musical talents, and my love for food are the three most important things, aside from family, in my life. That is why I describe myself not just as Mitch, butCantor Mitch, the Singing Chef.It is my great pleasure to combine my triangle of belief to give you a fun and exciting cookbook. Cooking kosher food for a new generation sums up my cooking philosophy. Cooking is about moving forward while staying connected to the past, and having fun while youre at it! Kosher dishes dont have to be boring, unhealthy, or tasteless. In fact, you do not have to be Jewish to enjoy the recipes in this book.In this book I have created artful, healthy, and creative recipes that I believe you will love and that are a joy to cook and serve to anyone. People often ask me, Why keep kosher? To me, it is about having a conscience.

Keeping kosher is being accountable for everything that you put into your mouth. As a society we buy our weekly groceries without thought of the farmers and animals that give us sustenance. That is why Judaism stresses the word brachot, or blessings. We should strive to be thankful people, be grateful for what we have, and appreciate the abundance in our lives. Every time I sit down to a meal I say a short blessing. Saying a blessing before eating is one way to give thanks and acknowledge our part in the greater scheme of life.

This kosher book is all about helping those who want to make eating a holy and thoughtful act to participate in every day. Many of the recipes included in this book are not traditional kosher recipes. Traditional recipes, though delicious, can be time consuming and are often made from scratch. I encourage you to buy premade items that have a kosher heckcher, or a U on the label, which signifies rabbinical supervision in the creation of that product. It will help you keep making Mamas brisket and kugal one night, and chicken Florentine with broccoli and a sauce the next! I felt compelled to write this book, not because I necessarily wanted to do it, but because something inside said I had to. Usually, I would much rather cook and sing than write about doing those things.

However, this book has been a joy to write. I hope and pray it is also a joy to read! I am so excited to share my recipes, thoughts, and music with you. Food, music, and spirituality all go together and enhance each other. They are creative and fun. To combine all these things is my goal inKosher Cuisine for a New Generation.My dream is that this new generation will incorporate music and fun in their lives. Hopefully, they will make some of these recipes into traditions of their own.

Once you turn the page, get ready to have fun. Pick up a knife, and start chopping! There are delightful smells coming from the kitchens of this new generation! CANTOR MITCH Definitions KOSHER AND KASHRUT: The word kosher is defined as fit or perfect. Today, the word kosher refers to foods that are fit to be eaten according to Jewish dietary law. Kashrut is the name for the set of dietary laws that define what foods are kosher. The Kashrut lists forbidden foods as foods that are said to be unhealthy for various reasons. Kashrut codifies a distinction between fish and meat.