Reviewing: “Real Life Pesach Cooking” by Miriam Pascal Cohen. Mesorah Publications Ltd. 2024. English. Hardcover. 280 pages. ISBN-13: 978-1422639689.
We’re close enough to Pesach that the enormity of menu planning is rapidly becoming real, and no matter how many times you’ve made yom tov before, that prospect can be more than a little daunting.
But fear not, my foodie friends—Miriam Pascal Cohen is ready to swoop in and save the day, her trusty cookie scoop and chef’s knife in hand. Pascal knows her audience—cooks who want to turn out dishes that are fresh and innovative, but don’t want to spend hours slaving away in the kitchen. Given her ability to nimbly navigate that fine line between user-friendly and seriously delicious, it came as no surprise to anyone when fans of Pascal’s “Overtime Cook” blog delightedly snapped up her first three cookbooks, or that news that there was a Pesach volume in the works generated waves of excitement.
Cutting quickly to the chase, “Real Life Pesach Cooking,” an ArtScroll publication, did not disappoint. Packed with 150 recipes, gorgeous color photos and practical advice and tips, Pascal’s latest contribution to the world of kosher cooking is your Pesach survival guide, and a welcome reminder that Yom Tov cooking can be both uncomplicated and really, really good.
Aside from the recipes, nearly all of which are gebrokts-free, there were two factors to “Real Life Pesach Cooking” that really stood out for me. The first was the fact that most of the dishes here are things that I would happily eat during the 357 days of the year that aren’t Pesach. The second was the inclusion of substitutions and/or homemade recipes for those whose family minhagim preclude the use of certain ingredients on Pesach. While I don’t find avoiding the use of honey or garlic to be a major problem, trust me when I tell you that cooking for people who avoid the use of nearly all prepared products on Pesach can definitely throw a monkey wrench into your menu planning.
Since my approach to Pesach cooking is to identify which of our year-round favorites are also chametz-free, the first chapter that I flipped to in “Real Life Pesach Cooking” was the Baked Goods & Candy section, because that is the area where my regular recipes just don’t work. Baking up cakes and cookies that are worth the calories without using wheat flour is always a challenge, and while Pascal has several gorgeous-looking cakes in this book, what I was really hunting for were bars, cookies and other things that are easy to pick up because that’s what works best here in the Hotel Eller. Pascal did not disappoint, and I have every intention of including her coffee cookie brittle, no-mixer biscotti and ultimate chocolate chip cookies on our 2024 Pesach menu. “Real Life Pesach Cooking” does rely heavily on almond flour in many of its recipes for baked goods because it does produce impressive results, but for those of you, like me, who are dealing with a nut-allergic family member and don’t use matzah meal, the chocolate banana muffins, nut-free chocolate cookies, easy homemade meringues and salted fudge caramel squares are all excellent choices, as are quite a few of the recipes in the Desserts & Drinks section.
Similarly, my first read-through had me searching for items that pose more of a challenge over Pesach, since things like chicken soup, roasts and salads can often be made using your regular recipes. Once again Pascal came through for me, with staple items that bridge that Pesach ingredients gap, including crackers, soup dumplings, cholent, pancakes, spaghetti squash wraps and crepes that can be sliced into noodles. A multipurpose dough that uses almond flour, potato starch and tapioca starch takes a leading role in various recipes here, including pizza, flatbread, rolls and franks ’n blanks, and Pascal bakes it up as a Pesach sandwich “bread” as well. I was also happy to see recipes that will be a godsend for those who don’t use prepared products to make their own ketchup, mayonnaise, nut butters, barbeque sauce and powdered sugar at home. Equally helpful were Pascal’s freezer and menu planning tips, and her four different methods of caramelizing onions in bulk so that they can be used throughout Pesach in a variety of ways. Be sure to check out the book’s handy-dandy Chol Hamoed travel guide, which is filled with practical ideas for foods that travel well and are crowd pleasers, giving you options other than hard-boiled eggs, tomatoes, string cheese and matzah should you decide to embark on a lengthier family outing.
But really, a cookbook is all about the recipes, and “Real Life Pesach Cooking” has restaurant quality dishes that are a cut above the typical chicken and potatoes. Looking for an original appetizer? How about mini lamb patties with a parsley-mint dipping sauce or a nacho bar that has an assortment of chips sharing space with homemade salsa, spiced ground beef, pickled onions, creamy avocado sauce and a pickle-laced secret sauce that can double as a dip or a salad dressing?
There are plenty of salads here to prevent you from piling on those Pesach pounds, with the honey-citrus beet salad a good make-ahead choice and the slow-roasted onion salad with Granny Smith apples, avocado and candied pecans looking particularly appealing. There are, of course, a variety of soups, always a great starter when there are so many yom tov meals to be planned, and without a doubt, my personal favorite is the pureed sweet potato and shallot soup seasoned with dry white wine and bay leaves. Pesach is a prime time for roasts, and you definitely want to check out the onion-smothered flanken and the Chol Hamoed crockpot pot roast, a meal that cooks on its own and welcomes you home to a tantalizing supper. Every year I spent hours poring over cookbooks looking for a non-roasted chicken recipe for the Seder and I hit paydirt in “Real Life Pesach Cooking” with Pascal’s mom’s zucchini stuffed chicken whose flavor only deepens as your family goes through six renditions of Ma Nishtanah and two dozen divrei Torah.
For those moments when you just can’t bear the thought of being fleishig, yet again, Pascal’s got you covered with a beautiful brunch spread of hash browns and scrambled eggs, as well as multiple fish recipes. Be sure to check out the homemade cheese snack recipe, because, really, is there anyone out there who doesn’t love these mini cuties? Scalloped potatoes get a makeover in this white-wine enhanced version that freezes beautifully, and crispy onion funnel cakes with a sweet horseradish dipping sauce are a genius idea—it’s totally up to you if you want to reserve these as a special Pesach treat or incorporate them into your year-round repertoire, something your family might beg you to do.
Pesach prep can feel complicated and intense, but it really doesn’t have to be. With Pascal holding your hand every step of the way, you can pull together a Pesach that you can be proud of. “Real Life Pesach Cooking” truly lives up to its subtitle of “Approachable, family-friendly recipes to enhance your Passover,” with dishes that will please a variety of palates and can accommodate a wide range of minhagim. No matter how limited your Pesach space may be, this is a book that is worth whatever kitchen real estate it takes up, and who knows—you might even find yourself buying a second copy to use throughout the year as well!
Sandy Eller is a freelance writer who writes for print and web media outlets and private clients. She can be contacted at [email protected]
