Rating: 
Summary: reply to the south american review below
Review: I wrote a 5 star review (listed below) in February 1999. I enjoy this cookbook and have given it on sveral occassions as a gifts to friends. I find it useful and interesting, both practical and bon chic. I am writing, though, to respond to a two-star review, below, from a south american reviewer that states that "Orthodox jews don't use matzoh meal, or any vegetables that cannot be peeled" and that for him or her "this cookbook is useless." That is fine for that writer, but may I respond that the author of this cookbook, in the introduction to the book, states clearly, how the recipes were vetted with many respected rabbis and institutions. Yes, there are small sects of Jewish 'Orthodoxy' that choose not cook with matzah or matzah meal as an ingredient. If you are a member of one of those groups, then you might not find all the recipes in the book helpful. But 'in the main', the majority of Jews in the Western and Northern Hemispheres cook with matzah, matzah meal, and fruits and vegetables. The Orthodox Union (OU) has its hecksher on many matzoh meal products. Thus, I continue to recommend this book.
Rating:
Summary: reply to the south american review below
Review: I wrote a 5 star review (listed below) in February 1999. I enjoy this cookbook and have given it on sveral occassions as a gifts to friends. I find it useful and interesting, both practical and bon chic. I am writing, though, to respond to a two-star review, below, from a south american reviewer that states that "Orthodox jews don't use matzoh meal, or any vegetables that cannot be peeled" and that for him or her "this cookbook is useless." That is fine for that writer, but may I respond that the author of this cookbook, in the introduction to the book, states clearly, how the recipes were vetted with many respected rabbis and institutions. Yes, there are small sects of Jewish 'Orthodoxy' that choose not cook with matzah or matzah meal as an ingredient. If you are a member of one of those groups, then you might not find all the recipes in the book helpful. But 'in the main', the majority of Jews in the Western and Northern Hemispheres cook with matzah, matzah meal, and fruits and vegetables. The Orthodox Union (OU) has its hecksher on many matzoh meal products. Thus, I continue to recommend this book.
Rating: 
Summary: Reviews from Publisher's Weekly and Library Journal
Review: Thank you for considering The New York Times Passover Cookbook. For readers who may not have seen them, here are reviews of the book from Publisher's Weekly and from Library Journal. With all best wishes. PUBLISHER'S WEEKLY: Passover is celebrated at the table with ritual words and food; this serious new collection does justice to both. And as Amster, a regular contributor to The New York Times food pages points out, there's another tradition associated with Passover. Every year, home cooks eagerly await recipes, conforming with the holiday's dietary restrictions, published in The Times. The 200 recipes reprinted from cookbooks by the paper's well-known food writers, as well as by celebrated chefs, range from the traditional to the innovative and are drawn from European, Mediterranean and Middle Eastern tradtitions. Anne Rosenzwieg offers a haroseth recipe that uses rhubarb. The section on gefilte fish includes Wolfgang Puck's variation, served in cabbage leaves, and Barbara Kafka's version, prepared in the microwave. In addition, Amster imparts seven ways to roast a chicken, including Chicken Breasts with Green Olives and Tomatoes. Paul Prudhomme serves up his Veal Roast with Mango Sauce, a dish he prepared in Jerusalem in honor of the city's 3,000th anniversary. Nathan's knowledgeable foreword describes dietary restrictions and offers definitions and explanations of the symbolism behind the food. Taken together, Amster has produced what may be the definitive work in Passover cookbooks, from recipes to the feelings evoked by sitting at a beautifully set, bountifully laden table. LIBRARY JOURNAL: With more than eight recipes for haroseth alone, THE NEW YORK TIMES PASSOVER COOKBOOK will be invaluable for anyone who hosts a Passover seder --or even takes a dish to one. Amster has put together an impressive and delicious collection of recipes from the Times food section and from cookboooks by three of its well-known writers: Craig Claiborne, Mimi Sheraton and Molly O'Neill. Chapters are organized by course or special dish, and there are moving reminiscences of special Passover seders, as well as a good general introduction by Joan Nathan, an authroity on Jewish cooking. Recipes range from the traditional to the contemporary, with dishes from chefs such as Wolfgang Puck alongside family recipes passed down for generations. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: great book
Review: This cookbook is fantastic. Try the carrot souffle on page 110. It is delicious and has a unique texture. It is somewhat like carrot cake. However, the recipe doesn't tell you to turn it out of the pan, which you should do. Some of the recipes are difficult to make if you live in a community, as I do, that doesn't have a kosher butcher. Also, I wish that there were more simple recipes. I am struggling to satisfy my children during Passover, and this cookbook doesn't help much with that. Still, it is a great resource to have on hand.
Rating:
Summary: An absolute necessity if you ever prepare a seder meal!
Review: This cookbook is so wonderful, so essential, I can't recommend it heartily enough. Perhaps my greatest endorsement is this: I really use these recipes THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, not just at Passover! I'm the type of cook who rarely makes the same dish more than once. Here, there are several recipes I make again and again. The cover recipe, Pot Roast with Red Wine and Onions, is reason enough to order this book. The matzoh balls I make every year from these pages and they are always easy, fluffy, and to die for. Another fantastic feature is the abundance of recipes for those "other" days of Passover--the in-between days when you're not going all out for a Seder meal but you still want something delicious. The contributors to this book are remarkable in their expertise and their diversity. Every Jewish cook should have this book!
Rating:
Summary: An absolute necessity if you ever prepare a seder meal!
Review: This cookbook is so wonderful, so essential, I can't recommend it heartily enough. Perhaps my greatest endorsement is this: I really use these recipes THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, not just at Passover! I'm the type of cook who rarely makes the same dish more than once. Here, there are several recipes I make again and again. The cover recipe, Pot Roast with Red Wine and Onions, is reason enough to order this book. The matzoh balls I make every year from these pages and they are always easy, fluffy, and to die for. Another fantastic feature is the abundance of recipes for those "other" days of Passover--the in-between days when you're not going all out for a Seder meal but you still want something delicious. The contributors to this book are remarkable in their expertise and their diversity. Every Jewish cook should have this book!
Rating:
Summary: Welcome and refreshing new ideas for passover
Review: This year for the first time in many years I made a few different charosis recipes, a new chicken recipe, and a new kugle - all from this cookbook, and they were all delicious and beautiful to look at. I was so pleased I bought copies for my daugher and daughter-in-law. Every Jewish kitchen should have this book. It is definitely something to pass on in a family. From Liz Levine
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