By bestselling Jewish cookbook author Adina Sussman Nosh In the introduction to Micah Shiva’s new book, she puts it very succinctly: “As we have become more attuned to the benefits of a plant-based diet in recent years, Micah serves as our trusted guide, introducing us to dishes that evoke Jewish culinary roots and its many ports of call in Africa, the Middle East and Europe.”
“Her warm, approachable voice, achievable recipes, beautiful photography, and role as culinary cheerleader make these dishes all seem incredibly appealing and entirely achievable at the same time.”
I’m always on the lookout for plant-based holiday recipes. Nosh It’s vegan-friendly. For example, their recipe for vegan potato latkes uses ground flax as a binder instead of eggs. The instructions offer a tip you’ll want to try: “Add whole, peeled carrots to the frying oil to keep the oil clean. Carrots attract the potato particles like a magnet, and their moisture content helps maintain the oil’s temperature. Carrots will burn faster than potatoes, but it’s a small sacrifice to make the perfect latke.”
Shiva, a San Francisco-based registered dietitian, chef, and blogger (“Nosh with Micah”), co-authored with her husband, Josh, a Hanukkah book to help young children learn numbers and traditional Jewish dishes, “1, 2, 3, Nosh With Me.”
But Shiva has now wisely chosen to appeal to a wider audience – particularly the burgeoning flexitarian sector – with her “plant-forward” approach – “a way of cooking and eating that highlights plant-based foods, rather than restricting diets to vegetarian or vegan”.
“Memories of braising chicken and grilling brisket evoke memories of cooking with my grandmother, but the way I eat and think about food has changed from an Eastern European ‘meat and potatoes’ mindset to a plant-based way of eating that is not only better for our health, but the health of the planet as well,” Shiva writes.
Recipes often feature modern, healthy twists on traditional dishes from various Jewish cultures, including cholent, mamaliga, marabi, kreplach, tzimmes, matzah ball soup, Moroccan carrot salad, schnitzel, and sabich.
In traditional deli sandwiches, celeriac replaces pastrami. Cauliflower substitutes for fish in chalaim (Moroccan fish in tomato sauce). Falafel is baked, kachat is cheesy, and challah is tahini-flavored. How about a Montreal bagel topped with carrot lox and cashew cream cheese? Or a pumpkin kugel with pecan streusel.
There is also a cocktails and drinks section, which will entice readers with recipes like Malted Manischewitz (a title that is full of creativity), Vegan Egg Cream, Halva Milkshake, and Hawaiian Espresso Martini with Date Syrup.
In all, Nosh contains over 80 recipes, each clearly labelled at the top so you can see at a glance whether it contains eggs or dairy, is gluten-free or entirely plant-based. It also provides an estimate of how long it will take to cook, a handy feature that helps prevent you from ending up with a recipe that eats up more of your time than you planned.
The book has many user-friendly aspects, including a guide to plant-based egg substitutes, a conversion chart for units of measurement (handy for British-Israelis), and information on plant-based nutrition.
Shiva offers some answers to the main question vegans are always asked and find most annoying: “But how do you get your protein?”
Anything that lives, whether plant or animal, contains protein, and she lists beans, grains, nuts and seeds, nutritional yeast, seitan, tofu, and tempeh as some of the best sources of plant-based protein.
“I intentionally developed recipes that offer whole food plant protein in place of meat protein, from my palm heart ‘white fish’ salad with white beans to my sesame tofu ‘schnitzel,'” she writes.
The book offers holiday menu suggestions and many recipes that can be made kosher for Passover, many of which contain legumes.
Like any worthwhile cookbook, Nosh is filled with mouthwatering, full-colour photographs, many of which were taken by Shiva himself.
Regarding the recipe I chose to share below, the author writes, “Brisket is synonymous with Jewish cuisine…It’s hard to replicate the texture and flavor of beef in a plant-based dish, but king oyster mushrooms and grated tofu help replicate the look and texture of brisket.”
Flavorful pulled mushroom and tofu “brisket”
Serves 6
Brisket
1½ lbs (680 g) King Trumpet Mushrooms
1 block of extra-firm tofu (14 ounces (400 grams)
1/2 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons soy sauce, or gluten-free tamari sauce, depending on your preference
2 tablespoons smoked paprika
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
sauce
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and quartered
4 peeled garlic cloves
2 cups dry red wine
1 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon mustard powder
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
Using 2 forks, shred the mushrooms and place in a large bowl.
Drain the tofu. Using the largest holes of your grater, grate the tofu into the bowl with the mushrooms.
Add the olive oil, soy sauce, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and pepper and mix with the mushrooms and tofu until well combined. Transfer the mushroom and tofu mixture to a large rimmed baking sheet and spread evenly. Roast for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Set aside.
While the mushrooms are roasting, make the sauce: In a blender or food processor, puree the onion, garlic, red wine, ketchup, soy sauce, Dijon mustard, thyme, and mustard powder until smooth.
Pour sauce over roasted mushroom and tofu mixture and stir until evenly combined.
Return the baking sheet to the oven and bake, stirring halfway through, for 30 to 35 minutes, until the mushrooms and tofu are deep brown. The liquid will evaporate during baking, leaving a thick sauce.
Serve topped with chopped parsley.
Nosh:
Plant-Based Recipes Celebrating Modern Jewish Cuisine
by Mika Shiva
Collective Book Studio
256 pages; $35
