When Chef Laura Frankel opened her first restaurant in 1999, she was driven not only by her love of cooking, but also by the desire to prove that kosher food can be as delicious and exciting as any other type of contemporary cuisine. She regularly shows that in her recipes and cookbooks. This fall Laura has updated and republished one of her favorite collection of kosher recipes: Jewish Slow Cooker Recipes – 120 Holiday and Everyday Dishes Made Easy. Originally published in 2009, this year Laura has added new recipes to the sophisticated, simple, and satisfying kosher dishes that her fans love. From everyday meals to holiday favorites, each recipe makes convenient use of the humble, ever-reliable slow cooker, using seasonal ingredients that can be found at your local market.

Laura focuses her culinary talents on creating kosher meals that are every bit as refined as their non-kosher counterparts—both at home and at her nationally acclaimed kosher restaurants. But creating inspiring dishes at home isn’t as easy without the elaborate prep that goes into a restaurant meal. That’s why Laura turned to her slow cooker—a device she had been using once a week to prepare meals for Shabbat, when cooking with the stove or oven is prohibited. Once she realized the slow cooker could produce creative meals all week long, her culinary imagination was off and running.

Jewish Slow Cooker Recipes is divided by course and includes sections on appetizers, soups, entrees, sides, and desserts and breakfasts. There is also an index of recipes by kosher category and holiday menus making it easy to find just the right recipe for any occasion. Laura has also indicated seasonal ingredients for each recipe and if it is a meat, dairy, or pareve dish. Recipes include:

Featuring Laura’s signature blend of convenience and globe-spanning flavors, these recipes are designed to be kosher, yet accessible to eaters of all backgrounds.

Anyone interested in time-saving, family-pleasing meals will find Jewish Slow Cooker Recipes a reliable, inspiring resource in the kitchen. Whether you need a little nosh or a full-on fress, this cookbook has the recipe for you.

LAURA FRANKEL is a noted Kosher Chef and owner of PICKLED TONGUE CATERING AND FOODS. Most recently Frankel served as the Executive Chef at Wolfgang Puck Kosher Catering at the Spertus Institute for Jewish Learning and Leadership (2007-2015) in Chicago. She is a regular contributor for The Jerusalem Post, Joy of Kosher and EATING WELL magazines as well as an avid food blogger.

Laura is a passionate farmer’s market supporter, giving demos and teaching classes all over the country featuring market produce including at the famed culinary school DeGustibus where she taught numerous times. Laura has presented dinner to the Board of Directors at the James Beard House in New York and served as judge for the annual Latke contest.

Laura opened her first restaurant, Shallots in 1999, offering kosher fine dining with a producedriven menu. 2000 she opened Shallots in midtown Manhattan. In 2004, she moved her Chicago restaurant to Skokie, (a suburb with a large Jewish population outside of Chicago) and created Shallots Bistro. She has had the honor to have cooked meals for numerous dignitaries, including: Presidential Barack Obama, Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Senator Joseph and Hadassah Lieberman, Vice President Al Gore, Mikhail

Gorbachev, President George Bush, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Steven Spielberg, Senator Hillary Clinton, Ivanka Trump, and many others. For more information go to her website, www.ChefLauraskosher.com.

For the holidays try these delicious winter recipes from Jewish Slow Cooker Recipes:

Recipes from Jewish Slow Cooker Recipes: 120 Holiday and Everyday Dishes Made Easy by Laura Frankel

Surry Books/July 2015

8 large parsnips (about 3 pounds), peeled and cut into large pieces

Olive Oil

1 pound Jerusalem artichokes (about 10)

Juice of 1 lemon

3 medium shallots, chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped

½ cup dry white wine such as chardonnay

2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme

5 cups Chicken Stock

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

SUGGESTED GARNISHES:

¼ cup chopped toasted hazelnuts, toasted hazelnut oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Drizzle the parsnip pieces with olive oil. Place the parsnips on the baking sheet. Roast in the oven for 45 minutes, until soft and lightly browned. Transfer the parsnips to the slow cooker insert.

While the parsnips are roasting, peel and dice the artichokes. Place the pieces in a bowl of cold water with the lemon juice to keep them from turning dark.

Preheat a slow cooker to low.

Place a small sauté pan over medium-high heat. Lightly coat the bottom of the pan with olive oil. Sauté the shallots until they are slightly browned and soft. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes more. Add the wine to the pan and cook the mixture for 3 minutes. Add the wine-shallot mixture to the slow cooker insert. Drain the Jerusalem artichoke pieces and add them to the insert. Add the thyme and chicken stock to the insert.

Cover and cook on Low for 5 hours, until the Jerusalem artichokes and parsnips are very soft.

Puree the soup in batches or with an immersion blender until the soup is very creamy. Season with salt and pepper.

Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with chopped toasted hazelnuts and a drizzle of toasted hazelnut oil.

2 tablespoons chicken fat, duck fat or olive oil

1 large Spanish onion, diced

1 cup uncooked bow tie pasta

1 cup medium buckwheat groats (kasha)

1 large egg, beaten

2 cups Chicken Stock or water

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Place a medium saucepan over medium heat. Lightly coat the bottom of the pan with fat. Cook the onion in the pan until it is soft and translucent but not colored. Transfer the onion to a slow cooker insert.

Add the bow tie pasta to the saucepan. Toast the pasta for several minutes, stirring, until it is lightly browned. Transfer the pasta to the insert.

In a small bowl, stir together the groats and the egg. Make sure the groats are completely coated with the egg.

Add a little more fat to the saucepan and add the groats. Stir the groats until the egg begins to set and cook, about 3 minutes. Transfer the mixture to the slow cooker. Add the chicken stock. Cover and cook on low for 90 minutes or until all of the liquid has been absorbed.

Add salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately.