Mia Adler-Ozair believes that the kitchen is the heart of a family. Cooking for family is one the best ways to show your love, especially healthy and nutritious foods. A licensed psychotherapist in Los Angeles, CA, and mother to 9 children, Mia combined the culturally diverse nature of her own marriage, along with some of her family’s favorite recipes to create COOK, PRAY, EAT KOSHER: The Essential Kosher Cookbook for the Jewish Soul (Feldheim/November 2015). With over 90 delicious recipes, this heartfelt volume is more than just a cookbook; it is a spiritual exploration of Jewish life and its deep connections with food.
Mia weaves together the culinary delights of both Ashkenazi and Sepharadi heritages offering a full range of dishes for every palate. She carefully narrates holiday menus, cook’s tips and kashrut with knowledge and description that will have those new to cooking as well as experts in the kitchen learning and appreciating the holidays.
Included are original guides for how to prepare meals for and observe Shabbat and holidays, how to fulfill the woman's mitzvah of making and taking challah, and a profound reflection on the essential relationship between food and the Jewish soul.
"Given that so much of our lives revolve around food, and given that food plays such an integral role in the life of a Jewish family (what we can eat, how and when we can eat it), it would seem that developing a healthy relationship with food can only benefit us," Mia says. "In creating this cookbook my intention is to not only equip you with some great recipes but to hopefully inspire you to see how your relationship with food can elevate you and your family. There are so many Jewish laws we must observe when it comes to food. However, the one that that we must do, regardless of our religious background, is to always strive to find ways to grow spiritually, to challenge ourselves, and to find the delicate balance one must have in order to create a healthy connection with food and with life."
Recipes in COOK, PRAY, EAT KOSHER run from basic Jewish recipes to unique Middle Eastern and are in chapters broken down by Meat, Poultry, Fish, Vegetables, Soups, Salad & Dips, Pizza & Pasta, and desserts, making it easy to find just the right recipe. Some of Mia’s family recipes include:
Simple Brisket
Boeuf Bourguignon
Chicken Sepharadi
Gefilte Fish
Moroccan Fish
Scalloped Corn Casserole
French Onion Soup
Asian Shiitake Mushroom Soup
Meatless Lasagna
Orange Noodle Pudding
Cookie Cheesecake
Oma’s Crescent Moon Cookies
Baklava
Whether you are setting up a kosher kitchen or looking for new recipe ideas, Cook, Pray, Eat Kosher is the newest essential ingredient for any Jewish kitchen and perfect for the holidays.
About the Author:
Mia Adler-Ozair is a clinically licensed psychotherapist with a private practice in Los Angeles, California. In addition to her ten-plus years of experience as a therapist, she has over 20 years of experience in the worlds of education, non-profit organizations, and public speaking. She is also a professional writer with numerous articles published, as well as having published a life-skills curriculum for teens and her most recent ebook Insider's Secrets: How to Choose an Exceptional Therapist (and How to Avoid the Bad Ones). Most notably, Mia is the mom to 9 kids--3 of hers, 4 of his, and 2 of theirs, providing Mia with a unique life perspective and ability to educate and guide others in a remarkable way. For more information about Mia, visit her website, www.MiaAdlerOzair.com.
Recipes reprinted with permission:
COOK, PRAY, EAT KOSHER: The Essential Kosher Cookbook for the Jewish Soul
By Mia Adler-Ozair
Feldheim / November 2015
This winter try these delicious recipes from Cook, Pray, Eat Kosher.
Iraqi Meatballs with Green Peas
Makes 6 to 8 servings
Ingredients
Meatballs:
2 pounds lean ground beef
1 bunch parsley (approximately 1 cup, rinse well), finely chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 tablespoons salt, or to taste
2 tablespoons fresh black pepper, or to taste
Sauce:
1 tablespoon grapeseed oil
3 cups water
1-1/2 teaspoons dry chicken soup mix
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper, or to taste
Tumeric to color light yellow
1/8 teaspoon curry
2 bay leaves
1 large bag frozen green peas
Recipe Instructions
Combine ingredients for meatballs in large bowl and set aside to rest for 15 minutes.
Form meatballs.
Except for peas, combine sauce ingredients, bring to boil; add meatballs and cook covered for 25 minutes on medium heat, stirring gently once or twice during this time.
Add frozen peas to pot.
Continue to cook 20 to 30 minutes on medium heat, stirring occasionally.
Serve with white rice.
Oma’s Crescent Moon Cookies
Makes 30 cookies
Dairy
So many memories of sitting in my Oma’s kitchen in her (at the time) fashionable green plastic chairs and rolling cookie dough on the white and green speckled table. She was always so patient as my sister and I played with the dough and made all sorts of shapes. Oma made so many wonderful and delicious cakes and dishes, but these cookies stand out among my favorites. The vanilla-almond scent is so inviting as they bake.
Ingredients
1 cup butter, room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
2-1/2 cups flour
1 cup ground almonds
1/4 cup sifted powdered sugar
Recipe Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, add extracts and mix.
Add flour and almonds, mix thoroughly.
Take generous tablespoons of dough and roll each into a ball, about one inch in diameter, and then shape
into crescents.
Place onto parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 15 to 20 minutes until light-golden-brown.
Cool cookies on wire racks and dust with powdered sugar.