Deep Flavors - A Deep Love of Food

When a food lover writes about  cookbook, you know it's going to be full of goof advice and good recipes. That's the case with of Deep Flavors: A Celebration of Recipes For Foodies In A Kosher Style (Inspire On Purpose Publishing 2019). it was written not by a chef, or a restaurant owner but by a lawyer! His passion for good food and cooking were the impetus for this  must have collection.

Kenneth M. Horwitz is a lawyer in Dallas, Texas. He has no formal culinary background however he did win the Texas State Fair Blue Ribbon for his spinach-mushroom lasagna.  Yet his love of fresh and natural ingredients plus learning how to cook from his mother and grandmother was all he needed to get into the kitchen with his wife, Bobbie. Her influence is strongly felt in the book too. I love this cookbook. It's not written in a lofty style.It's like your best friend, the foodie everyone goes to for help, is doling out all sorts of good advice. Every novice home chef should buy this book and read the first chapter entitled My Philosophy. It's how his ideas were formed about grocery shopping and cooking.Another aspect that I like is that there are some unusual chapters  such as Breads and Pickles. along with Dressings and Grains. Mr. Horwitz grew up in a kosher kitchen and keeps it on holidays so there is a chapter on traditional Jewish food from both the Ashkenazi and Sephardic branches . There is also a chapter on vegetarian non Jewish which features the award winning spinach-mushroom lasagna. Of course Mr. Horwitz includes chapters on the different meats and fish along with sides. Desserts are divided into sections on cakes, cookies and fruits/custards.

The recipes are amazing and I want to try every one of them. The one that stood out is the Savory French Toast, enhanced with dill. I can see making this and serving it with grilled tomatoes. Another stand out recipe is the matzo brie or fried matzo. Imagine making this and serving  with different veggies as a side. The aforementioned Ken's Blue Ribbon Mushroom -Spinach Lasagna is a tasty marriage of different mushrooms with fresh spinach , Marsala and ricotta. My vegetarian household would love this for a Thanksgiving meal . The mushroom mixture also figures in a pie with a homemade crust - his wife's Bobbie's creation. Even the sides could be vegan or vegetarian main dishes. The roasted cauliflower or cabbage  would be great solo or as a supporting dish for roast chicken. The same goes for the grilled veggies. The Indian style lentils is on my must cook short list. It's a spicy blend of the beans with the addition of Garam Masala and tikka masala. It would go well with warmed naan as a dinner on a cold night. There are meat dishes too, such as smoked brisket and a deconstructed turkey, the perfect Thanksgiving recipe for any holiday home chef. The desserts are all must makes. Pecan pie is one of my favorites and I am definitely baking Mr. Horwitz's for the upcoming holidays.Another one, perfect for holiday entertaining is the chocolate pinwheel cake, - a giant Swiss roll filled with creamy buttercream.Bobbie's Cold Chocolate Souffle is another dish  that can end a delicious meal with guests. The cookie recipes are drool worthy, especially the gingerbread one.

Deep Flavors : A Celebration For Foodies In A Kosher Style  is a must have for any kitchen library. It is full of good advice and good recipes. It will be your best  friend for cooking and baking help.