A Review of "The Silver Platter" by Daniella Silver & Norene Gilletz

I really like cookbooks.  I have a lot of them.  I have old ones, new ones, specialty ones, fun ones, Pesach ones, you name it.  So, when I get a really, really good one - especially one that I get to review, I get gleeful!

“The Silver Platter - simple to spectacular, wholesome, family-friendly recipes”  by Daniella Silver with tips & techniques from Norene Gilletz, is awesome.  Amazing.  Super Outstanding.   I love this cookbook!  It’s kind of rare for me to open up a cookbook and want to make nearly every single recipe in the book. Which is why it took me a few weeks to write this review...I was busy making recipes!   First, this cookbook is visually beautiful.  Each picture enhances the appeal of each recipe.  I wanted to do a Willy Wonka thing and pull the food right off the page (it didn’t work...sad face).  Visual appeal is important in a cookbook because it entices you to actually use the book to make the recipes - this is how it can look on your table!!

Second, I love my dear friend Norene Gilletz’s comments throughout the book.  They are SO useful.  Because Norene is a cooking guru/expert/queen, novices and experts alike can learn from her informative tips.  

Third, in this day of GFEs (Gluten Free Eaters), how handy is it that each and every recipe has a note regarding the recipes GFE status and how to convert the recipe if possible?  Fantastic!  It’s like a GFE cookbook...within a cookbook!

Fourth, there is also nutrition information for each and every recipe in the back of the book.  Watching that waistline? With the information that Daniella gives you, you can make healthy choices.

Which brings us to reason #5 why I love this book.  Most of the recipes are super healthy.  They are also new, refreshing and very current.  Spiralized veggies, quinoa, fresh fruits & vegetables...it’s why I wanted to make so many of the recipes in the book.  

The recipes that I made in this book got rave reviews by my testers (AKA family, friends, Shabbat guests).  None of the recipes were terribly difficult to make and quite frankly I would make them again - after I made other recipes in the book!

Bottom Line:  Get this book!  I know that you can find tons of recipes online these days, but this book is beautiful, fun to read, with a lot of “simple to spectacular, wholesome, family-friendly recipes” all in one book.   The line in the title isn’t there for nothing!  Thanks again Daniella & Norene for such a great cookbook - it’s going in an easily accessible spot on my cookbook shelf!

So...here are the recipes I made:  

Asian-Style Rice Paper Rolls

I was rice paper challenged - until I made this recipe.  The first time I ever tried to make rice paper rolls I thought I was supposed to let them soak or boil for around 30 minutes, like rice noodles.  All of you that know that is not how to use rice paper are all shaking your heads either laughing hysterically or crying noooooooooooooooooo!  Thanks to Daniella and Norene’s useful tip I was able to make these gorgeous Asian-Style Rice Paper rolls for a Shabbat appetizer.  Everyone loved them and thought the mix of flavors in the roll were very unique and fresh.  I liked them so much I re-made them to take pictures and am really looking forward to a delicious lunch thanks to Daniella and Norene!

Check out how colorful & beautiful these are!

Roasted Eggplant Dip

There are a lot of great dips and snacks in this book.  My family has been asking for dips to eat with their challah at our Shabbat table, and there were so many in The Silver Platter that I took the opportunity to appease my family.  The Roasted Eggplant Dip was great, a little on the sweet side too.  Mine didn’t turn out quite as red as the one in the photo but it was healthy and tasty!

Spicy Lemon Hummus & Roasted Eggplant Dip

Spicy Lemon Hummus

We eat a lot of Hummus in our house, and we like it HOT!  The Spicy Lemon Hummus was super easy to make, and tasted great.  I made enough that we could snack on it during the week.  Dear son likes his Hummus super spicy so he even added some schug to it to give it even more kick!

Sesame-Ginger Chicken

I’m always looking for new chicken recipes.  I’m also often making food for Shabbat pretty late on Fridays due to work demands.  There I was, once again, making chicken a couple of hours before I turned into a Shabbat pumpkin.  I grabbed my Silver Platter cookbook confident that I’d be able to find a quick & delicious chicken recipe - and I wasn’t disappointed!  I had all the ingredients in the house except the ginger (I ended up using dried instead with good results), and the recipe didn’t take me long to make at all.  Our GFE guest was thrilled to be able to eat such yummy chicken and you could hear the applause all the way in Indiana.

Thanks to Norenes tip regarding freezing ginger, I now have some stored for the next time I want to make this recipe!

meat/gluten-free/freezes well/yields 4-6 servings

1 chicken (about 3 lb) cut into 8ths

¼ cup soy sauce or tamari

¼ cup brown sugar, lightly packed

¼ cup ketchup

4 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 tsp)

2 tsp minced fresh ginger

1 tsp toasted sesame oil (optional)

2 Tbsp sesame seeds

sliced scallions, for garnish

1. Preheat oven to 375℉. Coat a 9x13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Trim and discard excess fat from chicken pieces. Remove skin, if desired.  Arrange chicken in a single layer in prepared dish.
3. In a medium bowl, combine soy sauce, brown sugar, ketchup, garlic, ginger, and sesame oil, if using.  Mix well.
4. Using a pastry brush, coat chicken with half of marinade; reserve remaining marinade.
5. Bake covered for 45 minutes, Coat chicken with remaining marinade; sprinkle with sesame seeds.  Bake uncovered, 30 minutes longer, until glazed and golden
6. Transfer to a serving platter; garnish with scallions.

Sesame-Ginger Chicken:

All the ingredients...except the chicken!

Chopped scallions for garnish...

Put the sauce ingredients together...

Whisk until smooth...

Brush onto the chicken...

Top with sesame seeds & scallions...

I always make a double/triple/quadruple batch!

(note the pretty challahs in the background!)

Ready to go in the oven close up.  Smile!

Done & delish!

Roasted Eggplant Dip

 Mix the veggies in a bowl with the seasoning...

 Smile for the close up!

SO colorful!!!

All roasted!  I want to eat these NOW!!!

Into the processor with the paste...whirrrrrrr....

 Can't even wait for a bowl!  No double dipping!

Spicy Lemon Hummus

 SO easy...just 2 steps!!!

 Smooth!

  Asian-Style Rice Paper Rolls

 All the cut up insides...

 Dip the rice paper...dip, not boil!

 It's ready...take it out!

 Place the stuffing inside...

 Roll & tuck...

 One done!

 In case you missed the first, here's a second...

 Rock & roll baby!

 Gorgeous!

 Just gorgeous! 

 Super pretty & delicious!!!

 Kosher Everyday is dedicated to the memory of my father

Dr. Theodore Saltzberg - Tuvia Ben Nachum Z”L

May his memory be for a blessing - Yihi zichro baruch.

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These recipes are for sole, personal use of visitors to Sharon Matten -Edible Experience Kosher Everyday. Edible Experience Kosher Everyday recipes are for your enjoyment but are not to be posted or reprinted without express permission from Sharon Matten. Thank you!!