Vera Newman is back with her second cookbook, Marblespoon At Home, bringing us all brand-new recipes that fit her style of delicious Kosher food that any home cook can navigate to feed their families.
Born and raised in Panama, Newman later moved to Detroit as a young wife, where she has since established herself and built a home and family. Her introduction into the cooking world started the same way it has for many home cooks: being a wife and mother in the kitchen with the goal of feeding her family. But after realizing she had quite the talent for the culinary arts, she began to expand her repertoire beyond her family by starting a catering business and eventually a blog on Instagram where she could share her food skills with a broader audience. Today, Newman’s Marblespoon account on Instagram has over 16,000 followers.
In her newest cookbook, Newman invites us into her home kitchen, something she has put so much love into. She reminds us all that the kitchen is often the center of the home and family life for many people, and this can be especially true when gathering for Shabbat meals and Jewish holidays when we want to cook food that both impress and nourish our loved ones.
Something that’s clear from this cookbook is that Newman wants her recipes to be accessible for the busy women at home who don’t have time or energy to try to unravel an overly complicated recipe that takes all day to make. As a Jewish wife and mother, she knows what home cooks are looking for and does her best to provide just that. As an amateur home cook myself, I appreciated that the recipes in this book were very approachable and tended to use pantry staples that most of us already have on hand or that won’t be too stressful to find at a grocery store.
Recipes like her Meat Couscous, which seems ideal for a weeknight meal, are delicious and easy to do. It’s something that would appeal to the picky eaters among us while still feeling like you put effort into a great meal that’s filling and doesn’t require much else to complete it.
Meat Couscous
Photo from Marblespoon At Home, Mesorah Publications Ltd.
Some of the recipes in this cookbook also give us fresh takes on classics, like her friend’s Zucchini Kugel. This kugel seems to be a perfect method for sneaking some veggies into your picky eaters while still being a total crowd-pleaser at your table.
Zucchini Kugel
Photo from Marblespoon At Home, Mesorah Publications Ltd.
Beyond the recipes themselves, Newman also provides her best tips and tricks to give her readers the best chance at success in the kitchen. The tips are practical and may seem obvious to some, but they are definitely worth giving a try to improve your everyday cooking experience. Simple tips like which kitchen utensil is best for sauteing, tricks for keeping honey from getting stuck in your measuring cup, or how to make sure your cutting board stays in place while chopping vegetables can be real game changers when you’re cooking.
Newman also understands that presentation can be important for the table, especially if you’re hosting guests. So, if you’ve ever wondered how to set your table beautifully to impress, Newman lays out great guidelines for getting the job done.
But presentation isn’t just about your table, it’s also about the food. So many of the recipes in this cookbook aren’t just tasty, they also look beautiful. As someone who has often struggled with how “pretty” my food looks (or doesn’t look), I was very excited by some of Newman’s recipes, like her Israeli Eggplant Boats, which have a gorgeous presentation after just a little bit of assembly.
Israeli Eggplant Boats
Photo from Marblespoon At Home, Mesorah Publications Ltd.
Whether you’re looking for new ideas for what to cook on a busy weeknight, need inspiration for your Shabbat table, or want recipes that can be easily adapted for Pesach, you can find them in this cookbook. No matter if you’re a total beginner in the kitchen or an expert cook, Newman ensures you will be able to succeed.
