2011 Feldheim Publishers & Efrat Libfroind Pages 257.  $44.99 ($26.39 on Amazon 

Author: Efrat Libfroind

With the publication of this book, Susie Fishbein's unofficial crown as the queen of kosher cooking (Kosher by Design) may be wobbling. Kosher Elegance is ambitious and impressive. Weighing a hefty two kilograms, this is a lavish and absolutely gorgeous book, obviously printed with no expense spared. It would as easily be at home on the coffee table as on the kitchen shelf.  

But though the author is observant, this isn't your grandmother's food. Rather than chicken soup, blintzes and brisket, she includes the likes of "stained glass petits fours", "chocolate-nougat petits fours with halva balls", "beef medallions and pears with wine" and "pistachio liver pate with caramelized onions." In other words, these are recipes designed to knock the socks off your guests.

I absolutely loved the suggestions for presenting food, something very few cookbooks offer. Each recipe has its own full page color illustration showing how to layer, pile and decorate food just as you'd find it in an upscale restaurant. And for those not willing to spend the time, say, spinning sugar into a Chihuly-like creation to top a mousse or bending chocolate strips into perfect circles, there are simpler serving suggestions.

The recipes are organized in an unconventional way. Instead of the usual starters, main courses and desserts, Libfroind's categories include "Sophistication" , "Occasions", "Brunch" (dairy), "Layers" (things on top of things), "Temptation"(fancy desserts) and so on. I am not quite sure what the point of this quirky arrangement is, since if you are looking for, as an example, an interesting main dish, you would have to leaf through the whole book. There is a good index though.

I had some minor niggles. Some of the equipment and ingredients, such as decorating combs and nougat powder, are so esoteric that hardly any home cook can be expected to own them or even find them,. A more important irritation is that many recipes, such as a pareve hazelnut cream popsicle and a pistachio-encrusted sea bream, call for off-putting soy milk or Rich's "cream" even when they contain no meat and can therefore also be served at a dairy meal. Why not give dairy equivalents as well? (A few recipes do, to be fair.)

Also, since the recipes are touted as kosher, the target audience is probably the observant community, but not too many of these dishes would do well on the Shabbat hotplate.

I tried a dozen or so recipes and they looked and tasted great. The trout baked in muffin cups and green bean salad in particular stood out as both easy and impressive and the sweet potato fries that topped a salad were adorable.

Having said that, many of the desserts are daunting, giving me the feeling that they are meant as aspirational rather than something that the average cook can achieve. The book is original and inspiring though, and full of bright ideas. For that alone, Kosher Elegance is a bargain