Chef Kim Kushner at Safra Synagogue

Kehilath Jeshurun recently invited me to the Ladies Night Cooking Demons-tration and Dinner by Kim Kushner, at Congregation Edmond J. Safra Shul of Manhattan (Safra).KJ and Safra are prominent Upper East side synagogues.The proceeds of the evening went to Project Leket, a group in Israel which delivers fresh produce to over 290 nonprofit organizations serving Israel’s needy.

Kim Kushner, of Kim Kushner Cuisine, was excited to share some recipes from her new (kosher) cookbook, “The Modern Menu.” “The Modern Menu is not just a great kosher cookbook, it’s a great cookbook that happens to be kosher,” she said. With the book’s coffee-table quality and glossy photos, her statement rang true.

Community women from both Manhattan and Brooklyn gathered eagerly in Safra’s elegantly adorned dining hall where they enjoyed a seated, white-gloved dinner which served up everything from soup to nuts. An overwhelming feast of appetizers, wine and refreshments were placed on each table, accompanied by beautiful orchids from Shirley Barnathan and floral hand-crafted napkin rings by Nicole Cohen.

Individual leaflets of the evening’s menu and recipes were distributed on each place setting along with pencils for note-taking. I was impressed by the intricate details of the evening which exhibited our community’s talent. Nicole Cohen told me about her impressive napkin rings, saying, “Shirley Serure (the event organizer and KJ president) and I decided that the dining room theme would be spring. I wanted the napkin rings to look like mini-festival flower crowns, incorporating real and fake flowers, as well as fresh herbs. I made most of them today, so they would stay fresh! I thought it would inspire the guests to try this idea on their own holiday tables.”

Even before the demonstration began, the women were excited about meeting Kim and learning from her expertise.

Cooking has always been an important part of Kim’s life. Born into a large family, with a Moroccan mother, she spent her childhood summers in Israel with family, where meals were always eaten together. There, she learned to cook a variety of international meals with fresh ingredients. Even at a young age, she had a natural flair for food.

When she got older, Kim decided to further her knowledge of cooking at the Institute of Culinary Education in Manhattan, where she excelled in their Professional Culinary Program. Soon she was featured in food magazines and was hired as a private chef.

Today, she gives food demonstrations in people’s homes, one-on-one classes and cooking classes in her own home where ladies enjoy her strictly kosher and beautifully designed kitchen.

Along with her time and talent, Kim generously donated the evening’s meals. With an endearing and contagious smile, she captivated her audience saying, “I like to keep things very simple; please feel free to call out. We are all friends and family here.” Her light, no-pressure attitude made even the most novice cooks feel at ease.

In her demonstrations, Kim passionately turned simple yet tasteful meals into artwork which could be transported almost anywhere and stored in the fridge for a week or more. She challenged the crowd to look at recipes at home and alter them to their taste. She told us, “I don’t believe that you should look at a recipe and feel like it will be ruined if you change it. That’s what I love most about cooking—I can add more or less spice or more or less sugar (than the recipe calls for) and the result comes out tasting the way I like it.”

The crowd watched her make a four-course meal, which they later were treated to. The dishes demonstrated were marinated green salad, mixed baby green salad with salmon, fresh corn, and lime, farfalle with pistachio pesto, and mixed berries macerated in red wine with basil and mint. The marinated green salad was delicious and uniquely displayed in a glass jar, making a gorgeous statement for company. Manuela Yedid exclaimed the dish was very innovative! Even the famed “Jewish Hostess” of thejewishhostess.com was floored by Kim and her meals, calling her, “The gorgeous girl-next-door. I especially loved how she artfully tossed her Asian veggie salad in jars that she purchased from Crate and Barrel. What an idea!”

Surveying the crowd, I was fascinated that the event drew women of all backgrounds and created an inviting atmosphere. Whether they had just put their children to sleep or just finished their work day, women were visiting with friends while enjoying the delicious meals. As we chowed down, one attendee humorously blurted, “I’m so happy to be out!” And in unison, the women were overcome with laughter in agreement. Sally Cohen, a community attendee marveled at the evening saying, “It’s so nice to be able to taste what she’s demonstrating. The food is so fresh and delicious!” Isadora Haddad, agreed with Sally, adding, “Aside from the food being so tasteful, it’s wonderful to see the Manhattan community growing.” Vanessa Miller, a foodie herself, with her own salad dresing line, enjoyed the event as well.

As the evening came to a close, the women hugged friends goodbye and left with their own copy of “The Modern Menu” in hand!

To make the night’s event possible, many opened up their hearts by donating their time and creativity. Shirley Serure, the dedicated and modest organizer behind the camera at this fantastic event would like to thank the following people for all of their hard work: Congregation Edmond J. Safra and Congregation Kehilath Jeshurun’s Kesher for hosting a fabulous event; Kim Kushner, Shirley Barnathan, Nicole Cohen, Norma Cohen, The River for donating delicious wines and Joey Cohen.

A very special thanks to the entire host committee: Jen Yashar, Samantha Podolsky, Suri Helwani, Nicole Cohen, Ruthy Fouzailoff, Fortunee Dushey, Bonnie Silvera, Jessica Kaplan, Pauline Assa, Deborah Ash, and Shirley Serure.

Thank you to all of the attendees for contributing to a wonderful evening.

^{by Raquel Laniado, photos by Shirley Serure}