CREATIVE - AND KOSHER - IDEAS FOR ROSH HASHANA.

Byline: Natalie Haughton Food Editor

To celebrate Rosh Hashana, the start of the Jewish New Year, which begins at sundown Friday, give the menu a modern, updated twist. Take inspiration from a sampling of delicious creations shared by Susie Fishbein from her new cookbook, ``Kosher by Design'' (Mesorah Publications Ltd.; $32.99).

Fishbein, a resident of Livingston, N.J., and the mother of four children ranging in age from 11 months to 9 years, is not new to the cookbook world. Three years ago, she co-edited ``The Kosher Palette,'' a fund-raising cookbook that sold 50,000 copies for her children's day school.

Her cooking philosophy is simple: ``Use seasonal ingredients with a minimum of fuss to yield maximum aesthetic impact.''

When it comes to entertaining, it's not only important what you serve but how you serve it, she adds. ``A simple garnish, a beautiful table, an unusual floral arrangement, a colorful plate filled with assorted delicacies - all of these things elevate the mundane to the magnificent.''

In her latest volume, sprinkled with color photographs, Fishbein, who grew up in an Orthodox Jewish home around lots of traditional but uninspired food, mixes modern and traditional styles creatively in 250 recipes geared for both holidays and every day. All are not only kosher (her mission was to simplify kosher cooking) but approachable and readily accessible to home cooks.

``I am not a chef, have never taken a cooking course and cook the same way my audience (home cooks) cooks.'' Not a food snob, she uses convenience foods (like puff pastry, chicken broth and canned tomatoes) when appropriate to streamline preparations and save time.

To make sure she wasn't just pleasing herself, all dishes were evaluated by friends and relatives at her tasting parties.

Fishbein hopes to inspire cooks to ``get out of a rut and take a look at ingredients with a fresh eye.'' For instance at Rosh Hashana, instead of plopping a few of the traditional pomegranate seeds atop an entree, try her seven-ingredient pomegranate chicken, using pomegranate juice and syrup. While honey is usual for dipping apples for the holiday, why not incorporate it into desserts like a sunken apple and honey tart?

An incredible variety of foodstuffs - like different oils, spices and such - can turn a mundane dish into something exciting and great. In her menus, she opts for a combination of sophisticated and easy. But ``sophisticated'' can mean upscale ingredients, not lengthy preparation techniques.

``Cooking gives you a freedom to experiment - to your own taste. Baking is more precise.''

Substitute flavorings and adjust spices to suit personal preference. Although the pomegranate chicken calls for 1/8 cup pepper, it's possible to reduce the amount, she says, even though the results won't be exactly the same.

While taste is most important to Fishbein, she also desires beautifully presented food. But that's easy to accomplish with garnishes that complement the food without much effort or time. For instance, add a zigzag of honey to a dessert plate with a slice of apple tart or a confetti garnish of chopped yellow pepper to gefilte fish.

``Chances are, if food looks good, it tastes good.''

Although Fishbein recommends getting organized and cooking as much in advance as possible, she is opposed to freezing.

``Texture and taste do suffer. I'd rather make one less dish and have everything fresh than have 10 extra things and have them in the freezer for a month. It's quality vs. quantity.''

Natalie Haughton, [phone]

natalie.haughton(at)dailynews.com

GREEN BEANS WITH CRISPY SHALLOTS

1/3 cup vegetable oil

4 to 5 shallots, thinly sliced into rings OR strips

2 tablespoons margarine

2 tablespoons olive oil 

2 pounds fresh green beans

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper 

In a small pan, heat vegetable oil over medium heat until hot but not smoky. Fry shallots about 5 minutes or until brown and crispy, being careful not to burn. Remove from heat, discarding oil.

In a large pan, heat margarine and olive oil over medium heat. Add green beans and saute about 5 minutes or until beans are bright green. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat. Toss shallots over green beans. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

SUNKEN APPLES AND HONEY TART

1/3 cup honey

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

3 medium Granny Smith OR Rome apples, peeled, cored and cut into 8 to 10 wedges

3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar 

6 tablespoons margarine, softened

1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon grated lemon peel, (only yellow, not white pith)

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Coat a 9-inch springform pan with nonstick cooking spray. Combine honey and lemon juice in a large nonstick skillet. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Add apples; cook 12 to 14 minutes or until almost tender, stirring occasionally to coat apple wedges. Remove skillet from heat and set aside.

In bowl of a mixer, combine 3/4 cup granulated sugar, margarine, brown sugar and vanilla. Beat on medium speed until well blended, about 45 to 60 seconds. Add eggs and beat. Beat in lemon peel.

In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Stir with a whisk to combine. Gradually add flour mixture to batter. Beat on low speed until blended.

Pour batter into prepared pan. Remove apples from skillet with a fork or slotted spoon, discarding liquid. Arrange apple slices in a concentric spoke-like design on top of batter. Combine remaining 1 tablespoon granulated sugar with cinnamon. Sprinkle evenly over tart. Bake in preheated 350-degree oven 1 hour. Cool completely and release sides of springform pan. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

TRI-COLOR GEFILTE FISH

This easy spin on traditional gefilte fish has three different colored layers for a sophisticated look. It takes only five minutes to prepare.

2 (22-ounce) loaves frozen plain gefilte fish, defrosted in wrapper

1 (22-ounce) loaf frozen salmon gefilte fish, defrosted in wrapper

2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

1 lemon

1 extra-long cucumber for top garnish plus 6 cucumbers for horseradish wells (optional)

Prepared red horseradish (optional)

Mayonnaise (optional)

Yellow pepper (optional)

Spray a 9-inch springform pan with a heavy coat of nonstick vegetable spray. Open each of 3 gefilte fish wrappers. Add dill and juice from lemon to 1 plain gefilte fish loaf; mix thoroughly. Set aside. Using a thin spatula, spread remaining plain gefilte fish loaf in an even layer in bottom of prepared springform pan. Top with salmon loaf, spreading evenly to make second layer. On top of salmon, make third layer by spreading lemon dill fish mixture evenly.

Cover pan with foil. Bake in preheated 350-degree oven 1 hour. If fish does not look set in center, remove foil and bake 5 minutes longer. Let cool and refrigerate overnight. Can be made 2 days in advance and kept refrigerated.

As an optional garnish, slice a long unpeeled cucumber by hand or by mandoline into paper-thin slices. Lay slices in concentric circles around top of fish. Release sides of springform pan. To serve, cut into wedges, like a pie. Trim off any brown edges. Cut cucumbers into 2- to 3-inch pieces. Hollow out center. Mix a few tablespoons of horseradish with a little mayonnaise to make a pretty pink sauce. Use to fill cucumber wells.

Serve a slice of fish on a piece of leafy lettuce with a cucumber well. Decorate each plate with chopped yellow pepper pieces. Makes 10 to 12 servings.

PURPLE CABBAGE SALAD

SALAD:

16 ounces shredded purple cabbage

1/3 cup chopped green onions

1/3 cup pine nuts

3 carrots, julienned OR 1 (8-ounce) bag shredded carrots

1 (11-ounce) can mandarin oranges, drained and liquid reserved

1 to 2 handfuls dried cranberries (can be sweetened kind)

DRESSING:

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons red OR white wine vinegar

1 tablespoon reserved mandarin orange liquid

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 vegetable OR parve chicken flavor bouillon cube OR 1 teaspoon dried consomme powder

Garlic powder

For Salad, place cabbage, green onions, pine nuts, carrots, drained oranges and cranberries into a large resealable plastic bag. Set aside.

For Dressing, in a jar or cruet, mix brown sugar, pepper, salt, vinegar, reserved orange liquid, oil, bouillon cube and garlic powder to taste. Close jar and shake until thoroughly mixed.

Pour dressing over salad. Refrigerate at least 1 hour to allow flavors to blend. Can be prepared early in day. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

POMEGRANATE CHICKEN

This easy recipe comes from Foremost caterers. The chicken turns out beautifully, with crisp mahogany-colored skin.

6 chicken breasts, with skin (OR 1 whole chicken, cut in eighths, with skin)

3 cups pomegranate juice (available in health food OR specialty food stores that carry Mediterranean or Persian food items)

2 cups pomegranate syrup (available in specialty food stores)

8 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped

1/4 cup chopped fresh mint plus extra for garnish

1/8 cup freshly ground black pepper (this amount is correct)

2 tablespoons margarine

Place chicken in a resealable plastic bag or a shallow plastic container that has a cover. Completely cover with pomegranate juice, syrup, garlic, mint and pepper. Marinate in refrigerator at least overnight or up to 2 nights. Shake bag or turn container every so often.

Remove chicken from marinade, placing marinade into a pot. Set aside.

In a separate pan, heat margarine over high heat. Add chicken, skin side down, being careful not to splatter hot margarine. Sear chicken about 4 to 6 minutes or until skin is crisp. Remove chicken, skin side up, to a baking pan. Bake in preheated 350-degree oven 40 minutes or until cooked through.

Meanwhile, place pot of marinade over medium heat and boil about 30 minutes or until syrupy and reduced by at least half. Do not burn. Skim continuously to remove chicken impurities that rise to the surface. Serve sauce drizzled over baked chicken. Makes 6 servings.

SPINACH RICE

2 tablespoons margarine

2 onions, minced in a food processor

1 cup uncooked enriched long-grain white rice

2 3/4 cups chicken stock OR broth

1 (10-ounce) box frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Garlic powder

In a large skillet, melt margarine over medium-high heat. Add onions and rice. Saute until lightly brown, stirring to keep from sticking. Add chicken stock, spinach and salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat to a simmer; cover and cook about 20 minutes or until all liquid is absorbed. Makes 10 to 12 servings.

CHOCOLATE SNICKERDOODLES

1/2 cup (1 stick) margarine, softened

1 1/2 cups plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa (Dutch processed preferred)

1 teaspoon cream of tartar 

1/2 teaspoon baking soda 

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

In a large bowl, beat margarine with 1 1/2 cups sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla. Beat well. In a medium bowl, combine flour, cocoa, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt. Add dry ingredient mixture to creamed mixture in two parts. Incorporate first half before adding second. Mix until a smooth batter is formed.

Shape dough into 1-inch balls the size of walnuts. In a small bowl, mix remaining 1 tablespoon sugar with cinnamon. Roll balls in cinnamon-sugar mixture. If dough is too sticky, wet your hands with warm water. Once you roll balls in cinnamon-sugar they will be less sticky. Place 2 inches apart on parchment-lined or ungreased cookie sheets. Bake in preheated 375-degree oven 10 minutes. Immediately remove from oven. Let cool 1 to 2 minutes on cookie sheets, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely. Makes 25 to 30 cookies.

CAPTION(S):

5 photos

Photo:

(1 -- cover -- color) Rosh Hashana redesigned

Modern twists for the Jewish new year

(2 -- color) PURPLE CABBAGE SALAD

(3 -- color) SUNKEN APPLES AND HONEY TART

(4 -- color) POMEGRANATE CHICKEN

(5 -- color) GREEN BEANS WITH CRISPY SHALLOTS

Photographs from ``Kosher by Design,'' Mesorah Publications Ltd.