For most home cooks, a simple but still delicious meal with a minimum of fuss and ingredients is an everyday necessity. However, there are also times when a recipe calls for something different, maybe a bit out of the ordinary. Yet few home cooks have the time to source and try new variations to favorite recipes. 

In her latest cookbook, Variations, Daniella Silver, author of the best-selling Silver Platter series of cookbooks, has created recipes that use basic, simple ingredients and provides variations that present a different way to showcase the main recipe.

Each recipe in the book includes a “variation” of that recipe. These variations present a different way to showcase the main recipe; they often include additional ingredients, shown in bold type, to make a completely new dish. The photo on each page displays both the main recipe and the variation, so home cooks can see how each of them will look after they have been prepared.

“I am so excited to share this new cookbook with everyone. I am not a chef. What I like to call myself is a creative cook. I enjoy using simple ingredients, color, and texture, while incorporating versatility. I hope Variations redefines how we think about cooking and allows people to be more creative in the kitchen.”

Sweet Potato Pear Soup

Pareve I Passover I gluten-free I freezes well I yields 8-10 servings

2 Tbsp extra light olive oil

1 large onion, diced

2 ribs celery, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 tsp)

kosher salt

black pepper

4 large sweet potatoes - peeled and chopped

3 Asian or Bosc pears - peeled and chopped

1 tsp sweet paprika

pinch dried thyme

5-6 cups water or vegetable broth

-       Heat oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add onion, celery, garlic, salt, and pepper; sauté for 8-10 minutes, until golden.

-       Add sweet potatoes, pears, paprika, thyme, and water. Bring to a boil.

-       Reduce heat. Simmer, partially covered, for 40-45 minutes, or until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; let cool slightly.

-       Using an immersion blender, process soup until smooth. If soup is too thick, add a little water. Adjust seasonings to taste.

Variation

cinnamon sugar pears - Prepare soup as directed. Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat a cooking rack or pizza tray with nonstick cooking spray. Slice 2 additional pears very thinly (do not peel). Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon on both sides. Bake, uncovered, for 20-25 minutes until golden. Garnish the soup with baked pears or sprinkle soup with thyme leaves.