Scarsdale's Toby Amidor Publishes "The Best 3-Ingredient Cookbook"
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Scarsdale resident, nutritionist and cook Toby Amidor has just published her seventh cookbook, this one focused on making it easy to turn out great meals with limited ingredients. Her latest cookbook, “The Best 3-Ingredient Cookbook,” features recipes you can craft with only three ingredients, simplifying meals at a time when it can be difficult to locate all the ingredients needed for more complex meals.
Below find an interview with Amidor as well as two recipes from her book.
Tell us about yourself and your interest in cooking? When did you start developing recipes and writing cookbooks and what inspired you?
I graduated NYU master's program in clinical nutrition and dietetics together with my mother. I always loved the cooking labs we had to take. I then became an instructor at a culinary school and taught Nutrition for Culinary Professionals and learned a lot from my students as well. Twelve years ago I then became the nutrition expert for FoodNetwork.com and a founding contributor to their Healthy Eats blog. Through the years, I learned to love cooking and teach folks how to cook healthfully with easy to find foods that are affordable.
Has your focus changed over the years? Ingredients you like and use?
This is my seventh cookbook that is being published. All my cookbooks focus on the easy of cooking and doing so in a timely manner. Many of my cookbooks also include "Toby's Tip" at the bottom of the recipes which provide cooking tips and substitutions so you can make the dish to your liking or health needs.
My family is also from Israel and I am first generation American. As such, I do include many Mediterranean inspired recipes and ingredients that I use and incorporate daily into my dishes.
Do you develop and test recipes in your home kitchen?
Yes. All recipes are developed and tested in my home kitchen. I do have interns and/or assistants who do help me as well. My best assistants are my own kids Micah, age 13 and Ellena, age 15. They helps me to the point that they can help test recipes and help me with corrections on the recipe and ingredients. Because of this both girls have become fluent in the kitchen in both cooking and baking. The other day I asked Micah to cook something and all she said was, "Just give me the recipe and I can cook whatever you want." It is amazing!
How has the pandemic influenced what and how you cook?
I actually wrote and tested The Best 3-Ingredient Cookbook at the beginning of the pandemic. Luckily I was able to get all my ingredients from local supermarkets as when I ordered home delivery I didn't get everything I needed. I would test 20-30 recipes at a time and minimize my shopping trips. There are only 3 ingredients in each recipe so that made things easier. Usually I like to test less recipes per batch.
How long have you lived in Scarsdale and what do you enjoy about living here?
I moved to Scarsdale when I was 13, a freshman in high school and three of my siblings attended Scarsdale High School. I moved back after I had my son and he attended Fox Meadow Elementary School and is now attending the University of Michigan. I have been a Scarsdale resident for a very long time!
I love being able to do outdoor activities and recently during COVID I have become fond of fostering dogs from a non-profit agency recommended by another Scarsdale resident. It has been so fulfilling to be able to foster rescue dogs and I happen to adopt my own rescue dog as well, Joey, a German Shepherd mix.
Tell us about your latest book and share a few of your favorite recipes.
How many times have you opened a cookbook and been overwhelmed by the number of ingredients and amount of prep time needed for what sounded like a simple meal? In my new book The Best 3-Ingredient Cookbook, I presents 100 easy and delectable recipes. On every page, I provide options for freezer-friendly, one-pot and 15-minute meals, each needing only three ingredients that are already in your cupboard or easy to find at your nearest grocery.
Start your day with Pumpkin Oat Waffles or Pineapple Oatmeal and be ready for any challenge. Refuel at lunch with healthy Pesto Pizza or Tuna Stuffed Tomatoes. And after a long day relax with Spaghetti Carbonara or Easy Eggplant Parmesan. This easy to follow, fun cookbook will help you build your kitchen confidence. It’s full of my "Toby’s Tips" — great ideas for meal prep, quick meal planning, essential utensils, and ways to lighten up the dishes.
Roasted Cauliflower with Garlic and Parmesan
Roasted Cauliflower with Garlic and Parmesan
Ingredients
1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
6 cloves garlic, sliced
2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
Pantry Items
¼ cup olive oil, plus more for the baking sheet
¼ tsp salt
⅛ tsp ground black pepper
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
Brush the baking sheet with olive oil.
In a medium bowl, add the cauliflower, oil, garlic, salt and pepper. Toss to evenly coat. Place the cauliflower in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Place the baking sheet in the oven and roast until the cauliflower is slightly browned, 15 minutes, tossing halfway through.
Remove the baking sheet from the oven and sprinkle the cauliflower evenly with Parmesan cheese. Place the baking sheet back in the oven and continue cooking until the cheese has melted and is slightly browned, an additional 1 to 2 minutes.
Creamy Mac and Cheese
Creamy Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
10 oz dry elbow macaroni pasta
2 cups evaporated milk
2 cups shredded sharp (old) Cheddar cheese
Pantry Item:
⅛ tsp salt
Instructions
Place the pasta in a large skillet. Add the salt and enough cold water to just cover the pasta. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat.
Lower the heat to medium and continue cooking until most of the water is absorbed, about 6 minutes.
Add the evaporated milk and stir to combine. Raise the heat to high and bring the mixture to a gentle boil.
Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the cheese. Stir continuously until the mixture is smooth and has thickened, 1 to 2 minutes. Serve warm.
Recipes from The Best 3-Ingredient Cookbook by Toby Amidor and published by Robert Rose Books, October 2020. All rights reserved. Photo courtesy of Ashley Lima.
Lauren Levy Weds Danil Subkhankulov in Scarsdale
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Lauren Levy, daughter of Janet and Alan Levy, and Danil Subkhankulov, son of Natasha and Gumyar Subkhankulov, were married on Sunday September 13, 2020 by Rabbi Joshua Plaut at the bride’s parents’ home in Scarsdale. The bride graduated from Scarsdale High School, class of 2006, and received a BA degree from Boston University. She is the 6th generation of her family in the jewelry business, specializing in rare and vintage jewels (Instagram @LaurenDeyoungJewelry). The groom grew up in Staten Island, graduated from New York University and is employed by Select Equity. The couple plan to live temporarily in Florida and eventually settle back in New York. They met on the online App Coffee meets Bagel.
Letter to the Editor from Elizabeth Pforzheimer
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To the Candidates and Supporters of Row A
Chances are you moved to Scarsdale because of its effective and honest municipal services and its excellent school system. All this has been achieved through the long-standing non-partisan system of governance in effect here for 90 years.
If you consider how quickly a house can be demolished and how long it takes to rebuild, with a result that is often newer but not better, attacking the system which has served Scarsdale so well for so many years seems a foolish exercise. The visual and verbal pollution of partisan politics is also not welcome.
Please join the rest of the community in strengthening the non-partisan system and save the ad hominem insults and divisive techniques for another place.
Elizabeth Pforzheimer
Tompkins Road
School Board Nominating Committee Seeks Candidates
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The School Board Nominating Committee (SBNC) is seeking candidates to participate in Scarsdale’s vital nonpartisan process. The SBNC is a committee of citizens elected from across the Village for the important role of recruiting, vetting, and nominating candidates to fill vacancies on the Scarsdale Board of Education.
All residents who are qualified voters and interested in maintaining the excellence of Scarsdale schools are strongly urged to consider running for an SBNC position. Each year, two members are elected from each of the five elementary school districts to serve a term of three years on the Nominating Committee, followed by two additional years on the Administrative Committee. Terms begin in January 2021.
The deadline for candidates to submit materials is Monday, November 16, 2020. If you are interested in running for the SBNC, please visit our website for more information and biographical and petition forms:
Questions can be directed to Kathy Gray via email at kgrayclapp@aol.com.
Letters from Eli Mattioli, Michelle Sterling and Svati Shashank in Support of the Non-Partisan Party Slate
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Letter from Eli Mattioli
In Support of Electing the SCNPP’s Slate for Village Trustees on Sept. 15th
To the Editor: Earlier in this year of extended elections, Scarsdale10583’s Publisher endorsed Justin Arest, Lena Crandall and Randy Whitestone, the Scarsdale Citizens’ Non-Partisan Party candidates for Village Trustees (“Why I Support the Non-Partisan Party Slate,” Mar. 13, 2020), noting their experience, their passion and hard work for the Village, their willingness to engage with neighbors, and their ability to listen to and work well with others.
Much more recently, the Scarsdale Inquirer also endorsed Justin Arest, Lena Crandall and Randy Whitestone for election as Village Trustees (“Steady as we go,” Sept.4, 2020), stressing the promise of their ability to continue Scarsdale’s measured approach to local governance through fair, open and honest communications.
In stark contrast, the “Voters’ Choice Party” offers a slate of candidates who have repeatedly and consistently demonstrated a strong tendency to address matters of importance to Scarsdale residents through fear-mongering, abusive and divisive rhetoric, and unwarranted ridicule of the admirable performance our Mayor and Board of Trustees have rendered both before and after the onset of challenges presented by COVID-19.
The VCP approach should have no place in Scarsdale’s electoral process or our local governance. It is actually inimical to our democratic values. It is an approach that, unless summarily rejected by Scarsdale voters, in time may very well discourage capable residents from seeking local elected office for fear of being verbally attacked and defamed.
As a member of the SCNPP’s Campaign Committee, I express thanks for the Scarsdale10583’s and the Inquirer’s endorsements of Justin Arest, Lena Crandall and Randy Whitestone, and I urge all eligible Scarsdale residents to vote for these outstanding candidates in the Village Trustees election which is now set for September 15th at Scarsdale Congregational Church. Residents can vote absentee if they are uncomfortable voting in person at the SCC on account of concern about COVID-19; they can obtain and submit an absentee ballot on a quick stop at Village Hall through Monday September 14th. I believe it is important that the Scarsdale10583 and Inquirer endorsed SCNPP candidates be elected, and I hope Scarsdale voters take the small bit of time required to vote for them in this critical election.
Eli R. Mattioli
Drake Road
Letter from Svati Shashank
In Support of Lena Crandall
I am writing to support the candidature of Lena Crandall for village trustee. Lena has over the years, made invaluable and innumerable contributions to the Scarsdale community, especially her work towards creating green spaces in Scarsdale. In this letter, however, want to focus on my personal experience with Lena and the qualities that make her an excellent trustee.
Lena was in fact the first person I knew in Scarsdale village. I was an associate at a New York City law firm and worked with Lena's husband, Jeff, who was a partner there. I knew Jeff lived in Scarsdale, so when we were considering a move to Scarsdale, I spoke to him. Jeff put me in touch with Lena and that wonderful conversation with Lena was my first experience with Scarsdale.
Lena was welcoming, kind and reassuring. She is a kind, helpful and extremely inclusive person. I had concerns about moving to Scarsdale, a predominantly Caucasian community, being a South Asian immigrant. Lena not just assured me that Scarsdale was an inclusive community, but also put me in touch with other South Asian families so that I would have necessary resources. I had concerns about Scarsdale being a high powered community and the fact that both my husband and I were at that time associates at a law firm, and both of us had jobs in the city and no support system here. Once again, Lena provided a tremendous amount of reassurance and suggestions on how to navigate the various systems (school, rec services etc.).
Lena is a throughly fair-minded person and extremely committed to democracy. I do not say this lightly. We have often found ourselves at different ends of the political spectrum, but Lena unfailing ensures that everyone gets a voice and everyone gets a vote. She ensured that all impacted families were kept in the loop and given an opportunity to speak up when there were plans to build a pathway by the Bronx River Parkway which would run directly behind some of our backyards. She was, as I recall, in favor of the pathway, but felt that it would be undemocratic to not to allow everyone a voice. Coming from a family of immigrants from Eastern Europe during communist days, Lena deeply values freedom, democracy and the need for all voices to be heard. In her work as village trustee, I have full confidence that she does and will continue to prioritize the needs of the community, regardless of her own interest and ideas, to ensure that we continue to grow in a positive direction.
I supported Lena in the last election, and plan to do so in the upcoming election.
Yours sincerely,
Svati Kania Shashank
Letter from Michelle Sterling
Please Vote Row B - Arest, Crandall and Whitestone
I strongly support the slate of Justin Arest, Lena Crandall and Randy Whitestone. As a local volunteer myself, I have seen Arest and Crandall in action over the past two years on the Board of Trustees, and even before as local volunteers active in numerous town volunteer positions. Randy Whitestone has also been an active town volunteer over his many years as a resident. Arest, Crandall and Whitestone are intelligent, thoughtful, caring and hard-working residents that continue to give their time and expertise to build on the strengths of this community.
I have had the pleasure of working with both of these trustees on several sustainability initiatives such as the implementation of Scarsdale’s Food Scrap Recycling Program, the LED streetlight conversion and our ongoing project of working to ensure that our Village properties are maintained organically and without toxic chemicals. Working with Trustees Crandall and Arest, I can say that they always listen, consider the facts, and involve our Village volunteers in order to get to the best results for our community.
This year’s election is contested. So it is important that our residents vote, and know who they are voting for and how they got there. Thankfully our town has a non-partisan system, which means that we nominate candidates not based on political affiliation or personal agendas, but based on who they are as people and how they will represent our entire community. Arest and Crandall have shown us great character and achievements during the last two years and I am confident that the entire Row B slate of candidates will continue to do so going forward.
Please Vote for Row B - Arest, Crandall, and Whitestone - on September 15 at the Scarsdale Congregational Church.
Michelle Sterling
Brayton Road
