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2 FOOD DINING 0003 Hug For Passover ONINIO 8 who attends Juilliard. "When you write fiction, continued to study art at the Pratt Graphics it's like a big soup," she said. "You take real Center and got a job in publishing. "I realized ingredients and imaginary ones and mix them when I started working on other people's books together." that I could do that," she said. "Nine months later Zalben's real life looks as warm and fuzzy as I wrote my first book." Beni's.

She lives in a house overlooking the water Each of the Beni books, beginning with with her architect husband Steve, Jonathan and "Beni's First Chanukah" in 1988, describes a shank bone another son, Alexander. She has written 25 books Jewish holiday, with a strong emphasis on food cog over the past 25 years, each one illustrated with and cooking. "I cannot separate the Jewish detailed paintings done with superthin brushes. holidays from food," Zalben said. "Food conjures The cookbook and the novel were written during up the emotional feelings of the the same period, in her kitchen, where she keeps a Her recipes, which she tests in her home bitter herbs rabbit.

kitchen, are mostly from family. Some additional horseradish mutzoh "I would get up in the morning and cook and recipes were taken from friends and then write down the recipes and illustrate them," acquaintances, such as the Sephardic charoseth she said. "Then, in the afternoon, I'd work on recipe for Passover. my novel. It was a really good period in my life." The recipes are written as if it were an adult Zalben's own childhood, however, was not cookbook, without regard to how complicated it parsley haroset idyllic.

Although she doesn't give details, she said, might be. Zalben said this was done deliberately. "Some authors write to reinvent their lives." "I don't talk down to children in my regular books, Zalben grew up in the Whitestone section of and I didn't want to in this cookbook," she said. Queens and attended the High School of Music and With her own children, she said, "We made Art. She earned a bachelor's degree in art from real food with real recipes, and they have always Queens College, where she met her husband.

She been By Wendy Lin STAFF WRITER ENI life sister IS than A Sara, many fictional cousins humans bear, Max but can and he hope Rosie has for. a and He richer a has a for Beni a Zalben's and seder new in family Jane cookbook. prepare host of other near and dear relatives. They spend a The illustration above left lot of time, according to a series of children's books about Beni, celebrating the Jewish holidays by is also from the Passover cooking and eating. section of the book.

Now Beni has his own cookbook. "Beni's Family Cookbook for the Jewish Holidays" (Holt, $19.95) is a collection of 60 recipes organized by holiday. It is the creation of Jane Breskin Zalben, a Sands Point artist and author of children's books. It follows a series of six Beni storybooks including "Papa's Latkes," "Goldie's Purim," "Happy Passover, Rosie" that chronicle the cozy life of the bear according to holiday. It is a life much like Zalben's.

For instance, both Beni and Zalben have cousins named Max, maternal grandfathers named Fishel, cousins named Goldie, Molly and Sam. "This was my Jewish 'Like Water for said Zalben, referring to the Laura Esquivel novel interspersed with Mexican recipes, Zalben's most recent novel, "Unfinished Dreams, "is about an 11-year-old Long Island boy who wants to study violin at Juilliard and who sounds a lot like her 15-year-old son, Jonathan, cup granulated sugar 1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a bowl, combine almonds with coconut and salt. 2.

Add vanilla extract to beaten egg whites. Gradually add sugar to make a frothy snow. Fold into almond mixture. 3. Line an ungreased cookie sheet with aluminum foil, or use a nonstick baking sheet.

Spoon heaping teaspoons onto sheet to form cone-shaped balls. Place at least 1 inch apart. 4. Bake 20 to 30 minutes until lightly browned. Cool at room temperature and peel macaroons from foil.

Makes 16 to 20 large macaroons. Beni's Brownies cup (1 stick) unsalted butter or margarine cup granulated sugar, B23 7 ounces semisweet chocolate mixer, slowly adding salt and remain- large mixing bowl. Add 1 cup boiling 4 large eggs, separated ing cup of sugar until stiff peaks water. Cover bowl immediately with a 1 teaspoon vanilla extract form. dish towel to hold in steam.

Keep covPinch of cinnamon 5. Fold egg whites into batter. Mix ered several minutes until matzoh is cup Passover cake meal (see note) thoroughly by hand. soft. If still hard, add a little more teaspoon salt (optional) 6.

Pour into a greased boiling water. Drain off excess liquid. Crushed walnuts to taste (Beni added baking dish. Dot top with walnuts. Mash matzoh.

the sugar over low heat. Stir to dissolve Note: Passover cake meal, ground mushy. 1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a Cool.

Cut into squares. Makes 15 until frothy. Pour over matzoh. Add saucepan, melt butter with cup of brownies. salt and pepper to taste.

Stir until about cup) Bake 30 minutes, or until top is crusty. 2. In a separate bowl, beat eggs AVOSMEN. sugar. finer than matzoh meal, can be found 3.

Refrigerate about 30 minutes 2. Melt chocolate with butter and su- in the supermarket. to solidify. gar. Stir until melted.

Remove from 4. With your hands, form dough heat. Set aside to cool at room tempera- into pancakes approximately 4 inches ture. Cousin Max' Matzoh Brei in diameter. Place into hot, 3.

In a small bowl, beat egg yolks 4 generously greased frying pan. Once minutes until thick and pale yellow in 3 matzohs pancake is solid, turn over, fry other egg 5 color. Add vanilla, cinnamon and cake 1 cup boiling water side until golden brown, then remove. meal. Whisk into the warm chocolate 2 large eggs, beaten 5.

Serve with maple syrup or 466 mixture. Salt and pepper to taste (optional) raspberry jam. Makes 4 to 6 pancakes, 4. Beat egg whites with an electric 1. Break matzohs into small pieces in depending on thickness..