The Kefir Cookbook

As Smolyansky explains in this comprehensive debut cookbook, her parents introduced kefir, a fermented-milk drink, to America in 1986, a decade after they emigrated from Kiev. Today, she is the CEO of a multimillion-dollar family business, Lifeway Foods. Smolyansky skillfully demonstrates how a single ingredient can fortify an array of dishes, both savory and sweet. After delving into some family history while extolling the virtues of what her ancestors considered “a gift from the gods,” she provides 100 recipes spread across seven chapters. Smoothies, served in a glass or in a bowl, are a natural fit for kefir. Thirteen different choices are offered here, including the Purple Haze, which features blueberries and blackberries, and a cricket smoothie with mango, coconut, and a few tablespoons of ground cricket flour. Many of the soups and entrées reflect the author’s Eastern European roots. The mushroom and barley soup is thickened with kefir and garnished with truffle oil. The stuffed cabbage is cooked in a sauce of kefir, dill, and diced tomatoes. Tangy desserts include the Not-So-Red Velvet Cake, in which food coloring is replaced by red-beet powder and the butter cream is enriched with you-know-what. Fans of kefir, as well as those new to it, will find plenty to embrace here. (Mar.)