Blog Appetit

Ohs of Joy -- Really Good Bagels Made at Home by Normal (Well, Pretty Normal) Folks Who Know From Good Bagels

2012-01-27T14:29:00.000-08:00

Baked plain, salt and sesame seed bagels

There are a couple of ways to approach making homemade bagels.

The first is to be determined to make great, nay legendary, bagels better than one can get locally (unless locally is near a renown bagel making bakery), using techniques perfected by bagel makers of yore (specifically Bagel Makers Union 338).

The other way is just get a bunch of friends together to enjoy the process, bake some bagels and enjoy a nice brunch.

A group of friends, Gary and I opted to be social bagel makers and had a grand time doing it. We tested two recipes. One, quite frankly, made great pretzels. Which would have been fine except we were making bagels. The other made great tasting bagels. The crust wasn’t as shiny or crisp as we might like in an ideal world, but was more than good enough. The insides, oh my, but the insides. These bagels shone with inner beauty. The bite was pleasantly chewy with just the right amount of resistance; the taste was clean with just the right amount of tang. Spread with cream cheese, slathered with butter, encumbered with lox, cucumbers, tomatoes and onions, these bagels added to the experience.

The recipe for bagels that turned out to make a good pretzel (seriously, we were dipping the baked rings into salt and mustard) offered us ease, a quick rise (40 minutes), a dunk in boiling water and a 20 minute bake. I had the dough ready to go when our friends arrived ready to roll (or poke) the bagel dough in shape. The payoff was dense, hard bagels.

The other recipe I made the night before including shaping the bagels. They were kept in the fridge overnight and then boiled and baked the next morning. This is the batch we were in ecstasy about.

Basically I didn’t find making these bagels that complicated. You just had to follow the steps. Here are some tips based on my bagel making experience.

Prepare to hand knead unless you have a truly heavy duty mixer. Bagel dough is stiff. It wants you to beat it up, so don’t feel guilty about pushing it around. Prepare to knead for at least 10 minutes. Think of it as working off the calories just eating one of these beauties is going to cost you. Since this dough is so stiff, be aware that if you are contemplating multiplying the recipe you’ll need forearms like Popeye and hands like a masseuse to knead more than one batch concurrently.

Teen friend's artwork from bagel party

Recognize you are not a professional baker – you will make mistakes, but they will be delicious. I used oiled parchment paper to line the first batch’s baking trays (which some recipes recommended). I should have used cornmeal. My golden brown, perfectly round bagels stuck like an s.o.b. (son of a bagel) to that paper. What could we do? We left them on their parchment paper until the guests had arrived and could ooh and ahh over their supposed perfection. Then Gary sliced them off with a bread knife.

Give your bagels a good poke. Before we attempted this I read recipe after recipe and sought out photos and videos on how to shape the bagels. When I finally got down to actually shaping them I threw out all by notions of rolling out perfect rings and went for the ball and poke technique described in the recipe. Even the kids (ages 4-13) were able to shape great looking bagels. (Again, recognize you do not have your bagel making union card, so whatever gets the job done is fine, especially if you are a social bagel baker. Ignore this advice if you are attempting legendary bagels, this advice would then be heresy to you.)

Be patient. The dough takes time to come together and absorb all that flour. It takes time to knead, shape and rise again. Boiling and baking really didn’t take that long, but you should wait until the hot bagels have cooled a bit so you can properly taste them (not to mention avoid burning hands and or tongue).

Be skimpy with your toppings. Sprinkle perhaps a tablespoon or two of sesame seeds, poppy seeds or kosher salt over the top of your bagels. Too much will overpower the bagels. Respect the heritage of the plain bagel and the limitations of the home kitchen and do not attempt an asiago-cranberry-garlic-everything bagel. This is an abomination as per my official bagel religion. If you are an unbeliever, add your chocolate chips, but be prepared when you meet your bagel maker to answer for such transgressions.

What I would do different? I think I would play around with the boiling time (make it a bit longer) and maybe add some malt syrup to the boiling water to see if I could get a smoother, shinier crust with a tad more toothiness. (Some add an egg glaze before baking the bagels to replicate this crust, but I resisted that technique for purist reasons.) I would have used cornmeal on the baking tray (maybe with the parchment) so that the bagels wouldn’t have glued themselves to the paper and have had to be surgically removed.

I don’t like to repost other bloggers' recipes without permission and to be honest my Really Good Bagels recipe is not that different than the one posted by The Fresh Loaf blog and forum (the author who in turn adapted it from the book The Bread Baker’s Apprentice.) Thanks to Floyd Mann, the genius behind The Fresh Loaf, for his permission to reprint his recipe. The recipe is included at the bottom of this post, or you can click here to see it instead.

Here are the changes I made to The Fresh Loaf recipe to create my Really Good Bagels:

Sponge:
The water should be lukewarm (hot tap water).

Dough:
I used the malt syrup. This is easy to find at Whole Foods and other natural foods groceries.

Shaping and forming:
I cut into pieces slightly smaller than Fresh Loaf did – about 4.25 ounces, resulting in 13 bagels (a baker’s dozen) and 1 mini. Using a scale really helped for this process. If you don’t have one, just try to get your dough pieces as even as possible.

Boiling bagels before baking

After rolling each dough piece into a ball and letting rest for 20 minutes I used the ball and poke method Fresh Loaf did, which is basically poking your thumb through the center of each roll and then, keeping your thumb in the middle, turning the dough to smooth and even out the dough ring. Make your hole about an inch or more in diameter to resist the forces of an overnight rising and subsequent baking and remain a hole.

Boiling and Baking:

I added the baking soda to the water and boiled the bagels about 1 1/2-2 minutes on each side.
I baked them for about 10 minutes total at 500 degrees (I did not adjust the heat down as Fresh Loaf does).

Below is The Fresh Loaf's bagel recipe, reprinted with permission.

The Fresh Loaf Bagel Recipe
Makes about a dozen bagels

Adapted by The Fresh Loaf website from the book The Bread Baker’s Apprentice.

I have made a few edits for clarity since the recipe had comments written in the first person, but this is The Fresh Loaf recipe without any changes in ingredients or directions.

Bagel ingredients and shaped rings

Sponge:
1 teaspoon instant yeast
4 cups bread flour
2 1/2 cups lukewarm water

Dough:
1/2 teaspoon instant yeast
3 3/4 cups bread flour
2 3/4 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon malt syrup

For boiling and baking:
1 Tbs. baking soda
Cornmeal for dusting the pan
Toppings for the bagels such as seeds or kosher salt

The Night Before:
Stir the yeast into the flour in a large mixing bowl. Add the water and stir until all ingredients are blended. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise for two hours. Remove the plastic wrap and stir the additional yeast into the sponge. Add 3 cups of the flour, the malt powder (the one unusual ingredient, which Mann was able to find at the local health food store), and the salt into the bowl and mix until all of the ingredients form a ball. You need to work in the additional 3/4 cups of flour to stiffen the dough, either while still mixing in the bowl or while kneading. The dough should be stiffer and drier than normal bread dough, but moist enough that all of the ingredients are well blended.

Pour the dough out of the bowl onto a clean surface and knead for 10 minutes.
Immediately after kneading, split the dough into a dozen small pieces around 4 1/2 ounces each. Roll each piece into a ball and set it aside. When you have all 12 pieces made, cover them with a damp towel and let them rest for 20 minutes.

Shaping the bagel is a snap: punch your thumb through the center of each roll and then rotate the dough, working it so that the bagel is as even in width as possible.

Place the shaped bagels on an oiled sheet pan, with an inch or so of space between one another (use two pans, if you need to). If you have parchment paper, line the sheet pan with parchment and spray it lightly with oil before placing the bagels on the pan. Cover the pan with plastic and allow the dough to rise for about 20 minutes. Place the pan into the refrigerator for the night.

The Next Day:

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add baking soda to the pot to alkalize the water.

When the pot is boiling, drop a few of the bagels into the pot one at a time and let them boil for 1 minute. Use a large, slotted spoon or spatula to gently flip them over and boil them on the other side. Before removing them from the pot, sprinkle corn meal onto the sheet pan. Remove them one at a time, set them back onto the sheet pan, and top them right away, while they are still slightly moist. Repeat this process until all of the bagels have been boiled and topped.

Once they have, place the sheet pan into the preheated oven and bake for 10 minutes. After 5 minutes rotate the pan. bake until the bagels begin to brown. Remove the pan from the oven and let cool for as long as you can without succumbing to temptation.

Yikes - Sorry

2012-01-24T20:32:00.000-08:00

I am more behind in keeping up the blog than normal, but I promise to catch up soon.
In the meantime, I have written a few recipe concepts over at my all vegan all the time blog, Dish it Up Vegan. Please click over there to see some of what I've been eating.

Say It With Cookies - Happy Holidays

2011-12-23T10:16:00.000-08:00

These gorgeous cut-out linzer cookies were made by the wonderful Anita Chu of Dessert First and part of the recent holiday cookie swap at the home of La Vie En Route blogger Annelies Hyatt Zijderveld.

There was lots of good cookies, good cheer and good company, but probably the most fun was had by rearranging the letters left of Anita's cookies once you ate one. It became kind of a game, if you ate one you had to play cookie anagrams and make sense of the remaining letters.

Happy Holidays to you and yours.
All the best for 2012

Faith

P.S. What cookies did I bring? I brought a version of my peppermint candy cookies.

Nothing Says Chanukah Better than Vegan Latkes

2011-12-20T12:13:00.000-08:00

Vegan latkes use flax seeds as binder

Tonight's the first night of Chanukah (or Hanukkah or Hanukah or even Xanuka). It's always very special watching the glow of the menorah's candles in the darkened room surrounded by those I love. (You can find links to all my Chanukah posts here)

Since I'm about 99.9% vegan these days (I do still create and sample non-vegan recipes but I don't inhale), I thought I'd try adapting my latke recipe so I could scarf them up just like everybody else. The recipe worked well and the non-vegans who sampled the test batch liked them just as much as I did. The flax seeds gave the latkes a faintly nutty taste that was very pleasant. Since the symbolism of the fried potato pancake at Chanukah is all about the oil, not about the egg, a vegan latke is perhaps unorthodox but still in keeping with holiday tradition. If you would like the recipe and technique to make the more traditional latkes, please click here.

Vegan Latkes
Serves 6 as a side dish, if this is a main course serves about 4. If you are feeding folks that like to grab the hot latkes right out of the fry pan for a little taste or nosh, yield will be significantly less.

I use flax seeds that come preground. I don't peel the potatoes. Shredding the onions with the potatoes is alleged to help retard browning, however once the potatoes are fried, any discoloration can't really be seen.

4 Tbs. ground flax
3/4 cup of water
3 lbs. of russet, Idaho or other baking potato, peeling optional
1 large onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
Canola or other frying oil

Mix the ground flax seeds with the water. Stir or whisk until combined. Let sit for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until thick and gelatinous.

Shred potatoes alternating with onion. (Larger shreds produce lacier latkes with rougher edges. Fine shreds or grated potatoes produce more "pancake"-like latkes.) Squeeze dry and discard liquid. Stir in garlic, salt, pepper and flax seed mixture. Mix well. Let sit for a few minutes so mixture can bind.

In a very large skillet (the heavier the better) over medium-high heat, heat oil that is about 1/4-inch deep until it is very hot. (I drop a bit of batter in to see if it sizzles with bubbles all around.) Take a handful of the batter (about 1/4 to 1/3 cup depending on how large you want the pancakes) and press the the batter between two hands to make a patty, squeezing again to remove any moisture. Place carefully in the hot oil, pressing down with a spatular on the latke occasionally to flatten it some what. Do not over crowd the pancakes in the pan. Fry them until browned on both sides and crisp on the edges, adding more oil as needed. Drain on parchment paper (see note below). Repeat until all latkes are fried. Keep cooked latkes warm in a low (250 degree) oven if desired.

Note: The flax seeds not only "glue" the potato shreds together, they also cause the latkes to stick to paper towels or brown paper bags (the usual medium for draining them). Use the parchment paper instead to avoid or lessen the problem or pat the latkes with a paper towel and set them directly on the serving platter.

Pot Roast 101 and a Recipe for Pot Roast with Tamarind

2011-12-19T20:51:00.000-08:00

Gary likes to shred our pot roast. We served it in its sauce over latkes.

My mother was the queen of the pot roast, so making pot roast is part of my culinary heritage. It’s a natural for holiday dinners (such as Chanukah or Rosh Hashanah) since your can cook it in advance and just reheat before serving. In fact, it is almost required to cook in advance. There are two reasons for that. The first is that the flavors just get even better by letting it sit overnight and eating the next day. The second is that there is absolutely no predicting when the pot roast will be done. It could take two hours, it could take four. I had one particularly reluctant specimen take eight hours until it reached the perfect you could cut-it-with-a-fork tenderness.

Making pot roast is really very easy, but here are some tips to help ensure success:

Cut away any extra surface fat, but don’t pick a piece of meat that is too lean. (That eight-hour pot roast was very, very lean). I like to use boneless chuck roast, which I find flavorful and relatively economical.
Be sure to use a flavorful liquid and enough of it. Think of the liquid as your flavor vehicle. In the recipe below I use tamarind and tomatoes for flavoring. You could use wine and or broth for a more traditional pot roast flavor combination.
Be sure to add enough seasoning. However, if you are using a kashered piece of meat you might want to go sparingly on the salt and season the gravy/sauce to compensate after you taste the cooked meat and sauce. I find that meat that has been kashered (salted and drained according to the Jewish dietary laws) retains some residual salting and I can’t predict how little or much that will be.

Use a heavy enough pan or put a flame tamer or heat diffuser underneath a thinner pot to be sure you have even heat and to avoid burning.

Leave yourself enough time. With a pot roast, meat passes through stages from raw to appearing to be cooked but hard as rock to full submission with the desired degree to tenderness. The long, moist-heat cooking is breaking down the proteins and connective tissue, so you can’t just give a time for cooking a pot roast. Keep checking, add more liquid if need be and keep cooking until a cooking fork pretty much glides through the meat. If your pot roast is recalcitrant and just won’t get to that final stage of melt-in-the-mouth softness, you have two choices. Store it in the cooking liquid overnight and cook it further the next day and see if even more cooking will help or shredding it instead of slicing it against the grain. Serving the pot roast shredded over mashed or boiled potatoes, noodles, soft polenta or similar is actually our favorite to serve it.

Pot Roast with Tamarind and Syrian Jewish Flavors

Serves about 6

The tamarind adds a slight tart note to the sauce that really complements the rich beef flavor.

2 Tbs. vegetable oil

1 onion, thinly sliced

4 garlic cloves, minced

3 lb. boneless chuck roast

1-28 oz. can whole tomatoes, undrained

½ tsp plus ¼ tsp. salt

½ tsp. ground black pepper

½ tsp. ground cinnamon

½ tsp. ground allspice

1 tsp. brown sugar

4 tsp. plus 2 tsp. tamarind paste or concentrate

1-2 cups of water

2 Tbs. tomato paste

Add oil to a large, heavy pot. Heat over medium high heat and add onion slices. Sauté until just softened then add garlic and sauté until onions are golden. Remove onion and garlic from pot and reserve. Add meat and brown on all sides. Lower heat to medium. Add back the onions and garlic. Add tomatoes with their liquid. Using a spatula break up tomatoes into fourths. Stir. Add ½ tsp. of the salt and the pepper, cinnamon, allspice and stir. Add brown sugar and 4 tsp. of tamarind paste. Add enough water to bring liquid mixture to the top of the chuck roast. Stir well. Add tomato paste, stir again. Bring the meat and liquid to a simmer. Cover and lower heat to keep at a simmer, mixing sauce and turning meat occasionally until meat is as tender as you like, approximately 2 to 4 hours. Remove meat to a cutting board until cool enough to handle. While the meat is cooling, raise the heat on the liquid, add the 2 remaining tsp. of tamarind paste and cook uncovered at a low boil, stirring occasionally until it has reduced down to a gravy or sauce-like thickness. Taste and add in the ¼ tsp. of salt if desired. Slice the meat thinly against the grain or shred. Mix the meat back into the reduced sauce and reheat and serve or (preferably) store the meat in the sauce overnight in the refrigerator and gently reheat the next day.

-----------------------------------
For a round up of Chanukah (Hanukkah) recipes and information on Blog Appetit, including recipes for potato pancakes (latkes), check out this post.
For other pot roasts on Blog Appetit - check out the zippy cranberry version or my spicy pot roast with a kick
For pot roast recipes from around the web, check out Kayln's Kitchen's crock pot version, Simply Recipe's several recipes and Pioneer Woman's pictorial tutorial and recipe.

Four New Latke Toppings! Make Your Potato Pancakes Zing with Apple Pear Sauce, Beet-Horseradish Topping, Apple-Red Onion Compote and Apple Cinnamon Sour Cream

2011-12-18T12:00:00.000-08:00

Apple Pear Sauce and Apple and Red Onion Compote for topping latkes

For many, latkes need no more than a dripping of sauce from a pot roast or brisket, a spoonful of apple sauce or maybe a shmear of sour cream. Then there are folks who like their latkes sprinkled with a bit of sugar. But for those who want to try something new this Chanukah season (or really any time), below are some recipes to plop atop their potato pancakes.

The Apple and Red Onion Compote adds savory but still sweet flavor to complement the rich taste of the fried potatoes. The Apple, Beet and Horseradish Topping is reminiscent of borscht with all the trimmings. The flavor combination is based on a salad of fresh shredded beets and horseradish I once had in a Ukrainian restaurant on the Lower East Side in New York. Be sure to use the plain, white prepared bottled horseradish without cream or beets. I like the Apple Pear Sauce best with unpeeled fruit, but peeling is an option if you prefer. Finally, the Apple Cinnamon Sour Cream Topping was developed by Green Valley Organics of Sebastopol, CA, for use with its kosher, lactose-free sour cream, but I think it works well with regular sour cream, too.

Apple and Red Onion Compote
Makes about 2 cups

1 medium red onion
2 Tbs. vegetable oil
2 medium apples, peeled, cored and cut into ½” cubes
1 cup apple juice
1 Tbs. brown sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
1/8 tsp. ground coriander

Slice onions very thinly and then cut slice in half. Heat oil in large pan, Sauté onions over low heat until very soft, add apples and apple juice, raise heat to medium high. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Add sugar, salt, cloves and coriander. Cover and continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, until the apples are very soft but not mushy, about 30 minutes. Remove lid and raise heat to high and cook, stirring, until all the pan juices have thickened and the mixture is no longer liquid. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Apple, Beet and Horseradish Topping
Makes about 2 and 1/2 cups

1 medium apple, peeled and cored
2 Tbs. lemon juice
1-15 oz. can of sliced beets, drained
1-2 Tbs. or to taste plain, prepared bottled white horseradish
1/2 cup sour cream

Chop apple into 1/4” pieces, mix with lemon juice and drain. Chop beets into 1/4” pieces, mix with drained apples. Stir in horseradish to taste. Refrigerate. Just before serving, pour off any liquid and mix with sour cream. Serve immediately.

Apple Pear Sauce
Makes about 3 cups

3 medium apples, peeling optional
2 Bartlett pears, ripe but firm, peeling optional
2 Tbs. lemon juice
3/4 cup apple juice

Core and cut apples and pears into 1” cubes. Toss with lemon juice. Put in medium pot with juice over low heat. Cover and cook at a simmer. Using a heavy spoon, stir, mash and break up pieces of the fruit occasionally as the sauce cooks. Once the fruit is very tender, about 30 minutes, (peeled fruit may require less time). Remove lid, raise heat to high and simmer for 10 minutes to thicken juices. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Apple Cinnamon Sour Cream Topping
(From Green Valley Organics)
Makes about 3 cups

For a non-dairy option, try plain soy yogurt.

1-12 oz. container regular or lactose-free sour cream
2/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 Tbs. brown sugar OR 1 Tbs. agave nectar, to taste
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp. salt
1 unpeeled apple, cored and shredded

Mix sour cream, applesauce, brown sugar or agave, cinnamon and salt together. Roll shredded apple in a clean kitchen towel and squeeze out excess water. Stir drained apple shreds into the sour cream mixture. Adjust seasonings to taste and refrigerate until ready to serve.
---------------------------
The version of this post originally appeared in the j. weekly.
Need recipes, suggestions, background on Chanukah (Hanukkah) - check out my round up here.

Give the Gift of Peppermint Bark, Chocolate Truffles and Peanut Brittle for a Really Sweet Holiday Season

2011-12-07T13:40:00.000-08:00

Rolling chocolate truffle in cocoa before serving or packaging

When I’m looking for hostess gifts or teacher presents this time of year, I often think of home-made candies. A tin or box of these treats is always appreciated. The candies also are good make-ahead desserts.

Two of these recipes have appeared in the blog before. My youngest son and I created the Peppermint Bark recipe after he developed a taste for an expensive store-bought version of the candy. Children can help bash the peppermint candies into bits (under supervision, of course). The Cinnamon Almond Truffles evolved from a chocolate frosting recipe when I was looking for a non-dairy dessert. The Microwave Peanut Brittle is new to Blog Appetit and is one of the easiest I’ve ever made (although always be careful when working with hot sugar). The recipe is adapted from the cookbook that came with my first microwave oven.

(Note: All three recipes are vegan if you use vegan ingredients. Probably the toughest to find is vegan white chocolate, but it is out there. You may need to use chips instead of block chocolate.)

Dress up your candy by putting pieces into colorful candy cups or mini-muffin or cupcake liners. Look in dollar or other stores for inexpensive packaging to gussy up your sweet offerings.

Peppermint Bark
Makes about 1 3/4 lbs. of candy

4 oz. round, wrapped peppermint hard candies (such as Starlight)
1 lb. semisweet chocolate, chopped
12 oz. white chocolate, chopped

Line an approximately 10” by 15” rimmed baking tray with aluminum foil. Make sure the foil lining extends beyond the sides of the pan. Unwrap candies and put them inside doubled heavy-duty plastic zipper-lock bags. Seal the bags, taking care all the air is removed. Place on a cutting board on a steady, durable surface. Hit the candies with a rolling pin, meat tenderizer or hammer until the candies are broken into approximately 1/4-inch pieces.

Melt the semisweet chocolate. Spread the melted chocolate in an even layer across the bottom of the prepared baking tray. Place pan with chocolate in the refrigerator.

Melt the white chocolate. Take pan with semisweet layer out of refrigerator and spread melted white chocolate on top. Working quickly, evenly scatter peppermint candy pieces on top, pressing down slightly on larger chunks to make sure they adhere. Put back in the refrigerator until firm, about a half hour. Using the foil lining, lift the bark out of the pan. Peel off the foil and break into irregularly shaped pieces. Store in the refrigerator in a sealed storage bag or container. Take out about 20 minutes before serving.

Vegan Cinnamon-Almond Chocolate Truffles
Makes about 24 Truffles

If you want to make a more traditional truffle, check out this recipe from the now-defunct Charles Chocolates. I've also made these with raspberry-almond flavoring by skipping the cinnamon and using half raspberry and half almond extracts.

3 oz. plain unsweetened soy milk
3 Tbs. parve margarine, cut into small chunks
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. almond extract
5 oz. semisweet chocolate chips
Cocoa powder, optional

Simmer soy milk over medium heat. Add margarine, stirring until dissolved. Stir in cinnamon and almond extract. Reduce heat to very low. Add chocolate, stirring constantly until thoroughly melted. Refrigerate covered for several hours until the mixture is solid but pliable (it may be a bit crumbly). Oil hands and measuring spoon if desired. Spoon out about 2 tsp. of the chocolate mixture and using hands and fingers roll, press or pinch into rough rounds. Store covered in refrigerator and take out about 20 minutes before serving and roll in cocoa powder if using.

Microwave Peanut Brittle
Makes about 1 1/2 lbs. of candy

1 tsp. butter or margarine plus extra for greasing baking tray
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 cup salted peanuts (not dry roasted)
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. baking soda

Note: Times are given for 800-1000 watt microwaves. For ovens with a higher wattage, try reducing cooking times by about 1 minute at each stage.

Grease baking tray and set aside. In a 2-quart heat-proof glass casserole dish (do not use plastic), combine sugar and corn syrup. Stir. Cook in microwave on high for 4 minutes Mixture should be beginning to bubble and starting to brown. Stir. Add peanuts. Mix well. Cook on high for 3 1/2 minutes. Stir in butter and vanilla. Cook on high for 1 1/2 minutes. Candy should be browned but not burnt, liquid and bubbly. Remove from microwave, immediately stir in baking soda until light and foamy. Pour onto buttered tray and spread until it is about 1/4” thick. (It spreads easier if the baking tray has been warmed slightly.) Cool, break into pieces. Store in airtight container.

--------------------------
A version of this post first appeared in the j. weekly.

Chanukah (or Hanukah or Hanukkah) Recipes and Background on Blog Appetit

2011-12-06T13:31:00.000-08:00

Just one of the many good things to eat at Chanukah -- Jelly Doughnuts

Lots of good food and details about this festival of lights and fried foods here on Blog Appetit.

Here's a run down of offerings from Chanukahs past. Watch for another post with this year's offerings.

Food

Israeli Jelly Doughnuts -- Called sufganiyot, these delicious filled pastries are not that hard to make, but they are exacting. I give you all the details on how to make them.

Traditional Latkes -- Potato pancakes are the gold standard holiday food, at least for Jews from an Eastern European background. This recipe is the one I've been using as long as I've been making latkes and it is tried and true. Latkes is the Yiddish term. Levivot the Hebrew one.

Shortcut Latkes -- Hey sometimes you just need to not shred five pounds of potatoes, I get it. On those nights, try this recipe.

While many Jews can live on latkes alone, others of us like to gild the lily by serving it with something more than sour cream and or apple sauce. (A sizable portion of Jews also grew up sprinkling sugar on their latke, but my people are not from that tribe.)

This post has a wonderful cranberry pot roast recipe and lots of suggestions on what to serve with latkes from spiced applesauce to some siracha sauce. I also like to serve the latkes with my homemade gravlax (cured salmon). Or try my recipe for roasted applesauce with warm spices.

Eating dairy foods is another Chanukah tradition. This California Kugel with lots of crunchy granola and dried fruits makes a nice light supper, brunch or dessert offering. Or try this cinnamon bun kugel recipe.

For something very different, I combine two cultural traditions into one very special Chanukah dish - spicy tzimmes (beef and dried fruit stew) tamales.

For information on Chanukah foods and traditions from around the world, click here.

History and Observance
Did you know there are 16 ways to spell Chanukah in English? Check out the info near the end of this post from last year.

For some of the history and background about this holiday, click here.

For tips on how to play the spinning top game known as dreidel (including directions on how to make one of your own), this post is the tops.

Learn how to light the menorah (or more accurately the hanukkiah) here

Feel free to post links to other Chanukah offerings by you or other bloggers in the comments section.

UPDATE: 2011 Chanukah offerings from Blog Appetit
4 New Latke Toppings to Make Your Potato Pancakes Zing
Everything You Wanted to Know about Making a Pot Roast and a Pot Roast with Tamarind Recipe
Make Mine Vegan -- Vegan Latkes

Adding Meaning (and Jewish Flavors) to the Thanksgiving Table with Recipes for Pumpkin Hummus and More

2011-11-17T19:05:00.000-08:00

Pumpkin Hummus with Za'atar Drizzle

I recently had the opportunity to speak about inviting Judaism to the Thanksgiving table. Other folks were talking about prayers and traditions and I was to focus on the food, but it seemed to me to be a larger issue -- that what we really wanted to do was to add meaning.

My resulting presentation started off with a Thanksgiving trivia game and then I gave a number of resources to help add meaning, explanation and participation to the dinner to make it a more of a home ritual observance beyond friends, family and football without losing its all-inclusive, American nature.

I also developed some recipes to give the food a bit of a Jewish twist.
The Pumpkin Hummus with Za’atar Drizzle is a versatile appetizer with Middle Eastern and New World flavors. It is quick and easy to put together. Make the Challah “Stuffing” Kugel with Fresh Herbs in a shallow baking dish for lots of crusty bits or a deeper dish for lots of succulent ones. Either way, it’s a savory way to serve dressing this Thanksgiving. If the fresh herbs are not available, substitute about a third of the amount of dried, ground sage and thyme. Canned whole berry cranberry sauce is the basis of a Cranberry-Date “Charoset” with pecans and orange zest. It combines North American and Sephardic elements.

Pumpkin Hummus with Za’atar Drizzle
Makes 8 appetizer servings

7-8 oz. container of unflavored hummus
1 cup canned or fresh pumpkin puree (do not use canned pumpkin pie filling)
2 Tbs. za’atar seasoning mix (or use 5 tsp. ground oregano, 1⁄4 tsp. of cumin and 1 tsp. sesame seeds)
1/4 cup olive oil
6-8 flatbreads or pita breads

Mix hummus with pumpkin puree. In a separate bowl, combine za’atar with olive oil and stir well. Heat flatbreads or pitas in dry fry pan or griddle until warm and toasted. Either serve as a topped flatbread or dip. To serve as a flatbread, spread the pumpkin hummus on the bread, drizzle with za’atar mix and cut into triangles. To serve as a dip, stir half of the za’atar into the hummus until just combined and you can still see “streaks” of the herb oil mixture. Drizzle the remainder on top of the pumpkin hummus. Cut the warmed breads into triangles and serve with dip.

Challah “Stuffing” Kugel with Fresh Herbs
Serves 6-8

Tofurky makes an a good vegan Italian sausage. Use that and vegetable broth to make this dish vegetarian.

1 Tbs. plus 2 Tbs. oil
2 cups chopped onion
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 cup chopped carrots (cut into 1/4” chunks)
1/2 cup chopped celery (cut into 1/4" chunks)
2 cups chopped mushrooms (cut into 1/4" chunks)
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1 lb. turkey Italian sausage, removed from casings and crumbled
1 Tbs. minced fresh sage leaves
2 tsp. minced fresh thyme leaves
1 lb. challah, torn or cut into 1” pieces
4 cups chicken stock
4 eggs, beaten
½ tsp. paprika

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a large baking dish or casserole with 1 Tbs. oil. Put remaining oil in large pan, and when heated, add onions and garlic and sauté until softened. Add carrots, celery and mushrooms, sautéing until just softened. Add red pepper, salt and black pepper and stir well. Add crumbled sausage, stirring often to break up clumps until browned. Add minced sage and thyme. Sauté for a minute.
Remove for heat. Combine with challah in a large mixing bowl. Add chicken stock and eggs, mix well. Place in greased baking dish. Sprinkle top with paprika. Bake for 50-60 minutes until top is brown and crusty and kugel is set. (Timing will vary depending on dimensions of baking dish.)

Cranberry and Date “Charoset”
Makes about 2 cups

Besides serving this as a cranberry sauce with the turkey, it makes a great topping for goat cheese as an appetizer. Serve it with toasted baguette slices.

14 oz. can of whole berry cranberry sauce
1 cup large Medjool dates (about 8 dates)
1 Tbs. sugar
2 Tbs. minced orange zest
2 Tbs. orange juice
3/4 cup pecan pieces (1/4” bits)
1/4 tsp. ground ginger, optional

Break down sauce using a fork, being careful not to mash berries. Pit dates, toss with sugar and chop into 1/4” pieces. Combine with cranberries. Add zest, juice, pecans and ginger (if using), stir well.

--------------------------
A slightly different version of this post originally appeared in j. weekly.

Adding Meaning to Thanksgiving -- A Resource List

2011-11-17T18:53:00.000-08:00

An America's Table reader

Here's the list of websites I found to help create readers and other materials for creating Thanksgiving home rituals. These resources are generally non-religious or ecumenical.

• Eight different “Seders” or readers are available at the American Jewish Committee’s website at

http://www.ajc.org/site/c.ijITI2PHKoG/b.2178745/

These are readers that highlight America’s diverse roots and shared values. The readers were created after 9/11 and are endorsed by a wide variety of organizations representing the full spectrum of Americans.

• Freedom’s Feast is another approach to the same concept. The founders looked to the Passover Seder model to help bring more understanding and meaning to the Thanksgiving celebration with a service/program suitable for all Americans. The site offers extensive background and other material, including songs and crafts. http://freedomsfeast.us/thanksgiving/index.html

• Fifty Thanksgiving story starters to get table conversations flowing: http://pubs.aarp.org/aarpbulletin/201111_DC?folio=46#pg50

• Background on the Pilgrims, Native Americans and Thanksgiving myths and facts, with discussion questions and a prayer of Thanksgiving from the Iroquois people: http://www.2020tech.com/thanks/temp.html

---------------
Photo credit: America's Table

Thanksgiving Trivia Game

2011-11-17T18:39:00.000-08:00

Felix the Cat was no turkey

Do you know what character was the first Thanksgiving Day Parade balloon? Who was the first woman who stepped off the Mayflower onto Plymouth Rock?

You would if you played my Thanksgiving trivia game.

I created this to use an icebreaker at a recent event by sticking labels on attendees' backs. They had to ask others questions about who they were. When guests come, label their backs and pass out copies of the explanations to help with the questions and answers and add to the learning. If you have guests who are strong on Thanksgiving facts, you could make it a trivia contest over dessert.

Thanksgiving Trivia and Name Game

Who or What/Description

Squanto/A Wampanoag Indian who traveled to England and was later kidnapped and held to be sold into slavery. He helped the Pilgrims and was a friend of the colony. He helped with food and agricultural practices as well as translation and guiding. He died in 1622. His loss was mourned by the Pilgrims.

John Weymouth/The English explorer who traveled with Squanto and later paid Squanto’s way back to the New World after Squanto was rescued from slavery

Samoset/A member of the Wabanake tribe who Squanto met in England and who traveled back to New England coast with Squanto. He made the actual first contact with the settlers by saying “Welcome.”

Massasiot Ousamequin/ Leader of the Wampanoags. He sent his tribe members back for more food during the celebration when it appeared that the Pilgrims had not realized how many Native Americans would be attending.

Myles Standish/ Military leader of the Plymouth Colony and Mayflower expedition. Supposedly asked John Alden to woo Pricilla Mullens for him. Never a Piligrim, he helped found the town of Duxbury, Mass. The Pilgrims met him in Holland.

John Alden /Said to be the first person to set foot on Plymouth Rock. A ship’s cooper. In Longfellow’s 1858 poem is said to have courted Priscilla on behalf of the widowed Standish, but there is no evidence to that. He had Priscilla have the most descendents of any Mayflower arrival – including John Adams, Jodie Foster, and Longfellow himself

Priscilla Mullens /See above. Only 17 when the Mayflower set sail, her parents and brother died during the first winter. Her marriage to Alden was the third the Pilgrims celebrated in the New World.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow/ American poet and descendent of Alden and Mullens. He based his famous 1858 poem “The Courtship of Miles Standish” on family tradition, although there is no historical evidence. A great-great-grandson of the Aldens did publish the story in 1814

Mary Chilton Winslow /First woman to step upon Plymouth Rock. She later married the brother of a Mayflower passenger, moved to Boston and had 10 children.

William Bradford/ Governor of the colony for more than 30 years. Took major responsibility for arranging Mayflower exodus. One of the founders of the religion the Pilgrims practiced.

William Brewster/ Only one of original Pilgrims to have any university training. Helped organize the separatist religion and helped win approval from the Virginia Company to settle in the New World

George Washington /Created the first “national” Thanksgiving Day in 1789

Abraham Lincoln/ Created the recurring national Thanksgiving Day in 1863 with annual observances after campaign by Hale

Sarah Josepha Hale/ Wrote “Mary Had a Little Lamb” – Writer, editor - She campaigned for national day of Thanksgiving

Franklin D. Roosevelt/ Moved Thanksgiving from the “last” Thursday to the fourth and later the third Thursday of the month, some say to help increase the impact of the Christmas shopping season during the depression. Many states kept to the older schedule, resulting in “Republican” and “Democrat” Thanksgivings, with the later also known as “Franksgiving.” In 1941, Congress set the official date for Thanksgiving, but as late at 1956 some states were not in conformity to it.

Felix the Cat/ A silent film cartoon character who first appeared in 1919’s Feline Follies who became very popular in American culture. He was the first inflatable balloon introduced into the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in 1927, although he was not filled with helium until the year after. The inflatable balloons were introduced to replace the animals from the Central Park Zoo who used to be part of the parade.

Detroit Lions/ The Lions have hosted a Thanksgiving Day NFL football game since 1934. The NFL has offered TD games since the league began in 1920.

Speedwell/ The ill-fated second ship the Pilgrims set sail on. It began taking on water and most colonists were transferred to the Mayflower (although some had to be left behind for space). It was later determined that the crew itself damaged the ship to get out of the year-long contract to go to the New World and back.

Mayflower/ The ship the Pilgrims made it to America in

Oceanus Hopkins/ The only child born to the Pilgrims during the crossing. He died a few years later. Son of Pilgrims Stephen and Elizabeth Hopkins

Irene Castle/ Along with her husband and dance partner, Vernon Castle, she helped to introduce the dance the Turkey Trot in the 1910s. Vernon and Irene were popular specialty and ballroom dancers. A movie of their life was made in 1939 with Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers

Thomas Hunt/ British slaver who kidnapped 20 Native Americans from the Plymouth area (including Squanto) and attempted to sell them for 20 pounds each in Spain. Was a one-time lieutenant of John Smith of the Virginia Colony.

----------------
Photo credit: SheKnows

A Carrot Cake for Mark -- A Remembrance and A Recipe

2011-11-03T00:30:00.000-07:00

Today would be my good friend Mark Rutta’s 59th birthday. Mark passed away from a massive heart attack on April 16th so we won’t get to celebrate this birthday with him or anything else. That’s not the way it was supposed to be. We were supposed to grow old with Mark, cherishing his friendship, support and loyalty, chuckling at his foibles and occasional misadventures, appreciating his help with everything from choosing electronics and troubleshooting sound systems to dropping you off at the airport at 5 a.m. in the morning.

Instead of sharing his favorite carrot cake with him today, we – his sister, partner, family and friends – are still processing his death. This is not how it was supposed to be.

I wanted to write this post after his death and found I couldn’t. I wanted to write it after his memorial service and found I couldn’t and even now this post isn’t going how I planned. That was kind of the way it was with Mark, being with him was a journey that you’d never quite knew where you’d end up, but you knew he’d be there alongside you.

Mostly I am still angry that he is gone. I think many of us are. Mark met my husband, Gary, in college, and later they were roommates. He was one of the best men at our wedding. We’d call him to join us for dinner when I made too much or something special we wanted to share. He loved to hold our babies, never minding if they cried. He wouldn’t pass the screaming infant back to us; he just figured the child needed to cry and that was part of the experience of holding him. He babysat for my toddler son so we could go to Lamaze classes before the birth of my younger one. He was a beaming uncle as they grew up, taking time to really get to know each one. He was there for us during the good times and the bad no matter what else was happening in his life.

I like to think we were there for him, giving him support, guidance, love and friendship, but I don’t think we could ever accept him as unconditionally as he accepted us. That was really a gift. He was never critical, never impatient, never judgmental. How we are and how we wanted to be were one in the same to him. Knowing Mark made me a better person because, well, because that’s how he saw me.

I – we – feel so cheated that he left us just when he had found in Karen a life partner and when we felt we had years to have Mark’s companionship and love to savor. Mark died during a bike ride, a sport he dearly loved. Some sought to ease our souls by remarking that at least he died doing something that he loved, but, too me, that was scant comfort. Art, another ex-roommate, close friend and the other best man at our wedding, put it best at the memorial service.

“I rather Mark lived a long live and died doing something he hated,” Art said. “That way we’d still have him in our lives.”

Part of me still can’t believe I can’t invite Mark to dinner or see if he wants to go to a movie or concert or just call him up to talk. Every time I walk on the street where he used to work, see his photo or have a random memory of him, my eyes still tear up, my throat begins to ache and I feel the loss all over again. I guess I’m still sad. But I’m also so angry. Maybe in time I won’t be sad, won’t be angry, won’t feel cheated, but certain things will always be true. I’ll always love him, value the time we had and miss him.

Happy Birthday Mark. I love you.

About the carrot cake:

Mark didn’t cook many things, but the recipes he made he made well and often. He was famous for his carrot cake and justifiably proud of it. The recipe originated with his sister, Elaine. Mark would make it for his birthday, other’s birthdays, potlucks, office parties, pretty much whenever he felt it was appropriate or requested. It has become the standard all other carrot cakes must meet for quite a number of people. The recipe was even included on his memorial program.

After he passed, his sister, partner and the friends all agreed we need to make the cake for the reception after the memorial service. I not just volunteered, but pretty much demanded that I be the one to make that cake, but everyone asked me to please lighten it up and make it less sweet. I don’t know if we couldn’t bear to have Mark’s exact carrot cake without Mark or if we had all grown older and our taste buds, waistlines and cholesterol levels had changed and we needed the cake to change with them. Below is my adaptation of Mark’s carrot cake. If you make it, please don’t forget to season it with love, kindness, friendship, loyalty and a smidgen of amused exasperation. And share it with someone special.

A Carrot Cake for Mark
Serves a Lifetime of Friends

To know Mark was to eat his carrot cake. Here is a version of it. The original in his sister Elaine’s handwriting is in the photo below.

2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground cloves, optional
1 cup sugar (use 1 1/2 cups for sweeter cake)
1/2 cup oil
1 cup apple sauce
4 eggs, beaten
2 cups grated carrots
8 oz. can crushed pineapple
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 9x12 inch baking pan. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt. Mix well. Add sugar, oil, apple sauce and eggs. Mix well.

Add carrots, drained crushed pineapple and nuts. Mix well. Pour into prepared pan and bake for 50-60 minutes or until cake is firm to the touch and a toothpick comes out clean. Cool and serve from the pan if desired.

Cream Cheese Frosting

The cake is delicious without this frosting, but Mark traditionally served the cake with it. Be sure the cake is completely cool before frosting. Mark's recipe calls for the full pound of sugar. I've found the recipe works fine with half that amount.

½ cup (1 stick) butter or margarine
8 oz. cream cheese
1 tsp. vanilla
8 oz. confectioner’s sugar

Have butter and cream cheese at room temperature. Cream together, gradually adding vanilla and sugar until smooth.

--------------
Photo by Mark's friend from the Oakland Yellow Jacket's Club Steve Wedgwood

Inviting Judaism to the Thanksgiving Table -- A Talk on November 13 in Oakland

2011-10-31T11:12:00.000-07:00

If you are in the Bay area, I hope you will come hear me (as well as a panel of other speakers) talk about how to add layers of understanding to your Thanksgiving meal. I'll be exploring some of the roots of this very American tradition and explore how we can bring use some of our experiences with Passover, Sukkot and other holidays to add ritual and meaning without necessarily remaking the holiday as "Jewish" since many of us share the holiday table with friends and relatives of different backgrounds.

We'll also discuss (and sample) some Thanksgiving foods with a Jewish twist.

The event is from 3 to 5 p.m. at Temple Beth Abraham, 327 Euclid Avenue, Oakland, CA. The event is free to members of Women of Temple Beth Abraham, $18 for others.

Please email me at clickblogappetitATgmailDOTcom if you would like more information or to RVSP.

Update: See my post here for the recipes and links to the trivia contest and resource guide I created.
-------------------
Photo credit: MS Clip Art

Tomatoes, Basil, Olive Oil and Silken Tofu

2011-10-28T09:10:00.000-07:00

The above is not ricotta or mozzarella, it's Hodo Soy brand silken "soy custard" tofu with sliced heirloom tomatoes, basil, sea salt, fresh ground pepper and a drizzle of olive oil. I made it my whole dinner one recent hot night, but it would make a lovely appetizer. The Hodo tofu comes in a tub and is not "pressed" into a cake. You can also find tofu like this in some Asian markets. (Hodo's tofu is handmade and is really only available now in northern California and is worth seeking out.)

Delicious, simple, healthy and good.

Gift of Apples II -- Roasted Apple Sauce with Warm Spices and a Childhood Memory

2011-10-26T22:44:00.000-07:00

I've written before about the gift of the bag of apples from our friends the Gombergs. The bounty they shared (it must have been more than 25 pounds) was astounding and I had several reactions. The first was gratitude. I was so delighted that they thought to give us some. The next was a personal challenge -- how many ways I could I use the fruit and what recipes could I create. The last and most surprising was the memory the apples stirred.

It is not even a real memory or my own memory. It is a memory of mother's. She once told me that when I was about two she, dad, my grandparents and I went to an apple orchard in upstate New York. Supposedly, I lifted up a full bushel of apples and hoisted it in the air. Perhaps I even walked a few steps with it. There are no photos of me doing this, only this hazy memory from my mom, my memories of her in danger of going wispy around the edges as she left us much too young with her mind and senses slowly fogged by disease and dementia.

In my mind's eye it is a breezy but warm day. The trees around us are filled with Macintoshes, the favored apple of my New York youth. A small, dark-haired girl in a short white dress with browned arms and legs is lifting a bushel basket full of the apples up into the air, surprised at the attention the adults she loves are giving her for such a simple thing. She is only trying to help. The basket, probably almost as big as her, is loosely woven out of thin slats of shaped wood and is worn and well used with bits of scuffed green and red paint in spots. The handles cut into the toddler's pump hands. She takes a few steps towards the adults. Someone reaches to take the basket from her and she plops down on the ground as the weight suddenly shifts. Before she can cry or even laugh as the grass tickles her thighs, her mom scoops her up and hands her an apple.

The bag of apples from the Gombergs

I can see it so well, it is like it is a snapshot in my mind but it isn't. It is only a story I heard once from my mother who used it as an example of how strong I was as a baby. Everyone else in that scene is gone now, there is no way to corroborate or color in more details or correct wrong impressions. I think I prefer it that way. The story of being strong, being independent and wanting to help others has become part of my definition of myself. When I think of my re-imagined memory and feel the swoop of feeling for my mother, young and slim, I remember how in kindergarten, I used to feel sorry for other kids in my class that they did not have a mother like her. She made me feel like I was the apple of her eye.

Roasted Apple Sauce with Warm Spices

Serves 4-6

The apples in this sauce retain their shape and just receive a slight mashing. If you want a more traditional texture, peel the apples before cooking or put the cooked apples through a ricer or food mill.

By "warm spices" I mean that to me the spices in this recipe (which were inspired by a gift from the McCormick at BlogHer Food 2010 of jars of McCormick's roasted coriander, ginger, cumin and cinnamon) have an essential warming essence. To substitute for the McCormick products, pan toast the seasonings in a small, hot, dry fry pan for about 20-30 seconds, stirring constantly, until the aroma is released.

The result of the roasting and spicing is a complex, not too sweet apple sauce that works well as a snack or dessert (topped with yogurt or whipped cream and a dash of cinnamon) or as a side dish for grilled or roasted meats or poultry or even a savory bean stew.

The Gombergs gifted us with apples of the Beverly Hills variety, which have a yellow-green skin and are slightly tart. Pippins or Gravensteins would make a good substitute.

Oil to grease baking dish
3 lbs. apples, unpeeled and cut into 1"-2" chunks (about 8 cups)
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 tsp. roasted ground coriander
1/4 tsp. roasted ground cumin

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 10"x14" baking pan, set aside. In a large bowl, toss the apples with the apple cider vinegar, and then mix with the coriander, cumin, ginger and cinnamon. Place in prepared pan and put in the oven. Bake uncovered for about 1/2 hour, stirring occasionally. Cover with aluminum foil, stirring occasionally and bake until the apples are tender (about 1 hour or so more, timing will vary.) Mash lightly. Taste, add sugar to taste if desired.
---------------------------
For other recipes featuring the Gombergs' apples see:
Apple and Cranberry Pie with Granola Streusel

For a collection of other recipes featuring apples, click here -- including baked, salads, candied and caramel.

A Gift of Apples Leads to Apple-Cranberry Pie

2011-10-22T21:52:00.000-07:00

The pie all started with a (very) large bag of apples from our friends' tree. Mo said the apples were a type known as Beverly Hills. I did a little research and found this is a California-born and bred variety known for its ease of growing and smallish yellow-green skin fruit. It is crisp, sweet-tart and not as robust flavored as some other apples but ideal for cooking and baking.

And cooking and baking I did. I hope to post all the recipes here, but we all know how slow I am to do that. A number of folks have asked for this apple-cranberry pie recipe, so that prompted me to sit down and at least write this post up.

So far I have turned the apples into:

Apple, Sauerkraut and Bean Saute served over noodles
Roasted Applesauce with Warm Spices -- eaten warm, cold and at room temperature, by itself or with soy yogurt or regular whipped cream as a snack or dessert or plain as a side dish to grilled, smoked turkey.
Shredded Green Apple Salad with Thai Flavors -- as a side dish to the Thai Vegetable Curry Baked in a Pumpkin
Apple-Cranberry Pie with Granola Streusel

And I still have some more apples to go. Gary is asking for more of the applesauce and I have some other ideas that are, shall we say, the apple of my eye, to experiment with.

Apple-Cranberry Pie with Granola Streusel
Serves 16 (Makes 2 deep-dish pies)

Use a sweet-tart apple good for baking such as a Granny Smith, Pippin or the northern California favorite - Gravensteins. I prefer to leave the peel on, which makes the pie preparation very quick. I had a cup of cranberries leftover from another recipe and tossed them into the pie recipe with very pleasing results. Gary had just made a batch of his granola and I borrowed some for the streusel topping. If your granola has raisins that get a bit overcooked when the pie is cooking, just pick them out.

Frozen cranberries are fine, just don't defrost before using. Be sure to pick a granola that has a cinnamon flavor (as opposed to mango, pumpkin or some of the other versions out there right now). Better yet, make a batch of Gary's and use some in this recipe.

Feel free to use commercially prepared pie crusts. If frozen, use without defrosting.

Pie
6 cups 1/2" chunks of apple (see note above)
1 Tbs. lemon juice
1 cup fresh, whole cranberries
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
2 prepared deep-dish 9" pie crusts

Topping
4 Tbs. butter (or non-dairy margarine if desired)
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup flour
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 and 1/2 cups granola (see note above)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Toss apple chunks with lemon juice. Combine with cranberries, sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt, cloves and nutmeg. Mix well. Divide into 2 pie crusts. Make topping. Cream butter (or margarine) with the sugars. Using a fork, mix in flour and cinnamon until crumbly then thoroughly mix in granola. Scatter streusel topping evenly atop the two pies. Place pies on baking sheet in middle section of oven. Bake for 30 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake another 20-30 minutes until the apples are tender and the filling is bubbling. Cool in pie pans on rack.

A Celebration of Six Years - Thai Vegetable Curry Cooked Inside a Pumpkin

2011-10-13T21:13:00.000-07:00

This is Blog Appetit's sixth blog-o-versary. I like to mark my blog's anniversary with either mawkish sentiment or a celebration recipe. This year I did both. You can read the sentimental part here. Now on to the recipe.

There's a lot of background on this pumpkin curry dish. First I love Thai pumpkin curry in all of its guises and wanted to create my own version. Next I love baking things in pumpkins -- to date I've made custards, South American corn stew, turkey chilis and soups in pumpkins, so I've got a theme going on. (Unfortunately, none of these dishes are on the blog. Yet.) I also like cooking with pumpkins and winter squash so you'll find lots of recipes and how tos on the blog for that. And when it comes to cooking savory dishes in a pumpkin my preference is for the tasty, nutty flesh of the kabocha, also called Japanese pumpkin and a type of winter squash that is reportedly used in Thailand.

Also, aside from whacking off the pumpkin "lid" and cleaning out those pesky strings and seeds (really it should just take you a few minutes), it is a very easy recipe but has a wonderful wow factor making it a perfect celebration dinner dish. Like for a blog-o-versary.

Thai Vegetarian Curry Baked in a Pumpkin
Serves 4-6

You may be able to “harvest” the cup of squash chunks for the stir fry during your pumpkin prep. If not, use the sweet potato pieces instead. (If you need tips on cutting and cleaning a pumpkin, please check out my pumpkin "boot camp" post.) If you are avoiding animal products, be sure to read the ingredient label of your red curry paste. Some are made with shrimp and many have fish sauce. The level of spiciness varies between brands of curry paste, so you may need to increase or decrease the amount accordingly. This recipe will serve about 4 people if it’s the only main dish but more if there are other entrees or a lot side dishes. I served this over red jasmine rice, but regular white or brown jasmine or other rice would work well.

1 large kobacha pumpkin
15 oz. can regular or light coconut milk
2 Tbs. vegetable oil
1 ½ cups chopped onion
4 large garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. minced fresh ginger
1 large carrot, cut into ¼” rounds
1 cup of ½” red pepper chunks
2 cups of ½” chunks of Asian, Thai or Italian eggplant (unpeeled)
1 cup ½” winter squash or sweet potato chunks
2 cups quartered button or crimini mushroom caps
1 Tbs. (or to taste) prepared red curry paste
2 cups ½” cubes of wheat gluten and or pressed, firm tofu
½ cup fresh Thai or Italian basil, divided.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut top off pumpkin, reserve. Clean out seeds and strings. Pour can of coconut milk into pumpkin. Cover with reserved lid. Put on a rimmed baking dish or pan. Bake for 35-45 minutes until just tender.

While the pumpkin is baking, make the curry. Heat oil in wok or large fry pan. Sauté onions, garlic and ginger until the onions are beginning to brown and soften. Add the carrots and peppers and stir fry or sauté for a few minutes until slightly charred and browned. Add eggplant and squash chunks. Stir fry or sauté until eggplant and squash have begun to soften and brown. Add mushrooms. Stir fry or sauté for a minute then add the red curry paste. Mix well. Add the wheat gluten or tofu and continue to stir fry or sauté for a few minutes. Take off heat and reserve until the pumpkin is ready.

Once the pumpkin’s flesh is just tender (test with a fork), remove the baking pan from the oven, but keep the oven on. Wearing oven mitts, remove top and carefully pour coconut milk into stir fry vegetable mixture. Be careful not to rip or tear the pumpkin shell. Bring vegetables and coconut milk to a simmer, stirring frequently until the vegetables are almost cooked through and the liquid has reduced to a thick sauce. Taste and add more red curry paste if desired. Stir in ¼ cup of the basil, cooking for an additional minute. Spoon curry inside pumpkin until packed, replace pumpkin lid and return to the baking dish and place in the oven for about 30 minutes or until pumpkin flesh is soft all the way through and curry is heated through. To serve, remove the lid, sprinkle with remaining basil and scoop out some of the pumpkin flesh with the curry.

A note about pumpkin size and integrity. If your squash proves to be too small (which has happened to me), just reheat your extra veggie curry and serve alongside the pumpkin encased version, or refill your pumpkin as the contents diminish. I did have an unfortunate tear when I poured out the coconut milk from the pumpkin in the photo above but was able to “mend” the rip with skewers and the squash held together admirably during cooking.

My Blog-O-Versary

2011-10-13T07:44:00.000-07:00

Today is my 6th anniversary of Blog Appetit.
I don't know the exact number because I changed over stat aps, but I'm closing in on or have just passed something like 300,000 page views. It is humbling to have been able to share my ideas, recipes, appetites and passions with so many readers.

I hope to post a special anniversary post with a special recipe or two, but my time for blogging is a bit more limited now than it has been in the past. Regardless if I get to write that post, I wanted to be sure to take time to thank those of you who read, comment, use my recipes, and support my causes for your time and consideration. A special thank you to my regular readers and all those who follow me, subscribe to my RSS feed or have me bookmarked and the food bloggers with sites small and large for the support and inspiration they have given me throughout the years.

Thank you all so much.

Update: I did indeed post a celebration recipe -- Thai vegetable curry baked in a pumpkin. Hope you'll try it.

Recipes for Side Dishes from Pre-Packaged Produce - Broccoli Slaw, Kale and Bean Salad, Sweet and Sour Squash

2011-10-12T14:20:00.000-07:00

Sweet and Sour Butternut Squash

These side dishes were developed to be easy and portable for potlucks or family dinners. I got the idea for using prepackaged produce as a starting point for some colorful, flavorful and tasty recipes from my friend Yen, who served me a version of the Broccoli Slaw Salad below.

Container sizes vary between brands and small variations won’t matter, but if there is a difference of more than a few ounces adjust the amount of the other ingredients. If you prefer, skip the prepackaged ingredients and cut and prep your own veggies for the recipes. The recipes all multiply well. Larger batches of the kale should be sautéed separately and then combined.

These recipes can be made a day or two in advance and store well in the refrigerator. I think they taste best at room temperature, though.

Sweet and Sour Butternut Squash
Serves 4 as a side dish

If you can make this a day in advance, the flavors have a real chance to meld.

1 lb. package fresh, peeled butternut squash cubes
1/3 cup raisins
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 and 1/2 cups thinly sliced onions
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp. salt or to taste
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1 tsp. dried mint flakes
1/2 tsp. sugar or to taste

Cook squash according to package directions. Soak raisins in vinegar for 20 minutes. Heat oil in sauté pan and cook onions over medium low heat, stirring often until very soft, sweet and darkened to golden brown. Add cooked squash, raising heat to medium high and sautéing for a few minutes. Add raisins, vinegar, red pepper, salt, black pepper and mint. Sauté, stirring occasionally until flavors have melded and squash and raisins are heated through. Taste. Add sugar as needed and correct seasonings. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Kale and White Bean Salad
Serves 6-8 as a side dish

I love this with cooked cranberry beans if you have the time to cook some up. The beans have an almost chestnut-like earthy flavor to them that works well with the strong-tasting greens and garlic.

10 oz. package pre-cut kale
2 Tbs. oil
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
15 oz. can of white kidney (cannelloni) or great northern beans
1 Tbs. minced lemon zest
1/2 cup red wine vinaigrette salad dressing

Rinse kale and let drain. Heat oil in large fry or sauté pan over medium high heat. Sauté garlic until just golden. Add kale, stir well until coated. Add in 1/2 cup water, stir, cover and let kale steam until leaves are cooked through but not limp or soft and stems still have a bit of crunch, adding more water if needed. Remove lid, add salt, black pepper and red pepper and cook stirring occasionally until water has evaporated. Let kale cool. Rinse and drain beans. Mix drained beans, lemon zest and vinaigrette with kale and gently stir to combine. Serve at room temperature.

Yen’s Broccoli Slaw Salad
Serves 4 as a side dish

When Yen served this salad, I just couldn’t stop eating it. She had adapted the recipe on a container of the shredded broccoli stem and carrot mix and I tweaked it a bit more. Pomegranate seeds are sometimes available packaged if you don’t want to tackle seeding a whole fruit. Dried cranberries make a quick and tasty substitute. I used a light, low-calorie salad dressing and the agave when I made this last.

1/2 cup balsamic vinaigrette salad dressing
1 Tbs. honey or agave syrup
1 small Fuji apple
8 oz. package of broccoli slaw (shredded broccoli stems and carrots)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup pomegranate seeds OR dried cranberries

Combine salad dressing with honey and mix well. Cut unpeeled apple into 1/2” chunks (about 1 cup). Toss with dressing. Add dressing and apples to slaw mix. Stir in walnuts and cranberries if using (if using pomegranate seeds instead, stir in just before serving). Serve cold or at room temperature.

------------------
A version of this post appeared in j. weekly. The recipes were created to for easy transportation and serving under the sukkah, part of the Sukkot celebration.

Rosh Hashanah 5772 - Jewish New Year's Guide for 2011

2011-09-27T10:39:00.000-07:00

I've developed a number of resources for celebrating the Jewish New Year in the home.
These include some history and background for a Rosh Hashanah seder or service before the first night meal and a variety of recipes.

For information on how observance of the Jewish "head" of the year can be included at your Rosh Hashanah dinner celebration, please click here.

For dishes that use many of the holiday's symbolic food, click here for recipes for leek-potato fritters, sweet and savory chicken tzimmes, chicken saute with chard and string beans, pumpkin and date filo dough tart and vegan (and parve) cinammon-almond chocolate truffles.

I've written many other recipes that might be suitable for the holiday table from chopped liver to baklava, please check my Jewish recipe category.

Say it with Food -- Symbolic Foods and Seder Enrich Rosh Hashanah Dinner

2011-09-27T10:07:00.000-07:00

Some of the symbolic foods of the Rosh Hashanah Seder

The Rosh Hashanah Seder, one of the oldest the holiday’s food traditions, is now one of its newest trends in celebrating the Jewish New Year.

Eating symbolic foods the first night of Rosh Hashanah dates back to Rabbi Abaye’s instructions in the Talmud to eat five foods that were typical of the season. These foods had names or qualities that represent wishes for health, prosperity and a “good” year. Some sources say what we would now call a Rosh Hashanah Seder, or “order of service” has existed for about 2,000 years.

Sephardic and Mizrachi Jews have a long history of serving and blessing not just the Talmud’s suggestions but a host of foods whose name or appearance supports the observance of Rosh Hashanah.

Jews outside these traditions have adopted the custom of a Rosh Hashanah Seder by adapting some of the long-standing practices and adding new ones ranging from blowing of the shofar to reflecting on goals for the coming year to celebrating the New Year as the world’s birthday.

But even Ashkenazi Jews who have never heard of the concept of a Seder at Rosh Hashanah have long served symbolic foods such as apples and honey and honey cake (for a sweet year), round loaves of challah (symbolic of the crown as well as the circular nature of time) and often a dish containing carrots. (Cut into slices, the carrots recall golden coins and their Yiddish name sounds like the word for multiply.)

Below is information on the symbolism of certain foods and how to create your own Rosh Hashanah Seder and links for more information.

Sarah Levin, executive director of Jews Indigenous to Middle East and North Africa
(JIMENA) grew up participating in Rosh Hashanah Seders and recalls them fondly. She recommends families looking to start their own Seder tradition take a look at the book “Apples and Pomegranates: A Family Seder for Rosh Hashanah” by Rahel Musleah (Kar-Ben Publishing).

The JIMENA Seder last weekend featured a vegetarian potluck, the group will be blessing apples for sweetness, dates for peace, green beans for prosperity, pomegranate for mitzvoth, pumpkin for happiness, beet leaves for freedom, leeks for friendship and a head of lettuce for leadership.

A traditional Seder Yehi Ratzon (or Seder of God’s will) offers prayers that it will be God’s will that the participants be blessed in the coming year. There are many regional differences between the different cultures Seders. Some foods are avoided in one area, but sought out in another. Regional food availability and culture play a large role. One element that has been incorporated from European Jews is dipping apples in honey.

A series of bowls (since round dishes are thought to represent wholeness and continuity) arranged on a plate hold the ritual foods. (Although in some areas, the foods are placed in a basket.) The choice of foods for the Seder plate is mostly based on puns and wordplay that associate the ingredient to the holiday. While these can vary, they often include:

Dates – The Hebrew word for dates (tamar) is reminiscent of the word for end and the blessing is that enmity will end. It is one of the Talmudic suggestions.

Pomegranates – The pomegranate is thought to have as many seeds as there are mitzvoth and the blessing is that we may be as full of mitzvoth as the pomegranate is full of seeds. It’s plentitude of seeds are also associated with fertility and plenty.

Apples and Honey – For a sweet year

Green Beans – The Talmud instructs us to eat rubiya. Rubiya is actually fenugreek, a relative of the pea that features a small pod filled with seeds. The word rubiya is similar to the word for increase or multiply. In some cultures green beans became the stand in for fenugreek, in others (possibility because of its similar name – lubiya), black eyed peas became symbolic that it be God’s will that our merits increase.

Pumpkin or Squash – another recommendation from the Talmud since the word for pumpkin or gourd is kraa, which is similar to the word to be called out and the blessing is that our good deeds should be called out. It is also similar to the word for to tear up, a plea to God to tear up any harsh judgments against us.

Beet Greens or Chard – Silka, the Hebrew word for these greens, is similar to the phrase “that they will be removed” and the Talmud asks us to eat them as a way of asking for our enemies be taken away.

Leeks or Scallions – Another food mentioned by Rabbi Abaye, the Hebrew word karti is similar to the word for cut off and the blessing is that our enemies be cut off.

Fish or sheep head – This is said to symbolize the hope that the family members be the head and not the tail. Lamb is also symbolic of the story of Isaac’s binding and almost sacrifice, while fish are a symbol of fruitfulness. Today, many families substitute a whole fish with its head or a head of lettuce or a roasted onion or garlic bulb.

Each food is passed around, blessed with “May it be your will God” (Yehi Ratzon) and sampled if appropriate. Many Sephardic and Mizrachi families also include those ingredients in the food they prepare for the meal. Benyamin Uriah Banuelos, whose family is a mix of Jews from Greece and Spain, is a member of San Francisco’s Magain David Sephardim Congregation. He said his family’s meal would always include leek patties, whitefish salad and pumpkin turnovers, all representative of the Seder foods.

The Addison-Penzak Jewish Community Center of Silicon Valley in Los Gatos has hosted Rosh Hashanah Seders for families in the past and sponsored one this year as well. Janessa Schwartz, the program director, said that the Seder “begins with prayers over traditional foods such as apples and honey and challah and then other traditional foods from all Jewish traditions, such as pomegranates and leeks.”

It also offers more contemporary blessings such as celery and raisins for prosperity (a raise in salary) and peaches for a “peachy” year as well as “Happy Birthday to the World” cupcakes for children to decorate.

The Seder also includes “some time for families to talk about the coming year” as well as individual goals of “what you could do better,” she said.

Schwartz said that in previous years participants start out saying “I didn’t know you were supposed to have a Rosh Hashanah Seder, but “they leave feeling good about the opportunity to have the discussions” and learning more about the traditions.

According to Banuelos there is one last custom that should be observed. Seder celebrants should wish each other many years of life and happiness with the Ladino phrase “para muchos anos.”

---------------
Resources for Planning A Seder

In addition to the Apples and Pomegranate book mentioned above, check out:

“Seder Rosh Hashanah” – A Haggadah by Noam Zion
“Sephardic Traditions for the New Year The Rosh Hashana Seder”
A version of the above first appeared in the j. weekly.

For Rosh Hashanah recipes, click here. Check out my Jewish category for more recipes and ideas.

Recipes for Rosh Hashanah 5772 -- Jewish New Year's Recipes

2011-09-27T10:00:00.000-07:00

Leek-Potato Patties

Here are the various recipes I developed for this year's Rosh Hashanah celebration. For more on Blog Appetit's Rosh Hashanah 5772 coverage, please click here. Many of these recipes have appeared in the j weekly, the San Francisco Bay area's Jewish newsweekly.

Leek-Potato Patties
Makes 8-3” Patties

These savory pancakes make a good starter course (perhaps served with a smear of Sriracha or other chili paste sauce and or a dab of mango chutney) or a wonderful accompaniment to roast chicken, pot roast or other main course.

Leeks are included in the Rosh Hashanah Seder because their name in Hebrew is similar to the word for cut off and symbolizes defeating our enemies.

1 lb. Yukon gold or similar potatoes
1 Tbs. plus 2 Tbs. vegetable oil
2 cups chopped leeks, white and light green parts only
1/2 tsp. plus 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. plus 1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. or to taste, minced jalapeno (seeded), optional
2 eggs, beaten

Boil the potatoes in lightly salted water until tender. Cool. Peel if desired. Mash or rice until smooth.

Heat 1 Tbs. oil in fry pan. Add leeks, 1/4 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper. Sauté over medium high heat until softened and browned. Combine with mashed potatoes. Add remaining salt and pepper, jalapeno (if using) and eggs. Mix well. Heat 2 Tbs. oil in a large fry or sauté pan. Oiling hands if desired, take 1/4 cup of the mix and form into a patty about 3” in diameter. Place in hot oil. Repeat until potato mixture is used up. Fry over medium heat about 4-5 minutes a side, until both sides are browned and the pancake is firm when you touch it. (Fry in batches if needed.)

Tzimmes with a Twist -- Savory-Sweet with Chicken
Serves 6

A sweet tzimmes with carrots is a traditional dish. Carrots are symbolic of prosperity. The sweetness is a reminder of the wish to have a sweet New Year. This tzimmes is lighter in color and not as sweet or heavy. Serve over noodles or potatoes.

1 cup dried apricot halves
1 cup dried, pitted prunes
2 cups boiling water
2 and 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
2 Tbs. canola or other vegetable oil
1 cup thinly sliced onions
1 Tbs. minced garlic
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
1 cup 1/4” thick carrot slices
1 and 1/2 Tbs. soy sauce

Cover apricots and prunes with boiling water. Let steep until softened (about 20 minutes depending on fruit). Drain, reserving liquid.

Cut chicken into 1 1/2” chunks. Add oil to large Dutch oven or other heavy pot over medium high heat. Brown chicken chunks, working in batches if necessary. Remove from pan and reserve. Add onions, put heat on medium low and cook, stirring occasionally until softened, well browned and caramelized about 25 minutes. Raise heat to medium high, add garlic and sauté until golden. Add red pepper flakes, salt, black pepper, cumin, carrots, soy sauce, apricots, prunes, and reserved soaking water and stir well, incorporating any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Bring to a simmer. Add chicken pieces and any accumulated juices. Stir well. Cover and keep at a simmer, stirring occasionally until chicken and carrots are cooked through (about 30 minutes). Taste and correct seasoning. For thicker sauce, remove solids and keep warm and raise heat under sauce and cook uncovered until reduced.

Chicken with Chard and Green Beans

Chicken with Chard and Green Beans
Serves 6

This dish is packed with tasty Rosh Hashanah symbols – chard which represents our asking that our enemies be removed, green beans which have come to mean a wish that God will increase our merits and more. It can also be made ahead and reheated just before serving.

2 Tbs. plus 1 Tbs. vegetable oil
1/2 cup plus 1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 Tbs. plus 1/2 Tbs. minced garlic
1/8 tsp. plus 1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp. plus 1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. plus 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 tsp. minced fresh ginger
1/4 tsp. dried, ground turmeric
1 cup of 1/2” chunks of zucchini
1 cup of 1” pieces of green or string beans
4 cups, packed, of roughly chopped red or Swiss chard
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup small cherry tomatoes
1/2 tsp. sugar or to taste, as needed

Heat the 2 Tbs. of oil in a large fry or sauté pan over medium high heat. Add 1/2 cup onion and 1/2 Tbs. garlic, 1/8 tsp. of red pepper flakes, 1/4 tsp. of salt and 1/4 tsp of ground black pepper. Sauté until golden. Add chicken thighs, browning on both sides and cooking until almost cooked through, about 7 minutes. Remove from pan with juices and any brown bits. Set aside, covering with foil to keep warm.

Add remaining oil to pan if needed. Heat over medium high heat. Add remaining onions, garlic, red pepper, salt, black pepper, the ginger and turmeric. Sauté about 2 minutes until onions are softened and golden. Add zucchini. Sauté for 2 minutes, add green beans, sauté 2 minutes. Stir in chard, sauté for a minute then add chicken broth, stirring up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add cherry tomatoes, stir well and sauté, stirring occasionally until the chard is softened and the liquid is somewhat reduced, about 10 minutes. Taste and correct seasoning, adding sugar if the greens are too bitter.

Return chicken, juices and cooked onion mixture to pan with vegetables. Stir well. Cook until chicken is thoroughly reheated and cooked through. Serve over rice or couscous.

To Make Ahead and Reheat. Don’t cover the cooked thighs with foil. Store the cooked vegetables and chicken separately in the refrigerator. Allow to come to room temperature before reheating. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place vegetables in baking dish. Place chicken on top of vegetables. Spoon any juices and cooked onion mixture over the chicken. Cover with foil. Cook for about 30-50 minutes until thoroughly reheated and chicken is cooked through.

Black-Eyed Pea Salad
Serves 4-6

Black-eyed peas are an important part of Sephardic and North African Rosh Hashanah tradition, symbolic of our wish that God multiply our merits. If using canned black-eyed peas, no need to cook them, but be sure to rinse and drain them well.

1/2 cup 1/4" dice carrots
½ cup 1/4" dice celery
1/2 cup 1/4” sliced scallions
1/2 cup 1/4” dice red bell pepper
2 cups cooked black-eyed peas, drained
1 Tbs. grated lemon zest
4 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
4 Tbs. canola or other vegetable oil
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. (or to taste) siracha, harissa or other chili paste sauce

Combine the carrots, celery, scallions, red bell pepper, black-eyed peas and lemon zest. Mix. Make the dressing in a separate bowl, combining juice, oil, salt and siracha. Mix well. Stir into vegetables. Taste and correct seasonings. The salad should not taste “hot” but should have a slight zing. Serve at room temperature.

Parve Cinnamon-Almond Chocolate Truffles
Makes About 24 Truffles

Round foods are symbolic of wholeness and continuity. Parve foods contain neither meat nor dairy. This recipe is also vegan.

3 oz. plain unsweetened soy milk
3 Tbs. parve margarine, cut into small chunks
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. almond extract
5 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
Cocoa powder, optional

Simmer soy milk over medium heat. Add margarine, stirring until dissolved. Stir in cinnamon and almond extract. Reduce heat to very low. Add chocolate, stirring constantly until thoroughly melted. Refrigerate covered for several hours until the mixture is solid but pliable (it may be a bit crumbly). Oil hands and measuring spoon if desired. Spoon out about 2 tsp. of the chocolate mixture and using hands and fingers press or pinch into a rough round. Roll in cocoa powder if desired. Repeat. Store covered in refrigerator and take out about 20 minutes before serving.

Pumpkin-Date Filo Tart

Pumpkin and Date Filo Tart
Serves 8

This parve tart features pumpkins and dates, both foods mentioned in the Talmud as part of the Rosh Hashanah food celebration. Pumpkins symbolize our good deeds being called out as well as the plea for any harsh judgments to be torn up and disregarded. Dates symbolize an end to hostility or ill will.

If you are using canned pumpkin puree, be sure you are not using the pre-spiced pumpkin pie filling mix.

2 cups cooked pumpkin puree
4 eggs, beaten
1 cup orange juice
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/3 cup pitted, roughly chopped Medjool dates (about 8 large chopped into about a ¼” dice)
1/3 cup chopped walnuts
7 sheets of filo dough
1/4 cup (approximately) vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl combine the pumpkin puree, eggs, juice, sugars, cinnamon and ginger. Mix well. Add the dates and walnuts and stir until evenly dispersed through filling. Set aside.

Make the filo crust. Have ready a package of defrosted filo leaves. Set seven aside covered with a damp paper towel. Repackage and refreeze remainder. Brush the bottom and sides of a 9” round cake pan with vegetable oil. Take out one filo sheet (leaving others covered). Center in the cake pan and brush surface with oil. Take out another sheet, rotate it so the overhanging edges are offset with the first sheet. Brush with the oil. Repeat with four of the remaining sheets. Shred the seventh sheet and scatter across the bottom of the crust.

Fill the crust with the pumpkin mixture. Fold the overhanging edges of the filo back over themselves and tuck into the tart. They should cover the edge of the cake pan and create a bit of an edge. Brush exposed filo with oil.

Place in center rack in center of oven. Bake for 5 to 10 minutes or until exposed filo crust has turned golden brown. Cover exposed crust with strips of aluminum foil. Bake tart for about 50 minutes more or until center is set and a knife inserted in the center comes out almost clean. Remove foil strips and let cool to room temperature before serving.

Black Cherry, Chocolate, Lemon Mint Ices, Sorbets or Even Popsicles -- No Special Equipment Needed

2011-09-14T17:32:00.000-07:00

Mmmm. Homemade chocolate fudge ice pop.

Yum. Lemon mint and cherry ice pop.

From my first lick, I knew I wasn't sharing these beauties, but that I would share the recipes.

I created and wrote up these recipes a while ago but never got around to posting them and thought that since summer is rapidly slipping away, I better get on with it. The truth is that these vegan desserts are good anytime of the year.

The recipes were written for j weekly and are reminiscent of a Mid-Atlantic treat called a water ice. The black cherry and lemon mint recipes are easy to make without an ice cream maker (directions are given below.) The chocolate was best made in an ice cream machine, but did work without one, it just needed more time to freeze and never froze as solid.

I made some of each batch into popsicles (aka ice pops or ice lollies) using plastic molds and they worked beautifully. Run the plastic mold under warm water for 10 seconds or so to loosen and then they are easy to remove from the mold and ready for licking. (No molds? Use a small paper cup and a stick or even a small plastic spoon).

I even combined the lemon and cherry flavors in a two-tone popsicle. (Fill a mold about a third full of a flavor, let freeze, add second flavor and popsicle stick, freeze until solid.) Very tasty, if I do say so myself.

Lemon Mint Ice
Serves 6-8

This ice is also tasty without the mint. See the directions for how to make this recipe without an ice cream maker.

1 1/2 cups of water
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
1 1/2 cups of lemon juice (about 8 medium lemons)
Juice of 1/2 lime

In a heavy saucepan, combine the water and sugar and simmer over a medium high heat until sugar is fully dissolved, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Stir in mint. Let sit for a half hour. Strain, discarding mint leaves and place sugar syrup in refrigerator until cool. Combine with lemon and lime juices, mix well. Place in ice cream maker and process according to manufacturer’s instructions. Serve while soft and slushy right from the machine or pack into an airtight, freezer-safe container and freeze for several hours until hard. Take out of freezer 20 minutes before serving.

To make without an ice cream maker: Place juice and syrup mixture in a 7”x11” baking pan (preferably metal), cover with plastic wrap or foil. Place level in freezer. After about an hour when the mixture begins to get mushy, stir and break up any ice crystals, return to freezer, repeat every 30 minutes until the ice is very slushy (about 3-4 hours) and is no longer liquid. Serve immediately or freeze as above, taking out of the freezer 20 minutes before serving.

Dark Chocolate Ice
Serves 4-6

This is dark, intense chocolate goodness. I used natural cocoa powder because it has a deeper taste, but the Dutch (alkali processed) style is fine, too. This worked best in the ice cream machine, but does work without one. Follow the directions for freezing the lemon mint ice but allow much longer to freeze. Take out of freezer immediately before serving.

1 1/2 cups of water
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
½ tsp. ground cinnamon

In a heavy saucepan, combine the water and sugar and simmer over a medium high heat until sugar is fully dissolved, stirring occasionally. Add the cocoa powder and cinnamon and whisk until smooth and dissolved. Remove from heat. Place in refrigerator until cool. Place in ice cream maker and process according to manufacturer’s instructions. Pack into an airtight, freezer-safe container and freeze for several hours until it has hardened some more (it will still be on the softer side). Take out of freezer 20 minutes before serving.

Black Cherry Ice
Serves 6-8

I used bottled juice. Fresh cherry juice would be even better. See the directions for lemon mint ice to freeze without an ice cream machine.

1 1/2 cups of water
1 cup sugar
Juice of 1/2 lime
1 1/2 cups of black cherry juice

In a heavy saucepan, combine the water and sugar and simmer over a medium high heat until sugar is fully dissolved, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and place sugar syrup in refrigerator until cool. Combine with lime and black cherry juices, mix well. Place in ice cream maker and process according to manufacturer’s instructions. Serve while soft and slushy right from the machine or pack into an airtight, freezer-safe container and freeze for several hours until hard. Take out of freezer 20 minutes before serving.

Hunger Challenge 2011 - Update

2011-09-14T11:49:00.000-07:00

This has been the most difficult Hunger Challenge yet for me. Partly it's that I'm on a special diet for health reasons which limits my food choices, partly because I've just been so busy I haven't had time to plan, shop, write down menus and recipes and journal the way I have for previous Hunger Challenges. Then it struck me, that's how it is to live on a food stamp budget all the time.

There is a certain artifice to participating in a food challenge. We participants can set aside the week or (other period of time), obsessing over planning, getting the best deals, figuring out how to get the most bang for our food bucks with clever recipes, all with access to a full range of cooking supplies and equipment.

If you are limited in your resources in terms of money, time, access to a variety of food sources, etc., you could never focus on maximizing your weekly food budget like a Hunger Challenge participant might, you are too busy just trying to stay fed and keeping your family fed. Add into it a health concern and its like having a full time job.

Having said all that I do wish I had done a better job of recording everything this Hunger Challenge. I do have a lot of recipes and menus from previous years (See info here) that could be helpful in understanding some of the background of what I'm writing about now.

For now, here's a quickie outline of a typical Hunger Challenge day for me.

Breakfast -- oatmeal, banana, tea, calcium fortified soy milk -- estimated cost about 85 cents
Snack (2 times a day) carrot, banana or similar -- about 25 cents each plus 1 cup of tea or iced tea- about 5 cents (about 55 cents total) OR cup of tea with 1/2 cup calcium fortified soy milk (about 45 cents) and 1 carrot or banana (total of 65 cents).
Lunch -- Dinner leftovers - about $1.60
Dinner-- Vegetable stir fry with tofu, rice or pasta - about $1.60

Daily total -- Just under the $4.72 a day budget, which does not include any produce I would have received as a client of the San Francisco Food Bank. Factoring that in might have reduced the cost for my lunch and dinner and or would have added additional food and variety to my day (yeah!).

For more information about the Hunger Challenge now going on through the SF Food Bank, please click here. Read the Hunger Challenge blog for information on what bloggers and other participants are experiencing during the challenge. For info on the food bank itself, go here.

With new federal studies showing poverty in America at an all time high since the government began tracking and reports of hunger in America growing as well as reliance of food banks increasing, I hope that even if you don't live in the Bay area, you'll check out what you can do to help combat hunger in your community at Feeding America.

Here's a few of the other bloggers who are participating in this year's Hunger Challenge. I hope you'll take a few minutes and read about their experiences as well.

I'll post more of the links over the next few days:

http://www.tootimidandsqueamish.com/
http://abetterfate.blogspot.com/
http://spoonfulofsomething.blogspot.com/
http://balancedhealthylifestyles.blogspot.com/
http://www.beenthereatethat.com/blog
http://bisononadiet.blogspot.com/
http://www.butterdate.blogspot.com/
http://www.sally-giggle.blogspot.com/
http://abadchris.tumblr.com/
http://consumingpr.com/
http://cookinfordummbies.wordpress.com/
http://cookingwithamy.blogspot.com/
http://mydistractions.wordpress.com/
http://my-r-year.blogspot.com/
http://sandramort.livejournal.com/

Hunger Challenge 2011 - September 11-17

2011-08-24T16:34:00.000-07:00

I just signed up for my fourth Hunger Challenge to help raise awareness of Hunger in America and support for local Food Banks. If you are interested in joining in (eating on a budget of $4.72 a day for a week), please check out the San Francisco Food Bank's Hunger Challenge sign up page.

I'll post lots more on how to find out information about your local food bank and more as we get closer to the Hunger Challenge (September 11-17).

You can read all about my other Hunger Challenge experiences at the links below, including recipes, shopping lists and more.

2008 - includes menus and recipes for breakfasts and recipes for Portuguese potato and greens soup, French country cheese pie, stuffed baked potato, Asian stir fry and fried rice, Hunger Challenge Chili, vegetable soup, and chicken stew
2009 - includes recipes for sweet and sour cabbage soup, tortilla lasagna, one-dish baked chicken and my favorite budget recipe of all time, Hunger Challenge Cassoulet.
2010 - includes how to shop Whole Foods on a budget, organic on $4 a day, keeping kosher on $4 a day and recipes for corn soup, pasta with peppers, onions and a hint of chicken, and stuffed cabbage

Every year I try to focus on balanced, good for you and good to eat menus that make the most of a food stamp budget ($3-$4 a year in past years, $4.72 in this year of rising food prices). This year I will probably focus on vegan and ethnic foods since I've found that you can get more food that is healthier for you if you keep to beans and other non-animal sources of protein. That is still to be determined but is partly decided because of my own "temporary" vegan diet for health and weight loss.

Teaser -- The Temporary Vegan in Las Vegas and More

2011-08-03T13:53:00.000-07:00

From omnivore to herbivore with a stop for eating healthy in Sin City I take a gamble and give up all animal products in my diet to gain health, wellness and food justice and lose weight while still eating well. A memoir with menus. A how-I-did it with recipes. Watch for part 1 coming to Blog Appetit soon.

Learn how social pressure resulted in one of the best decisions I ever made for my health and about my early mistakes, my search for a meat substitute,snappy comebacks suitable for questioning friends, families and servers and my recipes for vegan mole, posole, Turkish greens, Thai specialties, and much much more.

Almond Joy with Recipes for Almond Tart, Almond Party Mix and Almond-Stuffed Dates

2011-07-23T12:46:00.000-07:00

Almond and Berry Tarts to Go

Almonds are probably one of the most universal foods used in celebrations. Many different cultures are nuts for this nut as a symbol of hope, renewal and happiness.

The almond’s connection to marriage is particularly strong. Some traditions are based on there being both bitter almonds (unavailable in the U.S.) and sweet, so they use this relative of the rose and peach as a reflection on the duality of marriage. Others view almonds as symbols of prosperity, fertility and economic security.

Almond customs at weddings, engagement parties and other ritual events surrounding marriage include tossing almonds and coins at newly married couples, serving sweetened rice or couscous garnished with almonds at nuptial events, and offering confections made from almonds. The most famous of these is probably candied Jordan almonds served or given at weddings. The name Jordan is a corruption of the name of the variety of almond (jardin) first used to make this sweet.

Below are some almond-based treats for whatever you are celebrating. This column is adapted from one that first appeared in j. weekly.

Almond Tart with Strawberries
8 servings

This is my adaptation of a recipe I first made in a cooking class in Paris. Use your favorite tart crust in a 9” removable bottom pan or use a homemade or purchased pie crust in a 9” deep dish pie pan. If you need a crust recipe, check out the easy no-roll crust recipe I learned when I first made this tart. If you can’t find almond meal (made with unblanched almonds) or almond flour (made with blanched almonds), grind raw almonds in a food processor until fine and powdery.

1 uncooked tart or pie shell
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup almond meal or almond flour
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1 Tbs. flour
1 egg, beaten
1 tablespoon rum or brandy
1 lb. strawberries

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Prick tart or pie shell all over with fork. Place tart or pie pan on baking tray and bake for 10-15 minutes or until just golden. If using a frozen pie crust, follow package instructions. Remove from oven, place on rack and let cool completely.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, mix the sugar with the almond meal. Add the butter and thoroughly blend using fork, pastry blender or fingers until the mixture is evenly combined. Add the egg, flour and rum. Mix well. Place in prebaked crust on baking tray. Bake for 20-30 minutes. The filling should be set but still soft and have risen slightly and the crust should be lightly colored. Cool for 2 minutes on a rack. Wash, drain and remove stems on strawberries. Slice them in half if large. Arrange berries on top of baked tart, pressing slightly into the filling. Let cool. If using a removable bottom tart pan, remove outer ring before serving.

Anya’s Luxe Party Mix with Almonds
Makes about 2 cups of mix

Anya is a friend of mine who is a creative pastry maker and chocolate confectioner. This party mix calls for the best ingredients you can find. To see how I've made this mix with other combinations of nuts and dried fruit, click here.

4 oz. dark or bittersweet chocolate chopped into 1/4” to 1/2" inch chunks.
3/4 cup dried pitted cherries or dried cranberries
1 cup (shelled) whole roasted almonds
1/4 tsp. canola or extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp. or to taste finely ground sea salt.

Combine the chocolate, dried fruit and almonds, drizzle the oil over the mix and toss well. Sprinkle in salt and toss again. Serve in a bowl or small individual dishes.

Almond Stuffed Dates
Makes 16

Many Jewish cultures serve confections such as this at weddings and other lifecycle events. Almond paste is available in the baking section of many supermarkets. Do not substitute marzipan.

16 large Medjool dates (about 12 oz.)
1/3 cup almond paste
8 whole raw almonds (shelled)
Sugar, optional

Cut a slit into the long side of the date, making a deep opening that goes almost from one end of the date to the other. Remove pit. For each date take 1 tsp. of almond paste and roll into an oval. Press inside date opening. Gently squeeze sides. Slice each almond in half. Press half almond on the top of almond paste filling for each date. Refrigerate until 20 minutes before serving. If desired, roll stuffed date in sugar to lightly coat just before serving.

Out of the Bag: Bamba Adds Taste and Crunch to Tomato Soup, Indian Snack and Sundae Recipes

2011-06-29T08:55:00.000-07:00

A bag of Bamba and Bamba Bombay Pockets

I never know where inspiration for new recipes will come from. In the case of the soup, snack and ice cream sundae recipes below it came from a little blue bag of Bamba, the ubiquitous Israeli children’s snack food. Bamba, a peanut-flavored corn puff, has a nice crunch and a pleasant peanut buttery taste. The combination of taste and texture got me thinking of ways to use it in my cooking.

When I started to develop these recipes everyone I spoke to (including the marketing representative from Osem, the company that manufactures and imports Bamba) was pretty much incredulous that one would try to use the puffs in any way than eating them straight out of the bag. But the snack food's flavor and crunch intrigued me, maybe because I didn't grow up with it and associate as a kid's food. (Note: the link to Osem is to the British branch. The USA branch is revising its website and the parent Israeli site is only in Hebrew at this time.)

The puffs are available at Bay area specialty stores, the kosher sections of several major supermarket chains and on line. So grab a bag of Bamba, but be careful not too eat too many, you’ll need them to try the recipes below.

Be sure to add the snack puffs to the pockets and sundae just before serving otherwise they will lose their crispness and crunch.

Spicy Tomato Soup with Bamba
Serves 4-6

Bamba adds a peanut punch to this soup, but the recipe works well without it. The soup itself is parve (neither meat nor milk) and vegan so if that is a concern for you skip the dairy topping or use a non-dairy yogurt instead.

2 Tbs. oil
1 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. finely minced jalapeño pepper
1 tsp. minced fresh ginger
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
2 tsp. curry powder
1-28 oz. can crushed tomatoes in puree
3 cups light vegetable stock OR water
1/4 tsp. salt or to taste
1/2 tsp. sugar, optional
About 2 cups of Bamba
1/2 cup sour cream or plain yogurt

Heat oil in large pot over medium high heat. Add onion, sautéed until limp, add garlic sauté until light brown, add jalapeño, ginger, black pepper, and curry powder. Sauté for 1 minute. Add canned tomatoes with puree and stock. Stir well. Bring to a simmer, lower heat, cover and simmer for about 35 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste and add salt to taste and sugar if desired. Serve in individual bowls. Add 4 Bamba to each bowl, stir and let dissolve. Top with a dollop of sour cream and pass additional Bamba as croutons.

Bamba Bombay Pockets
Serves about 6-8 as an appetizer

This recipe combines several different Indian snack concepts. It’s in no way authentic, but its mix of tastes, textures and tangy sauce is very appealing. If you prefer, replace the Bamba with a quarter cup of dry roasted peanuts and a half cup of puffed wheat or rice cereal.

Oil spray
3/4 cup 1/4” cubed baking potatoes (peeling optional)
3/4 cup of cooked chickpeas, drained
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
1/4 cup minced fresh mint
1/2 tsp. salt
15 mini pitas (about 2 and 1/2” in diameter) OR 4 regular-size pitas
1/2 oz. Bamba, chopped into fourths (about 3/4 cup)
1 recipe sauce (see below)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 2 baking pans. Put potato cubes in single layer on one, spray potatoes. Place chickpeas on the other pan, spray. Place in oven and bake for about 30 minutes, turning occasionally until potatoes are cooked through and beginning to get crisp. Cool.

Mix potatoes and chickpeas in large bowl with onion, cilantro, mint and salt. Right before serving, heat pitas in oven or dry skillet until hot and puffed. Mix Bamba into potatoes and chickpeas. If using mini-pitas, snip off top and put about 1 and1/2 Tbs. of the Bamba mix into each. If using full-size pitas, cut in half and full each half with 1/3 to 1/2 cup of the mix. Drizzle with sauce immediately before serving.

Sauce: Mix 1 Tbs. tamarind paste with 1 tsp. date syrup and 2 tsp. water. An alternative is to mix 1 Tbs. plus 1 tsp. of molasses or pomegranate molasses with 1 tsp. lemon juice, 1/2 tsp. brown sugar and 1 tsp. water.

Bamba Ice Cream Sundae with Choco-Hazelnut Sauce
Makes 1 Sundae

Osem is introducing a new flavor of Bamba in the U.S. with a chocolate-hazelnut paste filling. I haven't seen it in stores (although it is listed in the Amazon store), but it inspired this sundae and the luscious sauce which would work well wherever a chocolate sauce is needed. Chopped peanuts make a good substitute for the Bamba.

3-4 Tbs. Choco-Hazelnut Sauce (see below), divided
2 scoops of vanilla ice cream
1 Tbs. crushed Bamba

Spoon a tablespoon or two of the sauce on the sides and bottom of sundae dish. Add ice cream, top with remaining sauce and sprinkle with crushed Bamba.

Choco-Hazelnut Sauce: Heat 1 cup of heavy whipping cream over medium-low heat until simmering, stirring often. Add 2 oz. chopped bittersweet chocolate, stirring until completely melted. Add 1/2 cup of chocolate-hazelnut spread (such as Nutella, which is what I used), stirring until completely incorporated. Let sauce cool to room temperature (it will thicken as it cools.) Store in refrigerator. Allow to return to room temperature before using. Makes 1 and 1/2 cups.

-------------------------------
Note: a version of this post appeared in the j. weekly.

All the Colors of the Rainbow - Gay Pride at the San Francisco Ferry Plaza and Farmers' Market

2011-06-28T18:05:00.000-07:00

The Saturday of Gay Pride Weekend I visited the San Franciso Ferry Plaza stores and farmers' markets and was struck by all the colors of the rainbow.

Summer Fun with Recipes for Hot Dog Toppings, Grill Treats, Cold Soups and More

2011-06-14T20:50:00.000-07:00

The skies have gone from overcast to blue, the air is soft and warm and my kid is home from college, it must be summer here in Blog Appetit-ville (Oakland CA). So here is a wrap up of some of the recipes and posts from Blog Appetit that help celebrate the summer here or anywhere.

Get Your Red Hots! -- What's summer without hot dogs (or sausages) with all the trimmings. So grab your weiner (except you Rep. Andrew) and try some one or all of these toppings: Vegetarian Chili, Tomato Onions and Homemade Relish. Use a tofu dog and the vegetarian chili and you have a vegan treat.

From The Grill -- Everyone needs a good barbecue chicken recipe, here's mine. No extra charge for the recipe using the leftovers in a hearty bbq chicken and greens salad. Or try these chicken kabobs with pomengranate molasses barbecue sauce (the best thing I've ever smeared on chicken.). Here's my son's red wine marinade for flank steak (a family favorite). Try these grilled vegetable kabobs with miso marinade as a main course or side dish. Grilled limincello tuna is served atop a couscous salad.

It's Still Strawberry Season -- Try my roasted strawberry strudel, cold strawberry soup or (vegan) strawberry coconut ice cream. All are berry, berry good. Or try my berry sorbet with or without the "berried treasure" and sauce. Pack leftover sorbet into ice pop molds for the best popsicles or fruit paletas you've ever had.

The Soup that Went into the Cold -- Soup is good for you but not so hot when it's hot. So try a cold soup. Here's recipes for my beet borscht which is delicious served cold, and my raw, cold mint soup which requires no cooking at all but a bit of the wait for the garlic infused stock to come together.

Make Mine a Cold One -- Try making your own ginger ale or sip an egg cream (did you know there is no egg and no cream in an egg cream) to help combat your own personal heat wave. Or try this simple strawberry licuado-style shake. Or maybe a frozen sweet tea.

Other Summer Food Ideas -- My Cold Peanut Noodle Salad works well as an appetizer or main course. My husband and I serve Vietnamese Spring Rolls (aka Salad Rolls or Summer Rolls) with a variety of filling options at parties, where he custom rolls each diner's selection of goodies in rice paper or lettuce. Looking for something more formal? This sliced zucchini appetizer from Chocolate and Zucchini makes a nice summer starter. A friend's mother introduced me to this grilled salad, which is easy and delicious.

Do you have a summer recipe on your blog/website you'd like to share? Please leave a link in the comments section.

Blog Appetit To Go

2011-06-08T15:47:00.000-07:00

Just a heads up. I've enabled Blogger's mobile template for all you smart phone users. Please let me know how you like it and if you have any problems using it.

Thanks

Of Fresh Ricotta, Blintzes and Making Whey (Plus Chipolte Potato-Corn Chowder)

2011-06-03T14:08:00.000-07:00

Homemade Ricotta Cheese

I think sometimes I just end up putting up a post that's basically all recipe because it's so hard to find the time to pin down and write the story behind it. I was very tempted to that with this post, mostly because there are so many stories behind the recipes for ricotta cheese, blintzes and chipolte potato-corn chowder that I don't know where to begin. In the end I just decided to give a brief synopsis of all the different stories.

Story 1 -- The Jewish Connection -- The evening of June 7th is the start of Shavuot, a holiday commemorating the giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai and associated with eating dairy foods. Last year, I wrote about making my own ricotta cheese for the holiday. This year a group of Jewish friends asked me to teach them how to make their own ricotta cheese and decided we'd turn our fresh curds into blintzes (kind of a Jewish/Eastern European crepe burrito filled with soft cheese).

The small steel pans were Grandma's

Story 2 -- The Grandmother Tale -- I can still see my grandmother, an apron tied around her waist, with beads of perspiration dotting her face, in her small kitchen making her blintzes. Grandma made a relatively few dishes over and over again, many of them not very exceptional (ketchup was her choice of sauce for pasta). However, her stuffed cabbage, brisket (only when she burned the onions) and blintzes were exceptional. Unfortunately no one in the family wrote down her blintz recipe and I've been searching through the years for something that matched my taste memory of her tender crepes and creamy, satisfying cheese filling. I did inherit her two small steel blintz pans, though.

Story 3 -- The Cheese Stands Alone -- There's a look people get on their face when you tell them you made your own cheese. It's somewhere between disbelief, awe and envy. No matter that you tell them how easy ricotta is to make, they still envision something complicated and impossible. The envy part comes from them imagining how wonderful, ethereally perfect your homemade cheese must taste. In that they are correct. The chowder recipe comes out of the cheesemaking. I just couldn't bring myself to throw away the whey.

With all the back stories now in front, here's the recipes for fresh ricotta, blintzes and chipolte potato-corn chowder.

Ricotta Cheese
Makes 2 cups (A bit more than a pound, drained)

This cheese is light and fluffy. It can be kept a few days but will become denser. Eat fresh sprinkled with salt, pepper and chopped herbs or with berries and honey. Use it to make fillings for blintzes (see below) or other good things. The recipe will generate about a quart and a half of whey (liquid) in addition to the cheese.

2 quarts whole milk
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2-6 Tbs. fresh lemon juice

Size of curds when ready to drain

Combine the milk and cream in a pan. Cook over a medium-low heat stirring occasionally until the milk begins to simmer (about 185 to 190 degrees on an instant read thermometer). Add a tablespoon of lemon juice. Stir and watch for the mixture to separate into tiny curds about half the size of a small grain of rice. Repeat until curds appear. Save the rest of the juice for another use. Pour the curdled milk into a colander lined with a dampened, double layer of cheesecloth. Drain over a deep bowl for an hour or until very thick. Discard the liquid, or whey, or use to make soup or bread. (See chipolte potato-corn chowder recipe below.) Store airtight in the refrigerator.

Blintzes
Makes about 10-12

As long as you are making blintzes, you might as well make a lot of them, so you might want to double or triple the recipe depending on how many blintz eaters you have. Everyone always ends up eating "just one more." Extras freeze well. Serve with sour cream or yogurt and fresh fruit or jam.

The Crepes

Blintz crepes differ from traditional crepes in that they are cooked on only one side (so no flipping them over). Recipes for the crepes vary from lots of flour and very little egg to just the opposite. Below is one I recently used adapted from Arthur Schwartz's Jewish Home Cooking: Yiddish Recipes Revisited. His version is based on his memories of his grandmother making blintzes, so I related to it. They also came out perfect, easy to make and handle. If you have made the ricotta cheese, try substituting the fresh whey for the milk and water.

1cup flour
1 cup milk
1/2 cup cold water
1/4 tsp. salt
2 eggs
2 Tbs. melted butter plus additional melted butter for frying

Place all ingredients in a blender. Process until well combined, stopping to scrape down sides of blender as needed. Batter should be "very smooth and the consistency of very heavy cream).

Heat a 6-to-8" omelet, fry or crepe pan over medium heat. Once hot, brush pan with melted butter. When butter sizzles, lift pan up, pour in 3-4 Tbs. of batter (amount will vary depending on size of pan. Avoid making the crepe too thick), swirl pan to cover bottom evenly with batter and return to heat, cooking for about 1 minute or until bottom of crepe is light brown or has light brown spots and the inside has set. Turn out on clean dishcloth and repeat until the batter is used up, reapplying melted butter to pan as needed.

(To make as Schwartz does, use 4 Tbs. of melted butter to fry the crepes and after they brown on one side, carefully flip over and fry for about 15 seconds on the other side.)

Blintz Filling

This version uses freshly made ricotta cheese. If you don't have that available use the freshest artisan ricotta or farmer's cheese you can find in the market. If those are not available, use regular commercial ricotta cheese or mix the commercial ricotta half and half with drained cottage cheese.

2 cups homemade ricotta cheese (1 recipe - see above)
1 egg, beaten
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. grated lemon zest (optional)

Combine and mix well.

Assembling and Frying

Butter for frying

Have a blintz crepe in front of you, brown (fried) side down. Place about 2 Tbs. of filling in the middle, leaving about an inch margin at top and bottom of crepe. Fold top over filling. Fold bottom over filling. Fold one side then the other over. Heat large fry pan over medium high heat. Add butter. When melted, fry blintzes in batches, flipping to get golden brown on all sides.

Chipolte Potato-Corn Chowder
Serves 6

This chowder packs a bit of smoky hot heat which works well with the milky taste of the chowder. If you need it milder, seed the chipolte pepper or try using just half a pepper. I like this chowder best when the corn still has some crunch to it, so be careful not to overcook. For a smoother, thicker chowder, puree about half of the soup.

2 Tbs. oil
2 large leeks, white and light green parts only, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 medium carrots, chopped
2 medium stalks of celery, chopped
1 large red bell pepper, chopped (about 2 cups)

1 and 1/2 quarts whey left over from making ricotta cheese (if you don't have that much whey, make up the difference with )

2 large russet potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 4 cups, peeling optional)
1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
Kernels from 2 ears of corn (about 2 cups)
1 canned chipolte pepper in adobo sauce, diced (reserve remainder of can for other uses)
1/4 tsp. paprika, optional

Heat large pot over medium high heat. Add oil. When hot, saute leeks and garlic until garlic begins to color. Add carrots, celery and bell pepper. Saute for a minute. Add whey, potatoes and chipolte pepper. Stir well. Bring to just under a simmer (do not boil). Cover and lower heat to keep at a simmer, stirring occasionally. Cook for about 8-10 minutes or until the potato cubes are soft almost all the way through. Add salt, pepper, and corn. Simmer another 5-10 minutes until corn and potatoes are cooked through. Taste and correct seasoning. Sprinkle paprika to garnish just before serving, if desired.

Spices Make Global Local -- Recipes for Bahrat Tomato Sauce with Okra, Quick Zucchini Pickles and Roasted Asparagus

2011-05-23T22:58:00.000-07:00

Quick Zucchini Dill Pickles

When you try to cook local but eat global, authentic spices are often what you need to translate international recipes into home cooking. The earthy whiff of cumin, the sweet smell of cinnamon or the tingle of ground peppers all bring the world to my dining table.

I recently interviewed two San Francisco Bay area spice purveyors (who happen to offer most spices with kosher certification) for a recent article in the j. weekly. from Bay area spice purveyors who have found that a hechsher (symbol of kosher certification) is good for business. One of the companies, Whole Spice, was also featured the following Sunday in the San Francisco Chronicle food section.

Whole Spice, based in Petaluma, specializes in ethnic flavors and seasoning mixes with a “special touch to make them more flavorful,” according to Israeli-born Ronit Madmone, co-owner of Whole Spice. Whole Spice’s freshly ground spices can be found in the company’s Napa store and online or call (707) 778-1750 for more information.

Another Bay area spice company is American Natural and Organic Spices, based in Fremont. John Chansar, senior customer service manager is proud of bringing the wide world of spices to everyone as well as the company's social values.

“We are also a green company and donate a portion of or sales to charities to support homeless children,” he said.

The company’s Spicely brand is widely available in the Bay area as well as online. For more information or for retailers, call (510) 440-1044.

Both companies also feature gluten-free and organic products. Below are recipes to take advantage of the wonderful spice mixes they offer. Substitute similar products from other manufacturers if desired.

Bahrat Tomato Sauce with Zucchini or Okra
Serves 6

Baharat means “spices” in Arabic. Whole Spice’s version of the traditional mix contains nutmeg, black pepper, coriander seed, cumin seed, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, paprika, and chili. This recipe is adapted from the Whole Spice website.

2 Tbs. olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 fresh tomatoes, chopped
1 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1 tsp. baharat spice mix
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. tomato paste
1 Tbs. fresh parsley, finely chopped
2 Tbs. fresh cilantro, finely chopped
1 lb. zucchini OR fresh okra, sliced
1 cup vegetable broth

In a large cooking pot, heat the oil and add the chopped onion, frying until golden brown about 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic and sauté for 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and cook for 3 minutes or until tomatoes are soft. Add paprika, black pepper, baharat, cumin, bay leaves, and salt. Mix well and cook for a couple of minutes to combine flavors.

Add tomato paste and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add parsley, cilantro, and okra or zucchini; mix all ingredients well. Add vegetable broth and mix. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer over until vegetables are soft. (Okra will take longer than the zucchini). Add water if sauce is getting too thick. Taste and correct seasoning. Remove bay leaves. Serve over rice.

Quick Zucchini Dill Pickles
Makes about 1 quart

Sometimes it’s hard to find good pickling cucumbers, so that’s when I make this recipe. Pickling spice mix usually contains coriander, mustard seed, and black pepper among other seasonings.

4-5 small zucchinis
4 garlic cloves, cut in half
1/4 cup dill sprigs, washed
1 1/2 cups of vinegar
1/2 cup water
1/2 tsp. salt
1 Tbs. pickling spice mix
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes

Wash and rinse well one quart or larger glass jar. Fill with boiling water and set aside.
Wash zucchinis well. Slice into ¼” rounds. You should have about 5 cups. Put vinegar and ½ cup water in a sauce pan with salt. Bring to a simmer.

Pour hot water out of glass jar. Layer cucumbers or zucchini, garlic and dill in jar. Scatter pickling spice and red pepper flakes in jar. Pour warm vinegar mixture to fill, making sure the vegetables are totally covered with liquid. Cover with airtight lid and store in refrigerator. Chill overnight before serving. Keep refrigerated.

Roasted Asparagus with Herbes de Provence
Serves 4-6

Herbes de Provence is my go-to seasoning mix for everything from roast chicken to pizza. Spicely’s mixture features thyme, basil, rosemary, marjoram, lavender and fennel seed. This recipe adapted from one on the Spicely website.

1 lb. fresh asparagus spears, trimmed
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 Tbs. Herbes de Provence mix
1/4 tsp. sea salt or more to taste
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper or more to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Toss the asparagus with olive oil, the herb mix, and salt and pepper to taste. Spread the asparagus onto the baking sheet in a single layer. Roast in preheated oven until tender and lightly browned, about 12 minutes.

From My Recipe File: Roasted Eggplant-Pomegranate Casserole

2011-05-12T11:33:00.000-07:00

I was looking through my recipe files for inspiration and found this vegetarian (vegan if you leave out the goat cheese), gluten-free casserole. I know eggplant is a bit expensive right now and pomegranate seeds can be too, if you are not extracting them yourself, however the tastes are spectacular for such a humble dish. Try it with the millet if you can.

I also liked how it kind of fits the flavor profile I've been cooking with lately which is somewhat Middle Eastern/Arabic/Turkish.

Roasted Eggplant-Pomegranate Casserole
4 Servings

Millet is available in bulk food bins. Four cups of cooked brown rice is a good substitute.

2 eggplants, 1 pound each
¼ cup olive oil, divided
1 medium onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
½ cup pomegranate juice
¼ tsp. red pepper flakes
½ tsp. ground black pepper
½ tsp. salt
12 oz. baby spinach
4 cups cooked millet (see below)
6 ounces crumbled soft goat cheese, divided
1/3 cup pomegranate seeds
1/3 cup chopped parsley and or mint

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Slice eggplants in half vertically, place face down on baking sheet greased with 1 Tbs. olive oil. Bake 30 minutes until cut side is browned and eggplant is completely softened. Let cool. Shred flesh with fork. Discard skins.

Lower oven to 350 degrees. In a large fry pan, heat 2 Tbs. oil, sauté onions until golden, add garlic. Sauté 1 minute. Add juice. Cook until syrupy. Add peppers and salt. Stir. Add half the spinach, sauté until cooked down. Add remaining spinach. Sauté. Mix in shredded eggplant and cooked millet. Combine thoroughly with two-thirds of the cheese. Turn into a casserole greased with remaining oil. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top. Bake for 40 minutes. Just before serving scatter pomegranate seeds and chopped herbs over top.

To cook millet: Rinse and drain well 1 cup millet. Heat 1 Tbs. oil in a large pot. Add millet and stir until lightly toasted. Add 2 cups of boiling water. Bring to a boil. Cover. Lower heat to simmer for 20-25 minutes until water is absorbed. Take off heat, leave covered for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

Turkish Flavors Meld in Lamb Stew

2011-05-09T22:59:00.000-07:00

Not long after I returned from Turkey I made this stew. It's a tasty amalgamation of several lamb and vegetable stews I had during my trip. Many Turkish meat dishes are flavored with fresh dill, so I incorporated that into this dish. I served this with bulgur, a frequent Turkish side dish, but rice would also work well.

Lamb Stew with Tomatoes, Peppers and Dill
Serves 4

1 lb. eggplant
1/2 tsp. salt plus additional if needed
2 Tbs. vegetable oil
1 lb. boneless lamb stew (1” cubes)
2 cups slivered onions
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups red bell pepper pieces, sliced into 1/2” strips
1/2 cup sliced carrots, cut into 1/4” rounds
2 cups cubed potatoes cut into 1/2” chunks
1 lb. tomatoes, chopped
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. hot red pepper (chili) flakes
About 2 cups chicken stock
1 Tbs. plus 1 Tbs. chopped fresh dill

Peel eggplant if desired. Cut into 1” cubes, toss with 1/2 tsp. of salt. Place in colander. Let sit for half hour. Rinse and drain well. Dry.

Heat oil in deep sauté pan or large pot over medium high heat. Brown lamb chunks. Remove from pan and set aside. Add onions and sauté until golden. Add garlic and sauté for one minute. Add eggplant, red pepper strips and carrots. Sauté for 2 minutes. Add potatoes, tomatoes, black pepper and red pepper flakes. Mix well. Add lamb pieces with any juices. Add stock until ingredients are submerged about 3/4 of the way. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Cover, lower heat and simmer for about 1 hour (until lamb chunks are very tender, time may vary), stirring occasionally and adding additional stock if necessary. Remove cover, stir in 1 Tbs. of dill. Cook for about 25 minutes until stew is thickened and meat is extremely tender. Taste and mix in salt if needed. Sprinkle with remaining dill.

Okay, Enough with the Excuses ...

2011-05-09T14:02:00.000-07:00

Oh, almost enough excuses anyway:

Some things I've been working on:

Turkish recipes, including a killer adana kebob
Turkish spiced meatloaf
Black-eyed peas and greens tamales
Revised carrot cake
A trip through some of the Oakland-Berkeley ethnic markets

and so much more.

Hope this helps you wait for me to work my way through work and writing deadlines and personal issues unitl I can return to blogging on a more regular basis. My mom used to call things like this a lick and a promise, a phrase I always liked but am afraid to use today because of the changing nature of slang, but that's what this is -- a little taste and a promise of more to come.

Thanks for hanging in with me.

Happy Cinco de Mayo

2011-05-05T12:12:00.000-07:00

I'm still playing catch up but I've been working on new recipes and posts, so watch this space.
In the meantime, here's a link to all my posts about my experiences in Mexico and Mexican-related recipes.
Enjoy.

Happy Easter

2011-04-24T21:40:00.000-07:00

Funny bunny at the Alameda Point Antiques Show

My Apologies

2011-04-19T10:35:00.001-07:00

I'm temporarily on hiatus as we deal with the death of a very close family friend.
Thanks for your patience. More later.

"Shredded" Pastry with Nuts -- Make Room on Your Passover Table for a Turkish-Style Delight

2011-04-15T10:48:00.000-07:00

This recipe has so many back stories I don't know where to begin. But I do know how it should end -- making this dessert filled with chopped walnuts and raisins and soaked in a lightly sweet lemon syrup for a Seder or other event this Passover.

First back story -- when I was in Turkey I saw lots of shredded phyllo (filo) dough pastries and sampled quite a few, all with a sweet syrup and most filled with chopped nuts and or dried fruits. I also had my share of the more familiar baklava.

Second back story -- when I returned from Turkey, I needed to create some Passover recipes for my weekly j. column and since I was still enthralled by the dishes I ate in Istanbul, Cappodocia, Esphesus and elsewhere, I decided to recreate some of the food I ate there for Passover. I thought I would try to make a matzo baklava. When I went shopping I saw the very fine, thin Pesach egg noodles and I had one of those recipe creation a-ha moments. What if I used the egg noodles instead of the matzo and made the dish more like the shredded phyllo pastries I saw and ate? I tinkered a bit in the kitchen crossing some ideas for individual shredded phyllo pastries with some I saw that used the ingredient in more of a pie and came up with this recipe. My testers could not believe it was a Passover dessert. It was a hit.

Third back story -- there was no room in the column for this fabulous recipe and it had to be cut. So for the first time anywhere, here is my Passover "Shredded" Pastry recipe. Enjoy.

Passover “Shredded” Pastry
Makes 16 pieces

Cutting the dessert into 16 pieces before cooking makes it much easier to serve. This sugar syrup is not as sweet as the traditional Turkish style one would be. (FYI - Passover fine egg noodles are made with matzo meal and are a few inches long and about 1/8th of an inch wide.)

Syrup
1 ½ cups cold water
½ cup sugar
Juice of one lemon

Pastry
1/3 cup of raisins
4 oz. parve Passover margarine or butter plus extra for greasing pan
3 ½ oz. (about 1 cup) shelled walnut halves
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ cup sugar
1-12oz, bag of Passover fine (very thin) egg noodles, uncooked
1 cup hot water
16 walnut halves for garnish

Make sugr syrup by combining water, sugar and lemon juice in a heavy pot over high heat. Stir until mixture boils, then stir occasionally, boiling for about 15-20 minutes until mixture is reduced by half. Let cool then chill.

Soak raisins in boiling water to cover until softened, about 20 minutes. Drain and discard water.

Grease 8”x8” pan. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine drained raisins, walnuts, cinnamon and sugar in food processor or blender. Chop until coarsely ground. Set aside.

Melt margarine or butter. While still warm toss with the fine (thin-style) egg noodles and 1 cup hot water.

Press half of the noodle mixture into an even layer in the prepared pan. Top with layer of raisin and walnut mixture. Pat another layer of the noodle mixture evenly on top of the filling. Distribute any extra margarine mixture evenly on top of the final layer of noodles. Cut into 16 squares.

Bake for 30-35 minutes until golden and toasty. Immediately pour cold sugar syrup evenly over top.

Rest to let pastry absorb the syrup. Top each piece with walnut half. Serve warm or at room temperature.

A Taste of Turkey -- Easy Baklava Recipe

2011-04-09T11:41:00.000-07:00

I'm still working out the kinks on my versions of the different foods and dishes I tasted in Istanbul, Cappadocia, Esphesus and elsewhere in Turkey.

In the meantime, here is the baklava recipe I usually use. It is adapted from Paula Shoyer's excellent The Kosher Baker: Over 160 Diary-Free Recipes from Traditional to Trendy. (Brandeis University Press) Her version is vegan, has more filling and is not as sweet as many others I’ve tried. Turkish versions would omit the orange blossom water, but for other cultures it is traditional and it gives the pastry a floral essence.

I first wrote up this recipe for my friend Anna Mindess' wonderful blog, East Bay Ethnic Eats, for her post on handmade filo (phyllo) dough.

Layered Baklava with Orange Blossom Syrup
Serves 20

The mix of nuts gives the baklava a very complex taste. This recipe is adapted from Shoyer’s book. This recipe is written for defrosted, commercial filo dough. It is even more spectacular made with fresh. If you’d like, brush canola oil on the filo dough layers rather than spraying them with the spray oil as Shoyer does.

1 2/3 cups shelled, unsalted pistachios
1 cup slivered almonds
1 cup walnut pieces
2 ¼ cups of sugar, divided
Canola oil spray
1 package frozen filo dough, thawed according to package directions
Juice of 1 lemon
1 cup water
2 tsp. orange blossom water

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Put pistachios, almonds, walnuts and ¼ cup of sugar in food processor with metal blade. Process until ground into tiny pieces but not pulverized.

Grease a 9”x13” pan with spray oil. Cut sheets of filo to size if necessary. Lay 1 sheet in pan, spray with oil. Repeat 4 times until you have a stack of 5 sheets. Scatter ¾ cup of the nuts mixture evenly on top. Repeat until you have 5 filo layers of 5 sheets each and 4 nut layers. Finish with the filo on top. Spray the top sheet heavily with oil.

With a sharp knife, make diagonal cut through all the layers across the pan, about 1 ½” apart. Then make diagonal cuts in the other direction. Place on middle rack in the oven and bake for 30-40 minutes or until lightly browned. As it bakes, if it looks like the top sheet is drying out, spray again with oil.

While the baklava is baking, make the syrup. Place remaining sugar, lemon juice and water in a small pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook uncovered for 5 minutes. Turn heat to low and simmer for 7 minutes. Take pan off heat, add orange blossom water and stir.

When the baklava is baked, remove from the oven and immediately pour the syrup over it. Let cool in the pan.

------------
This recipe and information also appeared in the j. weekly in a review of the Shoyer book. Additional recipes are included.

3 Sandwich Recipes Help Make the Tea Plus Clotted Cream Wannabe

2011-04-06T17:26:00.000-07:00

“A simple tea, maybe just some egg salad sandwiches.”
Those words by the chair of the fund-raising event I was handling the food for haunted me as I worked on developing some recipes for a recent tea for 50. In my opinion, nothing is that simple when you have to peel dozens of eggs.

Luckily, there was a volunteer crew to help make the food, which focused on classic afternoon tea goodies. In addition to the sandwiches, one member made delectable scones (served with our version of clotted cream) and another provided gooey brownie bites. Fresh strawberries, purchased chocolate truffles and meringues, and a selection of fresh brewed teas rounded out the menu. (With thanks to a friend who oversaw the brewing of something like 25 pots of tea through the event.)

We offered three types of sandwiches (egg salad with watercress and cucumbers, smoked salmon with a flavored cream cheese, and olive and goat cheese) and all were popular. I’ve adapted the recipes to make a more manageable amount of sandwiches, but they all multiply well if you need to feed a crowd. Recipe yields refer to thin tea-style sandwiches.

Egg Salad Sandwich with Watercress and Cucumbers
Makes about 8 sandwiches

Egg Salad with Watercress
1/3 cup mayonnaise
2 Tbs. lemon juice
2 chopped green onions, greens and whites
1/4 tsp. ground pepper
1/8 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. ground mustard seed
6 hard boiled eggs, peeled and diced
2 Tbs. chopped watercress OR parsley leaves

Combine mayonnaise, juice, green onions, pepper, salt, mustard and mix well. Mix in eggs and mash slightly to combine. Mix in watercress. Taste and correct seasonings if needed.

For Each Sandwich
2 slices white or other bread
Softened butter
2-3 Tbs. of Egg Salad with Watercress
4-5 thinly sliced rounds of cucumber, peeled

Lightly butter each piece of bread. Spread egg salad on one buttered side, top with cucumber slices to cover. Place remaining bread buttered side down on top. Press firmly down on sandwich to flatten slightly. Trim off crusts if desired and cut into halves or quarters.

Smoked Salmon Sandwich with Lemon Zest and Caper Cream Cheese
Makes about 8 sandwiches

Lemon Zest and Caper Cream Cheese

1 tsp. finely minced lemon zest
8 oz. whipped cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 tsp. chopped jarred capers
1/4 tsp. juice from capers bottle

Beat together zest, cream cheese, capers and caper juice until well mixed.

For Each Sandwich
2 slices light rye or other bread
Softened butter
2 Tbs. of Lemon Zest Cream, at room temperature
1-2 thin slices of smoked salmon (to cover)
1/4 tsp. chopped fresh dill

Lightly butter one piece of bread. Spread cream cheese on other. Lay salmon slice(s) on top of cream cheese. Sprinkle with dill. Place remaining bread buttered side down on top. Press firmly down on sandwich to flatten slightly. Trim off crusts if desired and cut into halves or quarters.

Goat Cheese and Olive Sandwich
Makes About 8 Sandwiches

At the event I used a purchased green olive tapenade instead of the sliced olives specified in the recipe.

Goat Cheese Spread

8 oz. fresh goat cheese, at room temperature
4 Tbs. whipped cream cheese, at room temperature
2 Tbs. chopped walnuts

Mash goat cheese with cream cheese until spreadable. Mix in walnuts.

For Each Sandwich
2 slices multi-grain whole wheat or other bread
Softened butter
2-3 Tbs. Goat Cheese Spread, at room temperature
2 Tbs. sliced, pitted olives OR green pimento stuffed olives

Lightly butter one piece of bread. Spread goat cheese mix on other. Press sliced olives into goat cheese. Place remaining bread buttered side down on top. Press firmly down on sandwich to flatten slightly. Trim off crusts if desired and cut into halves or quarters.

“Besotted” Cream
Makes about 1 1/4 cups

No tea is complete without scones and no scone is complete without clotted cream, traditionally made from long cooking unpasteurized milk and difficult and expensive to find. The idea of combining mascarpone cheese with cream as a replacement is not unique, but it is very tasty. It also is easy to make and its taste left me “besotted.”

8 oz. mascarpone cheese
6 Tbs. heavy cream
1/4 tsp. powdered sugar

Combine cheese, cream and sugar. Whisk together until very thick. Keep cold. Remove from refrigerator about a half hour before serving.
------------------------------------------
A version of this article first appeared in the J. weekly.

I'm Back

2011-03-27T12:37:00.000-07:00

Back from Istanbul and full of good food, good stories and great pix.
Watch this blog for more!

This Purim Make Noise for Kreplach

2011-03-15T17:22:00.000-07:00

Most of us associate Purim foods with sweets such as hamantaschen cookies or other pastries, but kreplach, an Ashkenazi filled pasta, have long been enjoyed at Purim, probably because of the dumpling’s shape, which is associated with the tri-cornered hat ascribed to evil Haman. (Purim is March 20-21 this year.)

This Jewish boiled dumpling has roots back to medieval France and migrated with the Jews as they headed east. Making the dough and filling the pasta were labor-intensive, so kreplach were saved for Purim and a few other holidays.

I grew up eating kreplach stuffed with meat or chicken swimming in my chicken soup, but cheese and fruit jam variations are also popular.

Here are a few of my favorite kreplach recipes. These recipes use square wonton or goyza wrappers. If you want to make your own dough, use egg noodle dough rolled out very thin and cut into three-inch squares.

Don't feel like making kreplach? Buy some premade tortellinis or wontons and enjoy the spirit of the day.

Meat or Poultry Kreplach
Makes about 30 dumplings

This recipe calls for raw ground meat or poultry. However, left-over pot roast, brisket or roast chicken make fabulous fillings. To substitute the cooked meat, do not use the ground meat, instead use ¾ of lb. of leftovers, minced fine, and add it to the browned onions and garlic. If the meat is highly seasoned you may want to reduce the amount of salt and pepper you use and not add the optional spice.

2 Tbs. oil
1 small onion, minced fine
1-2 cloves garlic, minced fine
1 lb. ground beef, turkey or chicken, crumbled into small bits
¼ tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. ground black pepper
1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon OR ground ginger, optional
1 egg, beaten
About 8 oz. of square wonton or goyza wrappers

Heat oil in large fry pan. Sauté onion until light brown. Add garlic and sauté until golden. Add raw meat, sautéing until cooked through, breaking up any lumps of clumps. Add salt, pepper and cinnamon OR ginger if using. Drain excess fat and let cool. Mix in egg. (For a smoother filling, process in a food processor until smooth.)

Keep unused wonton squares covered to prevent them from drying out. Place about 1 tsp. of filling in the middle of each wrapper. Lightly wet a finger or pastry brush with water and moisten the borders of the square with water. Fold the lower left hand corner over the filling so it meets with the upper right hand corner, forming a triangle. Press firmly with your fingers or the tines of a fork to make sure the edges have sealed.

Cook in a large pot of boiling, lightly salted water. Cook about half of the kreplach at a time. Reduce heat to simmer and cook dumplings for 15-20 minutes or until the pasta is cooked through but still has some resistance to the bite and is not mushy. Finished dumplings can be served in hot soup or drained and fried in schmaltz or oil with onions.

Jam Kreplach
Makes about 30 Dumplings

About 2 1/2 cups of fruit preserves or jam such as cherry, apricot or raspberry
About 8 oz. of square wonton or goyza wrappers
Cinnamon and or sugar

Choose a very thick preserve or jam, or drain for a few minutes to remove excess liquid. Place about 1 tsp. of fruit preserves or jam in the middle of a wrapper. Fold, seal and cook as described above. Drain and serve warm or at room temperature sprinkled with cinnamon and or sugar.

Cheese Kreplach
Makes about 30 Dumplings

Most cheese kreplach recipes rely on pot or farmer’s cheese, which can be hard to find. This one is based on a cottage cheese-ricotta filling I developed for blintzes.

½ lb. cottage cheese
½ lb. ricotta cheese
2 eggs, beaten
2 Tbs. sugar
1 Tbs. flour
¼ tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. ground pepper
1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon OR ground coriander, optional
About 8 oz. square wonton or goyza wrappers
Sour cream and or fruit sauce

Drain cottage cheese and discard liquid. Push the cottage cheese through a strainer or a sieve or whirl in a food processor to break up the curds. Mix with ricotta cheese, sugar, flour, salt, pepper and optional cinnamon or coriander. Place about 1 tsp. of filling in the center of the wrapper. Fold, seal and cook as described above. Drain. Serve warm or at room temperature with sour cream and or fruit sauce.

-----------------------
A version of this post originally appeared in the Temple Beth Abraham Omer.

Not Quite Ready for Eat. Live. Be.

2011-03-04T17:15:00.000-08:00

Earlier this year, I signed up to participate in Eat. Live. Be., a series of blogging posts on how to eat more responsibly and healthily. I was excited to participate. Then I had a major health scare. The scare over, my deadlines, business commitments, etc. waylaid me from participating. Too bad, if I had found a way to make time, I'm sure I would have benefited from participating.

Others who have been participating have been faithfully linking to Faith, so I just wanted to give a shout out to them and encourage you to visit their blogs and read their posts on these topics. I hope to take a deep breath soon and write and about these topics (and lose weight and get healthier) when I return from Istanbul later this month.

Here are the Eat. Live. Be. folks -- please be sure to check out their blogs and watch this space for some catch up posts when I return from Turkey.

Cucina Bella
Sweetnicks
Melecotte
In Good Taste
Dine and Dish
The Anderson Crew
Eats Well With Others
The Starnes Family
Family and Food
Tri-Fit Mom
Cooking is Medicine
Sweet Flours
NJ Epicurean
Stop, Drop, and Blog
Hungry Housewife
Healthy Eating for Ordinary People
Sarah’s Sweet Creations
Chez Us
Lick a Plate

Cooking with Tea -- Beef Short Ribs in Smoky Tea Sauce and Frozen Sweet Tea Recipes

2011-02-26T23:19:00.000-08:00

I have an affinity for tea. Since I was young, it's been an important part of my life.

In my earliest memories it was Lipton tea in a bag. Then an English cousin introduced us to Red Rose. Then, with the aid of a trusty immersion coil (to boil water in my dorm room in those years before the residential microwave), I discovered the world of loose, herbal and flavored teas at McNulty's Teas in New York City.

I continue to drink tea of all sorts from complex chai to floral jasmine to delicate linden and more. I have also used tea in cooking.

For several years I have wanted to develop more recipes with tea. Recently, I took some time and did just that. The recipes below were developed for a column in the j. weekly I did about a Bay area-based national tea firm, Republic of Tea. The company started in 1992 and is located in Novato, CA. It distributes more than 200 products nationally. To see the version in the j., please click here.

Two of the company’s teas inspired me to create these recipes. I used its lapsang souchong tea (for more on lapsang souchong tea in general click here) combined with fragrant spices to give the beef short ribs a slightly smoky, wonderfully complex flavor. I used British Breakfast tea (a variant of English Breakfast tea) for the Frozen Sweet Tea, but any unflavored black tea (or decaffeinated black tea) will work. The third recipe, for an ice tea using Republic of Tea's Jasmine Jazz green tea, is adapted from the Republic of Tea website. (For some background on jasmine teas in general, click here.)

Similar teas from other sources can be substituted.

I have plans for more recipes using tea. If you have some you'd like to share, please leave a link in the comments section below.

Boneless Beef Short Ribs in Smoky Tea Sauce
Serves 4

This blog would need smell-o-vision to help you really appreciate the deep, wonderful, exotic scent that wafts through the house as these short ribs braise. And, once they are done, fork tender, moist and meaty, the taste does not disappoint. A fine company dish, especially when made in advance and gently reheated.

Note: A coffee grinder does a great job of processing the tea and spices. Grind bread into crumbs and discard to clean before and after.

2 Tbs. plus 1 Tbs. lapsang souchong tea
1/2 tsp. Sichuan OR black peppercorns
4 whole OR 2 tsp. ground star anise
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. salt
2 lbs. boneless beef short ribs
1 1/2 cups vegetable stock or water
2 Tbs. oil plus more if needed
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
4 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 cup chopped carrot
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
½ cup chopped celery
2 Tbs. chopped fresh cilantro OR parsley

Grind 2 Tbs. of tea, peppercorns, anise, ginger and salt until very fine using a spice mill, cleaned coffee grinder, blender or mortar and pestle. Rub spice mix all over short ribs. Let coated meat sit for 30 minutes.

Heat the stock to boiling. Take off heat. Steep remaining tea in hot liquid for 5 minutes using a tea ball or strainer. Remove tea leaves, reserve liquid.

Heat oil on high heat in a large, deep pan and brown short ribs on all sides. Set aside. Add more oil to pan if needed, reduce heat to medium high, sauté onion until lightly browned, add garlic, sauté until golden. Add carrot, bell pepper and celery, sauté for a minute and put meat back in pan, adding 1 cup of the reserved tea liquid. Bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce heat to keep at simmer, turning meat and stirring occasionally and adding additional tea liquid if needed. Cook about 1 1/2 to 2 hours until very tender. Remove meat and keep warm. Cook sauce uncovered on high until reduced about in half. Pour sauce over short ribs. Sprinkle with chopped herbs.

Frozen Sweet Tea
Makes 6-8 Servings

This is a sorbet version of the popular Southern drink. The tea is brewed double strength as if for ice tea. Stop the freezing when the tea is slushy and still a bit liquidy and serve it in a glass with a straw for a "Slurpee" or "Icee" version. If you are serving it as a sorbet, I think a little chopped mint on top is an appropriate garnish.

2 cups boiling water
8 bags or 8 tsp. loose unflavored black or decaffeinated black tea
2 cups water
1 cup sugar
1 Tbs. lemon juice

Pour boiling water over tea bags or loose tea (in tea ball or strainer). Let steep for 5 minutes. Remove tea bags or leaves. Combine the other 2 cups of water with sugar in a small pot. Heat until sugar has dissolved and water is simmering, stirring occasionally. Mix tea and sugar water together. Stir. Refrigerate until cold. Add lemon juice. Stir. Pour into ice cream machine and process according to directions. It will be soft and slushy. Serve immediately or store in freezer. If frozen, let stand at room temperature 20 minutes before serving.

Adaption for Making without an Ice Cream Maker

This version makes a grainer, more granita-like frozen treat.

Once the tea and sugar mixture is cold, pour it into a metal pan or other freezer safe container that is wide and flat. Place in the freezer and stir and scrape the mixture every half hour with a sturdy fork until frozen. Remove from the freezer about 20 minutes before serving and scrape to break up and serve.
Republic of Tea sent me a link to some of their recipes. Being a big fan of jasmine tea, I tried this one and thought it very tasty.

Jasmine Lime Squeeze
Serves 4

The original recipe is on the Republic of Tea recipe website.

2 1/2 cups water

5 tsp. loose leaf jasmine tea

2 Tbs. agave nectar

1 Tbs. lime juice

Ice

Lime slices for garnish

Bring water to just short of boiling and pour over tea into a tea ball or other infuser in a heat-resistant pitcher. Allow tea to brew for 3 minutes. Remove tea leaves, stir in agave. Let tea cool to room temperature. Combine with lime juice. Pour over or blend with ice to serve. Garnish with lime slices.
---------------------------
To see other recipes using tea, what else I've written about tea and more, please check out the Java and Chai Jive label. (Note: the category includes recipes and posts for other beverages as well.)

Replicate Oakland's Street Tacos with Turkey "Carnitas" and Quick Carrot and Jalapeno Pickle

2011-02-19T15:52:00.000-08:00

Oakland’s many cultural traditions help make it a vibrant place. Part of the flavor this mix gives the city is literally a taste of how others live, with lots of ethnic and street food to choose from. Since I rarely cook pork, I’ve adapted a traditional Oakland street taco filling for turkey and give directions on how to serve it just like the taco trucks that line International Boulevard.

Turkey “Carnitas”

Carnitas is traditionally braised or roasted pork that is cut into cubes, fried in lard until crispy and then shredded. Recipes vary by region throughout Mexico. Here I replace the pork with turkey and the lard with schmaltz. If you’d rather not cook in chicken fat, use the oil but try adding just a tablespoon or two of the rendered chicken fat to boost the flavor. Chicken fat, also called schmaltz, can be rendered at home or is available frozen in some markets. (Here's a link to Empire's schmaltz, the one I most use. Interestingly enough they've chosen to call it "liquid rendered chicken fat."

1 tsp. salt, plus additional as needed
½ tsp. ground black pepper, plus additional as needed
½ tsp. dried, ground oregano
½ tsp. ground cumin
1 Tbs. oil
1 Tbs. plus 1 Tbs. additional fresh lemon or lime juice
1 ½ lbs. of boneless, skinless turkey thighs
4 oz. rendered chicken fat (about a half jar of schmaltz) or ½ cup canola oil

Mix salt, pepper, oregano, cumin, oil and juice into a paste and rub on turkey meat. Let marinate for 20 minutes to an hour. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place turkey thighs in a roasting pan, tent pan with foil and bake until the internal temperature is 170 degrees or the meat is opaque through out and juices run clear. Be careful not to overcook. Cut cooked turkey into 1” cubes. Heat chicken fat until liquid and hot. (Or heat canola oil in a 12” fry pan until hot.) Add turkey cubes. Fry, turning cubes over often, until well browned and very crispy. Remove turkey from pan with a slotted spoon or tongs and drain cubes on a paper-towel lined plate. (There will be a lot of fat or oil left in the pan.) Using two forks, shred the turkey meat. Taste. Toss with additional lemon juice and salt and pepper as needed. Use to make Oakland Taco Truck Tacos (see below) or burritos, or serve with rice and beans.

Quick Pickled Jalapeños and Carrots

This quick pickle is a typical accompaniment for street tacos. The tacos are also often served with thick slices of cucumber, whole or sliced radishes and a grilled or fresh green onion or two. Remove the jalapeño seeds for a bit less heat.

1 cup thinly sliced carrots
1-2 fresh jalapeño peppers, sliced
White vinegar

Cook the carrots in water to cover until just beginning to soften. Drain. Rinse with cold water. Put carrot and jalapeño slices in glass bowl or jar. Mix well. Cover with vinegar (or use half vinegar, half water for a milder pickle). Chill for at least an hour or two before serving. Store leftover pickles in the vinegar mixture in the refrigerator.

Oakland Taco Truck Tacos
Makes about 12-16 small tacos

About 32 small corn tortillas (6”-8” in diameter)
1 recipe turkey “carnitas”
Salsa and other toppings as desired, such as hot sauce, guacamole and or avocado slices
Wedges of lime or lemon
1 recipe quick pickled carrots and jalapeños
Fresh radishes or radish slices, cucumber slices, grilled or fresh green onions

Heat the tortillas in a steamer or in the microwave wrapped in a damp paper towel for 20-30 seconds until warmed. For each taco, stack one tortilla directly on top of another and place on plate. Top with a few tablespoons of the turkey. Add salsa or other toppings as desired. Serve with wedge of lime to spritz over taco and a few pickled carrots and jalapeños on the side with radishes, cucumbers or other accompaniments as desired.

----------
a version of this article first appeared in the Temple Beth Abraham Omer.

Make It Hot (Sauce) for Valentine's Day with Recipes for Harissa, S'hug and "Below the Belt" Sauces

2011-02-12T13:04:00.000-08:00

I'm personally a sucker for champagne, chocolate and flowers when it comes to Valentine's Day, but my husband, not so much. If fact, he'd probably like nothing better than one of these hot sauces and something delicious to slather them on. (Good thing we already have a few jars of them in the fridge.)

Try the North African harissa or the Yemenite s'hug (sometimes written z'hug) on foods ranging from soups and stews to flatbreads and couscous as well as grilled meats. The American-style Below-the-Belt Hot Sauce is something my younger son and I cooked up and works anywhere you'd use a vinegar-based hot sauce.

Both Moroccan and Tunisian Jews make harissa from dried, hot red chilies. Harissa originated in Tunisia in the 16th century when the country was occupied by the Spanish, who imported the New World chili to its new territory. After the Ottoman Turks regained control of Tunisia, the condiment spread throughout North Africa. Tunisians traditionally season their paste with caraway; Moroccans are more likely to use cumin.

S’chug, the Yemenite hot sauce, originated in the 17th century after the chili pepper was introduced in Yemen. It combines fresh green hot peppers with cilantro and the flavorful spices favored in the local cuisine – black pepper, cumin, and cardamom. The resulting condiment is sometimes mixed with crushed tomatoes, sesame seed paste or yogurt to temper the heat.

Since the traditional peppers used for these sauces can be hard to come by, these versions rely on more readily available Mexican chilies.

You can tone down the heat by choosing milder chilies and by removing the seeds. Use caution when handling chilies and be careful to cover any cuts on your hands and to avoid touching your eyes. The sauces will get hotter and more intense over time.

Harissa
Makes about 1 1/2 cups

This is my distillation of several recipes. I used 12 New Mexican, six pasilla and two guajillo chilies. The guajillo chilies boost the heat. If they are not available try arbol or pequin chilies. The dried chilies are available in some supermarkets and in Latino grocery stores.

5 oz. dried, whole, hot red chili peppers OR 4 oz. dried red chili flakes
5 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tbs. lemon zest
1 Tbs. lemon juice
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
1/8 tsp. caraway seeds, crushed (optional)
1 cup olive oil

If using the whole dried chilies, stem and seed. Cover with boiling water until soft, about a half hour. If using the chili flakes, cover with boiling water and soak for 5 minutes, until softened. Drain. Put softened chilies or chili flakes into food processor with garlic, salt, zest, juice, cumin and caraway (if using). Puree until smooth and thick. Add olive oil, process until combined. Store in covered glass jar in the refrigerator for up to 1-2 months.

S’chug
Makes About 2 Cups

This is adapted slightly from Gil Marks’ recipe from the “Encyclopedia of Jewish Food.”

9 ounces fresh green chilies (jalapeño, serrano and or New Mexico), stemmed and roughly chopped
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
4 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. ground cardamom
1 tsp. ground black pepper
1 tsp. salt

Put a fourth of the chilies and a fourth of the oil in blender and process until ground. Add remaining chilies and oil in 3 more batches until the chilies are ground fine. Add a fourth of the cilantro and grind and repeat until all the cilantro is ground. Add garlic and process until smooth. Add cumin, cardamom, pepper, and salt and blend until mixed. Store in refrigerator in covered container for up to 2 months.

Below-the-Belt Hot Sauce
Makes About 1 1/2 Cups

Toasting the jalapeños gives the sauce a slightly smoky flavor. A version of this recipe appeared in this post, which also explains how the hot sauce got its name.

6 red jalapeño peppers
1 red bell pepper
6 Caribbean or habanero peppers
3 garlic cloves
1 1/2 cups of white vinegar
Juice of 1 lime

Heat a dry skillet or griddle (do not use non-stick) and toast jalapeño peppers until blistered and slightly blackened on all sides. Remove stems from all the peppers. Seed bell pepper (and jalapeño and Caribbean if milder sauce is desired) and roughly chop. Puree in food processor with garlic. Combine puree with vinegar and lime juice and heat in a small pot until simmering and cook until the bits of pepper and garlic have softened. Let cool. Pour into airtight container. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to six months.

-----------------
A version of this post first appeared in the j. weekly.

Funny It Doesn't Taste Chewish -- Kosher Chinese Recipes for the Lunar New Year

2011-02-03T11:28:00.000-08:00

Jewish Grandmother's Tofu

Two of my great interests are Asian and Jewish foods. So to celebrate the Lunar New Year and the arrival of the Year of the Rabbit, I thought I’d share a few recipes with Chinese taste and Jewish rabbinical authority.

All the processed ingredients in these recipes are certified kosher (meaning that they meet the demands of traditional Jewish dietary guidelines such as no pork, not mixing meat and milk, etc). Larger supermarkets and specialty stores (especially those with an organic or natural foods section) should have a selection of kosher-certified Chinese sauces and ingredients. You may need to try a few stores to get what you need. Be careful, some brands have versions both with and without a hechsher (the symbol of rabbinical certification). To learn more about kosher food, certification and the symbols to look for on food product labels, click here.

Jewish Grandmother’s Tofu is my version of the classic Mapo Dofu (Old Grandmother’s Tofu) which replaces the pork with ground turkey and a few traditional ingredients with others that can be found with kosher certification. Serve over rice and or along side stir-fried vegetables. The amount of chili paste makes it a mildly to moderately spiced dish depending on the brand of chili paste and your palate. Adjust the amount of chili paste to taste. (Oh, and just so we are clear on this, I am not a grandmother. The name is just my attempt at being clever. Those of you who know my sons, Seth and Noah, can stop worrying.)

Egg Drop Soup with Chicken Meatballs and Greens is my version of a dish I ate variations of throughout a trip to China a few years ago. As part of a multi-dish Chinese dinner the recipe would make six-to-eight servings. To make it a heartier one-bowl meal, add a cup of cooked rice to the bottom of each individual bowl before ladling in the hot soup.

Jewish Grandmother’s Tofu
Serves 4

1 lb. firm tofu, rinsed and cut into 3/4” cubes
2 Tbs. vegetable oil
1 lb. ground turkey (not breast)
2 Tbs. minced ginger
2 Tbs. minced garlic
2 Tbs. chopped green onion (white and light green parts) plus 2 Tbs. for garnish
2 Tbs. black bean garlic sauce
1-2 Tbs. fresh chili paste, such as sambal oelek
1 cup of water
2 Tbs. sugar
2 Tbs. unseasoned rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar
2 Tbs. soy sauce
2 tsp. cornstarch stirred into 2 tsp. of water
1/2 tsp. fresh ground black pepper or brown Sichuan pepper

Put tofu into a bowl, cover with boiling water. Let sit 15 minutes. Drain and reserve. Have all ingredients ready. Heat wok or large fry pan (do not use non-stick). Add oil and swirl to coat pan. Stir fry ginger, garlic and green onion, being careful not to burn garlic. Add the turkey and stir fry for a minute, using the side of a spatula to break apart any clumps of meat. Add the black bean sauce and chili paste and stir fry for 30 seconds, then add the water and the tofu. Bring to a simmer and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, being careful not to break apart the tofu. Add the sugar, vinegar and soy sauce. Stir to combine then gradually add in the cornstarch mixture while stirring until sauce has begun to thicken but is still a bit runny. (You may not need to use all the cornstarch mixture.) Put in a serving dish and sprinkle with the ground pepper and green onions.

To read about how I learned about this dish in a cooking class in Shanghai, and to see a more traditional version of this dish, click here.

Egg Drop Soup with Chicken Meatballs and Greens
Serves 4

For the meatballs
1 lb. ground chicken (not breast)
1 egg white
1 tsp. minced ginger
1/2 tsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. minced green onion (white and light green parts)
Vegetable Oil

For the soup
8 cups chicken stock
2 slices of ginger, 1/4” thick
10 oz. fresh spinach, chopped
4 oz. fresh shitake or brown mushroom caps, cut into ¼” slices
1 Tbs. tomato paste
1 tsp. fresh chili paste such as sambal oelek
1 Tbs. apple cider vinegar
1 Tbs. soy sauce
1 egg
1/4 tsp. plus 1/2 tsp. sesame oil
2 Tbs. chopped green onion for garnish

Mix chicken with egg white, ginger, garlic and green onion. Oil a plate and your hands. Form 8 meatballs (mixture will be loose) and place on oiled plate. Put chicken stock in a large pot, add ginger slices. Bring to a simmer. Add meatballs and mushrooms. When meatballs have floated to the top, add spinach, tomato and chili pastes, vinegar and soy sauce. Gently stir until combined. Simmer until meatballs and vegetables are cooked. Beat egg with 1/4 tsp. of sesame oil. Stir soup as you drizzle in egg. Stir in remaining sesame oil, remove ginger slices and serve garnished with green onions.

To see an alternative version of this dish, please see my original recipe here.

To see all my recipes/posts on Chinese food, click here.
---------------------------------------
A version of this post previously appeared in the j. weekly.com.

Promises, Promises

2011-02-02T13:07:00.000-08:00

Egads! I've been traveling (Las Vegas for business), catching up on work after being gone from the office and prepping for my next trip (vacation in Istanbul), but all the while I've been eating, cooking and just thinking about food.

Here are some items to look forward to:

Dinner buffets in Vegas (this time the new Cosmopolitan Hotel)
Ethnic food in Vegas: Cuban, Mexican and Chinese
Vegan Home Cooking: Sweet Potato Casserole with Onions, Peanut Butter and BBQ sauce
Jewish holiday celebrations -- Purim foods
Cooking with Tea
More wrap ups from the Fancy Food Show

Meanwhile, if you have any sightseeing, shopping, food or other suggestions for Istanbul, I'd love to know about them. Leave a comment below or email me through my profile.

Fancy Food Show Time Again

2011-01-17T09:17:00.000-08:00

It's like Christmas in January for food lovers.
It's an annual feast of new and imported delicacies meant for the retail trade but like manna to food bloggers.
It's the Winter Fancy Food Show in San Francisco's Moscone Center.

Sponsored by the National Association of the Specialty Food Trade (NASFT), it's a convention center full (more than 80,000 products) of fine foods (pates, cheeses, chocolates, teas and so very much more from the U.S., Argentina, Germany, Spain, Italy, France, Asia and more) and new product introductions ranging from the unexpectedly wonderful (such as beet, Parmesan cheese and cashew dip) to the I'm sorry I stopped to taste it (tasteless grey-looking noodles in a gritty glop of a sauce).

Biggest crowds at booths at the show:

1. Cypress Grove Chevre's goat cheese and beer tasting (I liked the stout with the Humboldt Fog cheese and the miniature beer glass they used to serve the beer in.)

2. Republic of Tea's new loose leaf tea introductions. Wonderful teas for a company that never compromises on quality or taste. The fact that they were giving out individual tea presses probably accounting for the 30 people deep lines on both sides of the booth.

3. The booth that had mounted a TV showing the football playoff game. I couldn't see what they were sampling, but the crowd was so dense I had to elbow my way past them.

Want to read about Fancy Foods past? Click here.

I'm going back today for more. Watch for a full report here at Blog Appetit. Meanwhile, what NEW food product do you wish would be introduced?

-------------------------
Graphic credit: NASFT

Meal in an Oven for Easy Entertaining With Recipes for Spice-Rubbed Roast Chicken and Chocolate Banana Bread

2011-01-15T19:33:00.000-08:00

My friends Dawn and Sandy Margolin usually welcome another family or two to their over-sized dining table most Friday nights, but they never wonder what to serve. For the past 25 years it's been the same menu: Spice-Rubbed Roast Chicken and Chocolate Banana Bread.

“Knowing what I’m going to make each week makes me comfortable inviting over guests without having stress about it. I ask the guests to bring the salad, because making salad causes me stress,” she said with a laugh.

Below are my adaptations of her recipes.
Spice-Rubbed Roast Chicken
Serves 4-6

Dawn serves this with mashed potatoes or adds the potatoes to the baking pan.

4 Tbs. olive oil plus 1 Tbs. for greasing pan
1 ½ tsp. salt
1 ½ tsp. ground black pepper
1/8 tsp. ground red (cayenne) pepper
3 tsp. ground cumin
1 ½ tsp. turmeric
4 ½ to 5 lb. whole chicken
3 large carrots cut into ½” slices
3-4 cups of ½” chunks of root vegetables (such as turnips, butternut squash and/or potatoes)
1 large onion, cut into ½” chunks
10 cloves of garlic, peeled
1 cup chicken stock

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease large, deep baking or roasting pan with 1 Tbs. oil. Mix salt, peppers, cumin, turmeric and remaining oil in small bowl. Remove excess fat from chicken as well as any organs that might be packed inside. Rinse. Rub 1 tsp. of the spice mixture inside the chicken and another 1 Tbs. on the outside. Place in greased pan. Scatter carrots, root vegetable chunks, onions and whole cloves of garlic. Drizzle remaining spice mixture on top. Pour chicken stock over veggies. Roast for about 1 ½ hours, basting chicken occasionally and turning and stirring vegetables in cooking liquid. Chicken is done when juices run clear when thigh is pierced with a sharp knife.

Chocolate Banana Bread
Serves 12

The technique is a bit different, but the result is ooey, gooey and delicious. Dawn makes hers without the nuts.

½ cup butter or margarine (1 stick)
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 egg, beaten
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 large bananas, cut into ¼” slices

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter and pour into 5”x 9” loaf pan. Sprinkle brown sugar on top. Mix well. Combine flour and baking powder, add to pan. Add egg and mix well. Add nuts (if using) and chocolate chips. Do not stir. Heat banana slices in microwave for 2 minutes until fully softened. Drain if necessary. Add hot bananas to pan and mix well until the chocolate chips melt. Bake about 40-50 minutes until it looks set and the top springs back when touched. Turn out of pan. Cool on wire rack.

-------------------------
Cooking a whole meal in the oven can help save energy. For more information, see my post on energy efficiency in the kitchen here.

A version of this article appeared in the j. weekly.

Warming Soups from Around the World: Potato Goulash, Harira with Greens, and Sweet and Sour Cabbage Soup

2011-01-08T14:37:00.000-08:00

Harira with Greens

When the days get short and the weather turns cold and wet, there is nothing like a good bowl of soup. These are some of my favorite meal-in-a-bowl soup recipes, packed with spice and flavor. These vegan recipes rely on winter vegetables as well as pantry staples to warm you inside and out.

The Potato Goulash is a take on the goulash my Italian-Hungarian step-grandmother made. It is more of a soup than a stew, but you could ladle it over noodles if you like. Try serving it with a dollop of regular or non-dairy sour cream on top.

The Harira with Greens is an interpretation of a hearty soup eaten throughout Morocco. The exotic scent and deep flavor make it like a spice market in a bowl.

My twist on a traditional East European sweet and sour cabbage soup includes balsamic vinegar and butternut squash. Serve it with some crusty wheat, rye or black bread.

Potato Goulash
Serves 4

2 Tbs. vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup bell pepper strips
1 tsp. caraway seeds
1 1/2 Tbs. paprika
1-15 oz. can diced tomatoes with liquid
4 cups vegetable broth
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
2 Tbs. tomato paste
6 cups of cubed, peeled new or red potatoes (cut into 1” cubes)

Heat oil in deep pot or sauté pan. Sauté onion until light brown, add garlic and sauté until golden. Add pepper strips and sauté until beginning to soften. Add caraway and paprika and stir well. Add tomatoes with liquid, broth, salt, black pepper and tomato paste. Stir. Bring to a simmer. Add potato cubes, return to a simmer. Lower heat and cook covered at a simmer until the potatoes are cooked through, about 15 minutes. Taste. Add more salt if needed.

Harira with Greens
Serves 6-8

2 Tbs. vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 small jalapeño, seeded and chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 tsp. dried ground ginger
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. turmeric
1 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. ground cardamom
1/8 tsp. ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. salt
1-28 oz. can diced tomatoes with liquid
4 Tbs. tomato paste
8 cups water
1-15oz can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed)
1/2 cup uncooked brown or green lentils, rinsed
4 cups chopped chard leaves
3 oz. of angel hair pasta or spaghetti, broken into 1” pieces
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Lemon wedges
Harissa, salsa or hot sauce (optional)

Heat the oil in a deep pot. Sauté onion for a few minutes until softened, add garlic and sauté until light brown. Add jalapeno and celery and sauté for another few minutes. Add ginger, cinnamon, turmeric, cumin, paprika, cardamom, pepper and salt and mix well. Add tomatoes with their liquid, tomato paste and water. Stir well. Bring to a simmer. Add chickpeas and lentils. Cover pot, lower heat to keep at a simmer and cook for about 20 minutes until lentils are almost done. Add chard and simmer 5 minutes. Add pasta and cook 8-12 minutes until pasta is cooked. Garnish with cilantro. Serve with lemon wedges to squeeze over soup. Pass hot sauce if desired.

Sweet and Sour Cabbage Soup with Butternut Squash
Serves 8

2 Tbs. olive oil
1 cup chopped onions
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 medium carrots, chopped
2 cups of peeled, cubed butternut squash (cut into 1" cubes)
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp ground dried oregano
1/4 tsp ground dried thyme
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
4 cups vegetable broth
1 bay leaf
6 cups chopped green cabbage
1-15 oz. can tomatoes, chopped with liquid
2 Tbs. tomato paste
1 cup water
1/2 tsp. salt or to taste
2 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. sugar

In a large pot, heat oil over medium high heat. Add onion and sauté until beginning to soften, add garlic and sauté until just golden. Add celery, carrots and squash and sauté for 3 minutes. Add red pepper flakes, oregano, thyme and black pepper. Stir well. Add broth and bay leaf. Bring to a simmer; add cabbage, tomatoes (with liquid) and tomato paste. Stir well cover pot and simmer until cabbage has begun to soften. Add water until soup is at desired thickness. Simmer until vegetables are softened. Taste soup and add salt as needed. Add balsamic vinegar and sugar. Mix thoroughly, let simmer a minute or two and taste. Add more sugar or vinegar as needed. Remove bay leaf before serving.

----------
A version of this post first appeared in the j. weekly. You can read the original article here.

Happy Holidays from a Not So Sunny California

2010-12-25T09:50:00.001-08:00

The Year in Food -- My Favorite Posts of 2010

2010-12-23T16:52:00.000-08:00

It's been a busy year at Blog Appetit. My backlog of recipes and posts grew longer as my commitments to other projects grew. A lot of my recipes reflected my interest in international Jewish cuisine (although you don't have to be Jewish to enjoy them). Surprisingly for someone who doesn't bake all that much, a lot of my posts had to do with something sweet from the oven.

Here's some of what I thought was the best of 2010 from recipes and photos that did make it to the blog. I look forward to 2011 and getting to publish some of the wonderful recipes I haven't had time to post yet as well as creating or discovering new ones.

January

The winner for January was the wonderful chocolate tart I made for New Year's. You can read the post and find the link to the recipe for Bittersweet Chocolate Citrus Tart with Jasmine Tea Scented Whipped Cream here.

From the post: "I rang the New Year in with friends and this bittersweet citrus chocolate tart from Alice Medrich's book Pure Desserts. The book should be called 'Perfect Desserts' because that's what this tart was -- the dark bittersweet chocolate offset by the grapefruit and orange zest and the wonderful jasmine-scented whipped cream just adding to the wild party in my mouth."

Other recipes from the month featured a sweet and sour baked fish and a slow-cooked chick pea and lentil soup.

February

Baby, it was cold outside and my blog featured recipes to warm you up, including some energy efficient baked apples. My favorite for February was a toss up between two noodle dishes -- a sweet noodle pudding and a savory pasta dish. Far and away though, folks loved the sweet Cinnamon Bun Kugel from this post.

This kugel is better as a brunch dish or dessert than a regular entree. Both it and my Baked Fidellos Tostadas with Sephardic Flavors are in the same post, so if you want to try the savory as well as the sweet, the recipe is there, too. My friend Karen Bloom also shared some of her never fail kugel-making tips, so check it out.

The sweet kugel recipe was based on one developed by Nina Yellin, Karen's cousin, who has written a series of self-published cookbooks on kugels and similar dishes.

March

My New Orleans Bread Pudding wins by a nose over the baked chicken and bread casserole I featured in the same post. Also included is a tasty recipe for a soup with winter squash, greens and bread. Perfect for the cold rainy weather we are having right now.

I end up creating recipes to use up bread all the time. It seems like I always have some extra crusts, slices and frozen hot dog rolls around. My favorite breads to use are challah or other rich egg breads for desserts and french toast or sturdy artisan breads for main courses or soups.

March also brought posts on a gluten-free Passover menu (including pistachio lemon bars) and two other Passover recipes, one for Italian potato gnocchi, the other for a custard fried matzoh.

April

April is the month where I seemed to go for monochromatic baking -- black and white cookies AND whoopie pies. I also remember not being able to stop eating my honey butter caramel sauce and my Moroccan eggplant conserves (not together, though), but I think my favorite recipe of the month was my oven-fried chicken.

The chicken, which is oven fried without its skin, is juicy with a crunchy outside and is nicely seasoned with Middle Eastern spices. I served it with a honey-mustard slaw (that recipe is also posted). The chicken also has one heck of a back story involving suspicions of drug dealing. For more on that and the recipe, click here.

May

This month I made my own ricotta cheese, yogurt and yogurt cheese. The ricotta cheese all by itself was almost ethereal. I also developed some recipes suitable for new mothers and celebrated Cinco de Mayo. I also published my "History of Jewish Food" post, which has been very popular even if it doesn't have any recipes.

Probably my favorite recipe of the month, though, was the Pomegranate Molasses Sauce I used with the chicken kabobs in this post (which also includes a berry sorbet recipe). It's easy, tangy yet sweet and totally wonderful. I find myself making it again and again as an accompaniment to many different savory dishes.

June

In June I wrote about the care and feeding of picky eaters, eating local and in season, reviewed the new cookbooks by Steamy Kitchen and Pioneer Woman, turned strawberries into strudel, a fruit soup, and a coconut strawberry vegan ice cream, and wrote up my experience at a Filipino cooking class at the Oakland Asian Cultural Center (with recipe for arroz caldo or lugao).

My favorite for the month, and a dish I made regularly now, is shaksouka, eggs baked on top a simple stew of tomatoes and peppers. For the post I paired this North African speciality with homemade pita bread (recipe included in the post) that could be "time-shifted." At home I usually just mop it up with a hunk of good bread. Plus I often toss in vegetable leftovers ranging from spinach to corn kernels.

July and August

Opps. July was a month of work and travel and I only posted one recipe -- for my Tortilla de Espana made with potato chips. It's tasty, festive and easy and I posted it in time for the Spain vs. Holland World Cup finals. (I never did get a chance to give the Dutch equal time with a recipe). The omelet-like appetizer or light entree is a winner, as is Spain, winner of the FIFA 2010 World Cup. Sorry, no photo.

August also saw very few posts on Blog Appetit, but I had a lot of fun coming up with hot dog toppings reflecting various regional tastes. Try my "New York Onions in Ketchup Sauce," Chicago-style "Homemade Pickle Relish, or my favorite, "Phoney Island Hot Dog Chili," a vegan take on a Coney Island dog smothered with chili. The chili is delicious on its own or top a regular or vegan hot dog with it. The photo shows a dog dressed in all three toppings.

September

In September, I participated in Hunger Challenge 2010 through the San Francisco Food Bank to raise awareness of hunger locally and across America. I wrote about budget food shopping, feeding a family on a food stamp allowance of $4 a person a day, featuring menus and recipes for kosher or organic families. You can read the Hunger Challenge posts with recipes here. I also posted a family standby recipe -- Chicken Enchiladas in a Hurry.

I attended and wrote up a presentation on memories of the Jewish foods of Shanghai, including a sweet and sour fish recipe. According to Google Analytics, this has been one of my most viewed posts of the year. I found the talk interesting and the sweet and sour dish is not gloppy or overly sweet, but tangy and satisfying.

My favorite recipe of the month was a Fig-Almond Paste Tart in a Cornmeal Olive Oil Crust. The crust comes together quickly and is just patted into place. Purchased almond paste and a simply prepared fresh fig compote finish off the tart which was jammy, nutty and slightly sweet with a rustic crust.

October

October marked Blog Appetit's fifth blog-o-versary and the changeover to my own domain -- http://www.clickblogappetit.com/ (although http://www.clickblogappetit.blogspot.com/ directs to the new url without any fuss or muss).

I did a round up of my assorted pumpkin and Halloween posts, tried to imagine what Abraham and Sarah might have served those three angels disguised as strangers, and posted the recipe that I believe helped the San Francisco Giants win their division, their league and eventually the 2010 World Series -- my oven-roasted garlic fries, a homemade version of the SF ballpark treat.

November

I featured a wonderful Greek chicken recipe with a pasta greens side dis and leek and mint fritters, reviewed Daisy Martinez's new cookbook as well as a number of new Jewish cookbooks (which post featured a great potato knish recipe) and more, but for me my favorite recipe this month was the one for my jelly doughnuts. No contest. No discussion. Go out and make some because you deserve them. Be sure to share with your friends and neighbors because they deserve them, too.

December

December brings me the ghost of recipes and photos past, ones I've been too busy to writing up and posting.
Perhaps I'll get an early start on my New Year's resolutions and post some of them before the year ends. (This is the 90th post of the year, if you see any additional posts after that, I made good on my vow. If not, well there is always next year.

Of the posts I did actually get up on Blog Appetit, I make grown up marshmallow-cereal treats (a riff on Rice Krispie Treats), share a pot roast recipe, develop a recipe for a baked noodle pudding that features some California crunch and adapt my favorite potato pancake recipe into "Shortcut Latkes."

My favorite post of the month isn't a recipe, but my exploration of the street food available from Oakland (CA) taco trucks. While there are no recipes included in the post, I'm working on some recipes based on the tastes these trucks offer. Look for them in 2011.
------------------
Have a favorite I didn't mention? Please leave a comment. Are you a food blogger who's done your own round up? Leave a link in the comments so we can all take a look.

Oakland Taco Trucks -- A Feast in the Streets

2010-12-18T00:30:00.000-08:00

Clockwise from upper left -- El Ojo de Agua, Tacos Los Michocanos,
Tacos El Novillo and Tamales Mi Lupita

If we are talking street food, and we frequently are, and if we are talking tacos, which are also a frequent topic of conversation around here, it's very likely we are already on our way to the Fruitvale section of Oakland where licensing laws and Latino culture merge to create one of the Bay area’s best feeding grounds.

The number of the highly decorated taco trucks in the area changes, but Oakland has issued permits for 120 loncherias (catering trucks and push carts), half of which are in the Fruitvale area, one of only two neighborhoods in Oakland they are allowed. This concentration makes it easy to go from truck to truck and sample a taco with carnitas here, a tostada with cerviche there as you wend your way through the neighborhood. They are generally open from morning to well after the dinner hour, but be flexible, hours, location, and menu offerings do change. Be prepared for an adventure and bring your appetite.

My Oakland taco truck crawls have all been by car, but it could also be done by bicycle or even AC Transit. Amy Sherman, a veteran food blogger, travel writer and taco crawler has put together a tour with all stops convenient walking distance to the Fruitvale BART station. Thanks to Amy and bloggers Genie Grotto and Shelly Butcher for accompaning me on my appointed taco rounds.

To devise your own crawl, here’s a sampling of some of my favorite taco trucks plus an overview of some typical taco truck menu items. Menus are usually colorful signs mounted on the side of the truck, often in English and Spanish.

While many taco trucks offer the similar fare, the style of cooking, seasoning, regional differences and whims of the chef can make for interesting and tasty variations. These trucks specialize in tacos (usually two stacked small soft corn tortillas topped with a few tablespoons of filling with chopped onions, fresh cilantro and salsa) with a slice of lime. Squeeze the lime on top, fold the taco and eat in a few quick bites over your car hood, the taco truck’s thin ledge of a counter or perhaps a weathered picnic table and try not to drip on your clothes. The accompanying chunks of cucumber, radish or pickled carrots and jalapeno peppers help cut through the rich meat taste. Tacos generally cost $1.25-$2.

Besides the tacos, most trucks offer burritos and some also have quesadillas and tortas (sandwiches). Fillings can include carnitas (shredded, crispy pork), lengua (beef tongue, my favorite), suadero (beef rib meat), cabeza (beef head or cheeks), al pastor (roast pork), chorizo (spicy pork sausage), tripa (chitlins), birria (goat), carne asada (steak), stewed or shredded chicken and more. Trucks specializing in seafood also offer cerviche (raw, marinated fish salad) tostadas and griddled fish tacos (tacos de pescado or tacos de dorado).

Wash it all down with a refresco (soft drink). Or try an agua fresca or atole fresh fruit drink in flavors ranging for horchata (an almondy-cinnamon flavor) to jamaica (hibiscus) to pina (pineapple).

Below are just a few of my favorite Oakland taco trucks. One fan of the area’s loncherias created this Google map to help enthusiasts plan their own taco truck crawls. It includes the taco trucks listed below and many more.

Tacos El Novillo, 1001 Fruitvale Ave. (near E. 12th St.)

This truck offers tacos made with chicarrones (deep fried strips of pork skin.) The chicarrones are delicious, but I liked them better mixed with the al pastor tacos. Get one of each and make your own combination plate.

El Ojo de Agua, 3132 E. 12th Street (at Fruitvale Ave.)

The tacos are great, the tortas are excellent, but they are also known for their drinks, especially their licuados (Mexican milk shakes).

Tacos los Michocanos, 3524 International Blvd. (near 35th St.)

The difference here is the hearty and earthy style of Michoacan style cooking. My last taco there had some of the best lengua I’ve ever eaten. Plus I love the killer salsa. On weekends Los Michocanos offers a homemade tortilla option.

Tacos Sinola (two trucks), 2138 International Blvd. (at 22nd Ave.)

This is more of a two-truck “surf and turf” complex. The truck closest to International Blvd. offers an array of tasty meat-based tacos. The truck further back specializes in seafood, particularly in fish and shrimp tacos. In between are parking, covered seating and a colorful shrine to the Virgin of Guadalupe.

One of my favorite trucks is technically not a taco truck I guess since it specializes in El Salvadorean food. But Tamales Mi Lupita offers sensational cheese and other pupusas (kind of stuffed corn tortillas) served with tangy cabbage slaw, chicken pastilles (little fried pies of deliciousness) and banana empanadas (somewhat like pieces of bananas fried fritter style), among other delights. It can be found at 34th Ave. and Foothilld Blvd, next the Pupuseria Lupita Restaurant on Foothill Blvd.

For more on taco trucks in Oakland and elsewhere in the Bay area, check out the California Taco Truck blog or the Chowhound forum discussions on the topic.
Note: A version of this post first appeared on the Poor Taste SF website. Have a taco truck favorite not listed? Leave a comment and let me know. I'll try to check it out and include in a future taco truck roundup.

Marshmallow Treat Bars for Grown Ups and Others

2010-12-13T12:06:00.000-08:00

Here's a healthier version of the crispy cereal and marshmallow treats that are popular with children and adults alike. I made it (marginally) healthier by using high fiber Kashi cereal and some nuts and dried fruit. I made them festive with drizzle of chocolate. Easy enough to make with the kids during their winter break, festive enough for the holiday table and tasty all year round, these cereal bar cookies are delicious. (Or to quote a certain tiger about a certain other cereal --- "They're Grrrrrreat.")

Marshmallow Treat Bars for Grown Ups and Others

Makes about 24-36 bars (depending on how large you cut them)

These are not your mother's Rice Krispies bars. You could replace the Kashi cereal here with granola (see Gary's recipe here) or other ready-to-eat cereal.

1/4 cup butter,plus extra for greasing pan.
4 cups of regular or mini marshmallows (about 7-8 oz).
4 cups Kashi GOLEAN Crunch cereal
1/2 cup pecans, roughly chopped
1 cup total raisins and or dried cranberries
1 tsp. cinnamon
6 oz. bittersweet chocolate

Grease a 9"x12" or 9"x13" pan. Melt 1/4 cup butter over low heat in a large saucepan. Add marshmallows and stir until completely combined and smooth. Remove from heat and stir in cereal, pecans, dried fruit and cinnamon until well combined. Turn out into greased pan. Cool until firm and not tacky to the touch. Cut into bars. Melt chocolate over double boiler or in microwave. Either drizzle chocolate across top of bars or spoon into large plastic storage bag with "zipper" style closure. Squeeze air out of bag and seal. Snip off corner of bag and pipe chocolate over top of bars.

Here are other dessert recipes from Kashi using its cereal products.
Interested in other alternatives to the classic rice krispies treat? Check out Smitten Kitten's excellent peanut butter and choclate version or salted brown butter variation.

Don't You Wish They All Could Be California Kugels?

2010-12-08T12:17:00.000-08:00

Tonight's the last night of Chanukah and perhaps you are a wee bit tired of foods fried in oil, chocolate coins and sugary jelly doughnuts. Then you may want to celebrate with something made with cheese or milk, since eating dairy foods is another holiday tradition. Or if you don't celebrate Chanukah (aka Hanukkah), maybe you are just looking for a good brunch, lunch or light dinner dish that you can make ahead. Whenever you serve it, this noodle pudding (kugel) is delicious.

California Kugel
Serves 6-8
Chock full of California fruits and crunch, this kugel is a riff on the popular frosted flakes or cornflake kugels I’ve eaten. It’s got lots of texture, is not overly sweet and has a creamy custard with a hint of spice and lemon. Pick a granola with some dried fruit and nuts for the best results. Store bought is fine, but if you’d like to try making your own, check out my husband’s granola recipe.

Like most noodle kugels, this one is a bit on the rich side. I’ve tried to compensate by using lower-fat dairy products where I could. Also, the large baking pan makes for a little thinner kugel. Use a 9” x 12” pan and bake a bit longer if you prefer a thicker noodle pudding.

Note: If your raisins and dried apricots are not moist, soak in hot water for 30 minutes or until softened and drain before using.

12 oz. package wide egg noodles
3 Tbs. butter, divided, plus extra for greasing pan
5 Tbs. melted butter, cooled, divided
4 eggs, beaten
¼ cup sugar
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. minced lemon zest
8 oz. low-fat cream cheese, at room temperature
8 oz. low-fat sour cream, at room temperature
1 cup fat-free or low-fat milk
1 cup raisins
1 cup chopped dried apricots (cut into ¼ to ½ inch pieces)
1 ½ cups of granola

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Prepare noodles according to package directions. Drain and mix hot noodles with 2 Tbs. of butter.

In a large bowl, mix 2 Tbs. of the melted butter with the eggs, sugar, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon and lemon zest until well combined. Beat in (an electric hand mixer works well) cream cheese, sour cream and milk until the mixture is fairly smooth. Add buttered noodles and mix well.

Add in raisins and chopped apricots; stir until the dried fruit is evenly distributed. Pour mixture into a greased 9” x 14” pan. Toss the granola with the remaining melted butter and spread evenly over the top of the kugel. Chop remaining Tbs. of butter into small bits and scatter across the granola topping. Bake for 30-35 minutes until the custard is set and the top is browned. Serve hot, warm or at room temperature.

---------------------
For my savory dairy-free kugel and a decadent cinnamon bun kugel, please check out this post.
This recipe appeared in another context in the Temple Beth Abraham newsletter, the Omer.

8 Ways to Serve Latkes -- Plus a Zippy Cranberry Pot Roast Recipe

2010-12-05T09:15:00.000-08:00

Mixed latkes with spiced and regular
applesauce and salad with goat cheese.

We are at the halfway point of Chanukah and I thought some of you out there might need some fresh ideas on how to serve the traditional potato pancakes. So, check out my ideas to light up latkes for the remaining nights of the holiday and as a special present at the end, my favorite pot roast recipe to go with them. Don't save this Zippy Cranberry Pot Roast just for Chanukah (or Hanukkah) it's great for any meal and the leftovers are wonderful.

So here are eight ways to enjoy your potato pancakes. (Need a recipe for latkes, check out shortcut latkes here and my traditional recipe here.

1. With spiced applesauce. Warm homemade unsweetened, chunky applesauce and for each 2 cups of sauce, add 1 tsp. cinnamon, ½ tsp. allspice and a pinch of ground cloves. Add brown sugar to taste if desired. Simmer until spices have blended. Taste and add more of the spices if you want a stronger flavor. Serve warm atop latkes with sour cream or yogurt.

2. With a side of red cabbage and apples. Peel, core and thinly slice a large tart, firm apple. Sauté in butter or oil until softened. Drain a jar of purchased pickled red cabbage and toss with the apples. Heat through. Taste. Add a tsp. of sugar and or a Tbs. of apple cider vinegar if needed to make sweet and sour to your liking. Taste again and adjust as needed.

3. Sprinkled with sugar. While I had not heard about this tradition until recently, I researched it and for many people it wouldn’t be Chanukah without sugar on their potato pancakes.

4. With an egg on top. A recent acquaintance told me how delicious a freshly poached or fried egg is served on top of a crispy latke. Nice for breakfast or a light entrée. Top with a sprinkle of chopped green onions or chives, a pinch of sea salt and some freshly ground black pepper. Serve on a bed of frisee lettuce for a really gourmet brunch.

5. Crumbled as a soup topping. I like to scatter bits of leftover latkes on top of a sweet potato, butternut squash or red lentil and tomato soup. Combine ½ tsp. curry powder (or more to taste) with a cup of Greek-style yogurt, stir well and garnish the soup with dollops of this as well. (Or skip the soup and try serving the latkes with mango chutney and the curried yogurt topping.)

6. Bite size as a base for appetizer toppings ranging from bits of smoked salmon or a pinch salmon roe atop a dab of sour cream to hummus topped with chopped green olives or bits of preserved lemon (available in jars at some markets).

7. As a foil for a spicy sauce. Try squirting a little Sriracha chili paste sauce or other hot sauce on your latke, serving with some fresh salsa or eating with a sweet and spicy fruit sauce such as this one from “Cooking Jewish” by Judy Bart Kancigor (Workman). Combine in a medium sauce pan 1-16 oz. can pitted black cherries (slice first) plus the liquid from the can, ¾ cup of raisins, 1 cup white wine, 2-24 oz. bottles of Heinz or other chili sauce and 1/3 cup of dark brown sugar. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally until reduced down and thick, about 20 minutes.

8. As a side dish to my favorite pot roast recipe with cranberries.
Zippy Cranberry Pot Roast
Serves 8

Adapted from “The Jewish Holiday Cookbook” by Gloria Kaufer Greene (Times Books).

I wish I could take credit for this recipe. It’s easy and delicious and is a perfect partner to crispy fried potato latkes. I’ve made it with all sorts of cuts of meat, prepared it in the pressure cooker, and even cooked it ahead, frozen the sliced meat in the sauce and reheated it and this recipe has never failed to be anything but wonderful. The rich meat, spicy horseradish and tangy cranberries all really complement the latkes. This pot roast is also good over egg noodles. Be sure you keep cooking the meat until it gets really tender. My family likes when it is falling-apart soft.

1-15 oz. can of plain tomato sauce
1-14 to 16 oz. can of whole cranberry sauce
1 Tbs. prepared horseradish
1 tsp. powdered mustard
3 Tbs. apple cider vinegar
¼ cup red wine
1 Tbs. vegetable oil
3 lbs. boneless chuck roast

Combine tomato sauce, cranberry sauce, horseradish, mustard, vinegar, wine or juice and oil in a large Dutch oven or other pot. Bring the sauce to a boil over high heat. Lower heat until just simmering and cook for 5 minutes. Trim all excess fat from the roast and add to pot. Turn in sauce to cover. Cover pot and simmer over low heat, basting meat and turning occasionally. Cook for 2 to 4 hours or until the meat is very tender and no longer chewy. Remove meat from sauce. Leave pot uncovered and raise heat to medium high and cook down the sauce, stirring occasionally until it is as thick as you’d like. Cut meat into thick slices across the grain. Spoon some of the sauce over the meat on the serving platter and put the rest in a bowl to serve alongside.

How do you like to serve your latkes? Please leave your ideas and any links in the comments section. Thanks!
----------------------
About the photo: Latkes, latkes everywhere at a recent latke tasting party.
A version of this article appeared previously in the Temple Beth Abraham Omer.

Oil Vey! Chanukah Foods From Around the World -- Handout Information

2010-12-02T19:00:00.000-08:00

A little administrative business:

Did you attended my talk today about Chanukah Foods Around the World and not get a copy of the handout or want to see the online copy? Please click here for the Google Doc version.

If you weren't able to attend and wanted to see the handout, feel free to click on the link as well.

I will be updating it shortly with additional recipes.

12/9/10 -- I've updated the handout with another recipe and links to others. Enjoy.

Latkes Get a College Education

2010-12-02T07:29:00.000-08:00

My son, the Theater Arts major (i.e., the youngest), is away at college and couldn't be home for Chanukah. He asked for a copy of the Shortcut Latkes recipe and made the potato pancakes you see in the photo for him and some friends. (I think in the friend's kitchen, I don't recognize it. And since I don't want to be a helicopter parent I'm not going to tell him about the dangers of having a paper towel so close to the flame or ask him about the general state of that stovetop.)

They look so great and I'm so proud of him, he's never made anything like this before or even attempted any major frying.

-----------------------
FYI - Did you know that there are 16 recognized spellings in English for the name of the Jewish winter holiday?

According to the BlogCatalog these are: Hanukkah, Chanukah, Hanukah, Hannukah, Chanuka, Chanukkah, Channukah, Chanukka, Hanukka, Hannuka,Hannukkah, Channuka, Xanuka, Hannukka, Channukka, and Chanuqa.

Take a Gamble on Shortcut Latkes -- Lots of Flavor without the Grating

2010-12-01T12:31:00.000-08:00

See the note below for info on photo

Let me make one thing perfectly clear. I don't take to quick and easy latkes. No potato pancake mixes here at Blog Appetit. My favorite recipe for latkes includes grating plenty of spuds. (You can find that recipe here.) But, well, sometimes there just isn't time or the ability to grate the potatoes and that's when Shortcut Latkes really shine. Fried crisp and fresh they are almost as good as the real deal. Perfect for a weeknight Chanukah meal, or as a light entree or side dish any night. So take a gamble and give these quicker potato pancakes a spin (see note below).

Shortcut Latkes
Makes 10-12 potato pancakes

I used the Simply Potatoes brand. Use them right out of the fridge for best results. (The colder the mixture, the less likely the pancake will fall apart in the fry pan.) For a milder latke, use the lesser amount of onion and leave out the garlic. My 19-year-old son made a batch for his first-time ever latkes. You can see a photo of that here.

Note: If you can only find the frozen pre-shredded, please thaw and drain before using.

1-20 oz. package of refrigerated pre-shredded potatoes (may be labeled “hash browns”)
2 eggs
1/8 tsp. ground black pepper
½ tsp. salt
1/3 to ½ cup of finely chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tbs. matzah cake meal or flour
Canola or corn oil

Beat the eggs in a large bowl with the pepper and salt. Add potatoes, onions and garlic. Mix well. Add cake meal or flour. Mix well. Heat ¼” oil in a large fry pan over medium high heat. Form patties about 3” in diameter and ¼ to ½” thick. When a bit of batter put into the pan sizzles, slide 3-4 patties into hot oil, being careful not to crowd pan. Press down on pancakes with spatula occasionally as they cook. Fry for 2-3 minutes on each side until brown and crispy. Remove to paper-towel covered plate. Add more oil if necessary and allow to come back to “sizzle” before frying next batch. Repeat as needed. Keep warm in a low (200 degree) oven if desired. Serve with applesauce and/or sour cream or plain yogurt.
----------------------------
Note: Re the photo and gamble/take a spin -- a little pun about the dreidels and gelt in the photograph. A favorite game of Chanukah (sometimes spelled Hanukkah), it involves spinning a top and seeing where it lands. Gelt, originally money now usually chocolate coins, is wagered on the outcome. For more on the game and its rules, please click to this post for directions, suggestions and even a paper template to make your own dreidel.

Jelly Doughnuts for Chanukah or Any Day

2010-11-30T12:07:00.000-08:00

Fingers sticky with jam, powdered sugar frosting my apron and just the wisp of the smell of oil clinging to my hair, I take a bite of my first attempt at making jelly doughnuts. The meshing of the slightly lemony doughnut with the sweet-sharp taste of the raspberry jam center and the sugary hit of the confectioner’s sugar sends me into sensory overload.

How good is this doughnut? Good enough for you to stop what you are doing and start figuring out when you are going to make some jelly doughnuts (also known as sufganiyot – a Chanukah favorite).

I can’t promise you making your own jelly doughnuts will be easy. But it isn’t really hard, it’s just exacting. So, if doughnuts (or donuts if you prefer) fresh from the fryer, dripping with jam and sprinkled with confectioner’s sugar are your destiny, you can do this.

I used a combination of recipes and techniques gleaned from a number of sources, but primarily from Joan Nathan’s “The Foods of Israel Today” (Knopf). I’ve written down exactly what I used and what worked best for me. I’ve also included some notes on making ahead. There are some major changes and adaptations to Nathan’s recipe based on my experiences and tastes, so if you have any issues or problems, blame me. Please check her cookbook if you’d like to make the doughnuts exactly as she specifies. Looking for a baked, vegan or gluten-free version? Check out the recipes on this site.

This project came out of the desire of some members of my Temple Beth Abraham congregation to learn how to make sufganiyot (also spelled sofganiyot) for this Chanukah (or Hanukkah if you prefer) as part of an on-going effort to learn new Jewish recipes. We were lucky to have someone experienced with deep frying, but everyone took turns rolling, cutting, frying and filling. It was a great experience and we look forward to more "Cooking Jewish" adventures.

Keep reading for the recipe, links to how-to videos, my very specific instructions (including how to make ahead) and more photos.

Jelly Doughnuts
Makes about 24

Equipment you will need:
Instant read thermometer
Deep fry/candy thermometer
Food processor
Large baking trays, baking or oven rack
Heavy, wide, deep pot
Long tongs or long slotted spoon or skimmer
Thin metal or bamboo skewer or thin, sharp knife
Pastry tip with wide opening and pastry or 1-gallon zipper-style plastic food storage bag
Small strainer

Recipe:1 package dry yeast
3 Tbs. sugar, divided
¼ cup lukewarm water (about 90-100 degrees on instant read thermometer)
3 ½ cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
½ cup lukewarm milk (about 90-100 degrees on instant read thermometer)
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
¼ tsp. salt
Grated zest of 1 lemon, chopped fine
½ tsp. of vanilla extract
4 Tbs. unsalted butter, at room temperature
Canola oil for deep frying
Raspberry or other jam, about 1 cup
Confectioners’ (powdered) sugar

Dissolve the yeast and 1 Tbs. of sugar in water. Let sit for 10 minutes. Mixture should be puffy and bubbling.

Put flour in food processor bowl with a steel blade. Add the yeast, milk, egg and yolk, salt, vanilla, lemon and remaining sugar. Process with pulses until blended. (Go slowly, I found if I blended the mixture too fast it would overwhelm my fairly large food processor for some reason.) Add butter and process until dough is “sticky yet elastic.” Flour or oil hands and take dough out of bowl and knead for a minute or two on a floured work surface. Oil a large bowl, put dough in it, cover with a dish towel and let rise in a warm place for at least an hour. (Dough can be refrigerated overnight after being placed in the bowl. Let come to room temperature before using.)

Flour work surface. Divide dough in two, keeping half covered until needed. Roll out first half to ½” thickness and using 2 to 2½” round cookie cutter or top of a glass cut into rounds. Place on greased baking pan. Reroll any scraps and repeat with them as well as the second half of the dough. (At this point, you can freeze rounds to fry later. Freeze in single layer on baking sheet. Once frozen, bag and seal airtight. Allow to defrost in refrigerator and then come to room temperature before using). Cover and allow the rounds to rise a half hour more.

Pour two inches of oil into a heavy, wide pan, clip on deep fry thermometer and heat to 350-355 degrees. You will need to continually monitor the heat. The doughnuts came out best when fried between 350-355 degrees. Be prepared to raise or lower the heat as needed. Also dress for frying by covering clothes with an apron and wearing long sleeves and having oven mitts handy. Want to watch before you fry? Here's a video that shows how.

Drop the doughnuts with tongs or slide in with the slotted spoon into the oil with the flatter, bottom sides they were resting on up (that will help give the finished doughnuts a nice domed look on both sides). Only put in 4-5 at time to be sure not to crowd them in the hot oil. Cook about 2-3 minutes on each side, turning when they have puffed up and are a golden medium brown. Drain on an oven or baking rack placed over a baking tray.

Break one of the doughnuts open from that first batch once it has cooled to the touch. The outsides should be nicely browned but not overly dark and the insides should be cooked through. If the outside is browned and the inside still has wet, doughy spots, you may be frying at too high a temperature. Be careful not to get the doughnuts too dark a brown by overcooking or using too high a heat, the crust is not as tender and it picks up a slightly burnt taste.

Repeat, adding more oil as needed (being sure to let the temperature return to 350-355 degrees before frying each batch.)

The next step is filling the doughnut. It really takes longer to explain than do, but if you make a mistake, no one will complain, the doughnut will still be delicious. (Want to see before you do? Check out this video, but note, they fill the donuts from the top, my version fills it from the side.) To fill, take a cooled doughnut and insert a skewer or thin, sharp knife through one end almost to the other and twist back and forth to create a channel or hole for the jelly. (I recommend slanting the skewer in so the channel slants down, it will help prevent the jam from leaking out a bit later.)

Insert the pastry tip (mine was 1” long with a ½” base) in the pastry bag or in a zipper-style food storage plastic bag with one of the bottom corners snipped off. (I used the plastic bag and skipped having to clean out the pastry bag.) Stir jam to loosen a little and spoon into the bag. (If it is still too stiff to work with, add a little water and stir again.) Push the jam down toward the tip, twist the bag above the jam and grab with one hand above where you twisted the bag. Insert the pastry tip into the doughnut to the end of the hole or channel you’ve made with the skewer. Lightly squeeze the filling into the doughnut at the same time as you are pulling the pastry tip back out, continuing to squeeze until just before the tip exits the doughnut. The idea is that you want to make sure there is filling all the way through the doughnut. The technique takes a little practice. You can cut open the first doughnut to see if you got the hang of it, or you can just eat it to make sure it’s right.

(There are other ways to fill a doughnut, but I have not tried them. Wilton makes a special éclair filling tip that would work well. Some people use a turkey baster to suck up the jam and then squeeze it into the slit. There are also pastry injectors made for this purpose. I think the cake decorating/pastry tip I used worked fine. Some of these are not as long as others, so watch for that, plus you don’t want a fine hole to pipe through, pick one that’s got some width.)

Right before serving, using the small strainer, sift confectioners’ sugar over the top of the doughnuts. (Note: If you sprinkle with the sugar too much in advance, it will soak into the doughnut's crust.) Enjoy and don’t forget to share. Doughnuts are best eaten the same day (if not immediately after) they are made.

Oil Vey! Chanukah Foods From Around the World -- This Thursday in Berkeley

2010-11-29T15:35:00.000-08:00

Go Beyond Latkes to Learn About Other Chanukah Foods

Come to an adult Chanukah (or Hanukkah if you prefer) party, 7 p.m. this Thursday, December 2nd at the Jewish Community Center in Berkeley. After candle lighting join one of four hour-long talks about Chanukah, including mine about Chanukah foods from around the world. Everyone gets back together at 8:20 p.m. for chocolate and port.

I've been doing my homework and will have a presentation as jam packed as a sufganiyah (Israeli Chanukah jelly doughnut) full of Chanukah foods past and present as well as a handout of some recipes to for some take home exploration. I'll be covering Chanukah foods from apples to zvingous and a whole lot of tasty treats in between.

In addition to Oil Vey! Chanukah Foods From Around the World, the other talks are:

Christmas in a Jewish Family (presented by Dawn Kepler of the interfaith family group Building Jewish Bridges)

Oil: Miracle or Finite Resource: An Environmental Perspective on Chanukah (Presented by Ron Feldman of the JCC)

Light and Darkness: A Mystical Understanding of Chanukah (presented by Rabbi Bridget Wynne, executive director of Jewish Gateways)

Admission is free and open to all, but you must be 21 or older.

The Jewish Community Center of the East Bay is located at 1414 Walnut Street in Berkeley.

The event is sponsored by the JCC of the East Bay, Building Jewish Bridges, Oakland Ruach Hadassah and Berkeley Hadassah.

Go to the JCC website for more information.

Daisy Does Christmas -- Daisy Martinez's New Holiday Cookbook

2010-11-28T12:43:00.000-08:00

I don't think I would have looked at Daisy Martinez's new cookbook for fall and winter holiday entertaining except that my sister is a big fan of the TV chef. Since I didn't really know Martinez's work or food, I was pleasantly surprised by the wonderful Latino and Hispanic flavors her recipes offered and enjoyed the snippets of her life she shared.

"Daisy's Holiday Cooking: Delicious Latin Recipes for Effortless Entertaining" with Chris Styler (Atria Books) is menu based and includes preparation schedules to help reduce some of the stress of cooking these "major" meals. Between the recipes and the color photos I ended up drooling over almost every recipe in the 163-page book. They all seemed like they would be delicious.

The 10 menus begin with a "cozy festive fall dinner" and end with a New Year's Day "linner" (mid afternoon combo of lunch and dinner). In between there are holiday buffets, Christmas events and an elegant New Year's Eve dinner. Each meal has its own color-coded section making it easy to find. The recipes are accompanied by lots of color photos for inspiration.

While there are many recipes that would work well for vegetarians this is a meat centric cookbook. It is also Christmas centric, with no options for other winter religious or cultural celebrations. That's not surprising, since it is a food memoir of Daisy's own tastes and experiences, but it dimmed its appeal for me as a seasonally based cookbook. However, most of the recipes would be appropriate throughout the year, so the book is not limited to holiday cooking. An index by course would have made it easier to use the cookbook year round and increased its versatility. This is special event cooking, so don't expect budget cooking or super-quick recipes, although Martinez does include easier variations to get the same flavors.

Directions are thorough and complete with step by step photos of many techniques such as how to cut up a chicken and Martinez gives ideas on how to use up any leftovers.

Some of the recipes that caught my eye include Achiote-Rubbed Roast Turkey with Manchamanteles (Tablecloth Stainer Sauce) with a chile-fruit note; Pumpkin-Spice Mantecadas, delectable little muffins; Empanaditas with Huitlacoche, Spinach and Mushroom Filling, small, savory turnovers using corn fungus; Arroz con Pato, a duck variation on a popular chicken dish; Coconut Tapioca with Mangoes, a luscious dessert, and Tamarind Margaritas, with spicy salt rims.

Keep reading for the recipes for the Coconut Tapioca with Mangoes and the Tamarind Margaritas and for links to other recipes from the book.

Coconut Tapioca with Mangoes
Makes 12 Servings

From "Daisy's Holiday Cooking" (Atria Books) by Daisy Martinez with Chris Styler

2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup instant tapioca
2-13.5-ounce cans unsweetened coconut milk
2 1/2 cups light cream
2 large eggs, beaten
Finely grated zest of 2 limes
Large pinch of ground ginger
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 ripe mangoes

Stir together all the ingredients expect the vanilla and mangoes in a medium saucepan. Let stand of 5 minute. Place over medium-low heat and cook, stirring constantly until the tapioca comes to a full boil. Take off the heat and stir in the vanilla.

Divide the tapioca into 12 6-oz. dessert dishes or pour into a large serving bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing the wrap directly onto the top of the tapioca to prevent a skin from forming. Let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until completely chilled, at least 2 hours or up to 1 day.

Just before serving, stand each mango on its end and slice away the fruit on either side of the pit. Peel the mango "fillets" and cut 6them crosswise into very thin slices. Decorate the top of tapioca with the slices. Serve.

Tamarind Margaritas
Makes 2 drinks

From "Daisy's Holiday Cooking" (Atria Books) by Daisy Martinez with Chris Styler

1/4 cup kosher or fine sea salt
1/4 tsp. chipotle powder, or to taste
1/2 lime, squeezed, and squeezed out lime half reserved
Ice cubes as needed
1/4 cup (2 oz). silver tequila
2 Tbs. (1 oz.) Cointreau, triple sec, or other orange liqueur
2 Tbs. (1 oz.) tamarind puree (not syrup or pulp)

Stir salt and chipotle powder together on a small plate until blended. Rub the rims of 2 cocktail glasses with the squeezed out lime half and press the rims of the glasses in the salt to lightly coat them.

Fill a cocktail shaker halfway with ice cubes and pour in the tequila, Cointreau, tamarind puree, and lime juice. Shake vigorously and strain into the glasses.

Links to other sources for recipes in the book:
Link to the New York Daily News and recipes for Sweet Plantain Canoes with Shrimp Diablo, Flourless Chocolate-Chili Cake and more.
Link to the Chicago Sun-Times and recipe for the Achiote-Rubbed Turkey.
Link to the blog A Chica Bakes and a recipe for Latino Hot Chocolate made with coconut milk and Mexican chocolate.
------------------
Photo credit: Atria Books (Simon and Schuster)
Discloure: Copy provided by publisher

Potato Knish Recipe and the Best of Jewish Cookbooks (Just in Time for Chanukah Gifting)

2010-11-18T21:25:00.000-08:00

For me every recipe tells a story that reflects back on its culture, time and place. And when that recipe is Jewish, there is also centuries if not millennia of tradition and religious observance to understand as well. The best of the new crop of Jewish-themed cookbooks help tell the stories of Jews and the food they ate from ancient Israel to New York's Lower East Side immigrants to the present day North African Jews in France. Plus any one of these books would make a swell Chanukah (Hanukkah) present.

“It gives you a sense of this is what our ancestors ate,” said Chaim Mahgal-Friedman, owner of Afikomen, Berkeley, CA, of the new edition of Kitty Morse’s “A Biblical Feast: Ancient Mediterranean Flavors for Today’s Table.” All recipes use ingredients thought to be used during the time of the bible in the Jordan River Valley. Mahgal-Friedman also likes how the book has clear instructions on how to go back to basics and make your own goat cheese, unleavened breads and sourdough starter. Morse’s self-published book is “beautifully illustrated” and easy to use, he said.

Afikomen is known for its large selection of Jewish cookbooks. Mahgal-Friedman also recommended “The Book of New Israeli Food” (Schocken) by famed Israeli food writer Janna Gur. Gur’s book is a few years old but gained local attention this past year with a display of Eilon Paz’s stunning food photographs from the book at the Peninsula Jewish Community Center in Foster City and Gur’s appearances around the Bay area.

Another recent book Mahgal-Friedman is excited about is “The Complete Asian Kosher Cookbook” (Targum Press) by the mother/daughter team of Shifrah Devorah Witt and Zipporah Malka Heller. The duo adapts Chinese, Japanese, Filipino, Thai and other Asian favorites so they can be made kosher with easy-to-find ingredients but still taste authentic.

Two new books have the attention of Celia Sack of Omnivore Books on Food in San Francisco, CA. She is looking forward to stocking Paula Shoyer’s “The Kosher Baker” (Brandeis), a collection of 160 dairy-free dessert recipes that include such delights as Babbka Cupcakes with Crumb Topping, Cinnamon, Vanilla, & Raspberry Macaroons, and Chocolate Peanut Butter Mousse Cakes.

“I think it’s the best thing coming out right now. It's a beautiful book, and I don't think the topic has ever been written about this extensively,” Sack said.

Sack also recommends “97 Orchard: An Edible History of Five Immigrant Families in One New York Tenement.” The author, Jane Ziegelman, is the head of the culinary department at the Tenement Museum in New York City. The museum has restored an 1863 tenement-style apartment house and shares the stories of some of the almost 7,000 people who lived there in the 19th and 20th centuries.

“97 Orchard,” published by Harper Collins this summer, was on several booksellers’ lists. The book details the food ways of five different immigrant families who lived in the tenement on New York’s Lower East Side. It includes 40 recipes from the families’ German, Italian, Irish and Reform and Orthodox Jewish traditions.

Nurit Sabadosh, owner of Alef Bet Judaica in Los Gatos, CA, is also featuring the “New Book of Israeli Food” and is looking forward to stocking the latest book in the “Kosher by Design” series. The books, by Susie Fishbein, are bestsellers for Alef Bet and Sabadosh expects the newest one, “Kosher by Design: Teens and 20-Somethings” (Shaar Press), to be popular as well. The book features alternatives to fast food that can be made with no special equipment and little or no cooking skills.

At Dayneu, a Judaica store in San Francisco, CA, co-owners Eva-Lynne Leibman and Hiroko Nogami-Rosen also carry the Kosher by Design series. They say they are looking forward to “Quiches, Kugels and Couscous: My Search for Jewish Cooking in France” (Knopf) by Joan Nathan, author of long-time favorite “Jewish Cooking in America” (Knopf). The book traces culinary influences as Jewish food in France evolved and then influenced general cooking in France.

Another stalwart of Jewish cuisine also has a new book on Jewish food out. The “Encyclopedia of Jewish Food” (Wiley) by Gil Marks, rabbi, chef and historian and author of “Olive Trees and Honey: A Treasury of Vegetarian Recipes from Jewish Communities Around the World” (Wiley) and other books, is part comprehensive food history book, part cookbook, part cultural anthropology text and more. It explains not only what foods such as ajin taimani (Yemenite bread), kichel (Ashkenazi egg cookie) and yakhna (a Persian meat stew) are but why they came about, where they migrated from and how they changed over time, often with recipes. The book also contains listings for Jewish holidays, food customs and a Jewish food history timeline. Marks’ background as a chef, rabbi and historian shines through in this well-written book.

For anyone who wants to learn more about Jewish tradition and life it is a valuable resource. For those of us who enjoy exploring our own and others Jewish food heritages it is an invaluable one.

Take for example the potato knish. Marks’ listing for knish opens with a quote from writer Sholem Aleichem, describes its origins as a medieval Polish fried patty and traces its evolution into “a small, round, fried, filled pastry” and then to a baked form similar to what we know today. The knish’s importance increased as the availability of home ovens did and the importation and cultivation of the New World potato into the Old World created the potato filling I so fondly remember. The entry goes on to detail the changes to the knish and prominent events in its history after it crossed back to the New World and concludes with the role the pastry now plays in Israel.

Here is my adaptation of Marks’ recipe for “Ashkenazic Filled Pastries,” or knishes, from the "Encylopedia of Jewish Food."

Potato Knishes
Makes about 8 large or 36 small knishes

Note: Marks does not specify what kind of potato to use. I used large creamers, similar to new potatoes. While I loved the rich onion taste of this traditional recipe, I also liked my spicier Southwestern variation below with roasted green chilies and cheese.

Pastry:
¾ pound potatoes
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons vegetable shortening or margarine
1 teaspoon salt
About 3 cups all-purpose flour

Filling:
1 pound of potatoes
2 Tbs. oil
2 cups chopped onion
1 tsp. salt
¼ tsp. ground black pepper
1 large egg, lightly beaten

Egg wash (1 large egg beaten with 1 Tbs. water)

Make the pastry: Boil potatoes in lightly salted water until tender. Cool. Put through a food mill or slip off skins and mash. Use 2 cups of the mashed potato for the dough. Reserve extra for another use.

In a large bowl, combine the mashed potatoes, eggs, shortening and salt. Slowly add in flour and stir until soft dough forms and the no more flour is absorbed. Mix the dough with your hands if needed. Knead the dough for a minute or two on a lightly floured surface. Cut into fourths, shape each into a round and wrap with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Make the filling. Prepare the potatoes as described above. Use 2 ½ cups for the filling.

Heat the oil in a large fry pan and sauté the chopped onions over medium heat until golden brown. Stir into the potatoes. Add salt and pepper. Cool. Taste and correct seasonings. Stir in the egg.

To assemble: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a large baking tray or line with parchment paper. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to 1/8” thick. For large knishes, cut 5” by 4” rectangles. For small ones, cut into 3” squares. Put ¼ cup of filling in each larger knish and about 1 Tbs. filling into the smaller ones. Draw edges together and pinch to seal. Put seam side down on baking tray. Brush with egg wash. Bake until lightly browned, about 20-25 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Southwestern Variation: Use 2 cups of mashed potato for the filling. Add 2 cups of shredded cheese and ¼ to ½ cup of roasted, peeled and chopped green chilies to the filling mixture.
------
This post was adapted from a new cookbook round up and a piece on potato knishes I wrote that appeared in the j. weekly.

Bad, bad Blogger (the service, not this author)

2010-11-09T21:47:00.000-08:00

My apologies, for some reason Blogger hiccupped and my front page posts are now all in capsule form with only thumbnail photos. I hope Blogger will fix whatever it did asap. (Although, I'm nearing a month without the navbar search at the top of the page working right). I have changed nothing so I am clueless why this has happened. If you are reading this and you are seeing full posts, this means Blogger has fixed it, so never mind.

Update: Seems to be okay now, but in case it reverts you know why (kinda).

Tonight's the Night for Dine Out for Meals on Wheels

2010-11-09T17:27:00.000-08:00

I'm looking forward to eating at Italian Colors tonight, which will be donating 10 percent of its proceeds to the Alameda County Meals on Wheels. Other Bay area restaurants will be doing the same. It's not too late to join in. Here's my post with more information. Or go to http://www.dineoutnow.org/ for more info.

Easy Oregano-Lemon Baked Chicken Recalls Greek Roots (Plus Side Dishes)

2010-11-04T13:05:00.000-07:00

When I write my j. weekly column, the most frequent feedback I get is on recipes that are easy to prepare but offer something a bit different for entertaining. This Greek-inspired oregano and lemon baked chicken (with side dishes of leek-mint fritters and orzo with tomatoes and greens) seemed to strike a cord with readers recently.

I developed these recipes after talking to Nora Rousso, the proud inheritor of many northern Greek Jewish food traditions. The Los Gatos resident can trace her heritage back to the Ottoman Empire and the fabled Sephardic city of Salonika. From her grandmother, mother and aunt she learned to appreciate and cook recipes that resonate with meaning for not just her family, but for many others who share a similar heritage.

One of the dishes special to the Salonika table was leek fritters or patties. “They are like latkes, only tastier,” she says. “When my aunt made them they were half gone before they even got to the table. Before we sat down every one would sneak out to take one.”

On holidays, her grandmother might make small homemade noodles called “fideos.” Normally boiled in water, for special occasions the noodles would be cooked with chicken broth and stewed tomatoes.

Rousso says the traditional cooking she grew up mostly relied on salt and pepper for seasoning but that chicken was always baked in olive oil, lemon juice and “a ton of oregano.” She also has found memories of horta, a dish of cooked greens, usually dandelion greens with lots of lemon and olive oil.

Based on Rousso’s memories, I’ve put together a Salonika inspired meal. My j. weekly write up is here.

Leek and Mint Fritters
Serves about 6

I’ve added some mint for the fresh taste and bright green color as well as a dash of crushed red peppers. They would make a nice variation from potato latkes (pancakes) at Passover as well. I enjoyed the leftovers drizzled with tangy Greek-style yogurt the next day.

6 large leeks, white and light green parts only
2 cloves garlic, minced.
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. ground black pepper
1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
4 eggs, beaten
¼ cup matzoh meal
¼ cup chopped fresh mint
¼ cup vegetable oil or more as needed

Trim, cut leeks and half lengthwise and clean. Place in boiling water and cook until softened. Drain and cool. Finely chop by hand or in a food processor. Combine with garlic, salt and peppers. Mix well with beaten egg. Mix in matzoh meal and mint. Let batter rest 5 minutes. Stir and drop by ¼ cupfuls into hot oil over medium high heat in large fry pan. Fry about 2 minutes on each side or until golden brown. (Do not crowd pan). Remove to paper-towel lined plate and serve warm.

Oregano and Lemon Baked Chicken
Serves 4-6

Cutting back on the oregano to 1 tsp. gives a much milder oregano flavor if you prefer.
¾ cup fresh lemon juice
¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup water
1/8 tsp. crushed pepper flakes
¼ tsp. ground black pepper
¼ tsp. salt
1 Tbs. dried oregano leaves
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbs. vegetable oil or oil spray for pan
4 pounds chicken breasts and/or thighs on the bone

In a large, non-reactive container, combine lemon juice, oil, water, peppers, salt, oregano and garlic. Mix well. Add chicken, turn to coat and marinate for 1 hour. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Coat a large roasting or baking pan with oil or oil spray. Place chicken bone down in pan. Pour marinade over top of chicken. Roast, basting with pan juices every 10 minutes or so, until chicken is done when you cut into it and there is no pink at the bone but meat is still very moist. (Timing will vary depending on chicken part and thickness, a very thick chicken breast took 45 minutes.) Remove from oven, let sit 10 minutes. Serve with pan juices.

Orzo with Tomatoes and Greens
Serves 6

I combined several of Rousso’s food memories for this dish. It makes an excellent side dish for the baked chicken recipe. I used dandelion greens, but for a milder flavor Swiss chard works, too.

4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
2 cups orzo pasta
1/8 plus 1/8 tsp. salt
1/8 plus 1/8 tsp. ground black pepper
2 Tbs. vegetable oil
1 cup chopped onions
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups chopped tomatoes (in ½” chunks)
4 cups chopped dandelion or turnip greens
½ tsp. sugar (optional)
Lemon wedges

Heat broth to boiling in large sauce pan. Add orzo and 1/8 tsp. salt and 1/8 tsp. pepper. Bring to a boil, cover, lower heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is done but not mushy. (About 8-10 minutes.)

In a large sauté pan over medium high heat, heat the oil. Sauté onions until light brown. Add garlic, sauté until golden. Add tomatoes and sauté until just beginning to soften. Add in greens and remaining salt and pepper. Sauté until greens are tender (adding a bit of water if needed), about 10 minutes. Mix in cooked orzo and any leftover cooking liquid. Turn heat to low and cook until well combined and all liquid is absorbed. Taste. If the greens taste too bitter, add the sugar. Add more salt and pepper if needed. Serve warm with lemon wedges to squeeze over individual portions.

Fresh Filo Adventure in the East Bay

2010-10-25T10:06:00.000-07:00

My friend Anna Mindess has a wonderful new blog all about ethnic food adventures east of San Francisco Bay. East Bay Ethnic Eats is a tasty read no matter where you live. Anna is a wonderful writer but doesn't "do" recipes, so I offered to supply one for her post on handmade filo dough (Oakland's Oasis Market).
You can read about how this wonderful dough is made here and see my baklava recipe there.