Recipes for Marilyfe As We Know It

Cinnamon Almond Bar Cookies

2012-01-25T13:08:00.000-05:00

These easy-to-make bar cookies are buttery, crisp, and sturdy enough to hold up well in the cookie packages that our family makes each year. They freeze beautifully, layered between sheets of waxed paper in an airtight container. Since many of our assortment contain chocolate, something that is not particularly desirable in my little branch of the family tree, these pretty bars are all the more satisfying with their rich, nutty, chewy, lemon-glazed goodness.

Cinnamon Almond Bar Cookies

6 ounces (1-3/4 cups) thinly sliced blanched almonds, frozen
8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter
2 tsps. cinnamon
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg, separated
2 cups sifted, all-purpose flour

Lemon Glaze

1 cup confectioners sugar
1 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
1 Tbsp. boiling water
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

For Cookies:
Adjust rack to center of oven and preheat to 300°F.

Butter a 10-1/2 x 15-1/2 x 1-inch jelly roll pan.

Put almonds into a plastic sandwich bag and squeeze and press with your hands to break the nuts into coarse pieces. Set aside.

In the large bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter. Add the cinnamon and sugar and beat until light and fluffy.

Beat in the egg yolk, reserving the white.

On low speed, gradually add flour, scraping the sides with a rubber spatula and beating only until thoroughly mixed.

Distribute large spoonfuls of the dough over the bottom of the buttered pan. Use the back of the spoon to spread it evenly. Cover it with a large sheet of waxed paper and press down on the paper with your hands to make a smooth, even layer, or use a straight-sided glass as a rolling pin to roll over the paper. Remove the waxed paper.

In a small bowl, whisk the egg white only until is is foamy and slightly thickened. Pour over the layer of dough, and with a pastry brush, spread it to cover the top of the dough.

Using your fingertips, sprinkle the crushed almonds evenly over the egg white. Cover again with waxed paper. With the straight-sided glass, roll over the paper to press the almonds into the dough and then remove the waxed paper.

Bake for 45 minutes until golden brown.

A minute or so before removing the pan from the oven, prepare the following glaze:

Glaze
Place the sugar, butter, water, and lemon juice in a small bowl and mix with a rubber spatula until completely smooth. The glaze should be the consistency of heavy cream.

When you remove the pan from the oven, drizzle the glaze unevenly in a thin stream over the top of the cake. It will form a shiny, transparent glaze.

Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 to 15 minutes; the cake will still be warm. With a small, sharp knife, cut around the sides to release and then cut the cake into eighths. With a wide metal spatula, transfer each piece to a cutting board and cut each eighth into quarters. Transfer to a rack to finish cooling.

After several hours, when glaze has set and hardened, freeze, if desired, between sheets of waxed paper in an airtight container. Makes 32.

30 Cookie Recipes and Other Gift Foods

2012-01-24T17:56:00.002-05:00

If you are reading this on Facebook, slideshows and videos are often attached. Click on this live link to my blog: http://www.marilyferecipes.blogspot.com/ if you would like to get the full experience.

Each year, for many years now, my family has collaborated on a cookie gift package project. Each of us makes a number of them, and we get together one night to eat pizza and wrap up somewhere between 60 and 100 packages, which we then divide up for our families to distribute as gifts. As far as I know, there has never been a comprehensive list, and the variety of cookies has varied over the years as we discard some of the old recipes and add new ones. This past year, for a number of reasons, we decided to forgo the cookies in favor of chocolate rum cakes. At the last minute, I decided to try baking them on my own and I am happy to say that I was able to turn out 25 of them in the spare time I had during the last two weeks before the holiday season began. I was able to surprise the family and we had a pizza and cookie wrapping night as always.

The future of this family tradition is in jeopardy. I do not know if our generation will ever be able to do this again. My granddaughters love making cookies as much as I do, so for the sake of our family’s cookie tradition, I have compiled a list and will try to make sure that, eventually, all the recipes can be found on this blog. I hope that future generations will enjoy them as much as we and our friends have.

Chocolate Revel Bars
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Lemon Bars
Snickerdoodles
Gingerbread Teddy Bears
Mango Tea Cakes
Cashew Tartlets
Mini Pecan Pies
Toffee Squares
Lime Cornmeal Cookies
Coffee Pretzels
Cream Cheese Frills
Chocolate Ganache Cupcakes
Mini Filled Chocolate Cupcakes
Chanukah Sugar Cookies
Walnut Sandwich Cookies
Chocolate Cracks
Finnish Xmas Stars
Meltaways
Oatmeal White Chippers
Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies
Peanut Butter Pinwheels
Peanut Butter Cookies
Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies
Cinnamon Almond Cookies
Lemon Cheese Logs
Maids of Honor
Mini Peanut Butter Cheesecakes
Chocolate Candy Cane Rings
Checkerboard Cookies

In addition to these cookies, other items that have been included on the gift plates in past years have been an assortment of dessert breads:

Date Bread
Strawberry Bread
Zucchini Bread
Pumpkin Bread
Vermont Apple Raisin Bread
Peachy Pecan Bread
Apricot Bread
Chocolate Banana Bread

And a cheese ball.

Hungarian Jelly Donuts—Farsangi Fánk

2012-01-07T21:42:00.001-05:00

At our cousin Fagie’s shiva, which was partially observed during Chanukah this year, Saul and his cousin, Bobby, had a discussion about Bobby’s search for an authentic recipe for the donuts that his mother, of blessed memory, used to make at Chanukah time called Fánk. Bobby had not been successful at locating a working recipe, but Saul found a promising one on the net. During our family Chanukah party this year, I only had time to make the sour cream/baking soda-type, hole-in-the middle, fried sufganiyot that our family has been making for many years. Saul was really hankering for the yeasty, rolled-out and fried, filled ones. At the last minute, our granddaughter, Sami, came to celebrate New Year’s Eve with us, and she couldn’t wait to try the new recipe so that she could satisfy her grandfather’s craving.

The original recipe is by Amy Konkoly, but I found that I needed to add an additional cup of flour to make the dough manageable for rolling out. We made about forty strawberry jam-filled donuts and four of us (our son included) ate about half of them, still warm, while watching television and waiting for the ball to drop in Times Square. They were so wonderful that I may never make the other type again.

Hungarian Jelly Donuts—Farsangi Fánk

2/3 cup whole milk
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup sugar (I use organic)
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 extra-large egg
4 cups flour, divided
2-1/2 tsp. dry yeast (1 packet)
peanut oil for frying
granulated or powdered sugar for coating
3-4 cups fruit jam or jelly of your choice

In a microwave-safe container, heat the milk, water, butter, sugar and salt until the temperature reaches 120-130 degrees F.

In a large electric mixer bowl, slowly mix together 2 cups of the flour and the yeast. Add the heated milk mixture and blend with the mixer on medium speed to moisten the flour and yeast.

Then, add the egg and beat on high speed with an electric mixer for 3 minutes.

Using a dough hook attachment, or by hand with a wooden spoon, add the remaining flour. Slightly more or slightly less flour may be used to get a dough that can be handled but is not too stiff. The trick to making very light fánk is not too much flour.

Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured board and knead for 1-2 minutes until the dough springs back slightly.

Place dough in an oiled bowl and cover. Allow dough to raise in a warm, draft-free spot for one hour until double in size.

Turn out dough onto lightly floured surface and roll with floured rolling pin to approximately 3/8 inches thick. Cut circles close together with a floured donut cutter or a drinking glass. Collect scraps and re-roll until all the dough has been used. Transfer circles to a lightly floured tray.

Cover with a linen towel and let rise for 30-45 minutes until slightly raised.

Heat 2-3 inches of oil in a deep fryer or heavy kettle to 375°F. and slide the donuts in carefully. Fry several donuts at a time for 2-3 minutes, turning as they become golden brown and puff up. Remove from oil with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.

While still warm, dip in granulated or powdered sugar and inject centers with jam piped in with a pastry bag fitted with a long injection-type decorating tip.

Best served freshly made and still warm.

Do not freeze or refrigerate. Makes about 40.

Etrog-Honey Jelly

2011-11-01T15:58:00.002-04:00

I grew up not knowing anything about the fruit called in Hebrew, “etrog,” in Yiddish, “esrog,” or in English, “citron.” I suppose it is the closest thing that any religion I know about has to a sacred fruit. Growing up in a Jewish neighborhood in the Logan section of North Philadelphia, I lived just three houses away from a very famous dynastic rabbi, Tolner Rebbe Moshe Tzvi Twersky. My family was totally secular. My very first memories of the holiday of Sukkot, during which this fruit plays a major role in the rituals, is of followers of the Rebbe coming out of their services in the tiny synagogue carrying the lulav, a combination of palm, willow, and myrtle branches. The accompanying etrog, of which I was never aware, was probably hidden away in a box which did not attract my attention.

During my childhood, a few neighbors built plywood sukkot, beneath the back stairs of our row homes, that were accessible from their basement doors. They were a mystery to me, and I distinctly remember surreptitiously hanging out one evening, listening to the beautifully-sung prayers, and sounds of dinner being served, inside the sukkah of Cantor Naftali Unger and his family, who lived down the block on the other side of our wide driveway. His beautiful blonde little girl, Shoshana, was a year or two younger than I.

My first real introduction to the etrog was probably as a young married woman, attending Sukkot services for the first time with my husband and toddler-age daughter. I was absolutely intoxicated with the fragrance when I first encountered it, and so enthralled with the whole ritual when I learned about it that I insisted that we build our own sukkah the following year… and every year thereafter.

A superstition about the etrog is that a pregnant woman who bites off the end, or pitom, after the holiday, will give birth to a boy. Worked for me! The pitom must be intact all during the holiday for the ritual, or the etrog is rendered unkosher. Beautiful boxes are available to house and care for the etrog during the holiday, and ours was purchased in Israel on one of our trips there. The etrog never rots, so when I have only one, I save it in the box and have a collection of mummified ones from previous years. The dried up ones still have a trace of that intoxicating odor. It is a fruit that clings to the tree and will dry up, if not picked, hanging on to its branch. Many years ago, I decided to collect everyone’s fruit after the holiday, and turn them into jelly. Whatever flavor and fragrance is in the fruit is almost entirely in the yellow peel. The inside is full of pith and seeds and yields very little juice, so I supplement whatever juice I can get with fresh-squeezed lemon juice. I was very pleased with the results. This year, I remembered to ask about them, and the ritual director, Warren, saved almost a dozen of them for me from which I made a double batch of jelly.

Etrog-Honey Jelly

2-1/2 cups honey
3/4 cup fresh etrog and lemon juice, strained of all pulp
1 Tbsp., or more, grated etrog rind
1/2 bottle, or one pouch, liquid fruit pectin (3 ounces)

Finely grate the rind from as many etrogim as you can obtain (you should have at least two).

Squeeze as much juice from them as possible. There is not much juice inside, so add fresh-squeezed lemon juice to equal the 3/4 cup.

Combine honey, etrog/lemon juice and grated rind in a large, heavy-bottomed pot.

Stir over moderate heat until mixture reaches a full boil. Add pectin and bring again to a full, rolling boil, stirring constantly. Boil hard for one minute.

Remove from heat and continue to stir for three minutes.

Seal in hot sterilized canning jars.

Makes about 3 pints.

Onion Kuchen

2011-10-18T22:26:00.001-04:00

Back in 1996, a “recipe” book was published titled, “In Memory’s Kitchen,” that was an homage to women incarcerated at the Terezin (also known as Theresienstadt) concentration camp in Czechoslavakia during WW II. The recipes, gleaned from aged and brittle hand-written pages, gave instructions for making traditional robust Czech dishes—beloved food from the memory of these starving and tortured women. It appeared around the same time that a professor from the Ambler Campus of Temple University walked into our synagogue at that time, Temple Sinai, and announced that his students were working on Holocaust projects that he thought might be displayed as part of a memorial program for Yom HaShoah that was being planned by the synagogue. It all coalesced in a remarkable program that involved a museum-type display hosted by college students, a poignant auditorium program during which a Holocaust survivor read poetry from the book, specifically “The Professor’s Wife,” in her native Yiddish, and refreshments made from the recipes in the book were served. My part was to write an introduction to the program and make the refreshments based on the recipes in the book. Both recipes that I adapted from the loosely-translated and sketchily-remembered instructions were unqualified successes.

Right before Rosh Hashanah this year, my freezer filled with ice at the bottom, and, in order for the serviceman to repair it, the freezer had to completely defrost for 24 hours. I sent whatever would fit into her freezer over to Beth. Among the items that did not fit and had to defrost was a box of puff pastry. I remembered how much I loved this kuchen and that it was made with puff pastry, and so I made it this year for the dairy Shabbat we had at Jess and Alex’s after Rosh Hashanah. The original was flavored with a tablespoon of caraway seeds. Since this was impromptu, and I had no caraway, I plucked some bronze fennel from the garden and sauteéd it along with the onions. It was equally delicious and I must remember to make it more often.

Onion Kuchen

2 large Spanish onions
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1 Tbsp. caraway seeds
3 large eggs
3 Tbsp. sugar
pinch of salt
1 cup sour cream
1 package frozen puff pastry

Defrost the puff pastry and lay the squares in a single layer on the bottom of a greased 12 x 16-inch (half sheet size foil) baking pan.

Separate eggs and set aside.

Slice onions thinly and begin sauteéing over low heat in melted butter.

Crush the caraway seeds with mortar and pestle, or use a heavy rounded object pressed into a small cup to release their fragrance. Add to onions and continue cooking until onions are translucent.

Stir in salt, sugar and flour, and cook an additional 3 minutes. Cool for several minutes.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Meanwhile, beat 3 egg whites until stiff. Set aside. Use same beaters and beat egg yolks until thick and lemon-colored.

Stir egg yolks and sour cream into cooled onion mixture.

Fold in egg whites.

Spread this mixture on the puff pastry and bake about 30 minutes or until lightly browned on top.

Cut in squares and serve warm.

This freezes well and can be rewarmed, uncovered, at 350°F to serve.

Below is the introduction that I wrote to tie all the elements of the Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day) program together:

As members of the Jewish people, we have the longest collective memory of our history of any people in the world. Remembering is a sacred task for us, for what is our sacred Torah if not a holy remembrance of the lives of our ancestors and their relationship with God. This sacred remembrance sustains us in our present-day lives. It provides us with the standard by which we measure morality and eternal truth in our relationship with God and with other human beings. Were we not imbued with this feeling of the sanctity and holy purpose of this book, its meaning would be lost in one generation. It would take its place among all the other ancient literature of this world, and human beings would continue to search for meaning and morality in their lives without any particular guide or direction to help them in their search.

Our religious practices are exquisitely designed from ancient times to help us remember the formative events of our history. By the practices with which we observe our Shabbat, holy days and festivals, we reinforce the memory of the written word. We lend our bodies, and not just our minds, to the practice of the sacred words. We involve all of our five senses in our remembrance and therefore learn with all our hearts, with all our souls, and with all our might how to live and imbue our lives with meaning and purpose. We connect ourselves to our ancestors and their struggles.

Just as the Exodus from Egypt was a monumental event in our history which goes to the heart of who and what we are as a people, the Holocaust also is destined to become such a monumental event in our history. Remembering the Exodus is a sacred duty and, with the form of our Passover seder, we involve all of our senses in this task. Food is prepared in a very special and different way. We eat it with symbolic references to the lives of our ancestors—their struggles and their triumphs. We inhale the odors, both sweet and bitter, and these physical senses engage us in more than just an intellectual sense with discerning the meaning of those lives. So too, the meaning of the suffering of our people during the Holocaust should be imbued with this sense of holy remembrance and endowed with all the physical keys to our senses for perpetuating our remembrance of these events throughout eternity.

The book, In Memory’s Kitchen, is a collection of recipes as remembered by the starving women incarcerated at the concentration camp of Thereisenstadt. Those who wrote about the book question the motivation of the inmates. Wouldn’t the exercise of remembering all the wonderful foods the inmates had enjoyed heighten their sense of pain as they starved amidst the death and destruction? The general consensus of these reviewers was that the cookbook represents an undying spirituality and hope for the future. The act of remembering life and the nourishment of food as it had been before the destruction, and as they hoped it would be after weathering the storm, was an act of sanctification.

Just as the Passover seder seeks to inspire the participant to feel as if he or she had been personally involved in the liberation from slavery by involving all the senses in the experience of remembering, we hope to involve all your senses in experiencing, in some small measure, the lives of those who experienced the trauma of the concentration camp at Terezin as well as elsewhere.

The Best Too Many Ripe Pears Dessert

2011-09-19T10:04:00.000-04:00

I bought a dozen beautiful Bosc pears in a clear blister pack at Costco and they began ripening faster than we could eat them. I decided to slice and sauté the leftovers, thinking that I could cut out any bruises and perhaps make a tart eventually. Then, while shopping for some odds and ends at Trader Joe’s for Shabbat dinner, I discovered the perfect combination of flavors to accompany the pears. I am already addicted to Trader Joe’s Triple Ginger Snap Cookies and avoid buying them most of the time because I cannot resist them. This dessert was so sublime, especially for a crisp fall evening, that all the calories were worth it.

The Best Too Many Ripe Pears Dessert

6 ripe Bosc pears
1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
2 Tbsp. dark brown sugar
Grated rind of half a lemon
juice of half a lemon
2 small cinnamon sticks
2 tsp. real vanilla extract
few grindings fresh nutmeg
1 Tbsp. real maple syrup
Trader Joe’s Lemon and Triple Ginger Ice Cream
Trader Joe’s Triple Ginger Snap Cookies
Whipped cream

Peel, core, and thinly slice pears.

Melt butter in a 10-inch frying pan and sprinkle brown sugar evenly over the bottom.

Arrange pear slices in concentric circles in pan, building layer upon layer. Cook uncovered on medium heat.

Grate lemon rind over the top and squeeze juice over the top.

Tuck in cinnamon sticks between the layers, and grate fresh nutmeg over the top.

Sprinkle with vanilla extract and drizzle with maple syrup.

Cook uncovered and undisturbed for at least an hour, until poaching liquid formed by pears begins to evaporate and becomes syrupy.

Serve warm in a stemmed glass, topped with a scoop of ice cream, some cookies, and a dollop of whipped cream. Drizzle some of the poaching liquid over the top.

Serves six to eight.

Alternate Beet Salad Niçoise with Orange Basil Vinaigrette

2011-09-14T14:29:00.001-04:00

My cousin Anne brought me a bag of beautiful veggies from her CSA (community supported agriculture) when we met at Beth’s special birthday party this summer. Inside were beautiful golden and candy cane beets and a handful of okra, which she doesn’t like. She asked me to send her a photo so that she could see what I did with them. I turned them into two separate recipes with items I had around the house. The other recipe is for a beet green soup, because the tops were so nice and fresh, it would have been a shame to discard them. This salad has to be the most colorful one, if not the most delicious one I have ever made. It is loosely based on the classic French one that is a composed salad and contains tuna, special tiny black olives, steamed new potatoes, and green beans (haricots verts), among other things.

Alternate Beet Salad Niçoise with Orange Basil Vinaigrette

6 roasted beets, chilled, peeled, and sliced
6 small purple potatoes, steamed in their skins until tender, and sliced
1/2 tomato sliced
1/2 sliced cucumber
1/2 cup steamed edamame
2 hard boiled eggs, cut in wedges
1/2 avocado, cut in thin wedges
1/2 orange or blood orange sliced in thin wedges
1 small can good quality tuna
fresh basil leaves
Maldon salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Orange Basil Vinaigrette

Arrange the rounds of beets, potatoes, tomatoes, and cucumber in alternating layers on a decorative plate.

Arrange edamame, egg wedges, avocado and orange slices over the top, leaving room in the center.

Drain tuna thoroughly and place in the center of the plate.

Tuck small fresh basil leaves peeking out between the layers.

Drizzle Orange Basil Vinaigrette over the top and serve.

Orange Basil Vinaigrette

juice of 1/2 orange or blood orange
small handful of fresh basil
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp. toasted sesame oil
2 Tbsp. white balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp. honey
1 tsp. salt
fresh ground pepper
few drops of hot sauce (I use Sriracha)

Place all above ingredients in a small canister or glass measuring cup and homogenize until smooth with a stick blender.

Drizzle over salad.

Chocolate Medallion Cake with Mocha Cooked Frosting

2011-05-18T17:14:00.002-04:00

This is my personal favorite as far as chocolate cakes are concerned. I haven’t made it in a long while because we usually pass over it in favor of the easier Texas Sheet Cake. I usually don’t have buttermilk hanging around the fridge either, as I do sour cream, which keeps longer. In a pinch, you could probably add some milk to sour cream and wind up with the same result. For Yona’s birthday cake, I decided that it was time to revive this favorite recipe of mine. The original comes from my treasured loose-leaf book of collected Florence Hanford recipes. She was a television cook sponsored by The Philadelphia Electric Company and predated Julia Child on television by a few years. Her cake recipes, or at least every one I have made, are superb. I love the Mocha Cooked Frosting as well. It uses regular sugar, whips up miraculously fluffy, and is not as sweet and gooey/greasy as vanilla buttercream. I prefer it any day over regular buttercream icing. One caveat, however, is that this frosting cannot be put through a decorating tube. No matter how lump-free you think you have gotten the paste, there is always at least one small lump to get caught and gum up the works. Small lumps like these are not detectable in the mouth feel.

Yona’s Noah’s Ark cake is made from a single batch baked in two 9 x 13-inch rectangular pans. The recipe also makes a 9-inch round layer cake. On top of this, I placed a date bread, baked in a regular loaf pan, and iced with vanilla buttercream. The roof is made from graham crackers. I made the same type of cake for Izzy’s birthday when she was two.

Chocolate Medallion Cake

2 cups sifted cake flour
1/8 tsp. salt
1/4 cup (half stick) unsalted butter
1/4 cup Crisco
2 cups sugar
2 extra-large eggs
1-1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 cup buttermilk
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
3/4 cup boiling water
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
non-stick vegetable spray

Sift together flour and salt and set aside.

In electric mixer, cream butter and Crisco together. Gradually add sugar and beat until light and fluffy.

Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition.

Blend baking soda into buttermilk in a cup large enough to allow the mixture to expand.

Alternately add sifted dry ingredients and buttermilk into creamed mixture.

Stir cocoa and water into a smooth paste and add to the batter.

Blend in vanilla and mix thoroughly.

Pour batter into 2 9-inch layer cake pans which have been sprayed with non-stick spray and lined with waxed paper that has been flipped over to grease on both sides.

Bake at 350°F. for 25 to 30 minutes or until cake tests done. Cool.

This cake and frosting will freeze.

Mocha Cooked Frosting

3 Tbsp. all-purpose frosting
2/3 cup milk
5 Tbsp. Crisco
6 Tbsp. unsalted butter
2/3 cup sugar
4 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa
1 Tbsp. instant coffee
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Place flour in a small saucepan. Gradually stir in milk. Cook over a medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture begins to bubble and a smooth thick paste is formed. Cool.

In an electric mixer, cream Crisco and butter, sugar, cocoa and coffee until light and fluffy.

Add vanilla.

Add cooled paste, and whip until all the sugar is dissolved and the frosting is light and fluffy and of spreading consistency.

This frosting will freeze.

Passover Vegetarian Sweet and Sour Meatballs

2011-04-18T13:17:00.001-04:00

I make vegetarian sweet and sour meatballs regularly, but they contain a number of ingredients that cannot be used for Pesach, specifically, wheat germ, bread crumbs, and gingersnaps. My friend, Faith, has two grandchildren who are vegetarians. She recently asked me if I would be able to make my vegetarian meatballs for their family Passover seder, so I needed to modify the recipe. I thought the results turned out rather well, tasty, and looking remarkably like the real thing.

Passover Vegetarian Sweet and Sour Meatballs

Meatballs

2 Tbsp. olive oil
12 oz. baby bella (or portabello) mushrooms, chopped
2 medium onions, chopped
6 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
1 Tbsp. kosher salt
2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
1 cup whole wheat matzoh meal
12 oz. chopped walnuts
4 large raw eggs, lightly beaten

Sauce

2 24-oz. jars marinara sauce
1/2 Tbsp. sour salt
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
1 can cranberry sauce
1/2 cup water

Sauté mushrooms and half of the onions in olive oil until liquid has cooked out and the mixture just begins to brown.

Stir in the other half of the chopped raw onions and the rest of the meatball ingredients. Refrigerate mixture for at least one hour.

Meanwhile, place sauce ingredients into a large saucepan on medium high heat and stir as it heats, breaking up cranberry sauce until it has dissolved into the sauce.

Form small meatballs (I use a 1-1/2-inch ice cream scoop to portion) using wet hands and drop into simmering sauce.

Keep at a simmer for one hour, covering for the last 15 minutes.

These can be kept refrigerated for a few days, or can be frozen.

Makes about 6 dozen small balls.

Leek and Cope’s Dried Corn Soup

2011-04-10T14:35:00.024-04:00

I usually make a potato leek soup, and sometimes add Cope’s Dried Corn to it if I want to stretch the soup, or if I am using up only a few leftover potatoes and want to make the soup heartier and thicker. A few weeks ago, I had some leftover leeks in the refrigerator, and no potatoes at all. The weather was yucky, and rather than go out to buy potatoes, I tried making the soup with just the leeks and corn. That night, everyone had two bowls of soup before dinner. Beth said that Paul had some of the leftovers for breakfast the next morning. This soup was definitely a hit and everyone enjoyed it so much I decided to make it again the following week. Cope’s Dried Corn is a unique local product with a really great sweet taste and chewy consistency. It is manufactured in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, the area where Pennsylvania Dutch, or Amish people, farm. As far as I can tell, it is only carried in specific supermarkets in our area, like Redner’s, that carry some locally grown and manufactured products.

Leek and Cope’s Dried Corn Soup

1 package (7.5 oz.) Cope’s Dried Corn
boiling water
2 large leeks
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1-1/2 cups heavy cream
2-1/2 cups milk (regular or low fat)
2 Tbsp. Osem pareve chicken soup mix
1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Empty package of Cope’s Dried Corn into a four-cup glass measuring cup and add boiling water to equal 4 cups. Set aside.

Trim bottoms and slice leeks in half lengthwise. Rinse away any sand that has gotten between the layers with cold water.

Slice halves crosswise into thin strips and place in a colander. Rinse thoroughly, again, once they have all been sliced, and drain well.

Meanwhile, melt butter in a large pot. Add well-drained leeks and sauté on medium high heat, stirring occasionally, until they are very tender, most of the liquid has evaporated, and they have just begun to show signs of caramelizing.

Sprinkle flour over the leeks and stir in. Continue to cook on medium high heat for 6 to 8 minutes until flour is well cooked.

Gradually stir in cream.

Carefully pour in reserved soaked corn with its liquid and stir in.

Stir in chicken soup mix, smoked paprika, salt and pepper.

Gradually stir in milk.

Turn heat to very low and simmer gently, uncovered, for half an hour, stirring occasionally.

Serve warm.

Serves 8-12. Can be made a day or two ahead and gently rewarmed. Does not freeze well.

Blackberry Chocolate Cheesecake Dacquoise

2011-04-06T13:10:00.002-04:00

As part of my preparations for Passover, I try to plan meals and recipes to use up food items that are sitting in my refrigerator, freezer and pantry so as to make cleaning easier, have less to move to other places, and make space for Passover items. A few days ago, I decided to try to use up a barely-started, three-pound block of cream cheese that I had purchased at Costco. My freezer is always full of leftover egg whites as I have two of them left over every week when I make my challah on Fridays. I had just purchased a beautiful box of fresh blackberries to serve with dessert at Shabbat dinner. All this serendipitously came together when I was looking for ideas in my old recipe file from my catering days. I ran across a recipe clipping from Bon Appetit/Februrary 1985. The recipe, by chef Joseph Klim of the Old Lyme Inn in Lyme, Connecticut, was published as “Raspberry Cheesecake Japonaise.” My sister Adele and I made this for our catering business on some rare occasions and had renamed it on our menu because we felt that “Japonaise” did not give any clue as to what it was. “Dacquoise” is a much more descriptive term if one knows a bit about culinary matters. “A dacquoise is a dessert cake made with layers of almond and hazelnut meringue and whipped cream or buttercream. It takes its name from the feminine form of the French word dacquois, meaning 'of Dax', a town in southwestern France. It is usually served chilled and accompanied by fruit.

The following recipe is my adaptation based on the contents of my refrigerator, freezer, and pantry, and has the added benefit (I realized as I was making it) that it can be made kosher for Passover as it contains no flour and all of the ingredients (with the exception of the vanilla) can be found certified KP. This cake was incredibly delicious and about as elegant and sophisticated to present as any cake could be. The egg whites will whip up fuller and the ingredients blend better if you let them come to room temperature, but this is optional.

Blackberry Chocolate Cheesecake Dacquoise

Meringue Crusts

10 ounces almond meal, or finely ground almonds
1-1/2 cups sugar
1-1/2 Tbs. potato starch
9-10 egg whites, or 1-1/4 cups, room temperature

Cheesecake

18 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
4 extra-large eggs, room temperature
6 Tbsp. blackberry brandy
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract (optional)
non-stick cooking spray

Frosting

8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
3 Tbsp. heavy cream
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract (optional)
6 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled
12 ounces fresh blackberries

For Meringue:
Preheat oven to 275°F. Line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Trace two 9-inch circles on two of the sheets using your 9-inch layer cake pan.

Blend almonds or almond meal with 1/2 cup of sugar and potato starch.

Beat egg whites until foamy. Gradually add 1/2 cup of sugar and beat until meringue holds a peak.

Carefully fold the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar and ground nut mixture into the whites.

Spoon meringue into pastry bag fitted with 1/2-inch plain tip.

Pipe some of the meringue over one circle on the prepared sheet, beginning in center and spiraling outward to edge. Repeat over second circle. Pipe remaining meringue in short strips on third prepared sheet.

Bake until meringues are dry and lightly colored, about 1 hour.

Cool until room temperature and remove from parchment. These can be made a day ahead and stored, covered in a container, at room temperature.

For Cheesecake:
Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray a 9-inch layer cake pan with non-stick cooking spray. Line with a 9-inch parchment circle, turned over to coat both sides.

Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth, scraping sides of bowl occasionally.

Beat in eggs, one at a time, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Blend in brandy and vanilla.

Turn batter into prepared pan, spreading evenly.

Set pan on a rimmed baking sheet in the oven. Pour about 1/2-inch of water into the rimmed baking sheet.

Bake until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 45-50 minutes. Turn off oven. Cool cake for 15 minutes with the door slightly ajar. Remove from oven and cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate at least one hour.

For Frosting:
Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Mix in cream and vanilla. Blend in chocolate.

Divide frosting in half.

Set aside two dozen blackberries for garnish. Cut the rest in half lengthwise and fold into half the frosting.

To Assemble:
Set one meringue round on serving platter or cake stand. Spread with half of the blackberry chocolate frosting.

Loosen edges of cheesecake from sides of pan. Carefully invert the frosted meringue layer, frosting side against the cheesecake, over the pan. Flip the whole thing over and remove the pan. Peel off the parchment and discard.

Spread the cheesecake gently with the remaining blackberry chocolate frosting.

Top with second meringue round.

Spoon chocolate frosting into pastry bag fitted with an open star tip. Pipe top of cake with chocolate frosting and spread into a thin layer. Pipe side of cake with a thick layer of frosting.

Trim meringue strips to an appropriate length and press into frosting on the side.

Pipe rosettes on top of cake and top with reserved blackberries. Use any remaining frosting to decorate the side of the cake.

Refrigerate cake until firm. Let stand at room temperature about 2 hours before serving. Can be made one day ahead. Do not freeze. Serves about 16 to 20.

Lamb Stew with Root Vegetables

2011-03-30T17:32:00.000-04:00

This is one of my favorite go-to meals in the winter, especially if we are going skiing in the Poconos, and I need to feed the family with a relatively hearty one-dish meal that is easy to pack and take along. I slow-cook it the day before, and pack it right in the gorgeous, heavy casserole pot in which I cook it. Lamb is also reminiscent of spring, and root vegetables are now available all year long, so technically, this can be made anytime. I like to use chunks of lamb shoulder with the bone in because I think that the bones and cartilage add a lot of flavor. Once the stew has been cooked for a few hours, the meat falls off the bone. If your family is fussy, you can go in and remove the bones once the stew has cooled; or use boneless cubes of lamb to start.

Lamb Stew with Root Vegetables

2-1/2 -3 lbs. lamb stew meat, such as shoulder, patted dry with paper towels
2 Tbsp. virgin or extra-virgin olive oil
1 large can peeled whole tomatoes, broken up loosely with your hands
1 large parsnip, peeled and cubed
1 large purple turnip, peeled and cubed
3 large carrots, peeled and cut in thick coins
1 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cubed
1 bulb celeriac, or knob celery, peeled and cubed
6-8 cippolini onions, peeled
3 cloves of garlic, sliced thinly
2 bay leaves
1 small bunch fresh thyme
1 small bunch fresh sage leaves
1 doz. (approx.) fresh basil leaves
1 bottle, Heinz chili sauce
1/2 cup red wine
Salt to taste
Lots of freshly ground black pepper
smoked paprika to taste (optional)

Heat large, heavy-bottomed casserole. Add olive oil.

Add lamb chunks in a single layer, being careful not to crowd the pan. Cook on medium high heat, turning chunks until the meat is well browned on all sides. If necessary, remove browned meat to a plate while you brown a second batch so as to make room for more to avoid overcrowding the pan. Return all meat pieces to the pan when all have been browned.

Lower heat to medium low.

Add the rest of the ingredients and toss lightly to distribute them evenly above the meat.

Cover the pot tightly and stew on medium low heat for 3-4 hours until meat falls off the bone, and vegetables are fork tender.

Remove and discard bay leaves. Remove any bones or herb stems, if desired.

Serve hot over steamed rice or noodles (optional).

Can be made the day before and rewarmed on low heat on a stovetop or in the oven.

Cocoa Coconut Almond Filled Cupcakes

2011-03-24T20:06:00.001-04:00

I invented these cupcakes to enter in this year’s Scharffen Berger Chocolate Adventure Contest and they were so good and easy, they should have won. Sami and Izzy never got to taste the first batch I made, and Izzy reminded me every time she saw me that she wanted to make these again and taste them. When we did make them again, I was interrupted and was involved on the computer with a business call. Ten-year-old Sami made them almost single-handedly. Her only mistake was that she used regular granulated sugar in the filling instead of powdered confectioners’ sugar because she wasn’t familiar with the term. She will never forget it now. I was able to get the filling to the right consistency by beating in some powdered sugar before she scooped the filling into the cupcake batter, so the recipe appears to be pretty forgiving. Everyone who has tasted them so far really loved them. They are especially appealing if you always had a thing for Almond Joy Bars.

Cocoa Coconut Almond Filled Cupcakes

Cupcake Batter

1/2 cup unsalted butter or margarine (1 stick)
1/2 cup water
2 heaping Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cups granulated sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 cup coconut milk
2 Tbsp. dark molasses
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 extra-large egg

Filling

1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
2/3 cup almond meal
2 Tbsp. coconut milk

Icing

4 Tbsp. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter or margarine
2 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup coconut milk
4 cups confectioners’ sugar

For Cupcakes:
Preheat oven to 375°F.

Combine butter or margarine, water and cocoa in small saucepan and heat to boiling point, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.

In mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar and salt. Pour hot cocoa mixture over flour mixture and beat until well blended.

Add coconut milk, baking soda, molasses, and eggs and mix until blended.

Divide batter among 12 cupcake papers in muffin tin.

For Filling:
Mix confectioners’ sugar, almond meal and coconut milk until well blended.

Scoop 1 level scoop of the mixture with a small (1-inch diameter) ice cream scoop into the center of each cupcake. Bake for 20-25 minutes.

For Icing:
Beat butter with cocoa until light and fluffy.

Gradually beat in confectioners’ sugar.

Add coconut milk and whip until icing is light and fluffy.

Spread or pipe icing onto cooled cupcakes.

These freeze beautifully in a sealed container. They are good to eat even when a little frozen.

Cabbage and Bow Tie Noodles

2011-03-02T15:31:00.001-05:00

I never thought to put this recipe on the blog because it is so simple that, probably, no recipe is needed. Recently, however, my niece Beth asked me if it appeared in the blog because she had been craving it. When she mentioned it, our friend Larry also commented that I had not made it in a while and that he loved it also. The following week, I made it for Shabbat dinner and then we all remembered why sometimes the simple things in life can be so good and satisfying. This is one of those recipes where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

Cabbage and Bow Tie Noodles

1 small head cabbage, cored and cut into thin shreds
kosher salt
1 large sweet onion
2 Tbsps. unsalted butter or extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp. toasted sesame oil
2 Tbsp. sugar, or more to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
1 lb. Bow tie-shaped noodles, cooked al dente

Shred cabbage.

Put into a large colander and salt liberally while tossing. Let stand for a half hour.

Meanwhile, chop onion.

Heat butter or oil and sesame oil. Sauté the onions on medium heat until translucent.

Take cabbage by handfuls and squeeze out as much liquid as possible.

Add cabbage to skillet and continue to sauté for 10 minutes, stirring from time to time.

Stir in additional salt, sugar and fresh pepper to taste, keeping in mind that the noodles will absorb some of the seasonings.

Cover and cook over low heat for 30 minutes.

Add noodles, taste to see if additional seasoning is needed, and serve warm.

Serves 8-12 people as a side dish. Can be frozen and rewarmed, but is better served immediately.

Gulab Jamun, Milk Balls in Cardamom Syrup

2011-01-28T13:23:00.004-05:00

I first tasted gulab jamun many years ago when we first began to visit what was, back then, a rare Indian restaurant called Sultan which opened tucked away in the corner of a strip shopping center at five points on Rt. 309. Many years after that, we moved closer to that intersection. Eventually, a new shopping center opened nearby with a wonderful Indian restaurant called Greater India, where, for many years, we enjoyed the gulab jamun on the lunch buffet, or ordered it after dinner. Now that Greater India has disappeared, we are back to lunch buffets at Sultan, which moved to the same center as Greater India and is under new ownership. I love, love, love gulab jamun. To me, it is like a warm, exotically-spiced, ball of cheesecake in syrup.

My favorite cookbook of Jewish recipes, and I have quite a collection from doing research for my own cookbook/curriculum, Bubbie’s Kitchen, is The Jewish Holiday Cookbook by Gloria Kaufer Greene. When I ran across her recipe, I was inspired to try making it at home. It is the perfect dessert for Chanukah because it is both dairy and fried. It can be made ahead of time, and a jar of it tucked into the refrigerator lasts a long time, in fact, for months.

I wanted to make it more authentically, did some research on the Net, and when an Indian grocery opened nearby, I purchased mawa to use instead of the instant non-fat dry milk. There are two tricky parts to this simple recipe, getting the dough consistency right, and getting the oil temperature right. You must just be able to form the small balls with your hands; and the oil cannot be too hot, or they will not swell and turn golden; or too cold, and the balls will be greasy. These difficulties can be surmounted with a little trial and error.

Gulab Jamun, Milk Balls in Cardamom Syrup

Syrup

3 cups cold water
3 cups sugar
12 whole cardamom pods
juice of one fresh lemon, orange blossom water, or rose water, to taste

Milk Balls

1-1/2 cups instant nonfat dry milk powder or mawa
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 Tbsp. butter
1/4 - 1/2 cup cold water
peanut or vegetable oil for frying

Put water, sugar and cardamom into a large saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir only at the beginning until the sugar just begins to dissolve.

Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes. Squeeze in lemon juice, or add orange blossom or rose water to taste. Let cool to room temperature.

Mix together milk powder or mawa, flour and baking soda. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender, or mash in with a fork until the mixture has the texture of fine crumbs. Stir in the water, a little at a time, until the mixture is still a bit tacky but comes away from the sides of the bowl. You can add a bit more water, or a bit more flour just until the dough comes together and can be handled.

Place enough oil in a deep skillet or wok so that the oil is about 1-1/2 inches deep and heat to about 350°F. Make sure oil does not overheat!

Form the dough (I use a tiny ice-cream scoop) into balls that are 1/2 inch to 3/4 inches in diameter.

Carefully drop several balls into hot oil. No not overcrowd the pan. They should quickly puff to almost twice their original size. (If everything is right, this is a very satisfying process to watch.) Rotate the balls frequently with a slotted spoon or spider for 5 to 7 minutes, or until they are golden brown. If they brown too quickly, your oil is too hot.

Drain finished balls briefly on paper towels or on the rack that attaches to some woks. While still warm, drop the balls into the syrup and let them soak for at least 3 to 4 hours at room temperature before serving or refrigerating. The balls should remain stored in the syrup.

Serve balls with some of their syrup, warmed gently in saucepan or microwave. This dessert can be stored, ideally, in a glass mason-type jar, in the refrigerator, for up to two months, and warmed as needed. Leave the cardamom pods in the syrup to continue to flavor the balls, but do not include them when serving.

Makes about 36 balls in syrup.

White Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

2010-12-16T13:00:00.001-05:00

These sturdy and delicious cookies are very homely-looking compared to some of the more elaborate decorated cookies we make, and the others are usually stacked on top of them. They are so easy, though, that this year, pressed for time, I was baking and taking trays of them out of the oven as everyone was arriving to make up our cookie packages. White chocolate chips are a fairly recent development and the original recipe from 1989 called for coarsely chopped vanilla-flavored confectioners’ coating. In recent years, all my chocolate chips have been from Trader Joe’s and I have been extremely happy with the quality of the chocolate. I hope that they continue to carry the white chocolate chips so that I can continue to make these homey, but delectable cookies.

White Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
3/4 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 extra large egg
2-1/2 cups rolled oats
1-1/2 cups white chocolate chips
1/2 cup finely chopped almonds

In a small mixing bowl, stir together flour and baking soda. Set aside.

In a large mixer bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds.

Add sugars; beat until light and fluffy.

Add egg and beat well.

Add flour mixture; beat until well mixed.

Stir in oats, chocolate chips and almonds.

Scoop with a 1-3/4-inch ice cream scoop about 3 inches apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Using your hand, flatten slightly.

Bake at 375°F. for about 7 minutes in a convection oven, or about 10 minutes in a conventional oven until done.

Remove from cookie sheets while still slightly warm.

Makes approximately 45 cookies.

These freeze well, layered between sheets of waxed paper in an airtight container.

Mini Pecan Pies

2010-12-13T18:51:00.004-05:00

My sister Adele and I began making these over thirty years ago for our catering business and they were an integral part of our enticing and delicious trays of miniature desserts and pastries. They were very time-consuming in the beginning as we attempted to neatly spoon the egg mixture over the pecans so that errant drips would not cause the pastry to stick to the pan when baked. Then, I hit on the idea of pouring the egg mixture through a funnel into a squirt bottle and voila! It became neat and easy to get the mixture where it was supposed to go. In recent years, I discovered that a small, thin offset spatula is invaluable for removing these types of pastries from the pan. When the food processor came along, we were in heaven. Recipes that used to take all day by hand could now be accomplished in a few hours.

Adele and I spent many hours sitting and discussing our lives while we pressed various types of dough into mini pans, but I consider them hours well spent. I still enjoy the zen nature of this activity and so do my granddaughters.

Mini Pecan Pies

6-oz. cream cheese, softened
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 beaten extra-large eggs
1-1/2 cups packed brown sugar
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
1 Tbsp. pure vanilla extract
dash of kosher salt
1-1/2 cups broken pecans

Blend cream cheese and the 2 cups of butter. Stir in flour. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour.

Shape dough into 48 1-inch balls. A mini ice-cream scoop is useful to portion the dough.

Place in ungreased 1-3/4-inch mini-muffin pans; press dough over bottoms and completely up sides of pans.

In small bowl, beat together egg, brown sugar, the 2 Tbsp. butter, vanilla, and salt just until smooth.

Divide the pecans among the pastry shells.

Spoon or squirt (from a squirt bottle) about 1/2 Tbsp. of the egg mixture over the pecans in each shell.

Bake in 325°F. oven for 25-30 minutes, or until filling is set and pastry is golden.

Cool and remove from pans. They are easier to remove while still slightly warm.

These freeze well, in a single layer, in an airtight container. Makes approximately 48 mini pecan pies.

Lemon Bars

2010-12-13T18:04:00.004-05:00

Bar cookies are really easy to make and you have the advantage of making lots of them just by choosing the size into which you want to cut them. I think, if I were to ask my daughter, Jessica, which of the many cookies that we make are her favorite, she would probably choose the lemon bars because she is really fond of tart flavors.

As with the Toffee Squares, the most time-consuming part of this recipe involves pressing the crust layer into the baking pan evenly with your fingers. Do not even think about using anything but fresh lemon juice squeezed directly from a real lemon.

Lemon Bars

1 cup unsalted butter
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1/2 cup confectioner’s (powdered) sugar
1-3/4 cups granulated sugar
4 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
4 extra-large eggs
6 Tbsp. fresh-squeezed lemon juice
1/2 tsp. grated fresh lemon peel
pinch of kosher salt

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Melt butter; add sifted flour and confectioner’s sugar. Mix well and pack into an ungreased 9 x 13-inch baking pan.

Bake for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, mix together sugar, flour, and baking powder.

Add eggs, one at a time, then lemon juice, lemon peel and salt.

Pour this mixture over the hot crust and return to the oven to bake for an additional 25-30 minutes.

Cool and cut into 48 to 60 squares.

These freeze well, layered between sheets of waxed paper in an airtight container.

Peanut Butter Pinwheel Cookies

2010-12-10T13:00:00.002-05:00

I made these for the first time this year because Adele did not have time to get to them with Chanukah coming so early on the secular calendar. While assembling them, I thought I was doing a terrible job. I cut the first batch of dough into a rectangle, but then realized that a precise rectangle would not really make a difference in the look of the finished cookies after they were cut into slices. The filling has a tendency to thicken as it cools and is more difficult to spread on the soft dough, so I recommend working quickly to get the rolls made up before the hardening occurs. Rewarming the mixture does not improve the texture once the process of hardening has begun. An offset spatula is a useful tool for spreading.

In the end, all the cookies baked into perfect little swirls even though the next batch I rolled out was irregularly shaped and free-form. If you like peanut butter, these are the cookies for you!

Peanut Butter Pinwheel Cookies

3/4 cup unsalted butter
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup dairy sour cream
1 6-0z. package (1 cup) peanut-butter-flavored pieces
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
1/2 cup sifted powdered sugar

For dough:
In a large mixing bowl, cut butter into flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. If using an electric mixer with paddle attachment, keep a lowest speed just until crumbs form.

Stir in sour cream and beat on low speed just until mixture forms a ball.

For filling:
In a medium saucepan, melt peanut-butter-flavored pieces over low heat, stirring constantly.

Stir in peanut butter.

Remove from heat and stir in sugar. Use immediately.

Halve dough. On a surface sprinkled lightly with additional powdered sugar, roll each dough half into an approximately 12 x 9-inch rectangle.

Spread half of the filling on each rectangle.

Roll up tightly from the long side.

Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 1 to 2 hours or until firm.

To bake:
Cut rolls into half-inch slices.

Place on an ungreased baking sheet and bake at 350°F. for 15-18 minutes in a convection oven; 25-30 minutes in a conventional oven until edges are lightly browned.

These cookies freeze well, stacked between layers of waxed paper in an airtight container.

Makes about 3 dozen.

Snickerdoodles

2010-12-09T13:00:00.004-05:00

These are the easiest of all cookies and the best to make with little children. A few years back, my friend, Larry, visited Penzey’s, the giant spice company, in Chicago, and called to ask what he could bring me. Vanilla beans and cinnamon were among the items that I told him I could use. He brought back a sampling of small jars of cinnamon and cassia from all over the world. How was I to compare their flavor? I baked batches of Snickerdoodles. I decided that I liked the flavor of the Saigon cinnamon the best.

Izzy and Sami have rolled up the little balls of dough and then rolled them in the cinnamon-sugar mixture since they were toddlers. Just recently, I learned that these simple cookies are among Ari’s top three personal favorites. Unfortunately, the Crisco shortening, which is essential to the texture of these cookies, has proven to be less than healthy. I console myself to the fact that I only make them a few times a year.

Snickerdoodles

1 cup Crisco vegetable shortening
1-1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. kosher salt

2 Tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Cream shortening, sugar, and eggs until light and fluffy.

Sift flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt. Beat into shortening mixture.

Roll into small balls. (A 1-1/4 inch ice cream scoop can facilitate this process.)

Roll balls in mixture of sugar and cinnamon.

Place about 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheet.

Bake at 400°F. for 5-6 minutes in a convection oven; 8-10 minutes in a conventional oven, until lightly browned, but still soft.

These freeze well layered between sheets of waxed paper in an airtight container.

Makes 4 to 5 dozen.

Melt-Away Cookies

2010-12-08T13:08:00.003-05:00

These cookies, visually, are probably the stars of the cookie assortment that our family makes. A few years back, Jess told us a humorous story about pandemonium in her office because of these. She had brought a large plate to work for her colleagues to share. As we make almost 30 different cookies, the plate had just one or two of each type. Rather than choose individual cookies, her co-workers had chosen to slice each one up into miniscule slivers so that each one could have a taste of all of them. Over several days, the tray had diminished until just the one large, beautiful heart-shaped cookie remained. Then, a colleague who had been away for a few days came back and ate the last cookie. When the others discovered that the last cookie was missing, and that the whole large cookie had been eaten by one person, they were aghast. The disingenuous soul who had eaten the cookie was severely castigated by the others and Jessica called me to see if there were any more remaining, but there were none.

Adele and I made these together this year as there are several steps involved, although none are particularly difficult, especially if you roll the dough out using a well-floured pastry cloth and stockinette covered rolling pin. We poured the melted chocolate through a wide-necked funnel into a squirt bottle to apply the chocolate around the top cut-out heart. If the chocolate starts to set, let the bottle sit for a few minutes in a hot water bath. An individual tea strainer with jointed handle makes a great little device for neatly shaking on powdered sugar. This year, I discovered a delicious organic strawberry spread from Kirkland brand at Costco, and we were delighted with the intense taste and texture both in these cookies and in the Cream Cheese Frills.

Melt-Away Cookies

3/4 cup unsalted butter
2-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
2 extra-large eggs
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. almond extract
1 6 oz. pkg. (1 cup) semisweet chocolate morsels
1/2 cup preserves, jam, or jelly
powdered sugar

In a large mixer bowl, beat butter on medium to high speed for 30 seconds.

Add half of the flour, sugar, eggs, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and almond extract.

Beat thoroughly and then beat in remaining flour.

Divide dough in half. Wrap in plastic wrap, shaping dough into thick discs and chill for at least one hour or until firm.

On a lightly floured surface, roll half of the dough 1/8-inch thick. (Keep the remaining dough in the refrigerator until ready to roll.) Cut into shapes with cookie cutter.

Place on ungreased baking sheets.

With a smaller cutter, cut out centers from half of the unbaked cookies.

Bake at 375°F. for about 5 to 7 minutes or until the edges are firm and bottoms are very light brown. Cool.

Repeat with dough scraps and remaining dough.

In a small, heavy saucepan, melt chocolate pieces over low heat, stirring constantly. Spread about 1 tsp. of the melted chocolate on the bottom of each cookie with the removed center. Immediately place chocolate side atop whole cookies to form a sandwich.

Sift powdered sugar atop cookies.

Spoon preserves or jelly in the center hole of each cookie.

Makes about 30-40 sandwich cookies.

These freeze well layered between sheets of waxed paper in an airtight container.

Chanukah Sugar Cookies

2010-12-07T20:49:00.005-05:00

I had a lot of time with my granddaughters this year before Chanukah, and they told me in no uncertain terms that they wanted to make and decorate cookies more than any other activity while they were visiting. My grand niece Brenna visited and helped decorate as well. I was very happy to oblige them as they are all endlessly creative with their decorating and both granddaughters are becoming quite competent cooks and bakers if I can just get them to understand fractional measurements. Baking is a great incentive for them to learn their math.

These cookies have been in the family for many years and are tender, buttery, delicious, and easy to roll and cut, especially if you use a well-floured pastry cloth and stockinette-covered rolling pin. I think the girls did an amazing job this year.

Chanukah Sugar Cookies

1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
1-1/2 cups unsalted butter
2 extra-large eggs
2 tsp. lemon extract
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tsp. baking soda
4 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
non-stick cooking spray
sugar, decors and food-color markers for decorating

Cream sugars and butter until light and fluffy.

Beat in eggs, one at a time.

Add lemon extract, buttermilk and baking soda and beat well.

Sift together flour and baking powder; add to other ingredients. Mix until well blended.

Wrap in a thick disc shape in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

When ready to make cookies, divide dough into two or three portions, keeping refrigerated those portions not being worked.

Roll out dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Use Chanukah forms to shape cookies.

Place carefully on non-stick spray greased pan. Push leftover dough scraps together and continue to roll and cut until all the dough has been used up.

Sprinkle with sugar, colored sugar or press in sugar decors. Alternatively, bake plain and decorate with royal icing and sugar, or sugar decors, or food color markers.

Bake at 375°F. for 6 to 8 minutes in a convection oven, or 8-10 minutes in a conventional oven.

These freeze well even when glazed with royal icing and food color designs.

Makes 60-100 cookies depending on the size of the cookie cutters.

Chocolate Banana Bread

2010-11-16T19:36:00.002-05:00

I had a surfeit of bananas that were beginning to get overripe and I knew that we would not be able to eat them all before they became “over the hill.” This a great recipe for using up overripe bananas and the small breads freeze beautifully and compactly. Decoratively wrapped in cellophane, with a little something like cookies, or chocolates, or a bottle of wine on the side, they make great hostess gifts and who couldn’t use a few homemade hostess gifts tucked away for special occasions, especially at the holiday season.

I have a whole assortment of dessert bread recipes, and frequently, we use them also on Rosh Hashanah, when we slice and serve them with liqueurs and eat dessert first, making blessings over them with their symbolism for a sweet new year.

Chocolate Banana Bread

2-1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. kosher salt
2/3 cup unsalted butter
1-1/2 cups sugar
2 extra-large eggs
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 squares unsweetened chocolate
1 cup mashed banana
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
non-stick cooking spray

Sift dry ingredients together.

Melt chocolate over low heat.

Cream sugar and butter together at medium speed in electric mixer until light and fluffy.

Beat in eggs, one at a time.

With mixer running on slow speed, slowly pour in chocolate.

Add vanilla.

Beat well.

Beat in mashed bananas.

Beat in dry ingredients alternately with buttermilk.

Stir in chopped nuts.

Pour into 1 large (10-1/2 x 6-1/2 x 2-3/4 inches) or 3 small (3-1/4 x 5-3/4 x 2-1/4 inches) loaf pans which have been generously sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.

Bake at 350°F. 55-60 minutes for large pan or 35-40 minutes for small pans.

These freeze well tightly wrapped.

Aunt Sarah’s Chocolate Rum Cake

2010-11-05T12:40:00.003-04:00

Aunt Sarah, whom we all loved, died of breast cancer in 1990. She found the recipe for this cake many years ago when my sister and I were in our twenties. During the eleven years that we had our catering business, we probably made a few thousand of them. There were a few small gift shops that told us they would take as many as we wished to make for them. When my kids were children, they spent a whole week of winter vacation preparing them so that they would have extra spending money. My niece, Beth, says that her mother set her to baking large quantities also and that even all these years later, she doesn’t like them and can’t even tolerate the odor of them baking. Aunt Sarah’s daughter, my cousin, Julie, mentioned last week about how her mother would always bake one and take it along with her whenever she was invited to dinner. That reminded me that I haven’t made one for a really long time and that this recipe has not appeared on my blog yet. Being such a commercial success for us, the recipe was a family secret until now.

The cake has much to recommend it. Despite the overkill effect on our children, it is really delicious. My favorite aspect of it is that it can be whipped up in 10 minutes with really minimal mess to the kitchen. All the ingredients can be kept on the shelf indefinitely, except for the sour cream, which I usually have in the refrigerator anyway. Often, if I had a last minute phone call that someone was coming to visit, I would whip one up and put it in the oven. By the time my visitors arrived, I would have a hot, freshly-baked chocolate cake coming out of the oven. Very impressive! It freezes beautifully. Because of the rum extract, at room temperature it gets better with age for as long as a week. Like Aunt Sarah, I liked making them on short notice and taking them with me as hostess gifts. They even lend themselves to baking in two half-size bundt pans so that one is left over when only a few people are expected. Because of the chocolate chips inside, no icing is necessary. To dress it up, sprinkle it with some powdered sugar.

Chocolate Rum Cake

Spray one large, or two half-size, bundt cake pans with

non-stick cooking spray.

Beat:

4 large eggs.

Add:

1 classic yellow cake mix
1 instant chocolate pudding mix (small)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup (8 oz.) sour cream
2 Tbsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. rum extract
1 tsp. vanilla

Mix with electric mixer on medium speed for 5 minutes. (This will only work with an electric mixer. Some friends tried it by hand and it was a disaster.)

Fold in:

6 oz. (3/4 cup) chocolate chips

Pour batter into pan and bake at 350°F. for 57 minutes, or until top is springy and a tester comes out clean.

Gruyere Apple Spread

2010-10-17T10:57:00.005-04:00

One of my favorite recipes that I always crave in the fall, along with foods made with pumpkin, with quince, and with chestnuts, is this spread. It is perfect to put out while entertaining in the sukkah with a variety of crackers, crisp bread slices, or, for those who are carb-challenged, slices of fresh fruit. Although many years ago, I did specifically seek out aged gruyere cheese with which to make it, in recent years, I have substituted my new favorite—French Comté, which I find easily at Costco. Also over many years, the variety of apple has changed, from Golden Delicious, which does not turn brown, to Granny Smith, which is always crisp and tart, to Pink Lady, my new favorite. At this time of year, my garden and herb boxes are overflowing with fresh chives, which I love, and which will soon be brown and stringy as soon as the first frost hits. Going outside with my scissors to snip some is one of the pleasures of making this. However you choose to make it, it always beckons from its crock with its promise of sweet and salty satisfaction when the refrigerator door is opened.

Gruyere Apple Spread

1 8-oz. package cream cheese
1 cup Shredded gruyere cheese, or Comté, or Monterey Jack cheese (4 oz.)
1 Tbsp. milk
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1/2 cup finely shredded peeled apple
2 Tbsp. finely chopped pecans
1 Tbsp. snipped fresh chives

Combine cream cheese and shredded cheese in small mixer bowl and beat until well combined.

Add milk and mustard and beat until blended.

On slow speed, beat in apple, pecans and chives.

Cover and chill for one hour before serving.

Garnish with additional chives and a sprinkling of chopped pecans if desired.

Keeps in the refrigerator for a few weeks. Do not freeze.

Zucchini Bread

2010-09-29T11:04:00.004-04:00

Our family has a tradition on Rosh Hashanah that comes down from Saul’s parents. We begin our lunch, after morning services, with blessings over schnapps, rather than wine; cake, rather than bread, and of course, apple slices with honey. Essentially, we eat dessert first, symbolic of our desire for a sweet new year. We follow up with the blessings over wine and round homemade challot, but this “eat dessert first” tradition for Rosh Hashanah sets this holiday apart for us from our usual celebratory rituals.

In preparation for this ritual, I usually bake several loaves of a variety of sweet breads. Date bread is my personal favorite, but this zucchini bread runs a close second. Other sweet loaf breads I have made over the years include honey cake, Vermont apple-raisin bread, chocolate banana bread, strawberry bread and peachy pecan bread. We take out all our favorite liqueurs and our best crystal cordial glasses. Among the liqueurs we like are Frangelico, Amaretto de Saronno, Kahlua, Sabra, Drambuie and a really unique elixir call Goldwasser that has flecks of real gold leaf floating in the sunny-colored liquid (this is truly symbolic of the desire for a successful year!) The idea that the adults drink real gold always wows the children. Last year, we added Root Organic Liqueur 750, that is produced in Pennsylvania about which Jessica read on the Web.

This is a great time of year to make zucchini bread, especially as the supply from the garden can be really overwhelming. These freeze really well, wrapped tightly. Rewrapped in brightly-colored plastic wrap, they make wonderful additions to gift food and cookie packages for the winter holidays.

Zucchini Bread

3 extra-large eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
1-1/2 cups sugar
2 cups grated zucchini
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
3 cups flour
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. cinnamon
3/4 cup chopped nuts

Beat the eggs until light and fluffy.

Add oil, sugar, zucchini and vanilla and mix lightly but well.

Sift flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon. Add to mixture along with chopped nuts and mix just until well combined.

Pour into 2 greased loaf pans (9x5x2).

Bake 1 hour at 350°F.

Apple Strudel

2010-09-27T15:44:00.003-04:00

This is a first-time recipe for me. I never made apple strudel before, but I have had years of experience dealing with phyllo pastry, which is very much like strudel pastry on steroids. When I asked Saul what desserts I should make for Sukkot this year, he immediately and surprisingly answered “apple strudel.” For many years, he has told me stories about his mother making apple strudel the old-fashioned way by gradually and carefully stretching the dough across her floured tablecloth with the backs of her hands until it was transparently thin, covering the entire tabletop and overlapping the sides. Stuffed dishes, such as prockas (stuffed cabbage) are traditional for Sukkot, and I guess this was a nostalgic and pleasant memory of his mother, who was an exceptional cook and baker in her day. She now resides in an Alzheimer’s Care Unit (Lion’s Gate) in New Jersey.

My memories of apple strudel are from the bakery at which my maternal grandfather worked until well into his seventies, The White Palace, right up until the day he died suddenly of a heart attack betting on the race horses he loved at Delaware Park. Their version was crisp, heavy and oily, and the filling contained candied cherries and shredded coconut. From this strudel, which I liked very much, I learned about heartburn. I wanted to develop a recipe using paper-thin phyllo that was tasty and well-stuffed, but light. We are a lot more prone to heartburn at this age. I am very happy with the results.

Apple Strudel

1 lb. pkg. frozen phyllo pastry, defrosted overnight in the refrigerator
12 Tbsp. or 1-1/2 sticks unsalted butter
8 large assorted apples (Granny Smith, Pink Lady, Gingergold, etc.)
3/4 cups golden or assorted raisins
3/4 cup sugar
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1-1/2 Tbsp. finely grated fresh ginger root
1 Tbsp. grated lemon peel
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
3/4 cup finely grated walnuts

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Peel apples, quarter, and core centers. Slice into very thin slices.

In a large mixing bowl, combine apples, raisins, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, lemon peel and juice and toss until the apples are well coated.

Melt butter.

Unwrap and lay out phyllo pastry. If the leaves stick together and are difficult to separate, do not attempt to go further. Return the package from whence it came and make a pie. Assuming that the phyllo is fresh, the leaves will separate relatively easily using normal care. Once the phyllo is unwrapped, do not allow yourself to be interrupted until you have finished the entire stack, or the phyllo will dry out and no longer be flexible.

Remove one sheet and lay out separately. Using a wide pastry brush, butter the sheet and sprinkle with finely ground nuts. Top with a second sheet, butter and sprinkle. Top with a third sheet, butter and sprinkle. Top with a fourth sheet and just butter.

Spoon apple filling in about a three-inch-wide line down the longest side of the phyllo leaving about a one-inch edge. Raise the edge and carefully fold over the filling rolling gently until the other edge has been reached. Place the entire roll, seam side down, on a buttered baking sheet.

Brush top generously with butter. Continue process until all the filling and phyllo have been used. (My phyllo sheets were almost square and yielded five rolls, but some brands are rectangular and larger.) Brush all rolls with butter.

Bake in the middle of the oven at 400°F. for 10 minutes, then, reduce the heat to 350°F. and bake for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the strudel is crisp and brown.

Once cool, use a serrated knife to cut the rolls carefully into two-inch sections for serving.

These may be frozen. Best served slightly warm. Yields about 60 pieces.

Louisa’s Cheesecake

2010-09-20T13:19:00.003-04:00

I don’t know Louisa. This recipe, for what I consider to be the ultimate plain New York-style cheesecake, came to me from a friend, not named Louisa, at least 30 years ago. My sister Adele and I have been making it frequently ever since, initially for our catering business, and now, because of all the variously-flavored cheesecakes we make, this is our favorite. I first tasted New York-style cheesecake when my uncle Jack brought home a whole cake from a visit to Lindy’s in New York while he was there for business in the early 1950s. I was only a child, but I remember thinking at the time that it was the best thing I had ever tasted. I think Lindy’s is probably credited with inventing New York cheesecake. This one is as good as that first bite, although I have my doubts about the quality of Philadelphia cream cheese as compared to the Philadelphia cream cheese of long ago. Probably, this cake has a somewhat lighter texture than most New York cheesecakes.

Do not be tempted to open the oven door at any point in the baking of this cake. The perfect results come from maintaining exactly the temperatures called for in the recipe for the exact amount of time. The cake should be slightly jiggly in the center when removed from the oven. Cool completely at room temperature before refrigerating. The center will firm up when refrigerated.

Louisa’s Cheese Cake

1-1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter (melted)
5 pkgs. (8 oz.) Philadelphia cream cheese, softened
1-3/4 cups sugar
3 Tbsp. all purpose flour
Grated rind of 1 lemon
Grated rind of 1 orange
5 extra-large eggs
2 extra-large egg yolks
1/4 cup heavy cream

Bake cake the day before needed. Preheat oven to 500°F.

Make a crust with the first three ingredients and press into a 9x3-inch or 10x2-1/4 inch spring form pan.

Beat cream cheese until fluffy.

Mix sugar and and flour together. Gradually blend into cream cheese keeping mixture smooth and stopping occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Add grated rinds.

Add eggs and egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in cream.

Turn into crust.

Bake in 500°F oven for 10 minutes. Reduce to 200°F and bake one hour longer. Remove from oven and cool away from draft. Do not refrigerate until cooled. Then refrigerate until cold before removing sides of pan.

If you decide to put on a fruit topping, arrange it on the day it is to be served. Do not freeze.

Avocado-Cod/Surimi Salad

2010-04-19T15:43:00.007-04:00

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My son-in-law, Alex makes a delicious, cold seafood salad using imitation crab (made from pollock), also known as surimi, that is certified kosher, and creamy avocados. I love this appetizer, but cannot find kosher surimi in my area. Having two perfectly ripe avocados, just waiting to be used, in my refrigerator, I decided to try the recipe using firm, frozen cod filets that I gently steamed in the microwave. The resulting consistency is not as al dente as the one using crab-like surimi, but is very tasty. I added chopped hard-boiled egg, which Alex does not. Neither he, nor Jessica, like eggs very much in general. Either way, surimi or cod, I was happy with the results.

Avocado-Cod/Surimi Salad

1 lb. frozen cod filets, defrosted, or 1 lb. crab surimi
1/2 English cucumber, peeled, seeded, and chopped into small dice
2 Tbsp. finely chopped onion or shallot
2 ripe avocados, cubed
3/4 cup Hellman’s mayonnaise
1 Tbsp. sesame oil
2 tsp. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. Sriracha or Sambal Olek hot sauce
2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
1 Tbsp. honey

Place cod, if using, in a single layer in a glass dish, cover, and microwave on high about 6 minutes. Drain off liquid and cool. With your hands, separate fish into large flaky chunks.

Combine and toss together the rest of the ingredients and carefully stir in fish.

If using surimi, just combine with remainder of the ingredients.

Chill for at least an hour before serving.

Serve as a dip to be spooned onto crackers or firm chips, or scoop into lettuce cups and garnish for an appetizer.

Serves 8 to 10 as an appetizer dish.

Candied Citrus Peel, an Easier Method

2010-03-29T14:53:00.006-04:00

In the past, I have followed a recipe from Better Than Store-bought, one of my favorite cookbooks, to produce this candy when I have a surfeit of beautiful citrus. It is a bit messy, tedious, and time-consuming. I could not bear to throw away the extra, beautiful, Meyer lemon peel that was the result of making sorbets for Passover this year. Having little time to mess with an extra, unsolicited dish, I read over the recipe and realized that I might be able to circumvent the gooey task of separating the peel from the syrup so that the syrup could be further reduced. I decided to cook the peel in syrup that had already been reduced by half. I also eliminated the corn syrup, which is not kosher for Passover. I reasoned that it did not matter how shiny the candied peel would be if I was going to coat it with granulated sugar anyway. I was thrilled with the results—delicious, beautiful, candied peel without frustration.

Candied Meyer Lemon Peel

6 Large Meyer lemons
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 water
granulated sugar

With a sharp, swivel-bladed vegetable peeler, peel long wide swaths of the zest while the lemons are still whole before cutting and juicing them for other purposes.

Stack a few of the swaths together and slice into thin strips with a sharp knife until all of the swaths have been turned into strips.

Cover strips of peel with boiling water and let sit until water is room temperature. Drain and repeat two more times. Drain.

Meanwhile, combine sugar and water in a 10-inch frying pan and bring to a boil on high heat, stirring once while hot to dissolve sugar.

Boil syrup until reduced by about half and bubbles look a bit thicker. Carefully add well-drained peel and cook until peels seem tender and most of the syrup has disappeared and there is only a tablespoon or so left in the pan.

Spread granulated sugar in a thin layer in a jelly roll pan.

Lift hot strips in small clumps with two, two-tine forks and drop onto granulated sugar bed. Use forks to separate strips and toss in sugar until separated and well coated with sugar. Allow to dry for several hours before packing into an airtight jar.

Saluna (Persian Sweet and Sour Codfish)

2010-03-02T18:31:00.006-05:00

I first made this dish as part of a Persian-themed party that we made to celebrate Jessica’s 30th birthday, which happened to fall on the holiday of Purim that year. I spent a few days researching recipes and settled on about a dozen. I thought that the food I made for that party was especially successful and delicious, particularly this fish recipe. After the party, however, the recipes wound up in a folder in the bottom of a kitchen drawer. This year, I happened to be expecting a crowd for Shabbat dinner, and Purim was the next day, so I decided to dig out the folder and reprise some of the recipes, including this most memorable fish dish, which I do not intend to let languish in the drawer any longer. I plan to prepare it regularly in the future, especially because Costco has packages of frozen cod fillets, individually wrapped, that can be kept in the freezer until needed. I think that, perhaps because they are flash-frozen on the boats, they seem even fresher, when cooked, than the fresh fillets.

The tomatoes can be easily peeled if you cover them whole with boiling water and let them sit for several minutes until the water cools down. The skins should slip right off.

Saluna (Persian Sweet and Sour Codfish)

1 large sweet onion, thinly sliced
1 small green serrano pepper, seeded and finely chopped
3 Tbsp. light vegetable oil, divided
2 large beefsteak tomatoes, peeled, halved, and cut in slices
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
juice of 2 large lemons, freshly squeezed, about 1/2 cup
3 Tbsp. light brown sugar
1 Tbsp. tomato ketchup
6-8 cod fillets, completely defrosted if frozen, weighing 2-3 lbs.

Fry the onions and pepper in 2 Tbsp. of oil in a shallow pan over medium high heat until the onions are soft and transparent, stirring often. Add the tomatoes and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

In a separate small saucepan, simmer the lemon juice and sugar, a pinch of salt and the ketchup until the sugar dissolves.

Spread the vegetables on the bottom of an oven-to-table, rectangular baking pan. Rinse and thoroughly dry the shallow frying pan and in it heat 1 Tbsp. of the oil over medium high heat.

Thoroughly dry the cod fillets with paper towels and flash fry a few at a time in the hot oil just until they have some golden color on both sides. Resist the temptation to move the fillets around in the pan once you put them down. Give them a minute or two to set, or they will stick to the pan. There is no need to cook them all the way through as they will be harder to handle and transfer in one piece.

As they develop some color, arrange them on the bed of onions in the baking/serving pan.

Pour the syrup over the fish and vegetables.

Bake, uncovered, in a preheated 350° oven for about 15 minutes until the fish is cooked through.

Serve warm.

Serves 8-10.

Yeast Dough Hamantaschen

2010-02-25T11:44:00.007-05:00

We love the earthiness and tang of yeast in our family and we are especially fond of rustic breads that abound with this flavor. Dealing with recipes that involve yeast can be daunting. I studiously avoided ever using the stuff after a highly disappointing and time-consuming foray into making croissants with my sister in our catering days. My next attempt after that was only when our favorite bakery changed hands and I could no longer count on a steady, Friday-afternoon supply of challahs to grace our Shabbat table. My first attempt yielded a bread so delicious that I have made it almost every Friday afternoon for the last 25 years. Since then, I have not been as fearful using it in other recipes as well, notably some great varieties of cinnamon buns, blini with Russian caviar, and cocosh, recipes I eventually might get around to publishing here someday.

I think I make the best hamantaschen on the planet, so every year at Purim time, when Saul starts to reminisce about the yeast hamantaschen that he remembers from his childhood, I think I will get around to trying to make some with yeast dough as well. This year, I succeeded. After about an hour’s research on the net, I settled on a recipe that looked promising. Part of the problem of dealing with yeast doughs is that measurements cannot be exact. Usually, the recipe will say something like “add additional flour” until some criteria is met. In this case, it said to add flour until the dough was no longer sticky. “Sticky” is a very difficult and subjective condition. So I went slowly, adding an eighth of a cup at a time. I wound up adding another whole cup of flour and still felt that the dough was “sticky,” but decided that it was less sticky than my challah dough and I would see what it was like after the long rising period in the refrigerator. I think that I was successful in producing a dough that was workable and tasty. In addition, I had two containers of sour cream in the refrigerator, and I was dismayed to find that both were spoiled when I opened them after I had already begun proofing the yeast. Fortunately, I had a very fresh container of whole milk Greek yogurt which turned out to be a wonderful substitute. To increase the tanginess, I grated fresh lemon peel into the dough.

I think the results turned out wonderful, and Saul loved them, but the perfectionist in me is troubled because no matter how carefully I formed my triangles and carefully pinched the edges, yeast dough swells and opens and insists on forming its own amorphous shapes. In the end, I prefer my beautiful and delicate cookie dough hamantaschen, but those among you who are inveterate lovers of yeast, like Saul, should surely be pleased with the results of this recipe.

Yeast Dough Hamantaschen

2-1/4 tsp. or one envelope dry yeast
1/4 cup lukewarm milk
1/2 cup plus 1/4 tsp. sugar, divided
3-1/4 cups all-purpose flour, divided
1/2 cup (1 stick) cold butter, cut into pats
1/2 cup whole milk Greek-style yogurt
grated rind of 1 lemon
2 large eggs, well beaten
1/4 tsp. salt
non-stick cooking spray
Filling or fillings of choice (I used almond filling for the ones pictured)
Egg/honey wash made by combining 1 Tbsp. honey with one egg

Swirl yeast, milk, 1/4 tsp. of sugar and 1/4 cup flour in a one quart jar with a lid. Let rest for 20 minutes.

Put 2 cups of flour and butter pats into mixer bowl and mix with flat beater at lowest speed until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

Add yeast mixture and remaining sugar, yogurt, lemon rind, eggs, and salt. Mix at medium speed until a smooth dough results.

Switch to dough hook and beat in the additional 1 cup of flour. Spray a large clean bowl with cooking spray and transfer dough to it, covering tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray baking pans with non-stick cooking spray.

Roll out dough on a well-floured surface (I use a pastry cloth and stockinette-covered rolling pin) into 1/4-inch thick large rectangle. Fold like a business letter into three layers. Turn 90-degrees and roll out again. Again, fold into thirds, turn, and roll out again. Repeat this process one more time to make three separate folding operations in total. This helps the dough form flaky layers.

After the dough has been folded three times, roll out to 1/8-inch thickness and cut circles close together with a three-, to three-and-a-half-inch-round cookie cutter.

Place circles on baking sheets.

Place a scant tablespoonful of filling in the center.

Turn up opposing edges of the circle and pinch together at the corner where they meet.

Bring up remaining edge of the circle and pinch together at the corners where it meets the first two edges to form a triangle. With yeast dough, it helps to twist the corners slightly to better seal them and prevent them from opening.

Re-roll scraps and proceed to cut more circles, etc.

Brush lightly with honey/egg wash. Place baking sheets in a draft-free place and allow the dough to rise for 30 minutes.

Bake at 350°F. for 15-20 minutes, or for 12-15 minutes in a convection oven until golden brown. Remove from baking sheets while still warm.

Makes 3 to 4 dozen. These freeze well.

Cat in the Hat Cake for Izzy’s 6th Birthday

2010-02-08T20:45:00.004-05:00

I won’t be putting in a recipe here, as I usually do, because the sour cream pound cake and butter cream icing recipes already appear elsewhere in the blog. The unique aspect of this posting is the way in which this three-dimensional cake was conceived, assembled, and executed.

Having been in the catering business for eleven years, my sister and I collected a number of shaped cake pans from Wilton. Originally, when my daughter called and told me that she was having a storybook character-themed birthday party for Izzy, she asked me if I would make the hat from The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss. I thought that a hat without the cat for a birthday party would be pretty ho-hum for a six-year-old. Watching the Food Network, and especially Cake Challenges, I thought perhaps if I could find a shape that was similar to what I needed, I could carve the cake into something that would work. I went into the attic and brought down a few possible pans and sat them on my desk while I was working. In a eureka moment, I realized that if I cut off the lamb’s head and turned it upside down, it would be almost the perfect shape.

Other parts of the assembly were equally serendipitous. I was about to put the cottage cheese container into the recycling bin while the cakes were baking when I realized the lid would make a great hat brim. Saul had to run over to Home Depot to get a 30-inch dowel stick when we realized the old one would not be long enough. Some wrapping paper that I found among my collection was the perfect color to match the the logo for The Cat in the Hat’s 50th birthday celebration, the design on which I based the cake. To keep the hand-drawn feel of the original, I made use of the food-coloring markers that the girls use to decorate gingerbread cookies. The black gumdrop nose was in a little package of candies I received as a hostess gift last year.

After a little brainstorming, Saul bought some metal grommets that fit the dowel stick to support the weight of the cakes. They are supported by a small brad inserted in a tiny hole that was drilled through the dowel at strategic locations. The only real problem I encountered in the whole process was that the fondant I had purchased at Michael’s had to be rolled very thin to cover everything so that I could avoid purchasing more. I was able to make do with one small box that contained a small bag of red, blue, yellow and green; and one small box that was just white. I dyed the blue and green bags black with food coloring using some rubber gloves to protect my hands as I kneaded in the dye. Some days, I wish I had all the resources of the Ace of Cakes for my projects.

We discussed various ways of fabricating the hat. One was to bake it in a can or cans. Another was to use a can to cut the body of the lamb into a cylinder. Jessica had suggested using donuts covered with fondant. That afternoon, searching for ideas among my cake pans, I found a tiny set of tube pans such as a child would use and decided to use those for the hat. I was thrilled with the result as not leveling them gave me a number of interesting shapes that gave the hat a suitably rumpled look.

I was anxious to post these photos because this precarious-looking cake is going in the SUV on a long trip to Baltimore in a few days. If it doesn’t get there in one piece, at least I will have a record of it. Even the Ace of Cakes has catastrophes during delivery. Hope this isn’t one of those!

Vegetarian Meatballs in Sweet and Sour Tomato Sauce

2010-02-01T20:18:00.003-05:00

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I developed this recipe when various members of my family, especially Ari, became vegetarians for a few years. Keeping a kosher kitchen, where meat and dairy ingredients cannot be used together in any dish, nor in any meal, nor even be cooked in the same pots and pans or appear on the same dishes, I like the flexibility that I have in planning a meal with these tasty and healthful “meat” balls as the entreé. They contain no artificially-created meat-like product with long and complicated manufacturing processes and possible artificial binders. The texture is chunky enough to be toothsome without my having to fear that they will fall apart during the cooking process. Raw, they are quite easy to handle and form, and having cooked somewhat without being disturbed, they are quite sturdy in maintaining their shape.

I would recommend using a heavy-bottomed pot and keeping the heat just high enough to simmer them to prevent scorching the sauce on the bottom. Also, make sure that the ginger snaps and cranberry sauce are well-dissolved before adding the meatballs to further prevent scorching.

Vegetarian Meatballs

1/2 large sweet onion
1 cup unshelled pecans
4 hard boiled eggs
1 cup wheat germ
2/3 cup bread crumbs
4 large raw eggs, lightly beaten
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 jar Paul Newman’s Sockarooni marinara sauce
1 bottle Heinz chili sauce
1 can jellied cranberry sauce
2 cans water
18 gingersnaps

Chop onion fine in food processor. Add pecans and pulse until finely chopped. Add hard-boiled eggs and pulse until finely chopped also.

Transfer mixture to a medium mixing bowl and stir in wheat germ, bread crumbs, and raw eggs. Season with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, pour marinara sauce, chili sauce, cranberry sauce, water (you can use the water to clean out the jars), and gingersnaps into a six to eight quart, heavy-bottomed pot and bring to a simmer over medium low heat, stirring frequently to break up cranberry sauce and gingersnaps until the sauce is completely homogenized.

When sauce has begun to bubble and simmer, scoop mixture with a small scoop into wet hands and form lightly into balls. Drop balls carefully into simmering sauce.

Simmer gently (sauce should just be bubbling) for one hour, uncovered, rotating the pot back and forth from time to time to roll the balls around in the sauce. Balls may be served immediately or removed carefully into a baking tray in a single layer and covered with sauce to be frozen and rewarmed in oven or microwave.

Makes 40 to 45 small meatballs.

Mediterranean Vegetable Lasagna

2010-01-31T23:15:00.007-05:00

My mother-in-law, Sima, many years ago, suggested I try this recipe which she had clipped from The Jewish Exponent. My son was a vegetarian for many years and others in the family have dabbled in and out of it for many years, so I was always casting about for interesting meatless main courses. This one turned out to be a winner. Most of the ingredients, other than the cheeses, can be kept on hand, long term, in the pantry, freezer or refrigerator, and with the current, no cook, lasagna noodles, assembly at the last minute is a snap. I think this is probably Beth’s favorite main course.

Mediterranean Vegetable Lasagna

1 box frozen chopped spinach, thawed
1 jar (about 8 oz.) roasted peppers, drained and diced
1 large jar (12 oz) marinated artichoke heart quarters
1/2 cup coarsely chopped green, pimento-stuffed olives
1 container (2 lbs.) whole-milk ricotta cheese
1/3 cup grated, imported Parmesan cheese
ground black pepper to taste
1 jar (26 oz) chunky marinara sauce (I use Paul Newman’s Sockarooni)
1 cup water
1 box (1 lb.) no-cook lasagna noodles
1 lb. fresh mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Combine spinach, roasted peppers, artichoke hearts (and their marinade), chopped olives, ricotta, Parmesan, and black pepper.

Pour a quarter of the marinara sauce into a 9 x 13-inch baking dish; stir in half the water and spread evenly. Place uncooked noodles in an even layer on the sauce.

Spread a third of the vegetable-ricotta mixture evenly over the noodles.

Then make layers as follows:

one-fourth of the mozzarella
noodles
one-fourth of the marinara sauce
another third of the vegetable-ricotta mix
another fourth of the mozzarella
noodles
another one-fourth of the marinara
another third of the vegetable-ricotta mix
another fourth of mozzarella
the remaining noodles

Pour another half-cup water into the marinara sauce remaining in the jar, seal with the lid, and shake to combine. Pour over the noodles and spread evenly. Reserve the remaining one-fourth mozzarella.

Cover with foil and place on a foil-covered sheet pan to catch drips.

Bake for 50 minutes. Remove the foil and layer the top evenly with the remaining mozzarella. Bake, uncovered, 15 minutes longer.

Remove from the oven and set aside to rest for 15 more minutes. Cut into squares and serve.

The lasagna can be made a day ahead and reheated, after which it will cut more neatly.

Serves 8-10.

Quick Chicken, Artichoke and Whole Grain Pasta Supper

2010-01-25T19:50:00.005-05:00

Last week, after pigging out for 10 days of vacation and putting on a few pounds, Saul and I resolved to watch our calories using an app for our iPhones called Lose It! and by eating out less so that we will better be able to control our intake. To this end, I cooked up a really quick meal for us that turned out so well and was so easy to throw together that I am sure I will be repeating it for a long time to come. It was very satisfying and neither one of us had the desire for anything else when we finished our portions. We also did not get tired of eating it two more times during the week.

Quick Chicken, Artichoke and Whole Wheat Pasta Supper

(makes 6 servings)

1 Tbsp. toasted sesame oil
1/2 large sweet onion, diced
1/2 large bell pepper (any color or combination will do)
1 lb. boneless chicken breast, (3 to 4 cutlets) sliced into bite-sized pieces
1-14 oz. jar Trader Joe’s artichokes with stems
2 Tbsp. French’s Honey Dijon mustard
3 Tbsp. Ken’s Lite Asian Sesame Dressing
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
few drops hot sauce such as Sriracha to taste
1 lb. Barilla whole grain spaghetti
toasted sesame seeds

Bring 6 quarts lightly salted water to a boil.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat sesame oil and sauté onion and pepper over medium heat until onion becomes soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.

Add cut-up chicken to skillet and continue to sauté until larger pieces are cooked through, about 7-10 minutes.

Drain artichokes and add to skillet.

Add mustard, dressing, salt, pepper, and hot sauce, and toss to coat chicken.

Remove from heat and cover.

Add pasta to rapidly boiling water and cook according to package directions, about 7 minutes. Drain well and arrange in a casserole dish.

Top with chicken mixture.

Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve immediately.

Maids of Honor (Tartlets)

2009-12-17T09:00:00.003-05:00

One of our signature dessert offerings during the eleven years that we had a catering business was beautifully-arranged trays of exquisite and delectable mini pastries of all flavors, shapes and colors. Maids of honor were always among these offerings and Adele and I have probably made thousands of them over the years. People love desserts that are one-bite indulgences and give them a chance to taste many flavors without the calories of a large dessert. Pressing the chilled dough into the mini cupcake pans is the most tedious part of the job, but it can be done sitting down while chatting with a friend or watching television sporadically.

Maids of Honor (Tartlets)

Pastry:

6 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 cups all-purpose flour

Blend cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Stir in flour. Form into a thick disk, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least one hour.

Press small pieces into mini cupcake pans. I use the back handle of a large ice cream scoop, pressing it into the dough in the pan to facilitate this process.

Jams or Jellies (preferably homemade)

Cake

1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1-1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tsp. baking powder
2/3 cup milk
royal icing (optional)
candy decors (optional)

Put about 1 tsp. jam in each tartlet.

Make cake batter by creaming butter with salt and vanilla and gradually blending in sugar until light and fluffy.

Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Sift flour and baking powder. Add alternately with milk to mixture.

Add sour cream.

Fill tartlet shells about 3/4 full using a scoop, spoon, or pastry bag fitted with a plain tip.

Bake at 350°F. for 20-25 minutes. Remove from pans using a small thin-bladed knife or small offset spatula.

When cool, top with a swirl of royal icing and a candy decor.

Royal Icing

This icing, which hardens rock solid, was once made with raw egg whites. Years ago, when salmonella became a problem, I switched to using Wilton meringue powder.

1 lb. confectioner's 10x (powdered) sugar
3 Tbsp. Wilton meringue powder
6-10 Tbsp. warm water

Beat at low speed of electric mixer for 7 to 10 minutes.
Makes approximately 3 cups.

Walnut Sandwich Cookies from Martha Stewart

2009-12-16T14:35:00.010-05:00

The beginning of last week involved a lot of cookie-baking in preparation for our family cookie extravaganza which, hopefully, will take place on Thursday evening. I made my usual seven varieties, and this year I decided to try an eighth. Several months ago, Mom’s hospice volunteer, Marianne, brought me a package of walnut-shaped cookie molds that she purchased in Europe. A friend had requested that she bring some back and she kept a package for herself. She gave them to me last year after I gave her some of my cookies and told me that I would be more likely to use them than she would. I almost never watch Martha Stewart on television, but a week or so before she gave me the molds, while I was flipping channels, I had caught the tail end of Martha and Jennifer Esposito making walnut cookies. After I received the molds, I looked up the segment on Google and printed out the recipe. This past week seemed like the perfect time to try it out, and I am very pleased with the results. I can’t wait to deliver some to Marianne.

Some of the extra tips I would give is to spray the mold with non-stick cooking spray the first time before powdering with sugar. After that, the mold is sufficiently seasoned from the cookie dough itself to hold the right amount of powdered sugar to keep the next one from sticking. I also found that by mounding the dough slightly in the mold, I had more of a handle on peeling back the edges to loosen the dough. I did not need to trim around the cookies when I unmolded them. Neither did I need to clean the mold. Also, do not grease the pans. Believe it or not, they came off easier on an ungreased cookie sheet as long as they were removed immediately, while still hot. Through trial and error, I discovered that the best (and nicest looking) way to fill the cookies with the chocolate walnut filling is to roll small quantities of the filling into a ball and press to fit one of the cookies. Then, press the second one gently on top. I also used Frangelico, a hazelnut liqueur which I adore and always have on hand, instead of the walnut liqueur called for in the recipe.

Walnut Sandwich Cookies from Martha Stewart
(Makes approximately 25 cookies)

2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
6 oz. (1-1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
3 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
1 large egg yolk
1 Tbsp. walnut liqueur or Frangelico
Confectioners’ sugar for mold
Non-stick cooking spray

Whisk flour, salt, cinnamon, and ginger in a medium bowl.

Beat butter, cream cheese, and sugars with a mixer on medium speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in yolk and walnut liqueur, then add flour mixture, beating until just combined. Form dough into a 1-inch-thick disk, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Using a dry pastry brush, generously dust a walnut springerle mold with confectioners’ sugar. Cut a piece of dough about the size of the mold (available from House on the Hill). Press dough into mold with fingers, working from center. Gently coax dough out of mold with fingertips and onto a baking sheet, and trim edges with a knife. Repeat, spacing cookies 1 inch apart on sheets and cleaning mold often. Freeze for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Bake cookies until set, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from pans while still hot and allow to cool to room temperature.

Pipe or spread 2 teaspoons chocolate-walnut filling on flat side of 1 cookie. Alternatively, scoop out about 2 tsp. of filling and roll into a ball in your hand. Flatten it with your fingers onto a cookie half. Press flat side of another cookie onto filling to sandwich. Repeat with remaining cookies and filling. Cookies will keep, covered, for up to 2 days.

Chocolate Walnut Filling

Makes 1-1/4 cups, enough for 25 cookies.

3 oz. (6 Tbsp.) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
1-1/2 oz. (1/2 cup) walnuts, toasted and finely chopped
pinch of salt
5 oz. semi-sweet chocolate, melted and slightly cooled

Beat butter with confectioners’ sugar until light and fluffy.

Beat in walnuts and salt.

Beat in chocolate.

Use immediately.

Cashew Tartlets

2009-12-13T10:45:00.001-05:00

As far as I am concerned, cashews have it all over pecans any day of the week. These bite-size tarts are only difficult so far as sitting and pushing the dough into those little mini muffin pans. If you get a friend or family member to participate, the work goes quickly and good conversation makes the process less tedious. In order to get the corn syrup mixture neatly into the cups, a few years ago I discovered that squirt bottles really facilitate the process. These are very inexpensive and can be purchased at craft stores such as Michael’s or A.C. Moore. A scissors or X-Acto knife will allow you to cut the hole at the top of the bottle as wide as you wish to achieve a good flow and a wide-tube funnel allows you to fill the bottle from the mixing bowl easily.

Cashew Tartlets

Pastry

1 stick (1/2 cup unsalted butter)
1/2 cup sugar
1 large or extra large egg
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
non-stick cooking spray

In a large mixing bowl, at medium speed, beat butter until softened. Beat in sugar until light and fluffy.

Add egg and vanilla and beat until well mixed.

Reduce speed to low and gradually beat in flour until a dough forms.

Press small balls of dough into non-stick-spray-coated mini muffin cups.

Filling

3 large or extra-large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup light corn syrup
1 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2-1/2 cups coarsely chopped cashews (approximately)
36 whole cashews (approximately)

Preheat oven to 350°F.

In medium bowl, beat together eggs, corn syrup, sugar, butter, and vanilla until well blended.

Spoon about 1 heaping teaspoon chopped cashews into each pastry-lined cup.

Top each with a whole cashew.

Spoon or squeeze about 2 teaspoons of the corn syrup mixture over cashews in each muffin cup.

Bake 20-25 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean and tarts are lightly browned. Cool in pans for 5 minutes.

While still warm, use a small, thin-bladed knife to remove tart from pans.

Store in a tightly covered container.

These freeze beautifully.

Makes about 3 dozen.

Sufganiyot (Israeli Donuts)

2009-12-11T21:30:00.002-05:00

The first night of Chanukah this year is December 11. For many years, with numerous classes of religious school students and with my own children and grandchildren at our family Chanukah parties, we prepared sufganiyot, which are traditional fare in Israel for Chanukah because they are fried in oil. Foods fried in oil, such as potato latkes, are traditional because of the ancient story about the one small vial of consecrated oil (only enough to burn for one day) that was discovered when cleaning and re-dedicating the Holy Temple in Jerusalem after it had been desecrated by the Greeks in the time of Antiochus IV. The small quantity of oil burned for eight nights until another batch could be prepared to light the ner tamid, the eternal light, which was present in the Temple, representations of which appear in every synagogue today. This miracle is remembered as we light the eight-branched chanukiah (candelabrum) each night of the holiday.

Sufganiyot

2 cups all-purpose flour
4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup sour cream
1 large or extra-large egg
oil for deep fat frying (I prefer peanut oil or Crisco vegetable oil)
confectioner’s sugar or sugar and cinnamon for dusting

In a large bowl, place flour, baking powder, sugar and salt and stir to mix.

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add 1/4 cup of oil, milk, sour cream and egg. Mix with a wooden spoon until smooth.

Pour frying oil about 1-1/2 to 2 inches deep in skillet or wok and heat to 375°F. or until small bubbles appear around the handle of an inserted wooden spoon.

Drop mixture by teaspoonfuls into hot oil so they do not touch each other. Alternatively, an inexpensive donut-maker gadget exists for dropping the batter in rings into the oil. You may need to thin the batter a little bit with milk so it flows smoothly out of this gadget.

Fry until golden brown (3 to 4 minutes on each side).

Drain on paper towels and sift powdered sugar on top, or dip in sugar-cinnamon “sand.”

Serve and eat immediately while still warm and delicious. These do not freeze well and are not very good the next day. They are not designed to be made in advance.

Toffee Squares

2009-12-10T09:32:00.002-05:00

Last year, I ran out of time to post all the cookie recipes my family prepares. I lost interest in posting these after December, but since we are all focused on the preparations again right now, I will try to put up a number of them this year. My aim is to get all of them up here eventually so that every member of the family will have access to them in the future. One of these days, I will post a list of every one that we make. I am sure there are more than two dozen. These are very easy to make and are delicious and sturdy for packaging. Toffee is one of my favorite flavors. They also won’t pull out your fillings like a Heath Bar might, and they look very appealing as well.

Toffee Squares

1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks)
1 cup brown sugar (light or dark)
1 egg yolk
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
8 oz. chocolate chips
finely chopped nuts

Cream butter with sugar until light and fluffy.

Beat in egg yolk, vanilla and flour.

Spread evenly on ungreased 11"x 15" jelly roll pan. Bake at 350°F. for 20-25 minutes.

Remove from oven and immediately spread with 8 oz. of chocolate chips while still hot. Chocolate chips will melt within a few minutes. Spread chocolate evenly across the surface.

While still warm, sprinkle with finely chopped nuts.

Chill before slicing into squares.

These freeze beautifully.

Potato Knishes (Non Passover) and Cheese Knishes

2009-11-21T13:43:00.009-05:00

This recipe appears in my cookbook, Bubbie’s Kitchen. Since the book was written as an Ashkenazic Jewish cooking curriculum for groups, in my case, teenagers, I make use of certain time-saving devices, such as instant mashed potatoes, which I do not use when I make these at home for myself. I will provide both versions here with the introduction that appears in the book:

Although knishes have entered mainstream American cuisine insofar as they can be found in most supermarkets with a delicatessen section and are available frozen as hors d’oeuvres almost anywhere frozen foods can be bought, they appear in Jewish cookbooks in the form that is most familiar to Americans only rarely. They appear to be uniquely of German or Russian Ashkenazic origin. Similar recipes for dough wrapped in various ways around a filling and baked are known by many different names in both Ashkenazic and Sephardic cultures, such as: borekas, kreplach, and pierogen. However, the classic recipe that is familiar to those of us in the United States, where they were a staple at every Bar and Bat Mitzvah and Jewish wedding, produces a rounded patty-shaped crusty dough which encases a savory filling of potato with fried onions, liver, kasha, rice, or cheese. This type of knish is produced by the recipe below.

Since the flour used to make the strudel-type dough for these knishes is prohibited on Passover, another type of knish is made which uses mashed potatoes in the dough itself for this holiday. This mashed potato dough is wrapped around the filling. These Passover potato knishes are the most common ones found in Jewish recipe books. They are also delicious (and the recipe for them is included in this blog). In all its forms,the knish is very convenient street food and is sold by vendors in Tel-Aviv during the Ad’lo’yada carnival that takes place during Purim. In families where knishes are traditionally made, they are considered traditional fare for a Purim seudah, the festive meal that is enjoyed by family and friends during this holiday.

Knishes

Potato Filling (Instant)

1-1/3 cups instant mashed potato buds or flakes
1/2 tsp. salt
1 small onion
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1/3 cup milk
1-1/3 cups water

Dice onion and sauté in butter in small frying pan over medium heat. Set aside.

Bring water, milk, and salt to a boil in small pot over high heat.

Remove from heat and add potato buds or flakes stirring just until combined. Let stand 30 seconds to absorb moisture and fluff with a fork.

Stir in sautéed onion and butter.

Potato Filling (From Scratch)

2 lbs. Idaho, Yukon Gold, or russet potatoes
1 large sweet onion, diced
3 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1/2 cup heavy cream
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste (I recommend over-seasoning the mashed potatoes a bit to offset the blandness of the crusty dough casing)

Peel potatoes and cut into 4 to 6 chunks, depending on the size of the potato.

Just cover them with cold, lightly salted water, and bring to a boil over high heat. Turn heat down to medium high and continue to boil until a fork goes though the largest chunks without resistance, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, sauté the onion in butter until translucent.

Drain the potatoes in a colander and let them sit for 5 to 10 minutes to dry out somewhat.

Mash or whip while still warm, adding onions and butter, cream, and salt and pepper. (Never use a food processor to mash potatoes!)

Refrigerate for several hours before using to fill knishes.

Cheese Filling

2 cups farmers’ cheese
1 egg
pinch of sugar and salt

Mix cheese filling by combining ingredients in a small bowl, breaking up cheese curds with a fork.

Glaze

1 beaten egg
1 Tbsp. oil

Stir together in a small bowl with a pastry brush.

Dough

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 large or extra large eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 cups lukewarm water
Non-stick cooking spray

Mix all dough ingredients (except spray) together in a bowl. (You can use an electric mixer at this stage.)

Empty out onto a well-floured surface. Knead into a ball with floured hands.

Cut dough in half and knead each ball separately, again.

Roll out with rolling pin on a well-floured surface into a very thin square shape.

Spray very lightly with non-stick spray.

Place filling one inch from the top of the dough in a strip about 1-1/2 inches wide along the top.

Take the top of the dough and roll over the filling, jelly roll fashion. Then roll twice more and cut off with scissors or pastry wheel from the rest of the dough.

Repeat process until all dough and filling are used up.

Pinch ends of dough together.

Cut strips of filled dough at 1-1/2 inch intervals with the side of your hand, pushing the piece away from the others slightly while pressing down.

Pinch to seal each end of knish. (The motion of your hand in cutting should just about seal the dough all by itself and a rounded shape results from patting the corners in your palm.)

Place on non-stick spray-coated baking pan and brush with glaze.

Bake at 325°F. until golden brown approximately 35 minutes.

These freeze very well and can be reheated in the oven at 350°F.

Makes about 40 small knishes—20 cheese, 20 potato.

Gezer Hai (Living Carrots)

2009-10-29T09:00:00.006-04:00

I began making this many years ago as I was researching Israeli recipes for what was supposed to be a series of Jewish cookbooks/cooking curricula that I was writing. Saul told me his memories of enjoying this salad as a child in Israel and what he remembers his mother including in the recipe. With the advent of large bags of beautiful organic carrots at Costco, I have recently been making it more often, especially since in our times, the food processor eliminates hours of hand grating. I have added craisins for color and flavor. In the past, I have made it with classrooms full of six and seven year olds, and it was very popular. It also makes a relatively guilt-free snack. Although it is probably not as healthy as just munching on a raw carrot, it is far more satisfying.

Gezer Hai (Living Carrots)

1 lb. fresh carrots (organic, if possible), peeled
grated rind and juice of 1 large or 2 small oranges
grated rind and juice of 1 lemon
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup pure cane sugar
1/3 cup raisins
1/3 cup craisins
1 banana, in small dice

Grate carrots with grating disc of the food processor. Add the rest of the ingredients and fold together gently. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight before serving, to allow carrots to absorb juices and meld flavors.

Daddy Alex’s Birthday Cookies

2009-09-14T17:57:00.002-04:00

My grandchildren love to cook with me, and together, we had a horrible month of August, which is why such a long time has gone by since the last recipe was posted. Our 87-year-old mother and great-grandmother died at home in bed after almost a year on hospice care, and we had to cut our summer vacation together in Orlando by a week because we received word that her time was short after our first week there. We rushed home to our suburb of Philadelphia from Florida and drove the entire distance in one day. All three granddaughters were super terrific about the grueling journey and the disappointment of leaving.

In order to salvage what was left of our vacation and be home to say a final goodbye, we made special cookies together during that week, my mother’s last, for their daddy’s birthday on August 31. Sami invented them and supervised Izzy and me while we put the dough together. Alex is allergic to chocolate and Sami loves peanut butter and bananas. I had a package of dried cherries in the freezer. A new winner was born! We learned to work very well as a team, sharing the labor, each according to her strength. Afterward, the girls made a card and we packed Daddy’s cookies carefully into the freezer. Two days after that, they helped me begin assembling Haley’s wedding cake for her wedding on August 22. Mom died on August 20. She waited for the moment that I finished decorating the cake at 11:15 p.m. and went in to sit with her. Her funeral was on August 24, the Monday morning after the Saturday night wedding.

Baking cookies seems to be a way that we comfort ourselves in this family. Fussing over the wedding cake with the girls helped me get through a really terrible time in my life.

Daddy Alex’s Birthday Cookies
(Oatmeal, Peanut Butter, Banana, and Dried Cherries)
(Pareve, meat and dairy free)

Non-stick cooking spray
1 cup granulated organic cane sugar
1 cup firmly-packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) unsalted pareve Fleischmann’s margarine
1/2 cup chunky peanut butter
2 extra-large eggs
1/4 cup premium orange juice
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose, unbleached Ceresota or Hecker’s flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. kosher salt
3/4 cups quick-cooking oats
3/4 cups old-fashioned oats
1 cup dried cherries
1 large, firm ripe banana, diced finely (not mashed)

Preheat oven to 350°. Spray baking sheets with non-stick spray.

Cream sugars with margarine and peanut butter in large bowl of mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy.

Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Beat in orange juice and vanilla.

Mix in flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.

Stir in both kinds of oats and dried cherries on lowest speed.

Stir in chopped banana gently by hand with a spatula.

Drop dough onto prepared baking sheets with a leveled 1-1/2-inch ice-cream scoop, leaving at least two inches between them for expansion.

Bake until golden brown, about 8 minutes in a convection oven, about 10 in a conventional oven.

Makes about 60-70. These freeze really well.

My Potato Salad

2009-07-16T17:19:00.003-04:00

I have been making my own potato salad for as long as I can remember. I don’t need a recipe and just add quantities of ingredients based on the amount of potatoes I have used until it tastes right to me. However, anytime I take my potato salad somewhere, or make it at the home of someone else, I am asked for the recipe and I have to resort to listing the ingredients for them and hoping they are skilled enough to figure out quantities on their own. So, having a recipe blog, and this being prime season for potato salad, I have attempted to codify the recipe so that it can be reproduced. I especially like to make it when we are having cold cuts or barbecue and eat vast quantities of it while the potatoes are still a bit warm, a fleeting stage in the life of potato salad.

My Potato Salad

3 lbs. waxy-type potatoes, such as Yukon Gold or Red Bliss
6 large or extra-large eggs (use not-so-fresh ones to make them easier to peel)
1 medium carrot
2 stalks of celery
1/2 small sweet onion (red or white)
1 scant cup Hellman’s Light mayonnaise
1/2 cup Grey Poupon Dijon mustard
1/3 cup coconut or white balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup sugar (scant)
2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. celery salt
1 tsp. celery seeds
1 tsp. mustard seeds
freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 tsps. white prepared horseradish (optional)
paprika (optional)

Place well-rinsed, unpeeled whole potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat, uncovered, and boil until a skewer or two-pronged fork meets with no resistance at all when the largest potato is pierced, about one hour. Drain.

In the meantime, place eggs in an enameled pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, uncovered over high heat. As soon as the eggs are at a rolling boil, cover the pot and remove from the heat. Set timer for 15 minutes. When timer is done, empty boiling water, cover with cold water and add a handful of ice. When ice is melted, peel eggs and set aside.

You can leave potatoes unpeeled or peel them according to preference. I generally like them peeled, but will leave the peels, or some of the peels, on in a pinch. When cool enough to handle, cut up potatoes irregularly into approximately one-inch chunks/slices and place in a very large mixing bowl.

Place eggs in an egg slicer and cut, turning egg in two directions to cross cut, and adding each egg to the potatoes as it is cut.

Place carrot, celery and onion in bowl of food processor with steel knife and grind until very fine.
Add to potato mixture.

With a wooden spoon or silicon spatula, stir in the rest of the ingredients. Taste for seasoning. If desired and for more kick, add horseradish. Spoon into serving bowl and, if desired, sprinkle with paprika, smoked paprika, or hot paprika.

Especially delicious eaten warm and freshly-made, but refrigerate, covered, immediately after serving.

Yona Rae Coconut Cake

2009-06-30T22:13:00.003-04:00

I first devised this cake when I was developing recipes for a black and white party I decided to throw in celebration of my full recovery from a potentially fatal blood clot in my groin (also known as a deep vein thrombosis or D.V.T.) and subsequent life-threatening over-medication on Coumadin which had me confined to bed for a month and unable to work. During the time I spent in bed thanking God that I had managed to survive, a seed was somehow planted to celebrate in this way should my strength and inclination return. The blood clot occurred at the end of March 2002, and I called the party for the end of July and invited almost everyone I knew. I spent a lot of time researching the food and planning every detail. I think it was the best party ever!

Coconut cake was a natural for dessert, and I wanted the cake inside to be white cake as well. I thought that no one would really eat it because everyone was so conscious of the cholesterol in coconut at the time, but this cake was the surprise hit of the party. My son-in-law, Alex, told my daughter that there would be a divorce if she did not save him a piece while he was busy with some other kitchen duty. In addition, from the time my kids were little, we had read a favorite children’s book called Old Witch and the Polka Dot Ribbon which involves a county fair cake competition and the disappearance of Mrs. Butterbean’s super-tall coconut cake.

Since I named a cake for Presley Bella, I thought I should name one of my cakes for my new granddaughter at her naming, too. I know, eventually, I will have to come up with cakes for my other grandchildren as well. I only hope I have time left to me to have relationships with all of them and that I may be able to watch them all enjoy eating cake!

Yona Rae Coconut Cake

non-stick cooking spray
5 cups sifted cake flour (not all-purpose)
2 Tbsp. double-acting baking powder
2 tsp. kosher salt
8 extra-large egg whites, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup Crisco vegetable shortening
2 cups granulated sugar
2-1/4 cups whole milk
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. pure almond extract

Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray three 9-inch layer cake pans with non-stick cooking spray and line with circles of waxed paper that have been flipped over in the pans.

Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together three times. Do not skip this step. It is important to the texture of the cake.

Beat room-temperature egg whites in an electric mixer on high speed with a wire whip attachment until foamy. Gradually add 1 cup of the sugar, beating only until the mixture holds a soft peak. (The tip of the peak should curl slightly when the beater is lifted.) Set aside.

In another bowl, mix shortening at medium speed in electric mixer with 2 cups of sugar until very light and fluffy.

On slow speed, beat in alternately, just until smooth, flour mixture in fourths and combined milk and extracts in thirds.

By hand, with a large spatula, thoroughly incorporate egg-white mixture into batter.

Divide evenly into pans and bake 30 to 35 minutes until lightly golden brown at edges.

Let cool completely before frosting.

Cream Cheese Coconut Frosting

8 oz. soft, unsalted butter
8 oz. softened cream cheese
1 lb. confectioner’s sugar
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 lb. shredded coconut (sweetened or unsweetened according to taste)

Cream butter and cream cheese together, blending thoroughly.

Beat in confectioner’s sugar and vanilla until creamy and fluffy.

To assemble, spread frosting between each layer, pressing in small handfuls of coconut before the next layer is added. Frost the entire top and outside of the cake. Carefully press handfuls of coconut up the sides and into the top of the cake.

This cake freezes beautifully, both frosted or disassembled. Buy a fresh bag of shredded coconut to make this cake. Do not use coconut that has been sitting around in the pantry for a long period of time.

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

2009-06-23T19:35:00.009-04:00

Many years have passed since the last time my family went to pick strawberries at a local farm and came home with so many that we canned strawberry jam, strawberry sauce and froze whole strawberries in Seal-A-Meal bags for two days. When we arrived home with our pickings, we had already eaten so many in the field (only the most perfect succulent ones) that we were well sated before the work began.

I developed this pie a few years after that with my friend, Susan, from Chicago. We adapted it from a recipe for rhubarb pie that we found in one of her cookbooks, James Beard’s American Cookery. We decided to make this pie at the height of strawberry season (and rhubarb season) when I mentioned an experience Saul and I had at The William Penn Inn on one of our anniversaries. We had worked at the Inn part-time, Saul as a waiter, and I as a bookkeeper, during our college years to earn extra money. We went there on special occasions after that during the early part of our marriage and continue to dine there to this day. As a matter of fact, we just went there for brunch this past Sunday to celebrate our friend Irv’s and his mother, Fran’s, birthdays.

At one particular anniversary dinner years ago, the waitress recited a litany of elaborate desserts. I chose a triple chocolate mousse cake with raspberry sauce and Saul chose the strawberry rhubarb pie. I commented that I couldn’t believe he had chosen such a homely dessert with all the options available, but he assured me that he remembered this seasonal specialty and knew exactly what he was doing. He was right! When I tasted his slice of pie, I was as wowed as he was over it.

This pie is my daughter, Jessica’s, all-time favorite, except for the time I was in a great hurry and forgot the sugar. Even though she loves all things tart, not even she could eat it. Ari called today to ask me to post this right away because a friend of his went strawberry picking today. In the meantime, he gave her my recipe for strawberry soup, which I will post on a future entry.

I highly suggest putting a large pan under the pie while it is baking. It almost always drips over and causes a huge mess in the oven. If you leave the pan with water in it for a few minutes, the stickiest mess dissolves easily.

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

3 cups rhubarb stalks, cut crosswise into 1/2 inch slices
3 cups thickly sliced, rinsed, and cleaned strawberries
2 cups granulated sugar
3 Tbsp. quick-cooking tapioca
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. grated fresh orange rind (use a microplane)
1 to 2 Tbsp. butter or unsalted margarine
Unbaked pastry for two-crust 10-inch pie (see below)
1 egg
2 Tbsp. sugar

Toss the rhubarb and strawberry slices with the sugar, tapioca, salt and rind.

Turn into a pastry-lined pan.

Dot with small pieces of butter or margarine.

Top with pastry and crimp the top and bottom edges together, fluting decoratively. If desired, cut small shapes from extra pastry to further decorate.

Cut decorative slits in the top for steam to escape.

Whip egg and sugar together with a fork and use a pastry brush to apply this glaze to the top, adding extra pastry shapes if desired and glazing over them as well.

Bake at 450°F. for 15 minutes.

Reduce heat to 350°F. and bake for about 25-30 minutes longer. Cool before serving. Serve warm or cold, but this is especially good warm topped with premium vanilla ice cream.

I have been using the same, simple recipe from my junior high school cookbook (Food and Nutrition for the Family, School District of Philadelphia, Division of Home Economics, 1949) since I first made it in home economics class. The crust is tastier with butter than margarine, but both are more than satisfactory. I suggest using a pastry cloth with a stockinette covered rolling pin for the best results.

Two-Crust Pie Pastry

2 cups flour (sift before measuring)
1/3 tsp. kosher salt
1/3 cup Crisco vegetable shortening
1/3 cup pareve unsalted Fleischmann’s margarine
1/3 cup ice water

Sift together flour and salt. Cut the shortening and margarine into pat-size pieces and add to flour. Cut them into the flour using a fork, pastry blender, two knives, or paddle beater on electric mixer set at lowest speed until mixture looks like coarse meal. Add the water a little at a time, mixing lightly until the dough is moist enough to stick together when pressed with the fingers.

Divide the dough into two portions. Place one portion on a floured pastry cloth, shape into a round and roll lightly from the center to the edge until about 1/8 inch in thickness. The circle of pastry should be at least 1 inch larger than the pie plate.

Line a 10-inch pie plate with the pastry, pressing it gently against the sides and bottom of the pan. Be careful not to stretch the dough, or the shell will shrink and draw away from the sides of the pan during baking.

For other recipes if pre-baking: trim pastry from edge of pan and flute decoratively by pressing between the fingers or with the tines of a fork. Line with aluminum foil and pie weights or dry beans. Bake in a hot oven (450°F.) for 10 to 15 minutes. Cool before filling.

Barbecue Beef and Beef and Barley Soup

2009-06-16T13:14:00.002-04:00

During Passover, I bought a whole brisket, which is a more economical way to purchase kosher meat. This consists of two somewhat flat cuts of meat, the first cut being considered the more desirable. I use the second cut in an economical way that produces several meals. Not only does the second cut produce a couple of meals worth of barbecue beef, it produces a few meals worth of hearty soup as well. The aroma in the house as these are cooking is totally mouth-watering, unless of course, you are a vegetarian. Both dishes can be packed and frozen, but usually we cannot get enough of them and eat the leftovers for a few days until they are gone. This is also great informal party food as it can be made in advance in larger quantities and spooned from a slow cooker or chafing dish over noodles, rice, kasha and bowties, etc.

Barbecue Beef

2-3 lb. second cut of beef brisket
1 diced onion
1 Tbsp. toasted sesame oil
3 Tbsp. brown sugar
3 Tbsp. red wine or balsamic vinegar
3 Tbsp. worcestershire sauce
1 cup ketchup
3 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1/4 cup fresh-squeezed lemon juice
1 cup beef broth (from soup-making process below)
freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Boil beef roast according to directions for soup below.

In a 6-8 qt. pot, sauté onion in sesame oil until translucent. Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a simmer on low heat.

Meanwhile, shred boiled beef into small shards with a knife and fork. Add to pot and continue to simmer for 20-30 minutes.

This freezes well and feeds 8-12.

Beef and Barley Soup

2-3 lb. second cut of beef brisket
1 large onion, diced
2 large carrots, diced
2 large stalks of celery diced
1/2 lb. mushrooms, sliced thinly
1 small bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
2 sprigs of fresh dill, chopped
2 Telma chicken bouillon cubes
1-1/2 cups pearled barley

Bring beef brisket to a boil in 4 qts. of water.

Add the rest of the ingredients, except barley, and simmer uncovered for about 2-3 hours until brisket is fork tender.

Remove broth for barbecue beef recipe above.

Remove brisket from soup and continue with above recipe for barbecue beef.

Stir in barley and continue to simmer uncovered for 1 hour more, stirring occasionally.

Makes approximately 4 qts. of soup to feed 12-15 people. May be packed and frozen.

Spanakopita or Spanakopitakia

2009-05-21T08:59:00.004-04:00

This is a Greek recipe that we began making as an hors d’oeuvre back in the days when my sister and I were catering. I was told by a Greek friend at the time that the “kia” part of the word indicated a diminutive size. This was my first foray into using phyllo pastry and I still remember when I opened my first package that I couldn’t believe I was supposed to work with this tissue-paper thin pastry and produce a good-looking morsel of spinach and feta cheese soufflé. Luckily, that first package of phyllo was a fresh and workable stack that separated fairly easily once I got the hang of it. On some subsequent occasions, I was not so lucky, and was forced to return the recalcitrant stuff to the market from whence it came. That, in turn, prompted a scavenger hunt to find boxes that contained more pliable and yielding stuff.

Fortunately, these can be frozen, so when a good batch of phyllo was obtained, I made lots of them for future orders. My sister and partner in catering always hated spinach and would never make or eat these, but she is the only one I know who has not been won over by their savory, salty and crunchy taste and texture. Having mastered phyllo, I went on to produce and create a few other recipes that make use of this convenient wrapper.

Spanakopita is always folded into a triangle exactly the same way I learned to fold the American flag when I was in Girl Scouts. I usually cut six or seven strips from a sheet to make the hors d’oeuvres size and three to make an entrée size.

The stack of phyllo should be covered by a just barely damp dish towel so that it does not dry out while you are working with it. Use a wide, soft paint brush to facilitate the spreading of melted butter.

Spanakopita or Spanakopitakia

1 lb. phyllo pastry sheets
1 lb. fresh spinach
1 small bunch fresh parsley, preferably flat leaf
1 sprig of fresh dill
6 scallions, sliced fine (including green)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 lb. feta cheese
1/8 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
4 extra-large eggs, well beaten
1 cup unsalted butter, melted

Defrost phyllo in original wrapper in refrigerator, if frozen.

Steam spinach, covered, about 5 minutes until wilted, using just the water that clings to the leaves after thorough washing. Drain well, squeezing out as much liquid as possible with your hands, and chop well in food processor or with a knife along with fresh parsley and dill.

Meanwhile, sauté scallions in olive oil until tender. Cool slightly.

Break up cheese until it is in small crumbs.

Mix together spinach mixture, cheese, nutmeg, pepper, and eggs. Stir in scallions with olive oil. Chill mixture for a few hours or overnight to firm it up a bit.

When ready to assemble, remove phyllo sheets from wrapping and cover with a barely damp linen dish towel to prevent the stack from drying while you are assembling.

Remove a sheet of phyllo from the stack and brush lightly with melted butter. Carefully drape a second sheet over the first and again, lightly brush with butter.

Using a sharp scissors, cut the sheets into strips, six or seven for an hors d’oeuvres size, or three or four for an entrée size.

Place an appropriate amount of filling at the end of the strip (ice cream scoops of various sizes can facilitate this), and fold the strip over the filling as you would fold a flag. Trim off with the scissors any excess edges that protrude when you have finished folding the strip.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Arrange the pastries on buttered baking sheets and bake until filling is puffed and pastry is lightly brown at the edges and crisp. Times will vary depending on the size of the pastry and may range from 10 minutes in a convection oven to 30 minutes in a conventional oven.

To freeze, arrange in shallow trays in a single layer, cover with foil, and seal in a plastic freezer bag. To reheat, bake on buttered sheets at 350°F., uncovered, until just heated through, about 5-10 minutes.

Jumbo Pareve Oatmeal, Peanut Butter and Raisin Cookies

2009-05-12T12:41:00.006-04:00

In my son-in-law Alex’s family, they call these the “Brownie Cookies,” not because there is chocolate in them, there isn’t, but because many years ago Alex’s dog, Brownie, seemingly defied gravity to snatch one out of my hand when I was first introduced to him in the car and reached with my other hand to pat his head. Not only the dog, but the whole family is crazy about them and they are one of the few cookies I make that are just as good made pareve, or dairy-free as they are made with butter.

I recently took two freshly-baked ones to my friend Roxy when we met for lunch, one for her and one for her husband. She confessed to me later that after she ate the first one, she decided to eat the other one as well. George never knew what he was missing. I am sure I will make it up to him by sending a bunch the next time I see them; or, perhaps Roxy will begin baking them herself now that I am putting up the recipe here.

Jumbo Oatmeal, Peanut Butter and Raisin Cookies

non-stick cooking spray
1 cup sugar
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) unsalted pareve margarine, room temperature
1/2 cup chunky, all natural peanut butter
2 extra-large eggs
1/4 cup orange juice
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups all-purpose unbleached flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
3/4 cups old-fashioned oats
3/4 cups quick-cooking oats
1 cup golden or assorted raisins

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease baking sheets with non-stick cooking spray.

Cream both sugars with margarine and peanut butter in large bowl of electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy.

Add eggs, one at a time, beating very well after each addition.

Beat in orange juice and vanilla.

Mix in flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.

Stir in oats and raisins on low speed until just combined.

Drop dough onto prepared sheets using a standard-sized ice cream scoop, spacing at least two inches apart.

Bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes in a convection oven, or 18 to 20 minutes in a standard oven. Transfer to cooling rack and store, when cooled, in an airtight container.

Makes about 40 cookies. I have tried making these cookies in standard cookie size, but they lose the crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside, consistency that makes them especially wonderful. Try not to overbake them in order to achieve the right consistency or you will have a delicious, but totally crispy cookie.

Brown Basmati Rice with Dried Apricots and Pistachios

2009-05-07T13:07:00.005-04:00

This is a really easy dish to serve at home or for a crowd. I adapted an earlier recipe that I used for a previous dinner to fit the Sephardic-themed meal we prepared last Thursday evening for 100 people along with Pomegranate Chicken. As it turned out, my daughter gave birth to her daughter last Monday, April 27, and I was in Baltimore visiting my family the night the dinner was actually served by my friends, Jerry, Betty and Natalie. I understand from those who attended that the food was delicious and the program very enjoyable.

I always bake my rice in the oven in a covered glass dish, having given up entirely on getting it right in a pot. Someday, I will probably invest in a real rice steamer, but it takes up a lot of room in the kitchen, and the baked rice always cooks perfectly, without ever becoming gummy. By baking in a commercial oven in covered foil pans, I was able to make delicious rice for 100 in the time it takes to make rice for 10-12.

Brown basmati rice, like all basmati rice has an especially nutty flavor and smells like popcorn while it is baking.

Brown Basmati Rice with Dried Apricots and Pistachios

2 cups brown Basmati rice
2 Tbsp. Osem Pareve Chicken Soup Mix
2 tsps. toasted sesame oil
1/4 cup (approximately 10) dried apricots, diced
1/3 cup shelled pistachio nuts

Place rice in a foil lasagna-size pan. Stir in chicken soup mix. Pour 5 cups of boiling water over rice. Add sesame oil and apricots.

Cover tightly with foil and bake at 350°F. for 45 minutes. Can be frozen and rewarmed, covered. Just before serving, fluff rice with a fork tossing in shelled pistachios. Serves 10-12.

Baked Boneless Chicken Breast with Pomegranate Sauce

2009-04-25T23:47:00.005-04:00

After I made the second new members Shabbat dinner for Melrose B’nai Israel Emanu-El back in December for 100 people, I was volunteered by my cheerful and efficient team of kitchen helpers to assist with a scholar-in-residence program taking place next weekend. It is billed as “Tunes and Tales from the Cradle of Civilization,” a Shabbaton exploring Jewish Sephardic heritage, culture and music through worship, personal stories and film. Our two guest scholars are Cantor Robert Micha’el Esformes and Tamara Rubin.

I knew this would not be a great time for me. My mother, who is at home on a hospice program, seems to be deteriorating more rapidly now, after eight months on the program, and my daughter is seven centimeters dilated and about to give birth at any moment. Keeping busy at home, especially cooking and cleaning, helps me keep my sanity. Since this is a Sephardic-themed weekend, I decided to modify some of my recipes for a crowd after doing some research on the Net. The original recipes called for a ground walnut coating on the chicken, and, if I wasn’t making this for 100 on a budget, I would probably skip the Shake and Bake and use that. This past Friday, I tried these modified recipes out on family and friends who joined us for dinner. This recipe was declared a winner, and hopefully, I will be present next Friday to prepare yet another dinner for 100 with my intrepid friends, Jerry, Betty, and Natalie, who seem to enjoy this sort of exercise as much as I.

Baked Boneless Chicken Breast with Pomegranate Sauce

2 cups pomegranate juice
1/4 cup dry white wine or dry vermouth
2 Tbsp. honey
1 lemon, juiced
2 Tbsp. onion, finely minced
2 tsp. elephant garlic, finely minced
1 Tbsp. fresh mint leaves, finely minced
Kraft Shake and Bake Original Chicken
1 tsp. ground coriander
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. ground allspice
8 boneless chicken breast cutlets

Combine pomegranate juice, white wine, honey, lemon juice, onion, garlic and mint in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil and reduce to glaze consistency.

Meanwhile, in plastic bag from Shake and Bake, place the coating mix and add coriander, cumin, and allspice. Drop in chicken breast cutlets one-by-one and shake to coat. Place in single layer on baking sheet and bake at 350°F. for approximately 20 minutes. Remove from oven. (May be wrapped and frozen at this point, if desired.)

Top the cutlets with pomegranate glaze and return to oven for 10 to 20 minutes more. Serves 8.

Baked Cup Custard

2009-04-23T11:37:00.001-04:00

This humble dessert is quick, easy, light, and satisfying. I think of it as the simpler cousin of crème brûlée or flan, and sometimes I prefer it, because after a really rich meal, who needs all that extra heavy cream and sugar? Really rich crème brûlée or flan sometimes leaves a coating on the palate which I find unpleasant after a heavy meal. I have been making this comforting dessert, without much variation, since I first enjoyed it in my home economics course at Cooke Junior High School more than 45 years ago. The recipe comes from my dog-eared, plastic spiral-bound, cookbook called “Food and Nutrition For the Family,” which was printed for the School District of Philadelphia, Division of Home Economics, in 1949. The book is one of my well-worn treasures.

Since I mostly use 1% organic milk and that is what I have around, I have added a half cup of half and half to give the custard a little more body. If you have fresh whole milk, just use 2 cups of that.

Baked Cup Custard

1-1/2 cups 1% fresh milk
1/2 cup half and half
2 large or extra-large eggs
4 Tbsp. sugar
1/8 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
fresh ground nutmeg to taste

Combine milk and half and half in a two-cup pyrex measuring cup and scald for 2 minutes on high in the microwave oven.

In a medium bowl with pouring spout, whisk the eggs lightly with the sugar and salt. Pour in the scalded milk a little at a time, whisking with each addition until sugar is dissolved.

Whisk in vanilla extract.

Pour into six custard cups.

Sprinkle freshly grated nutmeg over the surface.

Stand cups in a pan of hot water that comes about halfway up the sides of the cups.

Bake in a moderate oven (350°F.) for 30 to 40 minutes, or until firm in the center.

This is especially good served warm, but is also good eaten straight from the refrigerator. Serves 6.

Baked Garbanzo-Crusted Wild Halibut

2009-04-22T10:16:00.008-04:00

As we hunted through Costco on Friday, searching for a quick-fix dinner to alleviate some of the pain of having spent most of the morning packing up this year’s Passover paraphernalia, our eyes met with a voluptuous, snowy-white fillet of wild halibut in the fish case. With all the leftovers in the refrigerator, we felt guilty about spending almost $20 on this 2-1/2 lb. beauty. We swallowed our guilt because, after all, “you are what you eat.” The money was well spent as this turned out to be one of the most delicious fish meals ever! The leftovers were delicious cold, a few days later, as well, when we ate them for dinner.

The garbanzo (or chickpea, or ceci) flour is a great, flavorful, and healthy alternative to using all-purpose flour for dredging and is especially useful when the fish is a really thick, firm-fleshed variety that takes some time to bake through. The stone ground flour comes in a 22-ounce bag and is made by Bob’s Red Mill. I usually purchase it at Whole Foods. The label certifies it as gluten-free.

Baked Garbanzo-Crusted Wild Halibut

2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 tsp. toasted sesame oil
1 large Bermuda or Spanish onion, peeled and diced
1 bulb roasted garlic, cloves removed and smashed
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
freshly ground pepper to taste
1/2 cup garbanzo bean flour
2 tsps. sweet paprika
1 tsp. kosher salt
freshly ground pepper to taste

In a skillet over medium heat, melt the butter and add oil. Sauté onion and garlic, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a rectangular glass baking dish and spread evenly over the bottom.

In a plastic bag, place flour, paprika, salt and pepper. Close top and shake bag to distribute.

Rinse fish and pat dry. Drop fillets into bag, one-by-one, close top, and shake until each fillet is evenly coated. Arrange on top of onion and garlic mixture.

Bake, uncovered, in 325°F. oven for 30-40 minutes until fish flakes easily when tested with a knife. Serves 6-8.

Passover Kielbasa in Lecsó

2009-04-15T14:19:00.006-04:00

Toward the end of Pesach, we all get tired of eating leftover turkey, brisket, meatballs, etc. Saul was off from school on the intermediate days of the holiday and we used the opportunity to visit the Cezanne and Beyond special exhibit at the Philadelphia Art Museum with our friend, Faith. When we returned, I could not face another meal of the same things we had been eating every day for almost a week, so I cooked up a dinner of lecsó, a dish that I first encountered in my early days of dating Saul. His mother’s family was from Rachova, an area that had been traded back and forth between Czechoslavakia and Hungary for generations. I was greatly surprised when I came to dinner at Saul’s house and found out what foreigners do with Hebrew National Hot Dogs.

I hadn’t planned this meal. It just arose from a package of kosher for Passover kielbasa I had found at the Shop-Rite in northeast Philadelphia and the leftovers I had in my Passover groceries cabinet and refrigerator. I had purchased a whole bag of fresh garlic from Produce Junction for a dollar, so when I was roasting my turkey on the Weber Grill over hardwood charcoal and dried herbs from last year’s garden, I took the opportunity to roast a whole tray of garlic cloves as well. Roasted garlic seems to last forever in the refrigerator—definitely much longer than fresh garlic. To have a supply of roasted garlic, just slice the tops off of whole bulbs, put them, uncovered, in a tray, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and roast until soft. Squeezing the cloves out of their jackets is great fun.

I also made a fresh batch of Passover rolls, shaping them into long buns, instead of baking them in muffin tins to accommodate the kielbasa. Dinner was delicious and satisfying—a Passover version of sausage with fried onions and peppers.

Passover Kielbasa in Lecsó

1 very large Bermuda or Spanish onion, peeled and diced
1 large yellow bell pepper, diced
1 whole bulb roasted garlic cloves
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 lb. package kosher for Passover kielbasa
1 28. oz. can peeled, diced tomatoes
1/2 cup kosher for Passover ketchup
1 Tbsp. sweet KP paprika
KP hot paprika to taste

In a large skillet, over medium heat, sauté onion, pepper, and garlic in olive oil until translucent, mashing garlic with your spoon or spatula as you stir.

Add kielbasa, cut into six lengths, and continue to cook, turning kielbasa occasionally until it begins to brown.

Add tomatoes, ketchup, paprika, and hot paprika and cook, uncovered, until sauce is bubbly and somewhat reduced to a thicker consistency.

Serve on Passover rolls, if desired. Serves 6.

Sliced, Pot-Roasted Brisket of Beef with Onion Gravy

2009-04-07T13:54:00.008-04:00

Not until I was a caterer did I discover that this particular dish and particular cut of meat is ubiquitous only to Jews. I was shocked to discover that in the gentile world, this dish is (or at least, was) unusual and desirable. In recent years, I have seen this cut of meat barbecued in contests all over the country on the Food Network. For us, it was and is as common as grits to a Southerner.

When we decided to close our catering business, one of our clients was devastated because she had been passing off our brisket as her own for many year’s worth of family get-togethers. Although we had decided not to sell or share our recipes at the time, we made a special exception for Binnie and spent quite a bit of time with her on the phone until she felt confident enough that her family would not notice any difference when she actually did prepare it herself.

The most important point about brisket is to slice it while cold, or it will fall apart, and to slice it against the grain, or it will be stringy. Other than these two points, this is a fairly fool-proof and simple recipe.

Sliced, Pot-Roasted Brisket of Beef with Onion Gravy

1 6-7 lb. first-cut brisket of beef (There is also a second-cut of brisket, and that recipe is for a future blog post)
1 large Bermuda or Spanish onion
1 jar KP marinara sauce (any type you like)
oil for frying

Heat a thin layer of oil in a very large skillet with a lid.

Slice onions thinly and sauté in oil over medium heat stirring occasionally until they begin to brown.
Put brisket into skillet and brown on all sides.

Pour marinara sauce around the brisket. Put a little water in the jar, cover, and shake to use up all of the sauce.

Pour over brisket.

Cover brisket and turn heat down to low setting.

Simmer, covered, for 3-4 hours until very tender. A meat tong should pierce through it with little resistance. Flip over about halfway through the cooking process.

Cool somewhat and remove brisket from gravy. Wrap in aluminum foil and refrigerate. Slice with an electric knife when cold and put slices into an oven-proof dish or pan.

Pour cooled gravy into a jar and refrigerate. When cold, remove any congealed fat at the top and discard.

Pour gravy over sliced brisket. May be frozen at this point. Heat, covered, in oven at 350°F. until heated through, and serve. Serves 12-18.

Our Family Haroset

2009-04-07T13:28:00.003-04:00

Haroset is one of the elements presented on the seder plate and represents the mortar which the ancient Hebrews were forced to use to build cities for the Egyptians during the 400 years in which they were enslaved in Egypt before the liberation described in the Biblical Exodus. Haroset is an integral part of the seder and many variations of the recipe exist that come down through the generations based on family tradition.

The other items on the seder plate are the egg, shank bone or pesach (roasted small bone from the calf of a lamb representing the sacrifice), horseradish (maror), karpas (spring vegetable), and salt water.

Our Family Haroset

10-12 apples (Granny Smith, golden delicious, and pink lady are among our favorites)
1 lb. coarsely chopped pecans
Extra-heavy Malaga wine
honey
cinnamon
sugar

Peel, core and dice the apples. (There is nothing like a food processor!)

Add chopped nuts.

Add next 4 ingredients to taste. If you have never done this before, go slowly. The important thing to remember is that the finished product should be somewhat sticky as it represents mortar for Pharaoh’s bricks. It is essential to keep tasting until it is just right. Usually, your children are the best judges of perfection in this department.

Candied Sweet Potatoes with Sweet Orange Marmalade and Apricots

2009-04-07T11:55:00.006-04:00

I always start these the night before the seder and just keep them heating at a very low temperature, barely a simmer, until dinner time.

Candied Sweet Potatoes with Sweet Orange Marmalade and Apricots

3 lbs. sweet potatoes (the deep orange ones)
1 jar KP sweet orange marmalade
3/4 cups brown sugar
2 dozen dried apricots
3 Tbsp. pareve KP margarine

Peel the potatoes and cut into quarters or sixths, depending on the size of the potatoes.

Put in a heavy-bottomed pot and just cover with water.

Add orange marmalade, sugar, and apricots.

Put margarine on top.

Bring to a boil, uncovered, and immediately turn down the heat to the lowest setting.

Simmer all day, uncovered, allowing water to evaporate and syrup to concentrate.

Do not stir or disturb. Serve hot. Serves 12-18.

Assorted Fruit Sorbets

2009-04-07T11:21:00.005-04:00

Basic Sorbet Techniques

Syrup Ratio: Equal portions of sugar and water. Use 2/3 cup water and 2/3 cup sugar for 1 cup of syrup. Consider making a large quantity at one time; it stores almost indefinitely in the refrigerator and can be used to sweeten fresh lemonade, orangeade, or iced tea.

Basic Formula: 2 cups juice or purée to 2 cups syrup

Suggested Fruits: orange, strawberry, grapefruit, lemon, kiwi, banana, pineapple, mango, sabra (cactus fruit)

For desirable consistency, ingredients should be chilled before mixing and freezing.

Foil roasting or lasagna-size pans are perfect for freezing the mixtures.

When mixtures are frozen solid, break into chunks and whip the ice in the food processor with the steel knife. Work quickly to keep the ice from melting. We put the finished sorbets into plastic containers that are set in a bowl of ice while we are working.

Kiwi makes a delicious sorbet, but it is too seedy when it is simply puréed, so we strain the puree and put back just a small quantity of the seeds for effect. One year, we found a terrific price on a case of sabras (cactus fruit) which made a delicious day-glo magenta sorbet once the annoying seeds were removed. Juicers and strainers are available which do wonders with removing seeds and tough pulp from various fruit. Strawberry sorbet is especially creamy and intense when the tiny seeds are removed. A lot of straining can be done by hand with a simple strainer and a spoon. Pineapple works best if the tough fibers are removed when straining, but this cannot be done by hand.

We find the lemon too sour when used in the proportions above. For a less puckery sorbet, use 1-1/2 cups juice to 2-1/2 cups syrup.

A beautiful way of serving these colorful sorbets is to take an elegant glass bowl and fill it with assorted balls of sorbets (make with an ice cream scoop). This can be done early in the day and kept frozen until you are ready to serve.

Banana Sorbet

2/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup water
1 cup fresh orange juice
2 large firm ripe bananas, puréed
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

Combine sugar and water in small saucepan over medium-high heat and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Just before the syrup comes to a boil, remove from heat. Cool and chill.

Add syrup to remaining ingredients and blend well.

Freeze in a metal tray. When frozen solid, break into chunks and whip in a food processor. Freeze until ready for serving.

Passover Apple Pie

2009-04-07T10:58:00.005-04:00

I developed this recipe by combining several elements of other recipes I use. At one point when I was teaching a Passover workshop, I had 25 men, women, and children around a large stainless steel table in the synagogue’s commercial kitchen peeling apples and making these pies in foil pie plates to take home with them. The afternoon was a happy pandemonium of flying apple peelings, crumbs and sugar everywhere, but everyone went home with a respectable-looking pie.

My daughter, who doesn’t love chocolate, is planning to make a few of these for her seder this year and says that it is her favorite Passover dessert.

Passover Apple Pie

Crust:

2 Tbsp. pareve, KP margarine
3/4 cup matzoh cake meal
1/2 cup sugar
1 large or extra large egg
pinch of salt

On lowest setting of electric mixer, combine margarine with cake meal, salt, and sugar just until the mixture becomes crumbly. (By hand, you can use a pastry blender or two knives, scissors-fashion to cut in the margarine.)

Add egg and mix on lowest speed just until combined.

Press dough with fingers into a 10-inch pie pan.

Filling:

8 medium Granny Smith apples
2/3 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. pareve, KP margarine
cinnamon

Peel, core and slice apples thinly.

Arrange as compactly as possible in the pie shell.

Sprinkle sugar over the top and dust lightly with cinnamon.

Dot with margarine.

Topping:

1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup pareve, KP margarine
1-1/4 cups matzoh cake meal

Combine ingredients on lowest setting of electric mixer just until crumbs form. Do not whip.

Pour over top of apples and press into place with your hands.

Bake at 350°F. for 45-50 minutes until topping and crust are nicely browned.

Passover Potato Knishes

2009-04-07T10:13:00.007-04:00

Regular potato knishes are made by enclosing a seasoned mashed potato filling in a strudel-type dough. Since white flour is not kosher for Passover, and matzoh-based products do not produce the right type of stretchy dough, these are made in a totally different way. The mashed potato mixture itself becomes the dough, and the fried onions become the filling. These are a bit tricky to make, but with a few tips and some practice, they are well worth the effort because they are delicious and can be made and frozen ahead in trays and then just warmed up as needed.

In previous years, certified kosher for Passover peanut oil has been available, and I would use it in this recipe and any other recipe that called for potatoes. In the last two to three years, the powers that be have evidently decided that peanut oil is no longer kosher for Passover and I have not been able to find it anywhere. This year, all the Passover vegetable oil brands I encountered were made of either cottonseed or grapeseed oil, so unless I want to use olive oil, which is not a neutral flavor, I am stuck using an oil I really don’t like. I wish I knew why a product that I have used for 30 years suddenly becomes not kosher for Passover.

Among the tips for making this process a little easier: Use a floury potato, such as russet, for the dough. Make sure the potatoes have thoroughly drained and dried before mixing them, still warm, with the other ingredients. Make the dough and refrigerate it the day before forming the knishes so that it has a chance to firm up. Chop the onions very fine so that they do not poke through the dough. Use very well-oiled hands. An ice cream scoop is a good tool for apportioning the dough.

Passover Potato Knishes

4-1/2 cups mashed potatoes (approximately 2 lbs. potatoes)
3 large or extra-large eggs
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbsp. kosher salt
1/2 cup matzoh meal
1 large Bermuda onion
vegetable oil (preferably peanut if it ever becomes available again)

Chop onions and fry until well browned in a small amount of oil. Cool to room temperature.

Make a dough by mixing the first five ingredients. Refrigerate dough for a least two hours, but preferably, overnight.

Generously oil your hands.

Spoon off enough dough to make a pancake two inches in diameter in your hand.

Put one tsp. of browned onions in the center.

Pull edges of the circle together to form a ball. Pat into a patty shape.

Flip over and put on an oiled baking sheet.

Bake at 375°F. for 30 minutes, or until nicely browned.

Makes 20. These can be frozen. To rewarm, bake in a single layer, uncovered at 350°F. until just heated through.

Chocolate Hazelnut/Almond Bars

2009-04-02T11:42:00.006-04:00

This recipe comes from a very old, hard-cover Passover recipe book that was published by the sisterhood of a synagogue that was in East Orange, New Jersey. It was listed as “The Most Expensive Chocolate Brownies.” The cost of a full pound of nuts was probably the reason for the appellation, but the recipe makes a relatively large quantity of flourless, really delicious bar cookies that freeze beautifully.

We began making these for seders, when we were catering, and they were so popular that people requested them all year around and they became a regular offering on our menu as part of trays of miniature desserts. Being pareve, or dairy-free, they can be stored easily in the freezer to appear for dessert on very short notice at the end of a meat-based meal. Almonds are usually easier to obtain than hazelnuts, but some people have a preference for one kind of nut over the other. They can be made with any type of nut, but be careful, if you are grinding the nuts in the food processor, not to let them go so long as to turn into nut butter. The oilier the nut, the more carefully you need to watch the process. Freezing the nuts before grinding helps to prevent this from happening. For the catering business, we had to rename this recipe for obvious reasons.

Eggs are easier to separate, and the yolks less likely to break, if the eggs are cold. After separating the cold eggs, let them stand for a while to come to room temperature because room temperature eggs will whip to a fluffier volume. Make sure not a trace of yolk gets into the egg whites, or they will not whip up properly.

Chocolate Hazelnut/Almond Bars

13 large or extra-large eggs, separated
1-1/2 cups sugar
1 lb. hazelnuts or almonds, finely ground
2 sticks pareve, KP margarine
1 cup sugar
8 ozs. melted semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate
1 tsp. instant powdered coffee

Beat egg whites until stiff.

Add 1-1/2 cups of the sugar gradually.

Fold in nuts.

Bake in 11 x 15 roasting pan which has been greased and lined with waxed paper for a half hour at 350°F.

While this is baking, in mixer beat yolks, margarine, 1 cup sugar, melted chocolate and coffee.

Remove cake from oven and pour topping mixture over hot cake.

Bake for 15 minutes longer.

For best results, cut into bars while frozen.

Passover Rolls

2009-04-01T11:16:00.005-04:00

This recipe makes a popover-type of roll which is light and somewhat hollow in the center. If you wish to have a more substantial roll with more dough in the center, increase the matzoh meal up to two cups instead of one.

My granddaughter, Sami, remembers her great-grandmother, Sima, baking these fresh rolls for the family every morning during Passover. G.G. Sima, who used to stay with us every year during Pesach, is now in an Alzheimer’s unit at a wonderful facility called Lion’s Gate. I am looking forward to teaching Sami how to make these rolls herself this coming Sunday when she visits because this is the Passover food, she has told us, to which she is most looking forward this year. I don’t think any of us will be able to reproduce G.G. Sima’s rolls as well as she did, because she really perfected them, but we will remember her when we bake and eat them.

Passover Rolls

1 cup cold water
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup matzoh meal
4 large or extra-large eggs
2 Tbsp. sugar

Bring water, salt and oil to a boil.

Quickly add matzoh meal, all at once, stir vigorously, and remove from heat.

Cool slightly for 5 to 10 minutes.

Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Add sugar last.

Bake in well-greased muffin pan at 400°F. for 15 minutes, then at 375°F. for 45 minutes. Loosen from pan while still very warm and tilt them within the pan’s cups so that all sides are exposed to the air while they cool. Makes 12.

Passover Roasted or Smoked Turkey with Giblet Gravy

2009-03-30T20:41:00.007-04:00

Although it is a beautiful thing to present a whole turkey on a platter at the table and carve it there, the logistics of the seder have made this very impractical. There is the matter of space, time, and the mess to clean up afterward. For these reasons and several others as well, we prefer to make the turkey a day ahead. A cold turkey is much easier to slice and slices beautifully. The juices can be poured off and refrigerated so that the fat congeals at the top and is easily separated from the juices which form a lovely gelatin when cold. These ingredients give the finest of giblet gravies. The day of the seder, the hostess need only warm up serving trays of the sliced turkey already in the delicious gravy. The cleanup is a breeze. An unstuffed turkey roasts faster and more evenly than a stuffed one, and there is no need to worry about salmonella from leaving the stuffing inside too long.

Roasted or Smoked Turkey

18-22 lb. kosher turkey with giblets
fresh sage or pineapple sage leaves
kosher salt
freshly ground pepper
KP paprika
1 medium onion
1 carrot
2 stalks of celery

2 peeled carrots
1 medium onion
1 parsnip
2 stalks of celery
small sprig of dill
small sprig of parsley
2 Telma chicken bouillon cubes

Remove neck, gizzard and heart from cavity of turkey. If there is a large piece of fat attached at the cavity, remove it and reserve. Freeze liver for another use.

Rinse turkey inside and out with warm water and drain well.

Loosen skin from breast meat carefully with your fingers. Slide sage leaves and reserved fat between skin and breast meat.

Rub skin with kosher salt and sprinkle with pepper and paprika.

Put onion, carrot and celery into cavity.

For Roasted Turkey:
Put in roaster pan and cover. Roast 3 to 3-1/2 hours at 350°F. Uncover for last half hour. The turkey should be just slightly undercooked, as it will be reheated in the gravy. If you are inexperienced about whether the turkey is cooked sufficiently, check internal temperature with a meat thermometer.

For Smoked Turkey:
Heat coals until red hot. Put turkey as prepared in beginning steps into a foil open roasting pan and center on grill over coals. Cover grill and smoke 3 to 3-1/2 hours until coals fade away. The turkey should be just slightly undercooked, as it will be reheated in the gravy. If you are inexperienced about whether the turkey is cooked sufficiently, check internal temperature with a meat thermometer.

For Giblet Stock:
Place the neck, gizzard and heart in a 3-quart pot and add carrots, onion, parsnip, celery, dill and parsley. Fill pot about three-quarters full of water and add chicken bouillon cubes. Bring to a boil, skim if necessary, and simmer while the turkey is roasting. Cool and refrigerate.

When turkey is finished roasting, allow to cool, lift out of pan, letting juices drain back into the pan, and wrap the whole turkey in heavy duty aluminum foil. Put into a large plastic bag and place in refrigerator.

Pour all cooled juices into a jar and refrigerate. Be sure to scrape down into the juices any brown pieces that are clinging to the pan as this is the most flavorful part of the gravy.

Giblet Gravy

1/2 cup fat that has risen to the top of the turkey juices jar
All of the gelatinized turkey juices
1/2 cup potato starch
1/2 cup cold water
giblet stock

Dissolve potato starch completely in cold water.

Warm fat in a large skillet until it just begins to melt.

Add potato starch mixture to fat in skillet and stir to combine.

Add the gelatinized turkey juices.

Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until boiling.

Thin with as much giblet stock as necessary to reach the proper consistency. Any remaining can be added to soups to stretch them. If you like, dice up the giblets and add to the gravy.

Slice turkey when cold. Cover with giblet gravy. Can be frozen at this point. Heat in oven at 350°F., covered, until heated through and serve.

Matzoh Apple Kugel

2009-03-26T21:59:00.005-04:00

This kugel has come to take the place of the matzoh apple stuffing we used to make to accompany the turkey because it always disappeared before the stuffing did. Because of the larger proportion of eggs to matzoh, the results are lighter and more soufflé-like.

Matzoh Apple Kugel

4 square matzohs, broken into small pieces
7 large eggs, separated
4 large apples, grated
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup raisins
2 carrots
1 small onion
2 stalks of celery
1/3 cup melted margarine
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 Tbsp. Osem pareve chicken soup mix
1-1/2 cup boiling water
salt and pepper to taste

Chop carrots, onion, and celery and sauté until translucent in margarine.

Dissolve chicken soup mix in water and soak matzoh in this.

Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form.

In another bowl, using same beater, beat the egg yolks until thick and fluffy.

Add yolks to matzoh and fold until well mixed.

Stir in apples, sugar, raisins, lemon juice, salt, and sautéed vegetables.

Fold in egg whites.

Bake in a shallow, lasagna-sized, baking pan at 375°F. until brown, about 1 hour.

Slice in squares and serve warm. (Can be made in advance and frozen.) Serves 12-16.

Chopped Chicken Liver

2009-03-25T09:45:00.007-04:00

I wanted to get this recipe out there right on the heels of the chicken soup recipe for the following reason. If it is possible to make the chicken soup ahead and refrigerate it, the chicken fat that rises and congeals at the top of the soup is the very best secret ingredient for delicious chopped chicken liver. Since we don’t eat it more than a couple of times a year, we don’t worry about the cholesterol! In order to kasher livers, a slightly different and more involved process than the usual soaking and salting is necessary. Pierce the livers with a sharp knife or skewer, and put the livers on a disposable aluminum foil broiling pan and sprinkle lightly with coarse kosher salt. The broiling pan is necessary because it allows the blood to drain away from the livers. A regular pan will not do because it allows the livers to sit in the blood. If you do not use a disposable pan, the pan can only be used for the purpose of broiling livers, because the blood makes it nonkosher. (Blood is considered the essence of life in Jewish dietary law. Its consumption is forbidden, and special care is taken in every aspect of dealing with meat to avoid consuming it. No blood sausage for us!)

Broil on the highest shelf of your oven closest to the heating element until brown and crusty. Turn over to uncooked side and sprinkle lightly again with salt and broil this side until brown and crusty.

Chopped Chicken Liver

4 lbs. kosher chicken livers
2 large Bermuda or other sweet onions, finely chopped*
1/2 cup chicken fat or vegetable oil, or a combination of both
6 large or extra-large hard-boiled eggs, peeled and finely chopped*
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste

*Note: You can chop the eggs and the half of the remaining onion
together in the food processor.

Heat chicken fat or oil in large skillet and add 1-1/2 onions. (Leave about half of a chopped onion raw.)

Add chicken livers which have been broiled according to the instructions above, and fry until well cooked all the way through.

Put the mixture through the fine disk of a meat grinder.

Add chopped raw onion and hard-boiled eggs and mix with a spoon until well combined.

Taste for seasoning and add additional salt and pepper if necessary.

Serve chilled.

Chicken Soup with Matzoh Balls and Homemade Passover Egg Noodles

2009-03-24T17:31:00.009-04:00

Many people enjoy the vegetables that have been cooked in the soup and don’t mind them floating around in their bowls. However, from experience, I have found that almost all children and some fussy adults prefer their chicken soup clear and golden with perhaps a few carrots floating in the consommé. This seems to be regardless of how good the soup tastes from all the vegetables. In the interest of preserving family harmony and getting something nourishing into my children, I take the added steps of wrapping the carrots in cheesecloth and straining the soup when cooked to avoid the dreaded green things! All this precaution is really not necessary. If, however, you want to impress your friends with how clear the soup can be, stir in two raw egg whites after straining and bring to a boil. Then pour through cheesecloth. The resulting soup will look like those that glow in glossy magazine photographs and will taste a whole lot better than the picture.

My recipe for matzoh balls has changed since I wrote my book, Bubbie’s Kitchen, and my Passover workshop. The old recipe produced light and respectable matzoh balls, but my son-in-law Alex came up with a recipe for even better ones. I humbly bow to the master, now. My husband, Saul, loves to tell the story about how his father, on tasting my fluffy matzoh balls when I was a teenager, consoled me by telling me that they would get better, and firmer, as I practiced. His mother, who always worked full-time and prepared all her wonderful meals in short order with no recipes (and who made the type of matzoh balls that Myron Cohen used to joke needed to be “cut with a knife and fork”), had a good laugh about the fact that her husband loved her cooking so much that he thought the matzoh balls were supposed to be doughy and heavy. The recipe below produces light and fluffy matzoh balls, so if you want to cut them with a knife and fork, add more matzoh meal.

The recipe for Passover egg noodles came about because my mother-in-law and father-in-law came from very religious households that observed a higher standard of Passover kashrut (dietary laws). Matzoh balls are gebrucht, meaning that it is necessary for liquid to come into contact with matzoh in order to prepare them. This is not acceptable during Passover in very observant households. Non-gebrucht recipes do not involve matzoh coming in contact with liquid. My Aunt Sarah, of blessed memory, once explained to me that, when her grandfather was alive, all the children were sent outside during Passover to drink their milk so as not to accidentally drip it onto matzoh crumbs that might be lurking on the tablecloth. After many attempts, I arrived at the correct proportions for the recipe for these heirloom noodles, a recipe which my mother-in-law used from that day forward rather than play around with the proportions each time she made them. No one was ever able to slice the rolled crepes into noodles as patiently and evenly fine as she. Forget the mealy, tasteless KP boxed pasta that is now available. These are infinitely better!

Chicken Soup with Matzoh Balls (Knaidlach)

(Serves 12. Double the recipe for 24.)

1 whole chicken, cut up, with heart and gizzard, if they are included (If liver is included, do not use it in the soup. Freeze it until you have enough to make chopped liver.)
1 large or 2 small leeks
1 bunch fresh parsley (flat leaf has more flavor than curly), or 1 parsley root
2 medium parsnips
2 medium turnips
2 kohlrabi bulbs
All the tops with leaves cut from a whole bunch of celery (save the stalks for salad or karpas for the seder) or 1 large celery root (also called knob celery or celeriac)
1 bunch fresh dill
2 Telma chicken bouillon cubes
1 Tbsp. kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 lb. carrots

Rinse chicken and put in the bottom of an 8-quart pot. Cover with warm water and bring to a boil on high heat.

Skim off foam that rises to the top and discard. Turn heat to simmer.

Remove any discolored leaves from the leek and cut off tips of leaves and roots of bulb. Slice leek lengthwise halfway up from the bottom and rinse out any dirt or sand between the leaves. Add to pot.

Rinse parsley and dill well and add to pot. If you were able to get a parsley root, peel it with a vegetable peeler before you rinse the leaves and add to pot.

Peel parsnips, turnips, and kohlrabi with a vegetable peeler, cut in half, and add to pot.

Rinse celery and add to pot. If you were able to get a celery root, peel it with a vegetable peeler, and cut in half before adding to the pot.

Add bouillon, salt, and pepper to the pot.

Peel carrots removing tips. Cut in three or four lengths and cut each length in half. Put cut up carrots into a length of cheesecloth and tie up with string. Add to pot.

Add water to within an inch of the top of the pot and simmer for two hours.

Remove bag of carrots and pour soup through a strainer. Discard vegetables, separate chicken meat from bones and add to the strained soup, or save for another purpose.

Cut open bag of carrots and add to the strained soup.

At this point, the soup can be ladled into plastic containers to be frozen until needed, or add matzoh balls and boil for 20 minutes and serve. If serving with Pesach egg noodles, place a small handful of noodles in each person’s soup bowl before ladling in the hot soup.

Matzoh Balls (Knaidlach)

12 large or extra-large eggs
1-1/2 cups plain KP seltzer
3 cups matzoh meal
1/2 cup (1 stick) melted unsalted KP margarine
1 Tbsp. salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Mix together all of the above ingredients and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring 8 quarts of water to a rolling boil in a pot for which you have a steamer insert that can be lifted out.

Form the refrigerated dough into walnut-sized balls with wet hands. Be careful not to drip water into the dough. Drop, one by one into the boiling water. When the pot is full and about half the dough has been used, cover and let boil for 15-20 minutes. The balls will rise to the surface as soon as they begin to cook.

Remove balls by lifting them out in the steamer insert and dump them out onto a shallow baking pan.

Return steamer insert to pot and repeat the process with the other half of the dough.

When the balls have cooled slightly on the pans, place them, uncovered, in the freezer and freeze solid.

Remove balls from the pan and dump into plastic bags.

Refreeze immediately and add to boiling soup as needed. Makes 100-120.

Homemade Pesach Noodles

I began making these for the people who hated matzoh balls and really didn’t like the flavor of matzoh in everything eaten during the week of Pesach. Unfortunately, everybody eventually wound up liking both in the soup. Also, Orthodox Jews distinguish between recipes that are gebrucht and non-gebrucht. This goes to the very heart of why matzoh is so closely guarded after the water has been added to the flour—to make sure there is no rising or fermentation. The very Orthodox believe that matzoh should not come into contact with moisture at all during the holiday. Therefore, many kosher cookbooks for the holiday indicate in some way whether a recipe involves moistening matzoh (gebrucht) or does not involve moistening the matzoh (non-gebrucht). This recipe involves no matzoh and is non-gebrucht.

6 large or extra-large eggs
3 Tbsp. potato starch
1 cup cold water
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 Tbsp. KP vegetable oil

In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, potato starch, water, salt and oil thoroughly.

Heat two or more oiled 6-inch non-stick skillets until a drop of water dances on them.

Put about 2 Tbsp. of the batter into the pan tilting and rotating to distribute a thin even layer on the bottom. Be sure to stir the batter before making each crepe or the starch will sink to the bottom. It is not necessary to grease the pans after making the first one.

Fry until the edges look dry and have begun to curl away from the pan.

Invert the skillet above a plate. The pancake will fall out onto the plate. Sometimes you have to help it a little by starting the edge away from the skillet with a knife and peeling a little.

Continue making these thin pancakes, or blintzes, or bletlach, or crepes, until you finish the batter, stacking them one on top of the other as you go.

Roll six or eight of them together into tight rolls, and slice with a very sharp knife as thinly as possible.

Gently toss the shreds with your fingers to separate.

Place a small handful of noodles in the bottom of each bowl just before serving soup.

Gefilte Fish Patties with Hrain (Horseradish and Beet Relish)

2009-03-21T22:08:00.011-04:00

The traditional gefilte fish was named as such because the fish mixture was stuffed (gefilte means “filled” in Yiddish) into the skin of the fish and poached. It was then chilled and sliced for serving. Most people find the skin unappetizing, and the recipe evolved into patties of fish that are poached and served cold, individually. Recipes for this abound and many people prefer to combine various types of other fish with the carp for lightness and flavor. I see this as adding fish that has been dead for an indeterminate amount of time to fish that has been swimming around only hours before preparation. For a great Passover story about this for your children, read The Carp in the Bathtub.

I obtain the fish from the store as fillets, not as ground fish. By doing this, I know exactly what I am getting. When I was in the catering business, I had as much as 120 lbs. of fish in the kitchen without the slightest fishy smell from the fresh fillets. The fishy smell comes only when the fish is getting old. In fact, the smell of the raw fillets is slightly sweet.

Once the fillets are ground, they become watery on sitting in the refrigerator, and this is another good reason for grinding your own. The weight of the fish you buy is the live weight of the fish. You will wind up with considerably less poundage of fish fillets (less than half) once the fish has been gutted, scaled, and boned at the fish store. You must have all elements of the fish (skin, bones, heads, etc.) except the scales and innards to prepare the recipe properly. If you are squeamish about handling these items, don’t even begin. Buy the stuff in the jars. The last time I made this, I ordered the fish from my Asian market. I was so concerned about language confusion in how I wanted the fish handled that, in their effort to please me, they threw in a part of the fish I had never seen before. Among the skin, frames and heads in the box were white inflated balloons. Saul, who had seen them before, laughingly explained to me that they were fish bladders. They are what keep the fish afloat.

The most important thing to know about the technique of making delicious fish is that the finer the fish mixture is ground, the lighter and fluffier the fish patty and the less bones. Because Bubbie did this grinding by hand with a chopper, her patties were heavy and solid. The French refined this technique, and when they do it, the patties are light as a feather and are called quenelles. Anyway, if you like them the way Bubbie made them, by all means, do it by hand or have the fishmonger grind it for you. I like them as light and as boneless as my modern conveniences can make them.

It is essential that you use a very heavy-bottomed pot, or you very likely will have particles burnt to the bottom, and this will affect the flavoring of all of the fish.

Gefilte Fish Patties

Preparing Court Bouillon

2 large Spanish or Bermuda onions, sliced crosswise into rings
1 lb. carrots, coarsely sliced
1 stalk celery, separated, (use the leafy parts as well)
3/4 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. kosher salt
25 whole black peppercorns
3 quarts cold water (plus more to cover)
heads, bones, and skins from 25 lbs. live carp, filleted

Cover the bottom of a very large (10-12 qt.) heavy-bottomed pot with sliced onions, carrots and celery stalks.

Add sugar, salt and peppercorns.

Add cold water, cover, and bring to a boil.

Meanwhile, rinse and clean fish frames, heads, and skin. Add to pot, add water to cover, if necessary, and reduce to simmer. Simmer for 2-3 hours, covered, while preparing fish.

Put milt (from male fish) and roe (from female fish) in refrigerator until later.

Preparing Fish

25 lbs. live carp fillets
1 small carrot
1 large Spanish or Bermuda onion
6 large eggs, whisked until thick and lemon-colored
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tbsp. kosher salt
2 Tbsp. ground white pepper (The strength of the pepper is diminished in cooking.)
1 cup matzoh meal
1 large, finely diced, Bermuda onion fried until caramelized in 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil

Cut fish fillets into small strips, removing any large bones and put through the coarse disk of a meat grinder. (I have a grinder attachment for the Kitchen Aid mixer.)

After all the fish has been ground, put the ground mixture through the grinder again, using the finer disk.

To clean out the grinder, put a small piece of raw carrot and one large onion through it and add to the fish mixture.

Put batches of the ground fish mixture into the food processor with the steel knife and let it run until the color gets lighter pink and it is a paste.

Put the paste into a very large bowl and fold in beaten eggs, sugar, salt, pepper, matzoh meal, and fried onion.

Refrigerate, covered, until the court bouillon is ready. Do not taste the raw mixture as raw carp can give you tapeworm.

Cooking Fish

Additional sugar, salt and pepper
2-3 large carrots
2 egg whites
4 tsp. unflavored KP gelatin

Remove fish frames, heads and vegetables from the pot and discard.

Strain remaining liquid through a fine cheesecloth-lined sieve into another large pot.

Wash out original pot and rinse well.

Pour the court bouillon back into the pot and taste for seasoning. This is the most crucial part of the recipe for, no matter what is in the fish itself, the flavor of the stock will be the dominant flavor of the fish. Add quantities of sugar, salt, and/or pepper until it tastes the way you would like it, and bring to a boil.

Put a small quantity of broth in a small pot and slice circles of peeled carrot into it. Cook until tender. (You can also take off some stock for cooking the milt and roe at this point.) Greeks make a dish called taramasalata with the raw, cured, carp roe, but I really recommend you don’t try this at home. Commercially-prepared taramasalata pasteurizes the roe to avoid food-borne illness.

Keeping hands very wet, form oval patties in the palm of your hand and place on a large metal pancake turner (spatula). Lower into the boiling stock and slide gently off spatula.

At first, the patties will sink to the bottom, but as they cook, they will float to the top.

Simmer, covered, for 2-1/2 hours.

Remove patties carefully and place in shallow glass pans.

Top with carrot slices from small pot.

Vigorously stir 2 lightly beaten egg whites into broth and bring to a boil.

Strain broth through a fine cheesecloth-lined strainer.

Dissolve unflavored gelatin in broth.

Carefully pour broth into pans almost to top of patties and chill.

Serve cold with hrain (horseradish and beet relish).

Makes about 30-40 patties.

Hrain (Horseradish and Beet Relish)

If you have only eaten the type you buy in the small jars in the refrigerator deli section of the supermarket, you are in for a big surprise at what this is really supposed to taste like when it is homemade. This is not a standard recipe, but a description of the technique for making this because everybody’s taste is a little different.

Hrain

fresh beets (about 2 lbs.)
1 large horseradish root, peeled and freshly ground, with a splash of vinegar added to preserve the strength (We like to take off a large decorative slice for the seder plate.) Also, weather permitting, you might want to do this outside. The tears from slicing raw onions are nothing compared to this process.)
sugar
sour salt (KP)
white vinegar (KP)
kosher salt

First, buy fresh beets—the larger, the better, preferably with the tops on. The little ones are okay, too, but more work to peel. Rinse them under cold water and cut off the green tops. Do not cut the red portion of the beet. The Italians cook the tops also, but I have too many other things to do at this time of the year, so I just discard them. Do not peel the beets yet! Put them whole in a pot with water to cover and boil them until a fork goes through to the center easily. Drain them and run cold water over them. Drain and refrigerate for an hour.

Put on rubber gloves to avoid staining your hands and peel with a vegetable peeler. Chop into small dice by hand or in the food processor with the steel knife.

Add the next five ingredients to taste. (Don’t be afraid of using too much horseradish. It’s supposed to be strong. If you want it weaker, leave it open in the air for a while.) If you haven’t done this before, go slowly. We like this relish a little on the sweet side. The important thing to remember is that salt and vinegar cancel each other out. If it tastes too vinegary, add more salt. If it tastes too salty, add more vinegar or sour salt. Sour salt is a little bit like adding concentrated vinegar, but it adds a flavor that can only be described as haimish (translation: familiar, like something your mother made). If you feel it is getting too sour, add more sugar.

Keep adding a little at a time until you think it is perfectly balanced. Eat matzoh between tastings to put out the fire. Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container. It lasts almost indefinitely. Serve cold with gefilte fish.

Passover Pareve (Dairy Free) Mocha Mousse Crepes with Raspberry Sauce

2009-03-16T21:03:00.007-04:00

Passover, or Pesach is the most-observed festival of the Jewish calendar. Even families who are not synagogue affiliated, or observant in any other way, will usually get together for at least a celebratory meal, if not a full-on seder with all the traditional foods and recitation of the story of the Exodus from the Haggadah. I came from one of those non-observant families, but over many years, and through a small catering operation, I learned to prepare beautiful, traditional seder meals and create what I like to think of as an elegant, yet warm and kid-friendly ambience.

Preparing for Passover is the ultimate in spring cleaning nightmares. Everything in the kitchen is meticulously scrubbed. All cooking vessels, baking pans, utensils, and dishes (and there are two sets of everything in a kosher kitchen to separate meat-based and dairy-based foods) are locked away for a week and replaced with two sets of all those things that are used only for this one week. The effect this preparation has on the psyche (not to mention the digestion and pocketbook) is somewhat jarring, but to me, it is also an exercise in raising consciousness. There is no reaching for that familiar coffee cup, spoon, or cereal bowl in the usual place. For one week, everything is clean, new, and different, including the food. If succeeding in life means learning to adapt to change, Passover is the ultimate physical and mental exercise in preparing for change.

Many years ago, 19 to be exact, I was asked to participate in a Passover workshop at my synagogue to teach others to prepare the special dishes I had developed over the years. At the time, it occurred to me that my recipes were scattered everywhere, stuck away in books, card files, and folders. Many of the recipes were not even written, but learned through trial and error by cooking with my mother-in-law, Sima. I decided, in preparation for the workshop, to codify and measure everything so as to leave a legacy for my children, so that even if they chose not to prepare these recipes, they would be a practical remembrance of seders past. As it turned out, not a year goes by that I do not receive at least one frantic phone call from someone that has misplaced their copy and needs another.

This year, I plan to start early and get the whole thing up on the blog, so that all I have to do is tell everyone to check out the link. I have done quite a few Passover workshops over the years since then, so most of the kinks have been worked out. One year, the rebbetzen called, distraught, to say that her Passover rolls were too hollow. We like them like popovers, but the recipe was given a variation so that she could choose to have them come out doughier in the center. The original chocolate mousse was made with raw eggs and immediately was modified once this area had a salmonella scare. We used to play around with measurements to get the right consistency for the homemade noodles. Once I codified them, even my mother-in-law would reach for the booklet (it was her recipe) to get the right proportions. Our original gefilte fish recipe was written in my father’s hand. We sat him at the table and instructed him to write down everything we did. He has been gone for 17 years, now, and I treasure that handwritten copy.

I begin with dessert because I have mentioned the crepes many times and I took photos several weeks ago. I make them all the time with flour. For Passover, it is only necessary to substitute matzoh cake meal for the flour. These freeze beautifully and can be prepared in quantity in advance, taken out of the freezer, and stacked attractively on a plate to defrost a short time before guests arrive.

I plan to put up all the recipes from the booklet, whether or not I have photos, and will add the photos later as I prepare them for this year’s seder.

Passover Pareve (Dairy Free) Mocha Mousse Crepes
with Raspberry Sauce

Crepes:

1/2 cup potato starch
1/2 cup matzoh cake meal
4 T. kosher for Passover cocoa (I like Droste)
1/2 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. melted, pareve, kosher for Passover, unsalted margarine
6 large or extra large eggs
1-1/2 cups water

Measure all ingredients into bowl of food processor or blender and process for about 15 seconds with steel knife. Let sit for 15-20 minutes before using.

Heat two (or more) oiled 6-inch non-stick skillets until a drop of water dances on them. (It is only necessary to oil them for the first crepe.)

Put about 2 Tbsp. of the batter into the pan, tilting and rotating to distribute a thin even layer on the bottom.

Fry until the edges look dry and have begun to curl away from the pan.

Invert the skillet above a plate. The pancake will fall out onto the plate. Sometimes, you have to help it a little by starting the edge away from the skillet with a knife and peeling a little.

Continue making these thin pancakes, or crepes, until you finish the batter, being sure to stir the batter before each one or the starch will sink to the bottom, stacking them between sheets of waxed paper as you go.

Fill uncooked side with Pareve Mocha Mousse and roll up.

Store in freezer and defrost about 1 hour before using. Serve cold. Makes about 24 crepes.

Pareve Mocha Mousse

3 ozs. bittersweet KP chocolate (buy the best quality chocolate you can find)
1 cup sugar
3 large fresh eggs
2 sticks (1 cup) pareve, KP, unsalted margarine
1 tsp. KP instant coffee powder

Melt chocolate in saucepan over very low heat.

Add sugar, mixing well.

Add whole eggs, all at once, stirring immediately into chocolate mixture.

Stir continuously, cooking until mixture reaches a temperataure of 160°F. on a thermometer for at least one minute. (This takes about 15-20 minutes.)

Remove from heat and let cool completely.

Beat margarine in mixer until fluffy. With mixer running, add cool chocolate mixture a spoonful at a time until mousse is light and fluffy. Beat in coffee powder.

Fill each chocolate crepe with 1 Tbsp. of this mixture, or, it makes a wonderful pareve frosting during Pesach. The recipe can be doubled to do both. It also makes a delicious spread for matzoh!

Raspberry Sauce

1 10-oz. package of frozen raspberries
1/2 cup seedless KP raspberry preserves
2 tsp. potato starch mixed with 1 Tbsp. cold water

Turn the frozen raspberries into a saucepan and heat until the berries are thawed and soft. Press through a sieve to remove seeds.

Returned strained raspberries to saucepan, and add the raspberry jam and potato starch mixed with cold water.

Cook until clear and thickened, stirring frequently.

Chill before serving. Makes about 1-1/4 cups sauce.

Hamantaschen for Purim (or anytime)

2009-03-09T09:44:00.005-04:00

The Jewish holiday of Purim begins this evening, and these cookies are the quintessential food item in Ashkenazic (of Eastern European tradition) households for this holiday. Sephardic Jews have other traditional food items, but that is for another blog post.

The following description of Purim comes from my cooking curriculum, Bubbie’s Kitchen, which is available from Amazon.com:

During ancient times in Persia, an evil minister named Haman schemed and connived his way into a position of enormous influence with the King. When King Ahasueras decreed that all must bow down to him, another advisor who was a Jew named Mordechai, refused. Haman used this opportunity to accuse the Jews of being disloyal and persuaded the king to set a date for the extermination of all the Jews in the country. The date was to be set by the casting of “lots” or Purim in Hebrew. Unknown to both Haman and King Ahasueras was the fact that the beloved Queen Esther was a Jew and a cousin to the condemned Mordechai. She prepared a feast for the king and, at the risk of her own life, pleaded with the king to spare her people’s lives. This made the king realize what a danger Haman had become and so the king had him hanged on the gallows that Haman had prepared for Mordechai. On the date that had been scheduled for the destruction of the Jews (the thirteenth of Adar), the king allowed them to take vengeance on the enemies who wished to destroy them. On the following day, there was a great celebration of the victory, but in the walled capital city of Shushan, the fighting continued for one more day and so the celebration was delayed. As a result, it is customary for Jews in walled cities to celebrate Purim on the fifteenth of the month of Adar, rather than the fourteenth as elsewhere. This celebration is called Shushan Purim, but in reality, the celebration is such a major event in Israel that most people celebrate both days.

The holiday is marked by a carnival and parade called Ad’lo’yada which comes from the Talmudic suggestion that one should drink enough wine so that he “doesn’t know the difference” between the names Mordechai and Haman during the reading of the Megillah, or scroll which tells the story of Queen Esther. Children and adults dress in masquerade. A festive meal is eaten called a Purim Se’udah during which merriment and joke-telling are the order of the day. It is also a time to distribute gifts of food called mishloach manot in Hebrew to friends, relatives, and the poor.

Triangular-shaped cookies called hamantashen are a traditional treat among the Ashkenazim, but how they came to be associated with Purim is obscure. One explanation is that they already existed in the form of mohn tashen, meaning poppy-seed pockets. The similarity of the name of these cookies may have caused them to be renamed Haman taschen as a remembrance of the bribes that lined the evil Haman’s pockets. In Israel, they are known as oznai Haman, or Haman’s ears.

I would also like to mention here that Saul and Ari ran into a problem when they were in Israel a few days ago because they had forgotten about Ta’anit Esther, a yearly fast day that commemorates the fast that the Jewish community and Esther undertook before she risked her life to petition the king. They found many of the restaurants in Israel closed on that day.

Do not attempt this recipe unless you can obtain Wondra flour. It is a special granulated flour which gives the cookies a toothsome crunch. I have it from friends who tried it with all purpose flour that the recipe does not come out the same.

Hamantaschen

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup (one stick) unsalted butter or pareve margarine
3 large or extra-large eggs
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
3-1/2 cups Wondra flour
2-1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 oz. orange juice
Assorted fillings (lekvar, honey-walnut, cherry, poppy seed, almond, raspberry, strawberry, etc.)

Cream butter or margarine with sugar in bowl of electric mixer.

Add eggs, one at a time.

Add salt, flour and baking powder. Add vanilla and orange juice. Mix together well, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill for at least two hours in the refrigerator.

Divide into four portions and roll out on a well-floured surface until about 1/8-inch thick.

Cut with a large, thin edged cup or drinking glass or round cookie cutter making cuts close together to avoid rerolling wherever possible.

Place on floured cookie sheet or baking pan.

Place a scant tablespoonful of filling in the center.

Turn up opposing edges of the circle and pinch together at the corner where they meet.

Bring up remaining edge of the circle and pinch together at the corners where it meets the first two edges to form a triangle.

Bake at 400°F. for 8-12 minutes. Bake for 5-7 minutes in a convection oven.

Re-roll scraps and proceed to cut more circles, etc.

Fillings for Hamantaschen

In this country, prepared fillings can be purchased in the supermarket baking supplies section and are made by such companies as Solo, Lucky Leaf, and Musselman’s. The following recipes are offered for those who wish to make their fillings a little more unique.

Lekvar Filling (Prune Butter)

1 1-lb. 1 oz. jar lekvar
1/2 cup raisins
1 Tbsp. honey
1 Tbsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Stir these all together and use as filling for hamantaschen.

Honey-Walnut Filling

3/4 cup honey
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup fine dry bread crumbs
1/2 tsp. grated orange rind

Place honey, walnuts, sugar and bread crumbs in a saucepan.

Stir constantly over low heat until the mixture becomes thick. Scrape the bottom as you stir to prevent sticking.

Remove from heat and stir in grated orange rind.

Cool before using.

Vanilla Custard Sauce

2009-03-05T09:33:00.004-05:00

I believe that originally, we began making this sauce to nap our chocolate mousse crepes when we were catering. To please the vanilla fanatics in our family, and you know who you are, we began making double quantities of it from time to time for various other purposes, since single quantities never left enough over to satisfy. Making this used to be very time consuming because it was essential to constantly keep stirring over extremely low heat to be sure the mixture did not curdle, and therefore be ruined, and we would have to begin all over again. A double batch could take 40 minutes of stirring, sometimes, and be very frustrating when we had a million other things to prepare before a big party. Then, one day, out of sheer desperation and lack of time, I hit on the idea of dumping the whole thing, as it began to curdle, into the food processor and whizzing it up. Not only did we produce a perfectly smooth sauce, but it was thicker and silkier than ever before. So now, we make it anytime without fear and trepidation. If it starts to curdle, we just make sure that the food processor is clean and at hand.

For a really simple and relatively carb-free dessert, put a quantity into individual dipping bowls and serve with an assortment of fresh cut-up fruit and berries. Use it to layer between cake, fruit, and whipped cream in a trifle (as in photo above). Serve a crystal bowlful with a ladle for gilding the lily on a plain cake like angel food, or pound cake.

The recipe for the chocolate mousse crepes will be coming soon, as they can be pareve (or dairy-free) and can be made with flour or matzoh cake meal for Passover. When I make the crepes for a pareve meal or for Passover, I serve them with a fresh raspberry sauce. This is one of those recipes that leaves behind a surfeit of egg whites, so be sure to save them so that you can bake a Presley Bella Angel Food Cake!

Vanilla Custard Sauce

4 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
1-1/2 cups half and half (milk and cream)

Combine yolks and sugar in small bowl. With point of a small, sharp knife, scrape soft inside of vanilla bean into yolk mixture, reserving pod. Beat until light and fluffy.

Place half and half and vanilla bean pod in a heavy-bottomed 2-quart saucepan. Bring to boil over high heat, then remove pod. Beating constantly, very slowly pour hot half and half into yolk mixture. Transfer to saucepan and stir constantly over low heat about 20 minutes, or until custard coats back of metal spoon.

Serve warm over crepes, cake, or fresh fruit. Or, inhale through a straw, as Beth always says she would like to do.

Presley Bella Chocolate Icicle Icing

2009-02-25T14:24:00.004-05:00

Last month, I posted a recipe for Presley Bella Angel Food Marble Cake, which is beautiful and delicious without icing. Now, having tried it with the icing, and always being one who has a tendency to “gild the lily” whenever possible, I offer this recipe, which is as sweet and beautiful as the newly-born Presley Bella herself.

Presley Bella Chocolate Icicle Icing

6 Tbsp. softened unsalted butter
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. almond extract
3 cups sifted confectioner’s (powdered) sugar
5 to 6 Tbsp. warm milk
1 square (1 oz.) unsweetened chocolate
1 tsp. butter

Cream butter with salt, almond extract and 1 cup of the sugar.

Stir in warm milk, add remaining sugar, and beat until thoroughly blended.

Spread on top and sides of cake.

Melt chocolate and 1 tsp. of butter together on low heat. Cool slightly.

Drizzle chocolate over edge of cake.

Maple-Glazed Brussels Sprouts with Chestnuts and Pomegranate

2009-02-19T21:08:00.004-05:00

I had been saving the recipe for this striking-looking and delicious veggie dish in case I won the Pom Bloggers Contest for which I was one of the eight finalists. I would have had to come up with eleven more pomegranate recipes for my blog according to the rules if I had won. Since I have discovered that my mom, for whom I am caring on hospice right now, is happy to eat practically nothing else but bread pudding and chestnut soup, I have put in a supply of chestnuts and I am really into using them right now.

I first devised this recipe (sans pomegranate) for a New Year’s Eve dinner I prepared at my son’s apartment in Palo Alto, California, for our friends, Irv and Jardena. Saul and I had picked up huge thick stalks of the sprouts at a farm we stopped to visit in our travels through Castroville, California, which is especially known for growing artichokes. We bought some of them as well. It was the first time we had ever seen Brussels sprouts sold this way and it was all I could do to convince Saul that we should not bring the leftover stalks of them back to Pennsylvania on the airplane. Even though I had just winged it, I had to write down the recipe for Jardena so she could make it for her friends.

In order to keep the Brussels sprouts from bursting when cooking, it helps to slice an “x” into the bottom.

Maple-Glazed Brussels Sprouts with Chestnuts and Pomegranate

1-1/2 lbs. Brussels sprouts, rinsed and trimmed of any discolored leaves
3/4 cups water
1/4 cup pure Grade B maple syrup
1 tsp. kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 Tbsp. butter or pareve margarine
8 oz. whole, peeled, vacuum-sealed, roasted chestnuts
1/2 cup pomegranate seeds

With a small, sharp knife, trim a little slice from the bottom stem of each Brussel sprout and incise a shallow “x” across the bottom.

Place sprouts in a single layer in a 10-inch skillet that has a lid. Add water, maple syrup, salt, pepper and butter or margarine. Bring to a boil over high heat, uncovered, and allow to boil for 2-3 minutes until sprouts begin to turn bright green and liquid becomes a bit syrupy. Toss or rotate the sprouts in the pan to coat. Add chestnuts and toss. Cover, turn off heat and let steam for 7-9 minutes or until easily pierced with a fork. Be careful not to overcook.

Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with fresh pomegranate seeds.

Macaroni and Cheese Our Way

2009-02-18T07:39:00.004-05:00

The photo shows macaroni and cheese made with celentani (corkscrew shape) noodles, but that is only because I decided to make this at the last minute and had run out of my preferred pasta for this dish, semolina cicciole (shell-like shape) which I buy at Whole Foods or some of my local supermarkets in the natural foods section. The original recipe comes from Saveur #18. I was a charter subscriber to Saveur and it still remains my favorite food magazine. The last issue I received was #117 and I have cancelled all my long-time subscriptions to magazines, now, in favor of online (and more ecological) ezines. Also, I am allergic to the inks and always had to read newspapers and magazines with a box of tissues on hand.

The original recipe called for a half teaspoon of cayenne pepper. My sister once asked me to make this without the spice for a party because she was having a lot of children present. Everyone who had this before, and loved it, wanted to know what was wrong with it that day, even the adults who profess not to like spicey food. I noticed that when my sister made it for the last party, even though it was a two-year-old birthday party, the spice was back, and everyone was going back for seconds. Lately, I have been experimenting and find that I like powdered chili de arbol even better. So even if you don’t think you like spice, try the recipe first as written, and be sure to use lots of freshly ground pepper as well. Don’t be discouraged if the kids who are used to the instant blue box variety don’t take to it immediately. Their tastebuds will grow up some day soon.

My friend Roxy’s daughter Sarah came over for lunch with her unexpectedly a few weeks ago, and had leftovers of this. Roxy tells me she has been checking for the recipe on the blog since then, so here it is, Sarah, as I promised.

Macaroni and Cheese

8 Tbsp. (one stick) unsalted butter
6 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. ground cayenne pepper or chili de arbol
salt and freshly ground white or black pepper
3-3/4 cups hot milk
4 cups (approximately 1 lb.) grated Cabot Private Stock Extra Sharp Cheddar
1 lb. cicciole or other short pasta, cooked according to package directions, and well drained
1/2 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup fresh bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 350°F. Bring a large pot of water to a boil to cook pasta.

Meanwhile, melt 6 Tbsp. butter in a large non-stick saucepan over low heat. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, for about 4 minutes (flour mixture must foam as it cooks, or sauce will have a raw-flour taste).

Stir in cayenne and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Whisk in hot milk, 1/2 cup at a time, and cook, stirring, until sauce begins to bubble and thicken.

Reduce heat to low and stir in 2 cups (half) of the cheese. Cook, stirring, until cheese melts, about 2 minutes.

Combine pasta and sauce and season with salt.

Sprinkle 1/2 cup cheese over the bottom of a buttered 8" x 11" baking dish. Place one third of the pasta in the baking dish and top with another 1/2 cup of cheese. Repeat, layering pasta and cheese and ending with the cheese, making three layers in all.

Pour cream over assembled macaroni and cheese.

Melt remaining butter and add bread crumbs, tossing with a fork to coat with the butter. Sprinkle over macaroni and cheese.

Bake until crust is golden, about 30 minutes. Allow to rest for 15 minutes before serving. Serves 6 to 8 as a main course, more as a side dish.

Chestnut Soup

2009-02-12T10:51:00.007-05:00

The first time I tasted chestnut soup was many years ago at Villa Virella, a memorable and exquisitely planned and executed family-owned and operated Italian restaurant in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania. It opened in 1975 and closed down about two years ago. Our whole family still mourns its passing, as having dinner there was an occasion beyond compare. John Virella always planned seasonal changes for the soup course. The menu was a multi-course, prix fixe affair that required you to order your entrée from the menu a week ahead of time. One of the entrées would be a special off-the-menu item each time. For the quality of the ambience and food, the price was always a bargain, especially since we were able to bring our own aperitifs, wines and liqueurs with us.

When our family built our vacation home in the Poconos, we were delighted to discover it to be only about three miles away. If we had a little too much wine, we usually only had to be careful not to run into any foraging deer on the road on the way back.

A rite of passage in our family was each child’s first trip to that mysterious place where only the grown-ups had dinner for hours on end. Each expected to be disappointed by the build-up that had enveloped its reputation over the years, but each, in turn, was wowed by it. And John always made sure that we had an option for every course that would not violate our kosher dietary laws. Our trips to the mountains to ski will never be the same. Since the soups were seasonal items, chestnut soup was only available in the wintertime, and only on rare occasions.

When I finally developed a satisfactory recipe of my own, I used to split and roast the raw chestnuts, a painstaking task for anyone. At my old house, I planted what grew into a stately Chinese chestnut tree yielding many nuts, but I have been pierced more than once by the razor-sharp prickly hulls that split open to yield the hard-shelled nuts inside. The whole process has now become much simpler with the availability of shelled chestnuts in vacuum packs from Trader Joe’s, or the small foil packages of shelled nuts meant for snacking at Assi Market. This delicious soup becomes thicker after refrigeration and can be thinned with a little milk to the desired consistency when rewarming, or not. For me, the chestnut soup is as comforting as a heaping portion of creamy, fluffy, mashed potatoes.

Chestnut Soup

1 large or 2 small leeks
1 Tbsp. toasted sesame oil
1 lb. fresh mushrooms, any variety (I like shiitake the best for this, but plain white ones, or even dried will do in a pinch)
1 cup dry vermouth or leftover white wine
2 Tbsp. Osem or Telma pareve chicken soup mix, dissolved in one cup boiling water
8 cups lowfat or whole milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
12-14 oz. peeled, roasted chestnuts
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Rinse and trim any tough green tops and roots from the leek. Split lengthwise and rinse again, checking for sand in the outside fronds. Place the leek cut side down and slice into thin half-moons. Transfer the pile to a colander and rinse thoroughly again. Allow to drain thoroughly.

Heat oil on medium heat in a 6-8 qt. heavy-bottomed pot. Add leeks and sauté, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, rinse mushrooms and spin dry in a salad spinner. Trim bottoms and slice. (You can use an egg slicer if your mushrooms are small and tender and you have a sharp one.) Add to leek mixture and continue to sauté mixture until leeks are tender and translucent and juices from mushrooms have begun to evaporate.

Add the vermouth, increase the heat to medium high, and continue to cook, stirring occasionally until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 20 minutes.

Turn heat to low and add pareve chicken stock, milk, and cream.

Put aside about 3 oz. of the chestnuts and add the rest to the pot whole.

When everything has become just warm, use a stick blender to purée the entire mixture. Continue to heat on very low until the mixture is warmed through. Do not boil. Taste for seasoning and add salt and freshly ground pepper as desired. If the soup thickens too much, add some additional milk and stir until desired consistency is reached.

Chop reserved chestnuts coarsely and add to soup before serving, sprinkling on top of individual bowls, if desired.

Serves about 8.