Ask Jamie Geller

Dear Jamie:

How do you make an authentic fried chicken that doesn’t include soaking in buttermilk?

Sara, Savannah GA

We all love our fried chicken – the crisp coated outside, and the juicy tenderness of the chicken inside. In fact, if we try hard enough we can just smell it frying. At least I can. Can’t wait to do some finger lickin’.

You have an excellent question! And you are so right, Sara — when a kosher cook goes searching for authentic southern fried chicken recipes, we hit a MAJOR stumbling block: almost all of them call for dipping the chicken in buttermilk. Such a no-go in a kosher home!

Now, we agree that this authentic method is not an option, but no one wants to compromise on taste. So it’s up to clever kosher cooks to come up with a solution.

It took some trial and error, but I developed a recipe for Southern Fried Chicken with Mashed Potatoes and Gravy that proves you do not need buttermilk at all. Soy milk and vinegar do the trick! It’s real down home country cooking with a kosher twist! What do y’all think Paula Deen would say?

This chicken is so delicious and special it could even be great for a Shabbos meal!

One of the amazing things about this blog is that I no longer have to answer cooking questions only through one-on-one emails. Now everyone can benefit — because we have a great Q & A going in this column! So keep the questions coming — we all have a lot to learn!

If you like kosher southern fried chicken here are some more recipes you may enjoy:
Southern Style Chicken, Almond Crusted Chicken Fingers and Pecan Crusted Chicken.

Dear Jamie,

Hi! I’m living in Israel and I just bought your new recipe book. I see that a lot of the recipes require ready-made chicken and beef broths. I contacted Manischewitz and discovered that they do not distribute these items here. I was wondering if there is anything I can substitute for ready-made broth.

Thank you!

Adina, Israel

Dear Adina,

WOW, it’s always so amazing to hear that people from all over the world are enjoying the book – and what better place than Eretz Yisroel? Thank you so very much for your support.

I tried — and then had my friends try — and we called Israeli friends and family to see if there are ANY ready-made broths in Israel. We came up with nothing.

But take heart. There are a few simple ways to make your own broth. Let’s start with the easiest first.

1. You can use soup mix (powder or bouillon cubes) that you can buy at the local makolet (grocery). Follow their instructions on how to simply boil up water, add some of the mix and stir. There you have your broth. Quick and easy. They come in chicken, beef and vegetable flavor. I know Osem makes an entire line, as do several other companies. Follow the instructions to prepare the same amount (in cups) as you need for the recipe.

2. Alternatively, for homemade chicken broth, you can use fresh or leftover chicken soup with the vegetables and chicken strained out. You’ll have a rich and savory broth. For a simple beef broth, boil up some beef bones with water, vegetables and seasonings (garlic and onion powders, s&p and anything else you like). For vegetables broth, same deal: boil every vegetable you can get your hands in a large pot and add seasoning to taste. When making any flavored broth, be sure to let it simmer for at least a few hours to really develop a deep, complex flavor. Refrigerate the broth overnight (this helps seal the deal – the overnight refrigeration helps to “marry” all the many layers of flavor), and the next day skim any fat that has risen to the top and congealed. Then strain out the vegetables, bones or meat. Reserve them for another use (How about chicken salad or vegetable puree?) Then you will have your delicious homemade broth.

Now I know this sounds so not Quick (& Kosher), BUT if you spend one day making 6-10 quarts of each broth, and the next day freezing them in individual 2-4 cup batches, you can have ready-to-go broth for MONTHS on end.

All you have to remember is to let the broth defrost before you plan on using it. And here’s a quick defrost tip: don’t fill your freezer container to the brim – leave an inch or two between the broth and lid. When you need to quickly defrost your broth, turn the frozen container upside down in your sink and run hot water from the faucet over the base of the container. The extra room you left in the container will allow your frozen block of broth to release from the bottom and sides of the container and slide down. Flip it back over, take off the lid and place your frozen broth in a sauce pan on your stovetop or in a microwave safe bowl in the microwave and defrost as usual.

Hope this helps. Enjoy the book! And leave a comment and let us know how your broth in the Holy Land turned out. PS – my first book, Quick & Kosher Recipes From The Bride Who Knew Nothing is being translated to Hebrew and should be available in the coming months. We took great pains to not only convert the measurements but replace the ingredients that cannot be found in Israel with easy to come by products. Enjoy and B’teyavon!

Dear Jamie:

At a recent dinner party, the hostess took out a fish cooked in rock salt. It looked so interesting and tasted delicious! How do you cook with rock salt?

Sarah, Bridgeport, CT

Okay Sarah, quite honestly, I have never cooked anything in rock salt, and have no official Quick & Kosher tips & tricks to share with you. But since you ask, I researched it and did come up with a fascinating procedure.

You will need a roasting pan, water in a spray bottle, food-safe rock salt (not what you throw on your driveway after a snowfall), fish of your choice, and a hammer. Yes, you read right. I said a hammer. Maybe you should keep one in your kitchen next to your whisk, spatula, and wooden spoon. (Ask your local rabbi if a hammer used on food should be toveled.)

Be very careful when you buy the rock salt. Unless it’s labeled as edible, you can’t use it as an ingredient in food. Rock salt contains impurities, mostly minerals that are removed from salt that we use in our everyday cooking.

The idea of cooking with rock salt is that you completely cover the food (such as whole potatoes, meat, or fish) with it while it cooks. The salt forms a crust which will hold in moisture as the food cooks. It will also impart an evenly distributed salty taste.

This cooking method is about as unusual as they come. First, pre-heat your oven to 400˚ F. Next, line the entire bottom of a roasting pan with rock salt. Spray the salt with just enough water to moisten all of it. Then, lay the food you want to cook on top of the rock salt. Pour more rock salt around the sides and on top of the food. Make sure the food is completely covered with salt. Use the spray bottle to moisten the added rock salt thoroughly. Cook the food in the oven as you normally would.

Compact cuts of red meat, cooked to medium, take 18 to 20 minutes per pound, while whole fish will generally take between 30 to 45 minutes, depending on the size.

Remove the food from the oven. Rest red meat for 20 to 40 minutes, and a whole fish for 10 minutes. Crack open the salt shell with a hammer (Ahhh! That’s when you get to use the hammer!) to remove and serve the food.

Sarah, if you try this, you must comment and let us know how it went. Send a picture if you can, because I’d love to see what that little fishy looks like after you have every so gingerly cracked its salt shell with a hammer.

Dear Jamie,

I have a number of guests coming from far away for Thanksgiving – and they’re staying through the weekend! What can I serve them for Sunday brunch?

- Chaya, Miami Beach

Good question, Chaya. I’ve been wondering the same thing. I mean, really, after you’ve just cooked up a storm for turkey day and Shabbos, coming up with a special brunch is a bit over the top. But listen, you don’t have to make yourself crazy. Since hachnasas orchim – taking care of your houseguests — is a huge mitzvah, we need to figure out how to do this without needing to recuperate for a week.

Hmm, you’ll want to offer something easy and also filling, for your guests who will spend most of the day traveling. And wouldn’t it be great if you could use up some of your weekend leftovers?

Got it! Try my Apple Crunch Bread Pudding. In this recipe, I use leftover raisin challah from Shabbos, but you can use whatever you have on hand. It’s a great recipe because it looks fancy, but it’s a cinch.

This breakfast style bread pudding is a sweet treat and can be assembled easily the night before. Put it together after all your guests have turned in, let it soak overnight, and then all you have to do is bake it in the morning. Alternatively, if you’ll have time in the morning, assemble the pudding, let it soak for 30 minutes and then bake it. The aroma will greet everyone as they wake up. Terrific!

Serve it with my Orange Sunrise Sparkler. They should put everyone in a happy mood.

I don’t think your guests will go home hungry. Don’t be surprised if they leave vowing, “We’ll be back next year!”

For other great, easy to prepare brunch recipes, try: Overnight Oatmeal; Cranberry, Cherry, Walnut Marmalade; Cheddar Cornmeal Biscuits with Chives; Blueberry Maple Muffins; Savory Carrot & Tarragon Tart; Golden Polenta Egg with Mustard Sauce; Cranberry and Ruby Grapefruit Compote; Cranberry Almond Granola; Cranberry Pancakes; Red Pepper and Goat Cheese Frittata; Egg and Salmon Sandwich; Maple Nut and Pear Scones; Banana Pecan Bread and Muffins.

Dear Jamie:

I heard that you have a new cookbook coming out.  How is it different from your first cookbook?

Rachel, Cleveland OH

Different but the Same

Hi Rachel,

Just to officially set the record straight:  I am still the only cookbook author that wants to get you out of the kitchen!  Don’t worry, that will never change.

My newest book Quick & Kosher: Meals in Minutes, From The Bride Who Knew Nothing (yep! that’s still me) champions the same cause as my first book – quick & easy recipes (though they look and taste like you’ve slaved over them all day!).  But this time I’ve arranged the recipes as complete meals – hence the title, Meals in Minutes. The book is arranged in timed chapters 20-, 40- and 60- Minute Meals – these times include cooking time. I call it PCS – Prep, Cook & Serve time – and chapters are arranged with that priority.  So, for example, the 20-minute meal chapter means that in 20 minutes you can have this meal on the table! So you choose the chapter according to how much time you have that day!

My first book Quick & Kosher: Recipes From the Bride Who Knew Nothing is a one-of-a-kind cookbook (with more than 160 recipes and 120 full-color photos): it emphasizes user-friendly dishes that require only minimal prep time, perfect for the cook who is either very pressed for time, and/or clueless in the kitchen, as I was when I first married.  Every recipe takes 15-minutes or less to prepare, but cooking times vary.  You brisket can take about 5 minutes to get into the oven, but then you have to allow at least 3 hours before it’s ready to be served.

There are other significant differences too.  Book one is arranged as typical cookbooks are, according to food categories: apps, soups, salads, sides, fish, poultry, meat, desserts, dairy etc…  Then it is up to you to plan your menu by perusing the various chapters.

In my new book, you can just turn off your brain!  Each page is a complete, balanced meal — a main with a side, or drink recipe or an all-in-one dish.  And each meal comes with a recommended wine, so you don’t have to know the secrets of pairing specific foods with wine varieties.  I also give tips on how to multitask so you can do this all in 20, 40, or 60 minutes.

It was really important to me to separate the recipes too — so even though each page is a pre-thought out meal, you can still just as easily decide to make the main dish and pair it with another side. For example, if you’re looking for a salad for Shabbos, you can flip through the pages and pull out different salad recipes you might like instead of sticking to the specific one I recommended.

As in my first book, the second cookbook also has a special Holiday chapter which is arranged as individual recipes, each recipe with its own stats on prep and total time.  These recipes were developed specifically and especially for these holidays.

Despite these differences, Book 2 still has the same style and great autobiographical material as the first cookbook.  In a sense, I’m still the bride who knew nothing, in that I prefer basic equipment to fancy kitchen gadgets, and I’m still learning about cooking.  I’m not afraid to share my embarrassingly funny kitchen disasters with you.  The focus has shifted a bit, because my life has changed over the few years since my first book was written.  Back then, I was a bride, and now I’m the mother of four lively kids (thank G-d) – now there’s a kitchen challenge!  I have even less time to cook than ever before.  On the other hand, I’ve done some creative thinking on how to make your kitchen the focal point of nurturing your family, and I’ve included those tips too.

All of this makes Quick & Kosher: Meals in Minutes more than a cookbook.  I hope you will take this book from your kitchen to the couch and curl up for a good read.

To sum up, the new book contains:

1. More than 215 all new, quick, triple-tested recipes
2. Over 100 complete, 20-, 40-, and 60-minute meals from start to finish
3. A wine recommendation for each meal
4. Full-color, full-page picture featured with every meal
5. New fast takes on traditional holiday dishes
6. A really funny glossary — worth the price of the book!
7. Expert interviews about wine and cheese
8. Q&A with interesting people on the cutting edge of the food world and new products

The Quick & Kosher cookbooks are the perfect gift idea for someone you love this Chanukah, as a hostess gift, or the ultimate series for the new bride.

Of course, you don’t have to be a “new” bride to enjoy it.  You could be a new groom.  Or a not so new bride – if you are someone who would love to have some extra time on your hands to do the things you most enjoy then my books are for you.  So whether you’re a seasoned cook, or just learning to turn on the stove, both Quick & Kosher cookbooks are all about making your life easier!

That’s the short and long answer to your Q Rachel.  Thanks for inquiring. And, check out this great recipe from the new cookbook for Stir-Fried Tofu with Soba Noodles and Baby Bok Choy.

Enjoy!

Dear Jamie,

A crowd is coming over to watch the game at my house on Sunday. How can I prepare and what should I serve?

Stacey, Queens

Hi Stacey,

In honor of the MLB Playoffs, here are 9 tips (one for each inning) on how to host folks for the big game.  You can use these for football or hockey too, of course, not to mention cricket, polo or Olympic luge.

The Warm-up

Before you even sit down to plan a menu, make sure your house is set up to accommodate all of your guests. If you don’t have a large screen TV, consider renting one. If they are coming to your home to watch a game, everyone must be able to see the TV.

Comfortable Seating

Make sure you have enough comfortable seating in the house for everyone. It’s okay to assume that little kids will happily sit on the floor, but the game can be long and adults want to be comfy. If you don’t have enough couch space or cozy chairs, borrow from your friends. This should be done the night before, so that the room can be all set up by game time.

Kid-Proof the Whole Place

Make sure to put away anything valuable that you wouldn’t want broken. If your guests will include young children, they will probably run around the house more than watch the game. While I’m blaming the little kiddies for this caveat, the truth is that the big kids, aka adults watching the game – especially when they get excited – are liable to jump, stomp, scream and swing, not noticing your blown-glass vase on the mantel.

Then Keep the Kids Occupied

You don’t want a bevy of bored children wreaking havoc in your home. Make sure you have plenty of activity options available. If the weather is dismal, a great indoor activity is cupcake decorating! Bake mini-cupcakes in advance of the game and set out icing and edible decorations. The kids can decorate them with sports themes or anything else their little hearts desire.  It’s a win-win activity that the kids will love — and then they even get to eat the finished product! (Anyone out there not like a sweet edible project?)

Paper Beats Porcelain

Game day is definitely the wrong time to bring out the china set you inherited from your grandmother. Save your beautiful dishes for Shabbos and stock up on paper goods. You can even find sports-themed selections, so you can match your plates to the game – but don’t expect the guys to notice.

What Can I bring? Glad You Asked!

My favorite tip of all time: delegate. Some hosts like to run the entire show – soup to nuts – and cater to their guests. To these people I say: more power to ya!  But most of us want some additional help, so feel free to ask your guests to bring something. It could be a favorite drink, an easy-to-make side dish, even a dessert. Most people – especially if they’re you’re friends — realize that hosting a crowd is a big deal, and they want to help out.  Remember though, the host/hostess is always expected to prepare the main dish. The rule of thumb is if the party’s at your place, you’re bringing the chicken!

The Cool Down

Ice, ice and more ice, baby. You’d be surprised how many people forget the ice when hosting a party. But, since you’ll probably have more drinks than refrigerator space, make sure to stock up on loads of ice in advance. It’s also helpful to get a cooler to store the drinks in the viewing room, so you aren’t running back and forth to the refrigerator each time a bottle is emptied. Enlist the help of your kids and have them decorate the cooler with their favorite team’s logo. It will involve them in preparing for the party, and will keep them occupied while you’re busy getting everything else ready!

Plan a Finger-Lickin’ Menu

It’s a misconception that you can’t watch the game without a giant hoagie and lots of beer. As host, you can serve anything you want. Finger foods are the best option here, people, because they can be cooked and prepared ahead of time (Who wants to be stuck in the kitchen when all the action is happening out there?), they’re easy to eat, and create less mess. And no matter how good your food is, supply your guests with nosh – pretzels, potato chips, and crackers. Feel free to add cut vegetables and healthy dips to the spread as well. And don’t forget some yummy desserts!

Tell the Team to Clean Up

Asking your guests to vacuum the family room is a no-no, but you could encourage everyone to throw their own plates into the garbage.  It might take a bit of teamwork on everyone’s part, but it will be a huge help to you. Make sure garbage pails are accessible, and employ subtle hints such as huge signs that say, “Pitch used plates in here!”

Here are a few super recipes to help make your game day party a culinary success!

Oven Fried Zucchini Sticks, Hummus, Guacamole and Chips, Chicken Drumsticks with BBQ Sauce, Shish Kebab, Sausage Bites, Cocktail Meatballs, Chocolate Chip Cookies

Also check out my Indispensable Tips for Hosting that Big Yom Tov or Party.

Gooooo Yankees! Sorry, had to do that for Hubby.

I’ve been schmoozing with a loyal reader named Jack about braising meat. Why don’t you listen in?

Jack: Jamie, in your Brisket in Wine Sauce recipe, you say to bake until the internal thermometer in the beef reads 190˚. I checked a meat temperature web site, and it said that well-done beef is 160˚. I’m thinking that 190˚ was a typo; please update the recipe if necessary.

Jamie: I’m glad to see you’ve been trying the recipes on our site. No, 190˚ was not a typo. While you are correct that the internal temperature for well done beef is about 160˚, when preparing a roast there are different considerations when it comes to braising, especially a cut like brisket. To achieve that wonderful melt-in-your-mouth quality, braised meat must maintain an internal temperature of 190°F for enough time for the tough muscle fibers to break down. In braising, the longer you cook it, the more the meat softens.

Braising is a wet heat technique that combines the enveloping warmth of roasting with the sultry steaminess of stewing. Braises should be cooked in a covered roasting pan, Dutch oven, or in a pan covered with a tightly sealed, double layer of aluminum foil. Start by seasoning the meat (a light hand is best). As with dry-heat roasting, some cooks start braises on the stovetop by searing the meat. Place the meat fat side up in the pan, and add aromatics and root vegetables of your choice. The braising liquid is added (water is fine, but some people use wine, beer or cola – not diet) about a third of the way up the side of the meat, the pan is sealed, and the whole thing goes into the oven, preheated to 300°F — 350°F, until tender.

Cooked at 325°F, briskets, chuck eyes, and other braised meats will take about 2½ — 3 hours to cook, with small cuts on the low side of the estimate and large cuts on the higher side.

I hope that explanation helps.

Jack: Thank you, Jamie. I made the Brisket in Wine Sauce for this past Shabbos (though I used the top of rib instead), and it came out fantastic! I really do like braising meats ever since I discovered it a couple of years ago. (As you can probably tell, I’m the cook in my family – my wife is happy to turn these things over to me.) So, these tips are really helpful.

I’m curious, though: I’ve used cola many times as the liquid for braising, but generally I do use diet (Pepsi One with Splenda). What is the reason you say to avoid this? Is sugar necessary to break down the meat? Thanks again for all the terrific recipes on Kosher.com.

Jamie: My husband is the one who taught me how to cook and my dad was the cook in our house, so I think it’s great you’re the chef in your family! And I’m so happy to hear the recipe worked well for you.

Regarding cooking with diet sodas: the theory goes that most, but not all, diet sweeteners lose their sweetness when boiled or under high heat. The sweeteners used in diet soft drinks are specifically not for use under high temps. They go sour, go bitter or just get so concentrated that they don’t taste great. But all artificial sweeteners behave differently, so if Pepsi One has been working for you, there’s no need to change.

Shana Tova!

Hi Jamie,

I saw the Stew in a Pumpkin Shell recipe on your site and it looks great. I want to try it for Sukkos, but we do not leave our oven on. If I prepare it ahead of time in the oven, how do I re-heat it before serving and keep it warm? We usually place our food on an electric hot tray, but with the stew inside the pumpkin shell, I don’t know how that’s ever going to heat up. Any ideas how to serve this?  Thanks a lot!

Jack

Hello Jack,

I am thrilled to see you are enjoying the recipes on our site, and I happen to think you have picked the perfect pumpkin Sukkos dish to serve.

Warming this up on Yuntif can be tricky… Here is my suggestion.

First bring everything to room temperature before warming. It’s the best way to keep from drying out and abusing your foods as you reheat and refrigerate them. That revolving door of reheating and refrigerating your food throughout Yuntif can be tough on your lovingly prepared recipes.

Remove the stew from the pumpkin and heat it separately as you would any other soup or stew-like dish.

Place the pumpkin shell in a tin large enough to hold it, add a small (very small) amount of boiling water to the bottom of the tin and cover it tightly with foil — so that it steams as it warms. Place the pumpkin shell on your blech (hot plate) or in your warming drawer. The water is an extra step and is not absolutely necessary if you’re not in a hurry. Given enough time, the shell should warm even without it.

Just before serving, remove the pumpkin shell to a serving bowl and fill it with the piping hot stew.

Enjoy — and be sure to let me know if this idea worked for you.

Jamie

Jamie,

With Rosh Hashanah so early this year, I’m having a hard time figuring out what to cook. My regular chicken recipes seem too heavy for warm weather. Do you have any light recipes for fish or chicken that would impress guests but that wouldn’t be too, too complex? (I’d love a complete menu!) I have young children and don’t have a lot of time to spend in the kitchen.

- Deborah

Deborah,

If it’s not clear by now that I don’t do anything complex, then I haven’t been communicating. Believe me, I know how hard it is to cook with young kids around. You are not alone! My go-to Rosh Hashanah meal is usually based on simanim. For ease of prep and taste appeal, I don’t shy away from Classic Gefilte Fish and I serve it with Sweet Carrot Salad on the side. But if you want to raise the bar without raising your stress level, try my Spiced Gefilte Fish – it’s so attractive, I put it on the cover of my book Quick & Kosher Recipes from the Bride Who Knew Nothing.

An even easier, festive version is Pink Rimmed Gefilte Fish followed by Un-stuffed Cabbage Soup. It’s so sweet (for a sweet, new year!) and so good and so easy! My guests expect this dish every Rosh Hashanah and I would never disappoint them.

The main is Brisket in Wine Sauce (you can throw in a few handfuls of baby carrots for color), Honey Chicken, with Spinach Mushroom Salad, and Potato Kugel Cups as sides. (If you’re in a rush and don’t feel like filling individual cups, you can always make the kugel in a 9-inch round or square pan.)

Another recipe that is just as easy, but impressive: Cocktail Meatballs over Rice Pilaf. I love Near East products because they have no msg, are so easy to make and are seasoned to perfection. I serve this on the second night of Yom Yov instead of starting with fish and soup. And for other side ideas, you can go with Carrot Muffins (you can leave out the shredded carrots, if you prefer – no other substitutions needed) or Broccoli and Mushroom Pie. (I have taken to replacing the non-dairy creamer in that recipe with plain unsweetened soy milk).

Each recipe takes less than 15 minutes to prepare prior to cooking time. (Of course, while these dishes cook, you can do something else!) Let me know which ones you’ve tried, and how they worked out for you. Happy Sweet New Year!

If anyone else has other recipes ideas for Deborah, please leave a comment.

Hi Jamie,

I seem to have a cooking problem. Before I got married, I used to cook lot of different types of foods and they came out pretty good. Now that I’m married, I’m afraid to cook. What should, or what can, I do? I stick with basic foods and frozen foods and rarely get fancy. I need to have confidence again knowing that what I make will taste very good. I want to learn how to prepare foods as you do….. PLEASE HELP ME JAMIE!

-G
Far Rockaway, NY

G,

Don’t despair. I understand your predicament all too well. It’s so easy to lose your confidence when you feel that you’re under pressure. I often feel a lot of pressure too. When we invite people for Shabbos, they sometimes make a big to do in anticipation of the meal. That’s how I know they didn’t read my book (about how I was the bride who knew nothing) — or they didn’t believe it.

Here’s what I suggest: take baby steps. Like anything else in life, take it slow. It’s very hard to go from frozen chicken nuggets and fries to five-star chef overnight. The best approach here is to take on some manageable foolproof recipes.

I’ll share with you my secret confidence-boosting weapon: it’s a meal from my first book, Quick & Kosher: Recipes From The Bride Who Knew Nothing, and I promise you can’t get this wrong. Drum roll… Duck Sauce Chicken (p.123), Herb-Roasted Red Bliss Potatoes (p.197), and Colorful Garden Salad (p.95).

Duck Sauce Chicken was the first hot chicken dinner I ever made, the easiest, and still my favorite. It’s only chicken and duck sauce. You don’t even have to measure; just pour the sauce until it generously coats all the chicken pieces. Bake it at 375˚ for about 1 hour or until the skin is golden brown. The secret to this recipe is the brand of duck sauce. Gold’s Cantonese Style Duck Sauce is the best and you can always use Gold’s Szechuan Style if you like a little spice.

Finish your meal with Colorful Garden Salad . The recipe calls for creamy pesto dressing, but I say – don’t overwhelm yourself. Skip the dressing and just serve your favorite store-bought dressing in a pretty cruet. (If you keep the bottles off the table, you’re already one step closer to the gourmet experience.) The beauty here is just layering different colored vegetables in a trifle bowl. EVERYONE oohs and ahhs over multicolored layers in a trifle bowl; don’t know why it’s so impressive and don’t really care. This is one dish that’s always a hit, without even turning on the oven.

Are you smiling yet?

There’s a great Amazing Savings near you on Central Avenue. Pop in there and grab a trifle bowl if you don’t already own one. It will come in SUPER handy over the course of your new cooking adventures.

G, listen to me. Don’t worry, you can do it. My story is all about overcoming what you think you can’t do. It’s all about fighting what you believe to be your nature. Your culinary path is not set – you are not doomed to walk the frozen food aisles forever. You just need some kitchen confidence. So start small. Easy recipes. One at a time. The whole meal doesn’t have to be from scratch. It’s ok if things are semi-homemade.

Leave a comment here and let us all know how you’re doing. Hatzlachah! If anyone had any other easy recipes or ideas for G leave a comment. Let’s help her out together.

I am typing this email on behalf of my son, Kovy, your devoted fan. He just turned 9 today. (Despite his physical disability, he has the greatest personality ever!) He loves watching your cooking videos, trying out your new recipes, and, of course, eating them!

This is the message from Kovy: “I was wondering– do you make a lot of foods on the same day? If you ever need a helper to help you cook, I could help you.”

Wishing you a kesiva vechasima tova!

- Galiah and Kovy

Kovy,

Thank you, thank you, thank you for your interest. I am so happy you took the time to write to me, and that you like the videos and recipes. I try hard to make foods that my kids — and all kids — can enjoy with their parents, so it means the world to me to know that you like them. I’m never sure if children’s taste buds are the same as grown-ups’, so I test things on my kids. For example, I fed my nine- month-old son chicken with braised red cabbage and fennel for dinner tonight. No complaints. So I guess it’s ok as kid food.

It’s actually a recipe from my upcoming new book, Quick & Kosher: Meals in Minutes. I truly hope you will like it as much as the first one. The focus is family dinners and should be easy for kids who want to help in the kitchen, like you. Now to answer your question (which is such a good one): Yes, I do cook A LOT of food on the same day! “A LOT” is an understatement. For the cooking show, I shoot between 5 and 10 episodes a day. So that means we are making 10 different recipes, and we make each recipe 2-3 times per video.

First, we do what is called the beauty shot – and that’s the pretty finished dish you see at the beginning and end of each episode. Then we cut and measure all the ingredients and set them out in front of me, so I can demonstrate how to make the dish throughout the episode. Of course, sometimes we make mistakes (whether it’s me or the cameraman makes no difference), so we have to reshoot and re-cook all over again.

I know it doesn’t look like I’m doing all the cooking in one day, because I try to change my outfit for each episode. By the end of the day (which starts between 6-8:00 am and can end between 8:00 pm-2:00 am), my kitchen is a mess, I have enough food for an army for a week — and I can’t stand on my feet anymore.

When it comes to cooking at home for my family, aside from making dinner for the six of us, we LOVE to have TONS of Shabbos guests. That’s when I cook like crazy and multiply each recipe by 5 or 6. I also cook and freeze meals, so I’ll dedicate an entire day – let’s say, to Classic Chicken Soup and make four or five 8-10 quart stockpots worth, and then freeze it in portions for Shabbos. My Creamy Baked Ziti and my Asian Steak freeze well and are family favorites too. Especially when I’m having a lot of company, it’s so convenient to be able to pull out a few things from the freezer.

So I hope I answered your question, and I’ll remember your offer of help. In the meantime I’d like to send you a special signed copy of my new book Quick & Kosher: Meals in Minutes, to add to your collection, when it comes out this November, G-d Willing. (Tell your mom to send me your address please).

Have a happy, healthy New Year – and please send my love to your terrific mom.

Hi Jamie,

I recently saw one of your videos on which you referred to “kosher salt.” What do you mean by that? Are there different kinds of salt?

- Elana

Elana,

Great question, I can see how that can be confusing. One day, on set, when we were shooting a bunch of episodes for my cooking show, my cameraman actually stopped me and said “stop repeating ‘kosher salt’ everyone knows it’s kosher.” So I’m sure there are others wondering the same thing. Here’s the deal.

Kosher salt is a large, coarse grain salt (Hubby lovingly refers to it as pretzel salt), and works well in cooking, it really enhances the natural flavors of your ingredients. It actually draws out those flavors, as opposed to just imparting a salty taste. But kosher salt should only be used in cooking, not baking, because the coarse grains won’t entirely dissolve. It’s called kosher salt, by the way, because it’s the type of salt used for koshering meat – the large grains do a better job of absorbing the blood from meat than the fine grain salt.

Sea salt like kosher salt has larger grains. It’s formed from evaporated sea water and is best used for cooking, not baking.

Table salt is the kind most commonly used in your salt shaker during meals, hence the name table salt. It’s very fine grained and can be used for everything, including baking.

As a general rule of thumb, kosher salt and sea salt are a chef’s best friends for those oh-so savory dishes – it’s easy to pinch when seasoning. To me, a sprinkle of Kosher salt just before serving is the perfect finish to my dish, when added at the end it imparts a slight crunch and briny taste. Table salt is the baker’s buddy, because it dissolves so completely.

When I first discovered kosher salt, I was a Morton’s Girl. There was something about that little girl and her umbrella…dunno, but I felt nostalgic just looking at it. So I always bought Morton’s kosher salt. But on one shopping trip there was no Morton’s, so I tried Diamond Crystal Salt. That’s how I discovered that the Diamond Crystal coarse grain is a not the same size as Morton’s (they actually use a different manufacturing process), so you have to measure differently to get the proportions right. Not all coarse salts and not even all Kosher salts are the same! Who knew? And as an extra bonus I will let you in on a little secret, 1 teaspoon of table salt actually has more salt than 1 TABLESPOON (added for emphasis, just so you don’t miss it) of kosher or sea salt because of its fine grains.

So my solution is to pick a brand, get to know how much of it you need in your recipes, and stick to it. That way, you won’t under-salt or over-salt your food.

For an awesome article on kosher salt, check out this one from the New York Times titled ‘Warning: Measure Your Salt.’

Jamie,

I have a question about your recipe for Chocolate Liqueur Pie. If you don’t want to use chocolate liqueur, can you substitute something else?

Thanks,

Libby

Libby,

Thanks for your question. Even though it’s called Chocolate Liqueur Pie you don’t have to use chocolate liqueur. You can substitute 1 tablespoon of pure vanilla extract in place of the 3 tablespoons of liqueur.

If anyone has other non-alcoholic ideas for liqueur substitution, please share them with us here in the comments section.