Kosher Tips

Here is a step-by-step how-to guide for creating a simple, delicious and creamy Cheesecake:

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Cooking Time: 1 hour

Step 1: Gather materials

• 1 – 8 inch spring form pan (a round pan with high, straight sides, about 2.5 to 3 inches high. The bottom of the pan can be removed from the sides when the clamp is released. )
• Hand Wisk or electric mixer
• Rolling pin
• Crust Ingredients
  1 cup graham cracker crumbs (Pulse whole Graham crackers in a food processor to make crumbs)*
  ¼ cup sugar
  ¼ cup butter, melted

• Cheese Filling
  8 ounces cream cheese, softened**
  2 eggs
  1 teaspoon of baking powder
  ¼ cup of milk
  1 cup confectioners’ sugar

Step 2: Preheat the oven

Preheat the oven to 350°F

Step 3: Make the Crust

Pour the melted butter and sugar over the graham cracker crumbs and mix them together well. Then use a roller and roll it flat. Butter an 8 inch baking pan and even out the crust mixture on the baking pan by pressing it down and to the sides to form the crust for the cheesecake.

Step 4: Bake the Crust

Bake the crust base in the oven at 350°F for about 10 minutes.

Step 5 : Make the Cheese Filling

Add the sugar to the cream cheese in a mixing bowl, then using a hand whisk or an electric mixer blend the ingredients together until the mixture is well combined. One at a time break the eggs into the mixing bowl and gradually stir them in.

Finally, add in the milk and baking powder and stir well.

Step 6: Add the cheese filling to the baking pan

Pour the mixture over the prepared crust and even it out by giving it a little shake.

Step 7: Bake

Place the tin in the center of the oven and bake the cheesecake for 60 minutes at 350°F.

Step 8: Remove from the oven and chill

Take the cheesecake out of the oven and place on a cooling rack to cool down gently (see tip below). Then put it in the fridge keeping it in its baking pan and let it chill overnight.

Tip – A well-baked cheesecake will be puffed around the edges. When shaken, about an inch in diameter in the center should jiggle like custard would. There should not be any wet or liquid spots in the center.

Step 9: Serve

Take the cheesecake out of the fridge and gently release from spring form pan. If you did not use a spring form pan run a knife around the edges to help release it. Then, gently ease it out. Slice it up with a warmed knife. You can warm the knife with hot water and dry it. Repeat each cut with warmed knife, and you will get a clean cut of cheesecake.

Optional cheesecake toppings

Cherry pie filling

Your favorite fresh fruit

Cooked Strawberry Topping: Using 1 pint of strawberries, cleaned and Stemmed, cut about 1/3 in half.  In a saucepan over medium high heat, combine strawberries, 1/3 cup sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. In a blender, puree about 1/3 of sauce, then mix back into remainder. Store in refrigerator until ready to serve, then pour over cheesecake.

*I have found that many graham crackers contain partially hydrogenated oils, to avoid this “ingredient” look for Health Valley or New Morning Brand Graham Crackers .Also, Arrowhead Mills makes a good quality pre made graham cracker pie crust.

**The cream cheese must be softened before mixing. If you cannot wait for it to soften at room temperature, you can soften the cream cheese in the microwave oven. Unwrap the cream cheese and scoop it out to a microwavable bowl. Microwave it on high temperature for 15 seconds. Add another 15 seconds for each additional bar of cream cheese.

One of my favorite roles in the kitchen is being the Blintz Queen. I can stand for hours pouring the batter and swirling it around the pan to coat the bottom, while watching it harden and form into a delicious crepe.

The beauty about making crepes is that it’s similar to making a sandwich, giving you the ability to add any filling your heart desires. In general I have a savory palate and when it comes to crepes I love anything from chicken with fried onion to a mushroom or potato filling or even the classic cheese blintz. But in my mind there is nothing like a crepe for dessert.

My Bobby used to put in fresh strawberries, while my husband is a fan of chocolate with ice cream. My personal favorite is raspberry jam, with crushed nuts and vanilla ice cream on the side.  The recipe below is so versatile it can be used for a dessert, side dish or even an appetizer on Yom Tov.  Here is my step by step guide to becoming a Blintz Queen just like me.

They key to a great crepe/blintz batter is letting the mixture stand and thicken in the bowl after you mix it.  The gluten in the flour stretches and makes a nice thick batter.  Make sure you continue to swirl the batter while making crepes as some of the flour will sink to the bottom.

Get all your ingredients ready to go to into the food processor.

• 3 eggs
• 1-cup flour
• 11/2 cups water
• 1-teaspoon oil
• ½ teaspoon salt

Mix in the food processor and let stand for 15 minutes.

Then the real trick is using a great crepe pan.  I bought mine years ago at Bed Bath and Beyond.  It is about 8 inches and the company is Berndes.

I am gently oiling my pan with some canola oil and then wiping it down with some paper towel.  Only use a minimal amount of oil.  Take a ¼ cup of the batter and pour into the pan.  Swirl the pan to get it to cover the bottom.

Cook the crepe in the pan on medium low and watch the batter harden to form a crepe. Set aside on large plate layering one on top of the other.  Repeat until the batter is done – yield about 8 crepes.

Prepare filling of choice.  Get the kids in on the action, let them choose and roll their own.  Here is my step by step guide to get your rolling perfect Crepes.

1.Place desired amount of cheese on bottom third of crepe.

2.Roll up bottom half over the cheese mixture

3.Fold side over towards the center.

4.Then roll up. Perfect Blintzes Every Time!!

Here is my recipe for Cheese Blintzes.

Hi everyone, I am The Cheese Guy or some may say “The Cheese-y Guy. My trademark is high end, small batch, primarily handmade, artisanal cheeses – particularly organic, kosher and low-fat.  My cheeses are a blend of creativity and flavor – a colorful fusion of my Eastern European Jewish heritage, the ethnic Italian neighborhood that I grew up in and my proximity to Amish farm territory.   The Cheese Guy – Raising the “CHEESE-Y” to an Art.  We partner with small and family owned dairy farms in order to produce our extra creamy jacks, crumbled blues, local sharp cheddars, tangy goats and imported Italian and European specialty cheeses.  Some of our cheese wheels are naturally aged and washed with organic extra virgin olive oil by Brent, in our New York cheese cellar. This is done in order to give our cheese a complex flavor and sharpness usually found in European style cheeses. We are excited to be taking Kosher cheeses to entirely new heights.

I know fancy cheeses are new to many of you, so think of this as a cheat sheet to get you started.  Cheese is very subjective and some are an acquired taste, but I urge you to at least open your palate and give them a taste.  All The Cheese Guy cheeses are certified kosher, the ones listed here are all OU and many are Chalav Yisroel (check the packaging).

1.  Pecorino fresco al Pepe Nere

Fresh sheep’s milk cheese with black peppercorns, from Sicily. A mild, tangy and creamy table cheese with a bit of spice that does not overwhelm. Is perfectly suited to make Caccio e Peppe.  All natural, hormone and antibiotic free, gluten free.

2. Pecorino Romano

This pecorino is a hard cheese because it is aged over 2 years (unlike the one above).  Pecorino Romano is a fragrant, sheep’s milk cheese produced in Sardenia, Italy. Good for grating shaving on pasta, salads and for using in risotto dishes. All natural, gluten free and hormone free.

3. Smoked Scamorza – from Lazio region of Italy outside Rome.

It’s naturally low fat and low sodium.  Similar to mozzarella, Smoked Scamorza has a buttery and slightly more bitter flavor than mozzarella. It also has a firmer texture than mozzarella.  Its structure is typically in layers. Its taste is slightly sweet and savory.  It can be eaten either uncooked as it is, or cooked in various dishes to add flavor as it is good for melting. Slice it thinly with extra virgin olive oil and fresh herbs.

4. Blue cheese wedge

Handcrafted, “60 Days Aged” blue. Use as a topping on salads, in dressings and on gourmet cheese platters. Made along with 3rd generation Wisconsin Cheese makers.  Try this Vegetarian Cobb Salad.

5. Sharp cheddar

Aged over 6 months, sharp and creamy.  Using NY and Northeast local milk. All natural.  Our sharp cheddar is excellent with fresh fruit, and crackers. It pairs deliciously with red wine for an easy snack with company. With a sandwich and an apple, it’s a protein rich meal for your child’s sack lunch. Cold or melted, sharp cheddar becomes the key ingredient in burritos, pasta, and even on salads.

Now that you know a thing or two about cheese, let’s get cooking.

3 Cheese Pizza

Baked Pecorino Fresco

Cheese Omelet with Horseradish

This list is just the beginning, check out my site, TheCheeseGuy.com for all our cheese offerings and where to buy it for yourself. 

The extra credit question on my first ever chemistry test in high school was, “what household object is the chemical compound NaCl?”

Any takers?

That’s right, it’s salt! Salt is a crystallized mineral composed mainly of sodium chloride. In the kitchen, cooks use salt to bring the flavor out in dishes, as well as to preserve food, particularly meat and fish. There are a variety of salts in the universe, many of which you can find in your local supermarket or gourmet cooking stores.

Today at the house of the family I babysit, the mother was trying to impress on me that I should invest in Fleur de Sel French Sea Salt from Williams and Sonoma, which she swears by. One inhalation and I realized how powerful salt other than Morton’s can be. Here is a guideline of different salts and their common uses.

Note: I am not including sour salt in this list because it is not actually salt—it is derived from citric acid of acidic fruits like lemons and oranges, and adds a zesty flavor to dishes.

Table Salt: The girl with the yellow dress and umbrella adorns the famous Morton table salt container, which contains Iodine, an essential element to your daily diet. This salt is most commonly found on tables to add flavor to dishes in a pinch. Be careful when cooking to see what kind of salt the recipe calls for. One teaspoon of table salt is very different from 1 teaspoon of Kosher salt, as it is much more concentrated and too much of it has the potential to ruin your dish.

Kosher Salt: Typically additive-free, this salt has a much larger grain size than table salt. The large flakey salt is typically used to remove blood from meats to make them Kosher, which is why it has its name. Kosher salt doesn’t permeate foods as easily because of its shape. My favorite use is for making a simple seasoning for grilled meat, like London broil.

Pickling Salt: Has the same fine-grained texture as table salt, but with no additives, which makes it useful in pickling foods.

Sea Salt: The salt distilled from seawater can be fine-grained or coarse. Because it comes from the ocean, it contains trace minerals, which some claim make it “healthier.” It has a distinct strong taste that differentiates it from table or kosher salt. Use when looking to liven up dishes with a flavor that makes people say, “I wonder what that ocean flavor is…”

Smoked Salt: The method of smoking salt over a wood flame imparts a strong, smokey flavor that makes it a great salt for hearty vegetables like potatoes and corn.

Himalayan Salt: This is believed to be one of the purest salts available because it is hand-mined from ancient sea salt deposits in Pakistan. It usually comes in a hard, slab form, from white to deep red, and retains its temperature for an extended period of time. You may recognize Himalayan salt from Iron Chef America, where it has been used as a base for cooking fish to impart a natural, salty flavor.

Flake Salt: This comes from evaporating brine, and produces crystals of varying shapes and sizes. It has lower trace minerals and additives than other salts, and is perfect for adding a delicate crunch to salads.

Finals time is filled with anxiety over work, which creates a horrible anxiety about food. When am I going to eat, where will I go to eat, how long do I have to eat? Since most people will try to eat in as little time as they can, why not make something that will be delicious for every bite through the 3 minutes of eating it: the final grilled cheese.

Ingredients

2 slices bread

2-3 slices American cheese

1 thin slice of beefsteak tomato

2 teaspoons salted butter, separated

Instructions

1. Place frying pan over medium heat.
2. Assemble grilled cheese sandwich: bread, cheese, tomato, cheese, bread.
3. Once pan is hot, add 1 teaspoon butter. Swirl to coat bottom of pan.
4. Place grilled cheese in pan. Place lid for the pan (or a heat-proof plate) over pan. This will help melt the cheese quicker so that you don’t need to burn the bottom of the sandwich.
5. After 1 ½ minutes, check bottom of sandwich for color. Once golden brown, remove with a spatula. (I usually keep the sandwich dangling on the spatula for the next quick move.)
6. Add remaining teaspoon of butter, allowing to melt. Place sandwich back in pan, uncooked side down. Allow to cook until bottom is golden brown and cheese is melted, 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat.
7. Slice diagonally, and enjoy!

For a quick, balanced lunch, heat 1 cup of Trader Joe’s tomato soup in microwave. You can wrap the grilled cheese in foil or parchment paper, and drink the soup in a to-go coffee cup. Quick and delicious!

If you want an alternative sandwich, try using this method with slices of goat cheese and thinly sliced pear; shredded mozzarella and cheddar with salsa; or a simple toasted cream cheese and jelly.

How do you make your grilled cheese?

Blanching and shocking are exactly what they sound like! The technique is essential to properly cooking vegetables, ahead of serving, to a desired doneness, allowing you to reapply heat at the time you want to serve them. It is also a great way of keeping your vegetables longer so they don’t spoil or discolor. The technique works so well you can prepare tender vegetables several hours or even days ahead and then briefly sauté them, toss in a warm sauce or add to a roasted dish.

In the case of green vegetables the chlorophyll is released as a gas in the cells of the vegetable during the blanching process. In the shocking process the gas is trapped in those cells and stays there giving the vegetable its bright color. If you do not shock the vegetable the cooking process will continue even after you remove it from heat and will turn it an unappealing khaki grayish color.

To properly blanch and shock vegetables, prepare a large pot of boiling salted water.

Also prepare a large bowl of ice water with a large strainer that fits into the bowl.

Clean your vegetables and trim to the desired shape and size and place in the pot of boiling water. For the average sugar snap pea or haricot vert the amount of time blanching may be as little as 1 minute. Remove the vegetables from the boiling water and place in a strainer in ice water and allow to thoroughly chill without soaking. Remove the strainer and place the vegetables on a separate plate or bowl to dry.

By using the strainer you can blanch and shock the vegetables in batches without having to change and re-heat the water each time. This is a great process to use for a variety of vegetables that require different amounts of time to cook. Start with the lightest color vegetable first and then proceed to the darker vegetables.

I originally wanted to create quick, healthy recipes you can make during finals season (or taxes, or if you have a presentation at work to give, etc.), until I realized that no one can bring himself or herself to prepare a meal when they feel so overwhelmed with work! So here are my tips for how to survive periods of sheer stress:

Stay hydrated. Without a doubt, the most important thing to do to keep you going is to drink water. Sugary drinks can give you a quick boost but then make you crash, and too much caffeinated coffee will cause you to depend on it, and crash when you don’t have it. Having enough water in your body helps flush out toxins and waste, which prevents your heart from working too hard to pump oxygenated blood to all of the cells in your body (which will leave you feeling tired). Especially during a time when people eat unhealthy fast foods like fattening sandwiches and candy bars that you can eat on the go, water flushes out the by-products of fat breakdown, which will both help you lose weight AND keep you going throughout the day. Additionally, your brain is mostly MADE of water, so it’s important to keep your brain full when you need it most! Water also helps prevent disease and the flu, which is incredibly important during a time when one can simply NOT afford to get sick. Trust me: I had to take finals after summer break due to a health emergency—you do not want to get sick!

Always have a snack handy. As a professional hoarder, I always have a surplus of “points” to spend in the various on-campus dining halls at the end of the semester. Use these to pick up healthy snacks, like Sabra’s pre-packaged pretzels with hummus, Nutrigrain bars, and trail mix. And if not, buy a box of granola bars and hand-held fruit like apples and bananas to last you for a week. This way, even if you are in a panic, there is something in your bag to keep you going, so you won’t be left to grab the first unhealthy thing you see. I usually study in my school’s Hillel building, which provides tea and snacks like granola bars and cereal during reading week. My periodic snack breaks keep me focused during my study-streaks.

Set times to eat. If you have already decided when you sit down in the library at 9:30 am that you will go to lunch at 12:45 pm, the deadline will (a) give you motivation to work diligently until that time and (b) ensure that you don’t skip a meal. Skipping a meal will slow down your metabolism, which makes your body slow down as well. When I hear people complain that they worked right through lunch and they’re “STARVINGGGGGG,” I feel very little pity because or admiration for how hard they worked. In the long run, treating your body well is more important than making a martyr of yourself. You can use your lunch and dinner times as an opportunity to spend time with someone one last time before the semester ends, have a study date, or just relax by yourself.

Eat foods with the vitamins you need. Oranges for Vitamin C, eggs for Vitamin B, broccoli or hamburgers for Iron, and milk for Vitamin D. Having the essential vitamins and minerals will keep your body going when you most need it.

Get some sunshine. Besides from providing you with Vitamin D, fresh air and sun will help clear your mind and boost your positive thinking. It’s also very important to get a change of scenery every once in a while so that you don’t get “textbook hypnosis,” my diagnosis for the condition in which you read the same paragraph over and over again without remembering or digesting any of it. And of course, you should enjoy the Spring weather!

Sources:

http://www.mangosteen-natural-remedies.com/benefits-of-drinking-water.html

http://www.vitamin-insight.com/basics/daily-intake-chart.aspx

View my Kosher Beef Guide for a better understanding of the Kosher Forequarter.

Today, we are focusing on ground beef, which can come from the Chuck section or the Neck. We’ll talk about Chuck some other time.

NECK OF BEEF

Although very tasty, the meat in the neck is made up mostly of connective tissue and bone.  It can either be cubed, minced or used to make stock.

GROUND BEEF/MINCED MEAT

Minced meat (ground beef) is one of my all-time favorites.  Whether it’s cottage or shepherd’s pie (flavored ground beef topped with a layer of mashed potato),  Chilli and tacos, fajitas, Chilli con carne, meat loaf, lasagne, stuffed cabbage, sloppy Joes, spaghetti bolognese, stuffed peppers or dumplings,  it is so versatile and there’s so much you can do with ground beef.

With the BBQ season approaching and to get things ‘rolling’ so to speak, I thought we should start off with Steakhouse Burger Patties.

Here are my tips for the perfect beef burger patties or meatballs.

• Fat – you need a bit of natural beef fat in the meat otherwise they will be as hard as rocks!  It also gives a lovely flavor.
• Ground beef goes bad very quickly, so if you’re not going to use it the same day, freeze it.
• To defrost, place the ground beef in the fridge as it must stay cold.
• Never defrost meat then refreeze it in its raw state.  Defrost it, cook it and then freeze it.
• Cooked ground beef actually lasts for about 4 or 5 days in the fridge.
• All meat shrinks in size when it is cooked and ground beef shrinks even more when it is cooked on a high temperature.
• Cooking ground beef at a moderate temperature will prevent extra shrinkage and retain the moisture.
• Overcooking causes moisture and fat to be drawn out of the meat, making it very dry and tasteless.

A beef patty recipe is probably the most discussed recipe around.   Why? Because people love sharing their secret ingredient for the perfect patty.   Whether it’s  grated apple, BBQ sauce, ketchup, paprika or mustard, everybody believes they have the best!   And why not?  That’s what eating is all about.  Some like it plain, some prefer spicy,  but if there’s one tip I can give for these steakhouse burgers,  it’s that you ask your butcher for a coarser texture than ‘normal’ ground beef.   I prefer mine minced on a  6.5 mm =  1/4 ” mincing plate.  This is the size most steakhouses prefer for their burgers.   A finer mince may cause your patty to be too compact and firm and the coarser mince helps to aerate the beef patty and give it that steakhouse feel!

When combining the ingredients together to form the patties, do it without too much fuss and keep mixing to a minimum.  The best burgers are those that come straight off the grill onto the bun and therefore, partially cooking them and reheating them later, isn’t a good idea!

Another great ground beef recipe is when it is turned into Italian Beef Tomato Sauce.

Click here for a large image of the the kosher forequarter

Who says we were dealt a lousy hand?  Who says the inferior cuts are on the forequarter?  There’s no downside to any cut on the forequarter.  The same nutrients are available from both ends.  We can’t change the hand we were dealt, but we can certainly change the way we play it.  Let’s raise the odds, take the pot and start cooking!  Remember, the “steaks” don’t have to be high, just tender.

Braised Lamb Shanks

Braising

Most beef cuts are made up of muscle tissue. As we know from the gym, the more a muscle is used the stronger/tougher it becomes.  Frequently used muscles like in the leg and shoulder, need to be cooked over a longer period, either by braising (browning the meat first then adding a little liquid and cooking it for a long time) or boiling.

Dry Roast Beef

Dry Roasting

Cuts such as Scotch fillet and side bolo are not exercised as much, so until their personal trainers get involved, dry roasting is the best method of cooking for these cuts.

Besides being delicious, meat has a high nutritional value and no other food group is as good a source of protein.  Understanding the different cuts of beef can be confusing.  Not only do they have different names in different countries, but the butcher around the corner will call his cut by a different name, too!

Buy The Cow

The forequarter is divided into the chuck, rib, foreshank, brisket and plate.  The most economical way of buying beef or lamb is purchasing the whole forequarter and having your butcher cut it into the various cuts to suit your needs.

Every month I will be talking about a different kosher cut of beef and give you recipes and tips on how to cook it.  Check back regularly in The Kosher Beef Guide.

Please comment with any questions you may have, I’m the Kosher Butcher’s Wife and I love to help.

Nowadays, everything from rice bran to coconut oil line grocery store shelves.  All of these foods are spouting various health claims.  Should you switch? Reading this information will help you decide what is right for you and your family.  It’s important to know which oil you can safely incorporate into your family’s food plan.   It’s important to educate yourself on all the varieties of oil out there on the market.

 RICE BRAN OIL:

This neutral-flavored oil has a fairly even ratio of poly- and monounsaturated and saturated fats, and has been used in some restaurants in place of trans fat-loaded partially hydrogenated oils to fry foods. Rice bran oil contains a higher level of the antioxidant tocotrienol, a form of vitamin E claimed (but not proven) to prevent some cancers and lower cholesterol.

COCONUT OIL

Refined or hydrogenated coconut oil used in processed foods like baked goods, nondairy creamers and movie theater popcorn because of its neutral flavor and relatively long shelf life.  Since it’s a whopping 91 percent saturated fat, its best use may be outside the kitchen—as a skin moisturizer!

CANOLA OIL

Also a great source of monounsaturated fats and among the lowest in saturated fat. canola oil is your best choice for a multipurpose oil for frying, sauteing. baking and marinades. Both canola and light olive oils have indistinct flavors, but canola is higher in omega-3 fats, which protect against heart disease and autoimmune diseases.

PEANUT OIL

Slightly higher in saturated fat than canola and olive oils, refined peanut oil adds a mild nutty flavor to fried foods and is safe for people with peanut allergies.  It’s a good choice for frying because it can stand up to high heat.  More intensely flavored roasted peanut oil is best used to add flavor to Southeast Asian dishes or drizzled over grilled fish and vegetables.

SESAME OIL

Traditionally used in Asian and Indian cuisines, sesame oils are low in saturated fat. Nutty in flavor, light sesame oil is used primarily for stir-frying. Dark sesame oil has a rich, bold taste so it’s used in smaller quantities to add classic Chinese take-out flavor to your dishes.

OLIVE OIL

Rich in cholesterol-lowering monounsaturated fats, extra virgin olive oil is fruity and tangy—save it for drizzling over soups, pastas, salads and toasted bread. “Light” olive is lighter in flavor and color (not in calories or fat); “‘pure” is typically a blend of refined olive’ oil and virgin..  Use these milder versions for grilling, roasting and sauteing.

VEGETABLE OIL

Usually a blend of corn, soybean and/or sunflower oils, this neutral-flavored oil is a rich source of polyunsaturated fats.   A good multitasker in the kitchen, vegetable oil is a decent backup choice to omega-3-rich canola oil.

FAT FACT:  Limit your daily fat intake to about 400 calories—a little more than three tablespoons of cooking oil.

I stopped using mayonnaise awhile ago as an ingredient in my fish recipes.  I substituted extra virgin olive oil with delicious results! Try this yummy Flax-Breaded Flounder recipe and see for yourself!

Although it’s taken me almost two whole years of college to figure out how to eat properly, while managing my budget, and not spending all day in the kitchen, I think I have finally figured out a few grocery shopping tips so you (and I) can eat healthfully and deliciously.

Canned goods. This sounds like something a 1950’s housewife would say, but canned goods are such a cheap and time-saving way to eat! Canned beans, for example, save you over eight hours of preparation, and are often on sale. There are low-sodium options of almost everything that comes in a can, and you can cut out up to 90% of the sodium in canned vegetables by rinsing them. They’re great for quick salads and soups, and you can store them in your fridge in a plastic container for up to seven days before they go bad.

White Bean Soup with Lemon and Garlic Cornbread

Fresh whole vegetables. My mom has trained me not to fall for pre-washed, pre-cut lettuce.  As tempting as it is to save that time, you often pay more than 3 times as much for prepared fresh vegetables than getting them in their natural form, with their cores intact. Buy fresh vegetables on Sunday morning, like celery, lettuce, and carrots, spend a half hour trimming and cleaning them, and then wrap in a damp paper towel and keep in the fridge in a plastic bag until Shabbat. This way, when you are hungry but don’t want to spend a long time preparing a meal, you won’t have to!

Eggs. Nutritious, delicious, and extremely versatile, you can do almost anything with eggs. Have them scrambled, over-easy, in a frittata, fried and placed on top of a hamburger, or my favorite, in an omelet with any vegetables that you [already have] prepared in your fridge. Alongside toast, eggs can constitute any of your three daily meals or snacks.

Buy in bulk when you can. Buying a box of twelve apples from Costco is the same price as five apples at the grocery store near me. Whenever I’m home, I go shopping in my mom’s fridge and pantry, because it’s much cheaper for her to replace those staples from big supermarkets than for me to buy them for myself in the city.

Know your nutrition. It’s easy to see the bin of Popchips by the checkout counter and think, “hmm…cheap and not unhealthy—sure!” But those $0.99 would be better spent on an orange, which is more natural, filling, and essential in your diet. Know what foods you need to eat regularly, such as fruits, vegetables, grains, dairy, and protein. Keep boxes of brown rice and whole grain pasta handy for easy, filling carb dishes. Only deviate from those grocery staples for special occasions, or when you are in a real time crunch and need to eat a Luna bar on the go instead of a homemade Panini or salad.

Honey Baked Salmon on a Cedar Plank

And just for fun, here are some of my go-to foods, for which I [almost] always have the ingredients handy:

Onion soup. Along with all other soups, onion soup is the cheapest way to eat. Water: free; onions: $0.69/pound; bread: $2.50/loaf; mozzarella cheese: $8.50/pound. It lasts for so long, and the more you heat the pot of soup, the more flavorful it gets!

Tuna melt. I always have high-fiber tortilla wraps in the fridge, as well as cans upon cans of tuna. Throw in the mozzarella cheese left over from yesterday’s onion soup and the vegetables you already washed in your fridge, and you have a delicious gooey melt on your hands. You can use tortilla wraps, bread, pita, challah—any carb you want!

Potatoes and cheese. Clean potato, cook in microwave for 5 minutes, slice, sprinkle with cheese, nuke 30 more seconds—YUM! Potatoes are healthy carbs with lots of fiber, and their mild flavor can stand up to a lot of accompaniments. Throw on some scallions, or beans, and you have a quick and colorful dinner.

Here are some of my favorite of Jamie’s Quick and Kosher recipes!

White Bean Soup with Lemon and Garlic Cornbread

Honey Baked Salmon

Main Image – Tropical Chicken Burritos

I’m the kind of girl who loves nothing more than closing the windows and turning off the vents when I’m sauteing garlic and onions so that I can sit in its aroma and walk around with it all day smelling like fresh cooking. However, some people (read: my mom) can’t stand it, and want the house to smell of nature and baked goods. Since that opinion wins out, here’s a list of foods that will make your house smell great.

1)     Fresh-baked cookies. I remember coming home from school during the winter to the smell of my mom baking Pillsbury’s slice-and-bake cookies. There was nothing more enticing or welcoming for me to come join the fun in the kitchen then those sweet and sumptuous decorated treats. A lot of realtors will actually bake chocolate chip cookies the day of an open house to make the house smell delicious and welcoming. Try it!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Pumpkin Cookies

Sugar Cookies

Pull Apart Challah

2)     BREAD. This is even more incentive to bake your own challah for Shabbat—it fills your house with that warm, slightly yeasty scent that will make you feel like you’re in France.

Mexican Bread Challah

Wheat and Rye Bread

Lemon Yogurt Pie

3)     Lemons. Many cleaning products are lemon-scented, so use the real thing. Keeping a bowl of lemons out on your counter is not only aesthetically pleasing, but it will inspire you to use them, which will make your house smell great. The smell comes mostly from the zest so try zesting half a lemon if your kitchen is a little stinky!

Lemon Yogurt Cookies

Lemon Mousse

Lemon Bars

4)     Scented Candles. OK, so this isn’t a food—but it pretends to be! My apartment happens to smell like a shoe, so I always keep a scented candle next to my bed, either vanilla or pumpkin. It makes me feel festive and is useful for eliminating other odors.

5)     Caramel. By caramel, I don’t mean a bowl of Werther’s hard candies, but making your own caramel. Try making candied nuts for a salad, or if you’re feeling adventurous, spinning sugar to make authentic “cotton candy.”

Caramel Nut Corn

Sweet and Spicy Pecans

Vanilla Almond Caramels with Sea Salt

The seder plate contains 6 symbolic foods: maror (bitter herb), charoset, chazeret (“lettuce”), karpas (vegetable), z’roa (shank bone), and beitzah (egg). The egg is
unique because to me, it is the most far removed from exact events that happened during the time of the exodus. The egg is on the plate to commemorate the festival
sacrifice that was brought to the Temple in Jerusalem, and roasted and eaten as part of the meal on Passover night. However, the symbolism of the egg is deeper than just
this.

An egg is the first food a mourner eats when he or she returns from a funeral, which is why it is brought for the festival offering instead of meat. This is to evoke the
idea of mourning over the loss of the Temple. The reason that the egg is a symbol of mourning is that it is a round food, which symbolizes the circle of life.

Additionally, eggs are the only food which get harder the longer they are cooked. So too, the Jewish people get “harder,” or stronger, the longer that we are oppressed.
We eat the egg to remind us that although we went through a hard time in Egypt, and continue to go through hard times, with the destruction of the Temples, the
Holocaust, and rampant anti-Semitism, this emotional and mental “cooking” only makes us stronger, harder, and more united.

Here I have developed a few special hard boiled egg recipes based on my favorite flavor combinations for omelets. While the recipe for “9 eggs” might seem weird, it has always worked for me. You hard boil 1 dozen, use 1 egg to test if the batch is done, and in the process of peeling and cutting the eggs, you usually sacrifice 1 or 2.

Deviled eggs are one of those foods that is so daunting to make, yet so simple, delicious, and impressive for guests. I had never made them until this summer, and although it was a bit time consuming, all of the steps were simple, and the satisfaction I got from my guests “Mmmmmm”’s while they closed their eyes eating the hard boiled delicacies made it well worth the effort.

Horseradish Deviled Eggs

Roasted Red Pepper and Pesto Deviled Eggs

and You can use this dairy recipe with the eggs that did not make it onto the seder plate, and serve them at yuntif lunch (my family usually goes dairy to lighten
things up).

Parmesan Chive Deviled Eggs

A few notes about eggs:

1.     Old eggs work better for hard-boiling. I know that the idea of using anything “old” is unappealing, but they work much better!

2.     With only 70 calories per egg and often costing around $1.60 a dozen, eggs are an incredibly healthy and inexpensive source of protein. I know people who eat 5 eggs a day! Just try to keep a window open when you cook them.

3.     Eggs have a plethora of health benefits that you can find here: http://www.healthdiaries.com/eatthis/10-health-benefits-of-eggs.html

4.     When making deviled eggs, TASTE the yolk mixture before you put it in the egg. I once mis-read a recipe and added 3 times the amount of salt into the yolk mixture by accident. Since I didn’t taste the eggs until after I had made all 42 deviled eggs, I didn’t have time to remedy this. Had I tasted the mixture, I would have simply added mayonnaise to make it palatable.

It’s THAT time of year again! I have been hearing that expression for well over two months before Purim!?!

What is it about Pesach that causes fear in the hearts of all the homemakers of Frum households? Cleaning our homes to ‘Chometz-free’ perfection is a Herculean task! We all do accomplish this feat by the time Bedikas Chometz rolls around! Hopefully, our families pitch in and jobs are assigned so everyone feels like they did their share in the mitzvah of preparing and helping our parents welcome Pesach.

There is no greater time of the year when we consume more eggs than Pesach! We can try and eliminate the cholesterol containing “yolk” when possible, but what do we do when we need to add raw eggs to our recipes?

Just follow these easy instructions and you can now try every new recipe that comes your way with confidence!

1.   Buy refrigerated grade A or AA eggs with clean, uncracked shells. Discard any that crack on the way home.
2.  Keep eggs refrigerated at 40 degrees F or below in their cartons on a middle shelf in the refrigerator, not on the door. Tupperware sells a great airtight storage container that stores 18 eggs.
3.  Use a clean utensil to remove any shell pieces which fall into the eggs when cracking them open.
4.  Cook basic egg dishes until the whites are set and the yolks begin to thicken; they don’t have to be hard.
5.  Cook scrambled eggs, omelets and frittatas until there is no visible liquid egg remaining.
6.  Cook other dishes like French toast and sandwiches, pasta dishes, quiches, matzoh brei and casseroles until they’re done at the center (160 degrees F).
7.  Cook the eggs or use a pasteurized egg product when making eggnog, ice cream, Hollandaise sauce and other recipe calling for raw eggs.
8.  Keep eggs and egg dishes in the refrigerator as much as possible, allowing no more then 2 hours at room temperature for preparing and serving.
9.  Divide leftovers into several small containers and refrigerate right after a meal so they’ll cool quickly.
10. Wash hands, utensils, equipment and work surfaces with hot soapy water before and after preparing eggs and all other foods.

Here is how to cook the eggs for a recipe where you don’t want to taste the egg

YOLKS:
In heavy saucepan, stir together egg yolks and liquid from recipe (at least 2 TBS. liquid per yolk). Cook over very low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture coats a metal spoon with a thin film, bubbles at the edge or reaches 160 degrees F. Cool quickly and proceed with recipe.
WHITES:
In heavy saucepan or double boiler, stir together egg whites and sugar from recipe (at least 2 TBS. sugar per whites), water (1 tsp. per white) and cream of tartar (1/8 tsp. per each 2 whites). Cook over low heat, beating with portable mixer at low speed until whites reach 160 degrees F. Pour into large bowl. Beat on high speed until whites stand in soft peaks.

Use your eggs safely in recipes like my Club Matzoh Balls for those who eat Gebrukts.  My Potato Chips Cutlets is also a favorite.   I’ve had many people tell me they enjoy this recipe all year ‘round!  They can both be found in my book, Not Just a Cookbook.  My book features food around the year by month. Before each month there are humorous anecdotes of experiences I’ve had while selling Tupperware for over 30 years!

Have a Chag Kosher V’Sameach!

If any of you had read my Common-App essay (the essay you use when applying to college), you would know that I have been cooking since I was in fifth grade. Among the first things I tried to create were matzah balls. Those heavenly bites of salty, schmaltzy, fluffy goodness were what I so looked forward to whenever my mom made chicken soup. However, we always used a boxed matzah ball mix. I never had any problem with this; I didn’t know any better! While Allon Beck refers to matzah balls from a mix as, “pasty, tasteless, mushy balls of evil,” I never had a problem with them. Perhaps my standards for Jewish food were too low, but gorging on leftover matzah balls from a mix is my most anticipated Passover activity. They’re salty, squishy, and carby, but in the perfect portion size to have either one or five, depending on my mood. They’re an ideal snack for me because as long as I don’t have too many, they’re not that high in fat or calories (although they have almost no nutritional benefit to them).

One problem I always had with my matzah balls was the consistency. Since everyone in my extended family always thought of me as “the cook” (and since I was the only kid who would go near the kitchen, they always felt the need to taste and applaud what I cooked), my family members would eat ANYTHING I made and throw an endless stream of compliments at me. I thought I was the perfect cook.

That was until I tried my friend’s mother’s matzah balls. It was then that I was finally put in my place. While my matzah balls were always missing that extra something, and always slightly less fluffy than I wanted, with a tiny dense, undercooked center, these matzah balls were perfectly round, fluffy, and had an even consistency throughout. What was I doing wrong?

After scouring the internet and JSTOR for information on matzah balls, I have compiled a list of techniques/tricks to ensure the fluffiest matzah balls possible. But don’t fret: there’s nothing wrong with using matzah balls from a mix or choosing to make hard dense matzah balls some people prefer.

 1.     Get as much air incorporated as possible. When making chocolate mousse, you know you don’t want to get rid of any air you incorporate in the process. This is why you fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture. So to with matzah balls: after preparing the matzah meal base, you want to fold in whatever you are adding, instead of just mixing it in. Folding in ingredients maintains the air you have already incorporated. The last thing you want is a dense, lifeless batter.

2.     Embrace egg whites and club soda. Egg whites, when whipped, keep a lot of air, which contribute a fluffiness to whatever you are cooking/baking. The same thing goes with club soda—it is literally water with carbon dioxide. Look for recipes that incorporate either club soda and/or egg whites for the extra fluffiness.

3.     Don’t peak. As a young cook, I had almost no patience and couldn’t wait for whatever I was cooking to be ready for ogling and tasting. However, just as you wouldn’t dare open the oven when baking a soufflé, you cannot open the pot while cooking matzah balls. The matzah balls likely won’t reach fluffy-mediocrity until after 30 minutes, so give it at least 40 minutes before opening that lid.

4.     Test for doneness. While I am all for being economical, I have also learned to appreciate the art of trial and error. Just like eggs, it is better to make more matzah balls than you need so that you can test them before removing from heat. When you think a matzah ball might be done, take it out of the boiling water, and cut it in half with a sharp knife. The matzah balls are ready when the consistency and color are the same throughout.

5.     Oil your hands!!!! I don’t know which nutrition-obsessed TV chef personalities I watched made me so afraid of using oil when I was younger, but shame on them! While it is important to keep track of how much fat you are using, you can NEVER skimp on fat when you are using it to prevent messes. Would you not grease a cake pan because it made add 5 more calories per serving? Of course not! So for matzah balls, either oil (or wet) your hands before beginning to roll, otherwise the shape will be off and half of the batter will end up on your hands.

6.     Less is more. For lighter matzah balls, aim for recipes with less oil, and cook in a LOT of salted boiling water at a lower temperature for an extended period of time. The results are well worth your while.

7.     Banish your NaCl phobia. My mom’s perpetual shyness with salt continues to infuriate me to this day. A good matzah ball is worth the extra 60 mg of sodium! Properly salt the water in which you will boil your matzah balls prior to cooking. It infuses the matzah ball with salty goodness.

I hope these tips help you make matzah balls better than 5^th grade Jess…just don’t outdo 21-year-old Jess!

Here are a few matzo ball recipes for you to try and please make sure to share any of your tried and true tips with us.

http://www.joyofkosher.com/recipe/carrot-dill-matzah-balls/

http://www.joyofkosher.com/recipe/herbed-matzo-ball-soup/

http://www.joyofkosher.com/recipe/whole-wheat-spinach-matzo-balls/

http://www.joyofkosher.com/recipe/matzah-balls-kneidlach/

Pesach is a time of the year that we use lots of varieties of nuts.  Walnuts are amongst the most favorite type used. High in protein and “good” monounsaturated fat, walnuts add a satisfying crunch to many meals and snacks.  Walnuts are not only rich in flavor, but they also offer valuable health benefits.

When substituted for saturated fat in the diet, walnuts can help lower total cholesterol as well as bad (LDL) cholesterol without affecting levels of good (HDL) cholesterol. Unlike other nuts, walnuts are high in alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), an omega-3 fat that has been shown to have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and to help keep triglycerides, the bad fat associated with prediabetes, under control. Moreover, walnuts are recommended in moderation on every Phase of the South Beach Diet.

Types of Walnuts: While there are three varieties of walnuts, you’re most likely to find English walnuts in your supermarket. Black walnuts are less common but can
be found in specialty stores, while butternut, or white walnuts, are very hard to find in the marketplace.

Choosing Walnuts: When buying walnuts in the shell, look for those with undamaged shells. Shake the nuts if you can: If the nuts feel extra light or rattle when shaken, they may be dried out inside. If you’re buying shelled walnuts, look for a freshness date on the package. Only buy nuts in bulk if you know the store has a high turnover rate.

Storing Walnuts: Walnuts are perishable and will spoil over time — particularly if they’re exposed to heat, humidity, and light. To prevent nuts from spoiling, keep them in a cool, dry place. Walnuts left in their shells will stay fresh for about six months. Eat shelled nuts within four months. If you want to keep your nuts for a longer period of time, store them in the freezer for up to one year in a Tupperware freezer container.

Enjoying Walnuts: Add some chopped walnuts to salads and dips, or enjoy them whole as a satisfying and tasty snack. Also look for walnuts in whole-grain breads at the supermarket. Try to stick to a daily allotment of 15 — eating more may undermine weight-loss efforts.

For me, personally, Pesach is especially a difficult time. My Mother, Ethel Schwartz, A”H, was niftar the last day of Pesach eight years ago.  Bubie Ethel was a very special woman. She was a one woman Chesed machine!  She outfitted needy Kallah’s AND Chassanim, for their weddings! She was a baby nurse, par excellence, who helped new Mothers with their infants. I still hear warm stories of her services, from people I meet. I have written about her previously, in another publication to give tribute to her memory. She was a true Aishis Chayil to my illustrious Father, Rabbi Yisroel Yonah Schwartz, Z”L. We all miss them both, dearly!

I wish you all many years of having your parents, and loved ones, with you by your side, throughout the years, and joining in family simchas, fun activities, and many holiday meals. Cherish it!

I am also offering my recipe for Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars. I often bake double or triple the recipe to avoid running out of them over Yom Tov!

Chag Kosher V’Sameach!

Week one of preparation for this epic holiday wasn’t so bad, was it?

Now that we are organized we can move on to taking on tasks for Passover. It’s time to order the meat. Now, you don’t have to have your menus prepared to know exactly what you need – sometimes you need to buy the meat and poultry that’s available, and work your menu around that. But buy now – by next week EVERYONE else will be stocking up and the selection will be much smaller. If you plan on using Gefilte Fish frozen loaves – get those now too. You don’t want to be scrambling at the last minute.

You know you are going to have 20 guests for each seder, and 10 at least for each meal. You will need chicken for the soup, chicken or brisket for the Seder, some meatballs for a meal or two, maybe even a turkey or some Cornish hens. Figure out how many people you have to serve for each meal and make your calculations accordingly. Generally I plan on one to two pieces of chicken per person per meal, and with a brisket type dish about 1/3 to 1/2 lb per person – remember, meat “shrinks” while cooking. If you are serving more than one meat dish at a meal, figure your serving sizes are a little smaller.

ACTION: Run into the Passover section of your grocery store and pick up some Kosher for Passover snacks for the kids – that way you won’t be chasing after them with the dustbuster all day long. Let them snack happy.

DINNER TONIGHT: This week we are going to try to start using up our pasta and our rice before the holiday. Tonight’s dinner is Salmon and Pea Rotini - but you can use any shape pasta in your pantry.

Many Pesach recipes call for the zest of citrus fruits. But if you’re a cooking newbie, you may not be familiar with this food preparation technique. Zest is the colorful, outermost rind of fruits like lemons and limes), and oranges). Aromatic and tangy, it is a popular addition to both savory and sweet dishes.  Zest also makes an elegant garnish.

Here is my guide to zesting:

Zest from a citrus fruit can be removed with one of the following:

• a vegetable peeler
• a grater
• a zester
• a microplane

One of the best tools for creating fine zest is the Microplane zester/grater (which looks like a refashioned woodworking rasp). Buy one with a handle!

The smaller, more traditional handheld zester has five tiny holes in its metal end and creates small strips of the flavorful zest when pulled across the rind.

A box grater can be used to get either large strips or fine particles of zest, and a vegetable peeler or paring knife also gives you wider strips for garnishes.

The best tool to use will depend on the recipe you are making.

A few things to keep in mind when zesting citrus fruits:

• Avoid stripping off the white inner membrane (pith) along with the colorful rind. The pith is bitter and fairly inedible.
• Always remember to zest fruit before juicing it. It will be almost impossible to zest afterward.
• To get the best zest, buy fruit that is firm and brightly colored with no soft spots.
• Wash the fruit before zesting to remove any dirt and pesticides.
• Use zest immediately, since it will lose its flavor over time.

Bring on the zest!

As you Spring Clean Your Kitchen to get ready for Passover here are some tips to assist you with food storage safety.

The USDA has a Meat and Poultry Hotline that you may call anytime you have questions regarding your food.  Jot the number down for future use: 1-888-MPHOTLINE.

Food that doesn’t need to be refrigerated or frozen must still be stored with care. The following basic guidelines will help you keep your food supply safe.

• Store all canned food and other dry staples in a cool, clean, dry place. Do not place them in any place that is exposed to high or low temperature extremes.  Once you open a canned food and have some extra, store that food in the refrigerator in a Tupperware airtight container.
• In general, you can store high-acid food such as tomatoes and other fruit for 12 to 18 months; low-acid food such as meat and vegetables, 2 to 5 years.
• Discard cans that are dented, leaking, bulging, or rusted.  Can linings, might discolor or corrode when meat reacts with high-acid food such as tomatoes or pineapple.  The contents should be safe to eat as long as the outside of the can is in good shape.  Keep in mind, though, that the taste, texture, and nutritional value of the food can diminish over time.
• If you’re not sure how old a particular food is, or fear that it may not have been properly refrigerated or has been left out too long, don’t taste it!  Instead, remember the “golden rule” of food storage: ‘When in doubt, throw it out!”
• The same rule goes for food stored in Tupperware in the refrigerator.  Remember, Tupperware is not a “mausoleum”!  Your opened stored food has a shortened shelf life once opened; so use it as soon as you can.
• You can purchase labels from Tupperware that have space for the date you stored it and label the type of food in the container.  This helps you follow the rule of usage we recommend: “First food in, first food out!”
• The greatest danger in canned goods is a toxin produced by the Clostridium botulinum bacteria.  Never use food from containers that show possible “botulism” warnings:

1.  Leaking, bulging, or badly dented cans
2.  Cracked jars or jars with loose or bulging lids
3. Canned food with a foul odor
4. Any container that spurts liquid when opened.

     Play it safe and never taste it.  Even a tiny amount of botulinum toxin can be deadly.  Double bag these cans in plastic bags that are tightly closed.  Then place in a trash receptacle for non-recyclable trash outside of the home.  Keep out of reach of humans and pets.

The following chicken recipe is an old favorite of my family  from my cookbook, NOT JUST A COOKBOOK, for Potato Chip Chicken.   There is a complete PESACH section in my cookbook as well.  I have many customers who have told me they include many of my recipes in their Pesach menu.!

Bubbe, known for her cooking show and Feed Me Bubbe Cookbook shares age old tips for us all.

It is very helpful to check out the weekly flyers from the markets.  They always have specials in almost every department and generally it can help you plan your weekly meals plus saving money on some of the specials.  In addition, allow yourself time once a week to check out the newspaper for coupons.  Of course in today’s world of computers there is now an additional option of going online to the supermarket and even the company websites and apply for email newsletter where coupons can be sent to your email.  With all of these different methods you are sure to make a good home cooked meal at a good price.

Always go shopping with a list to avoid impulse buying.  Make believe you are paying rent for your kitchen storage space. Especially for items that you are not planning to use within the next 3 to 6 months and you can do without.  The supermarkets are not going out of business and the shelves are always restocked.  Why clutter your space with items you can do without and are not a necessity.  Limit your snacks by using what you have on the shelf first then you can try something different the next time.

Especially for today’s lifestyle it is very important to read the Nutrition Facts on every item.  It is best to start your eating habits while young and keep in mind important information that will help and protect your life for now and the future.  Salt (listed as sodium), sugar, fats, and carbohydrates are very important to be limited to create good balance health habits for you and your family.  If you have the opportunity check out your library at least for a one time reading related to nutrition.

There is no need to purchase frosting for cakes, a little powdered sugar can do just as well.  Somehow my mother knew about nutrition when I was growing up.  Our meals were so that we were not hungry and we had our cookies and a piece of cake without frosting but when we were hungry we didn’t eat potato chips and candy bars etc.  With freezers and microwaves today most of us can cook and prepare food and freeze ahead of time always ready for the time when we may need an immediate meal.

When it comes to shopping these tips help create a home filled with good meals and snacks.  It takes time to develop a habit.  Once a week plan your food shopping and basic preparation.  This will help you have a fulfilling, easy, and happy shopping experience.

For more from Bubbe go to FeedMeBubbe.com