Kosher Tips

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

One of my favorite ways to eat eggs is a perfect, single poached egg on soft whole grain or sourdough toast, sprinkled with salt. Simple yet elegant!  And if I’m feeling really decadent, I butter the toast. Delish!

I ordered exactly this the other day while catching up with friends over brunch… this sparked quite a controversy over how to poach eggs. The topic even in invoked out right panic in one of my girlfriends at the mere thought of attempting to poach an egg! So, I thought I’d show them and you, how I do it!

1)      Fill a large deep saucepan with 2 inches of water, add a generous sprinkling of course kosher salt and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium. When the water is barley simmering, break one egg into a small heatproof bowl.

2)      Give the water a little swirl with your spoon or spatula, the moving water will help hold the egg’s shape. (My mom would always use the handle of a wooden spoon.)

3)      Place the lip of the small heatproof bowl containing your egg into the water and gently tip it to slide the egg carefully into the pan.

4)    If necessary use a small spoon to “fold” the edges of the white over the egg, for a neater edge. Continue with remaining eggs. Cook until whites are just set and yolks are still soft 2-3 minutes. (Be sure each egg has sufficient space in the pan so that it does not contact its neighbors.)  Another option to get the perfect shape is to use a metal ring, it’s a food styling trick, or you can use a cookie cutter or even crack an egg into a metal spoon and submerge it into the  water and let it cook

5)      Using a slotted spoon or small mesh sieve remove your eggs and briefly rest on paper towels to drain.

6)      For an even prettier presentation you can carefully trim the edges of your poached egg with a knife.

If not serving immediately poached eggs will hold up well for up to 24 hours. To make ahead, immediately place in an ice water bath to stop the cooking, then transfer them to a bowl of cool water (it should just reach  the tops of the eggs). Place bowl in the refrigerator, covered.

To serve, re-heat in a pan of barely simmering water, gently add eggs and cook just until heated through, 30 to 45 seconds. Remove eggs and blot as directed.

This method works for me; I hope it works for you too. I don’t use vinegar, I simply never have, I know many people do, and not everybody swirls. I’m curious – what is your method for creating perfect poached eggs?

Now that you have your perfectly poached eggs, here are some ideas for serving them:

 Smoked Salmon Eggs Benedict

Poached Eggs with Apples

Poached Eggs with Tomato Cilantro Sauce

Frisee and Wild Mushrom Salad with Poached Egg

For our lesson on the Perfect Hard Cooked Eggs click here.

Images by ©doodlehedz photography.  Thank you to Chef Shaya, instructor at the JCC from At Your Palate, for stepping in to to cook for the photo shoot.

Xylitol, a natural sweetener used in sugar free gums and mints may prevent ear infections in healthy children.  Six of every 10 kids have ear infections in their first year of life.  The prevalence is not in question to those of with kids, but a way to prevent them would definitely be desirable.  Xylitol is used in chewing gum to prevent cavities and has been shown to have antibacterial properties.  Whether it is the xylitol inhibiting bacteria or the chewing action of the gum, it is an easy way to help ease our ear aches.

Source: Today’s Dietitian

*Chew On This is a weekly fun food fact. It will not always be about chewing gum.

I am sitting here at the computer with a large mug of tea. Being a transplanted Brit living in New York I miss the tea from back home – but currently am working my way through a stash of PG Tips teabags that my friend brought me a while back. When I don’t have access to a decent British tea, I use English Breakfast tea – but I use two teabags as American tea is not as strong.

Making a good cup of tea is actually not so simple. See, if you are truly British, you don’t just boil water, pour it over the tea, let it steep for a moment or two, sweeten and drink.

George Orwell had ELEVEN rules for making tea – however not everyone agrees with his rules. My comments in italics.

1. Use tea from India or Ceylon (Sri Lanka), not China. I agree on this one.
2. Use a teapot, preferably ceramic. Using a teapot for one cup of tea sounds like too much work but it does add to the experience.
3. Warm the teapot over direct heat. My grandma taught me to pour boiling water in to the teapot and swirl it around to warm the teapot. Do this to your teacup or mug too.
4. Tea should be strong – six spoons of leaves per liter of water. Hard to measure this when you use teabags but for the record this would make a very strong cuppa.
5. Let the leaves move around the pot – no bags or strainers. Loose tea, granted, is always best, but teabags are so much more convenient.
6. Take the teapot to the boiling kettle and fill with hot water.
7. Stir or shake the teapot.
8. Drink out of a tall, mug-shaped tea cup. I find I cannot drink tea out of a Styrofoam or disposable cup. It has to be my big huge ceramic mug. Otherwise it just doesn’t taste right!
9. Don’t add creamy milk. Agreed – you should use low fat milk.
10. Add milk to the tea, not vice versa. There are those that totally disagree and say the milk must be added to the cup first.
11. No sugar! Purists drink tea without sugar. I, however, am not such a purist, and need the sugar. My Russian great grandmother used to put the sugar cube in her teeth and sip the tea through it. I shudder to think what the dentist would say!

Some points to note:

It isn’t necessary to stick out the pinkie finger when drinking tea, however, one must never slurp! Adding the teabag to hot water already in a cup is a big no-no. It must be the other way around or you just won’t get the right taste. The tea must steep for at least two minutes in order for the flavor to develop. The teabag must be removed before the tea is sipped.

I am going to go and enjoy another cuppa, and maybe this time I will dunk a digestive biscuit into it. If I close my eyes I can almost imagine I am back in London.

Who said weekday dinners had to be boring? The way to keep them fresh and fun just requires a little preparation. Stock your kitchen with staples like whole-wheat pasta, organic fish, poultry, meats, and organic fruits and vegetables (go frozen if you can’t buy fresh). Then, either cook double on the weekends when you have time, so you don’t have to worry about your meals during the week, or use your slow cooker.

Freeze the food properly in Tupperware freezer containers so your foods will not develop “freezer burn”.  My DVD recipe organizer has a video demonstration with Freezer Tricks that will teach you how to do it correctly.

I have been a big advocate of freezing doubled meals ahead for many years.

Recently, I gave my Crockpot a second look while putting it away after using it for cholent for Shabbos.  I remembered an old recipe I had that is in my book, NOT JUST A COOKBOOK,  entitled Shipwreck Stew.  It was a delicious meal I prepared on those cold days when my children were much younger and my schedule was more hectic.  I would put all the recipe ingredients in the pot right after my children left for school. I would plug it in to cook for eight hours and forget about it!

No matter what kind of busy day I had, I knew I would have a nutritious meal ready for my “crew” that evening.  I could be involved in any myriad of school activities, or my Tupperware business, and not feel pressured to rush back home to cook supper.

I decided to try another recipe I had acquired using chicken, Lemon Herb Roasted Chicken. This time I tried using the Slow-cooker on HIGH which would cook the recipe in 4-5 hours.  It could also cook on LOW for 8-10 hours. I added sweet potatoes, halved. The recipe was delicious!

The entire house had the most wonderful aroma.  When a family member dropped by in the afternoon, he inquired what was I cooking that smelled so good? This recipe will now become my “go to” recipe when I have little time to prepare a meal.

I used a whole chicken, while only needing a half.  The next day, I used the cooked chicken in another recipe I would also like to share that one with you, Speedy Ziti with Zesty Chicken.  This flavorful pasta dish calls for cooked chicken you can make beforehand, so you can have dinner on the table in less than 30 minutes. Dijon mustard, onion, and parsley add a mouth-watering kick to easy-to-prep ziti so you and your family can look forward to a delicious meal in no time!  In lieu of cooking again, just cut up the cooked chicken, put it on top of a large fresh salad and enjoy!

There are several points to follow when using a slow cooker. Most of the people I speak to never remember to keep the instructions from their appliances.  It would be a good idea to keep a file with all those booklets together in one place for future reference, should you need it.  It is important to refer to your instruction booklet often until you are completely sure of its proper use.

Remember that many vegetables benefit from slow cooking and are able to develop their full flavor.  They tend not to overcook in your slow cooker as they might in your oven or on your stovetop.  When cooking recipes with vegetables and meat, place vegetables in the slow cooker before the   meat.  Vegetables usually cook slower than meat in the slow cooker. Place your vegetables near the sides or bottom of the stoneware to facilitate cooking.

Please let me know how you enjoyed them.

Click here for more slow cooker recipe ideas.