Kosher Tips

This past Sunday night, I suffered a tremendous loss–the Patriots fell to the Giants in Super Bowl XLVI, losing their lead in the last quarter of the game. I’m currently still stuck in Indianapolis, and the one thing I want more than anything is my go-to comfort food: a ginormous bowl of oatmeal. Since I can’t make it myself until I get bacl, l’ll give you the instructions and tips you need to make the perfect 1-serving bowl of oatmeal from start to finish.

You need:

•  1/4 tsp oil
• 1/2 cup oats (I use Quaker’s old fashioned)
• 1 cup skim milk
• 1 cup water
• 2 packets Splenda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp cinnamon
• Handful dried fruit (I like dried cherries best)

In no particular order, put all of the ingredients in a small saucepan, and heat over medium flame until the oats and liquid reach a smooth consistency–about 15 minutes. Constantly stir the mixture, scraping the bottom at least once a minute so you don’t have lumps (and to prevent Tennis Elbow from the inevitable scrubbing).

This recipe might seem absurdly disproportionate; but have no fear! The result is a HUGE bowl of oatmeal, with the only extra calories coming from milk.  Almond milk and soy milk make great alternatives to plain skim milk. Some of you might also be confused about the drop of oil. This addition will be a great help later when it comes to cleaning the pan—a little bit of fat goes a long way.

Of course, you can put in whatever toppings you like–fresh or dehydrated fruit, nuts, honey, or brown sugar, to name a few. You can even make it savory if you wish by skipping the sweet ingredients, bumping up the salt, and tossing in Herbs de Provence.

Here’s a little bit of useful information about oats. There are tons of different types of oats: rolled oats, steel-cut oats, quick-cooking oats, and instant oats are all common varieties in the supermarket; if you go to a grain store, the list could double or triple! When coking oatmeal, you want something natural, which will give a nice texture to what you are eating, so in my opinion the best option is quick-cooking oats. The process of producing them is as follows: (1) you start with the whole oats (2) in a process to remove the tough outer hulk (kind of like the shell of the oat), you produce oat groats (3) you break the groats up into 2 or 3 smaller pieces, which are steel-cut oats (4) these steel-cut oats are steamed and rolled to flatten them, producing quick-cooking oats. These have been slightly processed, but still retain most of their nutrition, and will cook a bit faster than plain steel cut oats or rolled oats (which are made similarly to the quick-cooking oats, except that the steaming and rolling process is done to the oat groats instead of the steel-cut variety). Instant oats cook very fast, but tend to have a glue-y consistency, and are more processed (read: less “natural”) than the aforementioned forms.

I hope you enjoyed this oatmeal tutorial, let me know how it works for you and share with us your favorite toppings.

Bon appetit.

Other recipes for oatmeal:

Creamy Banana Oatmeal

Pumpkin Oatmeal with Steel Cut Oats

Overnight Oatmeal

A hard cooked egg has both a firm white and yolk. If boiled or cooked too long, the protein toughens or becomes rubbery and a greenish or purplish ring forms around the yolk. Refrigeration is necessary for hard cooked eggs if they are not going to be consumed within a few hours.

Ingredients

Large eggs, room temperature (as many as you like)
(An egg that is not room temperature at the start of cooking time will require about one minute more cooking time.)

Procedure

For perfect cooking, start with eggs that don’t have any visible cracks.

1. Place eggs in a saucepan large enough to hold them in a single layer with out crowding. (Crowding the eggs risks cracking them.)

2. Cover eggs with cool water, they should have one and a half inches of water above them. Add small handful of kosher salt.

3. Over medium heat bring water to a rapid boil. As soon as a rapid boil is reached, remove from heat, cover with a tight fitting lid and let sit 17 minutes. (For medium eggs let sit 12 minutes, for extra large eggs let sit 19 minutes.)

4. Pour off hot water and shake pan gently so eggs bump one another and /or sides of pan (to crack shells).

5. Run cold water over eggs to stop cooking. Let eggs stand in cold water 15 minutes, adding more water to keep cold.

6. Shells should easily peel right off.

Note: Hard cooked eggs in their shell can be refrigerated for up to one week. To peel your cold hard cooked egg run hot tap water to expand the shell. The shell will often crack itself from heat expansion. Whether it cracks or not, briefly chill the shell under running cold water to permit handling and easy peeling.

Try some of our great recipes from our classes.

Easy Egg Salad
Israeli Salad
Caper Dijon Deviled Eggs
Paprika Deviled Eggs
Tuna Bagel Nicoise

Culinary Arts classes at the JCC in Manhattan take place in the Patti Gelman Culinary Arts Center. For more information or to sign up for classes go to http://jccmanhattan.org.

Photo Credit: images courtesy of ©doodlehedzphotography (randi l klein)

The incredible, edible egg! Do you recall that jingle? It’s been playing in my head for some time now as I’ve been contemplating what to share with you regarding how to prepare the perfect hard cooked egg. I love eggs. Eggs are the perfect whole food, nutritious, delicious and they have their own carrying case! Eggs have the perfect ratio of protein, fat and carbohydrates and you can enjoy them any time of day. Perhaps they are so popular for breakfast simply because their rich golden/orange yolk is another form of nature’s sunshine.

Always Start With Good Quality Ingredients

Personally, I prefer organic free range eggs. Cage-free organic eggs from healthier chickens that eat more natural feed and roam freely will have much higher vitamin and mineral levels and a more balanced healthier omega fatty acid ratio.

Recently, I moved out of the city to Long Island and am lucky to be close to some wonderful organic farms. In particular, I frequent Garden of Eve, located on Sound Avenue in Riverhead. I love that I can see the chickens roaming and clucking around!

Farm fresh eggs, yum…. you really can taste the difference. I highly recommend seeking out farm fresh eggs in your local Farmers Market and www.localharvest.org can help you find contact information for farmers’ market sellers across the country. They also have an online store that lets you order them no matter where you live.

Here are some good brands that can be found in your local Whole Foods or neighborhood supermarket. Born Free Organic Free Range Eggs, Organic Valley, Vital Farms, Natures Yoke and NY Eggs by Empire Organics.

The healthy chef in me would not feel complete if I did not share this very important egg fact with you. The yolk is no joke; it’s the healthiest part of the egg!

The yolk is the most nutrient dense, antioxidant-rich, vitamin and mineral loaded portion of the egg. The yolks contain many B-vitamins, trace minerals, vitamin A, folate, choline, lutein, and other powerful nutrients. In fact, yolks contain more than 90% of the calcium, iron, phosphorus, zinc, thiamin, B6, folate, and B12 of the egg. In addition, the yolks contain all of the fat soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K in the egg, as well as all of the essential fatty acids.

So, I say, bring on the eggs whether for breakfast, lunch or dinner! How do you like your eggs? I’d love to hear your ideas. Next week I will bring you a step by step guide to creating the perfect hard cooked egg and some great recipes from our classes*. Future egg lessons will feature how to poach, create omelets and crepes and highlight more delicious recipes!

*Culinary Arts classes take place in The Patti Gelman Culinary Arts Center.
Images courtesy of ©doodlehedzphotography (randi l klein)

Chanukah might be known as the Festival of Lights, but for cooks, it’s really all about the deep fried oily foods that become an indispensable part of our menu. I’ve noticed that during this time, I smell like a fast food joint for 8 days straight; you’d think that I had deep fried my clothes, my shoes, everything I touch.

So what better time is there to discuss the oils we use in cooking? It is important to become familiar with the different types of vegetable oils for best results in baking, frying, and serving with fresh foods. Vegetable oil may be made from a single ingredient or a blend of several. Most will be available as either refined (lighter in color and bland) or unrefined. Depending on the refining process, oils will have varying smoke points. Refined oils (especially peanut or safflower oil) are recommended for high-heat frying. Unrefined oils are best as dressings, as an ingredient in marinades, and for low-temperature sautéing. Some of these are a healthier choice and will be full-bodied.

Canola oil – A versatile, neutral-tasting oil that contains the lowest level of saturated fatty acids of any vegetable oil. Choose canola oil for baking, deep-frying, fondue, grilling, sautéing, and stir-frying. I have it on good authority that in ancient times, canola was the oil of choice at the Judah Maccabee Fitness Gym because of its low fat.

Corn oil – The high smoke point of refined corn oil makes a valuable frying oil. Less expensive than most other types of vegetable oil, it also has very little odor or taste. Nu, so it doesn’t have much personality — it’s just for cooking, not a marriage.

Sunflower oil – The image of sunflowers is healthy and natural, and so is the oil. Light in taste and appearance, its secret is that it supplies more vitamin E than any other vegetable oil. It’s so easy-going and versatile that it won’t complain if you use it for frying too.

Safflower oil – Not your best choice for those latkes. Flavorless and colorless (and nutritionally similar to sunflower oil), safflower oil doesn’t like to stand out in a crowd. It’s main mission is to blend in, so use it as cooking oil and for salad dressings.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil – Extra-virgin is the unrefined oil derived from the first pressing of the olives and has the most delicate flavor. Pure, extra virgin olive oil is not only a light and delicate addition to many wonderful dishes, it is one of the most health-promoting types of oils available. Ok, so I’m a little biased. This happens to be my all-time favorite oil.

Virgin Olive Oil – A rich, fruity oil used for marinades, dressings, baking and shallow frying. Hundreds of varieties of olives are used to make olive oil, so they vary in color, flavor, aroma, and character. It has a higher acidity level than extra virgin olive oil (as well as less phytonutrients and a less delicate taste). This one will burn beautifully in your menorah, but it’s not #1 for your latkes.

Grapeseed oil – With its very high smoke point, it can be safely used to cook at high temperatures, and it’s great for stir-frying, sautéing and deep-frying. It has a clean, light taste and is often used as an ingredient in salad dressings and mayonnaise. Use it as a base for oil infusions of garlic, rosemary, or other herbs or spices. (Just thinking about it makes me hungry.)

Peanut oil – While most vegetable oils add no discernible taste to foods, peanut oil is the exception. It tastes like, well, peanuts. So if you’re into peanut flavor, it’s excellent for high heat cooking. High in monounsaturated content, it is considered healthier than saturated oils, and it has a long shelf life. Though peanuts are not nuts, people with allergies should avoid cooking with peanut oil. Ditto if you have guests coming and you don’t want to have to call the doctor because someone is having a reaction to your food.

Soybean oil – Great for dressings and baking, soybean oil has very little flavor. It’s really up there as an emulsifier, which makes it a good ingredient for mayonnaise. But don’t count on it for perfect suganiot; you’re better off with one of its cousins.

Sesame oil – If you’re planning to cook Asian, this is for you. It’s popular as a cooking oil in South India, and is often used as a flavor enhancer in Chinese, Korean and Southeast Asian cuisines. The aroma alone tips off everyone that they’re in for an exotic meal!

Two Tips (to keep in mind)
1. When reusing frying oils, remember that the smoke point may be lower than when it was fresh.
2. Vegetable oils will be good for about twelve months if stored properly (out of sunlight). They do not require refrigeration and may turn cloudy when cold.

Nothing brings out our primal instincts in cooking more than preparing food on an open spit. What was once a necessary cooking method requiring nothing more than meat, fire and a big stick has now become all the rage in the best markets and butcher shops.  Walk down any main street and you will see large rotisserie ovens turning and churning out freshly roasted chicken, juices dripping down the window pane and appetites growing with every step.  The good news is; these succulent birds can be easily prepared at home for a fraction of the cost.

To achieve rotisserie nirvana, you can, of course, invest in a countertop rotisserie.  The manufacturers of “slice them and dice them” fame make affordable and practical models for your home, as does Cuisanart other name brand kitchen appliance companies.  The results are good and the clean up is generally easy.  If the weather is not a factor, you can brave the elements and cook your bird on an outdoor spit, your gas grill most likely comes with an attachment and the bird can roast outside, lid down until juicy perfection.   Some indoor ovens come fitted with a rotisserie option, and all you need to do is follow the manufacturer’s instructions, keep a watchful eye and spin your bird to delicious results.

Why is rotisserie so popular, and why are the results so wonderful?  Easy answer.  When the bird rotates on a spit it browns and cooks evenly.  Much as the convection feature in your oven promises the heat and air will circulate around the bird, the rotisserie guarantees it.  Additionally, the unnecessary fats drain off and the bird does not sit in those nasty juices. Furthermore, the internal juices of the bird distribute as the bird turns, so even the breast meat which can tend to dry out, will be as moist and juicy as the dark meat.

But what to do if you do not have a countertop gadget, a rotisserie attachment to your oven, warm winter coat or open fire pit with a trained caveman standing by?  You can achieve a very similar result by standing the bird up on its legs and letting it roast in the oven in an upright position.  The result is not exactly the same and certainly the entertainment value is reduced, but it is a great option for those who want rotisserie goodness without the contraption.

Season your bird as you would a good roast chicken, crank the oven heat up, perch your bird on a prefabricated stand that was designed for just this purpose, or use a good old beer can to keep the chicken propped up and standing tall.  And enjoy rotisserie chicken throughout the year. Enjoy my recipe for Beer Basted Chicken.

Let’s first get our terminology straight, what exactly is a roast? Basically, a large portion of meat cut from any region of the animal is a roast.  From those large pieces, thinner cuts are made and those are steaks and from those steaks, strips and chunks are cut and those are best for stir-fry and stews. Roasts are cooked in the oven at higher temperatures for shorter periods of time.  That’s why they need to be cut from regions of the animal that start out tenderer. Forget about the fancy schmancy made up names that every butcher has concocted. What you need to consider is that

cuts from the chuck or shoulder region are going to be tougher than those cut from the rib. For a solid piece of meat from the chuck look for the Square or French roast, or one of my favorites the Silver Tip.  That cut is lean and solid (good traits in a mate) and should be roasted to rare. However, if you want to dazzle your dinner guests then move next door to the best (and most expensive) roast from the rib section. This is a ritzy neighborhood known for its juicy beefy cuts.  The seven ribs in this section are used to create the glorious standing rib roast. Cuts from the short end will have less bone and a meatier eye. You can also cut a boneless version, which becomes a rib-eye roast. It is leaner but also less flavorful because it is usually trimmed of its fat and is missing the hearty bones.

Other cuts of meat can be roasted.  There are shoulder roasts, which are a little piecey as the shoulder is more segmented.  I usually suggest rolling and tying a shoulder roast and preparing it with a savory stuffing.  A lamb shoulder is a perfect cut for this prep.  You can also roast cuts from the breast; they are fatty but succulent and can be roasted with or without their bones and served stuffed or unstuffed. Breast of veal is a good example of a savory cut from the breast region.  It doesn’t yield a lot of meat, but it is very flavorful.

Any way you slice it all you need is a lovely ladleful of au jus to make a stunning statement and bring any roast to life.

Here are a few of my favorite roast recipes for a Roast Beef, a Veal Roast with Chicken Liver Stuffing and a Roasted Lamb with Lemon Potatoes. There are lots more in The Kosher Carnivore, so I hope you will explore that book and find your favorites. Whether you choose a cut from the breast, shoulder, chuck or rib, many of the same principles apply.   Here are a few simple rules to follow:

• Have the proper roasting pan- size does matter, and a rack will help the air circulate around the meat for more even browning.
• Most roasts need 15-20 min./pound but that can vary with the starting temp of the preparation, so have an instant read thermometer on hand to test for doneness.  You can also gauge by watching the meat.  When it stops rendering juices, you know it is beginning to over cook.
• Be sure to let the meat rest loosely covered with foil (it will gain 5 to 10 degrees)
• Prepare your gravy using the tiny bits of brown goodness that cling to the bottom of the roasting pan.  Place it directly on the stove and thicken with a slurry of water and cornstarch should you want a thicker gravy.
• Don’t hack at your meat, use a good carving knife to cut even slices
• And, most importantly, be sure to engage your butcher in a dialogue.  Starting with the right piece of meat will make all the difference.

Try Panko (Japanese bread crumbs) or actual crushed cornflakes or rice krispies instead of breadcrumbs on chicken cutlets or fish sticks.

When rolling out and braiding Challah if the dough is too sticky use canola oil instead of flour. Lightly grease your fingers when rolling.

To remove the stem and strings at the same time from sugar snap peas, hold the stem between your thumb and index finger, snap and pull down.

Chunk light tuna, which comes from the smaller skipjack or yellowfin, has less mercury than canned white albacore tuna

Check the label on your brand of curry powder and other spices: if it mentions added salt, you may omit the salt in the recipe or salt to taste.

There are so many kinds of herbs and they all impart their own unique flavor.  Some herbs, like basil and tarragon, add a sweet mellowness to summer’s bounty of tomatoes and squash.  Others are pungent, giving foods a new dimension: lemongrass, for instance, is bold and slightly sharp, complementing some fish and soups.  Many herbs can play together, like chervil and parsley, or marjoram and rosemary.   Your taste buds can be your guide.

Herbs are easy to find, but you can just as easily grow them, even if all you have to spare is a window sill!  If you have an outdoor garden it is best to choose a sunny side and plant herbs directly in the ground.  If you have a patio or terrace, you can plant herbs in large pots.  If you have a sunny window you can grow herbs all year-round.  Choose a window that has plenty of sun.  Remember to turn the pots every day so that all sides of the plant get sun.  Always cut the herbs from above so that new shoots can develop.

The fall, when the plants start to flower, is the time to harvest your herbs.  With proper storage you can use them all year.  To dry them place them on a cheesecloth in a dark, airy room.  My son dries his herbs in his basement not far from the boiler area. When the herbs are dried, strip them from their stem and store in a Tupperware airtight container.  They may be kept all winter long.

Freezing is also an excellent method to preserve herbs.  Wash the herbs if they have earth on them, and dry them in paper towels.  Make small bouquets, then wrap individually in plastic wrap and finally, freeze in Tupperware Freezer Mates containers.  An alternate method is to chop herbs like basil or marjoram.  Take 1 cup of chopped herbs and add ½ cup of water and pour mixture into the Tupperware Ice Tray and freeze.  These herbs can be popped out and used for soup, sauces or stews during the winter months or any time of the year.

You can also use herbs to flavor your favorite olive oil or vinegar.  Crush about ½ cup of your favorite herb and add to a liter of olive oil.  Close the bottle and leave it on the kitchen counter for two weeks.  Use it for cooking.  You may add sprigs of dill or tarragon to a bottle of vinegar, along with 1 or 2 crushed garlic cloves.

Dried herbs are stronger than fresh. So, remember if a recipe calls for fresh herbs and you have to use dried, use 1/3 less.  Practice and you will surely become an expert at it!  Enjoy!

What Goes with What:

For soups: basil, bay leaf, chervil, chives, parsley, sage, coriander

For breads: dill, fennel, savory, thyme

For fish:  basil, bay leaf, rosemary, sage, thyme

For eggs: tarragon, chervil, chives, parsley, thyne

For poultry:  bay leaf, marjoram, thyme, sage, rosemary, tarragon

For lamb: mint, rosemary, thyme, marjoram, sage

For beef: tarragon, thyme, rosemary, sage

For vegetables and salads:  basil, thyme, tarragon, parsley, chervil, mint

Whether you want to go “fleischig” or ”Pareve”, you will find both of these recipes quick and easy to prepare!

Herb Baked Salmon Steaks

Baked Herbed Salmon

Herbed Meat Loaf

Herbed Meatloaf

To remove corn kernels, stand a cob on its stem end in a bowl and slice them off with a sharp, thin-bladed knife.

Tahini (also spelled Tehina) is a thick paste of ground sesame seeds. Look for it in supermarkets in the Middle Eastern section

To toast chopped nuts: Cook in small skillet over medium-low heat stirring constantly until fragrant and lightly browned, 2 to 4 mins.