Tamar Genger shared her favorites for Dinner Tonight in the mag.  As a Registered Dietitian and busy working mom of three she creates easy healthy recipes from all around the globe.  Find more of her recipes here.

Chanukah is coming, we’re so happy!!  Start planning your party early by making these fabulous dreidel centerpieces.  Not so crafty? Don’t worry, these instructions will walk you through it and no matter what happens you will have fun in the process.

DREIDELINSTRUCTIONS

Provided by Swank Productions

Food pictured above provided by Esprit Events.

Jamie inspired us all with her recent Aliyah to cook Israeli.  Here are some more Israeli Salad recipes.

In one of the most dramatic cooking adventures in the Torah, Isaac asks his son Esau to go to the field, hunt game and prepare a meal prior to receiving his firstborn blessing.   Rebecca intercedes and orchestrates a clever ruse, asking Jacob to bring a lamb from their flock so she can prepare the meal for Isaac.  Jacob would wear the clothes of Isaac and receive the blessing in place of his brother.  If you are trying to imagine a stew so delicious that Isaac would willingly bestow his blessing on Jacob before Esau’s arrival, this Autumn Lamb Stew would be it!

Grated Zucchini & Potato Pancake with Smoked Salmon & Apricot Horseradish Sauce

Autumn Lamb Stew

Couscous With Carrots, Walnuts, and Raisins

Mocha Tortoni Mousse

For last year’s parsha Toldot menu with Red Lentil Stew click here.

Laura Frankel gives us a lesson on latkes in this issue of the mag, after you master those come experiment with over 50 latke recipes to choose from.

Edible gifts are fantastic for inexpensive, thoughtful, appreciated presents this time of year.  In the magazine this month we shared recipes for flavored salts and flavored sugars your friends will be fighting over.  Here are some more edible gift ideas.

Homemade Condiments

Homemade BBQ Sauces, Rubs and even Salad Dressing are perfect all year round.

Infused Soybean Oils

Anything infused is appreciated.  From oils to honey, to Iced Tea.

No one ever said no to a box of chocolates, make it even more special by making them yourself.  We have a quite a few recipes for flavored chocolate truffles to choose from.

Chanukah is fast approaching, the first night (less than a month away) is December 9th and now is the time to gather the best gifts and gadgets that your friends and loved ones will be thanking you for.   That is why we have compiled some of our favorite gift ideas from our kitchen to yours including some that you WIN right here, right now.

1.  Joy of Kosher with Jamie Geller Magazine Subscription is the gift that keeps on giving throughout the entire year.  At $24.99 get one for your friend and for yourself at the same time.  Subscribe Now.  (Win a 1 year Subscription through November 19th)

2. Bialetti Aeternum Nano- Ceramic Nonstick Sauté Pan is available in 3 sizes (8 inch, 9.5 inch and 11 inch). The eco-friendly Aeternum cookware line is free of PFOA, PTFE and Cadmium.  The “nano-ceramic” coating resists scratches, abrasions and offers a smooth, compact and uniform surface that makes it easier to clean. The interior white color provides a unique and extraordinary cooking experience.  Get the 11-inch for $39.95.

3. Ravi Instant Wine Refresher – chills wine instantly as you pour. Wine goes from room temperature to serving temperature in just seconds. Remove your Ravi from the freezer, insert it on to your bottle’s neck, and pour. The wine passes through the frozen steel chamber into your glass, chilling your red or white wine to perfection. You can adjust the serving temperature and prevent dripping with the finger tip-control. You can use it for vodka as well. Great idea for your Chanukah party. $39.95.  WIN THIS NOW (through January 8th).

4. LeKue Citrus Sprayer – Flavor your soft drinks and cocktails, or season your salads, seafood or other recipes with a light mist of fresh citrus. Two sizes are included for optimum extraction: a longer unit for larger fruits like oranges and grapefruits, and a shorter unit for smaller fruit like limes and tangerines. Enjoy natural flavor with ease.  WIN THIS NOW. Through January 14th.  Value $18.00.

5. Joseph Joseph Nest Utensils Compact Kitchen Tool Set with Magnetic Handles is for you if you have a small kitchen or you just hate clutter. Five essential kitchen tools are nested in a compact self-supporting design, held securely by small handles in the handle. The slotted spatula, spaghetti server, slotted spoon, solid spoon and ladle are all heat resistant to 464-degrees Fahrenheit and are dishwasher safe. This set is a great gift for your favorite cook!  $24.95

6. Cuisipro 4-Sided Etched Box Grater with Ginger Grater Base with Surface Glide Technology ™ takes the etched blade a step further and makes the graters sharp and more productive — grating more with less effort. You can grate, zest or slice on one of five surfaces. This grater is perfect for preparing potato latkes. $29.95  WIN THIS NOW. Through January 21st.

7. Envision Fridge Bin Liners Are you tired of spoiled, wilted vegetables and fruits? These Stay Fresh Bin Liners will solve your problem.  It is made from the same material supermarkets use to ensure longer life for fruits and vegetables.  The design allows air to circulate freely, preventing spoiling caused by excess moisture, thereby retaining crispness and preventing bruising. $8.99

8. Kosher by Design Cooking Coach Susie Fishbein’s 8th Cookbook Has More Than You’d Expect!  This cookbook is a culinary tutorial, loaded with many of Susie’s personal techniques and time- and money-saving tips. It is a unique combination of cooking tips and 120 new recipes that make this cookbook a winner. $24.45

9. Jacks’ Gourmet Kosher Facon - Smoky and salty, this dry-cured beef tastes and cooks up just like the real thing! Whether you serve it atop a juicy burger, sprinkled over a salad or cooked into a pasta sauce, your food will take on a new depth of flavor that will have you coming back for more. 4 packages for $23.96

10.Dear Cocoa Parve Chocolate Truffles – Send a friend or yourself one of these premium truffle gift sets.  Either their best selling Signature Around the World Collection or choose their flavor of the month, this month is Massachusetts Cranberry and Illinois Pumpkin. Box of 12 pieces $25.50

Disclosure: Prizes are being given away from Kitchen Clique.

Jack has done it again with his new line of Kosher bacon and shares some interesting recipes with us in this issue of the magazine.  Take a look back into our In the JOK Kitchen for more about Jack.

Pumpkins are not only generous in size, but are laden with vitamins and minerals. Most parts of the pumpkin are edible,
including the shell, flesh, seeds, leaves, flowers, and the delicious oil that is produced when the seeds are ground.
The best pumpkins for culinary uses are small (about 5 pounds). Pumpkins are a cold weather fruit (yes, fruit!) and can be stored for long periods in a cool, dark place. I like to remove the seeds and toast them for snacks and garnishes. I also peel the flesh from the shell and either freeze it or cook it until the water cooks out and I am left with a delicious and healthy puree. I also purchase cans of pumpkin puree and use it in everything from breads, pastas, gnocchi, and pastry items.

Crispy Pumpkin Purses

I am going Italian this Chanukah. These crispy, gorgeous purses are filled with pumpkin, rice, and cheese. Both the dough and filling can be made several days ahead or you can use prepared wonton skins. Once the tortelli are assembled, they can be frozen for several months. If you want to make pareve purses, omit the cheese and substitute 1 cup sautéed mushrooms.

Creamy Pumpkin Soup

Autumn in Tuscany looks a lot like the neighborhood pumpkin patch. Pumpkins of all shapes, sizes, and colors are piled high. For a big WOW, hollow out a 5-pound pumpkin, rub it with oil, and gently roast it in a 350°F oven until it becomes a toasty brown, about 15 minutes. Serve the finished soup in the pumpkin shell.

Pumpkin Sponge Cake

This delicious lowfat cake is loaded with vitamins and fall flavors. Make cupcakes and frost with your favorite frosting, or bake layers and serve it as a festive fall cake with poached pears.

The Revolving Door
For students studying in Israel, Aleeza Lebowitz’s animated table is the place to be.

We live the lives of teenagers!” Aleeza tells me wryly.
“Students for meals and Yom Tovim, girls dropping in and hanging out, my husband and his students cooking midnight barbeques.  It’s young and lively and busy.”

Aleeza teaches in an Israeli seminary for American girls, is an administrator for a special-needs school, and the wife of a rebbi in a yeshiva for American boys. The Lebowitz home in Ramat Beit Shemesh is an open house for the many yeshiva and
seminary students that spend the year studying in Israel. Aside for her own growing family, ages 10 and under, the Lebowitz Shabbos and Yom Tov table usually include 10 or more guests for each meal.

When they were newlyweds living and teaching on a moshav, Rabbi Lebowitz regularly brought home handfuls of students for Shabbos. “Right off, I learned how to cook for a crowd. One day, when my kids grow up I’d love to go to culinary school and really learn technique. But right now my focus is on making a lot of food that tastes good and getting it to the table.”

Aleeza’s challahs are always well-received, made with a sweet streusel topping and shaped for the season, such as hamantashen-shaped for Purim. Aleeza enjoys themed menus. During the week of Parshas Bereishis, her dessert is a cake, shaped and decorated as a globe. Specially decorated cupcakes and molten cake desserts also commemorate each season. At last year’s Chanukah party, she went Mexican with a grill full of chicken and vegetables, salads, refried beans, and tortillas for everyone to build their own special meal.

Aleeza teaches a class in her home every week and makes sure to supply the kinds of food that will make her students excited to be there, including chips and dips, smores, fondues, and peanut butter chocolate chip bars. “I want them to feel good about being in my home and at my table,” she says.

Aleeza’s family helps out a lot. The kids serve, entertain, and adopt their guests, while her husband often mans the grill. “I love having a house full of guests and of course, I enjoy when people compliment my food and are happy at my table.
But what’s more important about my cooking is that it creates the setting where my guests can sit and talk and be inspired. When everyone is sitting around my Shabbos table and the conversations are spiritual and stimulating, I know I’ve really
accomplished.”

Sweet Potato Soup with Sweet Potato Chips

There’s something to be said for that infomercial that instructs you to “Set it and Forget it.” The infomercial promises lifetime fulfillment in the kitchen.

The recent demise of my slow cooker had me rethinking the way I prepare dinner. To be honest, I have never been a power user of the slow cooker. The bulky appliance was more or less relegated to cholent or stew cooking on Shabbat and then shoved in a cabinet for the rest of the week.

I mourn the loss of any kitchen appliance, but the slow cooker didn’t fluster me too much. I wasn’t sure if I’d even replace it. Gasp! How would I prepare Shabbat meals? It’s not so bad. We didn’t always rely on that slow cooker. We hadn’t had any cholent all summer long. Then suddenly, September and October showed up and Fall set in. The weather got chillier and I was craving some warm foods. Maybe I did need a slow cooker.

While browsing through my email, an ad for a slow cooker on Amazon showed up. A beautiful red Crockpot at a price I couldn’t turn down. Did I mention that I’m a sucker for a good deal on a kitchen appliance?  The slow cooker showed up right around Sukkot time. This got me thinking about the chilly meals in the sukkah and what I could do to warm them up. The slow cooker allowed me to go beyond soup and take up one less burner.

I quickly learned that I actually like this new appliance and that it can work for me – way beyond that weekly cholent. It is truly a blessing! Just like the commercials tell you – it is very versatile.

Slow Cooker Vegetable Curry with Rice

I work full time, and when I come home, I typically have a 30-minute window before my children are loudly demanding dinner. It dawned on me that I could employ my slow cooker. I thought about what kinds of dishes would appeal to the family after a long day. I decided to keep this appliance pareve for now. My daughter and I stopped eating meat and I haven’t decided which way this pot should go.

Slow Cooker Vegetable Seitan Stew

It was a typical weekday morning and I woke up bleary-eyed and ready to test this thing out. I chopped up some veggies and protein and moved forward.  I had my husband turn on the slow cooker to low before he left for work.  As I sat at work, I was tempted to have a neighbor check on my kitchen. My backup plan was a box of Wacky Mac or some take-out sushi. Eight hours later, I came home to an amazing smell. Even my kids were impressed. So we dug in.

I was so happy with the results of the first weeknight stew, I decided to incorporate more vegetarian slow cooker options in to our weeknight repertoire. This Vegetable Curry and Vegetable Seitan stew are easy and healthy options to add to your dinner list. I highly recommend them!

Get Cooking is the new cookbook collaboration from recipe creator and chocolatier, Rachel Harkham and Jewish children’s musician Mama Doni.  This Jewish American Family Cookbook has a little something for everyone, including a CD of Jewish songs from Mama Doni.  The book takes you through the whole year of holidays with recipes and songs to keep you dancing in the kitchen with your kids.  They share jokes and games to play to get your kids more involved in cooking, singing and the Jewish holidays.

1.What brought the two of you together to do this book?

Rachel: I interviewed Doni for an article and we quickly recognized a kinship and a connection in the ways we both viewed Jewish culture.

Doni:  Yes, we met for the interview and immediately realized that what Rachel does with food was very similar to what I do with music…it felt like we had something to say together as two Jewish mamas, and that we had to collaborate. Jewish family moments are about so many things…family, friends, music, food, telling stories, laughing dancing..its all part of living a Jewish life….we immediately knew that FOOD and MUSIC are a perfect partnership!

Sweet Potato Knishes

2. Who had a better time working on this project? Rachel cooking up the recipes? Or Doni singing about the food?

Rachel: All I know is that for me it was a dream come true to be able to create the cookbook I’ve always wanted to own. And I personally think there is nothing more fun than making Whoopie Pies with your kids.  Just saying it is fun!

Doni: I had such a blast creating this cookbook and CD…taste testing Rachel’s recipes in my kitchen, song testing in my studio.. there is nothing better than writing, singing, dancing, eating and celebrating all at the same time.

Pomegranate Molasses Chicken

3. Who wrote the jokes?

Doni:  Jokes!!! Oy! For better or worse,  I wrote them  (…With major inspiration from my two children, Millie 8 and Xander 7 who crack me up everyday)

Jelly Donut Muffins

4. What did you think when you saw the cartoon versions of yourselves?

Rachel: I wished my hair always looked as styled and in place as cartoon Recipe Rachel’s.

Doni: I love it!! I think of myself as kinda cartoon character or muppet like, so it felt perfect. And Rachel, your hair always looks fabulous.

Whoopie Pies

5. As two busy working Moms what advice can you give our readers for getting dinner on the table every night?

Rachel: For me busy weeknight meals are all about hearty casseroles, savory stir fries, and simple slow- cooker dishes. And when all else fails, it’s grilled cheese and salad to the rescue.  When I’m crunched for time during my Shabbat meals prep, I inevitably turn to my Easy and Awesome Chicken recipe from the book, or the Crumb Crust Salmon- easy and delicious!

Doni: Honestly, my meals are all over the map. Sometimes I am so busy with concerts and recording in the studio that Shabbat dinner is a pizza delivery with candles, grape juice and challah… and sometimes I am cooking up a storm for a big dinner party with friends and family. On a daily basis I try to feed my kids with healthy meals…with lots of love.

Pomegranate BBQ Chicken

Mini Sweet Potato Knishes

Jelly Donuts Miracle Muffincakes

Whoopie Pie

***Giveaway***

Win your copy of this Family favorite cookbook and get everyone up dancing and cooking together.  Let us know why you want to win this cookbook in the comments below and enter with Rafflecopter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

When Eliezer is sent by Abraham to seek out a wife for Isaac, Eliezer comes upon a well of water tended by the beautiful Rebecca. Rebecca shows the graciousness and hospitality befitting a matriarch of the Jewish people and is rewarded with gold and silver jewelry and clothing and the promise of marriage.  If you like our Shabbat menu, then you shoulda put a ring on it… like we do with our Buffalo Sliders with Crispy Onion Rings.

Buffalo Sliders with Crispy Onion Rings

Chicken Kebab

Saffron Rice

Zucchini and Red Bell Pepper Sauté

Deconstructed Apple Pie

For last year’s Shabbat Menu for Chayei Sarah click here.

I have been stressed (did you read about my oven?).  And unfortunately I don’t have the gift of losing my appetite under such situations.  I just want to eat.  First savory then sweet, then savory again then back to sweet, you know the game I’m sure.  Between the holidays, the move and all the changes I have definitely gained a few unwanted pounds, in more than a few unwanted places.  I am really bummed about it but am trying to focus on bringing my life back under control this month including my eating.

A little trick I use is this hot cocoa.  When I want something sweet and need to tell my body “we are done eating” and it’s time to “stop and step away from the refrigerator” – I have always found this filling hot drink is my friend.

When I am being super good I use 90 calories per serving vanilla almond milk – it’s definitely not as creamy as when I use vanilla soy milk but it still hits the spot.  Of course you can use regular, low–fat or skim milk it’s just that I am not and never really was a big milk drinker.  In general I adore milchigs but not milk per say.  I would totally grab soy milk before milk on any occasion — even if I am not fleish.  Although when I’m in a super celebratory mood or in a super stressed place using heavy cream is in order.  “They” say too much soy is not good for you so that’s why I recently switched to almond but keep the creamier soy around as a treat.

“They” also say cinnamon is very good for you and that it has the power to lower LDL (your bad cholesterol), has an anti-clotting effect on blood and can help stabilize sugar which is great for weight loss (so sometimes I add extra, and then just a dash more).

I make one cup for myself by warming the soy milk in the microwave and vigorously whisking together the cocoa, cinnamon and truvia in boiling water until dissolved.  Then I whisk it into the hot “milk” in my oversized mug and wrap my hands around it like a big hug.  I like to tuck my feet under me when drinking cause it’s cozy – but that’s certainly not a perquisite – do your own cozy thing, point is to savor it.  Really it doesn’t work if you don’t take the time to enjoy it, the minute to recognize this is the end of my meal (or a filling “snack”) and I want to be present for this moment.  If you want more than a single serving, follow the instructions in my recipe for Soy Cinnamon Hot Cocoa.

What’s your favorite cozy hot drink? Let me know in the comments below.

Many thanks to the talented cook, photographer, teacher and food blogger Melinda Strauss from Kitchen-Tested.com.  She is both a JoyofKosher.com friend, frequently having guest blogged here  and featured columnist in the magazine.  Over time Melinda has also become a personal friend.  She is the co-founder of the first ever, long awaited Kosher Food Bloggers Conference which will take place on November 12th from 10:30 am – 4:30 pm at Millesime at The Carlton Hotel in New York City.  I am so very honored she asked me to be the Keynote Speaker.  Melinda has taken all the photos of this here recipe and I love them!  Please visit her blog for more from the creative and adventurous cook that is Melinda Strauss.

Back in the day, when one wanted to buy flour in a supermarket, there was but one choice—all-purpose flour. Nowadays however, there is an abundance of flour available right in your supermarket. All-purpose flour, bread flour, unbleached flour, whole-wheat flour, cake flour, whole-wheat cake flour—the list goes on! Here is a breakdown of some common flours, and their optimal uses.

All-Purpose Flour. If a recipe doesn’t specify which flour to use, assume you should use all-purpose (or AP) flour. It has 8-11% gluten, which is suitable for cakes as well as some breads. AP flour is available in bleached and unbleached forms—both are light in color, but bleached flour has been chemically treated to be white, rendering it with less protein than its unbleached counterpart. Use AP flour in pie crusts, popovers, pancakes, quick breads, and yeast breads. This flour can last up to one year if sealed tightly and kept in the refrigerator, or 8 months in a cabinet.

Cake Flour. This flour is preferred for baking desserts that require a high volume, like cakes, due to its high-starch and low-protein content. If substituting AP flour for cake flour, subtract two tablespoons of flour for each cup required in the recipe.

“Instant Flour” (or Wondra). This flour cannot substitute AP flour, but is great to use as a thickening agent instead of AP flour in sauces and gravies, since it is formulated to dissolve quickly in liquids.

Bread Flour. Bread flour is made from high-protein wheat, which lends it more gluten strength, or elasticity, when forming dough: it has a gluten content of 12-14%. Mary Jane D. Toribio explains the difference between bread flour and high-gluten flour on the website www.thefreshloaf.com:

“Bread flour is a high-gluten flour that has very small amounts of malted barley flour and vitamin C or potassium bromate added. The barley flour helps the yeast work, and the other additive increases the elasticity of the gluten and its ability to retain gas as the dough rises and bakes. Flour sold as high-gluten or simply gluten flour has been treated to remove most of its starch, which leaves it with proportionately more of the proteins that produce gluten. It is generally used as an additive to doughs made of low-gluten flours, such as rye flour, to give them the elasticity that they can’t muster on their own. Some people use high-gluten flour to make a low-calorie loaf of bread, but, because high-gluten flour is about eight times as expensive as bread flour, most people don’t make the substitution.”

For best storage, keep in a freezer, where it will last for up to one year.

Buckwheat Flour. This is a good choice for individuals with Celiac, as it is gluten-free and packed with nutrients. Buckwheat flour has a nuttier flavor and a slightly chewier texture than wheat flour.

Semolina Flour. This extremely high-gluten flour is made from durum wheat, the hardest type of wheat. It is used mainly in pastas. (In cooking school, we would coat pans with semolina to give breads a crunchy crust, as well as to prevent gnocchi from sticking to a pan before plunging in hot water.)

Whole-Wheat Flour. This flour is made using the whole wheat kernel, giving it more fiber, whole grains, and nutrients. Due to its low gluten content, it is often mixed with AP or bread flour when making yeast breads, to help the dough’s texture and elasticity.