Just a quick explanation here about cholent:

On Shabbat, cooking is prohibited. This means if you want something hot during the 26 hours that comprise the Sabbath, you need to a) have whatever you want pre-cooked, and b) a way to heat it up or keep it warm set up before sundown Friday. By no means is this all that is required for food preparation for the Sabbath, but this is the most basic fundamentals, in terms of hot food.

Cholent is a dish that is prepared Friday morning or afternoon and left to sit on a heat source until it is ready to be eaten for Shabbat lunch. The main components of cholent is meat, potatoes, onions, barley, and beans and often kishka (derma). But no two cholents are exactly alike and there are many different versions of cholent. For example, Sephardic Jews make chamin usually made with lamb, rice, herbs and spices and eggs.

I never would have thought that a company would go and make mixes for cholent. To me, how people season and prepare their cholent is so individual, unique to each family, each Shabbat, that to try to replicate and mass produce that flavor would seem to be impossible.

When I was give the chance to review this product, I had to try it. I had to know if something from a box could come close to an authentic cholent taste.

If you have never made cholent before, or you feel you need a bit of help in terms of a spice profile, the Purely American Savory Beef Cholent Mix is not a bad way to go. You add beef, potatoes, (barley if desired) and the contents of the box. Mix with water, let cook overnight. You will have a very tasty, hot cholent waiting for you on Shabbat morning. The flavor and texture reminded me more strongly of a hearty beef stew. It was pleasant, but not what I would have expected for a cholent. The bean blend cooked wonderfully, and the amount of seasoning provided was just right, despite there be no added salt.

I also tested the Moroccan Lamb Cholent kit, all you need to do is add lamb stew meat and red potatoes. It was tasty, but the flavor was milder than I would have expected.  However the flavor profile was just right for lamb and the chickpeas made it more authentic.  Both dishes are easy to make and would be a welcome change for our Shabbat meals.

The most pleasant surprise was the healthiness of the product. The mixes are salt, MSG and gluten free, yet give great flavor. For a packaged product, considering all factors, I would have to say this is one of the more superior pre-packaged products I have seen available to the kosher customer.

Would you try a cholent kit?

**Giveaway**

Now’s your chance, enter to win a Cholent Kit Sampler.  The winner can choose any 6 cholent kits, currently being offered on Purely American, a $30 value.  To enter to win follow the options on rafflecopter below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 I want to thank Tamar Genger at JoyofKosher.com for sending me the samples of cholent/stew mixes to review. All opinions are my own.

This week’s parsha is a story of faith and of secrets.  Hashem does not reveal the location of the Promised Land until after Abraham embarks on his journey.  The beauty of Sarah is revealed to Abraham and he decides to hide the true identity of his wife from the Pharaoh.  Abraham launches a clandestine operation to rescue his brother from the evil kings.  An angel reveals the blessing of a son to a barren and distraught Sarah.  Hashem is described as the “God of Seeing” because for Abraham and Sarah, at their age, it is almost impossible to imagine progeny numbering like the stars in the sky.  This week seeing is believing as we reveal one of our most delicious “secret” recipes, Jamie Geller’s Individual Apple-Stuffed Challah.

Butternut Squash Soup

Bronzed Beef in a Bag

Barley with Caramelized Vegetables

Molasses Spice Bundt Cake

For last year’s Lech Lecha Menu click here.

For this month’s kosher recipe linkup, we are getting back to our roots.  Root vegetables include everything from carrots and parsnips to potatoes and beets and so much more.  Fall and winter are when they are at their prime and as the season changes, root vegetables tend to be a very comforting food, especially when roasted when all their natural sweetness comes bursting out.

I really love the ease and simplicity of roasted root vegetables and enjoy these any time of year.  Cut them up, toss with a dash of olive oil and salt and pepper, maybe throw in some fresh chopped rosemary or sage and roast at 400 degrees for about 40 minutes.  You can’t get much easier than that.  But for our kosher recipe link up, I wanted to do something a little more interesting.

I happened to get a couple of acorn squash from my CSA and figured that would give me a starting point.  Sure I could have just stuffed it with just about anything and enjoyed a filling meal, but I was looking for something a little lighter. I remembered my fabulous squash chips and decided they would make the perfect topping for a salad along with roasted acorn squash seeds, lentils and a sprinkling of cheese.

There is nothing like using the entire vegetable and acorn squash seeds taste even better than pumpkin seeds, their oversized orange cousins.  All you have to do is remove the seeds, clean and dry, toss with a drop of butter or margarine and salt and roast at 375 for about 10 minutes.  Set aside.  Roast thinly sliced acorn squash chips.   Cook the lentils, my favorite are the French green lentils, and then layer your salad with a simple Dijon mustard vinaigrette.  Top with a sprinkling of your favorite cheese, like goat or feta, and have a perfect fall salad.  I’ll be rooting for you every step of the way!

Lentil Salad with Acorn Squash Chips Recipe

I often talk about how Hubby and I are polar opposites.  In food and in life.  And at the pizza shop.

He is a crazy connoisseur of all things pizza and has his favorite shops and favorite toppings and even knows exactly what time to show up where for the freshest out of the oven pie and the best selection.  He likes plain, Sicilian and Chicago.  He likes ziti, onion rings, spicy fries and falafel balls ON (yes you read right ON!) his pizza.  He also douses his pizza in tahina.

Now I guess it’s not really fair to say we don’t have the same taste at the pizza place.  I do like and eat everything as stated above – save for the tahina.  I only use it when I am down to my crust cause tahina and cheese just irks me out.  But I like tons more toppings that he wont even touch.  Fried eggplant, caramelized onions, mushrooms, mushrooms and more mushrooms AND a whole-wheat-cheese-less-salad-slice will do me right when I am “watching” what I eat.  Hubby is slightly offended by all this pizza heresy… and I am just plain sad because it keeps us from ordering lots of slices to share.

This butternut squash and arugula pizza though is thankfully all mine.  I am not sharing and I am happy it’s so not Hubby’s thing because it is so special and spicy and savory and sweet and serves my party for 1 just perfectly.  The goat cheese is creamy, and the fresh arugula add s a nice peppery bite to this masterpiece.  You can sub in pumpkin or sweet potato for the squash, ricotta for the goat cheese and can add caramelized red onions if you are so inclined.  That would make it more like this recipe, Roasted Pumpkin Pizza with Caramelized Onion and Ricotta, which just happens to be the winner of last year’s pumpkin recipe contest and it was crazy good! Made it for myself for lunch and then again for dinner. True story.

A quickie tip… if you don’t feel like cubing and roasting the squash use canned pumpkin.  Mix a can with the maple syrup, olive oil, red pepper flakes and a pinch of kosher salt and spread it on the dough like sauce.  Sprinkle on the cheeses and bake as directed.  Top with fresh arugula before serving.

I’ve gotta check the stores here in Israel to see if they carry the frozen pizza dough (does anyone know where I can pick some up?) if not I will swing by the shop and ask to buy a ball of raw dough.  The shelves here in Israel are stocked with pumpkin, squash and sweet potato just like in the US.  So it may not feel like fall here — but I can still eat like it’s fall.

Enjoy my Butternut Squash and Arugula Pizza and make sure to let us know how it is in the comments.

The new show, ‘My Grandma’s Ravioli’ debuts on October 24^th on the Cooking Channel.   The show will follow, Mo Rocca as he learns treasured family recipes from grandparents across the country.  Mo grew up on his grandmother’s ravioli and although the memories will never be forgotten, the recipes are.  In each 30-minute episode, Mo will learn from other people’s grandparents how to make traditional specialties from their families.

In the first episode Mo visits 76-year-old spitfire grandmother Ruth Teig in Scarsdale, NY for a lesson in classic Jewish cuisine.  He will learn to make kreplach, gefilte fish from scratch and coffee cake.  Ruth includes family anecdotes and gives Mo a hilarious tutorial in Yiddish expressions.  As a holocaust survivor, Ruth shares her true appreciation for all the wonderful things in life and we look forward to watching her.

I very sadly threw out a whole stalk of celery last week. It was a completely wasted purchase. Frankly, I had forgotten about it, and it had gotten buried in the vegetable drawer under some squashes. When I found it, it wasn’t salvageable.

Do you sometimes throw out vegetables, too? Or maybe fruit? At times, I’ve bought gorgeous fruit, only to find it later, after it had grown fuzzy because I had forgotten about it. Statistics show that I am not alone (According to the EPA, in 2010, about 34 million pounds of food was thrown out in the United States!).

I’ve been trying to cut back on food waste, and regularly go through the fridge. I still may not use every fruit while it is perfect, but I have become pretty good at finding ways to use the less-than-perfect produce I sometimes find in the fridge.

When I have fruit (and even some vegetables) that’s past its prime, but not spoiled yet, I try very hard to turn them into something delicious. You know the kind: the ones that are a little wrinkled, or have a couple of bruised spots (just enough that the kids look at them and shake their heads)… Instead of letting them rot, I have begun to bake muffins! (Lots of muffins.) Just remove the bruised spots before you get started. (I even mix them up. One of my kids’ favorites was the time I mixed mashed ripe bananas with mashed ripe plum. Oddly, they insisted there was honey in those muffins!)

Any Kind of Muffin
Some other ideas for past prime produce (please, cut away any obviously not-good parts before you make these recipes):

• Roasted Vegetable Gazpacho
• Apple Kugel
• Streusel-Topped Sweet Potato Muffins

I finally made it to Pardes.  The winner of our Best of Kosher Restaurant from 2011 and a much talked about dining destination in Brooklyn, NY.  A lucky night of free babysitting from the in-laws meant that I could venture out a little farther and get to Pardes with a couple of friends ready to share.

Before I went I put a call out on Twitter asking for recommendations and overwhelmingly everyone raved about the tasting menu, where Chef Moshe Wendel will bring out course after course of his own special creations for $110.  Unfortunately, I was too late to order the tasting menu which requires 24 hours advance notice.   But that gave us ample opportunity to sample lots of items from the regular menu and craft our own “tasting” menu.

We started with the jar of house made pickles, unsure at first about all the mixed vegetables inside, we were expecting mostly cucumbers, but were delighted to enjoy veggies like fennel and taro to whet our appetite.

Then they tantalized us with the Amuse Bouche – a small spoonful of white bean puree and olive tapenade – delectable.

One of the surprise hits of the night was the heirloom tomato salad.  It was the height of tomato season Chef Wendel showed great restraint and and let the flavor of the red, ripe tomatoes shine through, with crispy salmon skin, a light vinaigrette dressing and fiddlehead ferns (those were my favorite).

Moving on to more foreign territory, we all agreed to try the goat terrine since most of us had not had gotten our goat before.  It was a very unusual dish served room temperature, gelled in an aspic and alongside a mustard slaw and a whole fried egg.  To be honest I am not sure I am an aspic fan, but it was particularly delicious when everything was eaten in one bite, the flavors complemented each other perfectly and the whole thing was incredibly different from anything I’ve ever tasted.

The Beef Cheek Pizza and the Green Eggs and Lamb were suggested as the specialties of the house recommended by the waiter.  Both were unique dishes and generous in size, but we found the flavorings lacking.   The pizza dough was crisp and delicious, and the beef cheeks were moist and tender, but the whole pizza needed a little more oomph.  The green eggs and lamb was filled with veggies and a rustic quality that would make it a perfect dish for colder weather, but on this summer evening I found it a touch bland.

I really enjoyed the corn salad with duck bacon, I’d order a bowl of duck bacon if it was ever on the menu.

All of the above dishes were appetizers or small plates. We also shared two larger main courses.  The Rib Eye and the Tender with Celery Puree and Roasted Cipollini (onion).  Between the four of us, two preferred the rib eye while two preferred the tender.  Both were cooked perfectly and the portions were generous.  I think it just came down to which cut of meat you prefer.

There is no question that Chef Wendel thinks outside the kosher box and offers us a place to explore and taste very different foods.  You will certainly enjoy the experience and find some treasures along the way.

Have you been to Pardes? I would love to hear what you have to say.

Stuffed baked potatoes are a warm, comforting and inexpensive way to get dinner or brunch on the table.  Stuffed baked potatoes can be simple with butter and cheese or as complex as caviar and truffles. They can be served as the DISH or as a side.

How to choose your potato:

Make sure that the skin has a nice even brown tone without a greenish cast. Inspect the potatoes thoroughly to make sure that there aren’t any significant bruises, discolored spots, or sprouts.  A sprout of any size can be toxic, but you’d have to eat many sprouts to get sick. Do not buy potatoes if they have sprouted or have a green tint to the skin. Potatoes that have a greenish hue are “light-struck” which causes a build-up of a chemical called Solanine. This is a natural reaction to the potato being exposed to too much light. The green part, if eaten in large quantity, can cause illness.

When baking a large amount of potatoes at one time, choose potatoes with uniform shapes and sizes; they’ll cook more evenly and get done at the same time.

Fingerling Patatas Bravas

This classic Spanish favorite makes a delicious side dish as well as a zesty course in a tapas menu. Usually the potatoes are lightly fried in olive oil and tossed with the sauce; I have added a twist to the dish by stuffing the potatoes with my Spanish favorite, Romesco Sauce. The creamy sauce will open the palate and satisfy the appetite.

Stuffed Fingerling Potatoes with Caviar and Creme Fraiche

Elegant and luscious. This is a perfect example of a “high-low” dish. Chefs love dishes that take a simple and inexpensive or “low” ingredient and then “bedazzle” it with something sophisticated or a “high” ingredient. Stuffed fingerlings with caviar and crème fraiche are perfect for a special occasion or a stylish side.

Corned Beef Hash Tailgater Stuffed Potato

Bring your appetite for this hearty spud. This is a perfect game day potato when huge russet potatoes are the vehicle for the delicious filling, or use a smaller potato and serve the robust dish for brunch, topped with a fried or poached egg.

Curried Vegetable Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

I love sweet potatoes! Sweet potatoes (Sweets, as I call them) are a staple in my professional and home kitchens. I think a great injustice has been done to the sweet potato with the typical Thanksgiving preparation that includes marshmallows, cherries and sometimes pineapple-YUCK! I am amazed that many people eat them only once a year and only with all that stuff on them.  Sweets are nutritious and versatile. Sweets pair well with spices including curry flavors. If you have never tried curry, this is a great dish to experiment with. The dish can be served as a side dish or light entrée.

There is a popular custom to eat fish on Shabbat and many people regularly start the Shabbat meal with a cold fish appetizer like gefilte fish.  It is nice to have something you can make ahead and serve cold, but that doesn’t mean it has to be the same each week.   To be honest growing up with jarred gefilte, I never thought I liked any form of gefilte.  In college I was introduced to the frozen loaf and found that it actually could taste quite good and doesn’t have to come with jelly.  Since then I have found so many new ways to make and serve a cold fish appetizer and have been inspired by Jamie’s ideas too.  Here are some new ways to serve and old food.

Starting with Jamie’s famous Spiced Gefilte Fish, so gorgeous it made the cover of her first book, Quick & Kosher From the Bride who Knew Nothing.  Now it is time for you to try it.

Gefilte Fish Cakes with Horseradish Sauce

For something that really changes it up try these gefilte cakes, they are easy to make using jarred or frozen gefilte loaves, but even those gefilte haters will enjoy.

Gefilte and Salmon Terrine

I learned to make a fish terrine like this when I was in Paris quite a few years back, but then made it easier by using a defrosted loaf of gefilte.  The spinach can still be difficlut to work with, but once you get the hang of it, it is worth it.  You will love how gorgeous it comes out.

Spinach Gefilte Fish

Or if you don’t want to fuss with spinach leaves on the outside, make this incredibly easy oven baked spinach gefilte fish, I have converted many so called gefilte haters over to the love side with this recipe.

Then of course you could go the homemade route or try this very different fish terrine made from Halibut and Salmon, it really isn’t a gefilte fish, but does make a perfect cold fish appetizer.

The truth.

Israel is amazing.

My oven/stove top situation… is a disaster.

We inherited this thing with the place we are renting.

With so many seen and unforeseen moving expenses Hubby implored me to try to make it work.   Well I am trying.  Trying to give it a workout, the likes of which it has probably never seen in it’s seemingly very looong life.  And the verdict, this thing is totally out of shape.  I am used to boot camp cooking, yet it seems happy to just boil water, one very small pot at a time.

While I cry.

And Shabbos races in.

At first when I saw it, after entering a comatose-like state, I started to celebrate.  Because while I had this mini-me oven, “thankfully” I didn’t have a stove top and would have to be “forced” to buy a new “top-of-the-line-American” stove top.  Yes I am using a lot of “quotes” simply because I feel like it.  Hubby was upset because that meant one more unforeseen expense on a list of bills that was growing as our bank account was diminishing.  I was doing the dance-of-joy because why should two people worry about the finances, where would the fun be in that?

As I began to dream about whether I needed 5 or 6 burners, which brand I should buy and if I should splurge on a milichig and fleishig cook top, something I had never had in the states…. mid-dream, I heard Hubby laugh.

And to hear him laugh is to know what it sounds like when somebody rains on your parade.  He has this cackle (his mom has it too) and in all my adult life I have never heard anything like it.  It’s the kind of sound that turns heads at both intimate dinner parties and lavish kiddushim.  It’s the kind of sound that stops one dead in their tracks, mid sentence, mid breath.  It’s the kind of sound that instantly makes you feel you want in on that joke.  Except of course when you are that joke.  Because while I am measuring counter tops and moving walls to make way for my commercial cook top in our rental kitchen, Hubby lifted this white thing you see here and found my new Israeli stove top.

And I have been crying ever since.

Of the 4 burners only 3 work, the 3 smallest.  With the tiniest one no larger than a silver dollar.

Hence that small pot of water of which I spoke.  And the kicker is this mini mart oven only has 1 rack that actually cooks, the other just sits there and looks pretty like a garish float at the Macy’s day parade.  Well I looked none too pretty when I discovered that my 2 pans of Herb Roasted Red Bliss Potatoes would have to be cooked in 2 rounds.  Likewise when I bought 6 “pounds” of ground beef to make Grandma’s Meatballs so that I would have enough to serve and freeze for later use I stared at this “thing” wondering how many shifts and hours I would have to dedicate to my 40 balls of ground beef.  Yes I know none of these dishes sound all too exotic, or even Israeli but I guess, subconsciously when things are changing all around you, and life as you know it is upside down and your oven/stove top thingy is giving you the silent treatment – one resorts to comfort food, the kind of stuff that makes you feel all is right with the world.

What do you cook when you are stressed and overwhelmed with life?

Answer this question in the comments below and be entered to win a caddy of 16 LÄRABARs, healthy and tasty bars for anytime.  Contest ends Oct. 23rd at 9am.  For details click here.

When you think of the world’s great winemakers, Noah might not be the first name that comes to mind.  After the flood and the destruction of humanity, Noah and his family is spared and granted the opportunity to repopulate the earth and restore order to the world.  Noah decides to plant a vineyard and becomes the first and most famous winemaker in human history.  This week we share a grape-tasting Shabbat menu that celebrates the fruit of the vine.

Corn Fish Chowder

Chicken Cutlets with Grape Shallot Sauce

Carrot and Raisin Basmati Rice

Rosemary Roasted Cauliflower

Concord Grape and Pear Galette

If you want to celebrate the rainbow check out last year’s Rainbow Shabbat Menu.

The famous steakhouse in LA Shiloh’s, serves an Olive Tapenade with their warm, crusty baguette as soon as you sit down for a meal. This combination almost definitely means you’re mostly full by the time you get the menu. I’ve slightly adapted the recipe from a tradition tapenade to create a pesto fusion. It’s the perfect condiment for any sandwich; especially this grilled chicken panini sandwich.

I like to keep my paninis simple, as they’re more like a convenience food when I prepare them at home. It’s a great way to repurpose leftover chicken into a new meal. Or, you can make your own from scratch using an interesting mix of spices, with paprika and cumin being my favorite. Don’t feel limited, grilled chicken is like a blank canvas, use whatever you’d like to infuse flavor to it.

Assembling the panini is a breeze. Simply add everything together and grill in a panini press or a regular pan that has grill marks. Enjoy it with a side of salad and potatoes, and you’ll have a warm meal ready in minutes. You can also let your kids assemble their own paninis and sneak some sliced red bell peppers and celery into their sandwich. A fun way to have a family dinner.

Enjoy my recipe for a Chicken and Olive Panini.

When I was growing up, Thursday afternoon was applesauce day. I can still picture the fragrant pot of simmering apples holding court on the stovetop. Once the softened apples burst out of their skins, my siblings and I used to fight over who got to churn the cooked fruit through the food mill.

With kids of my own, I’ve come to value the simplicity of homemade applesauce and its complex, aromatic taste that is so superior to store-bought brands.

While some cooks are faithful to either Gala or Macintosh, I prefer using many types of apples—Fiji, Jonagold, Braeburn, Granny Smith, Cortland—to create a nuanced flavor that is simply divine.

For the basic recipe I rarely add anything to the apples, just a few tablespoons of juice, cider, or water to prevent the fruit from scorching.

Make Your Own Applesauce

3-4 pounds apples, mixed variety
¼ cup of apple juice or cider or water
2 cinnamon sticks or 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, optional
3-4 tablespoons sugar, optional

1. Quarter apples and place them in a large pot. Don’t bother removing the cores or peels; they contribute flavor, nutrition, and color. Add apple juice and cinnamon sticks, if using. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce to a lively simmer. Cook until apples are soft and falling apart, about 20 minutes.
2. Process according to one of the three following methods, depending on your gadget of choice.

Gadgets

Food Mill – Place a food mill on top of a large bowl.  Transfer cooked apples and liquid to the food mill and churn until apples are processed into a smooth puree. Discard leftover peels and seeds that are too difficult to churn in the food mill. Flavor the applesauce with ground cinnamon or sweeten with sugar.

Strainer and Spatula – Transfer cooked apples to a large, hand-held sieve and use a rubber spatula to press fruit through the sieve and into a bowl. Once the cooked fruit has been pressed through the sieve, discard leftover peels and seeds.  Flavor with ground cinnamon or sweeten
with sugar.

Food Processor – Since a food processor can’t separate the skins from the pulp in the same manner as a food mill, it’s preferable to peel and seed apples before cooking. After the apples are cooked, use a slotted spoon to transfer apples to the bowl of the food processor.  Pulse to create a smooth puree, adding a tablespoon or two of the cooking liquid, as needed. Flavor with cinnamon or sugar, if desired.

Cranberry Applesauce
Cook 4 pounds apples with 1 ½ cups of frozen cranberries, ½ cup sugar, and ¼ cup brown sugar, and 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice.

Chunky Apricot Applesauce
Soak 1 cup dried apricots in hot water for about 10 minutes, or until softened. Remove from water and dice. Add diced apricots and about ¼ cup
sugar to 4 pounds apples in the last few minutes of the cooking time, stirring until sugar dissolves.

Pear Applesauce
Cook 2 pounds apples and 2 pounds pears, both quartered.  Since pears have more natural juice than apples, this sauce will be a little thinner than classic applesauce. To compensate, add just a tablespoon or two of liquid to the fruit before cooking instead of the ¼ cup listed in the recipe

Plum Applesauce
Cook 2 pounds apples with 2 pounds halved and pitted plums, and ¼ cup sugar.

Dinner tonight at Alessandra Rovati is always Italian.  This Venice-born Kosher Italian chef turns to simple, healthful, and authentic Italian fare when cooking for her family—including her Brooklyn-born husband, who loves it. The little ones (a four-and-a half-year-old son and three-year-old daughter) love to help, but you can imagine the mess they make.

Cod Fillets in Bread Gratin

My husband, who is an Ashkenazi from Brooklyn, still hasn’t come to terms with the fact that when I am feeling down, rather than opening a pint of ice cream, I head right for the anchovies. In his opinion, this must be a sign of some mysterious psychiatric disturbance. But Italians love anchovies, both plain on bread and butter, or as a secret ingredient to perk up a sauce or a vegetable side that came out a little “flat.” You’ll see what I mean after you try this very easy fish recipe!  Serve with Jewish Venetian Spinach.

Risotto with Lemon and Ricotta

Venetians—and Venetian Jews in particular—are world famous for their creamy risottos. I can make over a hundred varieties of this dish, which is my ultimate comfort food. This unusual combination of tart and creamy will be a very pleasant surprise, and full-fat ricotta is naturally very low in fat (go figure! 5% versus 90% in cream cheese), so go ahead—get seconds! You can serve this risotto Italian-style: as an appetizer to any fish dish, or as a main course with a green salad and a side of vegetables, such as, Green and Yellow Saute.

Roman Saltimbocca

The traditional Roman recipe for Saltimbocca (literally “jump in your mouth”) uses bresaola, a type of “kosher prosciutto” made from a lean cut of beef cured in spices and salt and left to hang for a month. Until kosher bresaola or goose “prosciutto” becomes available in the States, you can replace it with good-quality Hungarian salami, very thinly sliced—but don’t tell any purists, especially Romans!  Serve with Italian Mashed Potatoes.

Chicken in a Salt Crust

Some afternoons I spend so much time picking up after my 3- and 4- year-olds that I have no energy left for the kitchen. I’m not talking about cooking, I just cannot stomach the idea of having to clean up one more area. That’s when I resort to this recipe, which can be prepared in less than 5 minutes (plus cooking time) and will leave your counters absolutely spotless! Now how about a glass of wine?  Serve with Slow Baked Tomatoes.

Shopping List for This Week’s Dinner Tonight

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.  It sounds so simple, to build a world so complex.  With these few words, we begin anew our cycle of readings from tracing the beginning of the world to our journey across the desert and finally to the Promised Land.  Rich with imagery from darkness to light, from barrenness to fertility, from emptiness to a world teeming with life, this is the story of our world.  With all of its (and our) imperfections, Hashem is still waiting for us to complete the process He began in Genesis so many years ago.  This week, we give our Shabbat menu a new beginning with New World Potatoes — the finest this side of paradise!

Salmon Chowder

Sweet Balsamic Steak

New World Potatoes

Asparagus with Fresh Grape Relish

Pumpkin Pot De Creme

Last years Shabbat Menu for Bereshit