Have a Sweet Week this Passover with amazing desserts brought to us from the folks at the Center for Kosher Culinary Arts, the kosher cooking school in Brooklyn, NY.  CKCA’s pastry chefs got in the kitchen to create these non-gebrokts Passover desserts special for Joy of Kosher readers. During the final tasting, CKCA director Jesse Blonder exclaimed, ‘These are the best Pesach desserts I’ve ever had—hands down.”

Passover Chocolate Nut Spice Cake

This is an exceptionally moist, really different kind of Passover cake. It takes a little work, but it’s worth it. You will need a 9-inch springform pan, a baking sheet, a box grater, and a food processor. I use a hand-held beater for the egg whites, but of course you can use a stand mixer. The cake can be made one or more days in advance.

Italian Meringue Coffee Dacquoise

These delightful Italian meringue layers are baked on a parchment-covered baking sheet. Trace two 8-inch circles on the paper with a pencil, and then turn the paper over. You may either pipe the meringue into the circles through a pastry tube, or simply use an offset spatula to spread it into the circles. The meringues can be made a day or two in advance and stored in plastic bags.

Passover Choclate Lava Cake Dessert

Passover Coconut Macaroons

Orange Lemon Sponge Cake

Contributed by The Center for Kosher Culinary Arts featuring Lynn Kutner

As seen in the Joy of Kosher with Jamie Geller Magazine Passover 2012 – Subscribe Now

The Passover count down has officially begun. In the coming weeks we will all be busy cleaning our homes and planning our menus. For many that’s the easy part, but I have a confession to make, it’s not so easy for me.  I honestly have no clue how to clean. In my family we all stick to what we are good at, and I suppose for me, that’s crafting.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m a great cook and I love to experiment in the kitchen, but I think I’ll pass on the sponge and broom for now.

What I love about this tablescape that you are about to see, is that anyone can really create it! These DIY Passover crafts are so incredibly simple; incorporating everyday items that you find in your home with inexpensive products that can be purchased at your local craft store.

Craft #1 Place Settings

Supplies:

Wooden Clothes Pin

Double Stick Tape

Washi Paper Tape (Easily found at any craft store)

Ribbon

Stapler

Scrapbook Label or Tag

Directions:

-Take your Washi Tape and stick them to your clothes pins.  If you don’t have tape then you can just as easily color them with markers or paint.

-Write the person’s name on your scrapbook label or tag. You can also make these tags with regular paper and scissors with fun edges.

- Cut a small piece of ribbon and staple it to the side of your tag.

- Attach the tag to the clothespin with double stick tape.

You can now attach your place setting craft to a folded napkin or anywhere else on your holiday table.

Craft #2 Chargers

It’s not Passover in my house without the coffee cake. I buy boxes upon boxes of mixes from Manischewitz year after year. I came up with this great upcycling craft to repurpose the items that I would normally just throw out.

Supplies:

Leftover food containers or boxes like Manischewitz

Oak tag paper

Mod Podge

Sponge

Tissue Paper

Aluminum Tin

Directions:

-Cut up your left over boxes and tissue paper and put it into an aluminum tin

-Trace circles about 12” round onto your oak tag paper. I just traced a normal charger that I had at home for the shape I wanted. Cut them out. I found that I could get (2) charges for every (1) oak tag I purchased.

- Using the Mod Podge spread a thick layer onto the oak tag circles. Lay down the tissue paper and box scraps all over. Create a beautiful design. Seriously do not worry about what it will look like. No matter what – they will be great! It’s so easy my boys joined in with me to do this craft!!

- Let dry for 12 hours.

These make a great charger for your kids table!! And don’t you just LOVE these adorable Chocolate covered locust treats from Zelda’s Sweet shoppe? Perfect for those hungry little kids to munch on during the Seder!

Craft #3 Pesach Washing Station

Supplies:

Leftover matzah box

Scissor

Hebrew Stencil (optional)

Wooden Clothes Pin

Double Stick Tape

Washi Paper Tape (Easily found at any craft store)

Ribbon

Stapler

Directions:

-Open the left over matzah box so that it lies flat on the table.

-With a stencil or free hand cut out the words Pesach or Passover

-Take your Washi Tape and stick them to your clothes pins. If you don’t have tape then you can just as easily color them with markers or paint.

- Cut a small piece of ribbon and staple it to the side of your letters.

- Attach the letters to the clothespin with double stick tape

-You can now attach your Passover/Pesach letters to a towel basket by your sink or even let them stick out of your floral arrangement!

Whatever you do this Passover to enhance your holiday ambience, may it be making these simple crafts or creating a lavish floral tablescape like this one featured here from Papaya Events, just remember to laugh, breathe, and soak up those special family moments that are shared during this Yom Tov season.

The Seder Plate, Matzah Container, and Seder Glasses are available for purchase at Not2shabbey.com

BIO Abbey: I’m Abbey, a visual artists and shabby chic lover. Almost everything I come in contact with inspires me. I get new ideas for designs all the time, and wishes that there was an endless amount of time to just create! Follow me on my blog not2shabbey.com,  Facebook and Twitter for updates on new goodies, giveaways, contests, and special promotions.

Papaya Events is a full scale event production and floral decor company, specializing in weddings and large affairs. They also have a boutique flower shop offering magnificent floral arrangements and bouqets to enhance your home.

PHOTO CREDITS – SHAYNA PUNIM CHILDREN AND FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHY

When I’m planning my passover dessert menu the first thought that comes to mind is back to basics. Food the way it is meant to be eaten. Fresh and unmarred, good clean baking with limited ingredients. A chance to get creative and to use what is available. It is amazing what creations can be discovered when simplifying the possible components. Instead of concentrating on crusts and cakes, the focus is on rich custards, and creams. Smooth silky concoctions offset by crisp berries and juicy seasonal fruits. Sticky Fudge made with dark chocolate and roasted nuts.

Cream Cheese Fudge and White Chocolate Ganache

Passover is an eight day holiday on which the Jewish people remember the redemption from Egypt. The Israelites left Egypt in such a hurry that the bread for the journey didn’t have enough time to rise, because of this we do not eat Chametz or any leaven bread on Passover. This includes grain, and almost all processed foods unless it is certified kosher for passover. There is a custom that during passover we don’t offer our guests food because of the many different opinions of what is permissible and what is prohibited to eat on passover, we don’t want to make anyone uncomfortable if they must refuse our invitation. Instead guests may be free to feel at home and to help themselves.

Flourless Pound Cake with Passion Fruit Ice Cream

Our family abstains from most processed food except for chocolate and dairy products. We eat a lot of fresh vegetables and fruits, meats and dairy. Homemade applesauce is a family favorite as well as fresh squeezed orange juice in the morning. I adore dairy desserts and fill my menu with laborious confections such as Tiramisu and mouth watering ice creams and Parfaits. Taking my time in the kitchen, folding together the light fluffy mousse and licking the spoon covered in sweet cream cheese. Another favorite, effortless and decadent dessert is chocolate covered matzah with whipped cream cheese and homemade preserves.

Lemon and Berry Cream Cheese Parfait

Passover is a time to spend with family and friends. Reflecting on overcoming our personal boundaries, simplifying our lives and homes. Getting back to basics and remembering what is really important. The first step is looking deeper into what we eat. Real food made in our own kitchens. Feeding our loved ones thoughtfully. Seeing the smile on their faces while sitting together enjoying the holiday.

I don’t come from a family of bakers, but I do come from a family of eaters.  My dad always used to bring home store bought Passover desserts before the holiday and he always included a cake.  He said it was because my grandfather’s birthday was the second day of Pesach, but I think he just liked to eat cake .  Every year most of that cake (except for my Dad’s portion) was thrown in the garbage.  Passover cakes were just not appealing to me or my brother and sister — and that was even before I cared about calories.

I would much rather satisfy my sweet tooth with homemade frozen chocolate covered strawberries and bananas, meringue cookies and chocolate covered matzo granola — those were the ultimate Passover desserts for me.  That all changed two years ago when I found this recipe in a Martha Stewart magazine for a Flourless Chocolate Cake with a Toasted Meringue Topping.

It is rich and chocolatey and everyone at our seder loved it!  It’s just the right size for a crowd and pretty darn easy to make.  If you start with the pre-chopped nuts (almonds or filberts) it is even easier.  You can serve with non-dairy whipped topping instead of meringue, but I love the gooey, fluffy slightly toasted meringue topping.

Enjoy this Passover dessert anytime.

It was so amazing to see all of you yesterday at #FairwayMarket in Paramus.  I can not believe what a turnout we had.  You came from Teaneck and Passaic and New City and Philly – my hometown!  Our youngest attendee was 7, we had lots of teens who love to cook and then some great grandmas and grandpas in the crowd.

It’s always incredible to meet you all in person – it was so touching to see how many of you are following us and enjoying the site.

We really had a blast!  In record time I demoed 6 quick creative cream cheese recipes – to show everyone how easy it is to beat #matzah fatigue this Passover.  In just 20 minutes we made Creamy Cucumber Gazpacho Soup, Strawberries Romanoff, Chocolate Chip Cheesecake, Creamy Colorful Coleslaw, Smoked Salmon Rolls, Sun-dried Tomato and Herb Cream Cheese and Tartar “Sauce” Cream Cheese.

In a flash we showed you how simple it is to have food that looks and tastes gourmet without spending a year and a day in the kitchen.

Everyone who attended received a FREE copy of our Passover Recipe E-book, if you missed it download your FREE copy here and as a special bonus we gave everyone who attended a FREE copy of the All-Natural Joy of Kosher with Jamie Geller Passover Magazine – subscribe now so you don’t miss out!

Tamar, Alon, Jesse, Mindy, Jamie, Dana

Thank you to everyone who helped make this happen, from the Fairway crew to the chef helpers from the Center for Kosher Culinary Arts, everyone pitched in.    See more pictures and tag your self if you were there on our Facebook page.

I am so touched by how many of you came and came early to get a good spot and it was incredible to hug you all and wish you a Chag Kasher V’Sameyach, Zissin Pesach and Happy Passover.

Love you all!

I never feel guilty when I eat cheesecake.  I just convince myself it’s full of protein.  I got that from my mom.  The convincing part, not the cheesecake recipe – you know that.

She once lost weight on a steady diet of almond M&Ms – unfortunately that lucky little occurrence wasn’t passed onto me.

So this Chocolate Chip Cheesecake recipe originally called for two 8-ounce bars of cream cheese, softened.  Which means you have to know in advance that you wanna make a cheesecake.  I mean who knows that in advance?  Of course you have to be patient enough to let the cheesecake cook (about 45 minutes) and chill at least (4 hours) but come on.  Do we also have to wait for the cream cheese to soften?  There is only so much that can be expected of me when I crave cheesecake.

But in all seriousness this recipe using Temp Tee Whipped Cream Cheese is super creamy and super easy and super light and requires no water bath and can be made kosher for passover when using one of the new macaroon pie shells now avail.  Or go crust-less and make minis — then you can really convince yourself it’s all protein and all good for you.  Yeah, yeah, there is still sugar (two types) and eggs in there but so what?  As my grandmother used to say “nu… so a little sugar never hurt anyone, everything in moderation.”

Cleaning the kitchen can wait!

I’m so excited to be back in New York right before Passover to share my latest Passover recipes and help “spread” the word about Temp Tee Whipped Cream Cheese!

Download our amazing e-book with 24 brand new Kosher for Passover recipes or join me this Sunday at Fairway in Paramus and the first 100 people in attendance will get a FREE 52 page recipe book and a Joy of Kosher with Jamie Geller Passover Magazine.

Where: Fairway, Paramus
When: Sunday March 17th, 2:00pm

See you Sunday!

Three Pesach staples.  Endless possibilities.  Mix and match these desserts to make your favorite combination.  All infused with the fresh flavor of citrus.  Have you noticed all the Meyer Lemons in the store right now?

Meyer Lemons
A cross between the lemon and the mandarin orange, Meyer lemons offer a slightly sweeter and less acidic flavor than the typical lemon, making them a fantastic option for baking and confections.

Meyer Lemon and Grapefruit Meringue Cups

Sweet and tart, this dessert can be creatively served in hollowed lemon halves (be sure to save them after juicing!).

These are easy to make and oh-so-pretty. Use with almost any dessert as a garnish!

Lemon Infused Meringue Kisses

These kisses are wonderful on their own, but for extra flair, melt some chocolate and drizzle it over the tops of the meringues.

Order a copy of Joy of Kosher with Jamie Geller (Bitayavon Spring 2012) to get the recipes for
Chocolate Hazelnut Biscuit with Chocolate Mousse (pictured with the Candied Meyer Lemon Slices)
Coconut Clusters

As seen in the Joy of Kosher with Jamie Geller Magazine (Bitayavon Spring 2012) – Subscribe Now

Brisket is still trending! Something so traditional that can reinvent itself each year, has to be the trendiest cut around. There is always a new brisket recipe being circulated, in fact, I don’t think any cut of meat has been so well utilized as much as brisket. Whether pickled, boiled, steamed, roasted, barbequed or baked, the versatility of brisket cannot be beaten. Now that’s trendy!

Brisket is rather a fatty cut from the breast of the cow. Although it can be easily trimmed it’s a good idea to have a little fat on the brisket as this keeps it tasty and moist while cooking. If you’re on a low fat diet, cut fat off after cooking. Brisket requires long, slow cooking to break down the collagen in the connective muscle tissues to achieve tenderness.

The brisket cut is comprised of two muscles. The large leaner piece of meat that runs along the bottom is called the flat piece. The other piece, on the top, called the ‘point’ or ‘deckel’ has more flavour as it has what I like to call “a little bit of value added fat!

And just when you thought it was safe to cook, along comes another little fact: Although joined, the grain of these two pieces of meat run in different directions and present quite a challenge when it comes to carving. In fact, it was after cutting a huge piece of brisket by hand that my husband decided I (or rather he) needed an electric deli meat slicer in my kitchen!! Nothing like pre-sliced brisket for a relaxing evening! However, you can separate these two pieces of meat after cooking, which makes for easier carving.

BBQ Brisket on a Bed of Onions

Before refrigeration, meats were preserved by salting, or “corning.” Corned beef got its name because it was preserved in salt before cooking. Corned beef has nothing to do with corn, but the pellets of salt, the size of corn kernels, used to dry-cure the beef.

When Ashkenazi Jewish immigrants came to America, they brought their love of brisket with them. Jewish butchers and deli owners pickled/cured the brisket to make corned beef and pastrami. But for the holidays, nothing could replace the comforting, hearty flavour of a roasted fresh brisket.

Glazed Brisket with Red Cabbage

So, you might ask, “what’s the difference between fresh brisket and pickled brisket?”

‘Fresh’ Brisket is the raw cut of brisket before going through any curing/pickling process. Pickled/corned brisket is the same raw cut, only it has been pickled/cured in a brine.

Corned beef (or pickled brisket as we call it in South Africa) needs to be washed very well to de-salinate it to remove any excess salt from the pickling brine and then boiled. As many of my recipes suggest, after boiling it can be further cooked in a sauce in the oven. You wouldn’t boil a fresh brisket first, you would rather spice/sauce it up and slow roast or BBQ it.

Once any meat is pickled it turns dark pink or reddish in colour when cooked but when a fresh cut of brisket is cooked it stays that regular golden brown roast colour.  Most butcheries and cold meat factories make their ‘Cooked Brisket’ by pickling/curing and then cooking. ‘Smoked Brisket’ is cooked by pickling and hot smoking and ‘Pastrami’ is made by pickling, massaging with pastrami spices and hot smoked to cook through.

I hope that the following recipes will help to keep your Brisket passion burning.

BBQ Brisket with Onions

Glazed Brisket with Red  Cabbage

Check out my new set of videos using Temp Tee Cream Cheese.

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Pesach is that wonderful time of year to flex your Do-It-Yourself muscles making classic homemade condiments: mayonnaise, tartar sauce, ketchup, and their many variations.

Mayonnaise

Outstanding mayonnaise can be easily made at home. The flavor is unlike any store-bought version. Your creation will be garlicky, fragrant, and tangy with a delicate hint of full-bodied flavor from the olive oil. Keep in mind that the more olive oil you use, the stronger the flavor the mayonnaise will have. That’s why the classic recipe combines olive oil and vegetable or another neutral-tasting oil to make a mayonnaise that isn’t too intense.

While it’s extremely satisfying to make mayonnaise by hand, you can also combine the egg yolks, lemon juice, and any other flavorings in a mini food processor. While the machine is running, add the oil, a few drops at a time, and blend until the mixture is thickened and pale in color. The result will be just as delicious as if you made it with a whisk and bowl.

DIY Ketchup

When it comes to ketchup, I prefer making my own because not only can I control the sweetness, salt, and acidity, but I can also use different combinations of fruits and vegetables to make a delicious condiment that is worlds beyond the typical tomato stand-in.

Tartar Sauce

Click through the recipes for more variations.  I start with Traditional Mayonnaise and then move on to Lemony, Garlic-Basil, Roasted Red Pepper etc.  Beyond the classic ketchup I have created Ginger Carrot and Pineapple Mango.  Once you get used to these recipes you can explore your own variations, make sure to let me know what you create.

As seen in the Joy of Kosher with Jamie Geller Magazine Passover 2012 edition – Subscribe Now

When it’s time for Shulchan Orech, the meal of the Passover seder, these stove top mains (and roasted sides) make a perfect main course

During Passovers of long ago, the Jews would bring the Pesach sacrifice at the Beit Hamikdash, and then roast and eat the meat for the Seder meal. Today, many of us refrain from roasting meat at the Seder so no one should think that we are trying to replace the Pesach sacrifice. These three Quick & Kosher entrees cook completely immersed in liquid. To complete the main course, we leave the roasting for the veggies.

Orange Chicken Thighs with Beets and Sweets
My mom is the one who told me to ask the butcher for boneless skinless dark meat chicken cutlets. She may not know how or even care to cook, but she sure has great taste in food. I love her for this discovery. Super common in Israel, most butchers stateside now carry this staple.

Sweet Cabbage Brisket with Thyme Roasted Potatoes
One of my most beloved Passover recipes is the Un-Stuffed Cabbage Soup from my first book, Quick & Kosher Recipes From The Bride Who Knew Nothing (that’s me!). This is an entrée inspired by the family, friend, and neighborhood favorite.

Lemon Wine Poached Chicken with Caramelized Baby Carrots and Pearl Onions
It’s not too hard to be an easy breezy gourmet if you know how to combine flavors like lemon and white wine, master poaching (simple, see this recipe) and make it your mission to cook with all the adorable mini veggies on the market, like baby carrots and pearl onions.

As seen in the Joy of Kosher with Jamie Geller Magazine Passover 2012 – Subscribe Now

There’s no debate.  At least not in this house.  Hubby likes light, fluffy, soft, pillowy, perfectly round matzo balls that cut like butter and require no teeth to eat.  So that’s what he gets.  And the kids know no different, so they love their knaidelach like that too. Truth be told I also have a little thing for hard-as-a-rock-get-me-a-chainsaw matzo balls.  But I don’t even know how to make them.

To unload my burdened soul I will have you know I used to make my perfect matzah balls out of a mix.  But I was really good at it.  And they were really round and really pretty and really tasty and really light and really elicited lots of compliments. So when I first came to Israel and was crying shopping in the supermarket with my cousin Bracha (the same darling of a Bracha who gave me this Turkey Hummus recipe and asked her where I could find the matzah ball mix… she was like WHAT?!?!  “they’re so easy to make – I’m giving you my recipe!”

And history was made in my kitchen.  My first new recipe in Israel was a success.  Like I told you in the magazine we did lots of takeout for Rosh Hashanah when I hosted just a few weeks after our aliyah.  But I did make my signature Unstuffed Cabbage Soup with my new Homemade Light and Fluffy Matzo Balls.

Yes we eat matzah balls with everything in this here house.  Not just for Pesach and not just with Chicken Soup.  We eat em with Beef Porridge, Butternut Squash Soup, and straight-up.

These are as easy as the mix, taste way better, and the secret is seltzer AND not to overmix, oh AND light pressure while rolling…

Just watch!

“I want my baby back…”

Now that I’ve got you humming or singing the ubiquitous television jingle for the popular non-kosher restaurant chain, I’m going to share with you my recent encounter with three kinds of ribs we can all enjoy. Now we can all be singing the same tune!

You might be wondering why I’m writing about ribs.  I don’t make ribs very often and they aren’t the healthiest part of the cow, but with three hungry guys at home I believe in moderation and occasional indulgences, especially during the Passover holiday.  The beef ribs that inspired this article came from my friends at KOL Foods and they use only 100% grass fed, sustainable, ethically raised kosher beef.

That means that the meat is lower in total fat, higher in many vitamins, and a better source of Omega 3 fatty acids than traditional beef.  Still, there are some easy tricks to prepare these ribs to minimize the calories and excess fat even more.

Trim the fat.  Beef ribs come with a layer of fat on both sides.  Take a sharp knife and trim off whatever you can before cooking.  Don’t worry, there will still be plenty of fat for flavor.

Avoid BBQ sauce.  Consider a dry rub and/or a vinegar based sauce.  Most BBQ sauces are loaded with sugars and can really pile on the calories.  That may be okay when grilling a low fat chicken breast, but can add hundreds of extra calories to a plate of ribs.

I have three delicious indoor beef rib recipes that are all kosher for Passover and year-round so you can treat your family to a bountiful barbeque anytime of year.

Dry Rub Spare Ribs

These are my dry rub roasted spare ribs.  I used five spice powder to infuse a unique taste on these ribs and then just at the end after a slow roasting I brushed on an orange ginger sauce with no added sugar.

Short Rib Stew

For a change of pace, I used my short ribs to make a slow cooked beef stew.  You can make this recipe in a slow cooker or a Dutch oven placed in the oven at 200 degrees, the result is an easy one pot meal your whole family will love.

Back Ribs with Vinegar Sauce

When I opened up the package of back ribs, I was a little nervous about all the fat I saw.  I trimmed as best I could, but discovered that a lot of the fat melts off in cooking, so midway through cooking you can drain off some of that excess fat from your pan. It tasted absolutely delicious with this vinegar based sauce I adapted from a Thomas Keller recipe, I can’t wait to use this sauce on all my meat.

Thanks to the folks over at KOL foods for sending me these kosher ribs to try, I had a great time experimenting and I hope you all enjoy these recipes.

 Dry Roasted Spare Ribs

Beef Back Ribs with Vinegar Sauce

Short Rib Stew

Now it is your turn to try KOL Foods.  Order now and get %5 OFF orders over $100 with the code – JOK2013, Valid through March 19th.

***Giveaway***Enter below to win a 2-3 lb 100% Grass Fed Chuck Roast

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thank you to Toby Ash our Balabusta Next Door from last year’s Passover Magazine for giving me this recipe.  I just turned it up a notch with the addition of my favorite Passover whipped cream cheese.  I am also giving you two for the price of one.  Use the same recipe to either create a nice large kugel or make them in individual ramekins or disposable tins.  After baking, turn them upside down for a Passover Pineapple Upside Down Cake.

For the full recipe click here.

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored video as part of a partnership with Temp Tee Whipped Cream Cheese. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.