Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray the foil with nonstick cooking spray.
Add the oil to a medium skillet set over medium heat. When the oil starts to shimmer,...
Even Manna get's boring. In this week’s parsha, the false memory of an Egyptian bounty of fish, cucumbers, watermelons, leeks, onions and garlic leads the people to beg for meat instead of manna. ...
Beat the summer heat by adding plenty of fresh summer vegetables to your plate. Eating seasonal vegetables is not only convenient, but according to Traditional Chinese Medicine, it actually helps your...
About 6 years ago, the summer before the release of my first book, I drove to the Gold’s factory and warehouse out on Long Island for the first of many visits. I was going to meet Steven Gold, a kind...
This issue is blooming and blossoming with promise, possibility, and flowers that are actually edible. Learn to cook with flowers and find the perfect vase for every budget. Go beyond marinara on your...
It’s cold out. Well kinda cold out. Not exactly bone chilling yet here in NY but I’ve got my coat on and that little chill that comes with a whisper of winter. This all means it’s time to warm the tummy, yours and your kiddies’ with special hot drinks. There are few things that say “I love you”, “I made this special for you” and give people that warm and fuzzy feeling – a cup of homemade hot cocoa does just that. In this case it’s triple chocolate hot cocoa so that must mean you really, really, really love the beneficiary of this treat (ehm, yourself). Ahot spiced apple cider is a slightly more sophisticated way to say “you mean something to me” unless of course your special somebody (ehm, Hubby) would prefer that hot cocoa. I love you all so here from my heart to yours some special warm winter recipes to fill your mugs.
You, our dear readers, are the arbiters of taste in all things, but especially in all things kosher. Who better than YOU to select the best of the best in kosher? I can think of no one better suited and I present to you our first annual Joy of Kosher BEST OF KOSHER AWARDS.
Starting NOW you can nominate and vote for your favorite products, restaurants, kosher food personalities and more!
Beginning now through January 11, 2012, you can nominate any eligible company or brand and vote for your favorite nominee in up to ten categories, including: Best Kosher Restaurant, Best Kosher Chef, Best New Kosher Cookbook, Best New Kosher Product, Best Passover Resort, Best Kosher Caterer, Best Kosher B&B/Hotel, Best Kosher Blog, Best Kosher Supermarket, and Best Kosher Winery.
Winners will be announced online on February 1, 2012 and in the February issue of the magazine.
The Joy of Kosher Best of Kosher Awards in addition to being loads of fun will really give everyone a chance to showcase their favorite kosher brands and products and encourage even more creativity and innovation in the world of Jewish food. Now that’s worth a little something something, don’t you think? Nominate your favorites today. Click this link: BEST OF KOSHER AWARDSto NOMINATE and vote for your favorites.
The dietician in Tamar wouldn’t let her run this contest. We showed her, didn’t we?! Fried desserts – hey it might be a small category but it’s a goodie. We tested 4 finalists and it came down to these two. One easy schmeazy Thai Fried Banana Dessert – hey it’s fruit! And one not so easy Eggnog Cranberry Rice Fritters, ok a total patchke, but beyond worth the time, effort and calories.
Throw out your scale and raise your glass to frying dessert by voting for your favorite.
In order to vote, click on the recipe highlighted above and find the thumbs up sign and click. The recipe with the most thumbs up signs by 9 am EST Dec 30th 2011 is the winner. Click herefor original contest details and prizes.
So I am not at all embarrassed to admit that I love fried foods. After all I am not the official dietician on our site — I leave the uber healthy stuff to Tamar. When we were deciding what to do for the 8 nights of Chanukah – since the 8 nights of latkes concept felt so played out – (and in fact we have over 50 recipes for latkes) I said to Tamar “I’ve got it! 8 nights of Fried Desserts!” She was like “What? No way!” The professional in her couldn’t let go. But I did my duty and convinced her our readers and the world will love this. It’s Chanukah – it’s practically a mitzvah to fry. So since I covered Savory Fried Treats in the Nov/Dec issue of JoK magazine we are focusing on sweet crispy delights on Jok.com. So 8 nights, 8 treats from me and all our “professional” Jok.com friends, like Jeff Nathan, Alessandra Rovati, Chef Laura and more!! You may hate me for it, but after you taste my Nutella Banana Egg Rolls I do think you will be thanking me!
I wanted to share what we in the “industry” call a sizzle reel. Translation - a 2 minute clip of the pilot we shot for PBS. We actually shot this before Rosh Hashanah. My neighbors got a kick out of all the menorahs in the window in the middle of September and my kiddies loved opening their presents early. I was obviously uber-pregnant (could barely reach the counter) and collapsed at the end of the 14 hour shoot (feet throbbing, head aching, back burning kinda collapse). We are editing together the full half hour episode now, I am so excited.
The food star of this episode, my Caprese latke tower – cover of this month’s JoK mag and my new favorite way to dress up a latke. Tell me what you think? Of the latke and the sizzle. Don’t you just LOVE this song from the Moshav Band? I cried like a baby the first time I heard it and not just because I was an emotional pregnant mess. Every time Hubby plays it my oldest goes “oh is Mommy going to cry again?”
Oh Chanukah, Oh Chanukah! SO SO SO excited it’s finally here. Although, in all honesty I have been celebrating Chanukah since August, no joke. Between preparing for the Chanukah issue of the magazine and shooting a Chanukah themed pilot for PBS, before the first candle I have already made latkes 3 times, fried donuts twice, baked Chanukah cookies with the kiddies once, lit the menorah as a family, wrapped presents, and washed my clothes and sheital to rid them of the smell of fried oil that is the holiday. Now that it’s finally here, for real, I almost need someone to pinch me to prove it – although I’ll settle for opening some presents.
As is customary for the holiday we do dairy every night. Why you ask? I told you last year. You don’t remember? Read here. So to update my repertoire I’ve got some new dishes for your Chanukah parties.
You know my grandparents really knew how to cook. It seems to me that everyone born in “the Old Country” (in this case, Transylvania) was born with built-in cooking intuition. Somehow, they could create the most scrumptious meals using no fancy equipment, nor even measuring spoons. I recall that they hosted every holiday humbly, turning out the expected delicacies with what seemed like the simplest, most relaxed effort. No exotic flavor profiles, nor food combos or wine pairings; no attempts at reinventing the wheel, because when the food is that good – no, make that superb – there’s no need to find a “twist” on the recipe.
On Chanukah, we were treated to their potato pancakes, “latkes” that were classic and simple. My grandfather, a professional chef, wore a manly white waist apron that suited him perfectly. His latkes were made of eggs, onions, potatoes, oil, salt, pepper, and a little matzo meal to make them crunchy. “Corn meal, that’s also good, if you don’t have any matzo meal,” he would say reassuringly, though you knew that he secretly wondered what kind of kitchen would not have a handful of matzo meal somewhere. The potatoes were hand-grated so fine –almost to a pudding-like consistency – then lightly fried in a pan that looked as though it, too, had just come over from the Old Country. Applesauce and sour cream traditionally accompany latkes, but who needed them? Crispy on the edges, with a fluffy, buttery smooth center, Grandpa’s version of this Chanukah delicacy could stand alone.
The first Chanukah after my wedding, I called my grandfather for his latke recipe. He gave it to me with “measurements” like “a sprinkle of salt, a few spoons of matzo meal, some oil…” All the while, I wished I had watched him in action when he was in his prime. I could have taken notes, measured out the amounts he used, studied his grating technique.
But I was on my own. Tasked with recreating Grandpa’s latkes, I tried and failed, tried and failed – until I finally produced something that is reminiscent of his glorious, crunchy potato perfection. The recipe went into my first published cookbook, Quick & Kosher: Recipes from the Bride Who Knew Nothing. I have reprinted these Classic Potato Latkes here and created a how-to video that you can watch below so you can see how easy it is to make.
My husband and kids say these latkes are the best in the world. They are very good, but they’re not my Grandfather’s. Maybe it’s my food processor and that fancy-shmancy skillet.
Chanukah Giveaway!!
Because it’s almost Chanukah I want to give you a chance to win a gorgeous gift basket (pictured below) of Chanukah-themed decorated cookies and brownie bites from M&M Designs - Designer Creations for Life’s Sweetest Occasions. Whether you’re looking for a special gift or planning a celebration…their uniquely decorated edibles taste as amazing as they look. These products are under OU supervision. This gift basket that they are giving away has a retail value of $85 and you have a chance to win it! Please leave me a comment below sharing your favorite Chanukah memory. Entrants must be over 18 and legal US residents. Contest ends Monday Dec 19 2011 at 9 pm EST. One winner will be picked by online randomizer from qualifying entries.
CONTEST NOW CLOSED BUT PLEASE KEEP LEAVING YOUR FAVORITE CHANUKAH MEMORIES!!
Creamy, tangy feta, salty olives, crisp lettuce, and crunchy croutons, all wrapped up in a light and spicy lemon oregano dressing… ah, the Greek Salad! Could be a meal, could also be a side – perfect for a Chanukah feast (we do have to remember the Greeks this time of year).
Greek salad is one of my faves on Chanukah and post-baby. I have a friend who gorges on Godiva after she has a baby – it’s her “Thank you, G-d, and I deserve a treat” snack. Mine is Greek Salad. When my friend Anita comes to visit and asks what she can bring, I always say – “Can you pick up a Greek Salad on the way?” So random, but hey, it’s true. This super-easy salad is perfect for your Chanukah party because you want something you can toss together quickly when you have a ton of latkes to fry.
There’s food and then there’s food. This is one of those simple, light dishes – yet it’s supremely robust and flavorful. Dover sole is one of life’s culinary delicacies and can cost you more than a steak at most restaurants. It’s white, firm, mild-flavored and best paired with a lemon wine sauce. It’s so easy to eat – just one of those things that goes down easy. It’s a super thin piece of fish, too: you don’t even need teeth to enjoy it (but don’t waste it on the baby!)
At the fish counter, you’re most likely to find lemon sole or gray sole much more affordable, and it’s still delicious especially when you are cooking for a crowd this Chanukah. This recipe for Lemon and White Wine Broiled Sole is a nice complement to all the oily fried treats at your Chanukah party.
I have six cans of pumpkin puree sitting in my kitchen cabinet. And I must admit that seeing them lined up there gives me piece of mind, relieving the paranoia that sets in every fall. That’s when the store shelves are filled with pureed pumpkin for a brief period and everybody who loves pumpkin comes out in droves, clearing every last can till they’re impossible to find afterward. Bloggers hit the net, talk show hosts fill the air waves and twitter goes nuts with everyone trying to find out where to get their hands on a can of pumpkin puree.
So I confess to having an obsession. I nearly buy out the entire store when pumpkin is plentiful on the shelf, as though preparing for some dire emergency. I mean, what if the world comes to an end, and I’m stuck with no pumpkin puree in my kitchen? How will we survive?
Hubby and I try to be gracious and not buy out the entire store (of anything); we leave at least one on the shelf should another desperate person follow us. I’m not saying you should stock up on pureed pumpkin as we do, but I do suggest that you make sure to keep a few cans handy. That way, you can create this absolutely indulgent baked pumpkin penne whenever the mood strikes you. This is one of those “reward yourself” recipes with heavy cream, cheese, penne and pumpkin. The perfect indulgent dairy dish to adorn your Chanukah table. Hey, you can always use whole wheat pasta to offset the cream. That’s what I do, and I feel better, really, much better.
But you’ll have to go to your Yankee Auntie to get that recipe. Not that I’m un-American or against apple pie. It’s just that I grew up surrounded by Eastern European intonations and Old Country cooking. (When my father speaks, Hubby just smiles and nods, pretending to understand.)
I do a great Caramel Pear Lattice Pie, though. Don’t worry, I won’t make you start from scratch. Amazing what you can do with store-bought crust once you let it defrost and style it to your liking. If you don’t want to mess around weaving a lattice, don’t! I say if you don’t feel like weaving, you should not have to weave. I know it’s a revolutionary thought. But there, I said it!
You should feel empowered to do what you like with your crust. You could just lay it over the filling with a few slits, or do a fake weave: place half the strips vertically and half the strips horizontally on top to look like a weave. Or just use cookie cutters to make nice shapes (kids love to do this) and place them on top of your filling.
SO, as I was saying, this filling ain’t apples. I use pears ‘cuz I like to be different. But not too different – I’m keeping it traditional with cinnamon; but instead of nutmeg, let’s go cardamom (just because I like how exotic that spice sounds, smells and tastes). Slather caramel sauce on the base crust, top with the pear mixture, and then top with your creative crust of choice. For a nice little down-home, diner-style finish – after brushing your crust with egg wash, sprinkle it with turbinado sugar. You’re gonna love me for that sweet little touch!
Slightly spicy, with a hint of sweetness from cinnamon and sweet potatoes, this Spiced Chicken and Lentil Soup is a hearty meal in one – especially when you add garlic toast. I learned the trick of rubbing cloves of garlic on hot toast from, Giada. Must be how they do it in Italy.
Back home in Philly, I used to watch my grandfather from Transylvania eat whole garlic cloves, with a glass of milk to wash it down. Grandpa lived to 96, in addition to the grace of G-d we credit garlic. The next generation in our family tempered the garlic tradition by substituting fresh sliced garlic on toast, drizzling it with olive oil and salt (or butter instead of olive oil). I remember my dad buttering his bread with a layer so thick it held the garlic like glue.
For you, I tempered it even more, and took a cue from Giada. Just rubbing the garlic cloves onto hot toast infuses the bread with a hot garlic flavor that is not too overpowering. Within a day or two, you can go to work and your colleagues won’t even smell the garlic on you. But if you can handle it (and have a vacation day tomorrow), go garlic (as described above)! It’s such a nice complement to the soup’s earthy rich flavors – there’s a hint of exotic North African flare with cumin – not to mention coriander and ginger. And it’s packed with protein from the chicken and lentils. There are so many different layers of flavor and texture in this soup! It eats like a meal (and you won’t wear it on your breath).
Imagine it’s a cold winter night. At least I have to imagine, ‘cuz here in NY it’s a ridiculous 60+ degrees, people are sauntering outside in T-shirts, and I’m shvitzing in my black turtleneck sweater. (It’s the only thing that fits since I had the baby. I was really counting on cold weather.) Ok, so let’s imagine that there’s frost on the windowpane and that Hubby just built a cozy fire in the fireplace. (As long as I’m imagining, let’s really go for it.)
Since we’re pretending, we might as well cook up a hearty winter meal. Italian Vegetable Soup (spiked with orzo and pesto) and served with cheese bread is the perfect tomato-ey comfort food for a cold winter’s eve, and even for an annoyingly warm November day. Soup is one of my favorite foods, and the Italian Veggie soup is what I fix when I’m “watching” what I eat: that’s when I hold the orzo and the cheese bread. To tell the truth, since I had a baby so recently, I’m not really watching – just closing my eyes and savoring. I think “watching” should wait a while, till I’m back to normal. Let’s say, four or five years.
Well, as my grandmother (a”h) used to say, everything in moderation is ok. That’s my mantra these days, so orzo and cheese bread it is.
What’s your favorite soup? And what wise sayings did your grandma offer? I’ll take either – just let me know in the comments.
Tamar asked me for more roasts that she can use when planning our JoK Shabbat menus. I had the brilliant idea to give her a brisketfor every day of the week, but apparently we already have that, so I was forced to go out of my comfort zone. Fanfare, please: I now present you with Balsamic London Broil.
So what part of the cow is “London broil?” Technically, it’s not a cut of meat, but a method of preparing it by marinating it and then pan-frying (or broiling) it to medium rare. Wanna hear a good one? “London broil” is unknown in England. It was devised by Americans to tenderize flank steak, a meat that is normally quite tough; it morphed into “London broil” as a “cut” in butcher shops later on. True flank steak is from the wrong part of the cow for kosher consumers, but our kosher butchers cheerfully label just about any cut of meat that is lean (and not naturally tender) as “London broil.” So don’t ask what part of the cow it comes from. The answers will only confuse you. Suffice it to say that you can take this relatively inexpensive meat and give it the royal treatment.
Before baking this baby, you sear it without adding oil to the pan. No oil because there’s enough liquid from the marinade, and it caramelizes nicely to make a delectable crust. Serve it rare to medium rare along with the roasted onions: elegant to the max! It’s a nice change for your Shabbos dinner menu, without much work.
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