The place and the people here are just beautiful

I had one of the most special experiences the other day.  Now that I live in Israel you may expect me to talk about things like…

My day of business meetings, in Jerusalem… did you hear that?  Jerusalem.

The day began with the incredible Chef Yochanan Lambiase and a tour of his Jewish Culinary Institute, JCI, the only Mehadrin cooking program in the world.

This is a pict I snapped with my phone of the girls program, in session.  They were in the midst of a cookie class while the boys program next door worked on knife skills.  My heart filled with such pride as I saw these young, eager, hopeful culinary students in the heart of Jerusalem learn the art of cooking from a master chef with unparalleled vision.  The entire JCI is the brainchild of Lambiase.  After a 4 month course Chef Lambiase will place the students in intensive 1-month on site internships around the world.  I MUST do an entire feature on JCI sometime in the coming months.  But in the meantime to enroll for the next semester or support this incredible place please visit JCICHEF.

Or maybe you expect me to write about the tears that formed in the corners of my eyes as I walked to my next meeting with the Executive Director of the Jerusalem Cinematheque.  The Jerusalem Jewish Film Festival held at the cinematheque hosted a special screening of Joy of Aliyah in its entirety followed by a panel discussion entitled Aliyah… A Recipe For Success.

It was an incredible event.

We lunched at a lovely cafe in Begin Center and enjoyed this gorgeous view.

As I walked to hail a cab for my next meeting I realized I was right next to the famous windmill I had always seen from afar but never close up.  So I took a one minute detour and walked through a small park toward the windmill with a woman who called out to me on the street.  She recognized me and turns out she is a good friend and neighbor of my step-mother-in-law.  So we strolled together.  I could feel the uneven ridges of the Jerusalem stone under my feet and thought, this is it, this is where I am meant to be and that’s when the tears formed.

I snapped a picture and hailed a cab to my next meeting. Before running home to my son’s Gan Chanukah play, entirely in Hebrew, at which I choked back tears as well.

But I actually blogged today to tell you about a special person, no make that two special people I had the pleasure of spending time with this past week — famous French-Israeli cookbook author, food blogger and columnist for the Hebrew version of Mishpacha Magazine, Maryline Ayalon and her friend Rivka.

Maryline contacted me to do a story about me for her gorgeous blog.  Which you must check out even if you don’t know Hebrew.  Her photographs will inspire you and you can also purchase her book A Week In Marlyine’s Kitchen, also in Hebrew (boohoo, for those of us that can’t hang) there.

When Maryline reached out to me I thought, sure, fine, sweet, nice, I’ll meet her and really thought nothing more of it.  Well she showed up on a bright warm December morning with her friend Rivka who came in the capacity of translator.  In the end my Hebrew and Maryline’s English were good enough that we got by without Rivka’s assistance so she quickly morphed into social caller and sous chef and we chit chatted, the three of us, like old girlfriends.

Maryline didn’t show up empty handed but rather with both hands bearing gifts (I guess that’s how the French-Israeli’s do it – oy I have to quickly learn!).  Her right hand clutched a bouquet of fresh za’atar and sage from her garden, her left a platter of kadayif best described as a sweet spicy ball of baklava.

The aroma of cloves was just too much for me to bare and I broke my diet right then and there and continued my hiatus until the entire tray was demolished.

Rivka, Israeli born but of Hungarian descent brought me a homemade babka which we saved and savored on Shabbos as a family.

Together we made one of my new weekly staples, Persimmon Salsa.  It’s actually a riff on Peach Salsa from the summer issue of the magazine for which I showed it over grilled chicken legs.  But now peaches are not in season so I swapped them for persimmons which it turns out I much prefer.  We chopped, cooked, tossed and photographed together.  Well really Maryline photographed and I stood by giving my very really and important input like “yes” “gorgeous” stunning “perfect” – not sure what she would have done without me.

The morning was a beautiful meeting of the minds.  Maryline shared her frustrations and memories as a new oleh 25 years ago at the age of 17 from France.  She is beautiful inside and out – she has a chen about her which can best be described as a glow.  We parted promising to see one another again.  I feel so welcomed by the food community here… and I hope that we have the chance to share more salads and sweets together.

My recent obsession with zucchini knows NO bounds.  I make the Zucchini Spaghetti from the summer issue of the magazine almost weekly.  And for lunch, when I am in a rush (which I always am) I just julienne some Zucchini, quickly sauté it and top it with a little marinara and grated Parm.  It’s not unheard of that both my lunch and dinner, on any given day, feature this member of the squash family that looks like a cucumber’s cousin.

The infatuation all started with my commitment to eat right (zucchini is a “free” veg on most healthy eating plans) and my handheld julienne peeler.  I cried when we had to part ways for 6 weeks when I moved to Israel, Hubby put it on the lift, I wanted to bring it in my makeup case.

My undying love for my julienne peeler notwithstanding, I do think my Zucchini Latkes call for the consistency of shredded zucchini (either on the side of your box grater or in your food processor).  These lovely latkes have no potatoes but they do have a little matzah meal to help hold them together.  Perfect with the usual suspects like applesauce and/or sour cream, but you can also dress ‘em up with a quick & easy Tzatiki – a Greek yogurt based sauce.  Make your own semi-homemade Greek yogurt (check out this recipe with step-by-step photos) or buy, it now comes in Cholov Yisroel from Norman’s Dairy.

On Chanukah I like to fry fresh daily.  But you can always prep ahead and rewarm in a single layer on a baking pan in the oven (don’t overcrowd your pan when frying or your latkes will be soggy and don’t stack ‘em when re warming or your latkes will be soggy — and if you couldn’t tell the goal here is crispy not soggy latkes, got it?).  After an especially long session at my 4 frying pans (yes I have them all going at once) Hubby said I smelled like I just got off a double shift at Burger King, only thing missing was a hairnet.  We both laughed.  I am still laughing.  How would a hairnet look over my snood?

Happy Happy Happy Chanukah!

Don’t miss any of our 8 nights of Dairy Delights or any of the recipes in The Chanukah Blog Party – See Below.

Welcome to our first ever Hanukkah Blog Party, hosted CookKosher and Miriam of Overtime Cook. It’s traditional on Hanukkah to eat fried treats, most notably donuts and latkes, and we’ve got a fabulous array of Hanukkah themed recipes, treats and crafts from Jewish bloggers all over the world! Scroll down for links to all of the delicious treats. 

This Contest is Now Closed

Jamie from Joy of Kosher made Zucchini Latkes with Tzatziki

It’s that time of year when deep frying is practically a mitzvah! So even if you usually avoid deep-fried foods, I say go with the flow and embrace the customs of the holiday.  You’ve got eight guilt-free nights to savor these sizzling delights—it would almost be a sin not to.

Caraway Noodle Cakes with Red Cabbage

These Scandinavian-inspired noodle pancakes are crispy and crunchy on the outside, soft and yummy on the inside.
To make these perfect pancakes you will need 4 (3 ½-inch) ring molds.

Spicy Mexican Egg Rolls

I love egg rolls—and egg rolls love me! Now that egg roll wrappers are on the market, anybody can wrap and roll ‘em. This, my latest version, evokes a creamy, cheesy, Mexican-style baked potato.

Vegetable Tempura

I routinely order tempura at Japanese restaurants, and I always wanted to know how to make it at home. Now that I’ve
figured it out, I want to share the secrets to terrific tempura with you!

Sweet Potato Latkes with Brie and Baby Arugula

I recently enjoyed the most amazing Blue Cheese and Arugula Pizza at a new restaurant in Brooklyn. Couldn’t stop dreaming about it—and this superb latke is the inspired result. Use blue cheese (for a tangy, bold, sweet and sour flavor) or brie (for a milder, creamy effect) and finish it off with a drizzle of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and freshly ground black pepper.

***Giveaway***

Gili’s Goodies is giving one lucky winner a Shabbat Gift Platter to be sent to anyone in Israel.  This is a unique gift which can be used for Shabbat, Holiday or any occasion. A ceramic serving dish containing assorted nuts, assorted dried fruits and assorted chocolates. This comes with a FRESH BAKED Gili’s Goodies Brownie greeting card..which can be customized for any occasion. The giveaway can be redeemed any time except for one week before any Jewish Holiday.  Enter below to win.

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So I never heard of stuffing being called dressing until I met my mom-in law.  Granted I never cooked till then either.  Mom-in-law differentiates the two by explaining that stuffing is cooked in the bird and dressing on the side.  Further research (read google) shows that Joy of Cooking (with whom Joy of Kosher is NOT affiliated) confirms her definition but The Food Lover’s Companion, one of America’s best-selling culinary reference books, uses the terms interchangeably.  So being the peacemaker that I am, I like to satisfy both opinions by cooking my stuffing/dressing in the bird and extra dressing/stuffing in a casserole dish, on the side. Truth be told I do this more so I can load it up with tons of mushrooms, which Hubby and the kiddies don’t like.  Well at least we can all agree that we love the Thanksgiving meal, mushrooms notwithstanding.

You know it so happens that I am both genetically predisposed to my affinity for Turkey day and married into it.  On the DNA side, my immigrant mother loves Thanksgiving so much that when she was due with my sister within days of the big Thursday she insisted my grandparents make her the entire meal, earlier in the month, just in case.  Well who were they to argue with a lady in her 3^rd trimester.  So they dutifully prepared the full on Thanksgiving spread for her.  My dear sister didn’t show up until the end of December (someone, somewhere calculated wrong… momma vehemently denies planning this) so in 1980 my mom had the special zchus of enjoying 2 Thanksgiving meals.  My immigrant grandparents really made the best Thanksgiving food I have ever had in my life.  And you know I have eaten my way around this world.  They completely embraced American culture and customs and had the added benefit of being born intuitively knowing how to cook.  I so desperately miss their food, their table, their gravy!!!!  And they ALWAYS had mushrooms in their stuffing.

Now for the married-into-it part: Hubby would annually request Thanksgiving dinner for his Oct 5 b-day cause it is also his favorite meal.  (Hubby and Mommy don’t have much in common except for this I guess, and they happen to look alike – go figure.  Well now I can remind them of their mutual love for turkey and me and give them something to bond over.  Cause they desperately need it.) My oh so fabulous mother-in-law (and I am not saying that in jest – she and I really do get on very well!)  would dotingly make him the whole lavish meal.  So until he married me (poor thing) he got two full Thanksgiving meals EVERY year!

This here is one of my favorite stuffings/dressings: Whole Wheat Stuffing with Dried Cranberries and Sage.

Hope I can find chestnuts here, otherwise I’ll just have to bring them back in my suitcase.  I make this about once a year cause I love it too much and don’t want the temptation (read carbs).  Watch as the girls and I show you just how easy it is to make (shout out Hadassah – we miss you!).

Oh, and I give you permission to add a boat load of mushrooms!

What’s your favorite stuffing combo?

My friend Rachel, a new oleh from Jersey, having made aliyah just weeks before us, emailed me with an idea.  She’s one of those types, so many great ideas, so little time.  Anyhoo Rachey emails me and writes, and I quote: “I have a project idea for you that I think would work NEXT year, but would be a great PR opportunity, which is “A Jamie Geller Thanksgiving” in Israel, for Americans living here. Think about it. Lots of Americans make Thanksgiving dinner just for fun.”

And I wonder why after all this time people don’t get that I want OUT of the kitchen.  I politely email Rachel back – as politely as one can type “there is no way in this world or any other that I want to turn myself into a caterer.”

Well as fate would have it — the day after Thanksgiving I am hosting a big Geller blowout Shabbos.  I’ll be cooking for 10 adults and 20 kids KY”H!!!  So I guess I will be catering a small party after all Rachel!  But when it’s family (and friends) I am more than happy to.  And as Thanksgiving is probably one of my favorite all-time meals of the year that’s my theme.

So Rachey if I were to cater a “Jamie Geller Thanksgiving” for the masses, my menu would go a little something like this.

Challah Onion Pocket

Warm Challah Onion Pockets

My mother in law always served dinner rolls warm, sliced with a pat of margarine so that it was already melty by the time you took a bite.  You must serve these warm too and they don’t even need the margarine.  I love them because the caramelized onions are sweet and savory and the olive oil moistens the bread.  These complement every dish you will serve and you have not known heaven on earth until you have tasted these.  Make Ahead: you can both caramelize the onions and make the dough ahead of time.  Freeze the dough raw and the onions separately.  Let the dough come to room temperature before stuffing and topping your rolls with onions.  Bake fresh or rewarm covered in foil.  Technically you can actually make these pockets and freeze them and just rewarm wrapped in foil as well.

Butternut Squash Soup

My (Coconut Milk White Wine) Butternut Squash Soup

As family lore goes before I met Hubby my mother in law served soup in a hallowed out squash or bread bowl or something fancy one Thanksgiving.  And I’ve had to hear about it for years.  Lucky I don’t have a complex at all and have instead  forged my own path and rebelliously opted not to dress up this soup but just serve it in a bowl.  You can of course hollow out a pretty little squash if you are not trying to prove a point.

Southwestern Turkey Breast and Green Chili Stuffing

Southwestern Turkey Breast with Green Chile Stuffing

If you are having a smaller crowd and are the adventurous type try this recipe.  If you want the whole bird in a classic presentation and flavor profile go with this Classic Roasted Turkey.

And watch this here handy dandy vid for tips on making this baby.

Black Pepper Gravy

Whichever way you decide to go this black pepper gravy goes with most any turkey.

I am super duper duper partial to this dressing and will probably make it and add lots o’ mushrooms!!!
Watch this great video to see how easy it is.

Green Bean Three Onion Saute

In our fam we love Brussels sprouts, broccoli or green beans at our Thanksgiving din din.  This is an easy one that’s not overly seasoned so it will match really nicely no matter what’s on your menu.

Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallow Topping

A must must must must at ANY Thanksgiving table.  My childhood friend’s mother Lela was the first person I saw put marshmallows on yams and I think I actually spoke to the dish – said something like “hey baby where have you been all my life?”

Pumpkin Pie with Caramel Whipped Cream

If you are traditional and I am (sometimes) Turkey is not served unless you have a punkin pie with whipped “cream” for dessert.

Molasses Spice Bundt Cake

This is a nice super seasonal rich beautiful alternative or additional (as is my style) dessert.

Cinnamon-Buns

Paula my recipe editor is making my Cinnamon Buns for her Thanksgiving  dessert and I thought “yes, great call, I must let the world know!”

So here goes the sappy part.  I am thankful for you all every day and I try my best to constantly say it so that you know you are loved and so you know that your interest and support in all that I am trying to do means the world to me.  So I don’t technically need this day to tell you that – but I’ll tell you again anyway.  Thank you for your comments, your feedback, and your show of love both in person and online.  You have no clue how much you are giving to me and what an impact you are making on my life.

What are you making?  What are you thankful for?  What is your favorite thanksgiving dish?  What’s your favorite part of JoyofKosher? Just talk back!

****Giveaway – Win a Camera****

Attention photography lovers or anyone who wants a new camera.  42nd Street Photo in NYC is giving away a Canon PowerShot ELPH (value $299.99).  Comment on this article and enter with all the options on Rafflecopter below.

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Disclosure: Prize is being provided by 42nd Street Photo.

Because we are new olim, Hubby started going to Ulpan. As you probably know, that’s a crash course in spoken Hebrew, but the immediate payoff is a circle of friends – people who are as clueless as you are about how to say in perfect Hebrew, “I think I’m on the wrong bus and I don’t want to go to Solomon’s Mines.”  At least, you’re supposed to learn how to say this fast enough to get off before the bus hurtles into the Negev.

A true Israeli, the Ulpan teacher has a habit of introducing inexplicable grammar rules with the preface “This is how it is; if you don’t like it, start a revolution.” Now of course this all goes down in Hebrew but the word for revolution she uses is “revolutzia.” That’s not one of my classic vocab words from 6^th grade Hebrew class, but I love the sound of it.

Fact is, when I arrived I nearly started a big fat revolutzia of my own.  It was all about yogurt.  Greek yogurt.

Old habits are hard to break you see, even when you resolve to make aliyah and change everything. Wherever in the world I find myself, I like to start my day with a cup (or more) of plain fat free Chobani Greek yogurt sprinkled with Truvia and mixed with fruit. It comes right after my grandma-style hot water with lemon. Every day. First thing in the morning.

So I come to the Promised Land – and there’s no Chobani!  The horror of it all was nearly too much to bear.  My husband’s mother (who really is an angel disguised as a mother-in-law) emailed Chobani to ask if they distribute to Israel.  The simple, sad, intense, frantic return email read: NO!

I was calmed only by the notion that Greece is closer to Israel than the US, so there must be an authentic Greek brand – properly hechshered – just waiting for me at the supermarket.

It wasn’t there. That’s when I got all into revolutzia mode.

But starting a war probably wouldn’t make me all too popular with the locals so I took a deep breath in and out and thought that technically I knew how to and even clearly explained on this here site that it’s oh SO EASY to make your own homemade Greek yogurt.  While it’s something I never had to do before, I decided to try.

So, every two days I make my own – only because my strainer isn’t large enough to handle more than that.  Once the whey is strained along with all the water and dissolved salts and sugars, 3 cups of regular yogurt yield 1 ½ cups of Greek yogurt.  So in fact, it’s double the cost of standard yogurt which is in keeping with the hefty price tag of store bought Greek yogurt.  Yup that’s kind of pricey, but why quibble over a few shekels when you’re saving a life? My life. My breakfast. My morning.

So we’ll have to revise our budget, Hubby.   But better that then me starting a revolutzia, no?

Quick little Greek yogurt primer, What is Greek Yogurt? 

The rich texture of Greek yogurt is achieved by straining it through a cloth, a paper bag, or a filter to remove the whey.  Because the whey is removed, even nonfat varieties are rich and creamy. Straining the yogurt removes water and dissolved salts and sugars, so by volume Greek yogurt has twice the protein and less sodium, carbohydrates, and sugar than regular yogurt. The consistency achieved is between yogurt and cheese, and the distinctive tangy taste is preserved. That’s why Greek yogurt has recently become so popular. It has a richer taste and is lower in carbs than unstrained yogurts.

Homemade Fat Free Greek Style Yogurt with Step by Step Photo Instructions

Many thanks to the amazingly talented photographer, blogger and recipe developer Sina Mizrahi from the TheKosherSpoon.com.  I fell in love with Sina, her cooking her photography, after visiting her beautiful blog.  She opens up about her life, her food, her family and cooks (sometimes) simple meals with seasonal produce that are (mostly) nutritious.  Please visit her site.

Addendum – Many of you in the US have been asking for a Cholov Yisroel Greek Yogurt and now you can get yours.  Kosher Today announced that Norman’s Dairy is releasing the first Cholov Yisroel (higher kosher standard for dairy) Greek Yogurt in 6 flavors.  Look for it at your kosher markets this Winter.

***Giveaway*** Win a sampling of Papa Ben’s Kitchen 5 varieties of Mandelbroyt.   Enter the contest below.

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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 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.

First Impressions – Excite your company from the get-go with these simple starters

You won’t catch me moving into the kitchen for a full month before a Yuntif, catching my zzz’s between kitchen timer alarms. But that doesn’t stop me from kicking off each meal with an impressive dish. You can do it too! Go for one simple starter that makes a bold statement in taste and appearance.

Tuna Tartar with Honey Sesame Wonton Crisps

It’s gorgeous, it’s crunchy, it’s soft, it’s slightly sweet and savory—a perfect beginning to an elegant meal.

Tarragon Fish Croquettes with Honey Wasabi Dipping Sauce

This recipe calls for cod but if you love salmon or some other fish, go for it!  It’ll be just as delish.

Don’t miss the Honey Wasabi dipping sauce!
I use it with almost everything! While I favor it for fish, you can also serve it with chicken, beef, or lamb (not all at once, of course—even I have my limits).

Beef Satay with Horseradish Mustard

These are kid-friendly and adult-friendly.  Nothin’ better than pleasing the entire crowd at once.

Tip: Soak your wood skewers for 1 hour before using to prevent burning.

Simanim Salad with Pomegranate Balsamic Dressing

This recipe calls for cooked beets.  You can use boiled, canned or roasted (my favorite!)

To roast beets: scrub the beets, leaving the skin on, and cut off the greens and the root end. Toss the beets with a generous amount of olive oil and season with salt & pepper. Roast at 400° F for about 45 minutes in a baking dish with about ½ cup of water and cover tightly with foil. Allow to cool 5 minutes before peeling, slicing, and seasoning with additional salt & pepper as needed.

I am especially proud of this creation because I love to incorporate the simanim throughout my menu. This gorgeous, healthful and refreshing recipe satisfies so tastefully—I wouldn’t wait for the holidays to make it!.

What is your favorite way to start a meal?

Originally published in Joy of Kosher with Jamie Geller (Rosh Hashanah 2011) – Subscribe Now.

Thank you to everyone for sharing this journey with us.  There was no way for us to know how many of you would be touched by this series and surprisingly how meaningful and helpful your comments have been.  To all of you who have taken the time to express your feelings, in writing through comments, tweets and blog posts  – you must know, and I can’t say it enough times – what strength it has given us as a family.  This one experience has drawn us all (and I mean you, my Joy of Kosher/Aliyah Family) closer and for that I will be forever grateful.  I will do my utmost to continue to share our experiences here on JoyofKosher.com through blog posts, recipes and videos so that we may all live the dream together.  While this is the finale episode, I promise you this is not the end… it is only the beginning.

With love and best wishes for a Great Shabbos and a Gmar Chasima Tova
Jamie and Family

filmed and directed by brian k. spector | vision palette creative

Did you miss any episodes? Want to see what is still to come? Keep up with our Episode Guide

The Announcement Teaser

Premiere Date: Tuesday June 26 7:00pm EST

The Announcement Episode

Premiere Date: Wednesday July 11 7:00pm EST

The US Lift Teaser

Premiere Date: Wednesday July 18 7:00pm EST

The US Lift Episode

Premiere Date: Wednesday July 25 7:00pm EST

Goodbye BBQ Teaser

Premiere Date: Wednesday August 8 7:00pm EST

Airport Teaser

Premiere Date: Wednesday August 15 7:00pm EST

Last 24/The Flight Episode

Premiere Date: Wednesday August 22 7:00pm EST

Welcome to Israel Episode

Premiere Date: Wednesday September 5 7:00pm EST

The Israel Lift Teaser

Premiere Date:Wednesday September 12 7:00pm EST

Happy New Year from Israel Episode

Premiere Date: Wednesday September 19 7:00pm EST

Honey is the most universal symbol of Rosh Hashanah.  As everyone looks to wish one another a Sweet New Year.  We take that phrase for granted as we have heard it so many times over for so many years running but it is such a beautiful wish.  We use adjectives like good and great and wonderful to describe experiences, hopes and dreams but sweet is a quite beautiful word, for me, it conveys something more than the commonly used positive adjective, it conveys something warm, something homey.

Date and Honey Glazed Chicken Thighs

I always say it doesn’t have to be the Jewish New Year to give that cute little honey bear a squeeze — our version of the Pillsbury dough boy.  I happen to love honey in my coffee, baked goods and chicken dishes.  In fact I have 3 favorites developed for Rosh Hashanah but used year round because we love them so Honey Chicken, Date and Honey Glazed Chicken Thighs and today’s linkup recipe Honey-Sesame Glazed Chicken.  In fact for one of my first Shabbos’ in Israel Honey Chicken made the menu.

The recipe I am sharing with you for the linkup is dressed up for the holidays by oven-roasting the chicken as a whole bird instead of the usual pieces.  Bringing a whole roasted chicken to the table immediately tells people this is a special occasion.  Place the bird on a simple serving platter surrounded by purple-red radicchio for full effect.  I personally like that slightly charred well done crispy skin.  Chicken and cheese (not together of course) I like well done and golden brown – breads and baked goods — doughy things, I like doughy, meaning raw-ish.  Just another one of my quirks.

The Sesame-Honey Glaze is a simple mix of white wine, honey, olive oil, kosher salt and garlic.  Simple, slightly sweet, sticky and scrumptious in a snap.

Wishing you the sweetest of years and all good things.

Dress them up, or dress them down—these dishes do double duty for either a holiday or weeknight meal.

We all have our go-to recipes that are easy, foolproof crowd-pleasers. Now you’ll have even more. These recipes use only 5 ingredients—doesn’t get much simpler than that—for weeknight family dinners. But I’ll also show you how a simple presentation tweak, garnish, or an extra ingredient or two can dress ‘em up for Yom Tov.  (And no, salt, pepper, oil, water, and cooking spray don’t count as ingredients.)  I promise these will become part of your tried & true recipe inventory, and now they’ll do double duty as everyday or holiday dishes.

Honey-Sesame Glazed Chicken

Did you ever think a dish this beautiful could be so super easy?

Honey Baked Salmon on a Cedar Plank

The table presentation gets even prettier when you serve the whole side of salmon on a cedar plank, and garnish it with roasted lemons. Soak cedar plank in water for 1 hour before baking.

Turkey Meatballs

From a hearty weekday meal to an elegant starter. This turkey can multi-task!

Instead of rolling the meat into balls, deconstruct your meatballs, and serve the filling in beautiful Boston lettuce cups.

Chicken and Veggie Skewers

Look for long, thick-branched rosemary sprigs to use as elegant skewers and to add a touch of extra flavor to your dish. Pull off most of the rosemary leaves to save for another use, leaving the herbs at the top of the skewer intact.

Thai Pesto Noodles

Add vibrant colors that will really pop off the fragrant green pesto pasta.

Don’t miss my Simanim Filled Menu for Rosh Hashanah.

Originally printed in the Rosh Hashanah 2011 issue of Joy of Kosher with Jamie Geller.

Simanim Inspired – Taste your way into a blessed new year.

Simanin (literally signs or indicators) are foods that we eat on Rosh Hashanah to symbolize our hopes for the coming year. I like to work simanim into my Rosh Hashanah recipes for the added blessing, sweetness, and mazal they represent.  This menu is exquisite in its simplicity and great-tasting dishes.

Individual Apple-Stuffed Challah

“May it be Your will, Hashem, our G-d and G-d of our fathers, that You renew for us a good and sweet year.”

When our patriarch Yaakov masqueraded as Eisav to obtain his rightful “firstborn” blessing from his father, Yitzchak, he donned Eisav’s cloak.
Yitzchak exclaimed, “the fragrance of my son is like the fragrance of a field that G-d had blessed” and blessed Yaakov. The Talmud identifies the
fragrance as an apple orchard, and the Vilna Gaon says this happened on Rosh Hashanah. We eat apples (tons of them) because we too want
those holy blessings given to Yaakov.  Use your favorite challah dough recipe, hopefully it’s my heaven-on-earth challah-recipe or you can use store bought frozen challah dough.

Creamy Carrot Soup

“May it be your will, Hashem our G-d and the G-d of our forefathers that our merits increase.”

Carrots are a siman for an increase in our spiritual merits. It’s a play on words; carrots in Yiddish are merren which also means “many.” Wishing that we had more mitzvos on our record this time of year isn’t a shoulda-coulda-woulda guilt trip. It’s a commitment for the future.

Date and Honey Glazed Chicken Thighs

“May it be your will, Hashem our G-d and the G-d of our forefathers that our enemies be consumed.”

Dates in Hebrew are tamarim, a play on the word yitamu, “[may our enemies be] destroyed.” Finished. Yesterday. And you don’t have to be a child to love Winnie-the-Pooh’s “hunny.” The ultimate symbol of sweetness, we consume honey as we pray for a “good sweet year.”

Whole Wheat Stuffing with Leeks

“May it be your will, Hashem our G-d and the G-d of our forefathers that our enemies be decimated.”

Leeks are a siman for the decimation of our enemies. The Hebrew word for leek—karsi is similar to the word yikorsu, “[may our enemies be] decimated.” Spinach, swiss chard, and beets are also meaningful as their Arabic or Hebrew translations are reminiscent of the Hebrew word yistalku, “[may our adversaries be] removed.” And if you think you see a lot of emphasis on escaping from hostile threats, just think about Jewish history for a minute.

Roasted Apple Brisket with Pomegranate Glazed Carrots

“May it be your will, Hashem our G-d and the G-d of our forefathers that our merits increase like (the seeds of) a pomegranate.”

Pomegranate Glazed Carrots

Pomegranates are a siman for increasing our spiritual merits, weighing in to be more worthy of G-d’s blessings. In this case, it’s not the name of the fruit but its character that creates the siman. All those seeds! If only we had as many good deeds to our credit!

Since the custom of eating apples revives our memory of Biblical blessings, let’s combine it with a more recent, beloved tradition. Nu, what’s a Yuntif without brisket?

Chocolate Cake with Pomegranate Swirl

There are lots of other simanim we could use—fish heads, sheep heads, gourd, or black-eyed peas—but they’re not all that appetizing for a dessert.  (Serve those early in the game, while everyone is still hungry.)  For dessert, I tapped the trusty pomegranate once more—finish your
Rosh Hashanah meal with a super siman swirl!

Individual Apple-Stuffed Challah
Creamy Carrot Soup
Date & Honey Glazed Chicken Thighs
Whole Wheat Stuffing with Leeks
Roasted Apple Brisket
Pomegranate Glazed Carrots
Chocolate Cake with Pomegranate Swirl

I don’t really grill. Except when it comes to interrogating Hubby.  I leave the actual BBQ to the experts.  My Hubby and BFF Anita (Rabbi Lawrence’sbetter half) are the grill masters on the block.  Come to think of it, in Anita’s house she’s not only the griller (yes, I realize that’s not really a proper word), she’s also the garbage taker outer and the driver and the discipliner (yup, I know that’s not correct either… but it flows). Rabbi L just sits and is served, plays good cop with the kids and rides shotgun while she chauffeurs him around town. But she loves it.  Anita and Hubby are twins separated at birth.  Come to think of it Rabbi L and I are quite similar (aside from the facial hair of course — I will admit to having NONE!).

Peach BBQ Sauce

So anyhoo they grill and love it and own it.  I know my place — who wants to sweat over a burger anyway?  I am the mix master.  A good BBQ sauce is the secret to a good BBQ.  Mom-in-law aka Grandma puts BBQ sauce in her burgers (ground beef, a few squeezes of bottled Hunt’s and some garlic powder) a real family favorite! And while we like our steaks naked aside from some s+p we love slathering up chicken (wings, drumsticks, cutlets – all of it) with some good finger lickin’ sauce.  It’s not so hard to make your own actually.  I’ve got a simple Sweet, Spicy, Smoky Sauce – if you’re gonna make it from scratch, you might as well do it up!  I also have a fruity Peach BBQ Sauce.

For a great tasting sauce, remember your “S’s”

1. Sweet and Sticky: molasses, maple syrup, ketchup, brown sugar or some combo thereof

2. Sour: vinegars like apple cider, rice, red wine or mustard

3. Salty: kosher salt, soy sauce

4. Seasoning and Smoke: chili, cayenne or smoked paprika for heat, ginger for a kick

5. Star: pick a flavor profile: fruity, Asian, Cajun

Now that we have the sauce, check out what our fellow blogger friends are up to on their grills in our Kosher Connection Recipe Link Up Below.

I love a good party.  But easy laid back open house style entertaining.  Which I find perfect for summer.

I recently hosted (together with Nefesh B’Nefesh) my own Goodbye BBQ.  But the kicker, as I have oft complained here for the last few weeks, is that my kitchen contents are all packed up on a lift and anything that was left I gave away in haste forgetting that I had 4 weeks left to feed my family.  So with only a stockpot a HUGE serrated bread knife and oversized cutting board to my name I hosted a party for a hundred and do what I was brought up to do… made my momma proud and called the caterer.

So if I could have hosted a Sunday summer soiree and actually cooked I would have made some of my favorite party finger foods.  Things you can eat standing up while mingling and holding a baby.

Beef Satay with Horseradish Mustard

I really skewer lots of things.  Yes it’s a partial patchke which is only really against my religion if it’s super hard or super duper time consuming.  But to skewer sliced beef is really not so bad.  The horseradish mustard though is a real favorite and a great burger condiment.

Fried Risotto Balls with Marinara Dipping Sauce

There are a few steps to this recipe but if you make the risotto before hand it will seriously cut down your prep time.  Cut it down even more by using whatever rice you’d like – even instant.  This is a cool way to use up leftover chicken.  It’s shredded and added to the rice mixture.  Make it pareve by omitting the chicken and using vegetable broth.

Tuna Tartar with Honey Sesame Wonton Crisps

This presentation is fancy for when you are pre-plating and hosting a holiday or Shabbos meal.  At a party place a spoonful of the tartar on each crisp so people can just grab a wonton and pop it into their mouth.

Going Dairy?

Mini Spanakopita

I love phyllo it’s so flaky and light it almost doesn’t feel like a carb.  People get confused with how to “roll” this.  Do it just like you would a flag.  Any flag rollers in the house?

Smoked Salmon Rolls

Well now this is completely carb free and a HUGE crowd favorite.  Make it Pareve by using tofutti cream cheese.

Potato and Goat Cheese Triangles

Hubby says put anything in a puff pastry and he will eat it.  So I do.  potato and cheese in puff pastry probably should be illegal.  But it isn’t yet so let’s enjoy.

What’s your favorite party food?

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