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We have just finished Chanukah, 8 days of deep fried delights. We brought you:

Jamie’s Nutella Banana Eggroll (Pictured above)

Laura Frankel’s Churro

Alessandra Rovati’s Venetian Fried Custard

Jeff Nathan’s Orange Scented Beignets with Winter Cider Drizzle

Paula Shoyer’s Lemon Doughnuts

Dorot’s Creme Anglaise Basil Filled Donuts

Tamar’s Easy Cannoli

Harmony Sage Fried’s Pistachio Apple Cake Donuts with Cherry Jus

Shoshana Ohriner’s Banana Fritters

So as we wrap up Frying Season, we wanted to announce the Winner of our Fried Dessert contest – as of 9 am this morning Melinda Strauss wins the contest with a total of 38 votes for her Eggnog Cranberry Rice Fritters, with the runner up ImaRealtor33162 with 14 votes for her Thai Fried Banana. Check out our new recipe contest – the time we are looking for Slow Cooker recipes.

Make a platter of olives and Spanish cheeses and crackers and serve with this delicious Mint and Fava Beans Spread made with Goat Cheese.

Then serve these hot and scrumptious Zucchini and Goat Cheese Tarts.

And one more fun treat is to make some roasted potatoes and serve with Romesco Sauce.

Special  Spanish Drink: Sparkling Mango Strawberry Sangria

Sparkling Mango Strawberry Sangria

Make a nice big Mezze platter with cigars of your choice, such as Spinach and Feta or Veggie Meat with Tahina and these amazing Zucchini Pancakes with Tzatziki.

Zucchini Latkes with Tzatziki Sauce

Another gorgeous mezze to serve is this Eggplant and Tomato Crostini.

Special Mediteranean Drink

Dim Sum usually has a lot of meat and shellfish, but here are a few ideas to keep it vegetarian.

Vegetable Satay

Indonesian Tofu Satay

Sesame Scallion Lomein Pancakes

Enjoy!

As the end of Yom Kippur can bring about a great sense of inner peace and rejuvenation of the soul, it seems only appropriate that Break the Fast should follow a similar theme… bringing about a rejuvenation of the body.  To present a delicious dish that is warm and comforting is a lovely way to mirror the feelings of the warmth and comfort shared by those sitting down to this special meal.

Suitable in the morning, afternoon, or as an evening dessert, these sticky sweet spirals may resemble cinnamon rolls, but they require none of the tedious and time consuming rolling out and folding necessary for puff pastry cinnamon rolls. And, while many cinnamon roll recipes tend to turn out far too sugary sweet, the flavors (and the dough!) of these sticky buns are completely fool-proof and allow for beautiful, scrumptious buns every time.  A delectable and simple addition to your Yom Kippur feast, these homemade Sticky Fig Sweet Buns combine all the elements necessary in a Break Fast treat in order to replenish, rejuvenate and satisfy.

These Sticky Fig Buns are delicately sweetened with a medley of seasonal dried fruits and slightly spiced dark brown sugar, rich in molasses with a hint of cinnamon and clove.  The sweetly fragrant date and currant filling is rolled into a spiral of fluffy buttermilk biscuit dough to create an exciting and unexpected combination of savory, sweet, light and rich.  The buns are smothered with and baked in an ooey-gooey fig infused caramel, providing the perfect sticky canvas for crunchy topping of toasted sliced almonds or pecans, if desired.

While the fruits and flavors used in these sticky buns are perfect for Fall, the versatile buttermilk biscuit base of the buns allows for much creative interpretation of the recipe.  Try different combinations of dried fruits, nuts, and chocolate for use in the filling of the buns for fun variations suited specifically for your family or for the occasion.  The caramel topping would be delicious with a splash of bourbon or a touch of jam in place of the fig, or can easily and deliciously stand alone without added fruit or flavor infusions of any kind.

Regardless of whether or not the recipe is followed exactly, or if the flavors are tweaked a touch, the heartfelt gesture of lovingly preparing this special (and delicious) dish for your family will, in the end, bring the perfect warmth and sweetness to the table this Yom Kippur.

Here’s a very nice, simple way to make beautiful round braided challahs. It comes out much nicer than a simple ‘snail’ shape as so many do, and really takes only minutes to put together. Anyone who can braid three strands can make this challah easily. Plus it rises and bakes nicer than a simpler knot or twist does.  You can also watch Jamie’s video of the same technique.

Begin by taking three long strands and braiding them into a very long havdalah–candle-shaped log.

After this long ‘candle’ has been braided, carefully tie it up as if you are making one large knot out of it, and leave it to rise.

It will come out different than a simple round knot, and although not quite as extravagant as the woven round challah, it is still quite pretty.

To find out why we make round challahs this time of year read Rabbi Lawrence’s Ask the Rabbi here.

Look for symmetrical unblemished melons, without flat sides, that have a creamy yellow spot on the bottom indicating ripeness. At 92% water, this fruit should feel heavy when you heft it.

Earlier this month, an article of mine talking about the amazing changes that have come about in online kosher food circles was featured in the Jewish Press.  Even in the brief time since I published Quick & Kosher – Recipes from the Bride Who Knew Nothing in 2007, there has been a revolution in the way people cook, eat and learn about food. Food is now online.  But I have to say, I’m not really surprised. The Web has widened people’s horizons in all kinds of ways, why not food? With so much out there, though, it’s hard to know what’s what. As demand for reliable info has grown, online stores like Kosher.com have become lifestyle destinations. Websites are the new gatekeepers of kosher cooking, filling a role that was once the exclusive domain of bubbies and, later, kosher cookbooks. Now I know some argue that these changes will be “bad for the Jews,” but  I believe that the Internet will actually help us keep traditions while moving us forward into an exciting and tasty future.

If you haven’t seen the article, I hope you’ll check it out. You can find the article here.

What do you think? How has the Web changed the way you cook and eat?

Galil kosher chocolate products at Kosherfest 2009—it’s a tough job but somebody has to do it! Watch now.

This Year We’re Giving the Gift of Sanity!

When I was a kid, Chanukah was pretty simple gift-wise. I’d get a couple of bucks—and by a couple I mean 2—Chanukah gelt from my zayde (z”l) and a bit more from my parents. These days, kids expect eight nights of full-on presents. We’re talking dolls, video games, bikes, even iPods. It got so bad last year that my kids spent most nights fighting and crying over presents and my wife and I tore out our hair in frustration over the seemingly endless avarice of our offspring. I know what you’re thinking, “Wow, what a pack of greedy little rug rats.” But the truth is my kids aren’t especially greedy. They’re just early-21st-century American children. Between what they see their friends getting, what they see in stores, what they see on the little bit of commercial television we allow them and the sheer volume of presents coming in from the various grandparents, uncles, aunts, etc., it is pretty hard for them not to think that Chanukah is just an eight-day gift gorge fest. Still, it was intensely mortifying when my daughter dismissed one of her bubbie’s gifts—a donation to an international organization that promotes kids’ soccer in poor countries—as “Boooring!”

If anything, Chanukah is really a story of  sacrifice not excess. So this year, my wife and I decided to do something to make Chanukah more meaningful and less commercial. Historically, Chanukah is a relatively minor Jewish festival. And the giving of small gifts in the form of Chanukah gelt only came into vogue in the 17th century. In the last 100 years or so, Chanukah has grown in importance because of its national implications (the victory of the plucky Maccabees against great odds) and in its approximation of commercialized aspects of Christmas.

Will there be presents  at my house this year? Yes, but we’re thinking about having only one night of presents so the evenings’ focus can be menorah lighting rather than present opening. Chanukah gelt will be modest (but slightly more than the $2 I used to get). We’ll also be starting Chanukah preparations a bit early. We’re spending Thanksgiving weekend going through our stuff  to choose items to give to charity. That will clear out some clutter and make way for the inevitable onslaught of gifts. We might even volunteer at our local food pantry or soup kitchen.

The miracle of Chanukah was that there was enough oil to last eight days. I want my kids to recognize the Chanukah miracle and, especially in this time of economic distress, the miracle of having more than enough in our daily lives.

Happy Chanukah!

How do you make Chanukah meaningful?

Go to Chanukah Central on Kosher.com