Father’s day is this Sunday the 16th.  For me, I have mixed emotions on this quintessential American Holiday.

  I am proud and thrilled to make a nice party for my husband, a wonderful father, and all the other father’s in the family.  On the other hand, I miss my dad who passed away the evening before Father’s Day 52 years ago.  He missed so much of our lives and yet I feel his influence even now, in my creativity, my love of adventure, travel, architecture and design.  My dad had his own dark room in our house when I was a child and I am trying to channel his talent, I have signed up for another photography workshop.  He had a keen scientific yet artistic mind and I feel my oldest son has received a lot of that.

This Sunday we will also celebrate my oldest son’s graduation.  He is now Doctor Sendowski a PHD in Electrical Engineering bringing new technology to the world.  I am very proud.

Well with all of these goings on plus a birthday or two, we will be having a big barbecue!  Twenty eight people at last count.  I will share my menu with you.  Many of the recipes are on the blog and I will link the name as I type the list.  Just click and poof you will be transported to the recipe page.

Starters:

Pastelicos de Carne                                        Pico De Gallo

Pastelitos de El Salvador                           Chips

Lahmajun                                                         Hummus

Guacamole                                                      Crudités

Salads:

Moroccan Beet Salad                                    Israeli Salad

Moroccan Carrot Salad                                 Eggplant Salad

Fresh Corn Salad

Tabouleh

Mango Salad                                                   Cashew Cauliflower

Fingerling Potato Salad                                 Curry Cole Slaw

Meat:

Texas Smoked Brisket

Grill Chicken Thighs

Barbecue Sauce

Black Bean Turkey Chili

Dessert:

Chocolate Espresso Cake

Cheery Nectarine Crisp

Peach Blackberry Crostata

Watermelon

Plan Ahead:  anytime this week, bake cake layers and freeze.  Pastelicos and Pastelitos can be made way ahead and frozen.  Heat and fry day of party.  Make Pie dough and freeze.

Wednesday Shop for vegetables.  Meat can be purchased ahead and frozen or purchased on Friday morning. If meat is  frozen start defrosting in refrigerator on Thursday night and chicken on Friday.

Friday set up back yard.  Friday set up kitchen, label all serving pieces.  Get out deposable plates and cutlery. Saturday night start washing and chopping for salads.  Saturday night dry rub briskets.  Late Saturday night fire up smoker and start smoking.  Sunday finish smoking brisket, assemble salads.  Make Lahmajun. Cut watermelons, frost cake, make peach pie and fruit crisp. Heat Pastelicos.  Fry Pastelitos. Grill chicken thighs.  Good luck.  Feel free to serve fewer salads or eliminate some starters.  I freely admit it is too much food.

Father’s Day 2013 is a post from: The Boreka Diary at The Jewish Global Kitchen

Right now red colored mangoes are in season.  This week they were featured at many of my favorite markets.  Ripe mangoes have just enough firmness to bite, a velvety mouth feel, and sweet exotic taste with enough acid to make them utterly irresistible.  This salsa or chunky salad is crafted from ingredients you may have on hand.  Mango, red bell pepper for crunch and vegetable taste, lime juice for sweet acidity, jalapeño or Poblano for a little heat, cilantro for some sophistication.  I also added avocado for it’s taste and ability to blend with everything else.

Mango salsa is great served with steak, chicken, fish, turkey burgers, anything grilled.  It is beautiful to look at, the bright colors compliment any plate of food, it is a barbecue party staple at our home.

serves 6 to 8

3 large ripe red mangos

1 red bell pepper

1 jalapeño

1 dark green Poblano chili

1 Hass avocado

2/ 3 cup chopped cilantro

2 juicy limes

Peel mangoes with vegetable peeler,  Using a chef’s knife slice off  four sides.  Cut as much of mango as you can off large pit without getting into the stringy hard part.  Dice mango in  1/ 2 inch cubes and place in medium bowl.  To prepare bell pepper, first cut off stem end and bottom end.  Slice vertically into pepper and remove it entirely from seeds.  Slice pepper julienne and finish dicing into small pieces, about 1/4 inch size.  Next, slice sides off  jalapeño, discard stem and seeds.  Mince jalapeño.  Repeat procedure for Poblano chili.

Dice avocado, and add chilies and avocado to bowl with mango.  Add cilantro to bowl.  Lastly squeeze limes into a cup and season salsa with as much lime juice as you prefer.  Gently toss and serve.  You can make this a couple of hours ahead, cover and refrigerate.

Mango Salsa is a post from: The Boreka Diary at The Jewish Global Kitchen

This makes a wonderful first course to a Shavuot Dairy Dinner or a light midweek dinner when you have had a big lunch and just want a little something tasty.  The other day I bought a beautiful pack of very fresh looking  Portobello mushrooms and then, I saw the cherry tomato Sweet Hearts packs with the cute almost heart shaped tomatoes still attached to the vine, and I bought those also.  You could use any of the wonderful new small heirlooms or cherry tomatoes.   Next, a small box of yellow tear drop tomatoes, and a small plastic container of fresh mozzarella ciliegine (small one inch size balls), a large bouquet of fresh and fragrant basil, and those new gluten free crisps and my purchase was complete.  You could substitute thin slices of crunchy baguette or any other cheese like goat or feta if you prefer.

Serves 2 to 4

4 large fresh Portobello mushrooms

2 to 4 tablespoons olive oil

sea salt, freshly

ground pepper

2 packs Sweet Heart tomatoes on the vine

1 pack yellow tear drop tomatoes

1 tablespoons olive oil

sea salt

freshly ground pepper

1 to 2 cups basil chiffonade (not packed)

6 to 12 ciliegine mozzarella (about 1 inch diameter balls)

4 to 5 crisps per person

or 2 to 3 slices crunchy baguette (toasted if you wish)

Heat oven to 350° F.  Scrape out the brown gills on the underside of Portobello using a teaspoon or grapefruit spoon.  I find the gills unattractive and they stain everything.  Wipe tops of mushrooms with a moist paper towel. Using an oil sprayer or a pastry brush coat mushrooms with a bit of olive oil.  Season with salt and pepper.  Coat a baking sheet with olive oil and place prepared mushrooms on top.

Wash and dry tomatoes, coat tomatoes in some olive and prepare a baking sheet as for mushrooms.  Spread tomatoes on baking sheet and season with salt and pepper.  Place both baking sheets in preheated oven.  Bake mushrooms until succulent and juicy.  They shrink.  Bake tomatoes until collapsed, browning, and caramelizing.

To serve, prepare individual composed plates or trays for buffet.  Place tomatoes, mushrooms, several crisps, ciliegine (season ciliegine with salt and pepper) on plate and cover all with basil ribbons.  You can drizzle more olive oil on top if you wish. You could also augment the dish with some grilled bell peppers and Kalamata olives.

Grilled Portobello With Roasted Sweet Heart Tomato Crisps is a post from: The Boreka Diary at The Jewish Global Kitchen

Mother’s Day approaches and somehow brunch is in order.  My sister-in-law so graciously does the duty every year.  In fact this year she made Mother’s Day brunch a week early and I brought this lovely, super rich, moist, incredibly  flavorful cake to the celebration.  I baked two layers of my favorite coconut cake, with the addition of pulverized desiccated pineapple and a few tablespoon of mashed fresh pineapple added to the batter to enhance the flavor.  I split the layers in half creating four layers.  I made pineapple curd using whole fresh pineapple and a Vitamix blender and the frosting is a classic cream cheese frosting with coconut flavoring.   The whole thing is covered in shredded sweetened coconut and does look like a big snowball.  This cake is also great for a traditionally dairy Shavuot dinner.  The holiday is on May 14-16th this year.

It is remarkable how Mother’s day makes us remember our Mothers. I can only say that Noni (as we called my mom) a corruption of Nona coming from a child’s mouth, was a uniquely modern woman for her time. She was  into gardening, fresh food, making everything from scratch, and supporting local farmers, always shopping at the Pike Place Market in Seattle.  She was never afraid to expend effort or get her hands dirty in the pursuit of good food.  We could all take a lesson from her.  I salute you mom and will try to carry on your legacy.

Capeloto Sisters with Nona at 90

Serves 12 to 20

Cake Layers:

2 and 3/4 cups unbleached flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

2 tablespoons pulverized dehydrated pineapple

1 and 3/4 cups sugar

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup canned, sweetened, cream of cocoa (Coco Lopez), stir before measuring

4 extra large eggs, separated

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup buttermilk

2 tablespoons fresh pineapple pieces crushed

Pinch of salt

Pineapple Curd:

2 cups fresh pineapple puree, strained

2/3 cup sugar

6 egg yolks

5 tablespoons cornstarch

pinch of salt

Frosting:

2 eight ounce packages cream cheese, (not whipped, or light) room temperature

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup sweetened cream of coconut (coco Lopez)

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups sifted powdered sugar, plus extra to give right consistency

2 and 1/ 2 cups of sweetened shredded coconut

Heat oven to 350°F.  Butter and line two 9 inch cake pans with parchment paper.  Butter parchment paper.   Whisk flour, baking powder, and baking soda, salt, and pulverized pineapple in a medium bowl to blend.  Set aside.

In large bowl of electric mixer cream butter, sugar, and sweetened cream of coconut until fluffy.  Beat in egg yolks, and vanilla.  Add in buttermilk and blend.  Add crushed bit of fresh pineapple and blend.  Combine dry ingredients with wet on low speed, just until blended.

In a separate bowl using a whisk or balloon whip, beat egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff but not dry.  Carefully fold egg whites into cake batter until barely blended.  Divide cake batter evenly between 2 pans.  If you are in doubt about batter being evenly divided, weigh it.  Gently level cake batter and place pans in preheated oven.  Bake about 45 minutes or until a tester comes out clean.  Cool cakes layers on racks for ten minutes then run a sharp knife around sides.  Invert cakes onto racks and remove cake pans.  Let cake layers finish cooling.

For Pineapple curd, peel pineapple, cut into chunks.  Place chunks into blender (Vitamix) or food processor.  Puree.  Pass puree through a course sieve to remove any stringy parts.  Measure out two cups and place in a medium saucepan.  Add sugar, egg  yolks, cornstarch and pinch of salt to saucepan.  Whisk to blend.  Place saucepan on medium heat and whisk constantly until curd thickens, about to come to a boil.  Remove from heat and pour into a bowl.  Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on surface while curd cools so it won’t form a skin.  This can be made a few days ahead and refrigerated.

For frosting, place cream cheese in a mixer bowl and beat until fluffy then add butter and blend.  Add sugar, Coco Lopez, and vanilla, and blend.  Shake Coco Lopez before measuring as it settles in can.

To assemble; Place one cake layer on serving cake plate or I like to use a lazy-susan cake stand. Place you hand flat on top of cake layer.  Using a long serrated knife slice cake layer in half and remove one half.  Spread 1 cup of pineapple curd on cake. Repeat with next two layers leaving a layer with flat bottom up on top.  Take frosting and spread some very generously on top.  Place dollops around perimeter of top and with an icing spatula spread frosting down sides.  Smooth and even out frosting all over cake with spatula.  Using your hands,  press coconut into frosting so it adheres.  Keep refrigerated.  Bring to room temperature before serving.  It is a good idea to slice and plate one piece if you are serving on a buffet since guests are often shy to be the first one to remove a piece of cake.

Pineapple Coconut Cake is a post from: The Boreka Diary at The Jewish Global Kitchen

I made these the other night and froze them.  This year 2013, Shavuot  falls on May 14, 15 and 16th.  I am taking the opportunity to bake some dairy treats.  Boyus or some call them Bulemas are everyone’s favorite.  Make some and your family will be grateful.

The hardest part of baking a boyu is getting the dough right.  I prefer yeast dough with that special aroma and olive oil taste, crispy with just enough chew, it is the perfect pocket for salty cheesy spinach filling.   The trick for getting the dough to stretch effortlessly is to make a soft dough, don’t handle it too much, and let it rest by giving a double rise and a double stretch.

One more thing, I always double or triple the recipe.

Yield 16

Dough:

1 and 1/ 2 teaspoon active dry yeast

1 tablespoon sugar

2 cups warm water

1 tablespoon olive oil

6 cups better for bread flour (high gluten)

1 teaspoon sea salt

Flour for dusting

For Stretching:

1/ 2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Filling:

2 bags prewashed baby spinach

8 ounces mild feta cheese (Bulgarian style from Israel), crumbled

4 ounces sharp cheddar (I used Tillamook Kosher), grated on large holes of box grater

1 cup Parmesano Reggiano, finely grated

1/3 cup Kasseri Cheese, grated medium

Topping:

1/3 cup Parmesano Reggiano, finely grated

When you start this project make sure  you are not rushed for time.  I do a lot of baking at night or start late afternoon.

In a two cup glass measure, combine yeast and sugar.  Add warm water and stir.  Add oil and set aside to proof.  Place flour in a large mixing bowl, add salt and stir.  After yeast and water mixture begins to foam (about 8 to 10 minutes), add  yeast water to flour and mix by hand.  Gather dough into a ball, working with your hands to incorporate all flour.  Turn dough out onto a floured surface (marble, granite, or wood) and knead for five minutes by hand.  Dough should be very soft and easy to knead.

Place dough in a large clean bowl coated with oil.  Loosely cover with plastic wrap and then a tea towel.  and let it rise for two to two and one half hours.  After first rise, gently press dough down and divide into quarters.  Form quarters into flat balls without working dough.  Set four balls of dough onto a silpat lined baking sheet greased with a bit of olive oil.  Loosely cover dough and let it rise for one more hour.

In the meantime, prepare spinach filling.  Chop spinach into thin ribbons first and then cut crosswise.  Place chopped spinach in a large bowl and combine with cheeses.

Divide each ball of dough into 4 pieces.  Stretch out each piece with hands  to about 5 x 7 inches.  Dough should stretch easily.  Set stretched pieces on work surface.  Let them rest 5 to 10 minutes while you do the initial stretch to all pieces of dough.

Heat oven to 400°F.   For this next step, I prefer a wood board or you could use the back of a large baking sheet.  Place a few drops of oil on the surface of your choice.  Oil your hands and stretched dough out to a large rectangle  around 18  x 10 inches using the back of your hands.  Dough will be very thin and transparent.  Dough stretches easily.  Don’t worry if you get a hole, it will get covered when you roll up the boyu.

Take a handful of filling  about 1/ 2 cup or more and spread it in a narrow line along the long side of dough about 2 to 3 inches from the edge.  Roll up bulema into a long cylinder and coil into a circle like a cinnamon roll.  Place on silpat lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesano.  Repeat until all spinach is used up.

Bake Bulemas for about 20 minutes or until crisp and golden all the way around.  Remove from oven and place on a cooling rack so bottoms stay crisp.  Eat them like this, or reheated.   You can freeze and reheat them in a 300°F oven for about 10 minutes.  Bulemas are great for Shabbat Lunch, Shavuot, and brunches like Fathers’ Day or graduation parties.

Boyus With Spinach and Cheese is a post from: The Boreka Diary at The Jewish Global Kitchen

The season is almost over for Blood Oranges.  I made sure to arrive at the Farmer’s Market last week early to buy as many pounds as I could manage of blood  oranges before they sell out.  After about the first half  hour they are all sold out as are other prized things like vibrant purple heads of cauliflower or Shishito peppers.  I want to be able to make the Blood Orange chicken recipe I posted all year round and also my family is a big fan of blood orange sorbet.  I squeezed a lot of juice with plenty of pulp and froze the fresh juice in 2 cup containers.

I enjoy eating marmalade on gluten free crisps or when I indulge in gluten on half burnt English muffins or even fresh scones.  I thought that the color of  blood orange juice would produce spectacular marmalade.  This is basically the same recipe I used for the Tangelo (Minneola) marmalade but since these oranges run small in size I used a lot more oranges.

.

To make about 10 (6 ounce) jars of marmalade

8 to 10 medium Blood Oranges

1 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

6 cups water

4 pounds sugar (I use C & H pure cane)

1 square (about 12 inch) of cheesecloth

1 large stainless steel stock pot

1 candy thermometer

Wash and dry oranges. Place oranges on a large cutting board and slice off navel end with a very sharp knife.  Slice orange in half lengthwise as for segments. Slice one of the halves  across, into very thin slices and then, cut slices in half again.  Cut second half of orange in thin slices and mince.  Remove any seeds and place in center of cheesecloth.  Cut out any large pieces of white pith from core and place in cheesecloth.  Repeat with all oranges.  See picture for clarification.

After cutting each orange scoop up slices and minced orange and place in stock pot.  Gather up any juice that leaked out and place in stock pot as well.  Tie cheesecloth into a bag  and place seeds and pith in stock pot.  Add lemon juice to stock pot, then, water.  Turn on heat to medium-high, bring oranges to a boil.  Boil for ten minutes, stir, and continue boiling for another 40 minutes on medium-low with the lid on, but slightly ajar for steam to escape.

After 40 minutes are up, add sugar to marmalade and continue to boil.  At this stage, continue to cook oranges and sugar until they reach 223° F or threads stage on candy thermometer.   This is not a quick process.  At first the temperature rises rapidly and then, seems to hover forever around 219°F before creeping up to 223° F.  The temperature will not rise until marmalade reaches the right texture or enough water evaporates to gel correctly. Keep an eye on marmalade while you do other things in the kitchen.  You may stir very gently with a wood spoon occasionally.

When marmalade reaches correct temperature, remove stock pot from heat and place on counter.  Wait a few moments; stir and and skim any scum off the top.  Using a wide mouth funnel pour marmalade into prepared jars.  Be careful, marmalade is very hot and molten sugar burns.  If you want to actually can marmalade you will need to boil jars and sterilize lids, it is a special procedure.  Since this is only a small batch, I just close my jars when cool and store in the refrigerator for several months.

Marmalade is fabulous on Challah toast or English Muffins or layered into a torte or the ultimate, with fresh scones.

Blood Orange Marmalade is a post from: The Boreka Diary at The Jewish Global Kitchen

Last week on my weekly trip to the Santa Monica Farmers Market, I spied these cute little zucchini balls.  I could not leave them behind.  Did I ever mention that I am the proud owner of one of those little old Nona or Bubby carts.  I filled it up to the brim, zucchini balls, carrots, beets, cauliflower, fresh berries, kale, parsley and on and on.  I like to get to the market at 8:30 right when it opens.  The fog was lingering while the sun was trying to burn through, the air a bit chilly, and the bustling energy of this bright colored place is ever uplifting.

6 Zucchini, ball shaped about 3 inches in diameter

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 and 1/2 cups cooked brown and wild rice mix

8 dried apricots, diced in small pieces

2 tomatoes, cored and diced

salt and freshly ground pepper

1/2 cup water

1/3 cup tamarind paste

6 to 8 zucchini flowers with baby zucchini attached

I was lucky enough to have leftover rice in the refrigerator.  It was Lundberg Brown and Wild Blend, cooked with sautéed onions a bit of lentils and a few pistachios thrown in for good measure.

2 teaspoons safflower oil

1 medium brown onion diced

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup rice blend

1/4 cup brown lentils (uncooked)

2 cups water

Heat saute’ pan on medium, add oil, add onions, and cook until beginning to caramelize.  Season onions with salt, add rice.  Stir rice for a moment, add lentils and then, add water.  bring to a boil, cover and let  steam on very low heat for 40 minutes or until all water is absorbed.

Wash and dry zucchini. If using flowers, clean them as well. Slice off stem end to be a cap.  Using a melon ball scoop or a small spoon hollow out zucchini, leaving a shell at least one quarter inch thick.  Reserve zucchini insides.  Using a pastry brush or a small silicone brush,  brush hollowed out zucchini with olive oil.   Preheat indoor grill or broiler and on high and gently grill zucchini to give a little color and some flavor. Grill zucchini flowers, optional.

Mix chopped apricots with cooked rice.  Gently spoon rice into zucchini.  Dice zucchini insides. Pour a couple teaspoons of olive oil into  a baking dish that will accommodate all zucchini. Spread zucchini insides over bottom of baking dish.  Layer chopped tomatoes over bottom of baking dish.  Season all with salt and freshly cracked pepper.

Heat oven to 350° F.  Place filled zucchini in baking dish over tomatoes.  Mix tamarind paste with water and pour around stuffed zucchini.  Cover zucchini with a sheet of aluminum foil.  Place baking dish hot oven.  Bake for one half hour covered, then uncover and bake another one half hour or until browned and bubbly.  Serve hot or cold.  This recipe can be easily increased or decreased.  This recipe makes a great vegetarian main course.

Zucchini With Brown Rice Stuffing is a post from: The Boreka Diary at The Jewish Global Kitchen

In the past few years I have published many blood orange recipes.  This recipe is my 2013 version for roast chicken.  Roast chicken fills a home with an aroma that says family, good food, Shabbat celebration and is one the top comfort foods for me.  Over time I become more fascinated with the striking appearance and delicious complex flavor of these oranges.  I have gone so far as to plant two trees.  Right now it is the height of blood orange season.  I had a good idea on Wednesday at the Santa Monica Farm Market to buy a few dozen, squeeze them and freeze the juice in 3 cup containers.  On Passover everyone loved this chicken and blood orange sorbet was the first to go.

Blood Oranges can be found at farmers markets and upscale markets.  The California season is from December to May.  Blood oranges were probably cultivated after the mutation was found on a sweet orange tree in Italy.  There are several varieties with coloration ranging from pink tinged, to red streaks to deep dark crimson flesh. Look carefully at the pictures I took.  The most common variety is the Moro typically a dark crimson..  There are also Tarocco and Sanguinellos available.  I think next week I will make marmalade!

Serves 4 to 8

2 whole 3 and 1/ 2 pound chickens

6 garlic cloves

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

3 cups freshly squeezed blood orange juice

1/2 cup date syrup or date molasses

Salt is optional since I use kosher chicken.

Trim any excess fat round openings of chickens with a scissor.  Remove any gizzards or necks that may be in the cavity.  Pat chicken dry. I ware cloves to do this.  Do not wash chicken as it spreads salmonella around your sink area and the high oven heat will kill anything on the chicken during cooking.  Place dry chickens in individual zip plastic bags and set bags aside while preparing marinade.

Place garlic cloves, olive oil, and lime juice in a mini processor.  Pulse until pureed.  Mix orange juice, date syrup, and pureed garlic mix together in a small bowl or pitcher.  Place 1/3 cup of marinade in each chicken bag.  Seal bag, pressing out any air, turn chicken in bag to distribute marinade all over chicken and let chicken marinate for about 4 hours in refrigerator, turning about every 2 hours.

Pour remaining blood orange mix into a small sauce pan.  With heat on medium, bring juice to a boil and reduce juice to a syrupy sauce to use with cooked chicken.

Take chickens out of refrigerator about an hour before you want to cook them, so they reach room temperature.  Heat oven to 400°F.  Remove chickens from bag and place on a rack in a roasting pan breast side up but facing the opposite direction.  Discard bag and juices.  Place roasting pan in preheated oven with chicken uncovered.  Roast until chicken looks dark golden, with a tongs inserted into the main cavity give chicken a turn to breast side down to crisp up the other side. When back side is dark golden, open oven and flip chicken again to breast side up.  Close oven door and wait about 5 more minutes for breast skin to re- crisp. At this point, juices should be running clear, no blood or pink running out of chicken cavity.  Chicken roasts about 1 hour and 15 or 20 minutes.

Let chicken rest for at least 20 minutes before cutting and serving.  Sometimes  it could sit to up to an hour before cutting and serving.  I never reheat before serving.  Serve chicken after carving and pass blood orange sauce in a separate bowl with a small spoon.  It only needs a spoon of sauce.

This recipe is easy to multiply and tastes great the next day served cold for lunch.  I have had occasion to make extra, freeze it to have ready ahead of time, and take it with us in a cooler.

Chicken With Blood Orange is a post from: The Boreka Diary at The Jewish Global Kitchen

Mango Raspberry
Semifreddo for Passover

Where has the time gone?  I have been cleaning up from Pesach this week, so many things need to carefully packed away until next year, leftovers need to be dispatched, diets started anew, tablecloths cleaned and on and on.  This Spring and Summer will be very eventful for our family, which means a lot of barbecues, brunches and celebratory meals.  I will posting some menus and recipes.  In the meantme take a look and enjoy these pictures of our Pesach.

Mitzrayim Chicken With Blood Orange and Date Molasses

Stuffed VEal BReast with Vegetable Quinoa Stuffing

Kosher ‘Filet’ of Beef

Passover Pictures is a post from: The Boreka Diary at The Jewish Global Kitchen

Pesach begins this year on Monday night sundown the 25th of March.  My mother, Nona, god bless her, made us get up early and have that last little bit of Chametz for breakfast down in her makeshift Chametz kitchen in the basement of our home in Seattle before the cut off time.  She always banished all the toasters and such, along with the last of the Chametz once she had completely changed over the kitchen for Pesach.  Pesach required incredible cleaning and preparing, the cooking complicated and difficult even though we did not host the Seders at our home we always went to an Auntie’s house.  In Ladino this preparing is referred to as the Hechos de Pesach.

As in the past I have been preparing furiously, especially since my husband and I are traveling last minute to Costa Rica for a few days.  I thought, I need to publish my menu for both nights before I leave.  Did you realize there are around 50 recipes for Passover on my blog under the recipe index?  I will have about a dozen guests the first night and twenty for the second.

I refuse to use paper plates and such.  If  you are young and don’t have Pesach dishes just yet, I understand but if you have a family and have been doing it for years, come on, drag out your good stuff, take it seriously and realize the magnitude of what we are celebrating.  Your liberty, your freedom, a revolt for civil rights, and self governance were won at great cost. OK off the soap box

Menu First Night:

Wine

Starters:

Schmura Matzo

Haroset

Huevos Haminados

Gefilte Fish with Prepared Horseradish

Natural Chicken Soup with Matzo Balls

Sorbet:

Mixed Berry and Rhubarb

Sides:

Passover Popovers

Kufte de Prassa

Mushroom Dumplings

Main Course:

Mitzrayim Chicken

Filet of Beef

Vegetables:

Steamed Asparagus

Sautéed Spinach

Oven Roasted Carrots

Oven Roasted Red and Purple Potatoes

Dessert:

Marunchinos, Mustachudos, Biscotti, Torrone, Semifreddo with Mango and Raspberries, Passover Mini Brownies, Macaroons, Lemon Pavlova, Chocolate Cake, and Fruit

Menu Second Seder:

The same with the following exceptions,

Fish:   Halibut Plaki

Sorbet:  Grapefruit and Raspberry

Main Course:   Miniature Stuffed Chickens,

Stuffed Veal Breast,

Texas Smoked Brisket

Brisket With Prunes and Caramelized Onions

Vegetables:  Roasted Asparagus

Grilled Artichokes

Roasted Beets and Carrots

Quinoa with Arugula, Pistachios, and Caramelized Onions

Dessert:  add in Fresh Berry Crisp

Why this menu? you may ask. Why is this night different than all other nights? A lot of it may be made ahead and either frozen or stored air tight.  A lot of it is little lighter than the usual Pesach menu and with a large variety we can please everyone in this Ashkenazi Sephardi mixed family, non beef eaters, beef eaters, vegetarians, vegetables haters, sweet tooth’s, and chocolate lovers and those who don’t eat nuts.  Hag Sameach  Linda

Passover 2013 Menu is a post from: The Boreka Diary at The Jewish Global Kitchen