The Kosher Tomato

Vegetarian Summer Rolls with Peanut Sauce

2012-01-16T16:18:00.001-05:00

Despite the name, these are a great light snack that you can eat at any time of year. They can be filled with almost anything but I chose to just add vegetables. Forming the rolls takes some finesse, but with practice - you will be making tons of rolls ahead of time ( a day at most) and slicing them when you're ready for a nutritious snack.

The peanut sauce is a nice addition which adds a punch of flavor. As someone who doesn't really use recipes - I only started with this one as a base to get it going. I then added a little more of this and a little of that to get it to my liking. You should do the same.

Peanut Sauce
1/2 cup natural-style creamy peanut butter (I had chunky and just pureed it)
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce (I didn't have any so I just added some more of the other ingredients)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 small garlic clove, mashed to a paste
1 teaspoon chile-garlic paste (Also didn't have this so I just added red chili flakes)
1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
Juice of 1 lime (didn't have, so I used a lemon and rice vinegar)
1/4 cup water
Salt to taste

Mix all ingredients together to your liking. Add more water if necessary to thin out the sauce. Keep in mind it tastes different on its own than it does with the rolls, so if you make the sauce ahead of time (which you should) taste it with a piece of lettuce or something instead of on the spoon.

Vegetarian Summer Rolls
Spring/Summer roll wrappers - Rice paper
Bean thread noodles (mung bean or glass noodles)
Lettuce leaves (romaine, bibb, iceberg)
Cucumbers - sliced into strips (julienne)
Red cabbage - shredded
Green apple - sliced into strips (julienne)

With the bean thread noodles, you need to soak them in warm water for about 10 -15 minutes. Because they are so thin - you don't really cook them but rather reconstitute them in the water. Meanwhile, prep your vegetables and have another bowl of warm water nearby. Once ready, align all your ingredients and place one of the wrappers in the water until it becomes pliable - 15 to 20 seconds.

Next, lay it down on your work surface and add all your ingredients on the wrapper. Fold the bottom of the wrapper over the filling, fold in the sides totally covering the filling and then fold the wrapper upwards to form a neat roll shape. Depending on your ingredients - you could deep fry it at this point but this is the fresh, raw version.

You can slice it into smaller, bite size pieces like sushi - in which case you need a very sharp knife and I would wet the blade with some water. (picture above) or you can also just slice it in half. Either way, when served with the peanut sauce, it is delicious and refreshing.

Pine Nut Cookies

2011-12-11T12:36:00.000-05:00

Pine nuts are the edible seeds from pine trees. Though typically known for their unmistakable flavor in pesto, they go very well with a myriad of dishes.They have a delicious creamy and buttery flavor which is highlighted even more when they are gently toasted. It is no wonder that they go perfectly in this light, buttery cookie which has a wonderful anise (licorice) flavor from its fennel seeds. They are sliced thin and are baked to an addictive crunch. If you like biscotti, you will certainly enjoy these pine nut cookies which pair well with coffee or tea.

When I thought to make these very different - but very delicious cookies, I knew to order the pine nuts from OH NUTS! They are my favorite online store for nuts, seeds, dried fruit and even gift baskets. I love that they give me reviews, nutrition information and a detailed explanation on the product I am interested in purchasing.

1 stick unsalted buttter (room temperature)

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup pine nuts

-In a bowl, beat the butter, sugar, vanilla, fennel seeds and salt in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg. Add the flour and mix just until blended.
-Transfer the dough to a sheet of plastic wrap. Shape the dough into a log. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for 2 hours.
-Preheat the oven to 350F. Cut the dough log crosswise into 1/8 to 1/4-inch thick slices. Transfer the cookies to the prepared baking sheets, spacing evenly apart. Press the pine nuts into the cookies. Bake until the cookies are golden around the edges, about 15 minutes.

Not Overly Sweet Pecan Pie

2011-12-01T22:17:00.001-05:00

I don't understand why someone would go through the trouble of making their own pie dough when you can find a perfectly good one ready to go? Maybe I say this because I am not much into baking. When it comes to cooking however, I rather do most things from scratch. Either way you go, here's a great recipe that makes an easy (and not so super sweet) pecan pie.

Yes - I use store bought dough. I ordered my pecans from my favorite online store OH NUTS! because I love that they package everything in a resealable bag and I get my order rather quickly. Their website gives me all the nutritional information I need and did I mention, they have way more than nuts? Dried fruit, candies, chocolate and even gift baskets. I urge you to visit their site for the upcoming holidays. You won't be disappointed.

1 9-inch pie shell
1 3/4 cups pecans, coarsely chopped
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 Tbsp maple syrup
2 Tbsp melted butter
2 Tbsp flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Line your pie plate with your dough and crimp the edges with whichever style you like. Spread the pecans on the bottom.

In a small bowl, mix all other ingredients together and pour over pecans. They should float to the top. Place on a sheet pan or cookie sheet to make it easier to take in and out of the oven. Bake the pie for approximately 45 minutes. 20 minutes into it, the crust should be golden. At that point - use foil to cover the sides of the crust to prevent burning.

Allow the pie to cool for a little while and then place in the fridge so it can set. It tastes great alone or with vanilla ice cream. Enjoy!

Homemade Chicken & Broccoli

2011-11-18T20:29:00.001-05:00

The reason I really like this meal is because it's an easy weeknight meal, and by making it homemade - it is fully customizable (no MSG, extra broccoli...etc) I look at ginger, garlic and scallion as the "mirepoix" of Asian cookery. Mirepoix just means a flavor base - usually onions, carrots and celery, but can vary widely depending on the cuisine. Here, the flavor base will perfume your kitchen with the smell of a wok.

This is an adaptaion of the food network's recipe.

1.5 pound chicken breast

4 scallions, whites for marinade - green for garnish
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 inches of ginger, minced
2 Tablespoons of light soy sauce
2 Tablespoons of honey
1 Tablespoon of cornstarch
1 teaspoon of salt
2 Tablespoons of sherry wine
2 Tablespoons of toasted sesame oil
2 heads of broccoli, florets only
Red chili flakes, to taste
1-2 Tablespoons of hoisin sauce

Tip: slice your chicken in strips first and then on the bias (on an angle). I find that slicing them this way instead of cubing is better for browning the chicken and also helps keep them moist and tender!

Slice chicken and season lightly with salt. In a bowl, mix all ingredients except hoisin, broccoli and chili flakes. Pour this marinade over chicken and allow to soak for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook your Jasmine rice. Heat a skillet with oil and saute broccoli with chili flakes until bright green - then remove and reserve. (Add a little water if necessary to prevent burning)
Get the skillet hot again and add the chicken and allow to brown on all sides and to cook through. Add hoisin sauce, return broccoli to pan and heat through.
Garnish jasmine rice with scallion greens and serve with chicken and broccoli.

Split Pea Soup

2011-10-18T16:08:00.000-04:00

It has been a while since I wrote last. I am back with some news.....my husband and I are expecting our first baby in April 2012! We are very excited. Perhaps through all the changes going on, I needed a break from blogging.

I figured that soup was a good comeback for early fall. This is a vegetarian version and it is really simple and delicious for lunch or light dinner.

1 pound split peas
1 large onion, diced
3 celery ribs, diced
4 garlic cloves, sliced
1 tbsp lemon zest ( from one lemon)
1 tsp Hungarian paprika
1 tsp nutmeg
salt & pepper to taste
1.5 quarts water

-Sweat the vegetables until soft and add the split peas and spices.
-Cover with water and bring to a boil, then simmer until peas are soft.
-Once soft, puree using a hand blender and add zest and check for seasoning.
-Serve with paprika and a little drizzle of olive oil.

Arequipe (Dulce de Leche)

2011-07-10T21:50:00.000-04:00

My mother was born in Cienaga Magdalena, Colombia - simply known as "la costa". ( "the coast" in Spanish.) Among many of my visits, I remember it to be a small and quaint town, with the walls of the nearby shops and houses painted all colors of the rainbow. The facade of bright white buildings combined with the hot sun beaming down, made it hard to see out in front of you. I've only been to Colombia a handful of times as a child, but the memories remain vivid in my mind. Things that stand out to me are the town, the smells walking through the cobble stone streets, Postobon, and Arequipe.

Better known as Dulce de Leche - in South America it is usually served with a large, round and thin wafer cracker called "oblea" When my grandmother, Mamy Lucy would return from her trips - inevitably, I could expect a little surprise. While my mother came to the states very young and became Americanized rather quickly, I always associated myself with a bit of my South American background. I longed for those little bits of Colombia.

The taste of Arequipe will bring me much nostalgia - which is why I wanted to try and make it from scratch. There is no true recipe here - but you do need time. It can be considered a caramel, but it is WAY better!

3 or 4 cans of condensed milk, wrapper peeled off

1 nail

1 hammer

1 sauce pot that will fit the cans in evenly

water

approximately 3 hours

1. Hammer a nail into both sides of the can

2. Next, place all the cans in a sauce pot and fill the bottom with water to come up about half way around the sides of the can. Put it on a low heat and go do things around the house.

In the picture above you can see what the holes do. First, it ensures that the cans will not explode. Second, it allows you to preview the color of your milk to make sure you do not under or overcook it!

This is how it looked when I took it out after about 4 hours! I was confused by the color but remembered that I needed to stir the bottom which is where the magic happens.

Take a look and see the amazing transformation.

Try this delicious spread on fruit, cakes, ice cream, bread - you name it!

I'd like you to leave your comments below and tell me about a nostalgic food that you have from your family.

Cool & Chunky Gazpacho

2011-07-02T17:50:00.000-04:00

1 hothouse cucumber, halved and seeded - not peeled

2 red bell peppers, cored and seeded

1 rib of celery, roughly chopped

4 juicy red tomatoes

1 red onion

2 garlic cloves, minced

23 ounces tomato juice (3 cups)

1/4 cup white wine vinegar (lime or lemon juice works fine too)

1/4 cup good olive oil

1/2 tablespoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Pulse all ingredients separately in your food processor and combine into a large bowl. Season with Salt & pepper. Refrigerate and enjoy the next day to let the flavors meld.

There is not much to making this soup but the results are incredible. Gazpacho is basically a liquid salad. It originated in the Southern region of Spain's Andalusia and generally has the same types of ingredients.

An interesting piece of information is that José Briz, who wrote a book on gazpacho, also suggests that the word derives from the Hebrew gazaz, meaning to break into pieces, referring to the bread base. Gazpacho was traditionally eaten by workers in the fields, whether they were vineyards, olive plantations, citrus groves, wheat fields or cork farms. Originally gazpacho was nothing but bread, water, and olive oil, all pounded in a large wooden bowl called a dornillo. It was poor people's food. More on that from the knowledgeable Clifford Wright, here.

Over time, people have learned to enjoy a cool gazpacho during hot summer days. My father in law requested one for Father's day and he loved it. I added some avocado in at the end for the creamy texture.

Get creative with your toppings - just as you would with salad. Make it your own!

Guest Blogging: Raspberry-Strawberry Lemonade Bars

2011-06-15T12:39:00.000-04:00

There is this new modern, hip and kosher site, called Cook Kosher. It is a place where kosher food is brought to another level by people like you! They have recipes, blogs, videos, discussion forums, contests and more.

It is beautifully designed and organized in a way that allows you to find what you are looking for quickly. I also really love the fact that this site is interactive. You can imagine how flattered I was when asked to guest blog because the owner thought my site and pictures were great! Thank you LS!

I decided to share a dessert - which is so out of character for me, but please read why. Click on over there and see it for yourself.

Raspberry-Strawberry Lemonade Bars - They are sweet, tart and pretty in pink! (adapted by the very talented Sophistimom )

Watermelon, Mint & Feta Salad

2011-05-29T20:58:00.000-04:00

You know you have a good combo when it goes something like this:

Sweet: juicy watermelon
Salty: feta cheese
Fresh: mint
Crunch: raw red onion, cucumbers

With the heat lately, I was forced to make something refreshing & herbaceous. Timing is perfect with Memorial Day weekend and all. This is a great "something-to-bring-to-your-friend's-BBQ-when-they've-invited-you-for-the-5th-time-and-you-always-bring-the-same-salad"... type of salad.

It can be served plain or with a little drizzle of balsamic vinaigrette.

I was playing around with different ingredients to add in for color and texture. You could really add a myriad of ingredients... whatever floats your boat.

Feta cheese is sometimes sold already crumbled, but I prefer good feta cheese that you crumble yourself. I like really getting into the recipe. I have always associated the word "fillet" with removing any flesh of any ingredient from its skin. That being said, I start by "filleting" the flesh of the watermelon from the harder skin.

Then I cut "planks" that are approximately an inch thick. Next, I just roughly cube them. Add them to a bowl immediately to utilize the delicious juice.

For the red onion, I use a mandolin in order to get the slices super thin. My favorite is the benriner. (see link below) You really can use this for many different applications and you don't need the fancy/expensive stuff.

You can use it to slice the cucumbers thin if you want to go for that type of presentation. Or, you can just cube them too. For the mint, you can chiffonade them - which is stacking each leaf and slicing "ribbons" out of them. Conversely, you can stack them and cut thicker pieces and then turn them and cut little "confetti" type squares which look very beautiful.

(How-to video to follow).

Crumble the feta and GENTLY toss everything with your fingertips. You don't want to manhandle this salad - it's like a delicate piece of paper mache. (that you'll devour later)

Another great way to serve this is to combine it all and tear Bibb / butter head lettuce pieces into it. Either way you choose - let it sit for a moment and let the flavors meld and definitely, definitely - eat with a spoon.

Please share your Memorial day weekend ideas with me and post them in the comments below.

Frozen to Fabulous

2011-05-23T21:24:00.000-04:00

I bet you'd never believe me if I told you the picture above is cauliflower that was from a bag.

"steam in a bag" might seem like a great time saver, but when it comes to certain vegetables - steaming just doesn't do them justice. Cauliflower is one of many. Read more about cauliflower here.

Vegetables can get expensive. Not only that, but you can have a thoughtful plan to cook up some fresh vegetable one night - never get to it - and now it's rotting in the back of your fridge. Sound familiar?

The solution is to stock up on the frozen veggies when they go for $0.99 or that 2 for $3 deal.

(tip: the steam safe bags are more expensive but who needs 'em when you're not steaming?!)

Defrost the veggies as you would your meat or poultry. In fact - I take them out at the same time and let them hang out in my fridge for the day. When I am ready to cook them, I make sure to drain off all the excess water; even squeeze them through a paper towel and then proceed as a fresh vegetable.

Roasting them at a high temperature - say a 400F oven or even in a saute pan (if you have a smaller amount) really brings out the nuttiness to the vegetable. Here, I coated them generously in olive oil, salt, pepper and paprika and got my pan screaming hot. I added the florets in and secretly enjoyed the sizzle. I left them alone in the pan so they would get that beautiful color. After all sides were roasted, I tossed in some toasted pine nuts for about 2 minutes and that's it. A delicious side dish that is cheaper and much tastier than that steam stuff.

Caramelized Onion Stuffed Matzoh Ball Soup

2011-05-07T13:04:00.000-04:00

For as long as I could remember, my mom would make these incredibly fluffy and flavorful matzoh balls. I anxiously awaited them each year because I was not the type to have matzoh ball soup if it wasn't Passover - It made it sort of special for me to have it for the first time again each year.

With this delicious alternative to your average matzoh ball, I am finding myself wanting to make it again and again. When you caramelize the onions in a little olive oil and transfer that to the matzoh ball mixture - it gives it more moisture and make the matzoh balls really light and fluffy.

Your onions should look like this before you add them to your matzoh ball mix.

The trick to get this color without burning the onions is to cook them low (heat) and slow (time) and stirring them every once in a while to prevent burning. Also, adding a tiny bit of water (enough that can evaporate in a few minutes) helps to give them a sort of creamy texture.

Form the balls no more than 1 inch in diameter so that when they expand - they are not huge! (unless you like them that way of course) As for the soup itself, there are 101 ways to make a chicken soup but mine is really simple. One great trick is to add a bundle of mint in cheesecloth and allow it to cook in the soup. It adds a delicious fresh note to the soup.

Don't cut the veggies too small since they will be cooking for a while, you don't want them to fall apart.
The order: I just sweat all the veggies > add chicken > water > seasonings & herbs. I cook it for as long as I can on a low simmer to really bring all the flavors together. Once the chicken is cooked, I like to take the breast meat and shred it for serving. About 20 minutes before I will serve it, I add the matzoh balls in, allow them to float and taste to make sure it is a perfect balance. Enjoy!

Onions
Garlic
Carrots
Celery
Parsnip
Turnip
Sweet potato
Chicken (cut into eighths)
Salt
Pepper
Cumin
Onion powder
Garlic powder
Turmeric (just a pinch for beautiful color)
Fresh dill
Fresh cilantro

Fish Cakes With Roasted Red Pepper Aioli

2011-04-24T13:33:00.003-04:00

Everyone seems to love crab cakes, but this poses a problem for me - they are not kosher.

Instead, I create fish cakes using ground tilapia fillets. The nice thing with ground fish is that the texture holds up very well and you don't really need eggs to bind it or even bread crumbs within the mix - just on the outside for texture.

Here, I used them for Passover using matzah meal instead of bread crumbs - on a normal occasion they would be even more delicious if you used panko bread crumbs, or even regular seasoned bread crumbs.

No recipe here, I just used flavors I thought would taste good together and mixed them, formed cakes/patties and seared them off. It would be ideal if you could sear them in a saute pan about 5 or 6 at a time. When you are cooking for a crowd, as I did for Passover you can certainly make ahead, freeze them and then cook them in the oven at about 350 until they become golden and have just a little "give" to the touch. Most importantly you have to remember when making a big batch that you should cook off a little piece of it to make sure your seasoning is right on. If not - you didn't just waste your time preparing 20 patties that taste like ....well, you know.

For the red pepper aioli, I just roast the red peppers over an open flame and cover them in plastic wrap so they can steam. After they cool, I peel them and puree them in my food processor with white wine vinegar, salt, a pinch of sugar and minced garlic. I just add that to mayonnaise and voila! A delicious dipping sauce for your fish cakes.

Tilapia fillets - ground in your food processor

salt & pepper

splash of hot sauce

scallions (green onions)

red peppers, diced

Orange zest &/or lemon zest

minced garlic

sesame oil

fresh ginger, minced

cilantro, chopped

Mint &/or parsley chopped

Homemade Charoseth

2011-04-18T14:11:00.001-04:00

If you are in need of a charoseth recipe in a pinch - try this one. It's scrumptious!

1 cup walnuts (buy them chopped to save some time)

1 cup raisins

1/2 cup fresh orange juice

1/4 cup kosher red wine

1/4 cup honey

1 tsp lemon or orange zest

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

kosher salt

2 gala apples, peeled and cubed

1. Toast walnuts in a 350F oven until fragrant. Let cool.

2. Combine raisins and OJ in a small saucepan and simmer over low heat until most of the liquid is absorbed. Next, add wine, honey zest, cinnamon and salt

3. In a large bowl, combine everything together and allow to sit for at least 4 hours before serving.

Passover & The Hadassah Everyday Cookbook

2011-04-15T12:03:00.001-04:00

I admire those blogs that post recipes and tips before the holidays - thus giving people ideas of what to make, and how to make it. However, I have always failed to deliver that on my blog - since I am unable to take pictures of what I will make before I make it - and I always thought that a blog without an original photo is just boring. (sorry to the blogs that are picture-less)

This year for Passover, it will be 1 year and a month that I will be a married woman and have the first and second seder in my home. Dan and I will be having his parents and brother, and my mother and grandmother. (Our dining room won't hold much more than that) I am excited that we are the ones hosting this year because it signifies the start to our family. Eventually as our family grows, we will continue the tradition with our children and Dan will lead the Seder. Passover has always been my favorite holiday and this year it is no different.

I will share some of my recipe plans for this year, but first I would like to highlight my friend Leah Koenig. She is a really great writer that I met while giving a rustic Italian class at the Center for Kosher Culinary Arts. Since then, she has been very kind to think of me when any culinary event would come up. She did a great interview with me when she worked on The Jew & The Carrot .

Most recently, Leah asked me to contribute to her new cookbook and I was honored. My contributions include: Sesame Seed Chicken Cutlets, Grilled Lamb Chops with Mint Chimichurri, Beer Braised Beef and Cumin & Cilantro Burgers.

The Hadassah Everyday Cookbook - Daily Meals for the Contemporary Jewish Kitchen has an array of beautiful recipes and some that are well suited for Passover: Simple Pea Soup with Leeks Pg. 109, Brown Sugar Glazed Salmon Pg. 147, Ricotta and Pistachio Stuffed Figs Pg. 206. This hefty cookbook is very convenient and easy to read with labels for Meat, Dairy and Pareve. Leah really writes with colorful words and makes you feel like you are in her kitchen talking over coffee. The photography of Lucy Schaeffer is so well done, it makes the food look like it is jumping off the pages. I am flattered that I was asked to contribute to such a great project and I highly recommend picking up a copy.

As for my Passover Menu, I plan to make traditional meals with a little updating:

Caramelized Onion Matzah Ball Soup (Onions inside the matzah balls, yum!)

Eggplant Salad with Garlic & Dill

Romaine Salad with Cucumbers, Mandarin Oranges & Toasted Almonds

Braised Brisket

Zesty Fish Cakes with Red Pepper Aioli

Crispy Roasted Chicken With Lemon, Garlic & Fresh Herbs

Smoked Green Beans

Roasted Potatoes with Citrus Gremolata

Pictures to follow! If you are interested in any of the recipes for your seders, please email me at Sandyluvscooking@gmail.com.

If there is one thing I must say about Passover - please stick to natural foods of the earth and don't get caught up in substitutions because who really wants "pasta" for Passover - who knows what it is made up of. If you plan ahead and are creative, you will be able to find recipes that work for Passover without crazy ingredients. Pick up a copy of the Hadassah Cookbook and you'll get many ideas.

Jasmine, Sweets & Edamame

2011-04-11T21:39:00.003-04:00

I cut a piece of my recently grilled chicken and slathered a bit of soft sweet potato on its side. The creaminess of the sweet potato against the crunch of the sesame seeds that I liberally sprinkled on my chicken are a match made in heaven.

I'm pretty sure that is a run on sentence, but I take pure joy in eating what I blog about, as I blog about it. It is not just food for me, you see - it's a work of art. If you're a foodie, you've probably heard it before - "baking is a science and cooking is an art". While I do agree with that, I also think that food on its own is an art, even before it is cooked.

This post is a part of my leftover series. I never liked throwing food out, but now it seems more and more crucial to be creative. I realize it seems like a lot to have rice, potatoes and soybeans in one dish but they are all healthy and since it is meant to be a side dish - you don't eat much of it.

In my fridge:

Left over, cooked jasmine rice

Left over, cooked sweet potatoes

Frozen edamame

I had defrosted a package of chicken breasts the night before, so I butterflied them (click for a great video) and seasoned them with Asian type ingredients (garlic, ginger, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, little hot sauce and sesame seeds) I let that sit while I got my other stuff together.

I diced up some onion and caramelized it in olive oil. Next, I cubed up the sweet potatoes and added them to the pan, without stirring. This allowed them to get a little brown on one side. Then I added the rice and fried it up. I steamed the edamames and added them to the rice.

I knew I would find something to use up that bag of edamames at some point! Have a recipe where you use them? Please share them with me in the comment section below.

Homemade Strawberry Orange Jam

2011-03-20T21:01:00.001-04:00

My strawberries were sitting in my fridge for over a week and I didn't want a whole container to go bad. I decided to preserve them by making a jam! This way, I know how much sugar I put in it and it would my house smell delicious. Below is an explanation of the difference between all these fruit concoctions:

Jam is a thick mixture of fruit, pectin, and sugar that is boiled gently but quickly until the fruit is soft and has an organic shape, yet is still thick enough that it spreads easily and can form a blob. In addition to being a spread, jams are also good for fillings.

Jelly is made from sugar, pectin, acid, and fruit juice and is a clear spread that is firm enough to hold its shape. Jellies can also be made from ingredients other than fruit, such as herbs, tea, wine, liqueurs, flowers, and vegetables.

Fruit butter is a smooth and creamy spread that is created by slow-cooking fruit and sugar until it reaches the right consistency; these types of spreads are not always translucent and are often opaque. Fruit butters are best used as a spread and a filling.

Preserves are spreads that have chunks of fruit surrounded by jelly.

Conserves are made with dried fruits and nuts and are cooked. They have a very thick and chunky texture. Conserves work very well as a spread and as a condiment for meats and cheeses.

Marmalade is a citrus spread made from the peel and pulp of the fruit. Marmalade's are cooked for a long time and have no pectin, and are used as spreads and glazes.

So what's a gelée? It's just the French word for "jelly.

And to give credit where credit is due - I thought This "Kitchn" explained it best. Oh - and in case you are wondering - pectin is basically a naturally occurring substance that is found in apples, berries and other fruit. When heated together with sugar, it thickens - which is characteristic of jams and jellies.

Yes, this is probably something to be made in early to mid summer when the berries smell fragrant - but since you are cooking them down, it works just as well anytime since you are concentrating flavor (and adding some sugar as well).

Homemade Strawberry Orange Jam

1 package of strawberries

zest of 1 orange

juice of one orange

1/2 cup sugar

juice of 1/2 of a lemon

Method: Cook on low heat until you achieve the consistency you want - let cool & lick the spoon.

Chicken Tagine With Apricots, Prunes & Almonds

2011-03-10T23:04:00.000-05:00

You don't have to be 79 years old to enjoy a prune. While they may help you in the digestion department - they are also delicious. I do however, understand why they are marketed as "dried plums". Either way, they have been used for centuries in many cultures and in a multitude of cooking applications. Below is one of my favorite.

I often make it for Rosh Hashana - our Jewish new year since we make sweet dishes to symbolize a sweet new year. I know we are in mid March - but who says I can't have a sweet spring? (or a different weeknight meal)

"Tagine" is a North African dish named after the pot it is cooked in. The Moroccan version, which I based my dish on- has a complexity of warm, earthy spices (cinnamon, ginger,cloves, cumin, paprika and turmeric) which truly make this dish unique.

I received a nice delivery of a pound each of prunes, Turkish apricots and slivered almonds from Oh Nuts! I first learned about this company from a client I used to cook for. While cooking Shabbat meals for her and her family, I would often munch on cereal and add a bit of dried blueberries and almonds that she always had plenty of. That was the first time I tried a dried blueberry and I loved it.

Oh nuts is a family company that has an amazing selection of nuts, seeds, dried fruit, baking items, gift baskets, and even chocolate! Everything is kosher and I highly recommend their products. It's great that you can customize your order - for example, if you only enjoy the red jellybeans...they can do that! (I didn't order any, but they did include 2 small packs for me to enjoy)

This recipe is deliciously different and your taste buds will thank you.

Chicken Tagine

1 pound of chicken (bone-in)

1 onion

1 cup red wine

spices (to taste)

cumin

cinnamon

ginger

dried cloves

turmeric

paprika

salt

pepper

1. Season chicken liberally with the spices (use to your liking). Sear in olive oil until browned on all sides.

2.Remove chicken from pan, add diced onion and saute until translucent. Add wine and stir all around ( deglaze the pan ) - make sure to get the bits at the bottom of the pan. Reduce the wine and then add the chicken back to the pan.

3. Add enough water (chicken or veg stock will work too) to cover the chicken about half way. Add prunes and apricots, cover the pan and cook for about 45 minutes - 1 hour on low heat.

4. Add the slivered almonds and chopped parsley for garnish (I didn't have any - which is why my picture wasn't great) Chicken should be tender, but not falling off the bone.

I served mine with a side of sauteed broccoli with sesame seeds ...which they ALSO have at Oh Nuts!

Green Goddess

2011-02-06T15:47:00.000-05:00

Cold Showers/Iced daiquiris on a hot day/Rainfall after a summer day/limoncello/passion fruit sorbet/

Above are all examples of things that are refreshing to me. Apparently, green goddess dressing is refreshing for my husband. I had him try a bit of the dressing shortly after making it and he says to me "you like to make refreshing things" - I forget what else I made recently that he thought was refreshing, but nonetheless I am glad he likes it.

I love the look of this dressing for its minty green color which reminds me of Spring. It has clean flavors. It coats your tongue but doesn't linger. The flavors dance around like fingers on a piano.

I think it works great in a salad but can also be a nice dip for vegetables. I hope you enjoy each bite.

Green Goddess Dressing
3 cloves garlic
2 tsp anchovy paste
2 lemons, juiced
7 scallions, green & white part
1 bunch basil
1/2 bunch cilantro
1/2 bunch Italian parsley
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup sour cream
salt & pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients in food processor until fully combined and chill until ready to serve.

My Take on Tikka

2011-01-30T22:07:00.000-05:00

Tikka is a type of Indian and Pakistani type food. It usually consists of a meat or poultry marinaded in plain yogurt and aromatic spices and then cooked in a tandoor -which is a large clay oven that can get up to 900F! Chicken tikka or Tandoori chicken are well known. Some people love Indian food, or they hate it. I can picture my mom reading this going "yuck" and making some ridiculous face. She is not a fan. I, on the other hand, really enjoy the use of exotic spices and would eat it any day.

Since kosher law prohibits mixing meat/poultry with dairy - I decided to use fish instead. Here, I used cod. It works well because it is a firm fleshed fish (say that 5 times fast) and holds up well to the marinade. And since I don't have a tandoor oven readily available to me - I just cranked up the oven to the highest setting. Be careful! It cooks very fast. I am not sure why, but I decided to cube up the fish? You could just as well marinade it and cook it whole. A nice addition (that I did not have on hand) would be a nice garnish of chopped cilantro at the end.

You literally just use your senses on this one. I cubed up the fish and put it in a bowl. I then covered it completely with PLAIN yogurt. (don't get vanilla - that won't taste good) and starting going spice crazy! I added cumin, coriander, turmeric, chili powder, red pepper flakes, black pepper, and ginger. I did not add salt until I was about to cook it. After marinating for several hours [insert manageable amount of marinating time here] I layed it out on foiled covered sheet pans, sprinkled with salt and cooked it for about 7 minutes.

We don't eat that much fish at home, mostly because I rather eat it fresh - which is why Sundays after our food shopping day works best. So, today I decided to pair it up with a rice that I had in a Persian restaurant and it was really delicious.

I cooked jasmine rice with onions, and then took ribbons of carrots, orange zest and toasted almonds. It makes for a good combination of flavors. To achieve the ribbons, you just keep peeling the carrot until you can't peel no mo...

I saute onions until they are translucent. Next, I add 1 cup of rice and toast it a bit - I make sure to coat it in the olive oil. I then add 2 cups of water [you can use vegetable broth] and carrot ribbons - simmer until the water is evaporated. At the last moment, add the zest of an entire orange and fold in toasted almonds (I used slivered almonds for good texture)

Tips & Tricks

2011-01-23T20:46:00.000-05:00

These are a few tips and tricks I have gathered over the years. I am sure there are plenty more, but these are all I can remember now. I'll post more as they come to me. Enjoy.

1. Use a string of dental floss to slice through a log of goat cheese.

2. If you are out of coffee filters, use a strong paper towel.

3. If your brown sugar has clumped together, use a box grater to separate it.

4. If you are measuring out honey - put oil in the measuring cup to keep it from sticking

5. Roll out your lemons with your forearm to get the juices flowin'.

6. If your jar lid is too tight to open, hit it around the circumference with the back of your
     knife -it will release the air and loosen the lid.

7. If you have used a coffee grinder for grinding spices, add dry, uncooked rice and pulse for a
   few seconds. It will remove the spice aroma and clean out the base.

8. To make peeling hard boiled eggs easier - butter your thumbs. (or olive oil)

9. If you over salt a soup, drop in a potato - it will absorb the excess salt.

10. Coffee beans work great to remove funky odors from your hands in the kitchen.

11. Freeze left over wine in your ice cube trays and add it to braises and sauces.

12. After cooking fish in your home, simmer a pot of peeled apples and cinnamon. (Then you
   can make apple sauce later). The fragrance will remove the nasty fish funk.

13. Place lemons in cold water and into your fridge - they will last longer.

14. Place peeled ginger in the freezer for a longer shelf life. You can grate it directly into your
       meals!

15. Clean cast iron cookware with kosher salt and a dry towel.

16. Place a piece of white bread on top of burned rice for about 5-10 minutes to draw out the
       burned flavor. Be careful not to burn out the burned pieces of rice.

17. Add rice to your salt to prevent clumping

Please share your tips and tricks!

Panzanella Salad with Onion Ciabatta & Feta

2011-01-17T19:39:00.000-05:00

I've broken a couple rules. I know I haven't blogged in a while - and in blogging world, it's a cardinal sin. I hope all 12 readers have not deserted me by now. The truth is, I just have not felt as inspired lately. The winter has some great warm and cozy foods...but for me, it doesn't compare to spring and summer. And, well...I sort of miss the produce - and the sun!

I cheated a little bit and recently made a Panzanella salad. Something I never thought I would make in late December. I swore I would only eat tomatoes in summer when they don't taste like cardboard - but maybe the dressing helps to cover that up?

I love this salad because it is full of flavor and reminds me of summer. I recently saw an episode of Barefoot Contessa (I love Ina!) and she was making a mix of a Panzanella and Greek salad. What an amazing combination. The saltiness of the feta is the perfect touch to a fragrant salad. Make this for a group of friends like I did, and there won't be any left.

Panzanella Salad with Onion Ciabatta Croutons and Feta

Tomatoes, (on the vine) quartered
European cucumbers, cut in half and sliced
Romaine lettuce, chopped thinly
Nicoise olives, rough chopped
Red onion, sliced thin
Fennel, sliced thin
Celery, sliced thin
Red peppers, medium dice
Handful of pine nuts, toasted
Day old onion ciabatta bread,cubed & toasted with olive oil
Basil
Handful of feta cheese

Red Wine Vinaigrette

1 Tablespoon of dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1 1/2 cup olive oil
salt & pepper

Mix all vinaigrette ingredients until well combined (it should emulsify). I add all the salad ingredients and mix with vinaigrette for about an hour before serving. It soaks up all the flavor and they marry together. Absolutely delicious!

Marinated & Grilled Beef Kebabs

2010-12-27T22:56:00.000-05:00

This recipe is adapted from an appetizer I used to make on the grill station at Spice Market. It is super flavorful and is great to make when entertaining.

1 pound of beef (ask me what kind in an e-mail)

zest from 2 oranges

1 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 cups (packed) cilantro

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 Tablespoon red chili flakes

Combine everything but the beef in a food processor or blender.

Marinate overnight or at least an hour

Grill and arrange on a platter with orange slices

Refreshing Orange & Fennel Salad

2010-12-22T20:16:00.000-05:00

I was standing in line at the checkout for my groceries and the lady could not seem to identify this bulb looking thing. "it's fennel" I said - slightly annoyed that I had already waited about 15 minutes for her to ring up the lady before me. I felt a tiny bit stupid when she punched in the code for "anise" - the other name for fennel. Go figure.

Fennel is exactly that - anise. Licorice flavor is better understood by most people....and you either hate it or love it.There's really not much to this salad. Maybe that's why I like it. What I really like is that during the winter, I can get fennel bulbs for $1.50 a piece - and that's a good deal. I tried this salad with blood orange once and it was gorgeous. I didn't have them around, so I just used navel oranges.

Shave the fennel really thin on a mandoline and supreme oranges (segment them) and a few fennel frawns - not sure how you spell that. and Season with some lemon juice, orange juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. Voila! A deliciously easy, crunchy and very refreshing salad.( Something you may need after waiting on line for 15 minutes at checkout.)

Cooking Recipe-less

2010-12-12T22:55:00.000-05:00

I feel like many people get stuck inside a box. Sticking to a recipe is no fun - plus, it doesn't truly allow your creativity and your inner chef come out. If you consider yourself a serious cook, I suggest you ban your recipes.

If you learn a recipe, you learn how to make that dish. However, if you learn technique, and acquire skill - then you have a larger repertoire to choose from. Recipes are merely a guideline. They are there to help you along the journey. Like a traveler who wants to explore the country as a tourist by riding on public transportation and taking the back roads, so does a chef cook without his "map".

For example, if you learn the techniques and basic foundation of making a braise - then you can essentially braise anything. You start by searing your meat or poultry. Next, you saute your aromatics (onions, garlic,
etc) and then add some type of liquid (get creative here) to pull up all the "juicy bits" - also called "fond". Then, add your meat or poultry back to the pan and cover about half way with liquid, (wine, broth, etc) cover and cook slowly until the protein is fork tender. This can be applied to any type of braise, because the process is the same, only your ingredients change!

When I first started cooking, I felt confined to the recipes in my cookbooks. I felt uninspired. After learning the techniques through school and in the field - I realized that I was learning the right way to cook. Well, at least what felt right to me. You start immersing yourself in the ingredients and flavors and you can taste things in your mind and feel your way through with your heart. Not long ago, I heard a program on NPR radio with a guest chef, and although I turned it on without hearing who it was - I immediately was pulled in by the conversation. She called it "death to recipes" I couldn't believe it! for the longest time, I felt the same way and was almost jealous that she said it first.

I have cooked now for more than 10 years, and while there is plenty more to learn along my travels, I can safely say that I have found what works best to create culinary masterpieces. If you love to eat, are a serious cook and have a passion for food - I hope that you will take on the road like the traveler and cook recipe-less.

*Image borrowed from here

Sweet Potato & Zucchini Latkes

2010-12-05T22:01:00.000-05:00

Potato pancakes can be found in almot every culture. The Spanish have "tortilla de patatas", The Irish have their delicious "boxty", The Swiss have the Rösti, and the Jews have "Potato latke".

As the story of Chanukah goes, a little oil went a long way. However, when cooking for the holiday, we seem to drench the potato latkes in oil and they become greasy and limp. I tried a different approach by using zucchini and sweet potato in just a tiny bit of oil.

I love the fact that you can actually taste the sweet potato and zucchini, and I am letting a little oil go a long way.

1 large sweet potato, shredded

1 large zucchini, shredded

1/2 onion, sliced

1/2 Tbsp kosher salt

cracked black pepper to taste

1-Mix all ingredients together until well combined. Allow to sit for a while ( to let it get moist)

2-Next, heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a large saute pan until it ripples - in other words...is very hot.

3- make small balls out of the potato & zucchini mixture and place in hot oil. Allow to caramelize on one side. Once the oil has been absorbed, add one Tbsp of water and allow to steam. This will finish cooking the potato and give it a delicious flavor.