I’m spending the week sharing my Passover cooking at http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?/topic/138251-eg-foodblog-pam-r-2011/
Stop by, see what I’m cooking — ask questions!
Chag Sameach!
Archive | Jewish RSS feed for this section
Passover Mushroom And Onion Kugel
16 AprAccording to my blog statistics, a lot of people are getting here because they are looking for a recipe for Mushroom and Onion Kugel. I do have a recipe for said kugel on this blog, but it’s for a kugel I make for Rosh Hashana. That one is made with egg noodles.
Since people are looking for it, I thought it would be a good idea to share my recipe for my Passover Mushroom & Onion Kugel. It’s very similar — simple and tasty, but uses farfel (broken up matzo) rather than noodles. Can be made ahead and freezes well.
Passover Mushroom and Onion Farfel Kugel (from Passover – A Kosher Collection)
If I had to choose (and it would be hard to decide) I think this might be my favourite kugel. Button and crimini mushrooms often get the short end of the stick, but I love them and this kugel shows them off.
4 Tbsp. | 60 mL olive oil
1 lb. | 454 g yellow onions, peeled and diced small (2 medium)
2 tsp. | 10 mL salt
1/2 tsp. | 2 mL black pepper
1 1/2 lbs. | 680 g button or crimini mushrooms, sliced
1 1/2 cups | 355 mL water
8 oz. | 225 g farfel (4 cups | 950 mL)
6 large eggs, lightly beaten
Preheat the oven to 375 F | 190 C.
Place a large frying pan or a pot over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. Add the onions, salt and pepper and cook, stirring, for 8-10 minutes or until soft and golden brown.
Add the mushrooms and cook another 6-8 minutes, or until they’ve all cooked and have shrunk by about half. We’re not trying to brown the mushrooms at all, just cook them.
Add the water and bring to a simmer. Cook for 1 minute.
Put the farfel in a large mixing bowl. Pour the mushroom/onion mixture over the farfel and stir to mix. Let rest for about half an hour or until cooled completely. and most of the liquid has been absorbed.
Once cooled, add the eggs and stir to combine. Pour the batter into a greased 8 x 11-inch | 20 x 27.5-cm pan.
Bake for 45 minutes or until golden brown and firm.
It’s all about the Charoset
5 AprWith Passover less than two weeks away, it’s time to make some serious decisions. The most important decision, in my opinion, is what kind of charoset to make. I love charoset. I like that charoset being passed around the table means dinner is about to start. I love that charoset is symbolic — it’s there to remind us of the mortar used by the Jewish slaves in Egypt to build cities. And I really love charoset because it’s delicious.
When I was growing up, charoset was always a mixture of shredded apples, cinnamon, honey, chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans) and some sweet red wine. Nobody in my family used a precise recipe — we just added what looked right and kept tasting and adjusting until it was perfect.
Eventually I started experimenting and came up with some different flavour combinations that I really liked. Now I have a few charoset recipes that I love. Here’s my recipe for date charoset. I like it so much I make a double batch to use it on matzo throughout the week (great for breakfast!).
Date Charoset
2 oz. | 55 g walnuts (1/2 cup | 120 mL)
8 oz. | 225 g pitted dates (1 cup | 235 mL)
3 oz. | 85 g golden raisins (1/2 cup | 120 mL)
1/2 tsp. | 2 mL dried ginger
1/2 tsp. | 2 mL cinnamon
pinch of ground cloves
3 Tbsp. | 45 mL sweet red wine
2 Tbsp. | 30 mL fresh orange juice
1/4 tsp. | 1 mL orange zest
Toast the nuts. Preheat the oven to 350 F | 175 C. Spread the nuts out in a single layer on a baking sheet and toast for 8-9 minuets, or until golden brown. Cool.
Put all of the ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until the charoset reaches a texture you like. I like to pulse it until it is mostly paste, with some small chunks remaining. If you like it chunkier, stop pulsing before it gets too smooth.
Use immediately or cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
Makes 1 1/2 cups | 355 mL
* Adapted from my book, Passover – A Kosher Collection
Passover Prep #1
24 FebAfter a wonderful vacation, I arrived home to a stack of Passover price-lists from my suppliers. Lots of people are surprised to hear that I’m working on Passover orders before we even start thinking about Purim — but that’s how it works. On the other hand, some customers have already started asking if the matzo has arrived yet!
For the last two weeks I’ve been going through the price lists. I’ve been comparing prices and trying to find the best deals for our customers. It’s exciting to see that there are some new products available — hopefully they won’t disappoint.
After the orders get faxed and emailed in this week and next, we’ll be working on our prepared food order form. Each year we cook and bake for 100+ families over Passover. Then the trucks will start rolling in with orders and right after Purim we’ll turn the store over for Pesach (all chometz gets packed up and the entire store gets stocked with KFP items).
Just thinking about this exhausts me.
Have you started thinking about Passover yet?
Latkes
29 NovI’ve been thinking about the latkes I’ll be frying for Chanukah this year. I spend days and days making latkes. As often happens, when I start thinking about a holiday food it brings back memories of the foods I enjoyed as a kid. I grew up with traditional foods prepared by my mother and grandmothers and though I will always love them, I also like throwing new twists at old favourites.
As I was thinking about using sweet potato, leeks, zucchini, mushroom and maybe some blue potatoes in latkes, the blue potatoes reminded me of my Baba’s (grandmother) blue latkes. No, Baba didn’t use blue potatoes like I was planning. Her pancakes were made from red, waxy potatoes that had turned a purplish-blue as the starches oxidized after they were finely grated. Some people add white vinegar to the potatoes to stop the oxidizing but I always grate the onions first and let their juices keep the potatoes from discoloring. Baba went au natural and we ate them as they were — and loved them! But, if I want blue latkes I’ll use those blue potatoes.
Here are a few of my favourite latke recipes. While I love, love, love potato latkes, it’s nice to have a few variations to have throughout the holiday. Try one or all of them.
Remember – Chanukah is a holiday that calls for eating things fried with oil. So I use oil to pan-fry all of the latkes. If you are looking for a lighter version, you can spray a non-stick frying-pan with vegetable spray – but be warned – the results will not be the same. For crisp on the outside, soft on the inside latkes use the oil. (You are commemorating a miracle!)
Some latke pointers that I shared a couple of years ago and thought it’s time to share again:
- Use a food processor or box grater to grate vegetables and then squeeze as much liquid from the vegetables as you can. Discard liquid.
- Use a non-stick or cast-iron frying pan for frying. Heat 1/4” – 1/2“ of canola or vegetable oil over medium heat. The oil should be hot enough for the latkes to sizzle and bubble as soon as they touch the oil, but not too hot or they will burn before they are cooked through.
- To keep your potatoes from oxidizing grate the onions first. Toss the potatoes with the onion juices as you grate them and it will keep them from turning brown or blue.
- Drain the cooked latkes on paper towel.
- Fry one latke and taste it, checking the seasoning before frying the whole batch. If you like things light on salt and pepper cut back my quantities – taste one and add seasoning to suit your tastes.
- Serve with apple sauce, sour cream, crème fraiche, Greek yogurt or or tzatziki.
- Latkes are best served hot, right out of the pan (after draining). If you are feeding a group, place the fresh latkes on a baking sheet and keep in a 200º oven as you make them. If necessary, they can be frozen, thawed and reheated on a baking sheet at 350º degrees, uncovered, until warm (about 10-15 minutes).
Potato Latkes (adapted from Passover – a Kosher Collection)
- 1 lb. | 454 g yellow onion, peeled and grated (2 medium)
- 2 lbs. | 910 g red potatoes, peeled and grated
- 2 large eggs
- ½ oz. | 14 g cake meal (or flour) (2 Tbsp. | 30 mL)
- 1 ½ tsp. | 7 mL salt
- ¼ tsp. | 1 mL black pepper
- canola oil for frying
Grate the onion first, then grate the potato and mix them together. Squeeze out as much liquid as possible from the onion/potato mixture and place in a mixing bowl.
Add the eggs, cake meal, salt and pepper and mix well.
Heat ¼-inch | 5-mm of oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Use two spoons or an ice-cream scoop to gently place batter into the oil (use about 2 Tbsp. | 30 mL of mixture for each latke).
Fry for about 4 minutes, or until the edges start to brown, then turn over and cook another 3–5 minutes until both sides are golden brown.
Transfer to paper towel to drain. Continue frying the rest of the latkes, adding more oil if necessary.
Enjoy on their own or with sour cream or applesauce.
Makes 12-16
Zucchini Leek Latkes (adapted from Passover – A Kosher Collection)
I’ve seen young children who maynot enjoy vegetables gobble these up. They’re a little softer than potato latkes, so be gentle when you flip them over.
- 1 ½ lbs. | 680 g zucchini, trimmed and shredded
- 8 oz. | 225 g red potato, peeled and shredded
- 8 oz. | 225 g leek, washed well and thinly sliced (2 medium)
- 1 ½ tsp. | 7 mL salt
- ½ tsp. | 2 mL black pepper
- 2 ½ oz. | 70 g cake meal (½ cup | 120 mL) (or flour)
- 1 tsp. | 5 mL paprika
- 3 large eggs
- canola oil for frying
Grate the zucchini and potato and squeeze out any excess liquid. Combine with the remaining ingredients in a mixing bowl.
Heat ¼-inch | 5-mm of oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Use two spoons to gently place the mixture into the oil (use about 2 Tbsp. | 30 mL of mixture for each latke).
Fry for 2–3 minutes, or until the edges start to brown, then turn over and cook another 2–3 minutes, until both sides are golden brown.
Transfer to paper towel to drain and continue with the rest of the latkes, adding more oil if necessary.
Makes 16-18
Wild Rice and Mushroom Latkes
- 3 cups button/crimini mushrooms – thinly sliced
- 1 large yellow onion – peeled and finely chopped
- 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
- 1 can (425 g) cooked wild rice – rinsed and drained
- 1-2 tsp. salt
- 3/4 tsp. pepper
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 cup flour
- canola oil for frying
Sauté onions for 2-3 minutes in oil over medium heat. Add sliced mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms have released their juices and are cooked through, about 10 minutes. Drain and cool.
Place the cooled mushrooms and onions in a mixing bowl and add the salt, pepper, eggs and flour. Mix well.
Heat oil in a frying pan and carefully spoon heaping tablespoons of the mixture into the oil. Fry for 3-5 minutes on each side until golden brown and set.
Drain and serve.
Makes 16-18
Sufganiyot for Chanukah
22 NovIt’s hard to believe that Chanukah is just around the corner — but it will be here next week. Around here, we usually celebrate Chanukah in the depths of winter and thankfully we’ve had a few solid days of snow so we’re all set for this year.
The most common food for Chanukah is probably the potato latke. Crisp potato and onion pancakes fried in oil and served with sour cream or apple sauce. There is nothing wrong with a good potato latke, and I am sure I’ll be frying up hundreds, but that’s not your only option.
First of all, you can do all sorts of interesting latke recipes and I’ll be sharing a few of my favourites here, before the holiday starts. But you know, I think any good, fried food could be considered a good Chanukah dish.
In Winnipeg, as in Israel, sufganiot or jambusters or jelly-doughnuts are a treat often served for Chanukah. Or at least they have been for as long as I can remember. When I was growing up, boxes of sufganiot were always brought into school at Chanukah and my mother would always picked some up for us at the bakery.
The typical jelly doughnut around here is usually filled with a fruit filling, but you can go crazy and fill them with all sorts of things. In Israel they do go crazy and you can find many interesting fillings. How about caramel? Maybe a chocolate or mocha filling. Green tea? Sure.
If you’d like to try making some yourself, a few years ago I put up a step-by-step how-to demonstration at eGullet.org. The demo includes pictures so you can see how easy the process is — and make them yourself!
Click here for the demo.
Difference of Opinion
12 AugI’ve been talking to everybody I know about Jewish food for the last few months. (A lot longer than that, but really focused on it now.) The most interesting thing to me is that my sister and I have opposite views on the important things. We grew up in the same house and had the same parents and grandparents cooking for us, so how did our preferences diverge so widely?
For instance:
- Matzo Balls – I like them fluffy. Not super-fluffy so they’re falling apart, but fluffy so it’s not like I’m eating a cement ball. My sister feels that they should be firm enough that they’ll bounce off the floor and hit the ceiling if you toss one.
- Fried Matzo #1 – I like it sweet with syrup drizzled on top. She likes it savoury with butter and salt or some sautéed vegetables.
- Fried Matzo #2- I prefer using the pancake method – one single pancake of fried matzo, nice and brown on both sides. She’s of the “scrambled eggs” technique. You mix it up as it cooks and it doesn’t form that nice crust (“I don’t like it crusty!” says she. “Oh, I do” says I.)
- Even though we’re (both) Ashkenazi, I like to say that I have the taste buds of an Ashkenazi and her taste buds are Sephardi. A chicken dish I made last week was liked by all, but my lips went a little numb and I made the comment “cut back on the chili powder a little”. Her response “no, it’s good.”
This is just a sampling, I’m sure I could go on. Check back later for a new post, potential title “My Mother Prefers More Salt – I Prefer More Pepper”
It’s all about the recipes.
4 AugFor me, the best part about working on a cookbook is the recipe development and testing. Well, that’s usually true. Sometimes the testing can be less than fun — when I’m trying something for the 6th time and it’s still not right. At that point I’m no longer enjoying myself.
The part I’m not as fond of is typing up the recipes. I procrastinate and can’t do a long stretch without checking the eG forums and then Twitter and Facebook multiple times. When I wrote the last book I didn’t have these distractions — in fact, I spent a good chunk of time up at the lake doing nothing but typing.
Again, I think this probably has something to do with the self-publishing vs. using a publisher. No one’s setting deadlines for me but me. So I’m trying to figure out how to lay down the law — with myself.
I’ve been pretty good with the testing. Every day that I haven’t been at work, I’ve been working on recipes. I’ve put all of my recipes into a spreadsheet so I can see what I have and what I still need. It’s looking good and the end is in sight. I’ve made arrangements to take the rest of the week off from the family business. I’ll spend the next few days working on recipes and there won’t be much left on my recipe to-do list.
I’d like to take a couple of weeks cooking/baking the recipes that I wrote a few years ago. I haven’t made some of them in 2+ years and I’d like to include weights — something I didn’t do then. Then it’s on to typing.
I’ve tried to keep up with the typing. Typing as many recipes as possible between customers at the store. But I still have a stack of 20+ recipes that need to be typed, plus whatever I get done in the next couple of weeks. Then on to editing and writing the bits that go before and between the recipes.
There are so many things that I have to think about this time that I didn’t give a thought to with the last book. I’ve started researching printers and shipping, layouts and photos — but I can’t devote a lot of time to these other areas until the recipes are done.
The good news is that I’m still on track and should be able to have the book done for Passover 2010, but there’s a lot to do.
Shana Tova! (really belated)
15 OctI’d like to wish everybody a happy, healthy and sweet new year. Shana Tova!
Life continues to be hectic, and I don’t find myself with the time to post here. I’m working on another cookbook, and I’ll post about it when I have some information. In the meantime, as it’s getting much cooler in Winnipeg, I find myself leafing through the Soup book and planning on making big batches to keep us going through the winter.
I hope the year has started off well for everybody.
Take care,
Pam
Two Weeks Until Passover
19 MarThat’s it. 2 weeks. Over 20,000 lbs. have food has come in and it’s flying out. More on the way. We. Are. So. Busy.
Lots of new products. Some interesting. Some strange. I’ve never tried Passover cereal – will keep a box and try them this year. Have heard bad things.
Happy prepping to you all.
