Geila Hocherman’s Cinco de Mayo Recipes – Part 2

[Geila gives us two more superb recipes! Editor]

Sweetcorn Salad

Photo by: Antonis Achilleous, Kosher Revolution on page 137

Serves 6

This delicious – and beautiful – salad began with a bag of sweetcorn kernels I’d scraped from cobs served at a barbecue. In my house, company is a constant. To feed a hungry crowd one day and to use up the kernels, I invented this salad. With toasted pine nuts, onion, pepper and a tantalising sesame oil-based dressing, the salad goes beautifully with my Surimi Crab Cakes with Red Pepper Mayonnaise or with any grilled meat or fish.

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon grapeseed or rapeseed oil
• 1/2 cup pine nuts
• 6 corn on the cobs
• 1/2 cup sugar, if needed
• 1 orange, yellow or red pepper, cored, deseeded and cut into 1/4 inch dice
• 1 red onion, diced
• 4 scallions, white part only, sliced
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon mirin
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions

1. In a small frying pan, heat the oil over a medium heat. Add the nuts and toast, stirring, until aromatic and beginning to color, about 3 minutes. Set the nuts aside.
2. Fill a large pan with water and bring to the boil. Taste the sweetcorn; if it’s not sufficiently sweet, add the sugar to the water. Add the corn on the cobs and cook until just tender, 5–7 minutes. Drain, and when the cobs are cool, cut off the kernels using a large knife. Transfer the kernels to a large bowl.
3. Add the pepper, onion, spring onions, cilantro and reserved nuts, and toss. In a small bowl, combine the sesame oil, vinegar, mirin and salt, and blend well. Pour over the sweetcorn mixture and toss well. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Geila’s Tip

Never add salt to the water in which you boil sweetcorn. It toughens the kernels.

—OooO—

Coconut Flan

Ingredients

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon corn syrup
• ¼ cup water
• 8 eggs
• 1 15 ounce can cream of coconut- Roland, coco lopez
• 2 tablespoons Mexican vanilla

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 300.
2. Place sugar and corn syrup in small heavy bottomed saucepan with the water and stir.  Over medium heat let the sugar melt until it begins to turn color.  Once coloring has begun you may swirl the pan. When the caramel is medium amber pour into a greased 9 inch pan that has been placed on a dishtowel in a roasting pan.
3. Blend together the vanilla, eggs, and cream of coconut.  Pour the mixture over the caramel.  Place pan in oven and fill with hot water that comes half way up side of pan.
4. Bake for one hour or until custard is set and knife comes out clean.
5. Cool completely.  Run knife along edge and invert onto a plate and serve.

Enjoy!

Geila Hocherman

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Geila Hocherman’s Cinco de Mayo Recipes – Part 1

Geila Hocherman & Costas Mouzouras – Passover Food and Wine Pairing – Recipes – Part 2

Geila Hocherman & Costas Mouzouras – Passover Food and Wine Pairing – Recipes – Part 1

Chef Geila Hocherman’s Hamentashen With Four Fillings

The Peppermill & this Evening’s Radio Show

Pecan Pie – Part 2 – Maple Pecan Pie

Kosher Revolution

A Conversation with Geila Hocherman

Geila Hocherman’s Cinco de Mayo Recipes – Part 1

[Our dear friend Geila Hocherman, author of Kosher Revolution, has graciously agreed to share some of her recipes for a feast celebrating another revolution... Editor]

On May 5, 1862, France (considered the best army of the time) fought against a ragtag, poorly supplied, vastly outnumbered, hardly trained, Mexican army and lost the battle at Puebla de Los Angeles. In a pure military sense there are some parallels to our own victory against the mighty Greeks of the Seleucid period.

Since kosher transcends the boundaries of a distinctive national cuisine, why not try some of these great dishes this very Shabbat, Cinco de Mayo?

Ceviche with Avocado and Tortilla Chips

Serves 6

Photo by: Antonis Achilleous, Kosher Revolution on page 37

Here’s a confession: I never serve gefilte fish. That favorite has been replaced on my table by this more exciting dish, which will do wonders for your menu as a starter or light main. Tangy with fresh lime, the ceviche also pairs buttery avocado and crunchy chips, a terrific textural play. And the dish almost makes itself, a big plus when you’ve got other cooking to do.

Ingredients

• 1 ½ lbs fluke, flounder or other non-oily, white-fleshed fish, cut into bite-sized pieces (about 2.5cm square)
• 1 medium tomato, skinned, deseeded and diced
• ½ cup mango ¼ inch dice (optional)
• 4 scallions thinly sliced
• ½ cup chopped cilantro
• 2 cloves garlic chopped fine
• ½ jalapeno finely chopped
• 3 ounces good fruity olive oil
• 3 ounces fresh squeezed lime juice
• ½ teaspoon salt or more to taste
• 2 avocados sliced
• tortilla chips

Directions

1. In a medium non-porous bowl, combine the fish, tomato, spring onions, coriander and mango, if using.
2. In a separate small bowl or large measuring jug, combine the garlic, jalapeño, oil, lime juice and salt, and stir to blend. Pour the mixture over the fish and toss gently. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
3. Strain the ceviche.To serve, arrange a few avocado slices on a plate, mound some strained ceviche in the middle and garnish with tortilla chips and serve.

Geila’s Tip

To dismantle an avocado for slicing, first cut it lengthways and gently twist the halves apart. Embed the stone on the blade-heel of a large knife, twist and lift to remove the stone. Peel the avocado, then slice the flesh as required. I’ve found that jalapeños with a brown line or veins on the outside are hotter than those without.

—OooO—

Tomatillo pepita mole with chicken

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 1 cup peeled pumpkin seeds
• ½ teaspoon cumin
• ½ teaspoon savory-optional
• ½ teaspoon coriander seed
• ½ teaspoon oregano- Mexican if you can find it
• 1 ½ tablespoon olive oil
• 4 small tomatillos halved
• ½ large onion rough chop
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 jalapeno pepper diced- or more if you like heat
• 1 ½ cups chicken broth
• ½ cup cilantro leaves
• ½ cup parsley leaves
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt
• 2 lbs boneless, skinless, thin cut chicken breasts
• tofu sour cream optional

Directions

1. In a large sauté pan toast the cumin, savory, coriander seed, oregano, and the pepitas, (pumpkin seeds), until fragrant.  Remove to bowl of food processor and pulse until finely ground.
2. In the same skillet heat the oil and add the onion, jalapeno, garlic, and tomatillos. Sprinkle with salt and sauté until soft and beginning to brown, about 8 minutes.
3. Add this mixture to the ground spices and pepitas along with the parsley, cilantro, and chicken broth and process until smooth.  Put back in sauté pan and simmer over very low heat for 10 minutes.
4. Place the chicken into a large casserole or roasting pan.  Cover with ¾ of the sauce and bake at 325 for 20 minutes.
5. Serve with extra sauce on the side and tofu sour cream.

Enjoy!

Geila Hocherman

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Geila Hocherman & Costas Mouzouras – Passover Food and Wine Pairing – Recipes – Part 1

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More recipes and video…

French Macaroons

Don’t confuse these glorious, slightly chewy mouthfuls, made from a few simple ingredients,
with the more common coconut macaroons most of us know.

Ingredients

• 1 cup almond flour
• 1 ¼ cup confectioners’ sugar
• 3 large egg whites from large eggs, at room temperature (ideally, kept out overnight)
• ¼ cup sugar

Flavoring Variations

• ½ cup cocoa powder OR 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, or the seeds from 1 bean OR 2 teaspoons coffee extract or raspberry extract.

Filling Variations

• Chocolate ganache (recipe below)
• Lemon curd (recipe below)
• Lime curd, substitute fresh lime for the lemon juice
• Jam, such as raspberry, strawberry, or black currant

Directions

1. First make the macarons. In a food processor combine the almond flour and confectioners’ sugar and process until well combined, 90 seconds. Flavoring: If making chocolate macarons, add the cocoa powder to the blended mixture and stir. If making vanilla macarons with the vanilla bean, add the seeds. Pass the mixture through a fine sieve and set aside.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on high speed until they form soft peaks. Reduce the speed to low and slowly add the granulated sugar. Increase the speed to high and beat until stiff glossy peaks are formed, 90 seconds to 2 ½ minutes. If using coffee or raspberry extract, and/or food coloring, add now. Add the almond flour mixture all at once and beat until the mixture is just well combined, about 10 seconds. Do not allow the mixture to get soupy. Check by dropping 1 teaspoon on a flat surface. The mixture should spread slightly, not thin out. Surface marks should dissolve into the batter. If the mixture doesn’t spread at all, give it a few more stirs, and test again.
3. Transfer the mixture to a pastry bag fitted with a ¼ -inch tip. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Anchor it at the corners with drops of the mixture. Pipe 1 1/2 – to 2- inch circles onto the paper. To do this easily, hold the bag at a 90- degree angle and squeeze it while keeping the tip stationary as the mixture spreads in a circle. Quickly lift the tip and form the next macaron. Let the macarons rest until their surfaces become dull and a crust forms,
   about 60 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 325 F. Bake the macarons until the tops are completely dry and the macarons come off the paper easily without any residue, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer the macarons while still on the paper to a countertop. Cool and remove from the paper. To fill the macarons, turn them flat side down and pair them by matching size. Place 1 to 1 ½ teaspoons of filling on the bottom half of each pair, cover with the top half, and press to form a sandwich. The filling should be visible. Repeat with the remaining macaron pairs. Refrigerate overnight
   and bring to room temperature before serving.

Chocolate Ganache

Ingredients

• 4 oz bittersweet or semisweet chocolate
• ½ cup heavy cream

Directions

1. Grind the chocolate in a food processor. Place the cream in a small glass bowl and heat in the microwave for 30 seconds on high. Stir and heat for 30 seconds more. The cream should be very hot. Alternatively, heat the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until hot, about 3 minutes. Add the chocolate and stir until melted and the mixture is well blended. Refrigerate, stirring every 15 minutes, until cool and the consistency of frosting is reached, about 60 minutes. If the ganache becomes too solid to spread, microwave it for 5 seconds and stir, or
   beat it in a bowl over hot water for about 30 seconds.

Lemon Curd

Ingredients

• ½ cup sugar
• Grated zest of 3 lemons
• 6 egg yolks
• ½ cup lemon juice
• 8 oz almond paste
• 2 teaspoons potato starch
• 8 oz almond paste
• 8T margarine, cut into ½-inch dice

Directions

1. In a mini food processor combine the sugar and lemon zest and pulse until combined. Fill a small saucepan 2/3 full of water and bring to a simmer over medium heat. In a nonreactive bowl, combine the yolks, sugar and zest mixture, lemon juice and starch, place over but not touching the water, and whisk until it thickens to the consistency of a loose pudding, about 4 minutes. Remove the mixture from the heat and add the margarine, stirring to blend. Strain the mixture into a small bowl, cover with plastic wrap so it touches the top of the curd, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight.

 — Bonus Recipes —

Onion-stuffed knaidlach

Ingredients

• 3 large eggs
• 5 tablespoons chicken stock or seltzer
• 5 tablespoons chicken fat or canola oil
• 3/4 teaspoon salt, plus additional
• 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley
• 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro (optional)
• 3/4 cup matzo meal
• 1 large onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice

Directions

1. In a small bowl, combine eggs, stock, 3 tablespoons of the fat, salt, pepper, parsley and cilantro, if using. Add matzo meal and blend. Cover and refrigerate at least 3 hours or overnight.
2. In a medium skillet, warm remaining fat over medium-high heat. Add onions and a pinch of salt and saute, stirring, until translucent and beginning to brown, about 12 minutes. Drain onions on a paper towel and set aside.
3. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Reduce heat so the water boils slowly. (Rapid boiling can make the knaidlach break when cooking.) Using wet hands, form 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons each of the matzo meal mixture into a disk held in one palm. Place 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons onion in the middle of the disc, pinch to enclose, and roll between both hands until a ball is formed. Drop into the water. Repeat with remaining mixture and onions.
4. When the knaidlach float to the surface of the water, reduce heat, cover, and simmer until tender, 45 to 60 minutes. Remove the knaidlach with a slotted spoon, transfer to soup, and serve.

Photo from Kosher Revolution, page 75, by Antonis Achilleous

Miso-glazed black cod

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup mirin
• 1/2 cup sake or dry white wine
• 1 1/4 cups white miso
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 6 black cod fillets (6 to 8 ounces each), skin removed

Directions

1. In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine mirin and sake and bring to a boil. Boil for 1 minute (to cook off the alcohol), reduce heat to medium, add miso, and stir until dissolved. Add sugar, increase heat, and stir until sugar is dissolved, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.
2. Dry fillets with paper towels and put them in a gallon-size sealable plastic bag. Add miso glaze, seal and refrigerate for 24 to 48 hours.
3. Bring the fillets to room temperature. Preheat broiler or place a grill pan or heavy skillet over high heat. Wipe excess glaze from the fillets and broil or grill, turning once, until brown and glazed, about 8 minutes. Transfer to plates and serve.

Enjoy, gentle reader, enjoy!

CS

Geila Hocherman & Costas Mouzouras – Passover Food and Wine Pairing – Recipes – Part 1

Geila Hocherman, the author of Kosher Revolution, and Costas Mouzouras, the walking wine encyclopedia at Gotham Wines & Liquors, got together to discuss food and wine pairings. Here we post two out of the three part video of their discussion and we bring six of Geila’s recipes, all from her book, except for one:

Cinnamon chicken tajine with prunes and apricots

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup sliced almonds
• 2 chickens, about 3 1/2 pounds each, each cut into 8 pieces, or 16 breasts, thighs and legs, any
  combination, rinsed and dried well
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1/4 cup grapeseed or canola oil
• 2 large onions (about 2 pounds), cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 1/2 teaspoon saffron threads, ground, powdered or crushed
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 2 cinnamon sticks, each about 3 inches long
• 2 cups pitted prunes
• 1 cup dried apricots
• 1/4 cup honey

Directions

1. Heat a large skillet, paella pan or large roasting pan, set over two burners, over medium-high heat. Add almonds and toast, stirring, until lightly colored, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.
2. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat half of the oil in the pan over medium heat. Working in batches, add chicken and saute until brown, turning once, about 12 minutes per batch. Transfer to a platter and set aside. If the oil or browned bits in the pan have burned, wipe out the pan.
3. Add remaining oil to the pan. Add onions and saute, stirring, until translucent, about 10 minutes. Return chicken to the pan. Add saffron to stock, and pour over chicken. Add cinnamon, bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes. Transfer the white meat to the platter. Add prunes and apricots to the pan and simmer until the rest of the chicken is done, about 15 minutes.
   Transfer the chicken to the platter and discard the cinnamon sticks. Add honey to the pan and cook over medium-high heat until liquid is syrupy and coats a spoon, 15 to 20 minutes. Return chicken to the pan, baste with sauce, cover and warm. Transfer all to a warmed platter, sprinkle with almonds, and serve.

Mina

Ingredients

• 2 lbs. onions sliced thin
• ¼ cup grape seed/vegetable oil,
• 2 lbs. Swiss chard
• ¼ cup pine nuts
• 2 T balsamic vinegar
• 2 T sugar
• 2 lbs mushrooms sliced thin- I prefer combination of shitake and cremini or Portobello
• 2 sprigs of thyme
• ¼ cup white wine
• 2-10 0z package frozen artichoke hearts, defrosted and thinly sliced
• 6 cloves garlic minced
• Juice of 2 lemons plus zest of one
• ¼ cup finely diced sundried tomatoes or roasted red pepper
• ¼-1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup stock- chicken or vegetable
• 8 sheets Matzo

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375. Grease a 9×13-baking dish and line with parchment.
2. In a large skillet heat ½ of the oil and sprinkle the onions with salt. Sauté until they are translucent. Add ½ of the garlic and pine nuts and toast for 2 minutes. Add the chard and cook down until almost dry. Add the balsamic and the sugar and cook for 2 more minutes. Place mixture in a strainer and let drain.
3.  Heat 2 more tablespoons of oil, sprinkle with salt and sauté mushrooms with 3 cloves of garlic until they have released all of their water. Add the wine and cook down until all of the moisture has been absorbed. Set aside.

Pignoli Cookies

Ingredients

• 8 oz almond paste
• ¼ cup confectioners’ sugar
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 large egg white
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup pine nuts

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325○F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
2. In a food processor, combine the almond paste and sugars and process until the mixture reaches the consistency of sand. Transfer to the bowl of a standing mixture fitted with the paddle attachment, or a medium bowl, and add the egg white, vanilla and almond extracts. Beat on medium speed or by hand for 4 minutes.
3. Place the pine nuts in a small bowl. Next to it place a small bowl of water for wetting your hands. Wet your hands and form 1 ½- to 2-inch balls with the paste mixture, making 5 at a time. Drop them into the bowl of nuts and press down gently so the nuts adhere to the bottom of the dough. Transfer to a cookie sheet nut side up. Repeat, filling each prepared cookie sheet with about 15 balls. Bake until puffed and beginning to color, 15 to 18 minutes. Remove from the oven, and cool on the parchment paper on a countertop. When completely cool, peel the cookies off the paper and serve.

This post is getting a bit long, we have no choice but to break it up into two parts…

Meanwhile enjoy, gentle reader, enjoy!

CS

Chef Geila Hocherman’s Hamentashen With Four Fillings

As featured in her brand new cookbook, Kosher Revolution, Geila Hocherman teaches us how to make hamentashen in print and on video:

Hamentashen with Four Fillings

Crust

• 2 1/2 cups flour, plus more for flouring work surface
• 1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon orange juice (optional)

Poppy filling

• One 2-ounce jar poppy seeds
• One 12-ounce jar black currant jam
• 1/2 cup raisins, soaked in boiling water until soft, drained
• 1/4 cup breadcrumbs

Raspberry filling

• One 12-ounce jar raspberry jam
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/2 cup breadcrumbs

Apricot Filling

• One 12-ounce jar apricot jam
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries, soaked in boiling water until soft, drained.
• 1/2 cup breadcrumbs

Coconut -Chocolate- Hazelnut Filling

• One 13-ounce jar Nutella, or other
• chocolate-hazelnut spread

Photo by: Antonis Achilleous - Kosher Revolution, page 181

1. First make the crust. Sift the flour and baking powder onto parchment paper. In a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the oil, sugar and vanilla, and blend at medium speed. One at a time, add the eggs, incorporating the first before the adding the second, and blend. Add the orange juice, if using and blend. Reduce the speed and add the flour mixture, gradually to make a dough.
2. Divide the dough into 2 parts and flatten each to make a disk. Wrap each disc in plastic wrap, stack the discs on a plate, and refrigerate until the stiff enough to work easily, at least 2 hours.
3. Meanwhile make the filling(s). For the poppy, raspberry-and/or apricot fillings, combine the ingredients in small bowls, stir to blend, and refrigerate for 1 hour. For the chocolate combine the ingredients in a small bowl. Transfer half the filling to the centerof an 18 inch piece of plastic wrap, fold the wrap over the filling to enclose it, and squeeze the mixture to create a log 1-inch in diameter. Repeat with the remaining filling and freeze the logs.
4. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Flour a work surface well and roll 1 of the discs out on it. Using a 3-inch glass or round cookie cutter, cut out rounds. Pipe about 1 tablespoon of the poppy seed, raspberry and/or apricot filling(s) in the center of each round, wet the edges with water and bring up the dough together to seal. Alternatively, drop the filling onto the dough by heaping tablespoons. For the chocolate filling, cut the frozen logs onto 1/2 inch discs. Fill the rounds by placing a disc in the center of each form and seal.
5. Transfer the hamentashen to 1 or more cookie sheets and bake, in batches if necessary, until pale gold 12 or 14 minutes. Transfer to a rack and cool.

Enjoy, gentle reader, enjoy!

CS

Michel Cluizel – Chocolatier Extraordinaire

Patrick Skene Catling wrote in his book The Chocolate Touch: “Other things are just food. But chocolate’s chocolate.”  However, as all true chocolate lovers know, not all chocolates are created equal. There are chocolates and then there are CHOCOLATES!

A partial view of the 5th Avenue store...

Nestled in the midst of the sparkling glittering bejeweled jungle known as the diamond district; sits a truly priceless holding. Enter the rich, luxurious, intimately French walnut interior of Michel Cluizel chocolatier extraordinaire (584 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY. Adorning the shop are vitrines of some of the very finest chocolate made in the world. From cocoa bean beginning to the end of process, Michel Cluizel produces an array of kosher pareve chocolates with 85% and 99% cocoa content.

Jacques Dahan, who directs the company's American operation

Through the unrelenting efforts of Jacques Dahan, the manager of the company’s American operation, Michel Cluizel  now produces a line of French pastries prepared fresh daily by an award winning French pastry chef.

Opera, Ganache, Napoleon...

We sampled the Napoleon, the chocolate ganache, a coffee éclair, an opera, and the chocolate crisp (which was my personal favorite). They all did what chocolate is meant to do but rarely accomplishes these days, they were mouth- watering explosions of delight. I was there with Geila Hocherman, author of Kosher Revolution, and Lévana Kirschenbaum, author of The Whole Foods Kosher Kitchen and more. There is nothing as delightful as a group of girls sitting together and eating the most delicious chocolate and chatting about it. Meanwhile, CS was taping a conversation with Jacques Dahan, for his upcoming Wednesday BlogTalkRadio.com broadcast.

The above cappuccino was indescribably delicious, as were the macchiato and the espresso.

Please listen to The Kosher Scene’s two broadcasts this week:

• Monday, December 19th, 8:00pm, Eastern Time -The Center for Kosher Culinary Arts
• Wednesday, December 21st 8:00pm, Eastern Time – A conversation with with Jacques Dahan, from Michel Cluizel – Chocolatier.

On Monday evening you will hear a prerecorded conversation with the Dean of CKCA, Chef Avram Wiseman and Jesse Blonder, the school’s founder and director. On Wednesday evening, you’ll get to hear about our tasting at Michel Cluizel.

SYR

Pre-Chanukah Wine Tasting

This past Tuesday, Kosher Revolution author Geila Hocherman and I attended the Kosher Wine Society‘s Pre-Chanukah Wine Tasting Extravaganza. They featured eight Cabernet Sauvignon selections:

• Psagot Cabernet Sauvignon ’09
• Barkan Cabernet Sauvignon ’07
• Weinstock Cellars Select Cabernet Sauvignon ’09
• Teperberg Israeli Cabernet Sauvignon ’10
• Dalton Estate Cabernet Sauvignon ’10
• Hagafen Cabernet Sauvignon ’08
• Golan Cabernet Sauvignon ’09
• Gilgal Cabernet Sauvignon ’07

A tablefull of Cabernet Sauvignon types...

In addition, other selections included:

• Binyamina Reserve Sauvignon Blanc ’09
• Lanzur Reserva Pinot Noir ’10
• Chateau Bellerives Dubois Bordeaux ’10
• Le Mourre De L’Isle Cotes du Rhone ’10
• Teperberg Malbec ’09
• Gush Etzion Cabernet Franc ’07
• Gush Etzion Emek Bracha Dry Red Wine ’06
• Gush Etzion Nachal Hapirim, Dry Red Wine ’07
• Gush Etzion Cabernet Sauvignon – Merlot ’06

In addition there were also:

• L’ChaimVodka
• Binyamina Chocolate Liqueur

Crackers, cheese, grapes and more helped neutralize the taste buds before sampling a different wine.

We started with the Psagot Cabernet Sauvignon ’09, for both of us this one turned out to be best of the bunch, we loved it. Dark garnet in color with silky tannins, showing oak on the nose and opening to aromas and flavors of black and red currants and citrus-peel, followed by vanilla and a lingering smokiness. Though very good, I still prefer the ’08 vintage which I’ve tasted before.

We followed with the Teperberg Terra Malbec ’09, dark – in typical Malbec fashion – and full bodied. Soft tannins finely balanced with spicy wood and fruits. On the palate one discerned plums, black cherries and wild berries balanced with notes of cinnamon, ending with a long finish of espresso coffee. While we both liked it, Geila preferred the Psagot, I found this Teperberg better.

In totally opposition to the norm we then tasted a white wine, Binyamina Reserve Sauvignon Blanc ’09. Pale straw in color, it opens with notes of grapefruit and lime, giving way to stony minerals with hints of asparagus. Nicely aromatic.

We went back to red wine with a Dalton Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2010, dark colored and well balanced with notes of currants, berries and mint well complimented with the subtle vanilla flavors of French oak.

We also liked the Gush Etzion Cabernet Franc 2007. Dark garnet, medium bodied with lots of soft tannins and notes of vanilla from the French oak casks where it aged for 18 months. On the palate it showed a rich array of blackberries, currant, black cherries giving way to Mediterranean herbs and saddle leather.

We capped the evening’s selection of potables with a L’Chaim Vodka. Very smooth and tasty!

Rabbi Mikhael Cohen, from the FJCCNY

Rabbi Mikhael Cohen of the French Jewish Cultural Center of New York (67 Wall Street; Phone: 212.202.1448 – Cell: 917.796.0680), spoke of Chanuka and its significance today.

Providing the musical entertainment...

During the tasting we are accompanied by the musical sounds of Yiddish and Israeli classics. All and all an enjoyable evening of good wines and great conversation.

CS

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Last Eve’s Wine Tasting, this Evening’s Show

Pecan Pie – Part 2 – Maple Pecan Pie

Last Sunday we posted a recipe for Pecan Pie, here’s a delicious variation on the theme from Geila Hocherman‘s Kosher Revolution (page 170):

SYR's pie from the recipe, photographed by Irving Schild for The Kosher Scene

Every so often I get a pecan pie urge, for me, means I need to make one. On one such occasion I discovered I didn’t have the corn syrup, the traditional sweetener. The serendipitous replacement was maple syrup, which adds its own great flavor as well as sweetness. I also found a store-bought frozen pie shell – my standard go-to when making this, especially when its part of a big-deal holiday menu. Feel free, of course, to make your own crust, but a bought shell works beautifully here and saves toons of time. Using chopped and whole pecans adds textual interest.

Convert It

To make this dairy, use unsalted butter in place of Margarine

Ingredients

• One 9-inch frozen pie crust
• 1 1/2 cups pecan, 1 cup coarsely chopped, the remaining whole
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 cup pure maple syrup
• 3/4 cup packed light sugar
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 3 tablespoons margarine, melted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F
2. Cover a cookie sheet with foil and place the pie crust in it. Spread the chopped nuts over the crust and arrange the whole nuts on top. Set Aside.
3. In a medium bowl combine the flour, syrup, sugars, eggs, margarine and vanilla. Stir to blend and pour over the nuts. Bake until the filling is set and slightly puffed, about 60 minutes. Transfer to to a rack to cool before serving.

Easy to make and superb tasting… who can ask for anything more? Enjoy, gentle reader, enjoy!

CS

Last Eve’s Wine Tasting, this Evening’s Show

Last evening there was a superb wine tasting at the West Side Synagogue’s Zanger Hall (347 West 34th Street) in Manhattan. The Kosher Wine Society presented New Wines for the New Year. I’ve been to many a wine tasting in my lifetime, but this one was truly different; unlike most kosher tastings, it included a cookbook author, food products, painters and a musical trio.

June Hersh, author of Recipes Remembered – featuring recipes and incredible stories from 80 Holocaust survivors – and the brand new Kosher Carnivore was our first interviewee of the evening. You must hear the eloquent words with which describe her passion for Jews and her love of food.

Bass, violin and tsimbl

From nostalgic old shtetl tunes to Hungarian czardasz we were regaled with klezmer sound that meshed Jewish nigunnim with Gipsy soul!

Aleks Veyg's Natural Flavored Honey

I tasted Veyg’s Natural Wild Flower, Lemon Zest and Peanut Butter honey flavors. All three were great, but, the Lemon Zest was my personal favorite!

A small sampling of Arianna Santoriello's paintings...

Arianna Santoriello, whom we interviewed, is a young mixed media artist who markedly shows the growing fires of inspiration

Rabbi Mikhael Cohen of the French Jewish Cultural Center of New York (67 Wall Street; Phone: 212.202.1448 – Cell: 917.796.0680), was instrumental in bringing the artists and musician to the tasting, thereby, greatly enhancing this event.

Aron Ritter and his father

Aron Ritter, President and Founder of the Kosher Wine Society, and his staff made it a superb evening so different, so delicious. SYR and I met old friends and made new ones, so many wines, so many fascinating people, so little time… truly a tasting to remember!

This evening at 7:30pm (Eastern Time) on our internet radio show, we will feature some of the pre-taped interviews. Meanwhile, if you missed our two broadcasts last week, you can listen to our delightful talk with David Mintz – CEO of Tofutti Brands, Inc. and our conversation with Geila Hocherman, the French trained Chef/author of Kosher Revolution, a beautifully executed cookbook which we’ll review on these very pages.

CS

A Conversation with Geila Hocherman

Last evening on the The Kosher Scene at 8:00pm (Eastern Time), I had the privilege of talking to cookbook author and Cordon Bleu trained Chef Geila Hocherman. Her book, Kosher Revolution is coming out on the 23rd of this month, but can already be pre-ordered on Amazon.com. Having examined an advance copy I can testify that not only is the photography a delight for the eyes, but the quality of the recipes will make even the most casual observer’s mouth water.

Having met Ms Hocherman on previous occasions, having heard her talk about food and life and general, her passion for those subjects is obvious. If you look at her picture on the right, taken from her book,  her joie de vivre, her love for her work is all too apparent. In real life she comes across just as lively and vivacious as in the photo, with an infectious joy and dedication to everything she does.

Next week we will post our review of her book including one of her recipes with a beautiful accompanying photo. Meanwhile, you can listen to our archived interview from last eve with Chef Geila here and our Wednesday interview with David Mintz, here.

CS