This Week’s Events

Lévana Kirschenbaum’s Dinner and a Show

Monday, March 28th
MOROCCAN STREET FOODS
This is as plebeian as our glorious Moroccan food gets, and even then it’s a complete feast, as always! Gluten-free to boot!

• Chick pea soup
• Chakshuka on white beans
• Schwarma
• Carrot Swiss chard salad
• Toasted vermicelli with olive oil, almonds and honey

The Cooking Demo runs from 7:00 to 9:00 followed by dinner, classes cost $45.00 for one session, $120.00 for 3 sessions or $200.00 for 5 sessions and a signed cookbook. Make your reservations at: http://www.levanacooks.com/kosher-cooking-classes/weekly-classes/

Location: Levana’s home – 210 West 101st Street. #9L (Between Amsterdam Avenue and Broadway)

Chef David Kolotkin at De Gustibus

Tuesday, March 29, 2011 | 1 – 3:30 PM
Join The Prime Grill’s David Kolotkin as this charming chef guides us through kosher cooking. The Prime Grill, which serves New American cuisine with accents from Asia, the Mediterranean and beyond, is one of the most sophisticated kosher restaurants in the City. With David’s guidance, you will create an interesting and dynamic feast of contemporary kosher fare.

Location
Venue: De Gustibus Cooking School
Homepage:  http://www.degustibusnyc.com
Street: 151 West 34th Street, 8th Floor
ZIP: 10001
City: New York

The cooking school is located on the 8th floor of Macy’s Herald Square on the 7th Avenue side of the building. You can enter the store at 151 West 34th Street and take the passenger elevators to the 8th floor, De Gustibus is located between the coat/bathing suit department and Human Resources in the employee section of the store.

Call 212-239-1652 or e-mail them at info@degustibusnyc.com for more information.

Both are great culinary experiences. We hope to see you at both events, gentle reader.

CS

Latkes, Latkes, Latkes

Tonight is the first night of Chanukka and our attention to latkes. Few dishes can be so delicious, so comforting as properly made latkes, and yet they do not require long preparation. Many cooks are rather uncomfortable with the idea of deep frying foods. But… what is Chanukka without latkes?!? Besides, even the most health conscious will agree, deep fried food when done right tastes superb! Occasional deep frying will certainly not disrupt any health-based food regimen.

Chef Lévana Kirschenbaum, gives us her pointers for a healthier deep frying and, of course, her superb Latkas recipe with a few variations:

Delectable!!!!

Frying (stir-frying does not fall into this category, as it requires very little oil and minimal cooking) is the nemesis of every health-conscious cook, this one included. However, fried foods are irresistibly delicious. I am happy to provide a few guidelines for frying occasional treats efficiently and safely: consider the following a mini crash course on conquering the fear of frying!
– Keep it dry. Too much moisture will steam food instead of frying it, yielding soggy results. Be sure to dry whatever you are frying thoroughly with paper towels.
– Keep it thick. With a firm (not runny) batter, you will be able to form thicker patties, which will absorb much less oil than thinner ones. The ouside will be crisp and the center will be tender yet cooked through.
– Keep it hot. Less-than-hot oil will seep into your food, making it inedibly greasy. If you are adding oil to your pan while frying, chances are your oil was not hot enough to begin with. When your oil is good and hot, you will need to add very little if any to finish frying an entire batch of food. How hot is hot enough? Drop a smidgen of batter into the oil. If it sizzles and rises to the surface, the oil is hot and ready for frying.
– Keep it steady. Do not crowd the pan. First of all, you will make handling the food more difficult. Also, crowding will bring down the temperature of the oil. Adding what you are frying at steady intervals ensures that the oil has time to return to the desired temperature.
– Keep it lean. I have my mother to thank for this advice. Rather than using spatulas or slotted spoons, work with two forks when frying. Lift each fried item with a fork on each side, and hold it vertically for a second or two over the frying pan: You will be surprised by how much oil drips off it. Immediately place the items on a plate lined with several layers of paper towels, which will absorb any remaining unwanted grease.
– Keep it white. This applies only to potato dishes. Peeled potatoes will oxidate when exposed to air and turn an unappealing gray color. So when making latkes (or a potato kugel), get everything ready and peel and grate the potatoes last, adding them immediately to the otherwise finished batter.
– Keep it fresh and hot. A word about freezing and reheating. If you are entertaining a large group, it won’t be enormous fun spending the afternoon frying while everyone is having a good time. If you must fry in advance, follow all the above guidelines, but fry each item until it is ninety percent cooked through, no more. Store it in a shallow pan in one layer. You can also place the latkas in the pan vertically, like a deck of cards; you will be able to fit quite a few in a pan in this position (again, one layer). Cover tightly. Refrigerate or freeze, depending on how long in advance you are preparing the dish. Reheat uncovered, at about 350*F, for fifteen to twenty minutes if it was frozen, until golden and crisp.

Ingredients:

Makes 24 latkas.

vegetable oil for frying
1 cup flour
4 eggs
1 medium onion, grated in a food processor
salt and pepper to taste
pinch nutmeg
8 large Idaho or russet potatoes, peeled

Instructions:

Heat 1/3 inch oil in a heavy frying pan until very hot. While the oil is heating, place the flour, eggs, onion, salt and pepper, and nutmeg in a bowl, and mix thoroughly. Quickly grate the potatoes in a food processor or by hand, and immediately stir them into the batter, making sure not to squeeze so as not to extract unwanted extra moisture. Work very quickly so they do not have time to get discolored. Form small patties, and lower them into the hot oil, or drop the batter by heaping tablespoons. Fry until golden, about 3 minutes on each side. Remove and drain on paper towels. Serve with applesauce, or plain yogurt.

Variations:

Vegetable latkes: Replace the potatoes with a mixture of zucchini, carrots and parsnips. Add seasonings of your choice such as oregano, minced fresh garlic and basil.
Sweet potato latkes: Substitute sweet potatoes for the regular potatoes, and add brown sugar, cinnamon and ginger to taste.
Potato Kugel: That’s right: What else is it but a giant latka? Add 1/3 cup of vegetable oil to the potato latka batter. Pour the batter into a greased loaf or square pan, and bake uncovered in a preheated 375*F oven for one hour or until the top is golden brown.

Enjoy, gentle reader, enjoy! We certainly will!!

CS

Kosher Cooking Demos at De Gustibus

L’CHAIM SERIES

Event title: DAVID KOLOTKIN – The Prime Restaurant Group

Tuesday, October 12, 2010 | 1 – 3:30 PM $95 per class

All food will be strictly kosher

DAVID KOLOTKIN, executive chef of The Prime Grill, imparts his cooking ideas to present a vibrant and informative take on tantalizing New American cuisine for the kosher home chef.

–)oOo(–

Event title: JOAN NATHAN – Cookbook Author

Thursday, November 11, 2010 | 1 – 3:30 PM $95 per class

All food will be strictly kosher

JOAN NATHAN, doyenne of Jewish American cooking, is the recipient of multiple James Beard Awards, a TV personality, and the author of 10 cookbooks, including Quiches, Kugels and Couscous: My Search for Jewish Cooking in France. Joan brings simple yet refined European flavors to the table, seasoned with a hint of the Mediterranean that is always in sync with the needs of the kosher gourmande.

–)oOo(–

Event title: SETH WARSHAW & SHLOMO BLASHKA – etc steakhouse

Monday, November 29, 2010 | 5:30 – 8:00 PM $95 per class

All food will be strictly kosher

SETH WARSHAW, executive chef of etc steakhouse in Teaneck, New Jersey, demonstrates an elegant kosher menu focused on the highest quality meats and satisfying seasonal ingredients.  SHLOMO BLASHKA, of Royal Wine Corporation, will pair the delectable dishes with an array of world-class kosher wines that are sure to please the most discerning palate.

–)oOo(–

Location

Venue : De Gustibus Cooking School
Homepage: http://www.degustibusnyc.com
Street: 151 West 34th Street, 8th Floor
ZIP: 10001
City: New York

Location description:

The cooking school is located on the 8th floor of Macy’s Herald Square on the 7th Avenue side of the building. You can enter the store at 151 West 34th Street and take the passenger elevators to the 8th floor and we are located between the coat / bathing suit department and human resources in the employee section of the store.

Please Click below to Register for this event:
REGISTER HERE

Chef Laura Frankel’s Cooking Demo at DeGustibus Tomorrow

Kicking off De Gustibus‘ Inspired Kosher Cooking Series, Chef Laura Frankel will do a demo tomorrow.

The official announcement says:

Tuesday, March 16, 2010 | 1 – 3:30 PM
LAURA FRANKEL, executive chef for Wolfgang Puck Kosher Catering in Chicago, formerly of Shallots, and author of two cookbooks, most recently Jewish Cooking for All Seasons, returns to demonstrate healthy and delicious kosher fare inspired by greenmarkets.

De Gustibus is located on the 8th floor of Macy’s (151 West 34th Street, 8th Floor; NY NY 10001; Telephone: 212.239.1652; Fax: 212.494.4741), in Manhattan. Having attended a class there myself, recently, I can attest to the high quality of teaching and the delectable food everyone is served.

According to The Jew And The Carrot website, Chef Laura is currently Executive Chef and head of food services at the Wolfgang Puck Kosher Catering and café at the Spertus Institute for Jewish studies in Chicago. She is the former chef and founder of the Shallots restaurants. Mrs. Frankel has training and extensive experience in both savory and pastry kitchens. Before committing herself to her culinary passion, she played both alto and baritone saxophones. She taught and played professionally. She is the author of Jewish Cooking For All Seasons and Jewish Slow Cooker Recipes. After class you will be able to buy cookbooks at 10% off.

I’ve eaten many times at Shallots when it used to be located in Manhattan at the atrium of the SONY building’s where Solo is now situated. I definitely can vouch for her succulent creations!!!

Having communicated recently with Chef Laura I can attest to her charm and wit. I have no doubt this will be an exciting class with superb food. Who can ask for anything more?

CS

Purim Recipes

Although today is a Ta’anit Esther – The Fast of Esther and observant Jews around the world are fasting, we also prepare for Sunday’s Purim feast. While looking for inspiration around the web, I came across the following (superb!) holy day recipes on famed Chef Laura Frankel‘s  blog:

I like hamantashen and certainly have eaten my fill of the tender cakey treats. Don’t get me wrong. They are delicious and fun to make. But, they are safe and not at all sexy. So, this year-I want some excitement on Purim. I think I am just tired of winter, the economy and bad news. Time for FUN! Get out your martini shakers, groggers and whatever else you need to put on a splashy and delicious Purim Feast. For dessert-I recommend you pull out those nice hamantashen or do like the Persians and serve dried fruit, nuts and fresh citrus.

All of the recipes can be prepped ahead of time, leaving you lots of time to get your Esther or Mordechai on. Have a Freylich Purim!

Blood Orange Martini

It is scary how tasty these martinis are-like you could easily get into trouble with a pitcher of these scary! Oh well, Haman-Mordechai…whatever! just have fun

1 ½ ounces vodka
2 ounces blood orange juice
½ ounce simple syrup
Squeeze of fresh lime juice
1. Shake together and serve. Garnish with blood oranges slices and pomegranate seeds

Persian Meatballs (Kufteh)

This is a great dish for the end of winter. Serve this for Purim as a first course or as part of a Purim feast! Traditionally, the meatballs would not be browned before being poached. As a chef, I think the caramelized crust on the meatballs is essential and gives a great texture and more pronounced flavor. You can opt to do it either way.

2 cups cooked basmati rice
1 cup cooked yellow split peas
1 pound ground chicken, turkey or beef
½ cup finely chopped fresh dill
½ cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
1 cup chopped scallions
2 cloves garlic-chopped
2 large red onions-peeled and chopped
2 eggs-lightly beaten
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin seed
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cardamom

1. Place all the ingredients in a large bowl. Using your hands, mix the ingredients together until well combined. Do not over mix as the mixture will be too tight and tough. Salt and pepper the mixture (I like to take a small amount and fry it to taste if the seasoning is correct).
2. Lightly, shape the meat balls with your hands.(I find that wetting my hands with cold water and using a rolling motion keeps them from getting too packed and tight.) You can store the meatballs at this point covered in the refrigerator for 2 days or freeze them for 1 month.
3. Place a large sauté pan over medium heat. Lightly coat the pan with olive oil. Brown the meatballs in batches. Remove form the pan and drain on paper towels.

For the poaching liquid

1 16-oz can of canned tomatoes with their juices
2 cups of chicken stock
1 teaspoon saffron threads
Juice and zest of 1 orange
Juice and zest 1 lemon
Salt and pepper

Bring the poaching liquid ingredients to simmer in a large saucepan. Place the meatballs in the pan. Gently poach them until cooked through. Do not stir the pan as the meatballs will break apart.

Basmati Rice
This is a show stopper for any buffet or dinner. The crispy crust on the rice tastes a little bit like popcorn. It is easy to make ahead and can be reheated in the pan in a low oven.

2 quarts water
2 tablespoons salt
1 1/2 cups Basmati rice
3 tablespoons olive oil

1. In a large saucepan bring water with salt to a boil. Add rice and boil 10 minutes. In a colander drain rice and rinse under warm water.
2. Place a 3 quart sauce pan over medium heat. Coat the bottom with olive oil. Spoon rice into the pan, cover pan with a kitchen towel and a heavy lid. Fold edges of towel up over lid and cook rice over moderately low heat until a golden brown crust forms, about 30 to 35 minutes. Invert the pan onto a serving platter. Garnish with pomegranate seeds and blood orange sections.

According to The Jew And The Carrot website, Chef Laura is currently Executive Chef and head of food services at the Wolfgang Puck Kosher Catering and café at the Spertus Institute for Jewish studies in Chicago. She is the former chef and founder of the Shallots restaurants. Mrs. Frankel has training and extensive experience in both savory and pastry kitchens. Before committing herself to her culinary passion, she played both alto and baritone saxophones. She taught and played professionally. She is the author of Jewish Cooking For All Seasons and Jewish Slow Cooker Recipes.

Chef Laura will be giving a Kosher Food Demo at De Gustibus (on the 8th floor of Macy’s) on the upcoming 16th of March.

I’ve eaten many times at Shallots when it used to be located in Manhattan at the atrium of the SONY building’s where Solo is now situated. I definitely can vouch for her succulent creations!!!

CS

Kosher Cooking Demos

De Gustibus is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year and the Spring 2010 season has some stellar Kosher classes to offer. Chef Laura Frankel will delight us with her healthy and delicious Kosher cooking & Chef Jeff Nathan is back to share his contemporary, and always yummy Kosher fare. Having attended a class there myself, recently, I can attest to the high quality of teaching and the delectable food. And back by popular demand- we are also offering a Knife Skills class with Jeffrey Elliot, where only Kosher food will be served. Whether you are new to cooking, or if you are an experienced cook looking to hone your knife skills or learn some new tricks, we highly recommend your taking this class! As usual, these classes are filling up quickly, so please call or visit the De Gustibus website to make your reservations soon (De Gustibus Cooking School; 151 West 34th Street, 8th Floor; NY NY 10001; Telephone: 212.239.1652; Fax: 212.494.4741)

INSPIRED KOSHER COOKING

Chef Demonstration Classes
Series of 2 $180 or $95 per class if available

Tuesday, March 16, 2010 | 1 – 3:30 PM
LAURA FRANKEL, executive chef for Wolfgang Puck Kosher Catering in Chicago, formerly of Shallots, and author of two cookbooks, most recently Jewish Cooking for All Seasons, returns to demonstrate healthy and delicious kosher fare inspired by greenmarkets.

Tuesday, June 1, 2010 | 1 – 3:30 PM
JEFF NATHAN, executive chef of Abigael’s on Broadway, author of Jeff Nathan’s Family Suppers, and chef-host of public television’s New Jewish Cuisine, brings globally influenced, contemporary kosher fare that is always sophisticated and beautifully presented.

Hands-On Knife Skills
Single class $140, limited enrollment

Tuesday, April 27, 2010 | 1 – 4 PM
JEFFREY ELLIOT is the National Manager of Culinary Relations for Zwilling J.A. Henckels.Jeffrey returns to teach the essential techniques of knife skills necessary for the home cook. Kosher food will be served and knives will be provided by Zwilling J.A. Henckels.

We’d be grateful if you mentioned where you saw it!

CS

Unusually Creative and Delicious

Seth Warshaw, is the owner and executive chef of etc steakhouse (1409 Palisade Avenue; Teaneck, NJ 07666; Telephone: 201.357.5677). The De Gustibus School at Macy’s featured him as one of the top chefs in their The Fine Art of Kosher Cooking series.

Last week, Wednesday, I found my way to his establishment. It was a very pleasant, delicious experience and more than amply confirmed Salvatore Rizzo‘s (De Gustibus‘ owner) high assessment of Chef Seth.

The walls are painted red, otherwise the decor is rather spartan. The dishes I tasted showed tremendous creativity, a rare understanding of the riches of flavor and very nice presentation.

I started with their Pomegranate Rolled Rib Eye..

Pomegranate Rolled Rib Eye

It came accompanied with a pomegranate and Satsuma clementine salad in a grapefruit reduction. The aged rib eye was very tender and juicy. The flavors were a superb blend of meat and subtle fruit juices. Succulent!

I followed with Sweetbreads with Glazed Rutabaga.

Sweetbreads with Glazed Rutabaga

It consisted of superbly prepared sweetbreads with a delicate lima bean puree and glazed rutabaga with a balsamic reduction. I then moved on to the Pomegranate Hangar Steak.

Pomegranate Hangar Steak

Because of the rules of kashrus (where meats must be salted for an hour – to extract the blood – after soaking in water for 30 minutes), in spite of all the rinsing, the meat ultimately absorbs some salt. As a result hangar steaks are very salty. Chef Seth, however, has found a unique way of enhancing the steak’s flavor without one noticing the salt. The result is a very juicy, tender, steak; yet another tribute to the Chef’s creativity and knowledge of the blending of flavors. The steak came with a sweet potato mash, haricot verts, caramelized onion rings in a pomegranate reduction.

I topped off the meal with a House Made Zeppole Trio with vanilla ice cream. Each zeppole was covered with a different sprinkling. One had a combination of fine cinnamon and confectioner’s sugar, another a sprinkling of coconut and the third had cocoa powder. Fried Italian pastries, they were sweet and indescribably delicious. What a great way to crown a superb meal!

CS

An Afternoon in School

During my school years, I often found myself mentally wandering as I wondered when class would end so I could get on with my more bona-fide major; the pedantic studies of life. Today, an eager student in a class of 40 plus,  like most, I sat there salivating for more, wishing  class would never end! This was the third and last demonstration in the series The Fine Art of Kosher Cooking at De Gustibus School of Good Taste, located on the 8th floor of  the world famous NYC Macy’s, on Broadway and 34th.

Chef David Kolotkin

David Kolotkin, Executive Chef for Prime Grill and Corporate Chef for both Solo and Prime Grill, taught the class today. His warmth, energy and passion for his art dazzled us all.. Chef Kolotkin’s personable charismatic banter and marvelous talents, captivated our interests, as he explained the intricacies of the various dishes he prepared.

We sampled four enchanting culinary creations (brought, cooked and supervised by a mashgiach, directly from Prime Grill). One could clearly hear “oooooh,” “woww,” “heavenly.” and other such cries of delight  throughout the demonstration. The dishes consisted of: Smoked Salmon Mousse Filled “Latkas” (I’m not a fish eater, but I found the taste unbelievably delicious!), Chicken Liver Eclaire, Mustard Crusted Rack of Lamb with Celery Puree, Caramelized Onion and Fried Rosemary, for dessert the Chef prepared Baked Apple and Ginger Brown Betty. In short, a feast of ambrosia for the gods! Libation offerings were: Weinstock White by W and  Baron Herzog Syrah. Hardly anything on the menu sounded conventional, nor was it commonplace in taste. As Chef David told one of the attendees, “I’m not a conventional guy!” Conventional or not, it all worked superbly well, a true testimony to Chef Kolotkin’s’s imagination and understanding the subtle nuances of flavor of the various ingredients. Truly exotic and daring, but with such a refined tasting palette, the mix of flavors was sheer artistry.

I’ll share one recipe here; for the other three you’ll have to wait for our – almost ready to go live website – thesupremegourmet.com.

BAKED APPLE AND GINGER BROWN BETTY

Special Equipment
4 5ozs Souffle Ramekins

Struesel

3/4 cup All Purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 pinch salt
1/2 cup margarine

Method:

1. -In a bowl, combine the first 5 ingredients and mix. Well.
2. -Wash your hands, cut the margarine into the dry ingredients by sifting until the mixture resembles wet sand.

Baked Apple and Ginger

2 tbsp margarine
4 tbsp sugar, plus an additional 4 tbsp
4 Fiji apples, small diced
1 1/2 tbsp All Purpose flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp grated ginger

Method:

1. -Pre-heat an oven to 350 degrees. lightly grease the ramekin using the margarine.
2. -Pour the 1st 4 tbsp of sugar into a greased ramekin and move it over the margarine by tillting the ramekin.
3. -When the 1st ramekin has an even coat of of margarine and sugar, pour the remaining sugar into the 2nd ramekin. Do the same for the remaining 2 ramekins.
4. -In a bowl, combine the remaining 4 tbsp of sugar and the last 4 ingredients. Stir until combined.
5. -Evenly fill the 4 ramekins with this mixture.
6. -Spoon 2-3 tbspof the streusel on top of the apples.
7. -Bake for 30 minutes until the apples are cooked and the streusel has browned.
8. -This is ready to serve.

Salvatore Rizzo, owns and operates De Gustibus. Its curriculum boasts a vast array of cooking classes in almost every style of cuisine. Sal, with his insight and understanding of cooking, asked Chef David some very interesting questions as did a number of those attending the class. Sal’s smile is infectious and his skillful direction of the class amply enhanced it!

Salvatore Rizzo, posing in front of one of three walls filled with photos of some of the great chefs who lectured at De Gustibus

CS