The perfect, delicious, side dish for any main – whether on Passover or the rest of the year – it’s incredibly simple to make.
From Geila Hocherman‘s Kosher Revolution, page 145
Oven-Roasted Fingerling Potatoes
Serves 6
Photo by: Antonis Achilleous
Not every delicious dish needs to be complicated. This savory side of crisp, garlicky potatoes almost makes itself. It’s the perfect accompaniment to roast meats, chicken or fish – just about any main item.I like to season these with rosemary , but see other options in the ingredient listing.
3 pounds unskinned fingerling potatoes
6 garlic cloves, flattened with the side of a knife
2 teaspoons sea salt
1/2 cup extra-virgin oil
Four-3-inch fresh rosemary sprigs, 4 thyme sprigs, or 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
Preheat the oven to 375 F. In a medium roasting pan, combine the potatoes and garlic. Add the salt, oilve oil a nd rosemary, and toss
Roast the potatoes until golden , about 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes to 20 minutes to ensure browning. Serve.
Summer is fast approaching, so what could be better than this recipe adapted (by Kosher Revolution‘s author Geila Hocherman) from Dede Wilson‘s Unforgettable Desserts?
Poached Nectarines with Rosé Granité and Frozen Sabayon
Serves 6 to 8
INGREDIENTS
Poached Nectarines
1 1/2 cup slightly fruity rosé wine
1 1/2 cup of water
1/4 cup sugar
6 ripe nectarines
Granité
1 cup slightly fruity rose
1 cup poaching liquid
Sabayon
6 large egg yolks
1/3 cup slightly fruity rosé wine
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cupMIMICREAMHealthyTop
1 1/2 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
1/4 cup chilled warm water
Photo by Alexandra Grablewski – Page 264
DIRECTIONS
For the poached nectarines – Stir together the wine, water, and sugar in a narrow , deep saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves. Add the fruit; the liquid should cover the fruit. Simmer just until the fruit is tender when pierced with a knife tip, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the poached fruit from the liquid with a slotted spoon and set aside on a cutting board. Measure out 1 cup of the poaching liquid and set aside. Boil any remaining poaching liquid until it reduces and becomes thick and syrupy. Cool and then pour into an airtight container. Once the fruit is cool, chop into 1/2-inch dice, discarding the pits. Scrape the fruit into the container with the syrup. Refrigerate until chilled or for up to 3 days.
For the granité – Stir together the wine and the 1 cup reserved poaching liquid in a 8-inchmetal baking pan. Cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap. Freeze until solid or for up to 3 days.
For the sabayon – Whisk the egg yolks and wine together in the top of a double boiler (or deep bowl for a makeshift double boiler). Whisk in the sugar. Set over boiling water that just touches the bottom of the bowl and whisk constantly until very thick and almost tripled in volume. The mixture should form a ribbon when you lift the whisk; this will take 5 to 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and immediately set over a bowl of ice water. Whisk the mixture until it is completely cool. Whip the HeathyTop in a separate clean bowl until soft peaks form, add the unflavored gelatin (diluted in the water) and then fold into the egg mixture. Scrape into an airtight container and freeze until solid or for up to 3 days.
For the assembly – Have 6 to 8 clear wine goblets available. Right before serving, scoop a layer of fruit into the bottom of the glasses. Top with a scoop of sabayon. Use a fork to make course, icy flakes of granité and scoop them onto the sabayon. Repeat the layers, ending with the granité, and serve immediately.
– TIP –
The sabayon will freeze pretty solid. In theory, it is best after it has softened at room
temperature for about 5 minutes. The reason I don’t suggest taking it out ahead of time is
that because by the time you have all of the desserts assembled, it will have come to the
proper temperature and consistency.
Delicious snack, perfect at any time. Enjoy, gentle reader, enjoy!
[I apologize to our readers for posting so late, but I had a family emergency. Immediately after the KFWE 2013 I had to leave for Richmond, VA. to deal with my 100 year old (ad meah ve’esrim!), Holocaust survivor uncle – my mother’s baby brother – who both broke a hip and developed pneumonia all at the same time. While far from perfect, things are under control again and I can get back to work. CS]
KFWE 2013 took place on Monday, February 4th, last week. As always the wine selections were superb, the restaurants and caterers exhibiting were tops. Better and bigger than ever, with more people attending than ever. Today we are posting the first of a multi part series of video interviews with winemakers, chefs, restaurateurs and some of the people attending.
Next we spoke to Joe A. Hurliman from the Herzog Wine Cellars…
We segued with our friend, producer of award winning wines, Dr. Moises Cohen owner and founder of Spain’s acclaimed Elvi Wines.
After quite a few more interviews we went to the main floor to taste and see what the interviewees were talking about. My favorite was the Clos Mesorah 2009, it tasted even better than last year. On the nose I found it to be rich in blackberry, black cherry, blueberry and floral notes. On the palate it exhibits concentrated and layered fruit, silky tannins, along with plenty of spice, buttered herbs, and good cedar that fills the mouth and makes for a rich and unusual experience, with a long finish of chocolate, vanilla, berries, and butterscotch, with fruit and butterscotch lingering long after the wine is gone. Wooow, we loved it!
We will be telling you about the other wines we also enjoyed at KFWE 2013, so… just stay tuned. Meanwhile enjoy, gentle reader, enjoy!
[Two Tuesdays ago, I video taped Geila Hocherman making Fried Ice Cream. One of the perks of taping Chefs at work is that I get to taste their creations… Let me tell it was truly delicious, so I feel compelled to share and re-post the recipe from Geila’s Kosher Revolution. Whether it is Chanuka or any any other holiday, whether it is winter, summer, spring or autumn, you can enjoy this treat at any time; even if… you are not kid! CS]
Fried ice cream? Believe or not, there is such a thing! This is based on a Mexican treat and once you taste, you’ll just want more and more whether it’s Chanukah or any other time.
Frosted flakes
Your Choice of nuts
Your choice of ice cream flavor (formed into balls)
1 egg
sugar to taste
oil for frying
dunking chocolate sauce
Crush some frosted flakes and any nuts, of your choice, in a bag. Cover the ice cream balls with the crushed flakes and nuts. Refreeze.
Mix egg with sugar. Dunk in the ice cream balls, cover with the frosted flakes and nuts. Refreeze.
Heat oil to 375 F. Take the covered ice cream balls from freezer. Put a chopstick in each of them and dunk in oil for 15 seconds.
When ready, dip each ball into some chocolate sauce and… that’s all there is to them!
Tonight we lit the second Chanuka candle and what better way to celebrate than with our dear friend GeilaHocherman‘s (kosherrevolution.net) recipe for doughnuts?
1.Sprinkle the yeast over the warm water with the 2 tablespoons of sugar. Mix well until there are no lumps, and let stand for 5 minutes, or until foamy.
2.In a large bowl, mix together the yeast mixture, milk, sugar, salt, eggs, shortening, and 1 cup of the flour. Mix for a few minutes at low speed, or stirring with a wooden spoon. Beat in remaining flour 1/2 cup at a time, until the dough no longer sticks to the bowl. Knead for about 5 minutes, or until smooth and elastic. Place the dough into a greased bowl, and cover. Set in a warm place to rise until double. ,(You can also put in in the refrigerator for a slow overnight rise. Just bring the dough to room temperature before continuing.) Dough is ready if you touch it, and the indention remains. About 1 hour.
3.Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, and gently roll out to 1/2-inch thickness. Cut with a floured 3-inch cutter. * (See note) Let doughnuts sit out to rise again until double. Cover loosely with a cloth.
4.Heat oil in a deep fryer or large heavy skillet to 350 degrees F. Slide doughnuts into the hot oil using a wide spatula. Turn doughnuts over as they rise to the surface. Fry doughnuts on each side until golden brown. Remove from hot oil, to drain on a wire rack. Dip doughnuts into the glaze while still hot, and set onto wire racks to drain off excess. Keep a cookie sheet or tray under racks for easier clean up.
Optional glaze
2 cups
Confectioner’s sugar
1-tablespoon corn syrup
2-4 tablespoons of water
Place sugar. Corn syrup and vanilla in a bowl and mix well. Add water 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing well after each addition. Continue until you reach desired consistency. It should be liquid but not runny.
Submerge doughnut half way, turn over, and place on a cooling rack to set
NOTE: At this point the formed doughnuts can be refrigerated overnight, brought to room temperature the next day, and then rise before baking. You can also freeze them on a cookie sheet.
Geila
When we taped the video for this recipe at Geila’s kitchen I had the pleasure of tasting these doughnuts, I made them myself and served them this evening. I found them easy to make and utterly delicious!
While we will be adding more videos (properly edited) to these post, over the next 2 days, we can’t wait to tell you about last week’s two day event at the Meadowlands Exhibition Center, Kosherfest 2012.
With more exhibitors than ever it was hard to talk to everyone or taste everything, but both Geila Hocherman (kosherrevolution.net) – author of Kosher Revolution – and I, still managed to find some of the best products at the event.
We spoke to Scott Sunshine (video to follow), chef at OSEM, who spoke to us about the company’s new line of gluten-free products and their improved couscous; Ruti Schwarcz, The Wine Lioness from Happy Hearts Wine, who had us taste us to three superb new wines they are introducing to the American market; Jack Silberstein, co-founder (with Dr. Alan Bronner) of Jack’s Gourmet (here, here, here and more).
Jay Buxbaum from the Royal Wine Corporation spoke to us about some of the newest healthy foods products recently introduced; Koby Cohen, from Gelato Petrini winners of this year’s Best New Product in it category (video to follow);
Next we spoke to brothersBenjamin and Martin Weisz, fromElegant Desserts, who described their new products for caterers and consumers – especially exciting was the news of their association with a young but seasoned chocolatier.
On Wednesday, we spoke to Rachel Golian, from Simply Bar – whose product won this year’s Best New Snack Food Award; our old friend Gabriel Boxer spoke to us next about his new company and delicious product – Shani’s Tahini Sauce; Leah Haddad, from Voila! Hallah came next; she was followed by the Iron Chef Competition sponsored by the Center of Kosher Culinary Arts (here, here, here and more) and Jack’s Gourmet Kosher Sausages. Geila then spoke to the competition’s winner, Chef Alexandre Petard from Ladino Restaurant.
Our last interview was with Alexander Rappaport, CEO of Masbia, Yaakov Leibowitz, from Agri Star and Chef Ruben Diaz for the Masbia Soup Kitchens and the wonderful work they are doing by feeding over 1000 Hurricane Sandy victims every day!
I was in a restaurant in beautiful St. Maarten when a waiter presented the table with a beautiful ratatouille served in timbales. It was delicious-and set me to thinking about adapting the usual ratatouille, a vegetable stew, to make it less stew-y. Here’s the result, a vibrant, fragrant, hash-every vegetable retains its distinctive texture as well as flavor-that makes a perfect meal served with chicken, fish or meat. You can serve it hot or at room temperature.
Serves 10 to 12 Convert It– To make this a dairy main dish, add a 10-ounce can of drained and rinsed chick peas and crumbled feta. Or, for a quick moussaka-like dish, toss the hash with ground, sauteed lamb.
Geila’s Tips – Check the bottom of the eggplants you buy. If the pip there is round, the plant is female, if long, male. Male eggplants have fewer seeds.
3 pounds (about 2 medium) eggplant, cut into 1/2 inch cubes.
4 tablespoons kosher salt, plus more
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 pound zucchini, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
2 tablespoons grapeseed or canola oil
2 large onions, sliced thin
2 tablespoons tomato paste
4 garlic cloves, put through a garlic press
2 roasted red bell peppers *cut into 1/4 inch dice
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
One 12-ounce can plum tomatoes with their juice
3 tablespoons chopped basil
Preheat the oven to 350 F. Cover 2 medium cookie sheets with foil.
Place the eggplant in a colander in the sink and roast with 2 tablespoons salt. Top with a plate and a weight, such as as a large can or wine bottle. Let the eggplant drain for 30 minutes rinse and dry it, and transfer to a cookie sheet. Drizzle over 3 tablespoons olive oil.
Place the zucchini on the second cookie sheet, toss with 2 tablespoons salt and 3 tablespoons olive oil. Bake the zucchini and the eggplant until cooked through, about 20 minutes, stirring both after 10 minutes to prevent sticking. Set both aside.
In a large skillet, heat the grapeseed oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions, sprinkle with salt and saute, stirring, until translucent, 8 to 10 minutes. Push the onions to the side of the pan, add the tomato paste to the center, and cook until the the paste begins to bubble, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and saute the mixture until garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the bell peppers, stir, and add the vinegar, sugar, red pepper flakes, if using, and tomatoes with half their juice. and simmer until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 4 minutes. Add the eggplant, zucchini and basil, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer, stirring often, until the flavors have blended about 10 minutes. If the mixture seems too dry, add more of the tomato juice and simmer 4 to 5 minutes more. Adjest the seasoning, if necessary, transfer to plates, and serve.
–0o0o0–
* 2 roasted bell peppers
On a burner or under the broiler, roast the peppers until the skin is uniformly charred. Transfer to to a paper bag or a bowl. Close the bag or cover the bowl with foil, a dish towel or plastic wrap. Let the peppers steam until they become cool enough to handle. Remove the stems, peel, remove seeds and cut the peppers into 1 to 1 1/2 inch dice. Reserve any juice.
Geila Hocherman‘s blog made it’s very promising debut yesterday featuring a recipe for incredibly delicious blintzes, thus I was inspired to look for alternative recipes from cultures other than my own or Geila’s Eastern European one. I wanted something different, or at least a different way of making the equivalent of traditional Ashkenazi blintzes. For many years I’d heard of Syrian ‘Atayef and finally I found a recipe in Poopa Dweck‘s Aromas of Aleppo.
‘Atayef – Stuffed Syrian Pancakes
‘Ataiyef is not your ordinary Sunday morning pancake. Filled with ricotta cheese, deep-fried, dipped in chopped pistachio nuts, and topped with shira (Fragrant Aleppian Dessert Syrup), it is more like a five-star dessert. Aleppian Jews eat ‘ataiyef on happy occasions such as engagement parties.
these pancakes are one of the dairy foods customarily eaten during Shavuot (feestival of the giving of the torah). King Solomon’s “Song of Songs,” particularly the words “honey and milk are under your tongue,” inspired this dish. the sweetness of shira shares a symbolic connection with the sweetness of Torah, which the Jews received on Shavuot. ‘Ataiyef is also served on Hanukkah because it is fried, and thus symbolizes the miracles of oil celebrated on that holiday.
While this recipe offers a way to make the batter from scratch, you may find commercial pancake mixes more convenient than homemade.
Batter
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 cup vegetarian oil
1 cup shira (see below*)
1 cup pistachios shelled, blanched, peeled and finely chopped (see below**)
Preheat a griddle pan over medium heat. wipe the pan with a paper towel dipped in vegetable oil.
Combine the flour, baking soda, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add the eggs and 2 1/2 cups water to the mixture. Stir the mixture until the batter is smooth and there are no lumps.
Make the pancakes by pouring water, 1 tablespoon at a time, onto the griddle. Shape the batter into 3-inch-wide pancake, much like a thin crepe. cook on one side only. remove the pancake, when bubbles appear on its surface. keep the cooked pancakes by covering them with a clean towel.
Place 1-teaspoon ricotta cheese in the uncooked center of each pancake. Fold the pancake in half and pinch the sides firmly closed. Fill the pancakes as quickly as possible so they do not dry out. (At this point, the pancakes may be frozen for later use.)
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, heat the vegetable oil until it sizzles upon contact with a drop of water. Deep-fry the filled pancakes in batches for 3 minutes, or until brown. Coat the fried pancakes in the cold shira. Dip the point of each pancake in pistachio nuts. To ensure a crispy texture, place the pancakes on a tray in a single layer; do not stack or cover them.
Variation
For a non-dairy version, combine 2 cups firmly chopped walnuts, 1/2 cup sugar, and 1 teaspoon cinnamon and substitute for the ricotta.
Yield: About 4 dozen pancakes
–OoOOoO–
* Shira – Fragrant Aleppian Syrup
This simple syrup is a component of so many Aleppian desserts that it is a fixture in Aleppian refrigerators. The addition of rose or orange blossom water imbues it with an exotic flavor for which the Middle East is renowned.
When preparing shira, it is important to get the right consistency. For some Syrian sweets, a thicker syriup may be necessary. To thicken the syrup, keep it on tn the heat a a bit longer; if it is too thick, add some water and simmer again. when pouring shira over hot pastries, the syrup should be cold so the pastries stay crisp.
3 cups sugar
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon orange blossom water or rose water
Combine the sugar, lemon juice, orange blossom water, and 1 cup water in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon until the mixture boils. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the syrup slides slowly down the back of a spoon.
Allow the syrup to cool. use immediately or pour into a glass jar and refrigerate. it will keep for up to2 months.
Note
All helou recipes use orange blossom water, rose water is used for other sweets.
Yield: 2 cups
–OoOOoO–
** Shelled, blanched and Peeled Pistachios
The tin, edible skin of the pistachio can easily be removed from the nut by blanching it. Cover shelled pistachios with boiling water and let them stand for 4 to 6 minutes, then peel off the skins.
Enjoy, gentle reader, enjoy! I most certainly will… my mouth is watering already.
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
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.
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.
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
Preheat oven to 300.
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.
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.
Bake for one hour or until custard is set and knife comes out clean.
Cool completely. Run knife along edge and invert onto a plate and serve.
[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
In a medium non-porous bowl, combine the fish, tomato, spring onions, coriander and mango, if using.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Place the chicken into a large casserole or roasting pan. Cover with ¾ of the sauce and bake at 325 for 20 minutes.
Serve with extra sauce on the side and tofu sour cream.
Tonight we lit the second Chanuka candle and what better way to celebrate than with our dear friend 
The Kosher Scene 
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