Carrot Tzimmes

Is it possible to sit down at a Jewish religious celebration without being served tzimmes? Is it in even thinkable not to have tzimmes on Rosh Hashana, when carrots symbolize gold coins and the honey symbolizes a sweet New Year? Here’s a favorite recipe:

Serves 6

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 lb 8 oz sliced carrots
• salt and pepper
• juice of one orange
• 1/2″ piece fresh root ginger peeled and cut into thin slivers
• 2 tbsp honey
• 1/2 cup water

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat the margarine in a wide pan over a medium high flame. Stir in the carrot slices, add salt and pepper to taste and all other ingredients.
2. Bring to a boi, reduce heat to low and simmer covered, for 15 minutes or until tender. Increase the heat and cook uncovered until the liquid is reduced and the carrots well glazed, while stirring occasionally.

VARIATION

For spicier Sephardic carrots omit the orange and ginger. Boil carrots until tender. Drain. Heat the oil. Stir in 1 teaspoon of of ground cumin, 1 seeded chopped fresh red chile pepper. 1 garlic clove, chopped and the juice of 1 lemon. Cook, stir for 1 minute, Add the carrots and honey and 2-3 tablespoons of water. Cook until the liquid is evaporated and the carrots are tender and well coated. Sprinkle with 1-2 tablespoons of mint.

Enjoy, gentle reader, enjoy!

CS 

 

 

 

Chef Lévana at Masbia in Flatbush

Yesterday Chef Lévana spent the morning cooking with volunteers at Masbia...

Flatbush location, in Midwood, 1372 Coney Island Avenue; between Avenue J and Avenue K.

Tina Weiss – volunteer – helping Chef Lévana, volunteer.

Putting the first batch of 500 portions of chicken in the oven…

Shmuel Ben Eliezer, photographer and columnist for The Jewish Press, covering Lévana‘s cooking

Rabbi Farahbot, the mashgiach, speaking with Chef Lévana

Masbia is an organization with three locations: Borough Park, Rego Park, and Flatbush. They serve 500 meals a day, In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, they gave out over 20,000 meals to hurricane victims. As its website states:

The Masbia Soup Kitchen Network has been feeding the hungry for over ten years and since its opening in April, 2005 the kosher soup kitchen has expanded, now serving meals at three locations in Brooklyn and Queens and distributing one and a half million meals a year. Masbia relies heavily on the generosity of its benefactors and food donors, which oftentimes requires the cooking staff to rely heavily on creativity and ingenuity […]

[…]One of our favorite Bible passages is from Parshat Vayera. In the reading we learn about the virtues of kindness, or chessed, from Avraham and Sara. Avraham teaches us that helping others should be done with respect and dignity. This is evidenced by his running out to greet his guests despite having received his Bris Mila just three days prior. In addition, the Midrash teaches us that Avraham’s tent was open in all four directions, allowing him to see a guest coming from any direction. This serves as our inspiration for our service model and our logo.

Like Avraham and Sara we serve every one of our clients in a dignified manner, regardless of which direction, or from what life circumstances, they may come. Volunteers acting as waiters are present every evening in our restaurant-style locations. Individuals coming to Masbia will always find a warm welcoming atmosphere where they can rest their souls and fill their stomachs.

Avraham gave kindness freely and without judgment, and so does Masbia. Our logo represents how important Abraham’s acceptance was in shaping how we choose to help people. Individuals that are hungry in New York know that Masbia doesn’t have any requirements or restrictions on our services. Referrals, proof of income, or any paperwork for that matter are not required.[…]

• […]Everybody in need is welcome. No qualifications are required and no questions are asked. However, in order to serve as many people in financial need as possible, we ask that those who dine at Masbia on a more regular and continuing basis to have a reference letter with them, either from a social worker or a community leader.

Chef Lévana and other dedicated volunteers worked tirelessly throughout the morning to produce nourishing meals for those in need. Masbia serves the meals in restaurant like settings.

Chef Lévana has graciously agreed to share one of the recipes she made yesterday:

Chickpea Vegetable Soup

This recipe makes 150 quarts, and serves about 500. I have no doubt you will want to make a smaller batch! I am including the smaller amount for each ingredient on each ingredient’s respective line in parentheses, to make about 8 quarts, 2 gallons.

60 quarts water (12 cups)

60 cups canned chick peas , rinsed (3 cups)
6 cups olive oil (1/3 cup)
16 cups tomato paste (2/3 cups)
10 pounds diced carrots (2 large carrots)

10 pounds diced zucchini (2 large zucchini)

10 pounds diced rutabaga or purple turnip (1 medium head)

10 pounds frozen chopped spinach (1 small box, about 12 ounces)

10 pounds chopped onion (1 large onion)
1 1/2 cups sea salt (1 1/2 tablespoons)
1/2 cup ground bay leaves (1 teaspoon)

1 1/2 cups paprika (2 tablespoons)

1 1/2 cups turmeric (2 tablespoons)
1 1/2 cups dried dill weed (2 tablespoons)

Bring the water to boil in a heavy pot with a broad bottom. Add all remaining ingredients and bring to boil again. Reduce the flame to medium, cover the pot, and cook for 1 hour. Adjust the texture and seasonings.

The aroma of this soup was very good, judging by the people tasting it, it obviously hit the spot. Judging by the ingredients, it’s obviously very nourishing; I’ll just have to make it at home.

Enjoy, gentle reader, enjoy!

CS 

Tahini Sauce and Black Tahini and Beet Hummus

I recently came across two of De La Rosa‘s Organic Tahini products…

Each product comes with a recipe for preparation. The light colored tahini features the following recipe:

Tahini Sauce

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup De La Rosa Tahini
• 1/2 cup lemon juice
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 garlic cloves, crashed
• Salt as needed

Directions

1. Blend all ingredients until smooth.

Easy and delicious!

My favorite recipe however came with the Black Tahini (which I’d never seen before)

Black Tahini and Beet Hummus

Ingredients

• 4 medium beets, roasted, peeled and cubed
• 1 15 oz can chickpeas, drained & rinsed
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, toasted and ground
• 2 tablespoons De La Rosa Tahini
• 3 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon De La Rosa Balsamic Vinegar
• 1 medium garlic clove, minced
• 2 tablespoons De La Rosa Organic Olive Oil
• 2 tablespoons parsley leaves, chopped

Directions

1. Blend all ingredients until smooth.

The taste was different, but delicious!

Try them, gentle reader. I know you will enjoy these products!

CS

Ratatouille Hash

From our friend Geila Hocherman (here and here)’s blog, Geila’s Kosher Revolution:

Photo by Antonis Achilleous

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

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Cover 2 medium cookie sheets with foil.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.

Enjoy, gentle reader, enjoy!

CS

Miso, Shiitake and Swiss Chard Soup

With winter fast approaching, with a predicted hurricane – a “frankenstorm” as the media refers to it – about to hit New York this very evening, it’s time to start thinking about comfort food. What better than a nice hot, hearty soup?

From Levana’s Table, by Lévana Kirschenbaum (page 48):

Photo by: Ann Stratton, page 49

Makes 8 – 10 servings

Although the flavors are rich and complex, rthis soupis ready in about 15 minutes. Miso adds its intriguing fermented flavor and a bulky but not starchy texture to the broth. It is important to add the Swiss chard aat the very end of the cooking process., so that it retains its brilliant color. The corn adds a wonderful flavor.

2 quarts (8 cups) water
1 pound shiitake mushrooms, caps, thinly sliced
One 2-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1/2 cup dark or light miso paste
2 ears of corn, cobs cut into 1-inch rounds
3 – 4 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon bottled hot sauce
1 pound firm or extra_firm tofu, cut into sticks
1 bunch (1 pound) Swiss chard, leaves only, cut into ribbons
4 scallions, thinly sliced

Combine the water, mushrooms ginger, miso, and corn in a heavy pot  and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and add the soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, hot sauce, and tofu. Bring to a boil again. Add the Swiss chard and scallions and cook for one more minute, until the Swiss chard is wilted. Serve hot.

The elements may be raging outside, but this soup is certain to keep you warm.

Enjoy, gentle reader, enjoy!

CS

Crispy Roasted Potato Wedges

[Reader Sarah Rosenberg, from Los Angeles, sent in this recipe and photo. I made it last evening and it actually was every bit as good as she said it would be! Why not send us your favorite recipes with an accompanying photo? We will print them if they are good. If you send in a recipe from a cookbook, please give us the title, the author’s name and – unless you took the photo – the photographer’s name as well. CS]

I often serve these potato wedges as a side dish  for Shabbat evening and everyone loves them; in fact, they can’t get enough of them. They go great with beef or poultry, but I’ve been known to have them as a main dish sometimes during the week.

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin oil
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
• 7 or 8 small unpeeled Yukon Gold or red potatoes, scrubbed
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
• Juice from 1 lemon

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 F. Chop the garlic finely and put in a large bowl. Add the oil, parsley and rosemary.
2. Cut the potatoes into 1 inch wide wedges.
3. Add the potatoes to the bowl and sprinkle with salt.
4. Toss to coat the potatoes with the oil mixture.
5. Spread the potatoes on a large baking sheet scraping the bowl of any extra oil and herbs. Arrange the potatoes with a flat side down. Roast until bottom is golden – about 25 minutes – turn with a metal spatula (some potatoes may stick, scrape them loose). Continue roasting until golden and crisp outside, but tender inside, about 15 minutes longer. Sprinkle with the lemon zest.
6. Put the potatoes in a serving bowl, make sure to scrape up all the herbs and zest. Add several squeezes of the juice over the top. Toss gently to distribute and serve hot.

You’ll like the aroma and you’ll love the taste!

Sarah Rosenberg

Red Lentil Soup

This past Shabbos we read Parshas Toldos, in it we have the episode of Eisov selling his first born rights to Yaakov for a pot of red lentils. We will never know what recipe Yaakov made but on scouring the web I found some delicious sounding variations of Red Lentil Soup, which I can’t wait to try:

Red Lentil Soup with Lemon

Recipe and photo from: superspark.wordpress.com

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons olive oil, more for drizzling
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, more to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• Pinch of ground chili powder or cayenne, more to taste
• 1 quart chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 cup red lentils
• 1 large carrot, peeled and diced
• Juice of 1/2 lemon, more to taste
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro or parsley

Directions

1. In a large pot, heat 3 tablespoons oil over high heat until hot and shimmering. Add onion and garlic, and sauté until golden, about 4 minutes.
2. Stir in tomato paste, cumin, salt, black pepper and chili powder or cayenne, and sauté for 2 minutes longer.
3. Add broth, 2 cups water, lentils and carrot. Bring to a simmer, then partially cover pot and turn heat to medium-low. Simmer until lentils are soft, about 30 minutes. Taste and add salt if necessary.
4. Using an immersion or regular blender or a food processor, purée half the soup then add it back to pot. Soup should be somewhat chunky.
5. Reheat soup if necessary, then stir in lemon juice and cilantro. Serve soup drizzled with good olive oil and dusted lightly with chili powder if desired.

(makes 1 quart; 4 small servings)

Food Network.com’s website has the following recipe, among others:

Red Lentil Soup

Recipe and photo from: http://www.foodnetwork.com

Ingredients

• 1 cup red lentils, washed and soaked for 1 hour, drained
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 1 large tomato, diced
• 1 green serrano chile, split and seeded
• 1-inch piece ginger, peeled and minced
• 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• Kosher salt
• Honey, to taste
• Chopped cilantro leaves, for garnish

Directions

In medium saucepan, over medium heat, combine the drained lentils, onion, tomato, chile, ginger, garlic and enough water to cover. Bring to boil, then lower the heat and simmer until the lentils are tender, about 30 to 45 minutes. Whisk the cooked lentils to release some of their starch and break them down further.

In small saute pan, warm the canola oil over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds and cook until they are sizzling and spluttering. Stir in the turmeric and paprika. Pour the seasoned oil into the lentils (be prepared for a big sizzle). Stir to combine, add salt, to taste, and a small drizzle of honey. Ladle into soup bowls and garnish with cilantro.

Per Serving: Calories: 273; Fat: 8g (Saturated Fat: 0.5 grams); Protein: 14g; Carbohydrates: 37g; Sugar: 7g; Fiber: 8g; Cholesterol: 0mg; Sodium: 131mg

Enjoy, gentle reader, enjoy!

CS

Roasted Peppers

For Shabbat and Sunday I was in Providence, RI, for a grandson’s bar mitzvah. My daughter, who invited mostly out of town guests, had me stay at my dear friend Irving Schild, photographer extraordinaire. I arrived mid morning on Friday and soon discovered that Irving not only excels in his chosen profession but he’s also a very good cook.

Among various side dishes he was preparing for Shabbat, as he was helping his wife, was one I always wanted to taste. Easy to make, superbly delicious, it was a dish of Roasted Peppers.

Ingredients

• 3 large red peppers
• 5 garlic cloves, crushed
• salt and pepper.
• olive oil

Directions

1. Place peppers on a cookie sheet. Put cookie sheet in broiler.
2. Broil until the skin has blackened and blistered.
3. Take out and let it coll until it can be easily handled.
4. Pull of the stem, and peel the peepers.
5. Cut into strips of desired size.
6. Place in a bowl over crushed garlic. Add salt and pepper to taste
7.  Add enough oil to lightly coat.
8. Serve at room temperature.

You’ll find these are delicately flavored, they can be enjoyed by themselves – as I did – or as a side dish.

Enjoy, gentle reader, enjoy!

CS

Marred by Overpreaching…

Anyone with a smidgen of intelligence, anyone who has ever used the grey matter that Hakodosh Boruch Hu gave him/her, realizes that in this age when animals are raised much faster than nature intended them to (with the help of various chemicals added to their foods), red meat consumption has to be cut down. Even yours truly, carnivore to the core, admits it. Thus, I welcomed Roberta Kalechosky’s books when I first heard of them. While I never intended, nor intend, to abandon my preference for meat I was looking for healthy tasty alternatives.

When I got The Vegetarian Shabbat Cookbook by Roberta Kalechofsky and Roberta Schiff and The Vegetarian Pessach Cookbook by Roberta Kalechofsky, I expected to find some great recipes that would lessen my interest in meat dishes. Instead, while I found some intriguing possibilities I also found myself barraged – specifically in the Passover book – with anti meat sophistry based on often made up statistics (even if Ms. Kalechofsky quotes others), out of context quotes and even horribly misquoted quotes. The Vegetarian Pessach Cookbook (published in 2002) spends the first 20 of its 72 pages preaching against eating meat in terms that misunderstand – or purposely obfuscate the intent of – the religious texts she quotes and bringing politics as a reason for ceasing our consumption of meat. I could go on, but I see little point in continuing to discuss the all too often shrill tone of the author’s polemics.

In The Vegatarian Shabbat Cookbook, (published in 2010) a far more attractive tome, far less shrill and more than three times the number of pages than the earlier one, there are some good recipes. Whether she has matured in her thought in the eight years since she published the Passover book, whether she studied Dale Carnegie‘s How to Win Friends and Influence People, or whether her co-author – Roberta Schiff – served as as a tempering foil, she has curbed down her anger and her politics. What emerges instead is a far more sensible book with some interesting possibilities for those who would vary their diets and veer away from constantly eating meat. While none of the recipes got me very excited, unlike other cookbooks we reviewed on this pages, some are definitely not bad and here’s one I intend to try:

Roasted Root Vegetables With Wine Sauce

Preheat Oven to 375 F

• 3 golden beets scrubbed
• 1 turnip, scrubbed, but not peeled, if organic
• 2 parsnips, scrubbed, but not peeled, if organic
• 2 large potatoes, do not peel if organic
• 3 carrots, scrubbed, do not peel, if organic
• 3 medium or 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled
• 4 Tablespoons olive oil
• 8 shallot cloves
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 teaspoons of a good prepared mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/3 cup red or white wine
• sea salt and pepper to taste

Bring a large soup pot to boil.

Cut all the vegetables into large chunks and put the chunked vegetables in to the boiling water in three or four batches. Boil 2-4 minutes for each batch. Take each batch out and drain.

Put the olive oil in a large skillet. Mix wine, mustard and cumin. When oil is hot (but not smoking), add the mixture of vegetables to the oil.

Add the root vegetables and the sliced shallots and garlic. Stir-fry until golden at the edges. Combine wine with the mustard and cumin and add to the pan. Add salt and pepper.

Transfer to a roasting pan and roast for 45 minutes. Turn over every 10-15 minutes.

They should be golden and crispy.

Serves 6-8

Enjoy, gentle reader, enjoy!

CS

Indian Hamentashen?

Chef Vijay Jagtiani,  from Shalom Bombay (344 Lexington Avenue – between 39th and 40th – New York, NY 10016 – Tel: 212.922.0224 – Fax: 212.922.0124), shares a delicious Indian recipe:

Vegetable Samosas (the “new” hamentashen)

Yield: 16 Samosas

Filling

Ingredients

• 6 potatoes with skin
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1tsp cumin seeds
• 2 inches peeled fresh ginger
• 2 chopped green chillis
• ½ chopped onion
• 1 cup frozen green peas
• 2 tbsp chopped cilantro
• ½ tbsp turmeric powder
• ¼ tbsp coriander powder
• ½ tbsp salt
• ¼ tbsp chile powder

Directions

1. Boil potatoes, Remove Skin and Mash and put aside.
2. In a non-stick pan heat oil, add cumin seeds, ginger, green chillies and onion and brown. Addpeas. Cook 2-3 minutes and add mashed potatoes.
3. Mix cilantro, turmeric, coriander and chile powder together. Mix into the potato mixture and letcool for 15 minutes in fridge

Dough

Ingredients

• ¼ Cup of White Flour
• ¼ Cup of Vegetable Oil
• ½ Tablespoon of Salt

Directions

1. Mix all of the ingredients together until they form a hard dough. Make lemon size balls of
2. dough.
3. Place the balls on a flat surface and press with a rolling pin to get an average thickness. Cut it to make a half circle.
4. Take one of the half circles. Dip your forefinger in water and line the edges of half circle with the wet finger. Then give it a shape of cone.
5. Stuff it with about 1 tbsp ofprepared filling and seal it firmly.
6. Deep Fry, Serve with Sweet Chutney.

Sweet Chutney

Ingredients

• 2 Cups of White Vinegar
• 2 Cups of Tomato Ketchup
• 1 peeled Pear
• 1 lb Red Seedless Grapes
• 2 Bananas
• salt
• 1 tbsp cumin seeds
• ½ tbsp chile powder
• Pinch of orange/red food color powder

Directions

1. Grind vinegar, ketchup, pear, grapes and bananas together in food processor.
2. Add salt to taste, cumin, chile and food color. Mix and enjoy.

Enjoy, gentle reader, whether on Purim or at any other time.

CS