Raffaello Pizza – Amore Italiano!

Rafaello (37 West 46th Street, between 5th and 6th Avenue, NY, NY 10036 – Tel:212.575.6550), is set to revolutionize what we call kosher pizza, here in New York; the owner is Italian (and operates a famous restaurant in Rome), and so is the Chef. This past Sunday, I stopped by to see what the fuss was about, not only can I testify that everything I’d heard was true, but actually it all was an understatement. They offer 17 different types of pizza, including one gluten free, two different calzones, salads and three different types of pasta. But it is that pizza of theirs where they truly shine; as their website says:

The thin crust made with a dough left to rise for 2 days in order to minimize the amount of yeast and make it more digestible together with hand picked fresh ingredients makes it the perfect meal.

At Raffaello pizza slices are not triangular, they are rectangular and sizes are generous; the choices are as pleasant to the eye, as they are in aroma, as they are to the palate…

Slices of Eggplant Pizza and Black Olive with San Marzano Tomatoes and Mozarella… both types are mouth watering!

Cheese, pasta and black olives…

The calzones come freshly baked rather than rewarmed – as other establishments all too often do – filled with vegetables and oozing with melted cheese…

But I was in for a big delicious surprise at the end, at the recommendation of a couple next to my table I ordered the dessert pizza…

It didn’t look as elegant as the selections that preceded it, but the Chocolate Pizza with hot hazelnut spread and powdered sugar was better than I could ever have imagined, it certainly was a great way to end the meal. As a result of all the above, when I somehow found myself in the neighborhood at lunch time, yesterday, I just had to go back!

CS

Spaghetti with Ricotta

Anyone who’s been following this blog knows that I am a hardcore carnivore, but I also like pasta with cheese. With the Nine Days fast approaching, it’s time to look for some succulent dairy recipes, here’s one that is easy to make and delicious.

(Adapted from The Big Book Of Pasta)

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 12 oz dried spaghetti
• 3 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh-flat  leaf parsley
• 1 1/2 cups freshly ground almonds
• 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
• pinch of grated  nutmeg
• pinch of ground cinnamon
• 2/3 cup sour cream
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 cup pareve broth*
• 1 tbsp pine nuts
• salt and pepper
• fresh flat-leaf parsley sprigs, to garnish

Directions

1. Bring a large, heavy bottom pan of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the spaghetti, return to a boil, and cook for 8-10 minutes, or until tender but still firm to the bite.
2. Drain the pasta, return to the pan, and toss with the butter and chopped parsley. Keep warm.
3. To make the sauce, mix the ground almonds, ricotta cheese, nutmeg, cinnamon, and sour cream together in a small pan  over low heat to form a thick paste. Gradually stir in the olive oil. When the oil has been fully incorporated, gradually stir in the stock, until sauce is smooth. Season to taste with pepper.
4. Transfer the spaghetti to a warmed serving dish, pour over the sauce, and toss together well. Sprinkle over the pine nuts, garnish with the parsley sprigs, and serve warm.

* Parve Chicken Free Broth

Ingredients

• 4 cups water
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 parsnip (8 – 12 inches)
• 1 large carrot
• 1/2 large red onion
• 1/2 medium sweet onion
• 1/2 clove garlic
• 1 stalk celery
• 4 oz mushrooms
• 1/4 tsp tumeric
• Seasonings to taste

Directions

1. Take out a pot large pot. This will allow room for boiling, stirring and simmering without making a spill on the stove top. Chunk up the parsnips, carrots, and onions. Coarsely chop the garlic, mushrooms and celery. Pour the water into the pan. Turn heat on to medium high flame.
2. Add all vegetables. (You can run everything through the food processor using the shredding blade. This goes a lot faster and reduces the simmer time as it increases the surface area of the veggies). When the water becomes warm stir in the turmeric. Bring to boil and boil for 2 – 3 minutes. Reduce heat to simmer. (If you are using an electric stove top you can bring everything to a boil and immediately reduce heat to simmer as it will take 2-3 minutes for the temperature to fall to a simmer)
3. After about 15 minutes begin to add your seasonings – pepper, rosemary, ginger – whatever you like but IN SMALL AMOUNTS as you can always add more but cannot take it out. Be sure to get your seasonings set within the first 45 minutes. This will allow the seasonings to blend and incorporate into the soup. Let simmer for a total of 2 – 3 hours.
4. Strain through a professional kitchen sieve or use a colander lined with coffee filters. Use the broth just like you would chicken broth.

Enjoy, gentle reader, enjoy!

CS

A Simple Favorite Pasta Dish

A recipe need not be elaborate to make a tasty dish, especially in these hot days, there is no need to spend a long time in the kitchen. Here’s One of my favorite ways to prepare a simple but delicious pasta and it’s great for the Nine Days or anytime.

Spaghetti with Oil and Garlic

Ingredients

• 1 lb spaghetti
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons fresh, chopped, parsley
• Salt and pepper
• chilli pepper flakes (optional)

Directions

1. In a large pan boil some lightly salted water. Add the spaghetti and boil again, cook for 8 – 9 minutes or until tender but still a bit resistant to the bite (al dente).
2. In the meantime, while the spaghetti is cooking, heat the oil in a skillet, add the garlic and a pinch of salt cooking over low heat. Stir constantly for 3 – 4 minutes or until golden brown. Do not let the garlic become brown for it will adversely affect the taste. Remove from heat
3. Drain the spaghetti and put on a large, warmed, serving dish. Pour in the olive oil, add the
4. For a bit more color and an extra kick in taste, sprinkle sparingly with chili pepper flakes.

Yields 4 Servings

Easy to make and truly delectable. Sometimes, when the mood strikes me, I’ll add some finely grated parmeggiano and will then skip the chili pepper flakes.

Enjoy, gentle reader, enjoy!

CS

Shavuos Recipes – Part 2

I am a confirmed hardcore carnivore, but every once in a while I have to make some nice pasta dishes for a milchig dinner. Especially now that Shavuos is almost upon us… Here are two of my favorites:

Fettuccine Alfredo with Mushrooms

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 lb fettucine
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• pinch of nutmeg
• salt and pepper to taste.
• 3/4 cup chopped shitake mushrooms
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 cup shredded Mozarella

Directions

1. Mix the butter and 2/3 cup of the heavy cream, bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat and simmer gently for 2 minutes or until the cream has thickened slightly.
2. Boil a large pan of lightly salted water, over medium heat.
3. Add the pasta, bring back to a boil and cook for 9 minutes or until tender but still firm to the bite. Drain pasta thoroughly, return to pan, pour in the sauce (from step 1)
4. Toss the pasta in the sauce, over a low fire, until thoroughly coated. Add the remaining 1/3 cup of heavy cream, the shredded Mozarella, nutmeg, mushrooms, salt and pepper to taste. Toss the pasta thoroughly in the whole mixture while on a low flame.
5. While pasta is cooking, sauté the mushrooms and garlic in a little bit of oil, until garlic pieces are golden brown.
6. Put the pasta mixture on a large warmed serving plate. Add the sautéed mushrooms and garlic. Serve and sprinkle generously with the grated Parmesan cheese.

Serves 4

Vegetable Cannelloni

Delicious is an understatement!

Ingredients

• 12 cannelloni
• 1 eggplant
• 1/2 cup fresh spinach
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 1/4 cup chopped mushrooms
• salt and pepper
• Basil, to garnish

Tomato Sauce

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 lb 12 ozs canned chopped tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon 10x confectioners sugar
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• 4 Mozzarella slices

Directions

1. In a large pan boil some lightly salted water. Add the cannelloni, return to a boil and cook for another 9 minutes or until tender but still firm to the bite. Put pasta in a plate and pat dry with paper towels.
2. Cut the eggplant into small dice. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. add the eggplant, stir frequently while cooking for about three minutes.
3. Add spinach, garlic, cumin and mushrooms. Reduce the heat. Season with pepper and salt to taste. Cooking for 2 to 3 minutes stirring constantly. Spoon the mixture into the cannelloni. Arrange cannelloni in a casserole in a single layer.
4. To make the sauce, heat oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, sugar and basil. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer gently for 5 minutes. Spoon the sauce over cannelloni.
5. Arrange the Mozzarella slices over the sauce and bake in 375 F. preheated oven for 30 minutes or until cheese is golden brown and bubbling. serve hot garnished with a prig of basil.

Enjoy, gentle reader, enjoy AND don’t forget to send us your favorite Shavuos recipes (there is a nice selection of cholov Yisroel cheeses as the prize for the best!) to:

kosherscene@gmail.com

CS

RELATED POSTS

shavuos recipes 

————–

shavuos recipes – part 2

shavuos recipes – part 1 

For prize winning cheese cake recipes: and the winner is…

Shabbat Comfort Food

Last Friday we posted Oyfn Pripetchik… – In the Fireplace… with an unusual but interesting kugel recipe. Today we follow up with a very easy recipe for a great Yerushami Kugel. Truth is, I’ve never been a fan of this type of kugel, the idea of sweet pasta just doesn’t do it for me, but, last Monday at Chef Lévana‘s cooking demo I tasted this and was forced to change my mind:

Yerushalmi Kugel

Ingredients

• 1 pound thin noodles, any noodles (gluten-free will work too!)
• ⅔ cup vegetable oil
• Salt to taste
• 1 teaspoon ground pepper, or a little more to taste
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 4 eggs
• 3/4 cup sugar or Sucanat
• 1/4 cup agave syrup
• 1/2 cup water

An individual portion of Chef Lévanas' Yerushalmi Kugel

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Boil the noodles until just barely tender. If you started with long noodles, cut through the whole pile with scissors until you get smaller pieces.
3. Place in a mixing bowl, and mix in the oil, pepper, cinnamon, vanilla, and eggs. Combine thoroughly.
4. Meanwhile, heat the sugar, agave and water in a small saucepan.
5. Reduce the flame to low and cook about 5 minutes, until the mixture turns a nice amber color (watch the cooking, don’t let the mixture burn).
6. Immediately add to the noodle mixture and stir to combine.
7. Pour the mixture into a greased 9 x 13-inch pan or a greased tube pan.
8. Bake about 1 hour, or a little longer, until the top looks set.

Delicious warm or at room temperature.

Enjoy, gentle reader, and have a gutten Shabbos, Shabbat shalom umevorach!

CS

Cooking Pasta: Debunking the Myth

Part of coming of age and the endless struggle for self is the establishment and ascendance of individual truth, honing mind and temperament, discriminating fact from fancy, empirical evidence from legend and myth.

I thought I had arrived in so many ways and then reality hit me like a flung wet noodle against the wall of my existence. We’ll save for another venue all the charming folktales of my youth soberly and maturedly dispensed with. But there I was, sitting pretty on the comfy wine colored couch, reaching for a bleached white conch shell that sits atop a wicker woven basket poised for reminiscence, aside other brilliant priceless colored stones, crystals, odd shaped rocks and shells randomly picked for their momentary significance and tangible recall. As I held the conch to my ear, I heard the voice of my nine year old neighbor and friend – Batya – herself clearly establishing her own unique truth sets, say:

– You know, that’s not the sound of the ocean you’re hearing, that’s just the echo of the air in the shell.

– What??? That can’t possibly be true, I know it’s the ocean, the waves of the very ocean that the shell came from.

I was not going to let this cute but clearly misinformed enfant terrible wreck my personal objects de time machine recall. Of course, we did what sensible people  do in such circumstances, we checked Wikipedia online.

I shouldn’t have, I know it now….. there are certain life mysteries that are best left alone… but there it was, the total deflation of spirit and romance and everything that’s right with the world….”What you are actually hearing is the sound around you vibrating as an echo in the air within the shell.” Who the heck needed to hear that, to know that? Great! Take the technicolor out of my universe… Hey, absolute reality is not all it’s cracked up to be. I know a butterfly flitting it’s wings impacts the climate at  the opposite end of the globe, and I know with the ten percent of my brain operational part of my brain that yawning is contagious, chicken soup cures a cold and that the five second rule applies. So maybe being primordial isn’t such a bad thing… No such thing as fairy dust?!?!?!? P’shaaaaaawww! What a world, What a world!!!

So talking about cooking pasta. Here I was thinking I had reached maximum maturity when I learned that al dente is très chic, that the “if it sticks” rule really does work and that salt in boiling water is a good thing along with a few drops of oil, so that the pasta doesn’t stick. When I really pay attention, I even cover the pot after its come to a boil and let it stay on low simmer.

Anyway, here are a few things I’ve learned since. Feel free to write in and further debunk my myths.

1. Use a one to four ratio of water to pasta – four parts water to one part of pasta. Pasta needs room to cook.
2. Add 1-2 tablespoons of salt for each gallon of water.
3. Bring it to mighty bubbling boil, and then let it simmer for a minute or two till done.
4. Don’t add oil… get this: oil makes the pasta slick and then all the wonderful sauces can’t adhere to it.
5. Furthermore, after you drain the pasta, don’t rinse it. The starchiness too is a binder for whatever you will be adding to your pasta dish. The only exception is when you are making a cold pasta salad, then it is preferable to rinse the pasta first.

See? Some things are worth knowing after all. By the way, that gum I swallowed approaching the shiva house… seven years until it dissolves. Well what you can’t see can’t hurt you, right? Right?

Photo from: http://www.6ixpassions.com

Stir Fry Beef on Penne Pasta (adpated from 6ix Passions)

Ingredients

• 1 lb penne pasta
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 red onion, cut into strips
  
• 1 lb beef, cubed
• 1 red pepper, cut into strips
• 1 cup mushrooms, chopped
• 8 broccoli florettes
• Mango Salsa
• 1/2 cup fresh basil
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Cook the penne pasta al dente (cooked through, tender, but still offering some resistance to the bite).
2. Stir fry beef with Spanish red onion, mushrooms, red peppers and broccoli
3. Toss on the pasta with mango salsa.
4. Sprinkle with fresh parsley

Enjoy!

SYR

Stir-Fry Beef on Penne Past

Sugar River Cheese Co.

Europeans have long laughed at the pretentiousness of American cheeses (especially kosher ones), but, judging by the latest entries into the field, that situation will soon change. I’ve seen quite a few interesting cheeses at the Pomegranate isles, among them some intriguing flavored ones from the Sugar River Cheese Co. Having tasted these delicious cheeses we just had to contact them and interview Mark Rosen, the company’s President.

I found Mr. Rosen very personable, witty and a true foodie. Besides being a fountain of information on cheese making processes, he also told us some amusing stories about himself, stories that gave us a glimpse into the make up of his love of food and pursuit of quality. That carefully nurtured quest for the best led him to start this company in 2002 with the aim of bringing “natural, terrific tasting, unique, kosher Wisconsin Cheeses to the kosher consumer.” Judging by what we tasted, he certainly succeeded.

The superb tasting Sugar River cheeses we've sampled...

The Sugar River cheeses we’ve sampled were: Parmesan (aged 18 months, my personal favorite), White Cheddar (aged 18 months), White Cheddar with Roasted Garlic and Green Onion, White Cheddar with Chipotle, Prairie Jack with Parsley and Chive,  Prairie Jack with Green Peppercorns, Monterrey Jack with Jalapeno and Cilantro, Monterrey Jack With Roasted Garlic And Basil (second place award in the Flavored Monterey Jack judging category at the 23rd Annual Competition and Judging by the American Cheese Society‘s (ACS) held July 22, 2006 in Portland, Oregon. The first time Sugar River cheeses ever entered a competition and the first time a kosher cheese ever won!) and Monterey Jack With Tomato And Olive.

SYR, thought this cheeses would go perfectly with some of her favorite pasta recipes. Here’s one she tried which turned out terrific:

SYR‘s Easy Penne Alla Romana

YIELD: 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

• 1 package of penne
• water to fully cover the pasta

• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 chopped garlic
• 6 chopped pearl onions
• 1/4 cup chopped sun dried tomatoes
• 1/2 cup zucchini, cubed
• 10 shitake mushrooms
• 1/4 cup oyster mushrooms
• salt and pepper to taste
• 10-15 chopped leaves of fresh basil
• 2 sprigs of fresh parsley

• 1/2 package Sugar River White Cheddar with Roasted Garlic and Green Onion
• Sugar River Parmesan

Aaahh... the aroma, the taste!

Pasta

1. In a medium size pot pour in water to two thirds height (enough to cover the pasta).
2. Add the penne and cook until it is al dente (still firm, not hard).

Vegetables

1. Pour the oil into a medium shallow pan.
2. Sauté the chopped garlic and onions.
3. Add the tomatoes when the above show some golden brown.
4. After 30 seconds add the zucchini and mushrooms.
5. Let it all cook for 1 minute and add basil and parsley.
6. take off fire after 2 more minutes.
7. Add mixture to drained penne

Cheese

1. Cut the Sugar River White Cheddar with Roasted Garlic and Green Onion into small cubes.
2. Add the cubes into the mixed penne and vegetable. Continue mixing until cheese is mostly melted.
3. Sprinkle with shavings of Sugar River Parmesan.
4. Serve while still hot.

Please remember, by using the 18 month aged Parmesan you have to wait six hours before you can eat meat.

Enjoy, gentle reader, Enjoy!

CS

It Isn’t Just for Kids Anymore

As a kid I used to love macaroni & cheese, my kids loved/love it, so do my grandkids AND… I still like it! Looking at one my favorite Chef’s blog (Chef Laura Frankel), Laura’s Kosher Kitchen, I came across her adult version of a lifelong favorite:

Let me have it, let me have it! (Photo by: Elle239 on BlissfullyDomestic.com)

Macaroni and Cheese Casserole

Serves 6 generously

Ingredients

• 1 pound macaroni or favorite pasta shape
• 3 tablespoon butter
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1 shallot, minced finely
• 2 cloves garlic minced finely
• 2 cups of milk (I use whole milk for this)
• 2 teaspoons hot sauce
• 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese-grated (I use White Sharp Cheddar)
• 1 cup Emmentaler or Swiss cheese-grated
• ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 cup of sour cream
• ½ cup bread crumbs-Panko* is perfect for this
• 2 tablespoons melted butter
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

1. Pre-heat oven to 350. Bring a large saucepan with water to boil. Cook the pasta until al dente (about 10 minutes depending upon size of pasta). Drain and set aside.
2. Place a large sauté over medium low heat. Melt 3 tablespoons of butter. Add chopped shallot and garlic and sweat the vegetables until they are very soft (about 2 minutes). Add flour and stir together. Cook the mixture for several minutes to remove the raw flour flavor.
3. In a separate pan heat the milk until simmering. Add all at once to flour mixture. Whisk to prevent lumps. Add the hot sauce and cook until thickened (about 3-5 minutes). Remove from heat. Add grated cheese and stir until melted and incorporated.
4. Stir sour cream with cooked pasta. Add cheese mixture and stir to combine. Place in a lightly greased casserole.
5. Stir bread crumbs with melted butter and sprinkle on top of casserole. Bake at 350 until bubbly and golden (about 30 minutes).

As Chef Laura explains in her intro to this dish:

Use the best quality cheese you can find-do not skimp and by all means, have some fun with it and try your favorite cheeses. I have made this dish with a sprinkling of Blue cheese for an adult version. I also have substituted whole wheat pasta instead of the traditional semolina pasta and no one complained. Attention all comfort food cravers-Skip the box and go for the good stuff-we are after all adults even if we need a bit of comfort now and then.

After a hard, tiring day at work, on any cold day, I find that macaroni and cheese just warms one up as it recharges the batteries…

Enjoy!

CS

Colorful, Tasteful!

Having heard quite a bit, from some friends, about this six months old eatery I felt I had to try it out and taste their fares myself. Earlier this week, SYR and I made our way to Tuscany (547 Kings Highway, corner of 4th Street; Brooklyn, New York 11223; Telephone: 718.339.5200), the ambiance is casual and friendly.

We decided to go for their $44.99 special which consists of one salad, one appetizer, 2 mains and 1 dessert. We started with their Ceasar Salad, fresh, delicious and nicely presented! We followed it with Melanzane Di Rolentini…

Melanzane Di Rolentini

This is a delectable combination of Grilled Eggplant with Ricotta, Mozzarella and Parmesan cheese with mushrooms all rolled and baked in Marinara sauce. It looked great and tasted even better, both SYR and I loved it.

For the main dishes, SYR ordered Atlantic Salmon…

Atlantic Salmon

The grilled salmon came with a teryaki sauce and some vegetables. There was nothing “fishy” about the taste, a masterpiece!

I ordered the Pasta Primavera…

Pasta Primavera

This is a spaghetti pasta with carrots, zucchini, broccoli and mushrooms in a delicate homemade pink sauce, colorful and delicious.

The portions were generous and we certainly felt satisfied, we almost had no room for the desert, except… when we saw it… there was no question we’d have to have it! We got a  Homemade Tiramisu… while every dish, up to now, had been a veritable feast for both eye and palate the dessert was in a class by itself…

Tiramisu

It was a nice, filling, dinner for two with friendly, prompt service; all very reasonably priced. But, there is more! Enticed by the exclamations of delight at the table next to ours, we ordered – in addition – Tuscany‘s signature dish, the sushi Spider Roll. This was outside of the special, but worth it. We  had the rolls right before the Melanzane Di Rolentini, again the taste was superb and quite different from what either of us expected.

Sushi Chef Joe, takes special delight in coming  up with unusual flavor combinations and pleasing presentations. Those who recommended Tuscany to me said the sushi is unequaled. Having tasted the Spider Roll, I wholeheartedly agree. We’ll just have to work our way through the rest of Suchi Chef Joe’s creations. We can’t wait for an encore. Bravo, bravissimo!

CS
[In our upcoming website we’ll have more about this delightful kosher restaurant specializing on fish and dairy, including their menu and MORE!]