My thoughts on Jewish food.
If you know the proper technique, you can cook anything like a pro. Case in point this beef short rib stew with Guinness. After watching how several well-known cooks prepare beef stew, I used the ingredients in a recipe I found online, but ignored the instructions, applying what I’d learned from watching those clips. It …
Browning meat doesn’t somehow seal the meat and keep in the juices and flavor while braising. That was news to me who, for the last more than 40 years, has carefully browned little cubes of meat (on all sides, without crowding the pan) for stew or goulash. What a pain! You have to cook the …
I’ve always had a knack for mashed potatoes. My kids say it, my guests say it, I’ve come to accept it as the truth: my mashed potatoes are da bomb. I credit this fact to my dear mother, who taught me all her secrets for perfect mashed potatoes, every time. Here is the step by …
The Covid-19 pandemic found many of us discovering the joys of bread baking, stuck as we were with lots of time on our hands. One of the quickest and easiest breads you can make is the Italian flat bread known as focaccia. Focaccia bread is pretty much the same dough you’d use to make pizza, …
A simple baked potato, topped with baked beans to make it a complete protein, sounds amazing after all the heavy holiday fare of the past two months. These days, we are craving something without meat, something unfussy and plain. And while Britain is not known for its culinary prowess, there’s something appealing about this humble …
Real kishke is delicious. But no one wants to deal with cleaning an intestine to use as a casing. Instead, the modern cook gets creative and improvises a casing. Some use a cooking bag, others use aluminum foil, and then there are those of us who make do with parchment paper. None of them match …
Here are some tips on how to freeze food. Always cool food off completely before freezing. Double wrap baked goods before freezing. Wrap items airtight in plastic wrap, and then wrap them a second time in aluminum foil. To thaw: thaw at room temperature while still double-wrapped. Mark foods you’ve wrapped for freezing, to indicate …
Sautéed mushrooms can change an entire dish. From time to time, this simple kitchen staple can even save a dish on the brink of ruination. Take this past Shabbos: my family loves rare roast beef. But when you reheat it on the hotplate it loses its ruddy color and turns into undercooked (read: tough) pot …
It’s summer, and we just don’t want to eat anything hot and heavy. Also, the kids are home and we need something to occupy them. These meatless dolma are the perfect solution. The kids will have a blast helping you make and fill the grape leaves. Turn the occasion into a family affair! By the …
Now is when we finally get those beautiful, summer-ripened tomatoes. That is when we can rejoice in the flavor of a truly remarkable ingredient that is at its peak. And we need something like that in the summer heat. A salad like this matbucha just perks up your taste buds. Great with challah at the …