My thoughts on Jewish food.
We know that vegetables are important, but we can get awfully sick of eating the same dull veggies, week in and week out. One way to tempt jaded palates is with a flavorful, crunchy garnish. Crispy shallot rings are the perfect addition to green beans or salads, and well, just about any savory dish. Try …
Chickpeas are a traditional treat to serve at a Shalom Zachor, a sweet little party given in honor of the birth of a baby boy, held the first Friday night after the birth, with or without the guest of honor. Sumac, a Middle Eastern spice unrelated to the poisonous plant, offers an herbal piquancy to …
The immersion blender is possibly the cook’s best friend, allowing you to churn a chunky soup into a creamy blend in seconds, without any need to transfer, by small increments, hot liquids to a machine. You just stick the wand into your pot and voilà, you’ve got cream of whatever. Our favorite “whatever” of late …
Shashuka is a full-flavored Mediterranean poached egg dish. You make a quick sauce with tomatoes, peppers, onions, and garlic, with lots of olive oil, of course. Then you poach the eggs right in the skillet, just before serving. Marvelous with good bread to mop up that amazing sauce. You don’t need anything else. Easy Shakshuka …
Now that winter is really here, our thoughts turn to comfort food to warm both hearts and bellies. This chocolate applesauce cake fits the bill, with or without the luscious chocolate icing. A great cake to snack on during a short winter Shabbat afternoon, or any time at all! Make it parve or milchig, depending …
If you’ve been following this column, low-carb is a thing for me. This makes Chanuka a challenge. But I think I’ve solved it with these awesome zucchini fritters. I made potato latkes for the rest of the family and these babies for me, and everyone was gobbling MY zucchini fritters. They’re that good. Note that …
Our Meyer lemon tree produced a bumper crop this year. There was no worrying about having too many of the bright-smelling precious yellow globes. There are never enough lemons in our home and they keep refrigerated for a good long time, besides. Some of them we turned into preserved or pickled lemons, but we naturally …
Easy Crispy Chicken Wings are the kind of thing you make on days you really don’t feel like cooking. You just shake the jointed chicken wings in a bag of seasoned flour, spray with cooking spray, and stick ‘em in the oven for half an hour. And the bonus is that no one will know …
Cholent, that rib-sticking Jewish Sabbath stew with its beef, barley, and beans, and overnight cooking, is the central focus of an old joke. A priest complains to a rabbi about his incessant insomnia. The rabbi says, “I have the perfect remedy: cholent. Eat it and you’ll sleep like a baby!” The rabbi gives the priest …
One of my children has remarked that one only likes matzoh balls the way that Mom makes ‘em. That is to say, if Mom makes sinkers, you like sinkers. If Mom made ‘em light as a cloud, that’s bound to be your preference. This is a marital conflict in the making. Because you’re making matzoh …