Is that my buréka?

oznei haman — the sefardi way

2009-03-03T12:14:00.021-05:00

the holiday of purim is probably one of the best of the jewish holidays in that it is filled with loads of sweets and pastries. people will spend hours baking and prepare elaborate gift baskets for family, friends and neighbours which we call mishlo'ach man'ot. it is a considered a very happy occasion, one which children remember fondly once they are grown.

one vivid memory i have is related to this recipe and the one i posted for hamantaschen. first off, one needs to know that many of the pastries and breads (especially sefardi ones) have something in particular to do with the evil haman, the archenemy of the jews in the purim story which took place in ancient persia. to keep this in memory throughout the generations, these foods have been likened to certain body parts (hair, ears & eyes usually) and clothing (pockets & hat) of this evil character.

as we all know, some foods go by different names in different locales and much depends upon what you've grown up with or your community adopts. such is the case with one of the most well known items eaten on this holiday and the beginning of my small, somewhat amusing story/memory .....

first off, a short language lesson:

in hebrew -

[one] ear = o'zen
[two] ears = oze'nigh'eem
the ears of = oze'nay ..... (e.g. oznei haman - the ears of haman)

in spanish -

hojuelas = small leaves (leaflets)
[one] ear = oreja; [2 or more] ears = orejas

in my house, the pastries you see below were called by two names - oznei haman or hojuelas d'haman. hojuelas, or small leaves, seemed to be the more formal spanish name. they often were just called orejas (literally ears). they really looked like ears and always amused us as children .... ears never tasted so good, especially when covered with icing sugar! little leaves just didn't seem to have the same intrigue.

back to the story:

purim = holiday where people dress up in costumes, listen to story of purim (at synagogues & schools), make noise, eat tons of food, adults drink, kids get "high" on candy (LOL) at costume/masquerade parties. festival type atmosphere where kids play carnival type games, win prizes ..... complete frenzy and madness.

*****

setting: grade one - 1st year at hebrew school several days before the holiday
the characters: BB (me), classmates, my parents and morah malka (the hebrew teacher)

act I: waiting for teacher to arrive

classmates - yay, it's almost purim!!
BB - can't wait! (thinking of big party and lots of candy :)) )
classmates - BB, what are you wearing?!?
BB - not telling! it's a surprise :)

act II: (our teacher Malka arrives)

morah malka - ok, children settle down!
(classmates) - laughing, playing .... not listening (typical)
morah malka - yeladim, bevakasha - sheket akhshav (children, please, quiet now!)
(classmates) - still laughing, chasing eachother
morah malka - (face is red) -- YELADIM!!! AMARTI SHEKET!! (children, i said QUIET!)
(classmates) - freeze on the spot and sit down ....

act III: the lesson

morah malka - blah, blah, blah -- explaining about purim story again
classmates - listening intently amused by story (BB not listening, looking at ceiling has heard story 5 million times)
morah malka - mah okhlim b'hag hazeh, yeladim?? (what do we eat on this holiday children?)
classmates - candy!!!
morah malka - mah od? (what else?) BB? ma od okhlim? (BB what else do we eat?)
BB - uhhhh ..... oznei haman!!
morah malka - metzuyan, BB! (excellent, BB) - go and draw oznei haman on the blackboard.
BB - goes to draw oznei haman on the board
morah malka - BB, mah zeh?!? (BB, what is that?)
BB - oznei haman!
morah malka - zeh lo oznei haman - atah lo makshiv l'shiurim! (that's not oznei haman, you don't listen to the lessons, do you?)
BB - yes, it is!
morah malka - NO, it's not. shev! (sit down)
BB - NO!
morah malka - {evil teacher eyes looking at BB} i SAID, sit down, now!
BB - (sits down, crosses his arms and stares back at teacher thinking teacher has flipped out and is crazy)
morah malka - (picks another student to draw oznei haman)
BB - stares at kid drawing oznei haman on board
morah malka - yaff'eh me'od! (beautiful). you see, BB, THAT IS oznei haman!
BB - no, it's NOT! it's hamantaschen!!
morah malka - b'deey'uk - oznei haman, hamantaschen, otoh ha'dvar (right! exactly the same thing!)
BB - NO! not the same (mutters to himself - esa morah no sabe nada! that teacher doesn't know anything).
morah malka - mah amarta? (what did you say?)
BB - i said you don't know anything.
morah malka - {BIG evil eyes giving 'you're SO in trouble' stares} ok, we'll see.
BB - (gulp)

act IV: the parents at home later that evening

parents - so, BB, what happened at hebrew school?
BB - huh? what do you mean? umm..... nothing.
parents - really? {they don't tell me she called home to tell them i was rude}
BB - (smiles) she's crazy! she doesn't know what haman's ears look like - she thinks they're triangles.
parents - (both burst out laughing)
BB- what's so funny??!!! (nearly crying)
parents - nothing
BB - esa mora es una loca (that teacher is a nut). i'm NOT going back.
parents - no, she's just ashkenazi ..... AND you ARE going back.

***parents explain how she never heard about what OUR sefardi oznei haman looked like and that what i know as hamantaschen are also oznei haman amongst the ashkenazi - funny, i didn't find it as amusing as my parents did at the time (LOL) ***

act V: back at hebrew school on party day

parents (to morah malka) - BB has something special for you
morah malka - oh, really? what is it??
BB - (dressed in his pirate's outfit opens up a box) oznei haman!! OUR oznei haman!

the end!

morah malka enjoyed haman's ears tremendously and has probably never forgotten about me either (hehehe).

* * * * * * * * *

hojuelas (orejas/oznei) d'haman
haman's ears

irresistibly good, these deep-fried ear-shaped pastries are the sefardi version of the ashkenazi hamanataschen (both called oznei haman!). this recipe is always prepared in abundant amounts as they are eaten up very quickly; once you try them, you'll see why.

the following recipe is just a sample amount. it has been scaled down to try for those who have never made them before. i suggest doubling the recipe which will yield enough for about 5 to 6 people.

ingredients:

(double the amounts to make a 'standard' sized recipe) **you don't need to double oil for frying if increasing recipe**

1 egg
1 - 1 1/2 tsp orange flower water or 1 tsp lemon juice
2 tsp olive oil (NOT extra virgin!)

1 c all purpose flour
2 tsp cornstarch (maizena)
1/8 tsp salt
2 1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder, slightly heaped

oil for frying — we use regular olive oil; you can use vegetable oil also (~ 3 1/2 -4 c)

method:

in a bowl, place the egg, oil and orange flower water (or vanilla) and stir well.

in another bowl, mix together the dry ingredients. add this mixture to the wet one and make a soft dough.

knead this dough for a few minutes and let it sit, covered, for about 1 - 2 hours. it is much like a pasta dough and must sit, well covered, for it to soften up. this will make it easier to roll out.

if you are doing this by hand, cut the dough in half and roll out the dough on a very well floured surface as thinly as you can get it. it will take you a while to do this as it is a more difficult dough to roll thinly.

i use a pasta machine which is the best way to do this. pass the dough through the machine on the widest setting 3 times and then repeat with increasingly smaller settings until you get a very thin sheet of dough.

place the dough on a flat surface and cut out circles (we use a 3 inch cutter). important: do not try to re-roll the scraps — keep them aside and cut them up if they are large and fry them after you have done all the hojuelas (keep them covered so they don't dry out). these are usually given to the kids or eaten as snacks and not served or given to guests.

cut the circles in half with a sharp knife.

take one half and, just a bit lower than the midpoint, pinch the pastry together.

it should look like an ear shape. place these on a plate and heat your oil over medium-low heat while you are doing this. KEEP AN EYE ON YOUR OIL and judge accordingly (as to your timing of heating the oil).

it is very important that your oil be at the right temperature —> if it is too low the hojuelas will not puff up properly and if it is too high, they will burn. you will need to fry one or two first to see and adjust the temperature if needed. remember also, the temperature will initially drop as you fry them and then rise again.

once they are a medium golden brown, carefully remove them and drain the pastries on paper towel.

once cool, dust them with powdered sugar. these keep well for a good 2 weeks (i doubt you'll have any left to keep around!!).

enjoy!

hooray for hamantaschen!

2009-03-02T19:35:00.001-05:00

hamantaschen, or ohz'ney ha'man, as they are called in hebrew, are the typical ashkenazi cookie (pastries) eaten during the celebration of purim. as with almost all recipes, there are many variations on the same theme however the one thing which remains the same for this cookie is its shape — it is always triangular. this shape is supposedly reminiscent of the the hat the evil character haman wore. the other meaning, from yiddish, directly translates as haman's pockets (not hat).

there are basically 3 types of doughs used to make these much loved pastries: a yeasted type, a cookie version and a more delicate pastry one. all are good. much is based on personal taste for texture.

the fillings for hamantaschen are traditionally a poppy seed one or a fruit based one — most often of dried plums (prunes) sometimes mixed with raisins. there are a variety of different fillings these days based on the inventiveness of the cook and availability of ingredients. i typically stick with the basic ones and, if rushed for time, will use store-bought preserves as do many people.

most usually, the doughs are made parve (no animal or dairy products) so that they can be eaten at the se'udot — or festive meals — where meat is often on the menu.

the following are standard recipes i use. they are simple to make and yield excellent results. hamantaschen can be made ahead of schedule and frozen to save on time or to keep some aside for later.

i prepare the fillings and doughs the night/day before and then just roll out the dough and bake the cookies the next day. it is a great time saver.

the three doughs

yeasted dough

this is a more complicated dough only insomuch that it requires time for the dough to proof due to the inclusion of yeast. not everyone is comfortable with yeasted doughs. no worries, it's quite easy to work. this is a dairy version.

ingredients:

2 1/2 tsp dry yeast
1 tsp sugar
1/2 c milk or water OR 1/4 c milk + 1/4 c water

2 large eggs
1/2 c oil (or melted butter or margarine)
1/2 c sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 c yogurt(not low fat kind) or sour cream
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

enough flour to make a nice dough ~ 4 to 4 1/2 c all purpose flour

method:

heat the liquid until quite warm (you should be able to keep your finger it in without it burning).

add the 1 tsp sugar and stir to dissolve. add the yeast and stir and let proof for 15 minutes.

once proved, stir the yeast mixture. place this in a large bowl and add the oil or melted butter/margarine & the rest of the ingredients EXCEPT the flour.

mix the ingredients well and add the flour. work the mixture either in a heavy duty type mixer or by hand (kneading). it should have a consistency like that of a soft (bread) dough.

place the dough in a very lightly greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap and let it prove for about 3 hours. you can put it in the fridge and let it prove overnight (easier way!) also.

roll out the dough to 1/8 - 1/4 inch thick and cut circles. fill the circles as usual and form the hamantaschen the usual way (see below).

place the filled hamantaschen on a baking sheet and loosely cover the tray and let the pastries double in size - remember, it is a yeasted dough. this will take about 1 to 1.5 hrs but it will depend upon the temperature of your kitchen.

after 1 hr, heat your oven to 375F. bake them for approximately 25 to 30 minutes. they should be golden brown.

cookie type dough

this is a great recipe which gives an irresistable cookie dough in the raw state! try not to eat it all up before you make your hamantaschen :)) the only thing to remember about this dough is that it will be very soft once you finish making it. it requires FULL CHILLING (overnight or at least 8 hrs) but is instantly ready to roll out from the fridge. i suggest rolling half and keeping the remainder in the fridge until needed. make sure to use a well floured surface and to flour (and keep flouring) the top of the dough well as you roll it out.

ingredients:

1/2 c margarine
1 c sugar
1 egg
2 c flour
2 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
2 tbsp orange juice
1 tsp vanilla extract or pkg vanilla sugar

method:

in a separate bowl, blend the dry ingredients together and set aside.

in another bowl, cream butter with sugar for several minutes until light.

add egg and blend well.

add vanilla and orange juice and mix again.

add the flour mixture and blend until you get a dough.

cover and chill overnight until ready to bake. (see below for rest of recipe).

this cookie dough bakes at 375F for approx. 12-15 min. depending on the pastry size. adjust accordingly.

pastry type dough

a "dairy" type dough based on cream cheese, this yields a more pastry like product. it has few ingredients and is quick to make.

ingredients:

1/2 lb (appr 250 g) cream cheese
1/2 lb (appr 250 g) butter
1/4 - 1/3 c icing sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 c all purpose flour (a little more if necessary)

method:

cream the butter and cream cheese once at room temperature. add the vanilla and icing sugar and mix well. blend in the flour until you get a dough. don't overwork it.

let the dough chill overnight or all day long in the fridge. roll the dough out on a floured surface to about 1/4 inch thick. cut circles and fill as usual. these bake about 12 minutes at 400 F.

the two classic fillings

poppy seed filling

ingredients:

1 1/4 c poppy seeds
1/2 c milk or soymilk or water
1/2 c honey
1 tbsp margarine or butter
2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp vanilla

method:

in a coffee grinder or similar appliance, grind the poppy seeds to a powder. transfer to a bowl. they MUST be ground

in a small pot, place the rest of the ingredients along with the poppy seeds and cook on medium heat for about 10 minutes until thickened.

place in a bowl and let cool.

prune & walnut filling

a classic and simple filling to make, this tart one compliments the sweet dough which envelops it. note that some prune fillings are not (briefly) cooked. this one is and MUST be to achieve the proper texture and flavour.

if you don't want to, or cannot, use nuts then substitute with about 1/2 c of golden raisins and soak them along with the prunes.

ingredients:

1 pkg pitted prunes (375 g)
boiling water, to cover fruit

2 to 3 tbsp sugar
1 - 2 tbsp honey
1/2 lemon, juiced

1 c coarsely chopped walnuts

method:

the night before, or in the early morning, place the prunes in a bowl. add boiling water to cover. let sit overnight so the fruit will rehydrate.

the next day or later that evening, drain the liquid (you can keep this to drink or for another purpose - or you can discard it).

place the well drained fruit in a food processor and grind it until pureed. add the sugar, honey and lemon juice. taste and adjust.

transfer to a bowl.

in a wide pan (non stick fry pan is best), toast the walnuts over medium heat for a few minutes. set aside.

turn up the heat to medium high and add the prune paste. cook this for about 4 to 5 minutes until it had reduced a bit and the colour changes to almost black. don't do it for too long and keep stirring as you cook it. you don't want the bottom to scorch.

place this mixture back in your bowl and add the toasted walnuts. mix well and let cool.

how to form your hamantaschen:

roll out the dough to 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick on a well floured surface. the thickness will depend on the type of dough you are using and how thick you like your finished pastry. you'll have to experiment with one or two to see what works best for you.

take a round cutter or empty tin and cut circles. they can be the size you like however remember the cooking times will change; the smaller the circle, the quicker it will cook.

i find it easiest to roll out the dough and cut all the circles and transfer them to the baking surface and fill and form them directly on that surface. again, do what works best for you.

the basic procedure is as follows:

place a teaspoon or more of filling in the center of the pastry circle. it will depend on the size of circle you cut. do not OVERFILL.

bring two edges up to meet and gently pinch them together. if you are using a yeasted type dough, you may need some liquid to help seal them. usually, it is not necessary with other types of doughs, like the cookie or pastry ones.

bring up the last edge to make a tri-cornered shape leaving the center open. you must be able to see the filling.

bake according to the directions of your dough recipe. each dough takes different temperatures and times. usually, the standard is 350 - 375 F for 12 to 15 minutes.

once they are lightly golden brown, remove from the oven and let cool.

enjoy!

wishes for 2009

2009-01-05T18:09:00.008-05:00

first off,

Happy New Year!

A year of prosperity, good health and happiness —

May 2009 be a year of new beginnings
& more peaceful times worldwide.

(thankful i don't have to deal with this <בעברית>as do some of my friends (b'ivrit kahn))

as for myself, i hope my blog will be more productive this coming year than it has for 2008. looking at the number of posts, one would think i've been slacking off! unfortunately, life has gotten in the way and kept me far too busy in other areas. i promise to do better this year (famous last words!). for those of you who do follow my blog, many thanks for checking back and apologies for the [recent] lack of content.

i do have lots to add so keep checking back or add my blog to an aggregate reader for updates.

in the mean time, here are a few links to check out .....

often i get questions from people who don't live in north america. our measures for ingredients are different and it is not always easy to convert amounts. for staple items, i like to use a particular site - it has converters for items like butter, flours and sugar. it also has converters for things like semolina & rice flour. check the righthand side bar. it will also convert volume and weight for anything in general.
if you like to keep your recipes in order on your computer and are somewhat familiar with DOS, you can download (for free) the mealmaster program. it does take a bit of playing around with in order to familiarize yourself with it but there is also a PDF user's manual to help. it's a good program. apart from adding your own recipes, you can check here for a TON of recipes you can import into the program. if you do a search there are other sites too that have things in the MM format.
for people who like fun sites and enjoy making things 'n learning , check out instructables. hours of entertainment :)
great recipes for baked good here. you can also order a catalogue from them or order online — they have the best quality flours, etc.
since it's winter, try this or this!

enjoy!

..... and on the first night

2008-12-21T20:41:00.021-05:00

with hanukkah now upon us, tonight being the first of the 8 nights of the celebration, there is no better way to start things than with something sweet.

this is one holiday where counting your calories will have to be put on the backburner — most foods traditionally eaten for this celebration are fried in oil or prepared with it. while it doesn't have to make up the bulk of what you are eating during the week, you can't fully enjoy this festival of lights without partaking in some of 'the good stuff'.

one of the best things which are enjoyed at this time of the year — from the sefardic side — are golden billowy fritters, called bimuelos. crisp on the outside and soft on the inside, these delicious and addictive fried irregular shapes of dough are glazed with a honey (or sugar) syrup and, as we do it, sprinkled with powdered sugar and cinnamon.

the following recipe comes from my family and is very simple to make. like many sefardi recipes, it is based on the measurements of a drinking glass, wine glass or teacup, in this case a turkish teacup called 'la kupa' which equals 1/2 c or 4 oz. the recipe makes enough for three to four people (approx. 10 to 12 fritters) and is easily doubled or tripled. people tend to eat many of these so you will have to decide based on your crowd.

these bimuelos can also be made two ways: the first is the fritter (free form) way that is dropped from a spoon into the hot oil or as a type of 'doughnut' in which case the amount of flour in the recipe needs to be increased. first time makers of these fritters may want to start off with the dropped version as it is easiest.

note: this recipe is vegetarian/vegan - no eggs involved. if you are vegan, then make a sugar syrup instead of using honey (see lokma lessons).

happy hanukkah!
חג שמח
joyeuse fête des lumières!

bimuelos de hanuka

makes 10 to 12 fritters

ingredients:

1/2 c (+ 1 heaped tbsp) AP flour
1/2 tsp INSTANT yeast*
1/2 - 1 tsp sugar (i recommend 1 tsp)
good pinch of salt
1/2 c warm water
2 tsp light olive oil
grated orange zest, optional

1/3 c honey
1 - 2 tbsp water
1/4 tsp orange flower water (optional)

powdered sugar
cinnamon

*i use SAF INSTANT yeast which can be mixed directly with the flour. if you don't have it, use regular or rapid rise —> proof these types of yeast in the warm water with the sugar first and THEN add the salt, oil and the flour.

TO MAKE DONUT SHAPED ONES: increase flour to 2/3 c (you may need a little more ~ 1 to 2 tbsp). the final mixture should be slightly thicker than the above fritter one. remember the mixture will be kind of 'gloppy' once proved which is what you want but still hold a shape. see below for how to form donut shapes.

method:

make your syrup first:

in a bowl for microwave, or small pan, place the honey and water in it. stir to mix. heat it until it is hot and then add the orange flower water, if using. set this aside for later.

now make your bimuelos:

in a bowl, place flour, sugar, instant yeast and salt and mix it together. otherwise proof regular yeast first in warm water with sugar and then add the flour. if using orange zest add it also.

add the warm water to the mixture and stir well with a whisk. add the olive oil. make sure there are no lumps. the mixture will be loose and somewhat watery (unless you are making donut type bimuelos).

place plastic wrap over the bowl and put in the oven with the pilot light on. you may want to warm your oven at 150F first for 1 minute.

let the mixture proof for about 60 minutes. it should be very bubbly and have risen.

take a spoon and mix the batter. you will notice the texture is somewhat like wallpaper paste! that is what you want.

heat your oil over medium heat for about 10 minutes. make sure it is hot but NOT smoking hot. if the oil is too hot or too cold, the bimuelos will be either burned or greasy and uncooked in the centers. drop a small amount of batter in the oil and see if it immediately floats and sizzles with bubbles around the dough. if it does, then proceed.

always only test one bimuelo first to check your oil.

drop the batter by tablespoon into the hot oil. it will immediately puff up. bubbles will form on the top.

wait until the top looks cooked and is not raw before turning it. if the heat is too high, remove the pan to another burner and lower your heat a little and continue frying.

turn the bimuelos over and fry both sides til golden brown.

IF MAKING DONUT shaped bimuelos, either oil your hands well or wet them with water but shake off the water. you want moist, not wet, hands. place a tablespoon or two of batter in the center of your palm and then press a hole in the middle of the dough and open it up a bit. carefully place the bimuelo in the oil. DO NOT DROP IT or you will be splattered with oil.

with a slotted spoon, remove them to a platter or cookie sheet which is well lined with paper towel. let them drain while you continue to fry the rest of the fritters.

when serving, either dip the bimuelos in the honey syrup or drizzle it over them on a platter.

optional: sprinkle powdered sugar and cinnamon over them before eating. they're really best this way! :))

ADVANCE PREPARATION TIP: while i don't recommend it, you can make these earlier in the day, frying them and storing for serving later. place them in a 350F oven on a cookie sheet. glaze them before serving. i don't recommend it simply because these are at their best served just after you make them; it is, however, still possible to do. if you are making them ahead of time, underfry them a little and finish them off when reheating in the oven.

enjoy!

madeleine, je t'aime!

2008-11-24T11:39:00.008-05:00

some things in life are just worth the calories and these classic little shell shaped cakes from france are definitely one of them. ummm, let me restate that — this recipe definitely makes them worth it.

as we all know, not all recipes are created equally. having tried/tested quite a few versions over the years, this one (from baker florence edelmann), is really one of the best. madeleines can be of a very light and spongy (génoise) variety or a slightly heavier, almost poundcake type, one. these fit the latter description however there are purists who will say they should be of the former texture. that is up for debate.

as génoise recipes are fussy and can be difficult for the average baker, this is a good alternative. note that a génoise does not use baking powder but only the eggs itself as a leavener. this recipe includes a leavening agent in addition to the eggs. there are, however, many variations of madeleine recipes. you should also plan ahead for this recipe as you need to chill the dough overnight. trust me though, it's all well worth your effort .... after trying these, you won't say no to them — in fact, you won't be able to stop with just a single one.

these small cakes, best eaten the same day they are made, should be sweet, light and buttery (not to mention memorable). these ones are all that and more. the only drawback is that you must use a madeleine pan which come in two sizes: the regular size (large) and the mini (about the size of half your thumb). i recommend buying the standard sized pan. you may want to invest in a non-stick one. i have the regular kind which must be well buttered and floured (an essential step).

whichever type of pan you end up buying, fill them up with this cake batter and watch some really wonderful french pâtisserie come out of your oven :)

madeleines classiques

it is best to make the mixture the night before and let it chill in the refrigerator until the next day. you can, in a pinch, use it right away. the dough can also be kept until the day after, if not baking all the madeleines that same day.

makes ~ 24 +

ingredients:

2 eggs
3/4 c - 1 tbsp (150g) sugar
1 pkg (2 tsp) vanilla sugar
8 tbsp butter (1/2 c) = 125 g, at room temperature
1 c + 2 tbsp (150 g) AP flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
1 - 2 tsp finely grated lemon zest (optional)

1 tbsp dark processed cocoa (for 1/2 the dough; double it for all chocolate)

method:

place the eggs, sugar and vanilla sugar in a medium sized bowl.

in another bowl, mix the flour, salt and baking powder together. set this aside.

divide the butter into 3 equal portions and set aside. make sure it is at room temperature before blending it in (see following).

with an electric beater, beat the eggs and sugars for about 4 to 5 minutes until it is pale yellow and very thick. this is very important (1 to 2 minutes of beating will not suffice); the idea is to have the sugar melt completely & incorporate enough air so as to form a very thick mixture.

once the eggs and sugar have been mixed, add the butter and flour in 3 separate additions, beating well each time.

after the butter and flour has been added, decide how you want to flavour the batter.

you can have it all vanilla (add the lemon zest, if wanted) or make a half batch of chocolate or all chocolate.

if making a chocolate batter, you'll need to sift the cocoa very well first into another bowl. either take half the batter (or all of it - double the amount of cocoa (2 tbsp) here) and blend it with the cocoa.

take note: the chocolate madeleines do not release as well as the plain vanilla so take extra care to flour your pan very well.

at this point, refrigerate the dough overnight or for several hours (overnight is best).

before baking, set your oven to 375 F (170C).

remove the cake batter from the refrigerator; it will have solidified. this is correct. well butter your madeleine pan(s) and flour them.

using a tablespoon, measure out enough batter for each and place it in the center of the madeleines.

you may need about 1 tbsp and 1/4 tbsp more for the chocolate batter. it seems to require a little more than the plain vanilla.

bake for about 10 minutes or until the edges start to brown.

remove and LET COOL COMPLETELY. with a butterknife, carefully pluck each madeleine out. the chocolate ones tend to be fussy so proceed carefully in extracting them.

enjoy with a nice espresso or cup of strong tea!

recipe revisited — quick black bean soup

2008-11-18T17:03:00.003-05:00

the following recipe is perhaps one of the tastiest, not to mention quickest and easiest, soups you'll ever make. i posted the recipe for it here, along with two others, quite some time ago but never posted any pictures to go with it. i was prompted to revisit the recipe when i saw it published yet again recently in our daily newspaper. the best part about the recipe is that it uses canned ingredients in order to make it a 'no fuss' recipe — all you need are cans of diced tomatoes, black beans and corn.

with winter well on its way - soups are probably on the minds of many people. this one is full of flavour and healthy, not to mention having almost no bad things (fat!) in it. it is also vegetarian and vegan. of course, you could always throw in some ground turkey at the beginning of the recipe to give it some more protein.

as a note to the recipe, the chili powder used in this recipe is the kind which is sold here in the supermarkets. in other words, it is on the milder side and is a mixture of cumin, coriander, paprika, red chilis, salt & pepper. it is more of a mexican / southwestern type of mixture and NOT an indian one. i add some red pepper flakes to make it a bit hotter but much depends on how hot your mixture is and how picant you like your food.

served with some fresh corn tortillas and guacamole, it makes for a nice and easy lunch or dinner.

quick black bean soup

makes 8 to 10 servings

recipe by anne lindsay

ingredients:

2 tsp olive oil
2 onions, chopped
2 tsp mild chilli powder, or to taste
pinch hot red pepper flakes
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes (or use whole tomatoes & pulse in food processor)
2 c vegetable [or chicken] stock or (2 tbsp stock powder + 2 c water)
1 19 oz can black beans, drained & rinsed
1 1/2 c corn, canned, frozen or fresh
3 tbsp packed, coarsely chopped coriander

salt and sugar, to taste

method:

in a large pot, heat oil over med. heat and cook onions chilli powder and red pepper flakes for 5 to 8 minutes.

add the rest of the ingredients, bring to a boil and lower heat to med-low and cook, covered, for 20 to 30 minutes.

you can puree 2 cups and return it to soup if you want a thicker soup.

stir in the coriander. add salt and sugar to taste & serve.

enjoy!

counterparts — sweet roskitas (ka'ak)

2008-10-26T12:01:00.016-04:00

the following sweet little rounds, roskitas dulses [or just biskotchos] as i know them, are a common sight in many sefardi homes, served at many an occasion or kept in a cookie tin just to have on hand for everyday eating. also known as sweet ka'ak or bracelets (in arabic), they are commonly found in middle eastern countries. they are also the counterpart to their savoury version which is also very popular.

while terribly easy to make, this recipe takes a little planning in terms of timing and you NEED to read through the whole recipe before starting. i also say that because you have to decide which flavouring you want (to see if you have the ingredients on hand!). these roskitas are very commonly made with anise which is a favoured taste by many people.

the dough for these particular cookies is different from standard cookie doughs in that it needs a full (8 to 10 hour) chilling in order to be workable and will seem a little strange at first in that it will feel a little loose compared to a regular dough. no worries, it works perfectly :) just follow the instructions below and you'll have great cookies. also, don't overcrowd them as they expand while they bake.

happy baking!

roskitas dulses (sweet ka'ak)
sweet sesame rings

makes approx 24 cookies

ingredients:

wet —

2 eggs
1/2 c sugar
1 pkg vanilla sugar (2 - 3 tsp)

1/2 c oil (light olive or vegetable)

dry —

2 c flour (AP)
1/8 tsp salt, heaped
2 1/2 tsp cornstarch ("maizena")
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda

flavourings —

2 - 3 tsp mazaher (orange flower water) or raki*
1/2 tsp vanilla extract IF you didn't add vanilla sugar

*if using raki, add 1 1/2 - 2 tsp anise (seeds) & omit vanilla

3 - 4 tbsp medium coarsely chopped pistachio nuts (green part only) - optional - this was added if they were made with orange flower water & not anise.

coating —

~ 1/2 c sesame seeds (you can also add 1/4 c coarse crystal sugar)

method:

in one bowl, mix the dry ingredients together and set aside.

in another medium sized bowl, mix the eggs & regular and vanilla sugar together. it is best to do this with a electric beater.

add the oil and beat again for a minute or two. it will take on a consistency of lemon pudding.

now add the flour in two or three portions and mix it until it is like a thick paste.

put it (covered) in the fridge overnight or in the early morning and make the cookies in the evening. you cannot skip this step or speed it up. remember: it won't look like a regular cookie dough you are used to seeing.

the next day or later that evening:

preheat oven to 325 F.

take 1/2 c sesame seeds and put them on a plate.

take 1 level tablespoon of dough and roll it out into a "finger" about 4 inches long. put the ends together (they will fuse when they bake) but make sure they are closed (i.e. sticking together). now dip one side into the sesame seeds and place it on your baking tray. i always use parchment paper.

make sure to leave space in between because they will expand!! the best way to do this is measure out 12 pieces and put the other half of the dough back in the fridge. also, if you oil your hands, it is easier but i never do it. as long as the dough is cold, it works well.

bake the cookies for only 18 to 20 minutes. they should only be very lightly browned. remove them and bake the next batch.

now put the oven to its lowest temperature (~ 150F) and bake them for another 20 minutes.

remove from the oven and let cool completely. they should be "duro" (crisp) - but light and crunchy!! these store well for several weeks in a tightly covered cookie jar or in a ziploc.

enjoy!

partners in crime

2008-10-16T20:13:00.009-04:00

the following "staple" dish was served at home, always usually on a sunday night, to go with bulgur pilav .... and for good reason: they go together excellently. of course, it can be partnered with rice or orzo pilav just as nicely, and alongside a salad, it makes for a nice light meal.

the recipe, written on a very old yellowed card by some relative, was like many (sephardic) recipes — totally unclear about the measurements. much of the time you'd see just the name of the ingredient(s) and it was kind of assumed you knew what to do unless, of course, there was something specific or special about what you were making. over the years, however, this one was deciphered and resulted in the following.

hope you like it — simple, uncomplicated and always good!

berenjena kon kyma (karne)
eggplant with ground beef

serves 3 - 4 people, easily doubled or tripled if wanted

ingredients:

1 medium eggplant
150 g (a little more than 1/4 lb) ground beef
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium tomato, diced
6 tbsp olive oil

1/2 tsp (approx) salt
1/8 tsp black pepper (or more) - hot red pepper flakes, too, if you like spicy
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp pomegranate syrup*
1 tsp red pepper paste, if wanted
3 tbsp fresh chopped parsley

1 "kupa"/turkish tea cup = 1/2 c water

3 tbsp fried pinenuts & extra chopped parsley for garnish, if wanted

*if desperate or you can't get it, substitute 1/2 tsp molasses + 1/2 tsp lemon juice; it's not the same thing but close enough. try to use pomegranate syrup!

method:

prepare the eggplant —

wash and dry your eggplant. then take a sharp paring knife and, beginning from the bottom end to the stem end, remove a 1/2 inch strip of skin. don't cut too deeply. repeat this every inch or so until you have a striped pattern.

cut the eggplant in approximately 1 inch slices (rounds).

place the eggplants in a wide bowl and sprinkle a lot of salt on them, on each side. cover with cool water and let sit for about 45 minutes.

after 45 minutes, rinse under water and squeeze them dry. repeat and place on a plate with paper towel.

fry the eggplant —

heat a [cast iron] fry pan (if you have one, it's the best way) over medium heat for about 5 minutes. add 2 tbsp oil and fry the eggplant on one side until it is browned. don't burn it. turn them over and add another 2 tbsp oil (or brush the oil on top of the eggplant rounds) and fry until the other side is browned.

place these on a plate and set aside to cool.

make the meat layer —

in the same pan, over medium heat, add another 2 tbsp oil and fry the onion until it is almost browned. add the garlic and fry for another 2 to 3 minutes.

add the meat and fry it for about 10 minutes or until it is cooked.

add the diced tomato and fry the mixture for 5 minutes.

add the spices and parsley and cook it for about 1 minute.

remove from the heat and let it cool a bit while you put the dish together.

assembling your layers —

in a pot with a lid that can accommodate ONE LAYER of the cooked eggplant, place the slices side by side.

add the meat layer on top of the eggplant layer and deglaze your pan.

take 1/2 c of water and place it in the fry pan you cooked the meat in. heat it up and stir it to release the flavours of what you just fried. important: if you burned anything, then just add the water straight to the finished layered dish; don't deglaze your pan or the final dish will not taste good.

add the deglazed liquid to the eggplant and meat layers.

cover the pot with its lid and cook the mixture for 30 minutes over medium low heat or until all the liquid has been absorbed. if you have a little liquid, that is okay.

once cooked, the top of it won't look so nice but once you serve it out, it will look fine :)

serve the finished dish with bulgur pilav or rice or orzo pilav. garnish with fried pine nuts and finely chopped parsley, if wanted.

enjoy!

more about bulgur (wheat)

2008-10-16T19:04:00.002-04:00

.....forgot to add a link to my last posting.

to see the (comparative) differences in sizes and colours — and types— of bulgur wheat, look here.

the other side of rice

2008-10-12T14:15:00.035-04:00

unless you have grown up with it as part of the food your family ate, bulgur — not "cracked wheat" with which it is often confused — is most probably one of those food items you are not too familiar with. these days, however, it is becoming as popular as other commonly consumed grains like rice.

bulgur wheat can be used in a myriad of ways to produce many delicious recipes and has a very long history with those peoples who have originally used it as a staple. it is a healthy grain and is great for vegetarians and vegans as it can be used for innumerable meatless dishes.

before using bulgur wheat it is important to realize that it comes in different degrees of fineness, from coarse to medium to fine. often, they will be marked with only numbers such as "no#1", continuing with 2, 3 & sometimes 4. ideally, each is used in a specific way for the particular recipe you are making. not all supermarkets carry all the different grinds so you may need to make a trip to a store which specializes in selling items like this. note also that there is a dark kind of bulgur [most common] and a golden one. for the following recipe, you will need the coarse grind (brown or golden).

rice-like once cooked, coarse bulgur wheat is almost always exclusively used to make dolma (stuffed vegetables) and pilavs. here, i am using it the way we ate it at home; an excellent side dish and alternative for rice and couscous, bulgur pilav is very popular and goes well with fish and meat. it is really one of my favourite ways to enjoy bulgur wheat.

if you can make rice, you can make this pilav. you'll also make it again and again!

bulgur pilav

ingredients:

1 c coarse grind bulgur (medium is ok but coarse is best)
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped (optional)
2 tbsp margarine + 2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium sized tomato, chopped OR,
1 tbsp red pepper paste or tomato paste
1 1/2 c stock or water*
salt & pepper as need/wanted

*usually it is a 1:2 ratio of bulgur to water but here you want only 1 1/2 cups so the finished dish will be al dente.

method:

melt the 2 tbsp of margarine in a fry pan or casserole which has a tight fitting lid.

add the chopped onion and fry it over medium heat until it starts to brown. at this point, add the garlic if using.

add the tomato and fry it with the onion (and garlic) for about 5 minutes. stir it every minute or two.

add the stock or water and salt and pepper. if the stock is not salted, or if you are using water, you will need more salt. it is usually around 1/2 tsp salt + 1/8 tsp black pepper. bring this to a boil.

add the 2 tbsp of olive oil and the bulgur wheat and stir. bring it up to a boil again.

turn down the heat to minimum and place the lid on the pan. cook it for about 20/25 minutes as you would for rice.

at the end of the cooking time, remove the lid and check to see all the water has been absorbed. stir the mixture and place the lid back on.

remove the pan from the heat and let it sit for about 15 minutes before serving. it should be al dente and not mushy.

you can either place the bulgur in molds and press it in firmly, unmolding it on your serving plates or just serve as you would for rice.

enjoy!

as we begin 5769 .....

2008-10-08T00:23:00.002-04:00

ayva del corte kipur

2008-10-05T15:19:00.011-04:00

this is a sweet, uniquely sefardi, that we serve to break the fast for Yom Kippur which is 26 hours lonnnnng — an extended and knee-weakening haul where we eat no food, drink no liquids and spend from morning until just after sunset, in synagogue, atoning for our sins of the past year & praying that we our fates for an auspicious and healthy New Year be sealed in the Book of Life.

it's no secret (or joke!) that you want to ~~rip somebody's head off~~ run home immediately following the ne'ilah service, after hearing the final sounds of the shofar, just to get at that first cup of coffee or tea and maybe a few cookies or piece of cake. oops, did i forget to mention the tylenol to fight that "yom kippur headache"?? LOL.

besides the usual honey cake, there is often a sponge cake of some sort with which the following 'dulsé' is served. made from a simple sugar syrup perfumed by a few spices, its main ingredient is the quince. many things can be made from this special scented fruit which is similar to an apple. the difference is the quince cannot be eaten raw (well, it can, but you certainly won't enjoy it!). this fruit is always cooked in some manner, whether it be to make sweets or put in some kind of soup or stewed dish.

the interesting part of this is that, like apples, quince oxidize (turn brown) VERY quickly. while this is not really desirable with an apple, it is the opposite case here — you DO want the quince to turn brown. this browning of the fruit is only a temporary thing because as they cook, they take on a pinkish colour, something you are hoping will happen. if you put them immediately in the syrup, they tend to remain white.

to make this sweet compote, you need at least 36 hours advance preparation as it has to cook and sit overnight. it is refrigerated the next morning and sits there until you break the fast, when it is usually served out of a crystal bowl with a silver spoon. the recipe is made based on ratios - so, you usually have to figure out how many people are going to be arriving and estimate it's about 1/4 of a quince per person. not everyone will eat everything, so ...... make an educated guess. i say that because quince are expensive — here, they usually cost about $2 each, sometimes more. you don't want to make tons and have no one eat it! in any event, it stores well in the fridge for a good week or two.

ayva (bimbriyo) del corte kipur
poached quince in a light syrup

ingredients:

*quince (estimate 1/4 - 1/3 quince per person -- see method for explanation)
sugar
water
cinnamon & cloves
lemon peel

orange flower water or lemon juice, if wanted

*(ayva = membrillo/bimbriyo/quince); make sure to find fruit which is not blemished and soft. the fruit should feel very hard and hopefully have a perfumed scent to it at room temperature.

method:

START THIS RECIPE IN THE EARLY MORNING (OR MID-AFTERNOON) ONLY!!

first make your syrup:

you need a 2:1 ratio - so, i use per quince: 1/2 c sugar to 1/4 c water.

you also need 1/2 stick cinnamon & 1 clove per quince AND strips of lemon peel from 1/2 a large lemon (peel strips lengthwise).

place the sugar, water and spices (not the lemon peel!) in a pan/pot large enough to accomodate the quince.

bring the mixture to a boil and lower the heat. cook it until the sugar dissolves and it is no longer foamy.

set this aside and proceed with the fruit. if you like, you can prepare the fruit and while it is sitting for the hour, make the syrup. it works either way....

prepare the fruit:

carefully wash your quince, removing any of the white fluff still on it and then dry the fruit. place it on a sturdy cutting board. quince is very hard and you have to be careful when cutting it so make sure you have a sharp knife.

after deciding how many quince you need, peel them with a peeler (paring them with a knife takes away too much peel). take a sharp knife and remove the stem and blossom ends.

cut the quince, carefully, in half.

core the quince and keep the cores (but remove the seeds - if there is any mouldy stuff near the seeds, clean it out). you'll add them to the rest of the fruit when they cook.

cut the quince into slices, fairly thick ones, approx. 1/2 inch thick. place them in a bowl and let them sit for 1 hour to dry and oxidize. they will turn brownish.

after one hour, place the oxidized quince and cores in the syrup and bring it to a boil.

now you need to add water (most probably) to have the liquid come up to the top of the quince. don't add too much water, however. add it bit by bit and judge if it is enough.

bring this to a boil and then turn down the heat to medium-low and cover the pot with a lid and let this cook for 12 to 15 minutes.

two hours later, bring to a boil again - turning down heat - and cook for about 5 minutes, not longer. now turn off the heat and let this sit, covered for 8 hours. *if you started this late afternoon, let it sit overnight covered and finish it in the (early) morning*.

after 8 hours, add the lemon peel.

cook the quince again for the final time for another 6 to 8 minutes (or even up to another 10 to 12 minutes if needed). the fruit should be tender, not mushy. this depends on the heat of your stove - you are poaching the fruit, not boiling it down to a jam!! the best way to tell is to pierce the fruit with and knife; if it goes through nicely, it's done. taste it also for texture. don't forget to remove the cores you added.

taste the syrup. it should be fairly thin. if you like you can add 2 tsp of orange flower water -- or if it is too sweet for you, add lemon juice buy only 1 tsp at a time. if adding lemon juice, you may want to bring it to a boil once last time but DON'T recook it.

let the finished product cool off the heat (uncovered). place it in a glass bowl in the fridge well covered until serving time.

enjoy!

kitchen essentials — roasting an eggplant; the direct heat method

2008-10-05T10:37:00.013-04:00

many months ago, i posted an entry on how to roast eggplants on the stovetop. that method, in my opinion, is (still) the best way to do it. unfortunately, not everyone has a grill type pan which elevates the food one is cooking off the direct heat. this, however, isn't really a problem; you'll see from this new post that you CAN roast directly on a heat source albeit with a minor modification. the reason i prefer the grill pan, and recommend buying one, is the heat the cast iron generates and smoked/grilled flavour it imparts on the foods one cooks on it. there definitely is a difference.

the following way to roast eggplants involves nothing but eggplants, tin (aluminum) foil and 60 minutes of your time. it also does the same job as using a grill pan but saves on the clean up as you will just throw out the tin foil once the eggplants are cooked. i will admit, there is a less of a pronounced smoked flavour with this method, as compared with the other one, but it is still decent and something which the average home cook can do with no problem. the bonus to this method is that you can actually roast up to 4 eggplants at a time, provided you have 4 burners.

what about the oven method, you say? the answer for me on that one is: NO! i've tried it on more than one occasion and it does not yield the same results. the flavour you are left with is quite insipid. the oven method also uses much more energy than when done on stovetop and heats up your kitchen tremendously.

the "direct heat" method for roasting eggplants

ingredients/items needed:

eggplant(s) - make sure they are not bent or curved
tin foil - try to use the heavy duty kind (like for bbq'ing)

electric (or gas) stove top element
tongs to turn the eggplant or use two soup spoons

method:

wash your eggplant(s) and pierce them in several spots all around with the tip of a knife. set aside.

take a piece of tin foil that will be long enough to wrap over the eggplant and completely cover it. this is important as you don't want any messes with liquid dripping out.

turn on the heat of the cooking element to medium high while you wrap the eggplant. make sure there is nothing around the element that may catch fire or anyone whose fingers may touch it!

place the eggplant on the foil as shown below.

fold one side over.

fold the next side over.

use the rest of the foil to cover the eggplant so it is enveloped.

if using regular tin foil, REPEAT again. if using the heavy duty kind, once should be enough but just make sure it is completely wrapped with no holes or openings.

set the eggplant on the heat and let it cook for 12 minutes (i advise setting a time to remind you or mark down the time on a piece of paper). no, it won't burn! just make sure you don't have the heat up too high.

after 12 minutes, turn the eggplant a quarter turn and let it cook for another 12 minutes. REPEAT this until you have roasted all 4 sides.

once all 4 sides have roasted, take the eggplant and sit it upright and let it roast now for 10 minutes only.

carefully place the unwrapped eggplant on a baking sheet and let it cool for about 15 minutes.

open up the the tin foil to reveal your roasted eggplant.

and, if you don't know already.......

how to prepare your roasted eggplant

make an "I" shaped incision along its length. make the cross cuts (top and bottom of the "I" at the blossom and stem ends.

open up the eggplant from each side.

using a spoon, remove the seed pods. these are considered to make the flavour of the eggplant bitter. they also affect the texture and make your final dish "gritty" if they are kept in.

once all the seeds have been removed, take the spoon and remove the flesh from the eggplant and place it in a dish. don't forget to scrape close to the skin as a lot of the (smoked) flavour is located there.

use as directed by your recipe.

enjoy!

applicious

2008-09-26T15:15:00.005-04:00

i had an aunt who was always in a rush, busy doing "things". who had time to waste, she would ask rhetorically when questioned why she was incessantly racing around. the joke was she was a disaster in the kitchen: she figured the higher the heat, the faster whatever she was making would cook. her quest to be uber-efficient led to many a burnt dish. of course, it wasn't her fault because "something must be wrong with the recipe" she'd utter (LOL). in her defense, however, there were a few things she made very well and what i am posting here was one of them.

this is a version of an apple cake she made during the holiday period which is now quickly coming upon us. everyone always loved it, especially while it was slightly warm. this rosh hashanah (or any day) cake is really ridiculously simple to make and requires one bowl and a pyrex (8 x 8 in) baking dish.

the texture of the cake batter — once baked — is airy soft. underneath it, and baked into the cake, is a layer of apples perfumed by cinnamon and flavoured with dollops of tart apricot jam and a spattering of brown sugar. as it bakes, you'll want to grab it from the oven and eat it right away .... guaranteed or your money back! :)

not much more to say than simple, quick and delicious for this one. the recipe can be doubled also and baked in a larger pan.

oops, forgot to add — for a sephardi version of this cake, you can do as we did and use fresh figs, stems trimmed and cut in half, instead of the apples. you will probably need between 12 to 15 figs, depending on the size of them. add 1 tbsp orange flower water instead of the vanilla.

gâteau express aux pommes

makes approx 9 servings

ingredients:

1/2 c oil
1 egg
1 c sugar
juice of a large orange
1/8 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 c flour
1/2 tsp vanilla extract or seeds of 1/2 vanilla pod

5 large apples, appropriate kind for baking*
1 tsp cinnamon
2 1/2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp apricot jam, slightly heaped**

*replace the apples with fresh figs, cut in half; enough to cover the bottom of the pyrex;
**you can use a sour cherry jam or a plum one.

method:

preheat your oven to 350F and grease your pyrex and set it aside.

place all the batter ingredients in a medium sized bowl.

stir or whisk the batter for about 45 seconds until it is blended.

make sure there are no lumps and set it aside to continue the recipe. it should be pourable.

take the apples and peel them. core and slice each apple thinly and place them in the pyrex.

dust about 1 tsp of cinnamon over the apples evenly.

place the brown sugar over the apples, distributing as you go, and then place dollops of the jam over the brown sugar.

stir the batter once more and pour it over the apples. make sure to get all the batter out of the bowl! you will see pieces of apple peaking through - that is how it is supposed to look.

bake the cake for 50 to 60 minutes until it is fully golden brown. as it bakes you should see little areas where the juices from the apples, the brown sugar and jam are bubbling through.

it can be served warm or at room temperature.

enjoy!

the lighter & heavier side of the honey cake

2008-09-25T22:18:00.011-04:00

in most jewish homes, especially ashkenazi, come rosh hashanah, tradition is to serve slices of honey cake to welcome the new year. this means there are a million and one recipes for this particular cake, with every family usually having that one special recipe that is baked year after year, a recipe which has been passed down over the generations. often however, people also try out a new recipe every year — in addition to what they traditionally make.

honey cake can be one of those things that people either love or hate, usually for one or two reasons. it's no secret that some can be as heavy as lead and dried out, usually the sign of a bad recipe or something having gone wrong along the way. i mean, really, who would want to eat that every year?!

honey cakes are traditionally a denser type of cake; in other words, they typically have some heft to them. this is mostly due to the ratio of ingredients and the method of baking. of course, there are different variations of the same theme which give rise to honey cakes of the lighter side. these are usually achieved by beating the eggs whites and incorporating them into the cake to make an airier texture.

another issue comes down to spices. not everyone is a spice lover, especially in cakes. children sometimes avoid eating honey cake, lamenting that "it's too spicy!". as a child, i have to admit, i didn't much like it either! invariably there is often an adult guest at rosh hashana who won't touch it either for that same reason.

so, to that end, i bring you the best of both worlds....

the first recipe in this post is for a honey cake which is amazingly good — in fact, excellent — one which involves zero spices, is incredibly light in texture and deep in flavour. the best part is that it honestly improves over the days you keep it. the top of the cake, once baked, is somewhat sticky and caramel-y tasting. the best thing though is how easily & fast it can be thrown together: it's called chiffon style for good reason. no beating of the egg whites with the benefit of a really light texture. the only caveat to the recipe is that you need a large loaf pan, 9 x 5 x 3 inches (don't use the smaller one or you'll have the cake overflow in the oven). since it needs to slowly bake and rise, the cake pan is not greased. you will therefore need to cut out a rectangle of parchment paper to fit the bottom of the pan. not following this step will result in you never being able to get the cake out of the pan. after all this said, it's really worth a try! believe it or not, without a single spice in it, it still tastes like a honey cake ;)

the second version — the antithesis of the first — is for that heftier type of cake. this one is equally as good but has spices and requires the egg whites to be beaten and incorporated. the pan, in this case, is greased. you can use a tube pan or a large bundt type one. the recipe makes a very large cake (for a crowd!) but it freezes well for the month of the upcoming holidays.

for several more honey cakes i've posted, look here. check this, too.

have a sweet new year!

chiffon style honey cake

makes 1 loaf (10 - 12 slices) - double the ingredients for a large cake but use a tube pan with removable insert or angelfood cake pan.

use: 23 x 13 x 8 cm [1.9 liters] - 9 x 5 x 3 inches loaf pan UNGREASED.

ingredients:

2 eggs
1/2 c brown sugar (packed) or reg white sugar
1/2 c oil
3/4 c honey
1/2 c strong coffee (or tea)

1 1/2 c flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt

method:

if using a loaf pan (you need the standard large one), cut a piece of parchment paper to fit the bottom of the pan. DO NOT grease the pan -- very important.

if you're doubling the recipe, use an angelfood cake pan with a removable insert, you don't need the parchment paper AND don't grease the pan either). do NOT use a bundt pan as it will not release from it.

preheat the over to 350 F.

mix dry ingredients together in a bowl and set aside.

beat eggs with sugar -- add the rest of the wet ingredients.

add the flour in 3 parts to the wet ingredients.

pour the batter into the pan and bake at 350F for 15 minutes. lower the oven to 300F and bake for about 1 more hour. test the cake with a toothpick -- it may need longer or you can raise the temp to 325F. to finish it. don't open the oven before 1 hour or it can fall.

* * * * * * *

rosh hashanah spiced honey cake

makes a LARGE cake (18 to 20 slices) - recipe can be halved

ingredients:

3 tbsp shortening*
2 tbsp vegetable oil
4 egg yolks, 4 egg whites
1 c brown sugar, packed
2 c honey
3 tbsp whiskey or brandy**
zest of 1 orange & its juice
3/4 c warm very strong coffee (or strong tea)
3 1/4 c flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp each: cloves, allspice, cinnamon & ginger***

*can use (parve) margarine also
**you can omit this and replace with more coffee or o.j.
***or you can use 1 tsp cinnamon alone

method:

1. large bundt pan or angel food cake pan -->well greased and floured - preheat oven to 325 F.

2. mix all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl; do NOT include the brown sugar in it.

3. beat the egg whites until stiff.

4. blend all the wet ingredients together with the brown sugar in another bowl or mixer until well combined.

5. mix the wet mixture into the dry one until well blended.

6. carefully add the egg whites in several additions to the mixed batter to keep the volume.

7. put the cake batter in the cake pan and bake for about 1 hour or longer -- maybe ~ 1 hr 15 min. test it with a toothpick to make sure the center is cooked. don't open the oven before 50 minutes or so or it will fall.

8. remove from the oven and let cool for approximately 15 minutes. if you are using the angel food cake pan, do not turn the cake over to cool because it will fall out!

9. after initial cooling, remove and let cool completely.

enjoy!

move over, gefilte fish

2008-09-24T21:54:00.006-04:00

maybe it's a jewish thing, but pickled salmon prepared in this manner — poached in a sweet and sour mixture with onions and pickling spices, then served cold — is extremely popular as an appetizer or alternative to the traditional gefilte fish. since not everyone is a gefilte fish lover, this is an alternative to the "same old, same old".

this version is very good since it doesn't require much work, especially if you get the fish already in fillets (i.e. skinned and boned). another very good thing about this is that it keeps well in the refrigerator and can be frozen, if prepared ahead of time. of course, if you're strict about following the customs about not cooking with lemon or vinegar on rosh hashanah, then skip this one for now.

seeing as i am running late with everything these days, pictures will follow shortly.

easy yomtov pickled salmon

enough for 10 people - recipe can be cut in half easily

ingredients:

4 lbs fillets of salmon, no skin or bones

1 3/4 c ketchup
3/4 c sugar
1 1/2 c lemon juice
1 1/2 c water

1 large onion
1 - 2 tbsp pickling spices*

method:

preheat the oven to 325 F.

wash salmon pieces and dry them with paper towel. cut them into individual serving pieces and set aside.

*you can add the pickling spices to the sauce wrapped in a cloth if you don't want them all over the place (as i prefer) or add them loosely later on in the recipe.

cut the onion in rings about 1/8" thick.

place sugar, lemon juice, ketchup and water in pot and bring it to boil. if using the pickling spices in a cloth, add them now. cook until sugar is dissolved. simmer the sauce for about 2 minutes.

in a large pyrex, place half the onion rings on the bottom.

place the salmon on top in one layer only. if using the pickling spices loose, then sprinkle them over the fish now.

pour the hot mixture over the salmon evenly.

place salmon in oven and cook about 20 minutes. don't cover the pyrex.

take the salmon out and place the remaining onion over the salmon.

let the salmon cool completely and cover well with tin foil. place in the fridge to marinate for at least 48 hours.

can be made ahead and frozen.

enjoy!

peach butter crust tarte

2008-09-22T18:43:00.022-04:00

okay, i'm a bit late with this post. however, seeing as peach season is just behind us, there still must be a few still readily available at reasonable prices. i'm sure it can be made with drained canned peaches, too, if fresh ones aren't available or are prohibitively costly. better yet, use frozen sliced ones which are available at some supermarkets in the freezer section.

the filling for this tarte consists of nothing much more than peaches, some sugar and flour. that's it, besides a sprinkling of cinnamon and splash of amaretto or peach schnapps liqueur if you like. using the dough recipe in my previous post, the pastry can be made in the morning and refrigerated, with the rest of the recipe finished later on. the most tedious part, though very simple, is removing the skin from the peaches.

this tarte is, in my opinion, at its best once it's been refrigerated. the delay seems to improve the flavour and texture of this easy-to-make dessert.
hope you like it.....

peach butter crust tarte

serves 6 to 8

ingredients:

1 pastry recipe

6 to 8 good sized peaches, skinned & sliced thinly (see this post)
3 tbsp flour
8 tbsp sugar
1 - 1 1/2 tbsp amaretto or peach schnapps (optional)

cinnamon

crushed amaretti cookies, optional

method:

preheat your oven to 375F.

skin and slice your peaches (approx 1/4" thick). place them in a medium sized bowl.

add the sugar and flour to the peaches. add the amaretto or peach schnapps, if using.

stir well. they will look thickly coated at first.

wait 10 minutes or until you see the juices develop.

place the peaches carefully into the chilled pastry in the tarte pan.

place the tarte on a lined baking sheet in order to avoid any possible spillage during baking.

sprinkle with cinnamon if desired and crushed amaretti (almond) cookies.

bake for about 35 to 40 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.

remove from oven and let cool completely.

refrigerate and serve.

enjoy!

no roll pastry dough for tart(e)s

2008-09-22T18:02:00.016-04:00

not everyone is so adept in the kitchen. a close friend of mine, for example, shouldn't be allowed into any kitchen let alone her own; she is simply a baking disaster. though she tries, pastry is not her forte. i've witnessed it and it's not pretty. while i try not to laugh, it's impossible. as she stares at me with this "what did i do wrong now" look on her face, i just roll my eyes and say, "move over, lemme do it {....again}. i then whisper in her ear, "next time buy it at the store and pretend you made it." she isn't amused and flings pastry dough at me that is stuck to her fingers like mortar.

this pastry is one even she can't screw up. let me rephrase that: yes, she can but it's much harder to do since all is done in a food processor and the dough is patted into the pastry and not rolled out. it's simple and fast and pretty much idiot proof provided you measure correctly, don't over process and FOLLOW DIRECTIONS {my friend always thinks she can do it "her way" LOL}.

one important thing about pastry dough - especially those for tart(e)s & pies. chilling your finished — rolled & fitted — pastry for a good 1/2 - 1 hr before baking usually retards the process of shrinkage once in the oven. just an extra tip....

no roll (butter) pastry dough

makes enough for 1 9-inch tart(e)

this can be made with the addition of ground almonds and almond extract or with vanilla beans and a bit of vanilla extract. adjust it according to your filling. the pastry can also be made without any flavourings at all. while it is made with butter, margarine can be used instead but it must be the kind which comes in blocks or rectangles and is solid.
ingredients:

1 1/4 c all purpose flour
1/4 c ground almonds or the beans on 1 vanilla pod*
1/3 c sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp almond extract or vanilla extract*
1/2 c butter or margarine (cold)
1 egg yolk

*optional — you can omit these items and make a plain crust.

method:

place the flour, ground almonds or vanilla beans if using, salt & sugar and extract in the food processor and pulse until blended. this can be done in a bowl, by hand, also if you don't have a processor.

add the butter which you have cut in small pieces. make sure it is still cold.

process by pulsing, or use a pastry cutter if doing it by hand, until it is incorporated and is sandy. don't overprocess.

add your yolk and pulse only until you get a ball of dough. do the same by hand but with a wooden spoon.

chill the dough for 15 minutes.

place the chilled dough in an ungreased tarte pan with a removable bottom.

press it in with your fingers and make sure to go up the sides of the tarte tin.

fill with the filling you like and bake at 375F. see here for an example.

sweet memories

2008-09-19T15:49:00.004-04:00

growing up with my european parents often meant eating foods or dishes that you would never see on the tables of my canadian friends whose families were more or less north-americanized by at least 2 generations. i knew my friends thought we were weird from the faces they made when, on occasion, they would stay for supper. no, the food wasn't bad at all — it just wasn't the "meat and potatoes" they were used to. how embarrassed i was, thinking my friend was probably sorry s/he accepted the invitation and would never talk to me again ;) hamburgers and hotdogs didn't often grace our table. no, i got things like a green salad with escarole/frisée and arugula alongside this kind of sweet-sourish fresh apricot custardy tart .... and that wasn't part of dessert but rather what went with the salad for part of a summer meal. as i child, i just didn't appreciate it.

one thing my parents, like many europeans, were big on when it came to baking was hazelnuts. with their very distinctive flavour, they showed up in many a thing from chocolate confections to cakes & breads/pastries and cookies.

hazelnuts, unless you buy them already skinned can be a real pain to prepare; i still have vivid memories of my mother roasting and then rubbing these little almost dried chickpea looking nuts with a tea towel -- sometimes pounds of them before the holidays -- to remove their dark brown papery skins. what work it was for something to be gobbled up in a fraction of the time it took to remove their outer coatings.

a while ago, i happened across a recipe for a cookie from one of my favourite {french} foodstylists-now-baker, florence edelmann, which is exactly the same as i remember eating on special occasions. they are sugary, crispy and full of hazelnut flavour. to be honest, all you need is just one or two of them to feel satisfied.

in the end, all i have to say is -- sugar fiends -- these are a definite "must try" if sweet things are up your alley & you like the taste of hazelnuts! not only are the following croquants aux noisettes terribly simple to make, they taste incredibly good, look like you spent a lot of money on them and store for a very long time without any deterioration to their texture or flavour. all this from very few ingredients!

croquants aux noisettes
sugary crispy hazelnut cookies

makes 18 cookies

ingredients:

1/2 c hazelnuts (whole) [70g]
6 tbsp flour [40 g]
1/2 c + 1/3 c minus 1 tbsp sugar [160 g]
1 pkg vanilla sugar - NOT vanilla extract
1 egg white

method:

preheat the oven to 400 F (200C) and line TWO baking sheet with parchment paper. you must use two sheets or bake one batch and then the next as the cookies need space on the baking sheet. they will spread out as they bake.

divide the hazelnuts equally. grind 1/4 c with 1 tbsp of the sugar until it is fine (i.e. almost powdery). be careful not to overprocess the nuts or they will become oily.

chop, by hand, the other 1/4 c. do not chop the nuts finely - you want a coarse texture.

place the nuts and sugars in a medium sized bowl.

stir to blend and add the egg white.

mix it until it is blended.

add the flour and stir to combine until you have a type of (sand-like) dough. don't overmix.

divide it into 18 equal portions.

using a tablespoon, place the cookie dough on the baking sheet - 9 per baking sheet, WELL spread out.

bake the cookies for 8 to 10 minutes - they should be lightly golden brown.

the undersides should be golden.

very important: let them cool several minutes on the baking sheet so they do not fall apart. they will be fragile at first but firm later. move them to a cooling rack after ~ 10 min.

these cookies stay crisp and store very well — umm, if you have any left later, that is!

enjoy!!

mmmmuffins

2008-09-09T23:15:00.021-04:00

breakfast.

break fast ....

i've never been one of those people who wakes up hungry. even after a full night's sleep, food isn't the first thing on my mind. no, my number one priority, after battling with the "snooze button" on my alarm clock for 20 to 30 minutes every morning, has always been caffeine — and lots of it. i need to work for my appetite to be awoken in the mornings. to this day, it amazes me how people wake up ravenously hungry .... some of them ready to bite your head off until they've sated their appetites. maybe i'm strange but the sight and smell of food in the early morning even makes me feel nauseated :o

in my feeble attempts to mend my ways (ahem....i mean become more health conscious) and eat breakfast every morning, i've been on my bran muffin "kick" — a mouth full of bran cereal is enough to choke anyone to death, so one might as well get it in a more palatable form :)

muffins.

ok, muffins and i have never had a great love affair ..... especially healthy ones. one day, a while back, i came across a recipe which looked decent. i was leary of the results the first time i tried this recipe; low-fat stuff usually tastes like crap. these, however, are pretty damned good for what they are in terms of ingredients. they make anywhere from 8 to 12 and freeze great in ziploc sandwich bags to grab for the those busy mornings when you're on the run. give 'em a try to see for yourself — and remember: these ones won't leave that big stain of grease on your napkin!

walnut & date bran muffins

makes 8 to 12, depending on size of muffin tins

wet ingredients:

1 c applesauce
1 egg
2/3 c {clabbered} soymilk or milk*, or buttermilk
1/3 c brown sugar, packed
1/4 c molasses or sorghum or brown rice syrup
1/4 c oil
1 tsp vanilla

*if clabbering the soymilk or milk, you will need 3 tsp of white vinegar. if using buttermilk then you don't need to do this.

dry ingredients:

1 c all purpose flour + 1 c whole wheat flour
1 c all bran (cereal)**
1 tsp baking soda (not baking powder)
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger powder

1/2 - 2/3 c chopped walnuts
1/2 - 2/3 c chopped dates (i use ~10 to 12 dates)

**you can use any bran cereal, as long as it's 100% bran

method:

preheat oven to 375F and grease or line muffin tins.

if you are not using buttermilk, then you need to clabber your soymilk or regular milk. this means you are adding an acid to it (vinegar) which will thicken the milk and make it react with the baking soda to make the muffins rise during baking. note that when you clabber soymilk, it does not thicken as much as regular milk; it still works fine however.

place the soymilk or milk in a bowl and add 3 tsp of white vinegar. let it sit while you measure the dry & wet ingredients.

after you have measured all the ingredients, the mixture will have thickened and will appear curdled. this is what you are looking for.

mix all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl and set aside.

mix all the wet ingredients and stir to combine. add the buttermilk or the clabbered (soy) milk and stir again.

add the wet mixture to the dry and stir to combine. make sure to stir it well but do not overmix.

add the walnuts and chopped dates and let the mixture sit for a minimum of 5 minutes. this is important: you need the bran cereal to absorb some of the liquid.

after 5 minutes, measure out equally into muffin tins and bake for 30 to 35. turn down the oven to 350 during the last 10 minutes.

let cool or eat warm. these can be frozen for later use.

enjoy!

full of beans

2008-08-27T17:32:00.015-04:00

often seen at picnics, get-togethers, potluck dinners and bbq's, bean salads are popular because they keep well and are very simple to make. they are also very inexpensive, can be made the night before (they should be to improve flavours!), and do not deteriorate quickly as do many other salads.

there really aren't any hard & steadfast rules for making a bean salad — it is essentially just a mix of your favourite beans, vegetables and salad dressing. the only real rule is to let the salad marinate for a few hours so the vegetables and beans can absorb the flavours of the marinade you are using. i tend not to go too heavy on the vegetables and prefer a balanced dressing, and not one which is highly acidic.

served in small portions, the following will stay good for at least a full week. the salad tastes best served at room temperature. if the flavours have faded a bit over the following days, you can perk things up by adding a bit more of "this and that" before serving.

marinated bean salad

makes enough for 6 - 8 people

ingredients:

19 oz can mixed beans (or your fave)

1/4 - 1/2 large green pepper
2 - 3 sun dried tomatoes, chopped
1/8 - 1/4 red onion
4 - 6 tbsp corn

2 - 3 tbsp olive oil
2 -3 tbsp vinegar (reg white or apple cider)
1 -2 tbsp honey*
1/4 tsp each garlic & onion powder (or 1 clove chopped garlic)
1/4 tsp salt - or more
1/8 tsp black pepper

chopped parsley or coriander (optional)

*can use brown rice syrup (vegan) or regular sugar also.

method:

drain and rinse the beans and set aside in a strainer so all the water runs off.

meanwhile, prepare the vegetables: thinly slice the green pepper and red onions, chop the sun dried tomatoes and measure out the corn. place the vegetables in a bowl.

add or change the vegetables as you like. some people typically add cooked green (haricot) beans as a standard.

add the drained beans to the vegetables and then add the dressing ingredients. mix everything together and add the parsley or coriander if using.

let the salad marinate for a few hours on the counter. the cold of the fridge tends to slow the absorption process so let it marinate first.

simple, quick and easy

enjoy!

banana business

2008-08-17T17:48:00.024-04:00

it goes without saying that there are probably a million or more recipes for banana breads around — everyone having his/her own favourite version. banana bread is something which i only really make whenever i have bananas that are fully ripe or over-ripened and while it's not an item i'd runnnn to the kitchen to bake on a regular basis, it is one of those staple kind of any-time-of-the-day snacking cakes, good for mid morning coffee breaks or late night kitchen raids which i do enjoy baking a few times a year.

the following recipe, which comes from a friend, is as particularly good as it is surprising since there are no dairy products in it or is there very much fat to speak of. in fact, it only uses 1/3 c of oil for a whole loaf. most of the moisture is provided by the bananas themselves and the honey content. the loaf will stay perfectly good for up to 5 or 6 days, if well-wrapped. it can be sliced and frozen for longer keeping if you like.

if you're organized, this recipe shouldn't take much time at all to throw together. having things premeasured and the baking pan ready saves you a lot of time. in terms of ingredients, i've added pecans and chocolate chips to the recipe; you can use either, both or none at all and just serve it plain. if you don't have pecans, you can use chopped walnuts. the recipe also uses part whole wheat flour — so, if you're thinking, "yuck!", don't ..... it's quite the opposite. it's healthier and tastes just as good as using only all purpose flour.

no nonsense banana bread

makes 1 loaf

ingredients:

1 c wholewheat + 3/4 c AP flour (or 1 3/4 c all purpose flour)
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder

2 large bananas, very ripe (or 3 small-ish ones)
2 large eggs (or egg replacement)

1/3 c vegetable oil
1/3 c honey (or brown rice syrup)
1/2 c (soft) brown sugar, packed

optional:

1/2 c coarsely chopped pecans or walnuts
1/3 - 1/2 c chocolate chips or chopped chocolate

method:

in large bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder and soda and salt. set aside.

peel and mash the bananas in another bowl. add the eggs and mix all together well.

in another bowl, mix together the oil, honey and brown sugar. it is easiest to measure the oil first and then the honey - it will slip right out of the measuring cup. at this point, you can mix this into the eggs and banana mixture or keep it separate. either way works. just make sure there are no hard bits of brown sugar (that won't dissolve) as you want the mixture to be uniform. if your brown sugar is not fully soft, you can microwave it (covered) for 15 to 20 seconds first to soften it up.

measure out the nuts and chocolate chips, if using.

before mixing everything together, preheat your oven to 325F and well grease a regular sized loaf pan (approx 8" x 5").

mix the wet ingredients into the dry and combine until all is blended together. do not overmix.

add the nuts and chocolate chips and pour into your greased pan (or muffin pan).

bake at 325 F for approx. 1 1/4 hrs or until the center is cooked -- test with a toothpick.

let cool for at least 20 min before removing.

stays good for several days and can be sliced and frozen.

enjoy!

reruns no. 3 — return of the knish

2008-07-10T19:20:00.024-04:00

quite a while ago, i posted a recipe for basic potato knishes in which the dough i used was more of a softer (somewhat) bread-like one — and not the more calorie-laden flaky pastry type casing. while there is nothing wrong with the former knish dough used in the original posting, most people want one which is almost pastry-like.

for those unfamiliar with these typically jewish appetizers or snacks, knishes can be formed from doughs of several types: a flaky pastry one, a puff pastry one, a short crusted one (mock puff pastry), a paper thin strudel type one, or as i posted a more bread-y type.

for this 'recipe rerun', and as requested by several people, i am posting two additional recipes. both are great, quite easy to make and result with fantastic finished knishes. the recipes come from the prolific and well known jewish cookbook author, norene gilletz — a fellow canadian. check out her site and recipes :)

the recipe for potato-onion filling can be found in the original post i did. you can use whatever fillings you like as long as they do not "run" while baking. popular fillings are potato, buckwheat (kasha), mushroom, various vegetable and even meat ones.

flaky pastry dough for knishes
aka flaky ginger ale pastry

this is a very easy-to-put-together and always successful dough, especially if done in a food processor. it can be frozen for later use. its success is in the use of a carbonated liquid for the 'wet' ingredient. see the recipe for options.

makes enough for 12 knishes (recipe can be doubled)

dough ingredients:

1 c plus 1 tbsp all purpose flour
1/2 c frozen margarine* (1 stick), cut in 8 pieces
1/4 c cold carbonated beverage** — ginger ale or 7 UP or carbonated water
1 1/2 tsp white vinegar

*margarine is used in order to adhere to jewish dietary laws as these are often served at meals with meat; you can try butter but i can't guarantee results as i've never tried it.
**do NOT use regular water or diet drinks

filling ingredients:

see here

method:

before starting, take note that you will not (most likely) need ALL of the wet ingredients, so do not be overzealous and add all of it at once or you'll have a mess and a ruined recipe. you've been forewarned! :)

if you cut the margarine into 8 pieces and put them on a plastic wrap lined plate, they freeze within an hour or so. if you freeze the whole block, it takes much longer.

in a food processor or bowl, combine the flour with the frozen margarine.

process it with pulses or use a pastry cutter in the bowl to make a crumbly mixture. you don't want any chunks.

in a small pyrex, combine the carbonated drink with the vinegar.

slowly add the wet to the dry a tablespoon at a time until you get a somewhat (rounded) ball of dough. if using the food processor, turn it on and steadily add the liquid and process until it JUST starts to make the ball.

discard the remaining wet ingredients.

take the dough and divide it equally in half on a floured board.

make two discs and wrap them in waxed paper or plastic wrap. you can do this directly on them.

refrigerate the dough discs or freeze them. if refrigerating, wait a good 2 1/2 to 3 hours for it to fully chill to make rolling easy. you can leave them overnight.

defrost, if frozen, until pliable and still cold.

forming your knishes:

for this dough, make an 8" x 12" rectangle only. it doesn't sound quite big enough but it is.

make sure your counter is well floured and don't be too rough with it. flouring the dough is essential to success here. i also find rolling it out between two pieces of parchment or wax paper the easiest and cleanest method; your dough doesn't stick to the rolling pin.

if you cannot get an exact rectangle that is 8 x 12, use your hands to shape the borders.

take the appropriate amount of filling (it should measure about 1.5 to 2 inches in width and run the length of the piece of dough) and place it evenly along the long side of the dough, leaving about a 1/2" border or so just before the filling. leave about a 1/2 inch border on either side also.

carefully roll it up fairly tightly. use the wax paper as a guide and tool as such:

grab the bottom edge of the waxed paper and pull it up and over to cover the filling.

continue rolling using the paper to guide the direction and correct the tension.

use the wax paper to tighten the roll as necessary. continue rolling until you get to the top edge.

why use wax paper and not just roll it without? the dough is delicate when rolled thinly. it makes rolling very easy and lowers the risk for screw-ups.

seal the edges lightly!

the finished roll .....

preheat your oven to 350F.

now the fun part: cutting the dough. traditionally, this is done with the side of your hand and NOT a knife. it is done in a sawing motion back and forth. this serves to seal the knishes.

as you do this, you will fuse the edges.

cut the knishes with your hand equally into 6 pieces per disc of dough. make a rough "guess-timate" with your eye before going ahead and making them too large.

place the cut knishes on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. you can seal up the tops and press them in slightly.

bake the knishes (no egg wash) for about 40 minutes or until nicely golden. keep an eye on them.

golden brown and completely delicious! :))

* * * * * * *

warm water knish dough

makes enough for 24 knishes

this recipe makes a very pliable and easy to work dough. it uses eggs and warm water and is like a strudel dough which is very thin. you need a large (11 c) food processor to make the full recipe. if you have a small one, make 1/2 recipe at a time or 2 batches.

ingredients:

2 eggs
1/2 c oil
1/2 c warm water
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
2.5 c all purpose flour

method:

in a food processor, put the eggs, oil and water. mix until blended.

add the remaining salt, baking powder and flour and process ONLY JUST until it is blended. do NOT process it for longer or it will not work: you do not want to develop the elasticity of the gluten.

remove the dough and cut it in 4 equal sections. cover the pieces you are not working with and keep them apart from each other or they will fuse together again. best to keep them on a lightly floured plate or plates.

take one piece of dough and flour it well all over. coax the dough, on a well floured board or counter, into a rough rectangle.

roll out the dough, keeping the shape of a rectangle, as thinly possible. you should be able to see your hands underneath it.

again, place your filling along the long side of the dough keeping a 1/2 inch border.

roll up the dough and cut it using a sawing motion with your hand as in the previous recipe.

place them on an oiled or lined sheet & bake your knishes at 350F for 35 to 40 minutes or until golden.

enjoy!

n.b. for both recipes, you can freeze your unbaked knishes and bake them directly frozen at 350F for about 3/4 of an hour. i can't guarantee 100% perfection with the potato filled ones, though. potatoes don't tend to freeze well.

thanks norene!

friday night appetizers

2008-07-04T10:15:00.007-04:00

ushering in, and honouring, the Sabbath each friday night at sunset usually means a table filled with an array of food of all kinds — and always more than just enough to feed those sitting to eat. the typical foods commonly depend upon whether one's family is ashkenazi or sefardi, and from which country they originate(d). of course, there are no steadfast rules. apart from the dietary laws, if they are followed, each family has its own mix of traditional and non-traditional items.

one sefardi mezze dish (appetizer) that is often served by those who have origins in places like lebanon, syria, egypt, iran, israel and iraq, is kibbeh or kubbeh. these torpedo shaped filled appetizers made from bulgur wheat or a mixture of meat and bulgur (or even ground rice) can be eaten hot or at room temperature. i personally do not like the ones made from meat and bulgur. rather, i much prefer those which are vegetarian and use just softened bulgur wheat and flour for the casing.

making these appetizers is a pretty straightforward procedure and fairly easy: make the filling, make the casing, put it all together and fry. as a note, they can be baked but it's not really the same end result. you'd have to try one baked and one fried to see which you prefer. they can be partially fried and then cooled and frozen for later use. you just have to refry them (or bake at 400F) until they are browned.

the casing can be made one of two ways: you can knead the softened bulgur wheat by hand, which is what i have done here, or add it to the food processor. the latter method is really the easiest and probably the best route if you've never made them before.

give them a try, at least once. they really are worth the effort.

vegetarian style kibbeh
stuffed bulgur wheat appetizers

enough for six servings (2 kibbeh/person)

recipe adapted from a. helou

ingredients:

casing:

1 small onion*
1 c FINE bulgur wheat**
1/2 c wholewheat or all purpose flour
1/2 to 3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground allspice, heaped
1/4 tsp cinnamon, heaped
1/8 tsp ground black pepper, heaped

*make sure to use the correct size. do NOT use a larger one as there will be too much moisture.
**to make these successfully, you need fine granulation bulgur wheat and not medium coarseness.

filling:

1/4 c mild olive oil or (parve) margarine
2 tbsp pine nuts
1 medium onion
1/3 c COARSELY*** chopped walnuts, (not finely chopped - see pict. below!!)
1/2 tsp ground allspice, slightly heaped
1/4 tsp cinnamon, slightly heaped
1/8 tsp ground black pepper, slightly heaped
1 tsp pomegranate syrup (dibs al-rumman)****
1 - 2 tbsp chopped dried apricot or golden raisins or dates, optional

***if you're using whole walnuts, just snap them into small pieces or chop with a knife; you want texture.
****1 tsp of pomegranate syrup goes a long way so try not to be tempted to add more than this. don't omit it as it gives the correct flavouring to the stuffing. if you can't get the syrup, you can try to boil down 1/3 c pomegranate juice until it is syrupy. be careful not to burn it as it reduces however. taste before adding it — if it tastes burnt, discard it and use lemon juice instead [mixed with a little molasses].

method:

for the casing:

you need a very fine sieve to strain the bulgur wheat or place a clean cotton tea towel in a larger hole strainer. if you don't, you will see your bulgur go down the drain, literally!

place the cup of bulgur wheat in a large bowl and add warm water to it, to cover by 2 inches, and 1 tsp salt. stir it and let sit for 1/2 to 1 hour (you can make the filling at this point while waiting). you may want to rinse the burgul once before soaking.

either in a food processor or blender, process the small (peeled) onion until it is very very finely ground (almost liquid). if using a blender, you may need a tsp or two of water. add the spices and blend again.

drain the bulgur wheat and squeeze out as much water as you can. this is very important to do. if using the tea towel, bring the sides up and twist it to extract as much water as you can.

now, if you are doing things by hand, place the drained bulgur wheat in a large bowl and knead it for about 3 or 4 minutes. add the onion mixture, flour and salt and knead again for another several minutes until you have a ball of dough. you may need to wet your hands under the tap every once in a while but it should be ok. check for salt and if needed add some more.

if doing this the food processor way, add the bulgur to the onions and blend it by pulsing for 2 minutes or so. remove it to a bowl and add the flour and knead until you have a ball of dough which is smooth.

set the dough aside, covered.

for the filling:

finely chop the medium onion and set it aside. measure out all the ingredients needed. make sure that the walnuts are not finely chopped as you want texture to the filling. if using whole walnuts, just snap them into smaller pieces (no smaller than at least 1/4").

add the oil or margarine to a heated fry pan and place the pine nuts in it. carefully fry the pine nuts until they are golden brown (not darkened). remove them to a paper towel and keep the oil in the pan. do the same with the walnuts.

add the finely chopped onion to the oil and fry it over medium heat until it has started to become golden brown.

add the walnuts and stir. add the spices and the pomegranate syrup.

add the pine nuts and dried fruit if using & mix everything and set it aside for later.

putting things together:

take the ball of kibbeh dough and separate it into 12 equal portions. set aside.

on a plate divide the filling into 12 equal portions.

take one of the kibbeh balls and place it in your hand.

make out a hole with your thumb on your free hand and start to turn the dough, making a thin wall all around. you want the shape of a hollowed out pumpkin! don't, however, make the walls too thin.

place 1 portion of the filling in the hole and close it up.

take the closed ball and start to shape it by rolling it in your hands, slowly but carefully, into a torpedo shape, pointed on each end. note that you make need to wet your hands. just have them moistened rather than dripping wet.

place the kibbeh down and form all of them this way. make sure there are not openings in the walls of the kibbeh or they will fall apart or fill with oil when frying.

cooking the kibbeh:

important: just like cooking falafel, if you're heat is not at the proper temperature, what you are frying here risks falling apart. most likely, it won't so don't be apprehensive.

place about 3 to 4 cups of oil in a pan and bring it to medium heat. you can take a small piece of bread and put it in to see if it starts to bubble and fry. if the heat is too high, take the pan off the heat and let it cool slightly; lower the temperature before proceding.

place the kibbeh about 4 at a time in the oil and cook them until they are browned, turning if necessary.

i cook them for about 6 to 8 minutes.

if you are freezing these, cook them half way and place on paper towel until cooled. freeze until you want them. see the intro for how to cook them after being frozen.

enjoy!

happy 4th of july

2008-07-04T09:18:00.003-04:00

a happy RED (WHITE) & BLUE to all my american readers :)

couldn't resist posting this one —
nothing says america like twinkies, LOL (yuck).

fresh pasta three ways

2008-07-01T08:41:00.006-04:00

pasta (or paste if you want to be more correct) is always much better when freshly made at home. while it does take effort on your part to make the dough and form it into various shapes, the advantage is that it can be done in large batches and frozen for up to several months. cooked either fresh or from its frozen state, it is ready in 3 minutes or less — much faster than using the dried variety (and much better!).

having a pasta machine makes the work much easier, especially if you are making a lot of it. it is not essential however as it can be rolled out by hand. be prepared for a workout though! you'll need to roll out your dough to a minimum of an 1/8th of an inch and thinner if you can do it. much of the process of hand rolling relies on having a very well rested dough so the gluten relaxes and is more amenable to being coaxed to stretch to its maximum length and width.

plain pasta is always good however to add some extra nutrients and colour, i'm showing how to do it with spinach and with tomato. if you're eager enough, you can even make all three kinds and serve it "tricolore" style, a tribute to its home country — italy. it looks quite nice on an oblong plate in separate piles of green, white (errr...yellow), and red.

buon appetito!

fresh spinach pasta

makes 1 pound (454 gr) - increase as necessary (below)

ingredients:

2 c all purpose flour (10 oz) + 1/2 c durum semolina pasta flour OR,
2 1/2 c all purpose flour
1 tsp salt

3 large eggs
water as needed (only if necessary)

1/2 lb (250 gr) fresh spinach or 1/4 lb frozen (125 gr)

method:

bring 4 c water to boil and add some salt (not the one from recipe!).

cook freshly chopped (or frozen) spinach in boiling and salted water until cooked. fresh spinach will take very little time.

drain the spinach and rinse it under cold water. squeeze it until almost all moisture is gone. this is very important as you don't want excess water. also, use a FINE meshed colander or you will loose parts of your spinach.

chop the spinach very, very finely or do it in a food processor, pulsing as you do it. you don't want a purée.

set this aside.

mix the dry ingredients together in a large wide bowl. if you don't have one, you can do this on the counter. you can also do this in a large food processor if you aren't comfortable or don't have the strength or ambition to do it by hand.

make your fontana by pushing the flour from the middle to the sides. make sure you have a strong wall which is high enough so that the liquid ingredients do not spill over. add the eggs to the middle space. with a fork, your fingers or chop sticks, mix the eggs to scramble them.

add the chopped spinach to the eggs now.

mix the eggs and spinach together and start to bring in the flour slowly from the INNER sides of the ridge of flour to slowly form a dough mass. this will take a little time. it will also get a bit more difficult as more flour is absorbed. continue until you can no longer add more flour. remember to try to conserve the wall until as late as possible in the process.

if you need extra water to make a smooth dough, add it now in very small amounts until the dough is formed.

now the hard part if doing this by hand — the kneading. knead the pasta dough for a good 4 to 5 minutes to make sure all is incorporated and the spinach is well distributed. you will see little flecks of green and white most likely. if there are large patches of white, then you haven't kneaded enough. these little spots will disappear as you roll out the dough and cook it.

let the dough rest for a minimum of 2 hours, covered.

cut the ball into 4 separate pieces and do not reroll it. this will make it elastic.

take one ball and roll it out very thinly and cut into desired shapes.

if you have a pasta machine, you need to extend the dough several times first, following the instructions of your machine.

cut the extended dough with the attachment you prefer.

if doing this by hand, have a large well flour surface and roll out your piece very, very thinly as much as you can. make sure that it does not stick to the board or counter, reflouring as needed.

flour both sides again (with a thin dusting) and roll up loosely and cut into strips. if you don't flour, they'll stick together and you'll have a disaster. loosen up (detangle them afterwards) the pasta and let your pasta sit a few minutes to dry out a bit.

i always reflour the cut noodles (place in a bowl with flour and gently toss them to distribute the flour and noodles.

put them in ziplocs in the portions needed. all that is necessary to cook them is to boil the water and put the pasta directly into the water, frozen. it will cook in under 3 minutes usually.

* * * * * * * *

regular (plain) pasta dough

ingredients:

2 c all purpose flour (+ extra as needed)
1 t salt
1 t olive oil
3 eggs
water if needed

method:

follow procedure above.

* * * * * * * *

tomato & cracked black pepper pasta dough

ingredients:

2 c all purpose flour + extra as needed
1 t salt
1 1/2 - 3 tsp CRACKED black pepper* OR coarsely ground
3 tbsp finely chopped fresh basil or 1 tbsp dried (optional)
1 t olive oil
3 - 4 tbsp good quality tomato paste
3 eggs

water if needed

*place whole peppercorns in a paper bag and crack/crush them with a rolling pin. don't add finely ground pepper, it's not the same thing and inappropriate for this recipe. i didn't have whole peppercorns at the time so used coarsely ground in the photos below. use the amount of pepper at your discretion.

method:

follow procedure above and add the tomato paste in place of the spinach.

i use some pasta flour also and like to mix the eggs and tomato paste separately and then add it to the fontana — either way works.

the finished product :)

enjoy!

using your lavosh for sandwiches

2008-06-21T22:00:00.008-04:00

a few weeks ago, i posted a recipe for lavosh, the commonly used bread of the (eastern) mediterranean region. the advantage of this type of bread over, say, pita, is that it can be made, left to dry out completely and stored for a very long time with the intention of using it later for sandwiches.

the difference between the two is that the standard pita, unless you're buying the gigantic ones, is much smaller and pita cannot be dried out and rehydrated for later use. another difference is that lavosh does not have an interior pocket and is much thinner and delicate. it is used the same way one would a flour tortilla (i.e. rolled). the rehydrated lavosh are also softer in texture than pita.

as a note, i much prefer to dry them out and use them reconstituted as opposed to eating them fresh after they come out of the oven — well, at least just on their own without filling them, that is.

if you do try them, you'll decide for yourself how you like them.

onwards.....

to use your dried lavosh breads:

the best way, i have found for the recipe i posted is to —

1. take paper towels and wet them and wring them so they are moist but not dripping wet;

2. take the whole lavosh, and holding it carefully, run it under the tap water for about 10 seconds making sure all of it gets wet. shake it a bit and let the excess water drip off of it;

3. wrap the lavosh with the paper towels and then carefully put it in a clean plastic bag and lay it flat somewhere undisturbed for a minimum of two hours.

through experience, i've noted that the optimal way is to use a top layer of paper towel and a bottom one so when you make the sandwiches, all you have to do is remove the top towel, making it less likely that you'll get too many rips or tears.

4. for it to soften up, it all depends upon how quickly the water is absorbed by the bread. this make take up to 4 or 5 hours depending on the weather and other conditions;

start to check it after two hours. if it is flexible and soft all over it is ready. don't attempt to use it if there are still any hard spots.

5. don't be alarmed if it tears a bit here and there; that shouldn't make much of a big deal. these usually occur around the edges as seen in the picture above. the surface is large enough that, when rolled up, any small tears will be reinforced.

* * * * * *

making lavosh wraps/sandwiches:

makes 1 large sandwich (enough for 1 or 2 people) / per each lavosh

ingredients:

lavosh bread

use your favourite fillings —

examples:

*grilled vegetables (eggplant, zucchini, red and green peppers)
*wild greens (mâche, arugula, etc) or shredded lettuce
*tuna or salmon
*hardboiled eggs or egg salad
*cheeses
*sliced tomatoes
*capers or sliced olives
*herbs: parsley, mint, dill, etc.

salt & pepper (don't omit!)

mayonnaise or thoum (optional)
red pepper paste or harissa (optional)

method:

remove the paper towel carefully (important: i usually just remove the top part to expose it and leave the bottom in place to avoid any possible tearing).

take olive oil and cover the surface of the lavosh (usually about 2 tbsp). you can also take red pepper paste and smear it on instead but be careful if it is very spicy as too much is not a good thing.

place the filling ingredients on the lavosh in the middle of the bread, leaving a border (where you will be folding things). here i used tuna, eggs, tomatoes, capers, etc...

fold the sides over first.

then fold up the bottom (here it looks like the sides!)

.... and then roll it all fairly tightly.

you can now either cut it in half and eat it as is or, as i like to do, wrap it in wax paper and then cut it. it should be fine either way depending on how well you rolled it.

remember the first one you make may not be perfect. try again until you get it the way you like. these make great sandwiches to take to work or for quick lunches or suppers, especially in the hot summers.

enjoy!

blogworks

2008-06-17T18:32:00.001-04:00

to those of you who view what i post to my blog via one feed or another (aggregate reader), take note that over the next while, i will be fixing dead links and editing.

not to get you confused, look at the original date of the posting — if it is not the current date, it's (obviously!) an old one. you can either reread it or disregard the entire thing.

reruns no. 2 — lebanese garlic (mayo) sauce

2008-06-17T00:00:00.009-04:00

in following with the theme of revisited recipes, this one is for the popular and much sought after sauce, or condiment, which goes by its arabic name thoum. thoum is really just the word for garlic however. considering the amount of 'hits' my blog gets for it regularly, since the time i originally posted that recipe, i figured it is time to post the other version. the first recipe, posted over 2 years ago, is eggless. it also uses one whole head of garlic! this one includes the yolk of one egg and few cloves of garlic.

before i give the recipe, i will say that some people don't know or 'get it' that the authentic version of this sauce is made without eggs and quite a ~~bit~~ lot of garlic. in essence, it is a mixture of garlic mashed with salt to yield a purée into which oil is slowly added. it is then finished with lemon juice. making it this way has its faults in so much as it is extremely difficult to do, even for those who are experienced. it is an unstable emulsion which is very tempermental and requires the correct measures and perfect touch of hand, whether made traditionally in a large mortar or by modern methods (blender). the eggless version i posted in 2006, was thickened, as many people do it, with a piece of boiled potato, making a garlic sauce which does not separate and reduces the acridity, or harshness, of the garlic. adding either the boiled potato or a piece of moistened bread to it makes it stable (nothing worse than having all your work separate and fall apart before your eyes!).

* * * * *

the other way to make thoum stable is to use an egg yolk, an ingredient which makes a thick unctuous product. this creamy off-white coloured garlic sauce is also the one, i believe, the majority of people are looking for and the one which they are accustomed to finding in (fast food type) lebanese restaurants.

the best way to prepare this condiment is in a blender or with a hand held immersion blender. if you choose the latter route, make sure you have someone helping you to hold the vessel/cup in which you blend the ingredients, as it becomes difficult, even next to impossible, to keep it from wobbling around while blending and trying to add the oil all at the same time.

the most important thing when making this is NOT to rush. if you're one of those people who are impatient, then you are better off getting someone else to make it or just to buy it. while making this sauce is pretty straightforward, it still requires attention to detail and a steady hand.

the sauce is good for 1 to 2 weeks if well refrigerated. only use mild olive oil or a blend of vegetable and olive oil. remember this recipe is more like a mayonnaise (and therefore highly caloric) while the other has a different texture. that one, i'd say, is more like a sauce than a mayonnaise. it also uses less oil and is more pungent.

lebanese garlic mayonnaise sauce

makes approx. 1 cup

ingredients:

3 large cloves garlic + 1 smaller one
1 large egg yolk
1 1/2 tsp (no more than that!) water*
1/4 tsp salt

1 c (8 oz) regular olive oil or blend of vegetable and olive oil

white vinegar mixed with water to equal 3 tbsp OR,
juice of 1/2 small lemon

*the water is there to help blend things easily. DO NOT omit it.

method:

have your mise-en-place ready first. you don't have time to run around the kitchen grabbing ingredients.

*i am using an immersion blender here; you can use a regular one. do NOT use a food processor.

place the garlic and egg yolk in the mixing bowl (or tall sided immersion blender jar). if you don't trust your blades are sharp enough, you can use a mortar and pestle to grind the garlic to a fine purée with the salt and then add it to the blender with the egg yolk and continue from that point.

blend it for a minute just to break up the garlic. it will further break down as you progress.

add the salt and the water and mix it for 2 or 3 minutes (pulsing) until is is broken down and blended.

this part is where you need to keep an eye on things. i can't say exactly how long it will take as it depends upon your ingredients and your method.

add the oil now in DROPS and blend in completely after each one, pulsing as you go.

continue to do this until your mixture looks creamy and emulsified. this is the sign of when to add the rest of the oil, slowly in more of a steady stream.

add the oil, in trickles and keep blending as you go. it will take some time, maybe up to 10 minutes. have someone hold the emulsion jug if that is how you're doing it or to slowly pour the oil as you blend and hold on to the jar.

once all the oil is incorporated, it should look like a whitish very thick mayonnaise.

taste it to see if you need more salt. add a tiny bit if necessary.

now add the lemon juice or vinegar and water mixture in a slow stream until it tastes right to you. you may not need it all, so taste test along the way.

refrigerate and use as wanted.

enjoy!

fermented things — no. 1 {beet rossl}

2008-06-15T14:11:00.016-04:00

before refrigeration, food was mainly preserved in one of three ways: it was either salted, dried or fermented — the exception to this being those who lived in extreme northern climates who were able to keep items frozen. that method, however, was not as stable as the aforementioned. as refrigeration became commonplace, the need for some of these practices of food preservation decreased or become unnecessary. on the other hand, many of the foods we love can only be prepared by those methods — the most important being fermentation.

fermentation, the complex chemical conversion of carbohydrates involving temperature and microorganisms, can be either intentional or accidental (ummm, what's that growing in the jar in the back of the fridge??), turning sugars into acids. some cultures seem to have more forms of (everyday) fermented foods than others; the most obvious seen in both chinese and japanese cuisines. there is also the belief, by some, that fermented foods are good for us.

in jewish cuisine, one of the oldest and most ubiquitous forms of fermentation is done with vegetables. besides pickling cucumbers, east european jews, like the people in the countries in which they lived, also fermented beets which resulted in something called rossl. in eastern europe, this was always prepared in homes around the holiday of purim, exactly four weeks before passover. the resulting beet rossl, a dark red and sour mixture of beet and beet juice, was (and still is) used to make soups, in addition to other things.

after 4 weeks of fermenting, the beets and its juice is ready to make (passover) borshcht. this is the real {i.e. authentic} ingredient used in this soup; those who didn't have it just added either sour salt (citric acid crystals) or lemon juice. at the moment, i'm not posting a recipe here for borshcht (see here for something similar) — i'm just showing you the easy way to prepare this beet rossl which some people still make today. though not nearly as popular as it used to be in years gone by, people do really annually prepare it as they have for centuries to this day. it's really no work at all; the fermentation does it all for you!

beet rossl

after a few weeks of slow fermentation, the result is a tangy deep magenta liquid and its pickled pieces of beetroot. both the liquid and the beets are used in a variety of ways — mostly, however, for soups like borshcht, be it a vegetarian or meat version.

makes enough for 2 or 3 soups

ingredients:

3 very LARGE beets or 4 to 5 medium ones
9 c cold water (little more than 2L)

method:

*you need an impeccably clean glass jar and lid; make sure it's dry before using.

peel the beets under running water, taking care not to get splashed as the beet juices stain terribly. remove each end first.

cut the beets into chunks.

place them in a sterilized and immaculately clean glass jar (~ 10 c / 2L + size).

fill the jar with water to cover. i usually fill it up so i will have quite a bit of liquid. the water must, at the very least, cover the beets by 2 inches (5 cm).

let the beets sit on a kitchen counter with the lid just sitting on top of the jar. DO NOT SCREW IT ON as the gases that form have no place to go. within a day, there should be foam on the surface. this is the fermentation process in progress. if you have a very warm kitchen, it could start as early as 8 to 12 hours.

remove this and discard it. you MUST use a completely clean spoon to do this each and every time so as not to contaminate (the fermentation of) the beets.

keep removing anything that you see on the surface on a daily basis.

eventually the fermentation will stop after a few days.

usually within 2 weeks, the beets and the juice will start to taste noticeably more sour. this is what you are aiming for — it should be sour (in a good way!). you can taste it to see, it's perfectly safe.

the juice and the beets will be ready to use after four weeks.

to use the results:

for the beets:

grate the beets by hand or do it in a food processor. you can just dice them up too — follow the directions of your recipe. be careful, it stains!

for the beet juice:

this is used in place of some, or all, of the liquid content of the recipe. because the liquid is soured already, you won't need to add lemon juice ..... unless, of course, the results are not sour enough for your taste.

most likely, you will not find any recipes which call for "rossl" specifically unless you are using a very old cookbook or a family recipe. this shouldn't deter you from making this and using it!

enjoy!

red hot ..... or not

2008-06-15T07:45:00.002-04:00

routinely used in turkish cooking, and also in some other mediterranean cuisines, this potent bright red paste packs quite a punch in terms of flavour. while it can be bought in jars from (middle eastern) grocery stores which carry it, the paste is quite easy to make at home and stores well for several weeks in the fridge as long as it is covered with oil, as you would do for harissa. depending upon the brand you buy, it will vary in degrees of heat level however with a homemade one you can control the spiciness.

different people make this different ways. one of the "real" ways to make this involves cutting, seeding & blanching the peppers {some people salt them to extract excess water}, grinding them and then leaving the finished mixture to dry outdoors. over a few days in the hot summer sun, it will lose moisture and then darken to a thick reddish maroon colour. i'll be honest — while i prefer making foods the proper and authentic way, the idea of the potential for insects colonizing the prepartion is a big deterrent for me for a variety of reasons, in addition to the "yuck!" factor. i digress....

i make it a much quicker way, one which my aunt's friend showed her — almost in the same manner which i saw, several years back, in a book by author, p. wolfert. doing it the way i show here takes 30 to 45 minutes, preparation and cooking time factored in. it is very straightforward and uses everyday red (capsicum) peppers. most of the work, if you can call it that, comes in reducing the mixture over the stovetop. the only drawback to this method is the 'spitting' of it while it cooks down. i suggest putting either tea towels or newspaper (safely weighed down!) around the stove top and counter.

so what does one do with this paste? well, we used it to add to either bulgur or rice dishes. it was mixed with the water or broth and then this was added. since it has a lot of flavour, very little salt or pepper, if any, was necessary. that, LOL, is about all we ever did with it; i'm sure there are many other dishes it is used in.

the amount here only makes about 1/3 of a cup (or maybe a little more). if you want, you can adjust the amounts as you need. if you don't like very hot things, reduce the amount of red chili peppers you use but don't omit them! make sure to keep the paste covered with oil at all times to create a seal so no mold will develop. as i said earlier, made this way it's good for quite a few weeks (which is why i only make a small amount at a time). use about a heaped tsp per 2 cups of liquid or to taste.

quick (turkish) red pepper paste

makes ~ 1/3 c paste

ingredients:

2 very large red peppers
1 to 2 dried red (cayenne) peppers
2 tbsp water
1 tbsp olive oil (not extra v)
1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt

2 tbsp olive oil, extra (not extra v)

method:

before starting:

reconstitute the red cayenne peppers in 1 cup of boiling water and let sit for 1 hour until softened. with rubber gloves or under running water, remove the hard stem end and the seeds. leaving a few is ok. if you're into intense heat, then just the stem ends. i don't suggest it. cut the chilis into several pieces

continue on:

take the red (capsicum) peppers and wash them well. cut them in half and seed them and then cut them in strips.

place the red peppers, the chili peppers, 2 tbsp water the salt and sugar and 1 tbsp of olive oil.

blend it for about 4 to 5 minutes (depends upon your blender) until fully puréed. it will be foamy and bright orange.

place the mixture into a dutch oven or wok and bring to a boil, stirring, over high heat.

reduce heat to medium high and let the mixture cook for about 15 to 20 minutes.

reduce heat again to medium low and let cook until it is visibly thickened. when you pull the spoon through the mixture, you will see remain separated for a bit before coming back together again.

at this point, add 2 more tbsp of olive oil (only use regular as extra v is too strong). mix well and keep cooking.

you will know the mixture is ready when it has lost most of its liquid and comes together in a single mass.

let the mixture cool completely on a plate.

place it in a jar and pour mild olive or vegetable oil over it and refrigerate. make sure oil is covering it before putting it back in the fridge.

enjoy!

summer soups — no. 1

2008-06-12T16:58:00.011-04:00

the past several days, where i live, have been miserable. with the humidity factored in, we reached 40 C — conditions completely unbearable and leaving one feel as though s/he was about to melt. being on an island, surrounded by water, only makes things worse during our summer heat waves. for all you people who think canada doesn't get hot, think again! the only antidote for horrendous weather like this is cold food. iced coffee, popsicles and ice cream, now there's a good diet!

on the more healthy end of things, the following is a light soup, perfect for the warmer weather of the now-upon-us summer days. this pleasingly green hued purée of zucchini and leek can be served either hot or cold. excuse the air bubbles created by the blender while puréeing in the picture below, the weather was too hot to wait for them to dissipate!

cream of zucchini and leek soup

serves ~ 6 to 8 people

ingredients:

4 small zucchini (~ 5 to 6 inches)
1 leek (or medium onion)
1 small potato - floury kind, not waxy
1/2 apple, peeled and cubed *optional
2 large cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp coriander powder, heaped
1/4 tsp dill seeds
1/8 tsp black pepper, or to taste
salt to taste (depends on your stock)
1/2 tsp sugar

2 to 3 tbsp regular olive oil

4 c stock (chicken or vegetable) or 4 c water + 2 tbsp stock powder

optionals:

1 c milk, cream or soymilk -- or more stock
chopped herbs of your choice: italian parsley, coriander or dill

method:

vegetable prep:

cut ends off zucchini, keeping the peel on. cut the zucchini lengthwise and then again in half to equal for pieces. cut these pieces into small (1/2 inch) chunks.

clean the leek well and then slice it in 1/8 inch pieces. use the white and light green portion only and discard the dark green part. if using onion, cut it into thin slices.

peel the potato and cut to the same size as the zucchini pieces. if using, cut the peeled apple to the same size. mince the garlic

cooking part:

heat a soup pot on medium heat and add 2 - 3 tbsp of the olive oil. add the zucchini potatoes & apple and sauté for 10 minutes. keep stirring to prevent sticking.

after 10 minutes of cooking, add the leek and garlic. add the pepper, coriander powder, and dill seeds.

sauté for another 8 minutes or so.

add the stock, or water and stock powder. bring to a boil and then lower heat to medium low. cook uncovered for 20 minutes. stir as necessary.

taste the mixture and add salt and sugar as necessary. i can't really say how much as it depends on what your stock is like.

let cool for about 15 minutes and then place in batches in a blender and purée until smooth (i've tried this before with an electric hand (wand style) blender and the consistency is not fine enough).

taste again and further adjust, if needed. at this point, you can add the 1 cup of milk or cream or soymilk if you like a finer texture. you can thin it with a bit more stock also.

garnish with chopped herbs. dill is a good choice.

enjoy!

potato cheese varenike

2008-06-08T13:00:00.007-04:00

otherwise known as pierogi, these are the jewish variation which go by the yiddish name of varenike(h). part of the difference is that ours are fried after being cooked while the former are served (unfried) after being poached in salted water — both ways are equally delicious. in my family, we only fry them on one side, giving them both texture and colour — one side crispy and golden, the other white and soft.

this is the dairy version [recipe] i always use, especially for the holiday of shavuot. you can save yourself a bit of headache and make the filling the night before and then continue with making the dough the day you'll cook them. just bring the filling to room temperature first as potatoes tend to solidify when cold (take it out of the fridge when you're making the dough).

the dough is amazing to work with — it is very soft and willing to roll out with little coaxing or prodding. it will surely become one of your favourites, too. the dough uses sour cream (recommended) but if you want you can use yogurt. just drain it for a bit before until it has the consistency of sour cream (thick but still 'stir-able').

making these alone is a bit of a "potchkeh" .... ok, let's not lie, it is a lot of work, especially if you decide to make the full recipe all on the same day (i'm a glutton for punishment). having an extra set of hands speeds up the process but it can be done on your own if you have the patience. just make sure those extra hands are willing to carry through the arduous varenike making task. it's at least 2 to 3 hours of work just rolling, stuffing & cooking (not including {pre-made} filling, if you've done it). (and someone reading this — you know who you are — knows EXACTLY what i am talking about! LOL)

the reward will be your own vareneke which can be frozen after cooking*. both the dough and filling can be doubled to yield approximately 110 varenike for big batch cooking.

serve with golden brown fried onions and lots of sour cream! :))

potato cheese varenike

makes approximately 55 varenike

ingredients:

varenike (pierogi) dough:

1 large egg
1 c sour cream
1 tbsp butter + 1 tbsp oil
2 1/4 c AP flour

(dough recipe from j. smith)

potato cheese filling:

4 - 5 medium sized potatoes (more towards the smaller size than larger)
1/2 of a 500 gram (1lb) container/pkg creamy cottage cheese
1 medium-large onion
~1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp onion powder & garlic powder, optional

method:

make the filling (first):

peel and cut potatoes in cubes. cook in salted water until they can be easily broken apart.

drain and place in a bowl. mash them well and set aside loosely covered to cool.

add the salt (about 3/4 tsp) and pepper. add more salt, if needed, only at the end of mixing everything .

meanwhile, FINELY mince the onion and fry it in about 2 to 3 tbsp oil or butter. once browned, add it to the mashed potatoes.

take the cottage cheese and mash it well so it is broken down finely. you can also push it through a fine wire strainer provided the holes are large enough — too small and it won't work.

add this to the potato-onion mixture and blend everything.

taste and adjust. remember, it should be a bit on the salty side as the dough is bland. don't however "go mental" adding tons of salt!

for the dough:

couldn't be simpler — mix all the ingredients together. knead it for about two minutes until it is well blended and you have a nice dough.

let it rest for about 20 minutes.

making the varenike:

first, fill a large soup pot/dutch oven with water and place on the stove on medium heat. bring it to a boil while making the varenike, then turn the heat down to keep it hot until you're ready to cook them.

divide dough in half.

take one piece and cover the other. roll out the 1/2 portion of dough to about 1/8" thick on a floured board.

using a cutter or a drinking glass, cut out approximately 3 inch circles.

a time saver is to cut out many of them all at once and then place filling on each.

place only about 2 tsp, maximum, in the center of the circle.

form the varenike as follows:

wet the edges of one half of the circle (like making the mouth of a "smiley face") and bring the top half down.

press well to seal the edges.

continue until all are made.

place them on a tea towel covered cookie sheet and keep covered with another tea towel or with plastic wrap. what i do is place them in rows of five on a plate and then cover with plastic wrap. i repeat these rows until i am finished, each row separated by plastic wrap. you can only do this if you are going to use them right away — be forewarned — if you let them sit longer than 20 minutes, any of them touching each other, will fuse together as the dough gets stickier the longer it sits (especially if your kitchen is hot).

*at this point, you can freeze them flat on a tray and then put them in a ziploc for later use; to cook them, don't defrost ..... just cook them as shown below. the potato filling is perfectly fine once cooked from its frozen state (usually potato does not freeze well).

be frugal:

reroll your scraps until it is ALL used up! after removing the lacy bits of dough in between the circles, put it back in a bowl and use it up later.

remember, the more you roll the used dough, the more elastic it becomes and the more resistant it is to not wanting to retract after the rounds are cut. therefore, DO NOT knead it. just gather it and roll it out. the dough is soft enough to come together nicely. it may be a good idea to let it sit for a few minutes after you've rolled it out so the gluten relaxes again.

cooking the varenike:

just before they are all made, unless you have help and are doing it production-line-style, raise the heat of the water to bring it to a boil. it should be salted water.

drop in the varenike in batches.

they will fall to the bottom of the pot.

let them cook until they float and then simmer for 10 minutes, the pot partially covered. remove them with a slotted spoon and let them drain.

i usually drain them and add a few tablespoons of oil so they do not stick to the bottom of the pot or to each other (they will if you don't). this is to hold them over until i am ready to fry them.

you can eat them as is with sour cream (i.e. like pierogi) or fry them on one side in butter and oil until browned.

to fry, place them in a frying pan with some oil or oil/butter mixture and let them cook until they are browned on a single side. you can do both but they are better one side only (i feel).

serve them with fried golden brown onions and sour cream!

enjoy!

cheese blintzes

2008-06-08T07:30:00.008-04:00

nothing says classic jewish food more than cheese blintzes. these are especially popular for the holiday of shavuot when dairy foods are traditionally eaten.

there are different recipes for the bletlach (blintz leaves or crêpes) and the filling. the one i am posting here is always successful and definitely worth the trouble of making, especially if you like cheese. see the post here for how to make the blintz leaves.

as for the filling, much depends upon where you live and what is available to you in terms of cheese products. i have, over my lifetime, had many different versions. my favourite is always the kind which are dense and with a creamy consistency rather than a dry (gritty, ech!!) one. therefore, the filling i offer here is a mixture of three different cheeses (rather 2 types). and no, i don't add cinnamon! i find it vile mixed with the cheese filling — made that mistake once, never again.

cottage cheese is usually used for the bulk of most cheese blintz fillings. it comes in two types here in north america: dry and "wet". the dry type is usually in a block and tightly compressed. it has a fine grain to it and little liquid. the "wet" types are larger curd and tend to be a bit salty. the wet component is actually the milk/cream content.

for this particular recipe, both types are used in addition to cream cheese. it's a great filling combination. in the recipe, i show two variations for the filling. as i'm sure there are some people who WON'T like a creamy consistency, i show how to make it the more traditional textured way. to please both crowds, i split the ingredients in two and make 1/2 creamy and 1/2 textured and then combine the two — the best of both worlds.

you can experiment with different cheeses like ricotta mixed with others. the idea, however, is that that the mixture is a DRY one that will not "run" or ooze when it is cooked. the interior filling should be somewhat firm once cooked.

in any event, the recipe yields enough for 20 blintzes. you can freeze them after you form them. it's best to freeze them in batches of 2 or 4 ..... you don't want to defrost 12 when you need 2 for a quick snack!

traditionally, these are served with fresh fruit and sour cream. you can use yogurt or maple syrup or honey, too. all depends on what you like. i've even had them served with whipped cream. there goes the diet!

you can cut the recipes for the filling and blintz leaves in half.

basic cheese blintzes

makes enough for 20 to 24 blintzes

ingredients:

500 g (1 lb) dry cottage cheese
1/2 of a 500 g container regular cottage cheese
4 oz cream cheese (philadelphia style)

1 small lemon, juiced
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
5 to 6 tbsp sugar

2 egg yolks

*****

make the bletlach or "leaves" first. in other words, the crepes ..... see here. these can be done in advance and filled the next day.

*****

method:

a note about the main ingredients before starting:

the dry cottage cheese looks like this:

it is tight grained with very little liquid.

to use it in this recipe, just remove it from the package. there should be minimal liquid. if there is a lot, then you can drain it first.

in north america, cottage cheese can be bought in dry form — usually used for baking — and in a creamy form with larger curds (of cheese). this is the everyday kind of cottage cheese people use to eat on its own or prepared some other way.

the "wet" kind of cottage cheese looks like this and comes in plastic 500 g containers.

before starting the recipe, prepare the creamy style cottage cheese by rinsing it in a fine strainer to remove the liquid content.

what you will be left with are the curds of cheese. it won't seem like much but that is all you need for this recipe.

the best cream cheese to use looks like this:

the filling can be made two ways — it depends what you like in terms of texture.

1. completely smooth

to make it this way, all you need to do is blend all the ingredients together. it is best to cut up the cream cheese in smaller pieces and make sure it is at room temperature. i am using a small food processor so it has to be done in two batches.

2. textured

for this version, you need to combine the cream cheese, lemon juice and sugar first and process it until completely smooth.

once that is done, add the remaining ingredients and pulse until incorporated (or until you get the consistency you like).

putting it all together —

important: count the number of blintzes you made and divide the filling equally. do NOT overfill them. i use between 38 to 42 grams of filling per 24 blintzes (i weigh the filling and divide).

fill the blintzes the same way you would for making a spring/egg roll:

note: you place the filling on the side which was exposed to the bottom of the crêpe pan! the exposed rolled up blintz should be yellowish.

at this point, you can freeze them or continue on. if you freeze, don't place them next to each other or they'll stick when frozen. place them on a tray and freeze them as single units and then put them in well closed ziplocs (nylon/plastic) bags.

once the blintzes are filled, fry in butter over medium heat on both sides until golden.

serve with fresh fruit like blueberries and/or strawberries and sour cream.

enjoy!

basic blintz batter and bletlach

2008-06-08T06:38:00.003-04:00

blintzes are the jewish version of crêpes which are eaten year round. they are especially popular this time of the year to celebrate the holiday of shavuot, the end of the 40 day period when moses is said to have received the 10 commandments on mount sinai (counting beginning after the 2nd passover seder).

blintzes are not, however, eaten the same way thin french (folded) crêpes are — ours are always filled with something, either sweet or savoury, rolled up and pan fried in butter or margarine until they are golden brown.

the following recipe is one i found quite a few years ago which works extremely well. it can be made quickly in a blender or with a hand (or emulsion) mixer. do not use a food processor as it is not appropriate, especially for this volume. the recipe can be cut in half.

if you want to make the bletlach (yiddish for "leaves" i.e. the crêpes) to use with a savoury filling, omit the sugar & vanilla and replace it with salt. you can make the recipe parve (non dairy) by using soymilk or just water. it all works.

as with all crêpe batters, you MUST let it rest in the refrigerator for a minimum of 2 to 3 hours before using it for best results.

an important thing to remember is that it is best to use a crêpe pan but to be honest, any fry pan will do. the advantage of a crêpe is that it is made from steel which conducts the proper heat and the sides are beveled which form the proper edge to help make the blintz leaves. i use a 8 1/4" pan (measured from side edge to side edge) to make these. if you are using a fry pan, try to use one which will form the exact size (a finished 7 1/2" crêpe).

to make this size, i use a little less than a 1/4 c of batter per blintz leaf. do no pour out the excess — this is not necessary. just keep swirling the pan around to coat the surface (which is why you need the right diameter pan!). if there is any patch which is not coated, you can add a few extra drops of batter.

blintz leaves are only cooked on one side and they should be barely coloured. if they are browned, the heat is too high. lower it to a medium low heat. it should only take up to one minute or so to cook each leaf.

you really only need to oil the pan for the first one you make. there is enough butter or oil in the batter to help them not stick after that. keep in mind, the first one(s) may look terrible, especially if you have never made them before, but with each successive one, you will improve.

follow these guidelines and you should (hopefully!) be very well rewarded.

look here for the cheese filling.

basic blintz batter & bletlach

makes 20 to 24 (7 1/2") bletlach or blintz crêpes

ingredients:

4 large eggs
1 c milk (or water or soymilk for parve version)
1 1/2 c water
1/4 c sugar (for sweet version)
1 tsp vanilla (for sweet version)
2 tbsp butter or margarine/oil**

1/4 tsp salt (if making savoury version)

2 1/4 c cake flour*

*cake & pastry flour is best though you can get away with all purpose flour
** DO NOT omit! this is essential in helping the blintz leaves not stick to the pan

method:

make the batter by placing the wet ingredients together in your blender.

mix well until blended for about 30 seconds.

place the flour directly on top of the mixed wet ingredients.

cover and blend for about 1 full minute.

at this point, you will end up with about 5 cups of batter. you can pour the batter in a fine meshed strainer, as is classically done, to make sure you have a perfect batter (i recommend this for beginners). place the batter, covered, in the fridge for a minimum of 2 hours. longer is better.

after having let the batter rest, you will notice it will have separated into layers. this is normal.

take a whisk and redistribute the liquids.

the consistency should be like that of coffee creamer (a bit thicker than milk). it needs to be liquid and not thick like pancake batter to form the blintz leaves correctly.

prepare the pan —

heat your pan over medium heat for about 5 minutes.

take it off the heat and add about 2 tsp of butter or margarine/oil. swirl it around. i always do this over the sink.

with a wadded piece of paper towel, wipe out the excess. you need a thin film only.

to make the blintz leaves:

return the pan to the heat. make SURE it is on a medium to medium low heat. usually, you always need to adjust the heat for the first few.

measure out a little less than 1/4 cup of batter. i have the right size ladle so i don't need to measure.

sorry, no picture here (impossible to take pictures and swirl at same time!)

add the batter to the pan and swirl it around, off the heat, until it coats the whole surface. i am assuming you're using the proper sized pan to ensure you get a perfect round. don't worry if you get spots that seem uneven or a little bumpy. if there are any open holes, fill them up with a little extra batter. you DO NOT need to pour out the excess provided you used the right amount.

cook the blintz leaf until it seems dry on top. this should take a minute or so only. DO NOT overcook them. they will bubble a bit on the surface when ready.

to remove the crepes from the pan:

take a blunt knife and loosen each around the edges. take the pan off the heat at this point.

now take the whole pan, and turn it over to flip the bletl (leaf) onto a plate. if it doesn't fall out easily, it may be your pan or your technique. try lifting the crêpe up with your fingers from the edges just to release it from the surface before flipping it. flipping them over directly on top each is the easiest way to do it.

look at your first blintz leaf. it is is browned, the heat is too high. time to lower it and continue on. the top of the side you flip over should be barely coloured. it's fine if it's a little lightly browned.

continue on this way until all are cooked. it will take patience to make them as it is about an hour event. (yes, it's long.....but think of the results!)

stack the blintz leaves one on top of the other in a neat pile. let cool.

if you're worried they'll stick to each other, don't! they won't.

n.b. you can cover the cooled leaves and store them in the fridge for later (or the next day).

now go fill your blintzes and enjoy!

demystifying semolina

2008-06-02T07:28:00.009-04:00

i've been asked several times what semolina is and if the person asking has purchased the right product for some of the recipes posted to my blog. instead of explaining it each time, i am posting the answer here. this is the very 'short course' on semolina. here is the longer course on flour & wheat.

read and understand! :))

* * * * * * * * *

the first things you need to know are:

there are 3 types of wheat:

1 - hard wheat

*hard kernels -- high gluten -- used mostly for bread flour

2 - soft wheat

*soft kernels -- low gluten -- used mostly for pastry flour and "semolina"

3 - durum wheat

*very hard kernels -- very high gluten -- used mostly for pasta & couscous & "semolina"

each has a winter type and a spring type harvest.

without getting into all the minutiae, suffice it to say each wheat is a type of its own (with many varieties) giving different types of flours and wheat products. a variety of parts of the wheat kernel are used for the various flours and products made from it.

eg. whole wheat (meal) flour includes the bran coating; all purpose doesn't.

if you noticed, both soft wheat and durum wheat produce the much used product called semolina. this is where much of the confusion arises. the truth is..... it is confusing! more than once, i have seen it described in terrible terms in cookbooks. either the explanation was vague or just plain wrong. this coming from cookbook authors! hopefully, after reading this you won't be confused.

so, what is semolina anyway?! the easiest way to visualize/understand it is to first realize what it is and where it comes from. semolina is, in botanical terms, the endosperm. this means it is basically what eggwhite is to an egg (yolk). it is the albumin — starch portion — of the wheat grain. when processed, it is very small and granular.

there are 2 types of semolina depending upon which type of wheat is used:

[I] HARD WHEAT [Yellow] SEMOLINA (type: high gluten, high protein)

*comes from durum wheat ergo called 'durum semolina'
*can be bought in 2 types: granular + flour

-GRANULAR type is mostly used to make couscous along with durum flour.

-FLOUR type is mostly used for noodles, breads and baking (often called "pasta flour")

*is always YELLOW

-you should consider this type as the "bread flour type" of semolina as it is commonly used in making PASTA, COUSCOUS, (a type of pasta) & BREADS and BAKING due to its gluten percentage/ratio.

* * * * * * * * *

[II] SOFT WHEAT [White] SEMOLINA (type: high carb, low protein & low gluten)

*comes from different varieties of soft wheat
*can be bought in 2 types: granular + flour

-GRANULAR type is called:

solet in hebrew or smeed(i) in arabic;

in english it is also known under names such as cream of wheat, farina or wheatlets.

in hindi and other similar languages it is called either sooji or rava/rawa.

-FLOUR type is called:

firkha in arabic or farine de semoule in french.

be careful because there are different grinds, depending on the company/mill which is producing it: often you will see wheatlets #1 or 2 or 3. decide which is most appropriate for your recipe.

note that for nammoura cakes, the granular type is typically used. for baking cakes and certain breads, the flour type is used. in indian cooking, the granular type is used for a variety of recipes depending on geography.

*both kinds are always an 'OFF-WHITE' or WHITISH colour.

(this is how to tell the difference between hard wheat and soft wheat kinds -- as a general rule).

-you should consider this type as the "pastry flour type" of semolina as it is commonly used in making BAKED GOODS. it is used differently (sometimes) in indian cooking however.

NOW GO MAKE SOMETHING! :)