what good thing have you done today?

several times in my life — for one reason or another and whether by design or fluke — good things have happened to me which at the time seem to lessen and/or counteract the big, bad and the ugly.

it is probably at those times, i often question if it is divine intervention or just plain luck or simply things meant to be. usually however, i just thank my lucky stars, look up, and utter a small thank you and a ברוך השם. and as they say: what goes around, eventually comes around.

Your Luck Quotient: 64%

You have a high luck quotient. More often than not, you've felt very lucky in your life. You may be randomly lucky, but it's probably more than that. Optimistic and open minded, you take advantage of all the luck that comes your way.

How Lucky Are You?

[64% !?!? — sheesh! that doesn't sound great! so 6.4 times out of 10; no wonder i never win the lottery! :-] ]

i have truly come to believe this {what goes around, comes around}. do good & good shall come to you is another thing i remember hearing often.

so why am i talking about all this? just because, i guess the answer would be. part of it though also has to do with the constant barrage of death and destruction going on whenever i turn on the tv or radio or open up a newspaper. like many people, i try to tune it out.

recently i came across something i found interesting:

do one nice thing

no, it has nothing to do with anything spiritual or oprah-esque [no comment], it's just a nice site to read about the good things people have done or that have happened to them. it happens every monday.

what nice thing are you going to do today?

my nice thing is going to be to share founder debbie tenzer's site with you.

it's a good read. check it out {not just the homepage!}.

lemon squares & my first cookbook

i sometimes wonder if people remember what their first cookbook was. i know almost everyone either bought or was given one at some point in his/her life. i also wonder if it was even kept, perhaps tucked away somewhere to be dusted off at some point in the future or sitting on the shelf with the rest of the cookbooks.

being a reformed confirmed packrat, i kept mine.

and, eventhough it's bent up and yellowed, it still brings back good memories of time long gone.

carbon dated prenigellian artifact

no, there are no fancy pictures or 70 dollar price tag attached. in fact, it only cost a whopping 60 cents when i was in grade 3. i have to tell you, this book was the book to have when you were in the third grade at that time. not only did you get the schulz cartoons to go with it, you also got to have fun in the kitchen and eat your experiments.

now, i often groan when it comes to the daily grind of figuring out what to cook and actually having to do it. oh no, not back then. i couldn't wait to try another recipe, probably driving my mother crazy and making a mess of the clean kitchen. who could resist with recipes such as carrots everyone likes, frieda's french toast, and everybody's chocolate soda? i admit, i passed up making peppermint patty's prunewhip [blech! c'mon what kid do you know would WANT to eat that?? what were you thinking, peppermint patty!?!].

i will leave you with one of the best recipes from the book. these have been my all-time favourite. all these years later, i am still making them. but add more lemon juice if like them sour!

i'll let you know .... while they are easy to make, they aren't too difficult to finish off the day you make them either! baker beware.

follow the instructions and you will be well-rewarded with these —

here is the simple step by step:

* i would suggest only adding the powdered sugar when you serve these squares as the moisture from the topping tends to be absorbed by the icing sugar over time.

* these can also be made non-dairy by using parve margarine. of course, butter is better as they always say but when you can't, margarine is the next best.

* if you like your lemon squares very lemony, increase the amount of lemon juice.

now put your nickel in lucy's jar and have a lemon square.

el pan de shabat

the term, breaking bread literally holds special significance in judaism because challah — the ceremonial sabbath breath — should be torn into pieces and not cut. of course, people do cut it, usually in a special way on friday night and saturday so as not to break the rules and/or tradition. two loaves are needed and are said to represent the double portion of manna that sustained the ancient israelites given to them every friday while in the wilderness — a "bread" of sustenance it truly is.

the egg-rich challah is in reality an ashkenazi invention. the original recipe and form of this ceremonial bread was undoubtedly just yeast, flour and water and made into the shape of what we call "pita". over time, different recipes and forms of sabbath breads evolved. this is an iberian sephardic way, or example, of forming the challah. it is made from seven balls of dough, each representing one of the days of the week. note, however, that sephardic challot are often only made with flour, yeast, salt and water.

it is also formed this way in that it allows for 7 portions which are neatly separated. these portions can be further torn into smaller pieces. it is easier and faster than braiding. the challah is baked in a larger than normal pan which measures 10 1/2" x 3 1/2" x 2 1/4". the baking pan i use is european and comes from my parents, so ..... if you can find this size, it works perfectly. otherwise, i would suggest using two smaller ones and making it with 14 balls of dough (7 in each).

this recipe for this challah is a great all purpose one, not overly sweet but just enough. it always disappears quickly. the recipe for the dough is from second helpings, please [see my previous post here], a cookbook which is much used here in these parts. the recipe itself was written up as "award winning". the difference is that in this version there is aniseed added, which is typically how it is made and liked in sephardic tradition. you may omit it or add more. you may also add a 1/2 tsp of mahlep (mahlep powder). the other difference, as noted above, is in the way it is shaped.

el pan de shabat
[jalá] — challah bread

will make one large challah.
double it for sabbath purposes.

ingredients:

2 tsp yeast, *instant or active dry (1 tbsp packed fresh yeast)
1 tsp sugar
1/2 c warm water

1/2 c warm water
2 eggs
1/2 c vegetable oil
1/4 - 1/3 c sugar
2 tsp salt
1/4 - 1 tsp anise seeds crushed, optional
1/2 tsp mahlep powder, optional

4 - 4 1/2 c AP or bread flour
(or more as needed to make a non-sticky dough)

1 egg yolk
sesame seeds
1/2 tsp kosher salt


2 cucharaditas de levadura "instant o active dry"
(se puede hacer con la levadura fresca: 1 cuchara llena)
1 cucharadita de azucar
1/2 taza agua tibia

1/2 taza agua tibia
2 huevos
1/2 taza aceite
1/4 - 1/3 taza azucar
2 cucharaditas de sal "kosher" o fino
1/4 - 1 cucharadita de granos de anis
1/2 cucharadita de mahlep

4 - 4 1/2 tazas de harina para hacer pan (mas o menos)

1 yemon de huevo
granos de sesame
1/2 cucharadita de sal kosher

method:

place the yeast in the bowl with the teaspoon of sugar. add the warm water and stir. wait until it is proved. if you are using *instant yeast, you can skip waiting and proceed. the advantage of using the instant yeast here is that you can eliminate and extra rise which makes preparing this bread much faster.

once it has proved, add the next set of ingredients, and mix well.

add the flour and mix well to make a non-sticky dough. add extra flour as required to make a slightly tacky dough. knead the dough for a good 10 to 15 minutes. if not kneaded enough, it will result in a texture which is cake-like and not bread-like.

cover the dough and let rise in a warm place until doubled. if using regular yeast, punch down and let rise again and extra 45 minutes or until doubled again and then follow the proceeding directions to form the loaf. the second rising is important if using active dry type yeast as it lets the yeast multiply to its maximum; instant or rapid rise does not need a second rise (though it can be done) since it is a different strain of yeast.

if using instant yeast, punch down and separate into 7 balls.

grease your bread loaf tins very well with margarine or oil. place the balls in the loaf pan zigzag shape. they will all fit; adjust them if needed.

cover and let this rise again until almost doubled, about 1/2 hour.

preheat your oven to 350 F while the dough is in its last rise.

once the dough has risen, make your egg wash with one egg yolk and 1 tbsp of water. brush this all over the loaf making sure it is all covered with the wash.

sprinkle the salt over the loaf evenly and then sesame seeds. let bake for about 40 minutes, until golden brown. the internal temperature for bread should be 200 F.

before baking:

after baking:

enjoy!

if you understand spanish, here are a few extra jewish recipes. si usted quiere saber que significa "kosher", escuche aqui. otras recetas de cocina judia.

not just a regular brown cat — WCB #77

Weekend Cat Blogging — no. 77

this post is two parts. the first is a bit about the burmese breed and the second, a short story about my cat and how he came to me.

the burmese is a cat with a rich history which goes back to burma [myanmar] and thailand. it was originally a temple cat looked after, and doted upon, by monks and one owned and cherised by nobility. it has a personality and character like no other.

in the 1930s, the first burmese was brought over to san francisco. it has since been bred and developed and today is categorized into two distinct classes: the american burmese and the european burmese. they differ in their coat colours and certain physical characteristics. see the links for more information.

map of burma, now called myanmar

photo: graphicmaps.com

wong mau, the first burmese to come to america
her face reminds me of a cartoon character

a very interesting article about the evolution of this breed by cats and kittens magazine.

if it interests you, more information about the specific breed is available here and here.

now for the story of my kitten, or should i say, my cat tale:

several months ago i went to the airport to pick up a very special package which would bring much happiness into my life. waiting nervously — not to mention a long time (damned security and immigration!) — the courrier ... or should i say carrier ... finally arrived. i felt like an expectant parent.

it was love at first sight.

when i opened up the little black sherpa carrier, out popped the cutest little head, letting out a set of mee-yews & mee-yows that made heads spin at the arrivals section of the airport. it was my golden-eyed, sable burmese kitten, a little brown baby of 4 months. soft as silk and purring loudly while "talking" at the same time, he immediately let me know what a bad flight it had been. thank goodness he was able to fly in cabin and not some dark, scary cargohold.

he immediately climbed out inspecting the scene from a quiet corner where i had taken him for the big reveal. after taking a good look at me, he then climbed up me and started licking my face. this was my first introduction to my "loverboy" of a cat who doubles as a dog in a cat's suit. the burmese really is a cat like no other.

from esquire magazine:

THE BURMESE CAT (Michael Walker, Esquire magazine-August 2002) Every so often a cat goes missing in an airliner cargo hold and we're treated to video on the local Fox affiliate of baggage handlers making simpering entreaties to Fluffy to come out. Like most men, I considered such incidents, with their leitmotif of J.Lo-like entitlement, a powerful disincentive to owning a cat. Then my girlfriend brought home a pair of Burmese, and I have had to make an agonizing reappraisal. The Burmese is a cat a man can love because the Burmese is more dog than cat. You can teach them to fetch and roll over. They actually like people. They do just about everything dogs do except snarl at the FedEx guy and force you to walk them in the rain with a hangover. And you want smart? Clambering over my computer, one of them hit the right sequence of keys, creating his own folder, and named it. Let's see your weimaraner pull that off.

read here and see pictures of what i mean from a fellow owner. it's all true.

he follows me from room to room and is constantly by my side. that includes the bathroom. it seems i cannot be let out of his sight ... well, at least for any length of time. he loves to talk and expresses his opinions about everything and even loves to be held like a baby. i call him my "crouching tiger, yowling dragon" because he does the typical burmese crouch next to me for incredibly long periods of time and can let out a yowl when he wants something. puts a siamese to shame, i tell you. he is also fearless and would think nothing about leaving the house to go on city-wide exploration. this is not one fraidy-cat. even the vacuum and coffee grinder doesn't scare him! he also fetches and plays hide and seek. what more could i ask for?

my 'baby', {pink rabies shot collar}, a few months back with his brother
his brother lives in the united states

burmese cats are normally quite long-lived. there are stories of cats living 20 years and longer. my friend's burmese is now 18 years old.

i look forward to many long years with my little guy.

special thanks to the house of the (mostly) black cats for hosting of WCB #77.

.... and seeing as he is related to the siamese, i could not resist adding some bad cat video. i am sure a lot of people remember the following scene from a famous disney movie.

tapenade aux olives vertes ou noires

photo: telaviv4fun

its name, derived from the provençal word for capers — tapéno, is synonymous with good times with friends and sipping wine on a warm summer's evening. tapenade really is one of the tastiest spreads for a crusty, fresh loaf of french bread.

this olive paste which originates from france, is often and most commonly used for hors d'oeuvres. it can be made from either green or black olives and fortified with other ingredients which are optional. capers are typically a main ingredient but as you will see with patricia wells' recipe, there isn't a caper to be found. her version, from ma cuisine en provence, includes tuna.

if you can read french or just like to look at pictures, here is an article about "la récolte" or harvesting of olives in france.

here are some olives which are specific to israel and here is a very nice display of a myriad of different types in general.

feeling the need to cure your own with lye or to read more? and with enough links to make one's head spin, here you'll find everything olive-related.

the basic elements of a tapenade, often called and likened to as "caviar" are:

pitted black olives [salt-cured]
anchovy fillets
capers
a mild extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper, to one's taste

the preparation is pretty forgiving however the formula for tapenade is always more olives than capers. it can be prepared in a food processor, chopped by hand or done in a large mortar.

basic kalamata tapenade
(only black olives)

ingredients:

25 pitted kalamata olives, coarsely chopped
1 tbsp chopped capers, more or less
1 tsp lemon juice
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 - 3/4 tsp anchovy paste [optional]
cracked black pepper

method:

choose your way of preparing the ingredients in either a processor, a mortar or by hand.


provençal version of tapenade
(only black olives)

ingredients:

1 1/2 cup olives [kalamata or other cured black ones]
2 garlic cloves
2 1/2 oz anchovy fillets
1/2 cup capers
1/2 cup olive oil
Fresh black pepper

method:

coarsely chop and mix.


patricia wells' green olive tapenade

ingredients:

1 170g can of tuna in oil
60 g soft butter
150 g green olives, pitted and drained & chopped
lemon zest
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp dried basil or 4 tbsp fresh chopped

method:

with a fork, break up the tuna in the can and then put all of it including the oil either in a bowl or a processor. add the rest of the ingredients and process or mix well.


for another green olive tapenade recipe with a gorgeous picture, click here.


figs stuffed with tapenade

Cooking to Beat the Clock Sam Gugino

ingredients:

15 oil-cured black olives, pitted
2 teaspoons capers
1 anchovy fillet
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, 1/4 teaspoon dried
2 teaspoons olive oil
12 ripe, small mission figs

method:

puree olives, capers, anchovy, and thyme together in a food processor or chop by hand.

make a slit in the side of each fig and spoon about 1/2 teaspoon of tapenade into the fig. pinch opening closed. allow 3 figs per person.

yield: 4 servings

if you want to know how to make 4 different kinds of marinated olives, look at this from videojug.com, a site that i like a lot:

simple everyday coleslaw

this coleslaw is easy to make and tastes fantastic. it can be easily doubled and lasts for a good week or so in the fridge, getting better the next day or two after it is made. this one does not involve mayonnaise and is made from a simple sweet & sour dressing with plain old vinegar, sugar and oil.

from wikipedia:

Coleslaw was probably consumed in its earliest form in the times of the ancient Romans. However, modern coleslaw could not have arisen until the 18th century as mayonnaise was not yet invented. The term "cole slaw" arose in the 18th century as a partial translation from the Dutch term "koolsla", a shortening of "kool salade", which means "cabbage salad". It was commonly called cold slaw in England until the 1860s when "cole" meaning cabbage was revived. "Cole" originates from the Latin colis meaning "cabbage", and is the origin of the Dutch word as well. In addition to calling it "coleslaw," U.S. Southerners also refer to it as "slaw." Because of this separation of the two syllables and the establishment of "slaw" as its own word, various other kinds of "slaw" are now known, including broccoli slaw or carrot slaw.

and before starting, a note from yiddishe mama — a ukranian jewish food blogger:

To make any coleslaw really delicious, mix cabbage and some salt first and using fingers crumble together for [a] couple minutes. Please adjust amount of salt after this.

everyday coleslaw

1/2 c white vinegar
4 - 5 tbsp white sugar
6 - 7 tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 - 1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/8 tsp pepper, or more

1 [one pound] bag cabbage slaw mix
1 small clove of garlic, chopped

or make your own mix:

1 small cabbage, finely shredded
[to equal 1 lb/500 g]
2 carrots, shredded coarsely
1/2 small onion, finely sliced
1 clove garlic minced

notes before starting:

• i like to salt the shredded cabbage beforehand and let it drain for about 2 hrs to lose some of its excess water/moisture.
• if using the mix that comes in a bag, red cabbage will colour the mixture pink. not my first choice but all that was available for me.

place the sugar and vinegar in a microwavable bowl or a saucepan. microwave or heat on medium heat so that the sugar dissolves and the vinegar is very hot. add the salt and onion powder and stir to dissolve. add the oil and pepper and stir well.

if using the raw vegetables, prepare them so they are finely sliced. place the vegetables in a medium bowl and pour the dressing over it. let it marinate for one hour, stirring every 15 minutes.

let this marinate overnight and serve the next day.

fig, strawberry and goat's cheese tart

photo: the figs of israel [check out the different kinds]

i was excited when i found the following recipe since it included some of my favourite things {i hear a song, somewhere} — figs, strawberries & chèvre. we make quite a bit of goat cheese in quebec and here is a link to l'association laitière de la chèvre du québec. it has lots of information and recipes but it is only in french. here is an english link. this is something further about goat's cheese from foodtv here in canada and an article from canadianliving, our national food & homekeeping magazine which always has incredibly good recipes.


this tart recipe is something i have in the works, so no picture yet. that will be included soon. i found this a few years back and have been meaning to make it for a long time now. sounds good, doesn't it?

Fig, Strawberry and Goat's Cheese Tart

from Chef Robert Jutras at Culinary Conspiracy in Ottawa

Ingredients:

• 10 oz chevre
• 2 oz sugar
• 4 eggs, separated
• 2 tsp flour
• 4 oz 35% cream
• 1 orange, juice & zest
• 2-3 figs, cut in sixths
• 1/2 cup strawberries, chopped
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• pinch nutmeg

Method:

Soak strawberries in juice squeezed from the orange.

Line a 10" flan pan with sweet pastry* and prebake for 5 minutes and then cool

Cream chevre and sugar

Add egg yolks one at a time.

Add flour and 35% cream, beat in.

Add vanilla, nutmeg and orange zest.

Drain the strawberries from orange juice and add

Beat egg whites until soft peak stage and then fold one tablespoon into the above mixture

Fold in remaining whites and pour mixture into prepared shell.

Place the cut figs, interior side up, attractively over the surface, gently pushing them down a bit into the batter.

Bake at 350 for 10 minutes and then reduce heat to 325 and continue to bake for another 20-25 minutes.Cool.

Enjoy!

---

Short Pastry (Pate Brisée)

Ingredients:

• 1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp granulated sugar
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 egg, beaten
• 2 1/4 tsp milk

Method:

Mix the flour, sugar and salt together in a bowl and make a well in the centre.

Put the butter and the beaten egg into the well and then mix all the ingredients together quickly with the finger tips until crumbly.

Gather the dough together and knead gently on the table just until the ingredients are relatively smooth (do not overwork).

Form the dough into a ball, cover with a cloth or wrap in plastic wrap and let rest for at least an hour. Roll out the dough on a floured surface, line the pan and leave in a cool spot for one hour before baking.

The pie shells can be prepared 24 hours before baking and filling.

crazy dreams & shakedowns in town

wow, i must have been real tired because i had the weirdest dreams about being chased by bananas with legs and other fruit last night. completely bizarre but obviously blog-related.

this should teach me not to post entries before bed!

go to the dreams foundation — a very well-done canadian site dedicated to everything dream-related. i never remember mine anyway.

excitement here locally is that earlier this week (or was it last?) a russian spy was arrested!

in addition, today i heard there is a HUGE bust on the italian mafia in montreal. they have arrested scores of people, and sent out more than 700 police officers on this one. apparently, some of them were for suspects working at the airport and the canada - usa border not far from here and also arrested was the 82 yr old father of one of the ringleaders!

what next?

tropical fruit

first of all, let me start by saying i have always had a love/hate relationship with certain foods mostly due to several food allergies. lately, things have gotten a bit better. some of my allergies have now changed & shifted and miraculously, some seem to have even disappeared.

like a lot of people, i am also partial to texture of food. anything slimy like okra or natto makes me recoil. i recently threw out a dish i made which, for some strange reason, ended up having a glutinous and stringy consistency. funny, there are people who love this.

photo: wax jambu from malaysia

this leads me to the subject of tropical fruit, something i have always tried to like but can't get around it. memories of gasoliney smelling papaya and ripe, gooey mango — amongst other more "boring" north american type fruit — being prepared by my mother to feed her zoo of parrots and tropical birds will always be with me. though many a time i tried to force myself to like these fruits, i just can't. i know it's strange, especially when i get questioning looks as to how i could NOT like these things. i didn't say ALL tropical fruit, pass me litchis, mangosteen or rambutan any day — i won't say no.

interestingly enough, i learned through the painful experience of my friend's brother, that the mango tree is related to those potentially deadly peanuts. the sap of the tree is highly irritating and touching it caused severe hives with a trip to the emergency ward.

all this to say that while i am not a fan of certain tropical fruit, i still find them amazingly exotic and beautiful to look at. trips to chinatown and indian shops make me stop and inspect them, wishing my aversion to them would disappear. even their names, custardapple [cherimoya], sapodilla and guava sound appealing.

here is an amazing link to a great site where you can get a view of a myriad of tropical fruit [and some regular ones we know but with an amazing variety shown], some of them you may never even ever have heard of before. there is also a section on bananas and mangoes — of every imaginable variety. take a look at the "praying hands bananas" in the section on bananas and then make sure check out the sections at the bottom for the links about caterpillars, the obscenely pornographic pseudobombax ellipticum and one amazingly good looking baby. very cute, i must say. this is the author's (other) photograhy site, with several recipes.

this is another link for a vast variety of tropical fruit to look at.

breakfast sausages of a different sort

i am always looking for different ways to cut certain unhealthy things out of my diet or adding new interesting and tasty alternatives [to meat]. while i still enjoy eating meat here and there and savour it when i do, i tend to eat a lot less than i used to.

these breakfast type "sausage" patties are a neat alternative to the regular meat ones and have the added benefits of being made from grains, are compelety vegetarian, and are healthy — apart from tasting great.

note that when you make these, there are different kinds of bulgur wheat grinds — basically, coarse, medium and fine. each grind has a specific use. here we are using a medium grind, or the number 2 one. also, you need vital wheat gluten flour which is necessary to hold the mixture together and give it a chewy texture. alone, it would not hold up without it. sage is also essential for the flavouring, so don't hold out on it.

remember, any recipes i post here are open to interpretation and none of them are really going to be exactly the same as the real mccoys however i want to post things that are almost the same as the real thing. i was quite happy with the results of these and always have a batch in my freezer for when i am in the mood for them.

vegetarian style breakfast sausages

ingredients:

1 c. bulgur wheat [no. 2 type (important)]
1 c. boiling water

1/2 tsp allspice
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp ground sage
1 tsp (or ground up cube) vegetarian beef flavouring
1 tsp salt

2 1/2 tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1/4 c. vital wheat gluten flour

1 egg white

method:

in a bowl, combine the bulgur with the spices and the hot (boiling) water. let the hot water get absorbed by the bulgur by covering the bowl so the steam does not escape about 20 to 30 minutes.

stir in the oil, garlic and vital wheat gluten flour and mix well with a wooden spoon. add the egg white and mix again. let rest 10 minutes.

prepare a cookie sheet and heat oven to 350 F.

take a 1/4 c. measuring cup and fill it about half way. compact this well by pressing down. make sure it is well pressed. carefully remove the patty by turning it over and whacking it down on the cookie sheet. fix it by using your hands to press things back together.

do this will all the mixture. bake for about 10 to 12 minutes until it is firm and somewhat browned. you may turn them and cook another 2 to 3 minutes if you like but it is not necessary. take them out of the oven and let them cool a bit before handling.

use right away or freeze. you can also fry these later along with your morning eggs in the same pan.