return of the marble cake

this is another marble cake but one which does not contain any dairy products, unlike my previous version which did. this one is very light and has a delicate crumb [interior texture]. it is a large cake and should be baked in a tube cake pan with a removable insert. the cake pan is not greased in this recipe so using this kind of pan is a must; ideally, it helps to have the kind with raised attachments (see photo in recipe). at the end of cooking, the pan is turned over, and rested on these attachments, until it cools. it is the same procedure when one makes an angelfood cake.

alternatively, you can make two small loaves in pyrex pans or cut the recipe in half and just make one cake. again, they will be cooled resting upside down to prevent collapse. i set up drinking glasses as ledges on either end of the pan. use parchment paper to line the bottom for easy removal. the sides need to remain unlined as the cake needs to attach itself to attain maximum height.

vanilla 'n chocolate marble cake (non-dairy version)

this marble cake is very simple to make and one which can be used for both dairy and meat meals if you observe kashrut. make sure to use big bowls when mixing the batters though! also take note that the batter is thinner than the average one — no worries, it bakes into beautifully large and impressive cake.

ingredients:

4 eggs, separated
1 1/2 c sugar* (i suggest using ~ 1 1/8 c to 1 1/4 c)
1 tsp vanilla extract

3/4 c vegetable oil

2 c** all purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

[**note: increase flour anywhere from 2 1/3 to 2 1/2 c if you are not comfortable working with a thinner cake batter. the cake will be a little denser.]

1 c orange juice or soy milk or water
1 tbsp grated orange zest, optional

2 oz*** semi sweet chocolate (i suggest using 3 oz + the cocoa)
2 tbsp dark cocoa (well sifted!), optional
2 tsp instant coffee melted in 1 tbsp boiling water, optional
2 tbsp parve (non dairy) margarine

*1 1/2 c sugar is quite sweet; 1 1/8 to 1 1/4 is plenty.
**the original recipe calls for 2 oz; i have found it to be too little for this size cake.

method:

preheat oven to 350F.

have ready a tube pan. do not grease and flour it. set aside.

in a large bowl, beat yolks, eggs and vanilla until light and fluffy (10 min). start adding oil while beating still.

blend dry ingredients together, then add flour and liquid (oj/soy milk/water) alternately until fully incorporated.

in another bowl, beat egg whites until stiff.

fold them into the batter carefully.

remove half of batter to another bowl. mix in orange zest, if using, to either the vanilla or chocolate batter. i usually put it in with the vanilla one.

melt margarine with the chocolate, either in microwave at low temp or on the stove. once melted, add cocoa but make sure it is sifted and well blended -- you don't want any lumps.

add it to one half of the batter and blend it well but not too much or you will destroy the structure of the egg whites. mix in the coffee melted in the water, if using.

add the vanilla and chocolate batter to the pan in alternate steps.

layer the chocolate on the vanilla and vanilla on the chocolate in the second layer.

with a knife swirl the batter around a bit. don't overdo it.

bake the cake for about 1 hr 15 minutes or a bit less. do not open the oven while it is cooking.

test with a skewer to see if it is fully cooked and then remove from oven.

invert the pan to cool.

carefully run a knife around both the outer and inner edges, and the bottom. carefully remove the cake.

you can also keep the cake in the insert and cut slices from it that way.

enjoy!

falafel 101

a little while back, i received a request for a recipe and instructions on how to make falafel, or chickpea fritters, the most ubiquitous israeli and middle eastern snack food. i often think every israeli must eat his/her own weight in these per year! i know i did when i lived there and it is something which you cannot get enough of. all over the country of israel, and i'm sure other neighbouring countries, there are stands which sell these where the buyer can choose from a vast variety of ingredients and sauces to fill their falafel (pita) sandwiches. often people will have a favourite vendor who has certain ingredients and special sauces unique to that particular stand.

making these at home is not complicated at all. i have seen many, many different recipes and this is one of the better ones. i often see recipes with instructions to include eggs and flour. this is absolutely NOT necessary as demonstrated here. despite what you may think after reading through the ingredients, the mixture holds together beautifully without and "foreign" binders being added. they result in light, airy and delicious nuggets of deep shallow fried perfection.

this version uses only chickpeas and includes the use of sesame seeds. other countries such as egypt and saudi arabia will use ful [fava beans] or a combination of ful and chickpeas to make theirs.

these falafel can also be prepared in bigger batches by doubling the amounts. you will need to divide up the soaked chickpeas into 3 or 4 portions for grinding, however, if you decide to do this. once the falafel are all fried, place them in ziploc (resealable plastic) bags and freeze. just reheat them at 350F in your oven for 10 - 15 minutes and serve as if they were just made.

falafel פלאפל فلافل
fried chickpea fritters

ingredients:

1 c dry chickpeas
1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 to 3/4 large onion
2 - 3 large cloves garlic

1 1/4 tsp (kosher) salt
1/4 - 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 - 1/2 tsp red chilli powder (cayenne) or chili flakes
1 1/2 - 2 tsp ground cumin
1 1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp turmeric, opt.

3 - 4 tbsp sesame seeds
2 - 3 tbsp chopped parsley or coriander

1 tsp baking powder

3 to 4 cups oil, for shallow frying

method:

place the 1 cup of dry chickpeas in a bowl and fill the bowl with water. swish the water around with your hands and discard all the husks and other debris which rises. rinse and repeat several times.

refill the bowl with water and add the baking soda. the baking soda will [supposedly] help dissipate some of the oligosaccharides from the chickpeas, aiding in digestion later on.

soak the chickpeas overnight. i like to soak them for a full 24 hours to allow them absorb their maximum water content. if you do this 24 hour soak, do it in the fridge as they may ferment if you have a hot kitchen. you will notice that they will have swelled considerably and that there may be little bubbles which have formed — that is fine. as long as it does not smell fermented and "off" which can occur in a very hot kitchen (80 F and over).

the next day discard all the water and rinse well. drain and set aside.

remove the skin from your onion and garlic and set aside.

place the garlic and onion in the blender or food processor and process it until you get a paste which is watery (from the onion juices). this will help with the grinding of the chickpeas.

add a portion of the chickpeas and grind them with the onion-garlic paste. if using a blender, i highly suggest processing them in two [or three] batches as the regular home blenders are not always that powerful. it will take up to 10 minutes to fully grind them to a nice paste — be patient, it does work :) but don't overheat your blender. turn it off every few minutes to give it a little rest. the final texutre should be slightly gritty with no chunks whatsoever. if the grinding is being done in batches, divide up the onion so you have a bit in each batch to aid in the processing and breakdown of the chickpeas.

it is very important to use a spatula to push down the sides every now and again and to redistribute it; it tends to compact itself around and underneath the blades. keep processing the mixture until it is pasty. do NOT add water if you can avoid it; it does not need it [even though you will feel tempted to do so]. if you do add some, i would not add much beyond 3 to 4 tablespoons (a little more is okay, too).

remove the paste to a bowl. it should have the consistency of mashed potatoes, more or less.

add all the remaining ingredients and mix well.

now place the bowl in the fridge and let it rest for minimum of an hour. you can keep it in the fridge for up to two days.

put the oil in your fry pan and heat it for about 10 minutes on medium heat. i only fry these with a bare 2 1/2 inches of oil. you do not need tons of oil.

add a very small ball (tiny one) to test if the oil is ready. it should float to the surface and sizzle quite happily. turn down the oil if it is too high. remember your oil temperature will drop when you add several of the falafel at once.

at this point, it may be a good idea to make and taste a test falafel to see if it needs more of anything in terms of seasoning. remember, these are usually added to a pita and filled with a variety of things such as shredded lettuce, pickles, hot peppers, torshi lift, or pink turnip pickle, fried eggplant, and tehina sauce {among many other possible items} but can be eaten on their own with a salad and tehina sauce.

in order to shape the falafel balls, you need to moisten your hands. your hands should not be "wet" but moist enough so that the mixture does not stick to your hands.

take a tablespoon full of the mixture and shape it into a 1 1/2 to 2 inch ball which is patty shaped, i.e rounded but flattened.

carefully place these in the oil and fry until they are golden on both sides. they should take about 4 minutes per side. that time may vary, however, with the temperature of your oil. it is important to use moist hands to shape these as wet ones will have water clinging to the fritters and the droplets will explode in the water and possibly burn you when they pop.

cooking tip: to achieve the perfect falafel ball, baste the top of the uncooked part with the hot oil as the underside cooks. this forms a temporary skin and prevents the batter sticking to the spoon or making indentations when you try to flip them over. you can also tell when they are ready to flip from the colour of the undersides.

remove the balls to absorbent paper towel to drain.

i suggest placing newspaper around your stove area to make clean up easier. be careful however as oil and heat aren't too friendly with newspaper.

now go fill up those pita breads and enjoy!

come here, my little chicken ......

okay, i don't eat a lot of meat but i do enjoy it when i partake (probably too much). my weaknesses involve well marbled steaks and all kinds of barbequed things.

chicken schnitzel is probably one of the most popular main dishes in many [jewish] homes, both in israel and abroad. besides tasting great, its popularity is no doubt due to the fact that it is quickly made and can be prepared ahead of time. when reheated, it still tastes great and can be served on its own or even in a sandwich made with crusty bread, filled with boston lettuce and dressed with either mayo or something like a honey mustard sauce.

a knock off of the original wienerschnitzel, made with tender veal pounded to perfection with a mallet, chicken breast meat is the next best substitute. in israel, using gargantuan breasts of turkey is quite common and more or less the standard for this dish. finding affordable fresh turkey breasts here isn't always that feasible, and really, the difference between turkey breast and chicken is negligible.

i usually make schnitzel using the excess matzo cake meal and matzo meal i have left over after the passover holiday but for those who don't have these ingredients, using all purpose flour and dried bread crumbs is perfect and gives fantastic results. one difference from other standard recipes is that i soak the pounded meat in lemon juice. this adds a lot of extra flavour to the finalized dish. additionally, i always season the matzo meal or bread crumbs. note that you need a meat mallet for this or some other implement that will flatten and tenderize the chicken breasts.

making schnitzel requires quite a few dishes as there are a few steps involved. it goes very quickly, however. read through the recipe and instructions first to avoid wasting time. the schnitzel can be baked at 375 F instead of pan frying them if you're worried about calories.


chicken schnitzel

makes enough for 2 to 4 people

ingredients:

2 zaftig chicken breasts, no bones

2 to 3 eggs

1/2 c all purpose flour or matzo cake meal
1 1/2 to 2 c dry unseasoned bread crumbs or matzo meal

1/3 c lemon juice, fresh only

1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp onion/garlic powder, optional

1/4 c oil for frying

method:

before starting this, you need to set yourself up. you need a few dishes/plates and to have everything in place and measured out. i suggest reading through the whole recipe and instructions before starting.

you need:

• 1 large plate for the flour or cake meal
• 1 large plate for lemon juice
• 1 large plate for the eggs
• 1 large plate for the bread crumbs or matzo meal
• 1 large plate to hold the coated meat

to make the schnitzel:

in this order:

• squeeze the lemons and measure out the juice; place it in the dish.
• place the all purpose flour in the dish or ziploc.
• season the breadcrumbs with salt, pepper, paprika, etc to taste and put them on a plate.
• beat the eggs and place them in pyrex or very large plate.

now,

take plastic wrap or parchment paper and place a piece on your work surface. place a chicken breast on it.

place more plastic wrap over the chicken breast and start pounding it with the meat mallet.

work the piece of meat until it is quite thin, about a 1/4 to a 1/2 inch thick. my preference is for 1/4 inch thick.

place the chicken breast in either a ziploc filled with the lemon juice or in a pyrex and let the chicken marinate with the lemon juice for a good 10 to 15 minutes, turning if necessary.

remove the chicken from the lemon juice and put it on paper towel to absorb the excess moisture. turn the breast. you don't want it wet for the next step.

on another plate or in another ziploc, place the all purpose flour. coat the chicken breast on both sides and shake to remove the excess flour.

why am i doing this (twice), you ask? because the egg will not adhere properly to the meat if it does not have a surface to which it should stick. the meat alone is too "slippery" and the flour or cake meal provides that. so....don't skip this part!

place the breast in the beaten eggs and coat boat sides.

with a fork lift out the meat and put it in the seasoned breadcrumbs or matzo meal.

coat both sides and set aside (or fry/bake right away).


heat 2 tbsp of oil in a large frypan and cook about 8 to 10 minutes per side depending on how thick your schnitzel are. they should be nice a golden brown.

enjoy!

and for everything you wanted to know about chickens, here is a site showing all the different breeds. who knew there were so many kinds! some of 'em with some fancy hairdo's, too :p

no wait dosa

well, i must say this recipe [post] certainly makes up in spades for the disappointment of my wasabi peas experiment. while some things, as i said in my aforementioned posting, are better left to the experts, others are more a function of practice or modification — or simply finding a better recipe or method to suit one's purpose.

for a long time, i've wanted to make the south indian "pancakes" or crepes called dosa and have them end up tasting as good as they look and look as good as they taste. my previous several attempts ended either in disaster or were just mediocre and not worth repeating. that being said, i guess i can't feel too badly since i know indians who say they aren't the easiest thing to make. merely following cookbook instructions and having them turn out as described isn't always that simple either. perfection in this arena amounts to the proper ingredients, cooking method and implements. in other words, a properly fermented batter, a hot griddle (pan) and a fast hand that can move in concentric circles.

dosa can be made in various ways and can use different ingredients (flours, grains, lentils). not only is there is a wide variety of kinds, they also range in size from small to large, with the larger 2 to 3 feet long ones obviously being made in restaurants and not in the everyday home. another aspect is texture which ranges from spongy and somewhat thick to very thin and crispy while still being malleable.

the following recipe differs from the standard fermented one in that it is ready to cook immediately after the mixing of the batter and uses rice flour and all purpose instead of the classic lentil and ground rice mixture. its "fermented" or sourdough taste instead comes from using yogurt, the more sour the better, in this case. it is also cooked on both sides instead of just the one.

for those purists who say no to this, i say give it a try! it is quick, no fuss, always successful and delicious either on its own or filled with your favourite stuffing.

no-fuss "instant" dosa
south indian crepes

makes approx. 8 dosa

ingredients:

1 c all purpose flour
1 c rice flour
1 1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp red chilli powder

1/2 med onion, chopped
1/4 c ground coconut (fresh or dried)
1 c yogurt
3/4 c water

2 tbsp oil
1 tsp brown mustard seeds

1 tsp peppercorns, coarsely cracked

1/4 c oil in a small dish

method:

in a blender, place the flours, onion, coconut, salt and chilli powder.

add the yogurt and the water and blend for 2 minutes on puree or until it is finely blended. there should be no chunks of onion.


place the mixture in a bowl and set aside.

in a small pot [with a lid], heat the oil on medium high heat and then add the brown mustard seeds. let them cook until they no longer pop and splutter. you may want to almost completely cover the pot when they start to pop to prevent them from flying everywhere! remove from heat and let cool for a minute.

add them to the dosa mixture and stir well to incorporate.

crack the peppercorns until they are coarsely ground. you do not want to add finely ground pepper as it changes the taste and is not the same. don't worry, it's not overpoweringly strong once cooked!

heat a non stick fry pan or cast iron pan over medium heat. you want something which can be covered with a lid of some sort. let it get hot.

meanwhile, place a 1/4 c of oil in a small bowl and have a teaspoon ready and a spatula. take a paper towel and crumple it up at one end. use this to dip into the oil and smear the pan well with the oil.

take a 1/3 c or so of dosa batter and place it in the well heated pan in its center. from the center of the batter, quickly swirl a spoon around in a one-way concentric (circle) fashion to spread the batter.

this may take practice; the idea is to extend the batter and thin it out. it should be about 1/8" thick or so.

put about a 1/2 tsp of oil over the dosa crepe and then another tsp around the circumference of the crepe.

cover the pan and cook it for about 4 to 5 minutes or so until the underside is browned and the edges are golden.

place the cover aside and then flip the dosa over and let it cook another 4 minutes until the other side is browned. make sure the pan is not covered at this point.

now you can fold the crepe over in half and stack them or they can be filled with a filling of your choice, such as the typical potato one, rolled up and served with a chutney. they can also be eaten as is. cover them with tin foil to keep the dosa warm.

the batter can be put in the fridge for a few days and crepes can be made as you want them.

enjoy!

for another quick version using semolina [rawa], check out as dear as salt which includes a potato filling and chutney recipe as well. thanks, richa!