Kudos to the Orthodox Union for embracing RSS, the prominent news syndicating format, as a means for broadcasting their Kashrut Alerts. An informal survey of other major certifiers’ sites shows that the OU’s the only one to have taken this step so far.
Beneath the links list to the right (just under archives) you’ll find the five latest alerts from their feed. (Should other organizations offer such feeds — wink, wink — I’ll include them as well.)
I’ve been meaning to post a link to this “Virtual Challah Lesson” since I first heard about it from Carolyn last year — it’s a great, step-by-step, photo-filled primer on challah-making, including recipe and braiding examples.
One caveat — use the “Earlier Image” link towards the top of the page to move to each subsequent step.
Yaakov shares a very amusing tale of his first business trip, over at AliyahBlog.
First strawberries, and now onions. I’ve never been so glad to not live in London.
I have to say, I’m not sure where to draw the line between use of modern technology and basic knowledge of biology on the one hand, and common sense and following the spirit of the law on the other. Sure, there probably are teeny-tiny insects in our onions and on our fruit, but there are certainly even tinier things living on just about everything we put into our mouths. The halachic standard, as far as I know, is that you can’t eat those bugs that are visible to the naked eye. That’s…arbitrary. Many of these little critters are made to be hard-to-see – green bugs on green vegetables, black ones on seeded fruit, white ones inside onions – so we’re already at a disadvantage there. Obviously, different people have different levels of visual accuity, and just because your near-blind grandfather is the one checking the lettuce, that doesn’t mean you’re allowed to eat half-inch long insects. There has to be some kind of objective standard.
But…are we losing our minds here? Remember, there’s always going to be something small that you don’t see. They didn’t have lightboxes and vegetable wash two hundred years ago, and I’m pretty sure no one was pulling apart onions layer by layer and rinsing each piece off in vinegar before cooking. From the sound of it (I haven’t seen these infested onions first-hand), I’m guessing that the average person wouldn’t notice one of these bugs without first having it pointed out to her, and even then it may be tough. I won’t even approach the issue of these new issurim (prohibitions) and complicated cooking preparation methods are being put forth by rabbinical councils made up of (drumroll, please) men, when the vast majority of the people shouldering the extra work with each new edict are (wait for it) women.
(Cross-posted at Devarim.)
Rockville, MD restaurateur Sina Soumekhian will inaugurate a new kosher deli in Washington, DC’s Dupont Circle neighborhood by the end of the month, according to the Washington Jewish Week. “Eli’s,” named after Soumekhian’s son, will be located at 1253 20th St. N.W., offering “hamburgers, grilled chicken breasts and dinner entrees like New York strip steak, fish and linguine” as well as traditional deli sandwiches.
From the sound of the article, Soumekhian seems like a bona-fide entrepreneur with legitimate experience in food service.
Though the cafe at Washington’s Jewish Community Center serves kosher food, DC has been without a proper kosher deli since the closing of Stacks last spring.
Several months ago, our cheap cheese graters broke due to heavy usage. The folks at our local Sur La Table recommended Cuisipro brand graters, and had an ample selection from which to choose. I bought two — the fine grater (for hard cheese like parmesan), and the coarse grater for softer cheeses (cheddar, mozzarella). Both graters work acceptably for parmesan, but softer cheeses don’t stand a chance against the coarse one.
The holes in the grater are so small that the cheese (especially mozzarella) becomes a torn-apart, pasty mess before the shredding is done, and I end up wasting more cheese than shredding it. Plus, the shreds that do emerge are so thin that, unless you’re in a very cold environment, they all stick together into a giant glob.
I suppose I could try the “ultra coarse” variety, but, instead, I found a cheap box grater with really big circular shredding holes that handily shreds 1-lb. blocks of Cappiello mozzarella on one side, and Miller’s Parmigiano-Reggiano on the other.
Tastingmenu.com offers this elegant Passover dish which captures the essence of the seder plate’s salt water and egg by including two kinds of eggs: sliced chicken egg and salty caviar. The tempura enoki mushrooms (“to evoke the reeds on the shore of the Nile”) would have been tricky to prepare fresh for our seders given this year’s schedule, but it may be worth a shot next year.
Oh, yeah. Here’s another Passover recipe posted on Tastingmenu, coconut macaroons (dairy) from Seattle’s Lampreia Restaurant. Great photographs.
Allen brought the samosas (along with a cilantro/coriander chutney), which were excellent despite being fried in advanced and kept warm until dinner. They’d probably be even better freshly fried. And they’re pareve, which is convenient.
Allen’s notes: If you can’t get mango powder, substitute a squeeze of lemon juice. Feel free to peel and dice your potatoes prior to boiling them, and use three large potatoes rather than five medium if necessary. When frying the samosas, it’s handy to use a candy/frying thermometer to keep your oil to at the appropriate temperature the oil manufacturer recommends, as different oils have different smoking points.
SAMOSAS
From Madhu Gadia’s Light and Luscious Cuisine of India
Filling
• 5 medium potatoes
• 2 tsp vegetable oil
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 Tbsp chopped ginger
• 3/4 cup peas
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp coriander powder
• 1 green chili, chopped (optional)
• 1 tsp mango powder
• 1 Tbsp garam masala
• 1/4 cup water
Dough
• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup water
• Oil for frying
To prepare filling
1. Boil potatoes. To avoid potatoes from getting sticky, remove from boiling water as soon as they are done and cool completely.
2. Peel and mash boiled potatoes into small pieces (about 1/2 inch pieces), not necessary of uniform size.
3. In a large fry pan, heat oil on medium high heat. When oil is hot, add cumin seeds. Fry for a few seconds until cumin seeds are golden brown, add ginger and stir. Add mashed potatoes and peas. Stir.
4. Add salt, coriander, green chili, mango powder, and garam masala. Mix thoroughly. Add water. Cover with a lid, heat through, reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 2-3 minutes. Stir and let stand covered for 5-7 minutes.
5. Open lid and cool.
To Prepare Dough
1. In a bowl, mix flour, salt, and oil. Add water gradually as you mix.
2. Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead for 5 minutes or until dough becomes smooth and soft.
3. Divide the dough into 10 balls.
To assemble samosas
1. Roll each ball into a 5-6 inch circle. Cut in half. In a small bowl put about 1/4 cup water; set aside.
2. Take one half, dip your finger in the water and run it along the side the straight edge. Fold in half, joining the straight edges, making a cone. Seal edges tightly.
3. Fill with 2 Tbsp of filling. Dip finger in water and run along the inside of the open mouth and seal tightly.
4. Keep filled samosas between dry towels to avoid drying.
5. Heat oil in a wok or fry pan over medium-high heat. Oil is hot enough when you drop a pinch of dough into the oil and the dough floats up within seconds. (It is important to have the oil the right temperature because if the oil is too hot the samosas will not cook inside and if the oil is not hot enough the samosas might fall apart in the oil or get greasy.) Fry 3-5 samosas at a time until light golden brown, about 4-5 minutes on each side.
6. Serve hot with coriander chutney or ketchup. They can be reheated in the oven.
This past Shabbos, we and several friends joined forces to create a homemade Indian dinner as a showcase for Gan Eden’s Les Trois Canards wine, which is uniquely described as a “curry-friendly wine.” What transpired was strictly dairy, truly delicious, and a lot of fun. The menu included:
• Samosas with cilantro chutney
• Chickpea salad
• Naan
• Saag Paneer
• Vegetable Biryani
• Potato/Pea Curry
• Basmati rice with ginger and cardamom
• Raita
• Baklava (not Indian, but quite tasty!)
I hope to get everyone’s recipes posted on the blog, but for now, here’s the recipe I used for Saag Paneer, a saucy spinach-cheese entree, courtesy of Tovah.
A few notes: the Garam Masala spice mixture is available (with KSA heksher) at Whole Foods Market. Ghee (clarified butter) is a common Indian ingredient — feel free to substitute melted butter. Rather than frozen spinach, you can use fresh baby spinach cooked in the microwave. Yogurt may be standard or non-fat. If browing the paneer causes you major trouble (as it did me), just leave it unbrowned.
TOVAH’S SAAG PANEER
• 1 Tbsp. ghee
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 tsp. Garam Masala
• 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/8 tsp. turmeric
• Salt, to taste
• 1 green chile pepper (mild or hot, according to taste), minced
• 1 inch fresh ginger root, grated
• 6 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 package frozen spinach (10 ounces), thawed
• 1/2 cup light cream
• 3/4 cup plain yogurt
• 1-2 lb. paneer (recipe below), cut in 1/2-inch cubes
Heat ghee in a frying pan, and fry chopped onion until translucent. Stir in Garam Masala, cumin, turmeric, and salt — don’t omit the salt! Add spinach and simmer a few minutes.
Mash together the chile pepper, ginger, and garlic, then add to to pan. Add cream and yogurt.
Let simmer while you brown paneer cubes in a separate pan.
Pour spinach mixture into food processor or blender, and puree to desired consistency. Combine spinach puree and browned paneer. Serve hot.
FRESH PANEER
Adjusted slightly from Carroll’s “Home Cheese Making” for use in saag paneer
• 1 gallon whole milk (pasteurized/homogenized okay)
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice, strained of pulp
• 8-quart, heavy, non-reactive (stainless steel) pot
• perforated ladle
• high-quality butter muslin/cheesecloth
• non-reactive colander/strainer
• wide five-pound weight
Thoroughly clean all equipment, sanitizing any glass or metal items with boiling water or in dishwasher.
Slowly heat milk to rolling (gentle) boil, stirring frequently to prevent scorching.
When milk reaches boil, set heat to low, and stir in lemon juice before foam subsides. Cook for 10-15 seconds.
Remove from heat and stir gently until large curds form — curds and whey should separate very rapidly.
Once curds and and whey are thoroughly separated, let set (unheated) for 10 minutes. Curds will settle below the way.
Ladle the curds (using perforated ladle) into a colander lined with butter muslin/cheesecloth. Tie the corners of the muslin into a knot and hold the bag under a gentle stream of lukewarm water for 5-10 seconds to rinse off the residual lemon juice. Gently twist the top of the muslin to squeeze out extra whey, being careful not to burn your hands on the hot curds.
Return the muslin-covered curd mass to the colander and place five-pound weight (bowl of water, brick, etc.) evenly on top (use a plate in between for level pressing) and press for two hours.
Unwrap the cheese and refrigerate if not using immediately. Will keep refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.
The Supreme Court ruled yesterday that states cannot discriminate between in-state and out-of-state purveyors when regulating direct shipment of wine to consumers. What this means for us in the Bay State is that our legislators can no longer prevent us from buying wine online from out-of-state sellers.
Naturally, this is good news — for now. Many of our legislators and other critics of the ruling profess a desire to protect our children by prohibiting direct shipment of alcohol: “direct wine sales will open the floodgates to minors obtaining wine over the Internet.” Utter nonsense. A minor would have to be pretty enterprising to both unlawfully acquire a credit card, make an online purchase, and receive the delivery at home without a parent noticing. Even were such an occurrence commonplace, as the critics insist it is, there’s a simple solution which wouldn’t penalize those of us who would legally and responsibly buy spirits online: require shippers to obtain a signature from someone who is over 21 years of age. Both UPS and FedEx offer adult signature options, and other shippers would doubtless add the service after such legislation was enacted.
The real issue at stake for our local governments, though, is tax revenue. They simply can’t tax wine sales as effectively (or at all) if you buy it out-of-state. Sure, Massachusetts has a “use tax” that is theoretically assessed on all out-of-state purchases to be used in-state, but have you ever paid your share of use tax?
So, enjoy your wine cautiously — but get ready to write your representatives should the need arise.