When Shavuos comes around, a Kosher foodie’s thoughts often focus on cheese. “What cheeses are now available Kosher?” “What cheeses haven’t I tried yet?” “Where can I buy great cheese?” And my favorite “What’s the best cheesecake recipe?” (I have my personal favorite) This year, I decided to try something new - making my own cheese.
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As per usual, the Wall Street Journal (link) and New York Times (link) featured kosher wines in their wine pages recently. I will let them speak for themselves, for the most part, but I am happy that these columns left the usual refrain (”This isn’t your parents pancake syrup…err…Manischewitz anymore”). Eric Asimov, in the Times almost belittles those who write-off this growing section of the wine market.
I was glad that Dalton was well represented and well reviewed. That’s hardly a new development, but I remain a fan of most of their wines and recently attended a tasting run by Alex Haruni, Dalton’s owner. In addition to all of their single grape wines, which are great, I recommend the Alma, a Cab-Merlot blend, that I have had a few opportunities to try. It is a very drinkable wine that will certainly go well with anything on your seder table. I was also happy to see Galil’s Yiron ‘03 on the NYT list. I have loved the Yiron for the past few years, so I like to see it get good press.
I also recently attended the annual Kosher Wine Extravaganza at the Jewish Center on the Upper Westside, run by Gotham Wines & Liquors. As I mentioned to a number of people there, an event like that, with hundreds of wines, is too overwhelming to write about cogently. And then I misplaced my notes. Anyway, a few of the noteworthy wines were:
- Tabor’s Adama line: I won’t say that I loved these wines, but I think it’s great that an Israeli kosher wine is giving consumers the opportunity to taste and compare the effects of terroir on wine. The line features volcanic, chalk and clay soil, among others. From the few that I tasted, the differences were very dramatic. Of course, there are other factors that might explain this and I’ll allow for the gimmick factor, but I welcome this addition to the market
- Recanati Cabernet Franc: I wish I had my tasting notes for this. This wine was specifically recommended to me and I really enjoyed it. It’s 100% Cabernet Franc and may be the first such wine from Israel. For those who want to expose their palates to something a bit different, it’s worth picking up a bottle or two.
- Chateau Leoville Poyferre: I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t know much about French wines, but that is one of the great things about an event like this. I could taste a number of French (and fairly expensive) wines. The Leoville is already wonderful and will be great over the next several years.
If I find my notes, I will add to this post, but for now I leave you with these and wish you a chag sameach!
We’ve reached the end of Chanuka and I hope your holiday was happy, meaningful and full of good eating. I’m all blogged-out, but here are a few items of interest:
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Yes, you read that right. potato latkes cooked in animal fat. Specifically, duck fat. I did it. I ate it. I loved it.
Why? I realize that the miracle of Chanuka didn’t involve duck fat. I don’t even think that ducks were available in the Middle East at the time. But if I already use other non-miraculous oils to cook my Chanuka foods, I didn’t think a little duck fat was blasphemous.
But, why? OK, the idea wasn’t originally mine. CHOW.com published a recipe for Potato-Turnip Duck-Fat Latkes, and I was hooked. I didn’t use their recipe, though. I used the Kosher Blog Master Recipe, which I happen to love. On a side note, have you ever read any of the articles about the best french fries being made with horse fat? Don’t worry, I’m not going to be trying that.
Where did you get duck fat? I’d like to say that I make duck often enough to have a plentiful supply, but I had to go shopping for this one. Besides for being an excellent steakhouse, Le Marais has a butcher counter where Dominique will sell you a variety of French cuts and dishes. Tubs of duck fat (about a pound) cost $8. I bought 2 and only needed 1/2 of one. I guess I’ll use the rest to make confit, or something.
Aren’t you worried about your health? I take good-enough care of myself the rest of the year. Chanuka is only 8 days and I don’t do much frying during the year. Besides, I have great genes - no heart disease in the family and my cholesterol has never gone over 130, no matter what I eat. Sure, I’ll spend more time on the elliptical when it’s all over, but for now I’m going to enjoy myself.
So, how did it taste? The duck fat imparted a richness of flavor to the latkes. Well-rounded flavor. Meaty. It was a good recipe before, but now it was amazing.
No pictures? Nah. If you’ve seen one latke, you’ve seen them all.
Hang in there - one more night and day left.
I wanted this recipe to turn out well. It sounded pretty good to me:
This delicious crunchy fry with a creamy center is classic street food in the Nicoise region of France. I like to make these fries as an accompaniment to saucy fish or meat dishes. They are the perfect vehicle to soak up sauce. They also make a great hors-d’œuvre served with a garlicky aioli.
So here they are with a garlic aioli:
Unfortunately, they didn’t live up to the hype - they were dry and pasty inside. Maybe there was something to the technique that I wasn’t getting. I guess deep-frying can’t make everything better.
I’ll end this post with a poll: Of course latkes and doughnuts are the Chanuka classics - Do you fry (or cook) anything special or out of the ordinary for Chanuka?
When I heard about Deep-Fried Coke for the first time, I knew it was something I would have to try one day. Invented for the Texas State Fair in 2006, Deep Fried Coke is a funnel-cake made with Coca-Cola instead of water. After cooking, the cake is covered with whipped-cream, Coke syrup and cherries. I know that this is really low-brow, but all the frying on Chanuka brings it out of me. At least I wasn’t deep-frying Oreos!
A google-search provided me with a recipe for the fried confection. I didn’t have a source of Coke syrup, so I cheated and purchased a bottle of Cola syrup for the Soda Club machine. I imagine it must taste pretty similar. I was using authentic Coke Classic in my batter, so I think it balanced out.
I quickly discovered that making funnel-cakes isn’t as easy as it sounds. That, or my recipe wasn’t that great. Each time I tried to fry up a batch, I ended up with strands and crumbles of dough. Not that they tasted bad, mind you - just not as photogenic as I was hoping for. (Later research turned up articles that suggested that the recipes out there aren’t the authentic one. Support for this comes from this article, in which deep-fried Coke looks like doughnut-holes, rather than funnel-cakes. Maybe I’ll find a new recipe for next year.)
The fried dough alone tasted pretty plain, despite all the cola used to make the batter. That’s where the topping comes in. Here’s the finished product - a large, deep-fried, Coca-Cola, funnel-cake with whipped-cream, cola syrup and cherries:
I thought it tasted amazing - but as I’ve proven again and again, I can have pretty low-brow tastes sometimes. I also love cola-bottle gummies and cola-flavored sour-straws, so I’m probably biased. Unfortunately, most of the people I pushed it on weren’t as enthusiastic. That’s OK. More for the rest of us.
My next Chanuka posts will get a little classier. They pretty much have to.
Happy Chanuka everybody! I hope you’re enjoying your holiday. Remember to pace yourself - there’s seven more days to go. Let’s start things off with the Jones Soda Happy Chanuka Pack, 2007 edition.
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After not producing any Thanksgiving ‘07 coverage, I resolved to put all my energy into our Chanuka 5768 coverage. Following jabbet’s lead, I’m going to promise a minimum of five Chanuka-related posts over the course of the holiday. Will I make it? Only time will tell. I’m going to keep my topics under my hat, but I can promise that none of the posts will be about lighter fried foods. If you can’t enjoy a little grease on Chanuka, when can you?
I’ll get things warmed up with a few links (I’m not counting this post in my five):
More from Rabbi Avi Finegold. Cross-posted at jcarrot.org.
For many of you, having guests at a Shabbat meal means often juggling various dietary restrictions preferences that guests may bring to the table. Michael Pollan makes the interesting point that the French consider it improper to impose your diet onto your host, and yet how many of you can recall meals in which you were left with virtually nothing to eat as a result of your kashrut/vege- pesce- ovo- lacto- tarianism/ or any possible allergies. Peter Berley’s The Flexitarian Table may hopefully solve at least some of the issues.
A friend of mine (we’ll call her the Enabler) recently asked whether I’d be making ice cream for Shavuot — maybe cheesecake ice cream? I answered that I’d thought about it, but I couldn’t very well make ice cream to serve with cheesecake, let alone cheesecake ice cream.
But apparently I could.
Let me explain. The cheesecake recipe we’re using this year (a no-bake version, since our oven is broken) calls for 12 ounces of cream cheese. Cream cheese comes in eight-ounce packages, so we bought two and had four ounces extra — exactly the amount called for in this recipe. And strawberries are at the height of their season, so we had two pounds in the fridge. Tell me that isn’t a sign from God. (Actually, don’t. I prefer the illusion.)
In any case, I’m very pleased with the result. The ice cream has a mild cheesecake flavor without being overwhelmingly rich, and the fresh strawberries really hit the spot. Here’s the recipe:
Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream
Adapted from Joy of Baking4 oz cream cheese
3 large egg yolks
2/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar (divided)
2 cups half-and-half
1/2 vanilla bean or 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract (I used extract)
1 pound (about 2 dry pints) strawberries
- In the inner container of a double boiler (or any medium stainless steel bowl), blend the cream cheese, egg yolks, and 2/3 cup sugar with a whisk or, preferably, an electric hand mixer until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes). (At this point, you may wish to begin heating the water for step 4.)
- In a small saucepan, heat the half-and-half to the scalding point along with the vanilla bean, if using. (If using extract, do not add it at this point.) Stir frequently to prevent a skin from forming. When the cream reaches the scalding point, the milk will begin to foam up rapidly. Immediately remove from heat. Take out the vanilla bean and scrape the seeds out with the back of a knife, then mix the seeds back into the half-and-half.
- Slowly pour the scalding half-and-half into the cream cheese mixture while whisking the mixture to prevent the eggs from cooking. (If any lumps do form, force the mixture through a strainer.)
- Fill the outer container of the double boiler (or a saucepan) with water and bring to a boil. Place the bowl or container of custard over the simmering water and heat, stirring constantly, until the custard reaches 170 degrees F or coats the back of a wooden spoon. Remove from heat and continue to stir for a few minutes. Set aside.
- Cut up half the strawberries and puree them in a food processor or blender. Stir the remaining two tablespoons of sugar into the puree, then stir the puree into the custard along with the vanilla extract, if using. Cover the mixture with plastic wrap, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate several hours or overnight, until thoroughly chilled.
- Freeze the chilled mixture in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Chop the remaining strawberries. Remove the ice cream from the machine and stir in the strawberries. Transfer to freezer to harden.
Cross-posted to Apikorsus.
With Shavuos starting this week, the focus is on dairy recipes. Cheesecakes! Blintzes! Pizza! Yes, pizza. At my house, Shavuos lunch is the time for my annual pizza making blitz, where I make (or attempt to make) a selection of gourmet or fancy pizzas. I don’t have a full review of what pizzas I’ll be making, but here’s some of my thoughts and plans:
Have a good and tasty Yom Tov!
In the midst of my Seder cooking, while preparing a farfel kugel, I reached for my newly-purchased Rokeach garlic powder. Open, shake, shake…achoo!
It seems there was some sort of labeling error, and the bottle contains not garlic powder but rather white pepper. I scooped up the greyish pile of powder (I’ll never figure out why I didn’t notice color before shaking) and adjusted the recipe on the fly. A second container (also Rokeach - I wasn’t the one doing the shopping - and also purchased from the Butcherie) had the same problem, so I must assume that at least one whole lot was affected. At this point I figure I’ll survive without for the next few days. But if you found some of your side dishes this year a little more peppery than usual: now you know why.
The custom to avoid kitniyot has come under serious attack– serious enough to lead to the formation of the Kitniyos Defense League, a blog devoted to fighting the “very foolish movement” to reject the ban on kitniyot. On the opposing side is the Kitniyot Liberation Front, “fighting for truth and abandoning ’shtuth.’”
No, this is not Purim Torah, either, I’m sorry to say.
Hat tip to Jewlicious.
(Btw, have a look at those URLs.)
Last year, I posted a couple of Passover kugel recipes, one of which was a farfel kugel recipe from my mother. Due to a miscommunication with my source, I neglected to include the instruction to sautee the onions. The recipe been corrected.
I know that at least one person tried the recipe last year, and I apologize if the kugel was disappointing. I myself prepared it without sauteeing the onions and thought it was all right, although not up to the usual quality.
A chag kasher v’sameach to everyone!
Associated Press, via Forbes.com: NY Bus Converted Into Oven for Matzos
UPDATE: Video coverage at WCBS-TV New York. (No, folks, it’s not from Comedy Central.)
I’m afraid this doesn’t appear to be Purim Torah.
One thing confuses me about the article. The statement that
“the rabbinic injunctions banning hemp were never adopted by Sephardic Jews” suggests that pot is considered kitniyot, not chametz. The Ashkenazi prohibition of kitniyot applies only to eating, not to ownership or “benefit,” yet Michelle Levine, the Green Leaf Party spokesperson interviewed in the article, says that “if you have it in your house you should get rid of it.” True, Levine is not a rabbi, and her halakhic advice should probably taken with a grain of . . . ahem . . . salt. But I’m a bit concerned about the statement about hemp in “health oils.” Are we talking food here, or “nutritional supplements,” or cosmetics? Where did the AP get the idea that this was an issue? I hope it wasn’t from a rabbi who thinks that you can’t use kitniyot on your skin.
(Clarification: In anticipation of certain comments, I will state the obvious: it is probably against halakhah to own or smoke marijuana in places where it is illegal, whether you are Ashkenazi or Sephardi. That includes Israel, at least for the time being.)
Last year, I posted about a New York Times article that discussed, among other things, the recent trend of non-Orthodox rabbis permitting the consumption of kitniyot (legumes, etc.) on Passover. This year, Gil student discusses a similar ruling (for Israelis) by an Orthodox rabbi. Rabbi Student objects to the ruling because ignores the precedent set by Ashkenazim in Israel over the past two centuries. This objection seems reasonable to me. I only wish that more Jews would consider precedent before introducing new chumrot (stringencies) as well.
*DH reports no new news on the quinoa front this year.
(Cross-Posted to Apikorsus)
Jane Moritz, owner of the Challah Connection, published an article on a wire service about attending a Passover seder for the first time — what to expect, what to do, what some of the traditions are. Unfortunately, it’s completely geared toward sedarim held in less-observant households.
When it comes to our seder, we by no means provide the most comprehensive or punctilious service in town — but even in our rather modern household, much of Ms. Moritz’s advice should be disregarded.
And so, I provide corrections for the frum home, or “What to really expect at your first Passover seder.”
Start Times
This year, expect the first night’s seder to begin after 7PM, the second night’s after 8PM, exact time depending on when your host gets back from evening services. Don’t walk in with any expectation of when it will conclude, aside from “before the morning prayers” — don’t worry, you’ll understand that reference soon. Ahead of time, it’s perfectly okay to ask your host how long it usually takes.
The Haggadah
Sedarim and the haggadot used therein vary widely. Your seder may be conducted entirely from the Hebrew text, with a mix of Hebrew and English, or mostly English with some important Hebrew sections thrown in for authenticity. Many sedarim include lengthy discussions between the major sections, when participants are encouraged to share their own interpretations or those printed within the haggadah text. Luckily, at an American seder, your haggadah will nearly always contain a translation that you can use to follow along while any Hebrew is recited. Don’t feel embarrassed if you’re lost or need some help — even the more seasoned Jews among us struggle with this once-a-year ritual.
Counting down to the food
By this point in Jewish history, it’s pretty cliche to complain about the number of pages left until the festive meal. The rest of the year, you, like me, probably eat like an animal, chomping down a Hot Pocket (or rabbinically-approved alternative) whenever and wherever the urge strikes. Why is this night different from all other nights? You’ll actually be hungry by the time the brisket rolls out — so smile and be glad to have the opportunity to eat like a mensch.
The Four Questions
By all means, brush up on the Jewish trivia, but you needn’t “practice” the Four Questions. The youngest at the table (a child, typically) does the formal recitation, so instead, think up a couple incisive questions of your own to ask of your fellow participants.
What to bring
Trust me — it is a great honor for your host to have you in attendance, and he certainly will not be upset if you show up with nothing but an open mind and empty stomach (to use the parlance of our times). Certainly, if you’re unfamiliar with the Jewish dietary laws, err on the side of caution — the house you’re visiting has been scrubbed, scoured, singed, and soaked for at least a week already, and you don’t want to stumble in with any unkosher or leavened items. Maybe you have a religious coworker at the office? The guy with the beanie, or the woman who comes in with perfectly coiffed hair, often with headband, in different colors and styles each day of the week — ask if they can recommend an appropriate gift and where to purchase it. You may even want to show the purchased item to him/her to confirm its permissibility. People get pretty touchy about this Passover stuff.
But if your host says don’t bring anything — don’t bring anything. It’s okay!
Today’s Wall Street Journal includes their annual, pre-Pesach review of kosher wines (link; subscription required). Their list of favorites provides a good range of what’s out there, which was their stated goal, but I am disappointed by the text of the article, which appears to merely be an edit on previous years’ columns. Rather than discussing the merits of available kosher wines or focusing on interesting regions or producers, Gaiter and Brecher have assumed the posture that this is their annual pitch in favor of kosher wines being considered real wine (”Next time you’re in a wine shop, even if you don’t keep kosher, you really should take a look.”), rather than pancake syrup (or however you prefer to describe the heavy malaga of the past). Indeed, if you look at the post discussing the 2004 column, you’ll find some of the same language. The pullout quote, while well-meaning I’m sure, just comes off as derisive after this many years: “Anyone who keeps kosher no longer has to settle for simple, sweet wines.” With a fair number of kosher wines receiving 90+ ratings year after year, some being described by Robert Parker as among his favorite wines overall, do we need to keep referring back to the swill of yore?
In any case, the wines that they single out are a mix of the familiar (Rashi Moscato d’Asti) and interesting (Goose Bay Pinot Noir). Living in NYC, I had the pleasure of attending the Jewish Center’s Kosher Wine Extravaganza, organized by Gotham Wines & Liquors, last week and will be providing comments on some additional wines in the coming days, but for now I will list the WSJ picks and comment where I can. The list is ordered “from white to red and from lighter to heavier.”
In addition to their favorites list, I want to mention one of the few wines that they name in the text of the article, which I was able to try at the tasting last weekend. The Barkan Pinotage (Israel) is a relatively new and interesting addition. Pinotage is typically associated with South Africa and I have, for the most part, been disappointed with the South African wines that I’ve tasted. I found the Barkan Pinotage, though, to be good and certainly, as G&B suggest, worth a try. It carries a somewhat different profile than the pinot that makes up part of its ancestry and, in my opinion, makes a good addition to your repertoire of reds.
Nearly all kosher wines are also kosher for Passover, in large part due to the injunction to consume it in quadruplicate, but cheese, its eons-old sidekick, has never gotten much respect. That’s all changed this year, as evidenced in both local and virtual dairy cases, with reliably-certified cheeses from France, Italy, Denmark, and Vermont joining the traditional kosher options.
Several bars of Cabot medium-sharp cheddar arrived by UPS today, proudly brandishing an OU hologram. Brookline’s largest kosher market, the Butcherie, has a few French varieties in stock, including Makabi-brand Camembert and a soft, mold-ripened, goat- and cow-milk cheese called Le Pavé. I passed over the tiny two-dollar morsels of blue cheese, in favor of the pungent wedges of Kirkeby Danablu. As usual, they also had the standard Miller’s and Haolam cheeses, the blocks of which actually aren’t bad. We’ve been enjoying those baby Goudas and Muensters for a few years now, and the cholov yisroel Haolam Monterrey Jack is actually pretty decent, absent any alternatives.
In nearby Newton, Centre Market is carrying a large selection of French and Italian cheeses, including honest to goodness wedges of Provolone and Grana Padano (a close cousin of Parmigiano Reggiano) and whole wheels of French blue and Tomme — not to mention the finest prime meats in town.
Online options are also abundant this year — Cabot sells the OU cheddar exclusive at their website, and KosherItalia.com has 31 Passover-friendly products. In fact, they’ve just announced the arrival of both fresh cow mozzarella and fresh buffalo mozzarella, made in Italy on March 11 in preparation for the holiday.
With the simple addition of petite matzah crackers, a variety of jams and chutneys, some sliced vine-ripened tomatoes, and several bottles of fine wine, you’re ready to have a swanky — and fully pesadik — wine & cheese party.
I’ve often remarked that any holiday on which you can have steak and French fries every night isn’t really such a hardship. A well-stocked cheese drawer is yet another reason to believe that Passover could actually be a lot of fun.
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