Purim Recipes and Stuff
It has occured to me that I should perhaps post my real Purim recipes before, say, Pesach. Above is a picture of the food at our vegetarian, buffet-style Purim Seudah. (The drinks and desserts were at other tables.)
On the menu:
Challah Rolls: From my usual challah recipe, which I’ll share some time, bli neder.
“Asian” Orzo Salad: Based on this recipe, from Sadie’s Luncheonette. I used tofu and halved the vegetable oil, compensating with extra soy and teriyaki sauce. You can see other changes I’ve made to the recipe in the comments on Sadie’s post. (By now, it’s pretty far removed from the original Paula Dean version.)
Bow Tie and Broccoli Salad: This is a recipe that I learned from my friend and former roommate, Jill. It consists of bowtie noodles, steamed broccoli, mayonnaise, golden raisins, sunflower seeds, and sesame seeds. The raisins, sunflower seeds and sesame seeds are sauteed in sesame oil until the raisins are plump and the sesame seeds are golden, and then everything is mixed together. I don’t bother to be consistent with the proportions.
Lentil Salad: Based loosely on this recipe from Alanna of A Veggie Venture. Alanna lowered the olive oil to vinegar ratio in her dressing from more than 3:1 to 1:2; I stuck with 1:1 and added some fresh lemon juice. I used the same veggies as Alanna, minus the radishes and chives and with the addition of sliced green olives.
Chickpeas with Charmoula Vinaigrette: There is a custom to eat chickpeas on Purim that dates back to the Middle Ages, according to Gil Marks. The practice is based on the midrash that Esther kept kosher while in Ahashuerus’s palace by eating only legumes and seeds. We tried a new chickpea recipe this year, from Myra Kornfeld’s The Healthy Hedonist. (I made some adjustments, since I was in a hurry, but it still came out great.) Here’s the recipe:
1 1/2 teaspoons whole cumin seeds [I used a reduced quantity of ground cumin]
6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice [from about 1 large lemon]
4 garlic cloves
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
3/4 cup fresh parsley
1/2 cup fresh cilantro
salt
freshly ground black pepper
3 cups cooked chickpeas or 2 15-oz cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed [I used canned]
3 tablesppons extra-virgin olive oil
If using whole cumin seeds, toast them in a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-low heat for about 2 minutes, or until fragrant, then grind with a mortar and pestle or spice grinder. [Obviously, I skipped this step.]
Now, throw everything in a food processor, beginning with the garlic and herbs, followed by the cumin, paprika, salt, and pepper, and ending with the liquid ingredients. Process well, taste for seasoning, and pour over chickpeas.
All right, so that last step wasn’t quite in accordance with the book, but it works perfectly well.
And now for my favorite new recipe of the holiday: Bourbon Ice Cream!
I got the recipe from CDKitchen, though I’ve seen nearly identical ones all over the internet. The main distinguishing feature of this version is that it uses 1/2 cup bourbon per gallon rather than 1/4 cup. (That’s about 10% ABV, I think, so it’s not for children, pregnant women, etc.)
And as a bonus, DH making kiddush:
Until next year. . .
(Cross-posted to Apikorsus)
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Passover gasoline? Don’t be fooled!
I have a couple little Google Alerts set up to inform me of kosher-related news articles and blog entries, and this posting showed up today, about “kosher for Passover,” ethanol-free gasoline. For half a moment, I was seriously disturbed, then a quick Internet search brought up absolutely no authoritative links to the “Bergen County Jewish Times.” It looks like a few bloggers were tricked by this seasonal humor from Bangitout.com, but luckily Rabbi Mark Ankcorn sets the record straight for any remaining doubters.
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Purim Rum Cake
I’ve seen a few versions of this recipe. This is my adaptation:
Ingredients:
1 or 2 qts. rum
1 cup butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup dried fruit
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tbs. lemon juice
1/4 cup chopped nuts
Directions:
Before you start, sample the rum to check for quality.
Select a large mixing bowl, measuring cup, etc. Check the rum again. It must be of the highest quality.
With an electric mixer, beat butter in large fluffy bowl. Add 1 seaspoon of thugar and beat again. Meanshile, it’s important to make sure the rum is still good. Try another cup.
Open the second quart of rum if necessary. Add 1 arge leggs, 2 cups of fried druits and beat till high.
If the druits get stuck in the beats, just pru it loose with a drewscriver. Sample the rum again for cinscistincy.
Next, add 3 cups of salt and or pepper (it really doesn’t matter which). Sample the wum again.
Sift 1 pint of lemon goose, add 1 bablespoon of brown thugar, of whatever color yoo can find. Mix well. Grease oven, turn cake pan to 350 greeds.
Nyow, pour the whole mess sinto the boven and ake. Check the crum again and bo to ged.
Cross-posted to Apikorsus.
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Potato Latke Master Recipe
I usually only make potato latkes once a year, for Chanukah, and every year I search online to find the right proportions of ingredients. Last year, I had had enough, and actually documented my process for posterity. It’s nothing earth-shattering, but at least it’ll be here for years to come. And it’s meant to be multiplied: I quintupled this recipe for a crowd — freezing/reheating instructions follow the recipe.
Continue reading Potato Latke Master Recipe »
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SHF #28: Sugar Art - Painted Sugar Cookies
I have a few friends I thought deserved some cookies about now, but until recently, I hadn’t decided what kind to make. Then I saw that this month’s Sugar High Friday theme is “Sugar Art,” and I took it as a sign that it was time to try Nancy Baggett’s edible tempera paint recipe and make some personalized cookies.
I didn’t want to post the personalized cookies for SHF, so I made some more generic ones, too. Here are some Chanukah cookies:
And some non-denominational cookies:
The verdict: The cookies are tasty and the art project was fun, but it would have been more fun with a kid, and I’ll probably wait until I have one before doing it again. (The cookies look like a kid made them, anyway.)
Here’s the recipe (adapted from Nancy Baggett’s All-American Cookie Book):
Continue reading SHF #28: Sugar Art - Painted Sugar Cookies »
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Thanksgiving Menu
I laugh when I watch all the pandemonium on television cooking shows before Thanksgiving. After so many yom tov and shabbos meals, I’m overjoyed to have a holiday when the cooking can be done without restrictions just moments before serving — what a breeze!
I formalized our menu this evening. We’re having a smaller crowd than usual, but I’d rather cut down on the volume of food rather than the number of dishes, since it’s hard to give up the familiar recipes one comes to enjoy and expect each year.
ROTISSERIE ROASTED TURKEY
Courtesy of our Showtime Rotisserie. Filled loosely with aromatic vegetables and lemon slices, our 10-lb. turkey will cook for 12 min/lb. Set it and forget it.
SUGAR-FREE SPICED CRANBERRY SAUCE
No one needs all the sugar it takes to overcome a cranberry’s natural tartness, so this year I’ll replace it with Splenda in my favorite recipe (from Epicurious).
SWEET POTATO SALAD WITH ORANGE-MAPLE DRESSING
This is a great make-ahead recipe which I usually reserve for wintertime Shabbat lunches. Rather than steam the sweet potato chunks as this recipe instructs, I roast them at 400 degrees until just browned around the edges — more flavor that way.
WHOLE WHEAT CHALLAH STUFFING
As far as I’ve come with brown rice, sometimes you just have to eat stuffing. This year, I’ll try my traditional recipe with whole wheat challah from Rosenfeld’s in Newton Centre.
ROASTED ASPARAGUS
I used to buy only thin asparagus to avoid tough, woody ends, but trimming a thicker stalk and peeling the bottom half a bit provides an equally tender vegetable with a bit more to sink one’s teeth into. I toss them in olive oil, salt, and pepper, then roast at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes.
BROWN BREAD
Like grapenut pudding, brown bread is a local tradition. The molasses and dried currants give it a thoroughly colonial character, and the environmentalist in me loves baking in used coffee cans. (Substitute soy milk for the real milk.)
INA’S GRAVY
Ina Garten’s recipe for homemade gravy is superb, just make sure to supplement the chicken broth with some deeply browned turkey drippings. Naturally, I nix the cream, but the cognac remains to give it some punch. (Pour the liquor away from the flame, by the way. I momentarily set my hand ablaze last year when an errant drip of cognac caught fire.)
APPLE PIE WITH VANILLA SOY CREAM
The family stand-by. I’ve taken a liking to Cook’s Illustrated’s latest deep-dish apple pie recipe, but this time, my wife’s in charge of dessert, so it’s her call.
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Blintz Porn
In case you’re into that sort of thing:
I also have some very cute pics of DH frying crepes in his pajamas, but he probably wouldn’t want me posting those on the internet.
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Utterly Fabulous Blintzes
I know that I have a tendency toward hyperbole when it comes to food, but these really are the best blintzes I’ve ever had. (My apologies to Mother and Mother-in-Law, whose excellent recipes served as a starting point.) The blintz skins are from a French crepe recipe, which yields a more tender, creamy pancake than traditional blintz batter.
We use an 8-inch crepe pan, which makes fairly large blintzes. For a larger number of smaller blintzes, use a 6-inch or 5-inch pan. If you are inexperienced at making crepes, you may wish to make a bit of extra batter to allow for mistakes.
Continue reading Utterly Fabulous Blintzes »
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Problems with Horseradish?
This Passover, almost every jar of horseradish we bought leaked before we could use it. On each jar, the plastic safety band was still attached, but the lid had somehow loosened and let out a stream of red juice. My memory escapes me, but the problem may have been limited to Rosoff products. Clostridium outbreak, perhaps? Anyone else have such trouble?
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Cheese Latkes: Passover Edition
Around Chanukkah time, I posted a recipe for cheese latkes that I hadn’t yet tried. I made a batch tonight using matsah meal and ricotta. I liked them a lot, but the batter was very thick even though I had beaten the egg whites, and that made it difficult to form neat pancakes. It also made the latkes a bit rich for my taste. (Actually, I felt like my heart was going to fall out of my chest, but that probably had something to do with the whole milk ricotta and the butter I used for frying.) If you’re thinking of using the recipe, I recommend skimping a bit on the flour or matsah meal and adding some milk to thin the batter. Also, if you care about your heart, you might want to use cooking spray instead of oil or butter.
I’ll try to report again the next time I make a batch.
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