Kosher Blog

Baking soft matsah

I first heard of soft matsah when I was in high school, when my Talmud teacher, Rabbi Alan Brill, mentioned to us that the Syrian Jews have a tradition to eat matsah that is soft, rather than the crackery-type that most of us are used to. He mentioned that it is perfectly kosher, but it is hard to find, except in Israel. I was intrigued.

A few years later, my brother met a rabbi who imported soft matsah from Israel, and as soon as I heard that, I wanted some. We ordered it, and it was quite different. It came frozen in plastic bags with instructions to heat before eating. Once defrosted, it was bendable (to a point, beyond which it would break) and chewy, but relatively tasteless. When warm, it tasted much better. However, it was quite expensive.

A couple of years later, I discovered SoftMatza.com, where you can order regular and whole wheat varieties of soft matsah over the Internet (made in Brooklyn). It worked out to be slightly cheaper, so I ordered some. The matsot were pretty similar, but the whole wheat ones were even more tasteless than the regular ones. However, they were slightly cheaper than the ones from Israel. You can look at pictures of their soft matsah.

I was curious about how they are made, and also whether Ashkenazim could eat them. I thought that perhaps they used moister dough or a lower temperature oven. However, according to SoftMatza.com, the main difference is that they are rolled out thicker. The site also mentions that “[p]eople from Ashkenazic lineage have a minhag (tradition) to eat Matza that is as thin as possible, and therefore should consult their Rabbi to determine if they are allowed to [eat] our thicker Matza.” When I looked into it in college for a cultural event that we wanted to run, the local Hillel Rabbinic adviser was not able to determine to his satisfaction whether the matsot were acceptable for Ashkenazim. However, apparently, Rabbi Schachter at YU allows Ashkenazim to eat these.

About 8 or 9 years ago, I decided I would try to make my own soft matsah. So, I mixed together a low-water batch of dough (using only unbleached white whole wheat flour and water), rolled it out about 1/3 of an inch thick, and baked it at the highest setting my oven could produce (according to the thermometer in my oven, it reached about 650F). As I recall, I think I used about 3.5 cups of flour per cup of water (which, converting to mass-based baker’s percentages, is about 48% water). I was careful to constantly work the dough once it was mixed, and from the time I mixed it until it went into the oven was (significantly) less than 18 minutes. However, I did not use guarded Passover flour (nor did I use kosher for Passover equipment), so it wasn’t actually kosher for Passover. I managed to produce an edible softish flatbread after baking for several minutes, but it was quite grainy.

Fast forward to this past week, when I decided to try again. Since our custom is to not eat matsah for the month before Pesach (starting on Purim, although some people don’t start abstaining until the 1st of Nissan), I had to act fast. Fortunately, matsah is quick and easy to bake. My current oven no longer goes up to 650F, so I decided I would try to bake it on my pizza stone (which, when pre-heated on the floor of my oven set to 525F, gets up to about 625F, as measured by my IR thermometer).

I realized I wasn’t exactly sure how to tell exactly when the matsah was fully-baked according to halakha, so I looked it up in the Shulhan Arukh (OC 461:3). I discovered that when you break it open, it is considered fully-cooked if you no longer see threads of dough stretching between. I also discovered that you should use water drawn the previous day (presumably because freshly-drawn water is more bubbly) that is cold. So, I used water from the Brita pitcher in my fridge. I couldn’t find any information about the proper flour:water ratio, so I decided to try a 55% water recipe (since regular bread is typically 60-65%).

For the first batch, I mixed 55g of cold water into 100g of unbleached all-purpose flour. It was so dry and crumbly that I could barely get it to hold together. I needed to work it with my hands for a good 5 minutes before it held together without crumbs. I then rolled it out into a sheet (about 1/4 to 1/3 inch thick), which was quite easy to do, given the dryness of the dough, put it on my pizza peel , and transferred it to my pizza stone. I baked it for 4 minutes. I then noticed that it had puffed up like a pita bread, and I was worried that the top wasn’t getting enough heat, so I flipped it over and baked another 2 minutes. When I tore it open, there were no threads, however, I later noticed, upon cooling, that the inside still appeared a bit doughy (although the puffiness had collapsed). It tasted great when hot, but as it cooled it lost a lot of flavor. It was, however, pretty soft inside, although the outside was a bit crunchy and crumbly. See pictures below:

First batch, outside

First batch, inside

For batch two, I decided to make a wetter dough, since the first one was so hard to get to come together. I also decided to poke holes in the dough to prevent puffing and to pour the flour into the water instead of vice-versa. So, I mixed 100g of unbleached all-purpose flour into 63g of cold water. This dough came together much more easily, and it was actually a bit too sticky. It was harder to roll out due to the stickiness. After rolling it out, I pricked it with a fork several times and then baked it on the pizza stone for 4 minutes. I then flipped it and baked another 2 minutes. I removed it from the oven and tore it open. I didn’t see any threads, but I realized that it was still kind of doughy inside, so after a minute or so, I returned it (on side 2) to the pizza stone for another minute and a half. At that point, I removed it. It came out much better than the first batch, but it was still a bit doughy inside upon later examination. Pictures below:

Second batch, top

Second batch, bottom

Second batch, inside

For the final batch, I decided to reduce the water slightly and bake for a total of 7 minutes (which is also how long I bake pizza for on my pizza stone). So, I mixed 100g of unbleached all-purpose flour into 60g of cold water. This dough came together relatively easily, and it was just right. It rolled out just fine. This is what it looked like, rolled out:

Third batch, rolled

After rolling it out, I pricked it with a fork several times on both sides and then baked it on the pizza stone for 4 minutes. I then flipped it and baked another 3 minutes. I removed it from the oven and tore it open. I didn’t see any threads, and it did not appear at all doughy inside. It came out much better than the first two batches. Success! Pictures below:

Third batch, top

Third batch, bottom and inside

The next step is to find Passover flour and make my own for Pesach in a KFP kitchen. I doubt that will ever happen. My understanding is that KFP flour is not available on the open market — I would have to grind the grain myself and make sure it stayed dry until mixing (annoying, but doable). Even then, however, it would not be real Shemurah matsah, although it would be kosher for Pesach. However, the custom is to use Shemurah matsah (which has been watched since it was harvested, or more precisely, since it was cut) for the Seder. That is pretty much impracticable, since it would involve an inordinate amount of work (reaping, harvesting, winnowing, grinding… and I may be leaving out one or two intermediate steps).

By the way, I should mention that it seems likely that all matsah eaten throughout the world was of this soft variety until about the 18th century, when various Ashkenazic authorities decided that it was a good idea to make very thin and crunchy matsah, just be 100% certain that it was completely baked through. That was an unfortunate development, however, in its favor, crisp matsah stays fresh a lot longer than soft matsah (which can go stale in a few hours outside of the freezer).

One last point: according to the Shulhan Arukh, matsah can be up to a tefach thick (about 3 or 4 inches). I wonder how that would come out…

Not-Quite-Yogurt Sauce

This past Shabbat we had a bunch of friends over for dinner, including a couple of vegetarians. Although I am usually delighted to make a vegetarian meal, given the size and makeup of the crowd I opted for a chicken main course. Every other dish (including a Moroccan-style chickpea stew served over couscous, as an alternate protein) was vegetarian friendly, but one of the vegetarian guests offered to whip up a batch of zucchini fritters in my kitchen as well. “I usually serve this with a dill-yogurt sauce,” he said. Alas – no yogurt with chicken.

So we improvised a lovely pareve (and vegan!) substitute for his yogurt sauce. Not only did it go nicely with the zucchini fritters, but it was wonderful drizzled over the chickpeas as well. I look forward to making a variation (without the dill or garlic) as a base for a pareve raita some time in the future.

“Yogurt” Sauce with Dill and Garlic

• about 3/4 lb silken tofu (do not use soft or firm)
• 1/3 to 2/3 cup unsweetened rice milk
• juice of 1 lemon, more to taste
• a generous pinch or two of salt
• 1 small clove garlic, crushed (frozen is fine, but do not use powder)
• 1 tsp finely chopped dill

1. Combine tofu and 1/3 cup rice milk in food processor or blender and process until smooth. Add more rice milk, a little at a time, until sauce is just a bit thicker than desired.
2. Add lemon juice and salt and process until completely blended. Taste – it should taste more or less like yogurt that has been thinned with a little water. Add more salt or lemon juice if needed.
3. Add garlic and dill and process until fully combined.
4. Cover and refrigerate for at least half an hour to let flavors mingle. May be stored in the refrigerator for a few days; if it starts to curdle a bit, just mix well until smooth.

Night Three: Vegetable Pakoras and Dreidel Chips

* 1 cup chickpea flour
* 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
* 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
* 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
* 2 cloves garlic, crushed
* 3/4 cup water
* 1 quart oil for deep frying
* 1/2 head cauliflower florets
* 2 onions, sliced into rings

1. Sift the chickpea flour into a medium bowl. Mix in the coriander, salt, turmeric, chili powder, garam masala and garlic.
2. Make a well in the center of the flower. Gradually pour the water into the well and mix to form a thick, smooth batter.
3. Over medium high heat in a large, heavy saucepan, heat the oil to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
4. Coat the cauliflower and onions in the batter and fry them in small batches until golden brown, about 4 to 5 minutes. Drain on paper towels before serving.

Continue reading Night Three: Vegetable Pakoras and Dreidel Chips »

Silk Soy Creamer

I first learned about soy creamer from a blog called A Vegan Ice Cream Paradise. My local supermarkets don’t carry it, but I recently stopped by a store in a different neighborhood and found that it carries Silk brand creamer, which is marked “100% vegan.” Alas, it is also marked OU-D. Those who follow such matters know that the OU http://outest.org/index.php/faqs/no longer uses the “DE” (dairy equipment) designation, instead marking all dairy equipment products “D,” and this was clearly one such case. Normally, when I encounter an OU-D on a product that I suspect isn’t actually dairy, I just grumble and go on my way, but this time I was so sure that the creamer was really parve that I bought it anyway. When I got home, I went to the Silk Website and found the following in the FAQ:

Are Silk products dairy-free?
All Silk products including Silk Creamer and Silk Live!™ Soy Yogurt are completely dairy-free and safe for people with dairy allergies. None of our ingredients are made from animal products, by-products or derivatives. Our natural flavors do not contain any dairy or other animal products.

And then there was this:

Are Silk products kosher?
All Silk brand products in all flavors are certified Kosher OU-D. Kosher OU-D certifies that a dairy-free product was heated on equipment also used for dairy, and designates that dairy-free products heated on equipment also used for dairy may not be eaten together with a meat product. It may be eaten immediately after a meat product, but not together [my emphasis].

Finally:

Since Silk products are dairy-free, why is the Kosher certification OU-D?
All Silk products including Silk Creamer and Silk Live!™ Soy Yogurt are completely dairy-free and safe for people with dairy allergies. While Silk soy products do not contain dairy ingredients, they may be produced on equipment that also produces dairy products. Silk follows strict allergen cleanup procedures to ensure products made on shared equipment are dairy-free.

Silk is certified Kosher OU-D, meaning they are dairy-free products made on dairy equipment.

In case you didn’t get it:

The D designates that the dairy-free product was heated on equipment also used for dairy and may not be eaten together with a meat product. It may be eaten immediately after a meat product, but not together [emphasis mine].

So there you have it. You can eat it immediately after a meat product, but not together.

I e-mailed the OU just to be 200% sure, and they confirmed that all Silk products are parve but made on dairy equipment. The e-mailer added the following:

You will not find the DE designation on a product certified by the OU. The OU designates dairy-free products made on dairy equipment with the ‘OU-D’ symbol and not ‘DE’ (Dairy Equipment). This due to the fact that the OU has seen that in industrial applications, very rarely is a proper cleanup performed after a dairy run before the Pareve run. As a result there is a problem of dairy residue entering the so-called Pareve product.

This seems reasonable to me, but I would not worry about it in the case of Silk products, since the company is adamant about its products being safe for those with dairy allergies, which requires an extremely high level of cleanliness. And of course, the OU says that you can have them after meat. So you can have them after meat.

According to R. Eidlitz, D.E. products are considered nat bar nat, so hot creamer should not come into contact with meat equipment. Therefore, you should not pour silk creamer into steaming hot coffee in a meat cup, but you can pour it into steaming hot coffee in a dairy cup and drink it after a meat meal (but not together). You can also make this ice cream* and eat it after a meat meal. Just be sure to do the cooking in a dairy saucepan and let the mixture cool before pouring it into your ice cream maker (which the manufacturers recommend, anyway).**

*I’m sure that some people find the very idea of vegan cheesecake ice cream disgusting, and I have to admit that it’s not for everyone, but I think it’s delicious. I’m excited to try more recipes from the site.
**I suspect that there are varying opinions on this subject, so consult a trusted halakhic advisor if you are inclined to investigate it further. There may also be a difference between Sephardi and Ashkenazi practice. (I am no expert on this subject. This is just guesswork based on what I’ve read. Ask someone who knows.)

Farmer’s Market Finds

We foodies tend to get excited when summer comes around and farmer’s markets start popping up everywhere. Summer’s almost over, though, and so far, I’ve found very little at my local farmer’s markets that seemed blog-worthy. Maybe it’s because it’s been a drought year, or maybe I’ve been making lousy choices. Either way, most of the the produce I’ve picked up has been no better than what we get at the supermarket. A few times I bought “interesting” items, such as shungiku, which the sign at the market said was “good in stir-fries.” When I got home to my computer, I learned that shungiku is also known as “edible chrysanthemum,” and that’s what it tastes like — a flower. (Sorry, but eating flowers has never been my thing.)

Then, recently, the yield started to improve, culminating in this batch of heirloom tomatoes, which I bought on Monday:

They were a mixed bag, but the good ones were very good. As I collected the tomatoes at the market, I scribbled down their names with little descriptions (such as “big bumpy red”); if my notes are accurate, the ones in the picture are (from top, left): Green Zebra, Black Plum, Red Zebra, Speckled Roman, Brandywine, Pineapple, and Costoluto Genovese. The Speckled Roman was decidedly the sweetest and most flavorful (though this probably has more to do with the individual crop and even the particular tomato I selected than the cultivar). The Black Plum and Green Zebra tomatoes were also very good. In general, the greener tomatoes were crisper and easier to slice, but otherwise they tasted very similar to the red ones.

Continue reading Farmer’s Market Finds »

Ice Cream Maker Update

I have, in fact, been using my ice cream maker quite regularly. I just haven’t posted many recipes, partly because so few of the desserts I’ve made have stuck around long enough to have their pictures taken. It’s a pity, since some of them were quite pretty, but so be it. I may as well post the recipes, anyway. (Several can be made without an ice cream maker; I’ll mention that wherever applicable.)

One of my first dairy desserts was a maple-pecan ice cream from Joy of Baking. It was very good, rich and custardy, with a prominent maple syrup flavor. I served it with bread pudding, but it could easily stand alone.

Lots more after the jump!

Continue reading Ice Cream Maker Update »

Pareve Parmesan Cheese Substitute

Here’s a recipe I came across for a parmesan cheese substitute that’s kosher, pareve and even vegan (I’m told). I’ve looked far and wide for a product that I could use in my meatloaf or meatballs. This one fits the bill – and it gave my dishes amazing flavor. Parmesan cheese is very umami-rich, so it makes sense to use miso & yeast, which are both umami-rich foods.

1/2 cup almond flour or well ground, blanched almonds
2 tablespoons Red Star nutritional yeast
2 teaspoons chickpea miso (Miso Master brand is certified by the Atlanta Kashruth Commission)
1/4 teaspoon salt

Blend all ingredients well in a food processor.

Berry Sorbet

Here’s a dessert that I made a while ago but never got around to posting. It was my first successful sorbet, and I think I’ll stick with the formula, although I’m looking forward to switching from frozen berries to fresh when the local crop is ripe.

I looked at quite a few berry sorbet recipes before making this, and it turns out that they’re all pretty similar. In addition to berries, the ingredients usually include water, sugar syrup, lemon juice, and a small amount of alcohol (usually vodka) to keep the sorbet from becoming too icy. I liked the recipes in The Healthy Hedonist becuase they call for maple syrup rather than sugar syrup and juice instead of water. (The juice is apple-raspberry, because they wouldn’t be Myra Kornfield recipes if they didn’t call for at least one ingredient that you can’t get in an ordinary supermarket.) The sorbet in the picture above was based on the Healthy Hedonist recipes and was made with a combination of strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries. I recently tried the same formula with only raspberries, and it was equally delicious. The maple syrup adds depth of flavor without being immediately recognizable.

Here’s the recipe:

Berry Sorbet
makes about 1 quart

1 pound (about 4 cups) strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, or raspberries, or a combination
3/4 cup apple juice
3/4 cup maple syrup
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
pinch of salt
grated zest of 1 lemon
1 tablesppon vodka

Blend the berries with the apple juice in a blender or food processor. Strain the mixture through a fine-meshed strainer into a bowl, to remove the seeds.* Stir in the maple syrup, lemon juice, salt, lemon zest, and vodka. Freeze according to your ice cream maker’s instructions. Let the sorbet sit in the freezer for a few hours before serving.

Variations I’d like to try:
* Lime instead of lemon
* Freshly squeezed orange juice and orange zest instead of apple juice
* 1/4 cup wine instead of vodka (I guess I’d reduce the amount of juice)

* You can get away with skipping this step if you’re using strawberries or blueberries, but I seriously regret not buying a fine-meshed strainer before trying the recipe with raspberries. A regular strainer lined with cheesecloth will not do the trick.

Kugel Recipe Correction

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!

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)