tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-63650425770341912152024-02-02T13:20:13.784-08:00Dvora's Cookie CreationsThe life and times of a compulsive perfectionist who found an outlet in cookie making and other sugary pursuitsDvorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06238650785129925453noreply@blogger.comBlogger198125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6365042577034191215.post-55040667743608603472014-07-22T13:34:00.000-07:002014-07-22T13:40:37.828-07:00Do you know what it feels like...We are in a state of war. If you can, try to imagine for one moment what it feels like to know that there is an enemy who wants nothing less than to eradicate each and every one of us from the face of the earth, for no reason other than our existence. This is how it plays out in our lives.<br />
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Things I am not doing:<br />
- relaxing<br />
- letting my mind wander<br />
- getting rid of my headache<br />
- staying away from my Facebook newsfeed for very long<br />
- posting pictures of cakes and cookies on my Facebook page<br />
- appreciating any light and fluffy posts or pictures, from either side of the ocean<br />
- taking long, luxurious showers<br />
- driving without paying 1000% attention to where it might be safe to pull over in case of a siren<br />
- playing music loudly in the car<br />
- walking into a store without checking where the safe area is<br />
- wearing clothes that would look terrible afterwards if I had to lie down at the side of the road<br />
- sleeping soundly<br />
- letting my phone battery run down<br />
- forgetting about the hideous, painful loss of our three boys<br />
- caring what left leaning politicians and bigmouths have to say<br />
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Things I am doing:<br />
- loving my family, my community, my nation for how amazing, thoughtful, caring you all are<br />
- appreciating the hard work everyone is doing to take care of one another and keep spirits up<br />
- finding extra meaning in every prayer<br />
- mourning our lost soldiers, Hashem yikom damam<br />
- feeling horrified at the level and intensity of anti-Semitism around the globe, and wondering why more Jews are not coming home<br />
- welling up with pride at the 228 North American Olim who came home today, part of 1300 Olim in the last week<br />
- continuing to help families celebrate their milestones with cakes and cookies, including marking the induction of their sons into the army, may Hashem protect them all and bring them home safely<br />
- sharing whatever news I can with my friends and family<br />
- feeling responsible to make sure the truth of what is taking place here gets out into the world<br />
- using my words to challenge bias<br />
- working to keep our family's life as normal as possible<br />
- being grateful that despite it all, there is nowhere in the world I would rather be<br />
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Am Yisrael Chai!<br />
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<br />Dvorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06238650785129925453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6365042577034191215.post-17758544532678740862014-06-17T12:53:00.000-07:002014-06-17T12:58:52.092-07:00There are no words, and yet...<div style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;">
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How is it that in a time where the unspeakable is taking place, I feel thoughts pouring out of me?<br />
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On Friday morning, we started to receive information - actually, my teenagers did first - that some boys from the surrounding area were missing. Teenaged boys, heading home Thursday night from high school for Shabbat, never made it to their own homes, to their own beds. A gag order on the press didn't prevent all sorts of wild rumors from being circulated throughout social media, heroic tales, stories with happy endings and some less so. Time seemed to freeze at that point. Since Friday, all we can do here is think about "our" boys, Eyal, Naftali, and Gil-Ad, and their families. Are they alive? Who has them? Where are they? Are they scared? Are they together, or have they been separated? Have they been given any food, any water? Are they in the dark? Are they cold, or too hot? Is their faith sustaining them?<br />
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Social media has been the new variable in all of this. The #Bringbackourboys campaign is getting wide support, but also lots of hate from leftists and anti-Israel activists. I type the hashtag like a prayer, hoping against hope that it will make a difference. The international media, while barely seeing fit to mention the kidnapping, refers to them as "seminary students" or "settlers," as if that justifies the evil act of stealing children. I look at my Facebook news feed, and I wonder, how does anyone have anything to say or do that is not related to these boys? I feel resentment at the posts celebrating birthdays, graduations, the art of the selfie. I want everyone, EVERYONE, to be sharing prayers and photos, reminding the world about these three innocent boys, and their unbelievably strong and inspirational families.<br />
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It is often said that it is important to maintain routine when "something like this" happens, so as not to give in to the terrorists. But I hate that idea. I want us to think of them all the time. I don't want to go back to routine, as if to say that we should get used to this reality because a resolution could take a lot of time and life must continue on. NO!! I want them home with parents who no longer have to wonder about the terror their sons are experiencing. I want them home tonight.<br />
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And so I can't bring myself to post any work pictures. Right now, that feels like giving in. When they come home, whole and healthy, then there will be cake, and time for celebration, but right now, let's just pray for their homecoming, and do whatever little we can to help make that happen.<br />
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Dvorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06238650785129925453noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6365042577034191215.post-77194688717073071652014-05-22T01:38:00.003-07:002014-05-29T22:26:44.005-07:00Blintzes like Bubby's<em></em><br />
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I can't help but think of food when I think of my grandparents. I guess that's normal. Though you might not know it to look at some of my family members, we are a very food oriented group. If you ask my mom how a simcha or Shabbat was, you will likely get the full menu as a response, along with a thoughtful critique. My camera and phone have as many or more pictures of food than of my family (I know, shame on me...). And my dear husband and I have grocery shopping as our regular date, just the two of us, along with our favorite cashier, produce guy, and the repeating cast of characters on our same shopping schedule. Very romantic.<br />
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Food does carry strong memory triggers. I remember my cousin Jomo's bar mitzvah (31 years ago!) not just for the wonderful family time and the Rocky Mountain tourist experiences, but for the food: my first encounter with honey-mustard chicken - made with Plochman's mustard; using oatmeal as a binder for hamburgers; and experiencing a simcha where the baalat simcha (my aunt) did most of the cooking. I remember attending my friend's wedding, when I was in my first trimester with my oldest daughter, and though I was overwhelmed with (not just in the) morning sickness most of the time, the stir-fried vegetables with ginger made me feel better and made me want to learn to cook with ingredients I had not used before. (I can't believe I was ever so young or culinarily limited that I thought ginger was an exotic spice!)<br />
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My strongest food memory of my father's mother, my Florida Bubby, was making chremslach (deep fried potato puffs) with her on Pesach mornings, before the yom tov lunch. We used a Mouli grater to shred the cooked potatoes - leftover from the karpas - and then mixed in salt and beaten eggs, always judging the recipe by feel to see if we had added the right amount. Then we would deep fry the dumplings in a deep pot of nasty Pesach oil, and eat them with cherry jam, sour cream, or salt.<br />
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The irony of my food memories, though, is that many of them are idealized. I have such warm feelings toward spending the time with my Bubby and making the chremslach, but absolutely no desire to make or eat them myself, now. I would rather go to shul than be "enslaved" to the kitchen on Pesach, and deep frying is not my friend. I remember my New Jersey Bubby's (Bubby Sarah) chicken soup as the all time best, but I am not sure if it was as delicious as I remember, or if I had always been striving to make mine as good as something that wasn't real.<br />
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There are a few foods like that with Bubby Sarah - her honey chiffon cake, rolash (like a babka), rugelach, cherry cake. Maybe even her blintzes. I loved her blintzes. Bubby made a sweet, heftier-than-most blintz leaf with a delicious farmer cheese filling. She also made potato blintzes with the same sweet bletlach, which, honestly, were kind of weird. Don't try it at home. At some point, it must have been that someone she respected and admired told Bubby that adding some orange marmalade to the cheese blintz filling would make them taste even better. They were wrong, but the bitter orange was always there from that point on.<br />
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Eventually, when the supply line of frozen blintzes she gave me started to slow down, I asked Bubby for her recipe. In her inimitable half-English, half-Yiddish style, she told me to put four eggs in the blender, then half a blender of miluch (milk), a few spoons of tzucker (sugar), a little oil, a "glayzel" (meaning glass, literally the glass cup that had formerly housed a yahrzeit candle) of flour, a bissel zaltz (salt). For the filling, take half of the giant brick of farmer cheese that my Zeidy would bring from the wholesaler ("Don't buy it yourself, Dvoyraleh, it's too expensive"), and add eggs and sugar.<br />
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It took a little work to make a recipe with measurements out of those instructions. But I managed to develop it into something that is more or less her blintzes, and I am sharing with you today, if you managed to get all the way to the bottom of the page with all my reminiscing. I guess I am trying to make up for a year of bloggy silence...<br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><u><strong>Bubby Sarah's Blintzes</strong></u></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Yields 22-24 blintzes</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ingredients</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For leaves:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">6 eggs</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2 1/4 cups milk</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">6 tablespoons sugar</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">3 tablespoons oil</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1 1/2 cups flour</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">pinch salt </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">a teaspoon of vanilla (I have that on the written instructions, though I find it hard to believe Bubby used it!)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Combine the ingredients in a blender jar and mix until fully combined. You may want to let it rest for a few hours before frying the leaves, but then again, you might not.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Filling:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2 pounds of farmer cheese (in Israel, 1 kilo of Tuv Taam or C'naan cheese. I had only 3/4 of a kilo of Tuv Taam, so I added in cottage cheese to make up the difference.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2 eggs, lightly beaten</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">3/4 cup sugar</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">cinnamon, to taste</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">vanilla, to taste</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Combine all ingredients well. My bubby used to mash the cheese with a potato masher, but if you don't have a dairy one (or you get old and flaky and forget that detail), you can just mix with a spoon or fork.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Heat a nonstick skillet or crepe pan over medium heat. Lightly oil (I wipe the pan with a paper towel dipped in a bit of canola oil - before beginning to fry, and after every couple of leaves. Use about 1/4 cup of batter for each leaf, swirling to cover the entire surface. Cook until the top is dry and slightly inflated in spots from underneath. There is no need to fry the other side! Remove to a plate. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Repeat, stacking the leaves, until all the batter is used. When you are done, flip the stack. Just trust me - it makes the leaves easier to deal with.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Lay a leaf down, brown side up, on a large plate or board. Place a couple of spoonfuls of filling in a line on the leaf, about and inch and a half up from the bottom edge, filling only the center third of the leaf. It should look like a face with an unsmiling mouth (no eyes). Fold up the bottom edge to cover the cheese, then fold over the sides like you are making an envelope. Roll up from the bottom to create your blintz shape. Repeat until all the leaves and/or filling is gone, whichever comes first.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You can individually wrap the blintzes at this point and freeze them, or you can fry them immediately.</span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Fry over medium low heat until golden brown on each side. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Allow to cool for a couple of minutes to let the cheese set up, then enjoy!!</span><br />
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Dvorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06238650785129925453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6365042577034191215.post-27392377046892502232013-05-20T01:44:00.001-07:002013-05-20T10:12:40.978-07:00Tortilla Soup, Ole! Plus May Kosher Connection Recipe Linkup<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This month's Kosher Connection theme is croutons. Croutons are delicious, crunchy, fun to eat, generally not so good for you. But I love them - who doesn't, really? There is nothing yummier than homemade croutons: a diced loaf of crusty bread, tossed with butter or oil and amazing seasonings, toasted until perfectly crisp on the outside, with a little chew on the inside, so delicious and addictive, and then you put them in some incredibly flavorful soup or a beautiful salad, mmmmm... <br />
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Sorry, distracted. Where was I again? Oh, yeah, right. I figure that as a baker, I contribute to not such healthy eating for some folks, so I have to be more careful when it comes to the courses preceding dessert. That's why I went with a lighter style crouton - tortilla crisps. No frying here, and the only added fat is cooking spray. No seasoning is added, though still delicious. And they top off a bold and hearty soup, which, oddly enough, is beloved by every single member of my family. How often does that happen?!<br />
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<br />
<strong>Tortilla Soup</strong><br />
<br />
<em><strong>Tortilla Crisps</strong></em><br />
<u>Ingredients</u>:<br />
3 flour tortillas<br />
Cooking Spray<br />
<br />
<u>Directions</u>:<br />
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray both sides of the tortillas with a light coating of cooking spray. Cut tortillas into 1/2" by 1 1/2" strips. Spread into a single layer on a cookie sheet. Bake for 5 - 10 minutes, tossing about 3 minutes through for even cooking. Remove from oven when they are toasted and LIGHTLY colored. Set aside to cool.<br />
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<br />
<strong><em>Soup</em></strong><br />
<u>Ingredients</u>:<br />
2 medium onions, diced<br />
2 cloves garlic, chopped<br />
canola oil<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivvZwCJfsj5M_CKtCQ6XgXTm1k4tNkQGn_tWePov65w9dZfcPTClM_3jnTkUtyvqDDzKvD-x771AebXu-nkQfvWwMebmhLqE9uVG74nB9ALFWH6qCnbXX4GXYNMjDQn9S7-dSObUTukQQ/s1600/DSCN3499.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="172" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivvZwCJfsj5M_CKtCQ6XgXTm1k4tNkQGn_tWePov65w9dZfcPTClM_3jnTkUtyvqDDzKvD-x771AebXu-nkQfvWwMebmhLqE9uVG74nB9ALFWH6qCnbXX4GXYNMjDQn9S7-dSObUTukQQ/s200/DSCN3499.JPG" width="200" /></a>1 red pepper, diced<br />
1/2 yellow pepper, diced<br />
1 green hot pepper, ribs and seeds removed, finely diced (be super careful about touching anything after dicing the hot peppers! Keep your hands away from your eyes, nose, mouth, children... And even if you wear gloves, remember that the cutting board may retain the spicy heat, so be careful when you wash it)<br />
14 oz can diced tomatoes<br />
1 teaspoon each salt, cumin, and chili powder (the seasoning amounts are very subjective - feel free to adjust to your preference!)<br />
8 cups chicken stock (use water and chicken soup powder in a pinch) + 1 cup water<br />
1 cup frozen corn<br />
2 chicken breasts, diced<br />
1 can black, kidney, or chili beans, drained and rinsed <br />
<br />
Saute onions and garlic in a small amount of canola oil until onions and translucent and tender. Add in red, yellow, and hot peppers and saute for 2 more minutes, until beginning to soften. Add in the tomatoes (drained or not, depending if you prefer a redder or less red soup, really not that important unless you have a child who only likes yellow soup. I wish I had made that up, but yeah, got one or two of those.), and seasoning and stir. Then add in chicken stock and water and bring just to a boil and then lower. Allow to simmer for about 20-25 minutes. Add in frozen corn and diced chicken and simmer for about 10 minutes, then add in drained beans and simmer until everything is just heated through. Adjust seasoning and serve, sprinkling each bowl with a handful of tortilla crisps. Serve additional crisps on the side, because they're so good.<br />
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And when you've had your fill of this delicious soup, check out what all the other talented cooks have contributed to this month's linkup!<br />
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<!-- end InLinkz script --><br />Dvorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06238650785129925453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6365042577034191215.post-89498162350442240522013-02-24T10:39:00.001-08:002013-02-24T13:47:56.869-08:00So, Purim... what did we do?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Purim has come and gone. A great time was had: megillah well read, matanot l'evyonim given, mishlochei manot distributed and received, a wonderful seudah with good friends enjoyed. So I am sure you are all wondering - what did the Cookie Creators give for Mishloach Manot? There's only so long you can rely on the old "we can't top it so why try" theory. But in the interest of Shalom Bayit and sleep, there's a limit on what you can actually produce in addition to order. What to do, what to do?<br />
<br />
This year, of course, Purim is (was) a Sunday. We had to work that in somehow, and I thought a fun way would be with a cookie decorated with an edible image of the Sunday comics. There is not much we miss more than having a Sunday, and with that the Sunday paper, especially the funny pages. From there, it was not too complicated. We made cinnamon buns and banana chocolate chip muffins, packaged up egg shaped gummy candies, and threw in an orange. Pop the comics cookie on top, and you've got a pretty decent mishloach manot.<br />
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Of course, we won't mention the fact that I am not a big yeast baker, and I have never made cinnamon buns before. Or that I thought I would be really clever and somewhat healthy with my first attempt. The lesson I learned was that fat is added for a reason, and that reason is deliciousness. Just deal with it. So my second attempt was far more successful, and, thus, went in the packages. Maybe someday the experience will provide fodder for another post...</div>
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Shana tied the whole thing together with a label that sent the message of "Enjoy your Sunday brunch, from the sunny side-up eggs and baked goods down to the fresh squeezed orange juice (you'll have to squeeze it yourself) and the comics, and have a great Purim." There were, naturally, a few glitches. We ran out of cookies at some point, and the oranges too, and then had to juggle a bit to make complete packages. It was not all perfect, though it was fun. But overall, we were happy, and we survived another year.</div>
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Happy Purim to one and all!</div>
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Dvora</div>
Dvorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06238650785129925453noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6365042577034191215.post-88664045910853537292013-02-11T11:17:00.002-08:002013-02-11T11:23:07.671-08:00Ridiculous Hot Dog Cookies for Purim - and Kosher Connection Recipe LinkupPurim is a happy, carefree holiday. If you're a kid, that is. Costumes, candy, parties, and the cessation of education for at least two weeks. It's awesome. <br />
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But I get stressed out by this holiday, though I didn't used to. I finally understood what my problem was recently, when a friend spelled it out for me. You see, three years ago, we made awesome mishloach manot. And I can't ever top it, so now I have put myself in a position where expectations are high, and I let everyone, especially myself, down when I give a lame old MM.<br />
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So what was so great about that year's MM? Well, I finally relented and went with a theme beyond "it's Purim, here's some food." Our theme was fast food, and everything (almost) was cookies and cake. We made hamburgers,<br />
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hot dogs,<br />
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French fries with ketchup,<br />
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ice cream sundaes,<br />
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and chocolate milk - okay, that was real. And if I can't ever live the experience down, well, maybe you can share in my suffering as I share the recipe for the hot dog cookies. They were bookmarked in my browser in a file called "ridiculous," which, obviously, they are, but you never know when a recipe like this could come in handy. (I don't actually hve any ideas right now for when that could be, but I am sure they'll come to me.) So I throw down the gauntlet: make these cookies for your Mishloach Manot, but keep in mind that they will impress your friends and and then everyone will expect to be wowed next year too!<br />
<br />
As for me, I am sure we will come up with something, but if you have any great ideas for a theme for us that's not too complicated, we'd love to hear it!<br />
<br />
<strong>Hot Dog Cookies</strong><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Adapted from <em>TLC</em></span><br />
<br />
Ingredients:<br />
150 grams softened margarine (1 1/2 sticks or 3/4 cup)<br />
6 tablespoons sugar<br />
2 tablespoons brown sugar<br />
1 large egg yolk<br />
1 3/4 cups flour<br />
3/4 teaspoon baking powder<br />
pinch salt<br />
red gel food coloring<br />
1/2 teaspoon cocoa<br />
Yellow and/or red buttercream frosting or royal icing<br />
<br />
Directions:<br />
Cream margarine with sugars. Beat in egg yolk. Add dry ingredients and mix well. Remove 1/3 of the dough and knead in a small amount of the red gel food color and the cocoa. Chill both sections well, at least a few hours or overnight. Remove the uncolored dough, leaving the rest in the fridge, and divide into approximately 12 pieces. Form each one into a long cylinder, then use the side of your hand to form an indentation (mimicking the shape of a hot dog bun). Divide the colored dough into 12, and form each piece into a hot dog shape, then place each one in a "bun."<br />
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Chill in the fridge for about 20 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350. Bake for 15-17 minutes, until "buns" are lightly browned on the edges. <br />
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When fully cool, put your frosting or icing in a decorating bag with a small round tip, and apply a squiggle of "mustard" or "ketchup" or both. If you are so inclined, you can use things like cut-up gummy candies and shredded coconut to add "relish" or "onions." With or without the additions, they will be adorable. Enjoy!<br />
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Wishing you all a happy and joyous Purim - and fun with the preparations!<br />
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And now for some real Mishloach Manot inspiration, check out the rest of this month's Kosher Connection recipes!<br />
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<!-- end InLinkz script --><br />Dvorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06238650785129925453noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6365042577034191215.post-10632212227146611222013-01-20T23:16:00.001-08:002013-01-20T23:16:38.853-08:00Sacher Torte Sandwiches - January Kosher Connection Recipe Linkup<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDIti1Zy7WNZ68pvtF5BIe9EJdrVz0h_KcFbOWhPFbRA68ddab2oBMcTkCm22aHcovg7abQi5mg34-3V1hlASEnGDGEshlAz3l_3Tx-orNmMcAK7CWeAyrAfZijigb9Ab-1YenAee3kIY/s1600/DSCN3212.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDIti1Zy7WNZ68pvtF5BIe9EJdrVz0h_KcFbOWhPFbRA68ddab2oBMcTkCm22aHcovg7abQi5mg34-3V1hlASEnGDGEshlAz3l_3Tx-orNmMcAK7CWeAyrAfZijigb9Ab-1YenAee3kIY/s320/DSCN3212.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>I was trying to be super-creative for this one, trying to think outside the box. I mean, I love miniatures. I make mini-desserts, I love when foods are made single serving, what's not to love. But then I realized two important things. One, my brain does not work in a straight line. I don't really think a box could contain the leaps and bounds and stretches my mind makes when I think about things. Second, I am always making miniatures. What are cookies if not miniature desserts?<br />
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So instead of something totally different, I thought I would share my process with you. This is how Dvora's Cookie Creations comes up with a new flavor.<br />
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1. Have a food craving.<br />
2. If it's healthy, indulge it.<br />
3. If it's for something sweet, think about how the flavors I am dying for can be translated into a cookie form.<br />
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That's it. There's not much of that "Cupcake Wars" notion of how can I fit a disgusting ingredient into a dessert. I draw the line at that. No cheese curls or crispy salmon skin in my desserts. But this concept of translation has worked for me. Thus, the orange-cranberry-white chocolate cookies (started with Creamsicles), the apricot white chocolate cookies (chocolate dipped dried fruit), the pecan shortbread (pecan pie), the samoa sandwiches (Girl Scout cookies), the Chunky Monkey bars (ice cream!! - still working on the Chubby Hubby squares), and today's example, the Sacher Torte sandwich.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4XLnp2GD4s7oP3gVdRpSYyEhJtINVOj5fGsD9sEdruecccTbM-GTc-RcjpkeLuIP-J8xLfRdpU1uucfx5Im4ZLKqTPtSCPF8sBJRfTzSbVc0gG8_GsWlHZR2jWOzDT1lHLUnmbTYidMk/s1600/DSCN3205.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4XLnp2GD4s7oP3gVdRpSYyEhJtINVOj5fGsD9sEdruecccTbM-GTc-RcjpkeLuIP-J8xLfRdpU1uucfx5Im4ZLKqTPtSCPF8sBJRfTzSbVc0gG8_GsWlHZR2jWOzDT1lHLUnmbTYidMk/s320/DSCN3205.JPG" width="240" /></a>So let's talk cake for a minute. I love cake of all kinds. It's delicious, or should be. But there's so much of it. Even a little 6-inch cake is too many servings to just have lying around. A cookie, however, is portion-controlled. You can make some, freeze the rest of the dough, eat one, and put the other cookies aside for Shabbat or another occasion that calls for some dessert.<br />
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Sacher Torte is a traditional Austrian pastry; two layers of chocolate sponge sandwiching apricot preserves, covered in chocolate glaze. Mmmmm. So to translate this into cookie-hood, I decided to go the sandwich cookie route (which, let's face it, I do a lot of. It just seems a great way to layer flavors and textures.). I started with a chocolate but not excessively chocolatey roll out cookie, to which I added almond extract - not so authentic, but definitely screams Vienna to me. I wanted one with a fair amount of leavening, so the cookies would puff up to resemble the texture (sort of) of sponge cake. I cut the well-chilled dough into circles, cutting out a small circle from the center of half of the cookies to provide a window into the filling. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBQei9k3BfK-xN_PjkCtiPKU2T4imVSvBcCa7hpsMVm8CQ5HNUcAvB1JNtgVoNabpzxaSevchmfnKnYViZJp_1oC_xWVWprehhJUZMLI9mb1AZHHV8JFFCs3nXk_VHEAxEhbXrOLUhS5g/s1600/DSCN3173.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBQei9k3BfK-xN_PjkCtiPKU2T4imVSvBcCa7hpsMVm8CQ5HNUcAvB1JNtgVoNabpzxaSevchmfnKnYViZJp_1oC_xWVWprehhJUZMLI9mb1AZHHV8JFFCs3nXk_VHEAxEhbXrOLUhS5g/s320/DSCN3173.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>After baking, I paired off the cookies, one solid and one with a peek-through, so that similar sized cookies fit together. It's one of those annoyances that even cookies cut with a cutter are never all precisely the same, so it's just gotta be done. I covered the backs of the solid cookies with apricot preserves, then topped them with the cut-out cookies. Instead of coating the whole thing with chocolate, I chose to drizzle a zig-zag of chocolate across the cookies, as I felt a complete or even partial dunking would overpower the apricot and almond flavors. And a drizzle is always pretty...<br />
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So there you have it, an actual cookie recipe from me. It doesn't happen too often, so enjoy!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYEA5NwZ-HLlwmmXAUUe6gq8tRhVvmEem_baFUuq-gndi1ueewYTvEEc0QhnYusO8VGDuYWw5ZR5X9MabSgEXAXBhJgU7eSlP-Gvs9mwGKKNL5ZjtO5_TrrFVKuViw3B4nWTU1jdiLleE/s1600/DSCN3213.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYEA5NwZ-HLlwmmXAUUe6gq8tRhVvmEem_baFUuq-gndi1ueewYTvEEc0QhnYusO8VGDuYWw5ZR5X9MabSgEXAXBhJgU7eSlP-Gvs9mwGKKNL5ZjtO5_TrrFVKuViw3B4nWTU1jdiLleE/s320/DSCN3213.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><strong>Sacher Torte Sandwich Cookies</strong><br />
Ingredients:<br />
200 grams margarine, room temperature<br />
1 cup sugar<br />
2 eggs<br />
1 teaspoon vanilla<br />
1/2 cup cocoa<br />
3 cups flour<br />
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder<br />
1/4 teaspoon salt<br />
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good quality apricot preserves<br />
100 grams chocolate chips or baking chocolate<br />
1 teaspoon oil<br />
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Directions:<br />
Cream margarine with sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, then vanilla. Sift together cocoa, flour, baking powder, and salt, and add to creamed mixture. Divide dough into three disks, wrap each in plastic wrap, and chill well, at least one hours. Preheat oven to 350 F. Roll out dough on well-floured surface, about 1/8" thick. using a 2" round cutter, cut circles. Place on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Gather up scraps and re-roll. Cut out a small (1/3 - 1/2") circle from the center of half the cookies. Bake for about 7 minutes. Cool and pair cookies, one whole and one cut-out, by matching sizes. On the underside of the whole cookies, spread apricot preserves. Top with a cut-out cookie. Spread cookies out on a fresh piece of parchment. Melt chocolate with oil in microwave on low power. Pour into a disposable decorating bag or heavy duty ziploc bag. Twist shut, and cut off tip/corner. Drizzle chocolate onto cookies. Let chocolate set, and - b'tayavon!<br />
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Dvorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06238650785129925453noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6365042577034191215.post-35662755968207489222013-01-03T03:18:00.003-08:002013-01-03T06:18:24.790-08:00I can cook in Israel, and I'm proud (but it wasn't easy!).When we made aliyah over six years ago, I knew there would be a lot of things to get used to: the language, the culture, the geography. Little did I know that one of the biggest hurdles would be the supermarket. (Cue ominous music here...dun,dun, DUNNNNNH) Without a bit of exaggeration, my first supermarket trip left me in tears and a desire to run back to ShopRite. It is worth mentioning that the particular store I went to was probably a mistake, though I was sent there with the best of intentions. It is not a local store, and it is not a normal chain for the country. While it has a great supply of American products, it otherwise offers all the worst that the country can boast - horrific parking, poor organization, crowded aisles, lousy customer service, cashiers who take a sandwich break in the middle of your check-out. And did I mention that in this country, you need a five shekel coin to release a cart from the chain that attaches it to its compatriots? Kind of wish someone had before we went to the store. That started things off with a bang. The rest of the shopping expedition was no better.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSljUPm5m8Blvy_p0CtkJYMYZRtyqTm2OH39CGKXGa0ofO07cMq5ubgULBU-iWXSYQrF7VR7GWzBIynhadmYJOlWgBy_F4eswga4IQ6cB6N2BBeEiuzx64_Jdo7FZrhdLA7plWfEnCW2s/s1600/Old+Fashioned+Sweet+and+Sour+Meatballs+over+Rice.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="148" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSljUPm5m8Blvy_p0CtkJYMYZRtyqTm2OH39CGKXGa0ofO07cMq5ubgULBU-iWXSYQrF7VR7GWzBIynhadmYJOlWgBy_F4eswga4IQ6cB6N2BBeEiuzx64_Jdo7FZrhdLA7plWfEnCW2s/s200/Old+Fashioned+Sweet+and+Sour+Meatballs+over+Rice.JPG" width="200" /></a>But now it's 2013, and the sorrows of 2006 are mostly gone, though not forgotten. The supermarket situation has improved radically since our arrival. Between all that I have learned and all that has changed, I feel good going to the store now. I have been privileged of late to be able to contribute to Jamie Geller's Joy of Kosher website, and some of my articles have included tips on adjusting your <a href="http://www.joyofkosher.com/2012/09/dear-jamie-you-can-make-it-anywhere/" target="_blank">baking</a> and <a href="http://www.joyofkosher.com/2012/12/cooking-in-israel-tips-for-the-new-oleh/" target="_blank">cooking</a> to the new environment. <a href="http://www.joyofkosher.com/2012/12/cooking-in-israel-tips-for-the-new-oleh/" target="_blank">This month's article</a> includes helpful substitutions for some absent ingredients, and two recipes - <a href="http://www.joyofkosher.com/recipe/magic-salt/" target="_blank">Magic Salt</a>, which is a copycat Seasoned Salt recipe, but with less salt, and <a href="http://www.joyofkosher.com/recipe/old-fashioned-sweet-and-sour-meatballs/" target="_blank">Old Fashioned Sweet and Sour Meatballs</a>, which is a classic recipe that represents absolute comfort food to me, yet offered a challenge because the basic ingredient for my sauce, canned tomato sauce, was not available here. I hope you enjoy both the article and the recipes, no matter where you live. <br />
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But an article can include only so much information, so I wanted to include a few of the things that I learned, some the hard way, when it comes to produce shopping in Israel. I have also learned that what I am writing is generally true for the country, but specifically for my area. There may be some variations if you live in a different zone.<br />
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1. Produce is seasonal! I cannot stress this one enough. It is not a matter of being willing to pay for out of season fruits and vegetables. They are just not available. Make use of what is beautiful, and pay attention to the prices. A low price can mean one of two things: the produce is beautiful and plentiful, or it is nasty and should be avoided, even though it is unusually well priced. This happens a lot with peppers, but can also be true of other items.<br />
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2. Israelis do not know what good fresh corn or green beans are. I am sorry, I don't mean to generalize or be prejudiced, it's just a sad truth. They have not been exposed to the deliciousness that these vegetables can be. Corn on the cob here is not what we got back in the Garden State - sweet, juicy, delicious - but is starchy and blah. Just skip it. Frozen corn is somewhat better, and so is (egads!) canned, but the fresh will just make you sad.<br />
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Same with green beans. Fresh are starchy and icky. We have been much happier with frozen, though that too will occasionally disappoint. They are delicious roasted, steamed, or sauteed, and are available frozen both cut and whole, and even haricot verts, called "<em>adina</em>" (delicate) or "<em>dak meod</em>" (very thin).<br />
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3. Parsnips - fuggedaboutit! Parsnips were a mainstay of my chicken soup back in the States, but no more. They really don't exist here. My soup has had a radical transformation since we moved. We make a veggie heavy soup, which includes, in addition to the staples of carrot, onion, garlic, and zucchini, along with the fresh dill and parsley that we always used, chunks of kohlrabi and pumpkin, butternut squash and/or sweet potato. On occasion I will include a whole tomato, particularly if I am making a Teimani version, which is made delicious with <em>hawaij l'marak</em>, a spice mix for soup which includes seasonings like turmeric, cumin, black pepper, and cardamon. (Don't confuse this with <em>hawaij l'cafe</em>, a spice mix for your coffee!) <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgThkmAQCzw4GQJtzDb9e9d4T5XrIhfkKShD2aA3YnfG-Cg96fUeJyKWz5Hic79qMYW1wERscWF1zy7wly2KI5e45YvqN3u4xH-GywurvrFJHFYiuzApxyTLYuqWivsibzPdunOELE9rYI/s1600/celery.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="134" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgThkmAQCzw4GQJtzDb9e9d4T5XrIhfkKShD2aA3YnfG-Cg96fUeJyKWz5Hic79qMYW1wERscWF1zy7wly2KI5e45YvqN3u4xH-GywurvrFJHFYiuzApxyTLYuqWivsibzPdunOELE9rYI/s200/celery.png" width="200" /></a>Celery is one of those surprisingly seasonal items which we add in only when it is worth buying - it ranges from sturdy and lovely to thin and limp. And the celery stalks you are used to, they are called <em>Celery Amerikai</em> (American Celery), so don't confuse that with Celery Root.<br />
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4. Avocados - different, but still good. Also a seasonal item, we never get the Haas avocadoes that we were accustomed to in the States. The variety available here can be pretty hit or miss, sometimes failing to ripen, sometimes going mushy before your eyes. But when they're good, they're very good.<br />
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5. Even apples have their off-season. Lately, the apples in have been mealy and not particularly tasty. The price is low (as I mentioned before), so apple sauce, pie, or cobbler is not a bad idea. Also, apple varieties are available sporadically. So if you love you some Pink Ladies, if you see them on the shelf, grab a giant bagful because they may not be there again for a while. In fact, that is a pretty good piece of advice for pretty much anything you see in the stores here. You can't bank on most things being there on your next trip, so learn to stock up on things you don't want to live without.<br />
<br />
I may add to this list as additional items occur to me, so feel free to leave any comments or questions so this can be as helpful as possible!<br />
<br />
DvoraDvorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06238650785129925453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6365042577034191215.post-34163205421593719982012-12-24T14:02:00.000-08:002012-12-24T21:28:25.977-08:00A Christmas Story - and Kosher Connection Recipe LinksMaybe this post is not what it sounds like from the title. No need for worry. It's still a kosher blog. But December 25 is a significant date for me: nineteen years ago today, I became a mother. And it was all thanks to Chinese food.<br />
<br />
Well, not exactly. Let's review. It's Thursday, December 23, 1993. I am over a week late with our first child. I spend a lot of time going back and forth to the doctor. The only report: there is no progress, and I will be going for yet another ultrasound on Friday. On Thursday night, we have Chinese food (from Annie's Kitchen, where David had been the mashgiach). I eat hot and sour soup (the best!), and then have no room for anything else, thanks to the giant baby taking up all the space in my stomach. I do open a fortune cookie, which tells me I will be having a pleasant experience. Hmmm....<br />
<br />
On Friday, we head to the ultrasound, where the doctor discovers that there is very little amniotic fluid left, and, in his words, "It's time to make the doughnuts." Next stop, the hospital. The ultrasound there tells us that the baby will be well over 8 pounds (my doctor says "Bah, humbug, not a shade over 7 1/2"). A quick exam lets us know that in the hours since the hot and sour soup, I have gone into labor. The spicy deliciousness has done its job! And I am going home because it is likely that labor will proceed faster when I can walk around, rather than be stuck in a hospital bed.<br />
<br />
So home we go, and we learn that science is deeply flawed. I walk around a lot, my contractions stop entirely, I have no more hot and sour to rev things up, and Shabbat morning we are back in the hospital to deliver a baby who must come out immediately. Fast forward several hours, "It's a GIRL!" (which we knew, accidentally, but it's still exciting to say). She was 8 pounds, 9 ounces (Bah, humbug to you, Doc!). So we have our Christmas baby, who was supposed to be a Chanukah baby, but she had other ideas. On the plus side, the hospital was very empty, and the lovely Jewish residents were happy to have something to do. On the minus, my frum OB/GYN was on vacation. Oy, the irony.<br />
<br />
Thus the long standing tradition of Jews eating Chinese food on Christmas. Perhaps that yiddishe mamma Mary had some too, to get things revving up for her manger delivery.<br />
<br />
This month's Kosher Connection Recipe Linkup is Chinese Food. I would like to think it's in honor of the nineteenth birthday of my daughter/ decorating assistant/ indentured servant Shana, and the food that helped bring her to us. Thanks for helping us celebrate! While this month seems to have been a bit too intense for us to contribute a recipe - my advice, go buy some Chinese take-out, which is what we will be doing on the 25th - here are some great recipes from the other contributors, and we hope to be back next month. B'tayavon!<br />
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<!-- end InLinkz script --><br />Dvorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06238650785129925453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6365042577034191215.post-63043799594140294082012-11-18T15:06:00.000-08:002013-07-19T00:02:45.543-07:00Bread Pudding - November Kosher Connection Recipe Linkup<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3pLEOqbMW5ScvIuGCIiJAhDZhwSiT4MQvp3tYmTiI5_6W0s07Brd4KA9iAEpvzLZPxk-xZLQK43ioKid8lF0qCTQ58y54Jn7FqVVLICn2w7MPVsgsAasxzFDQfeaZCvTuoHIF7pbblqo/s1600/DSCN2911.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3pLEOqbMW5ScvIuGCIiJAhDZhwSiT4MQvp3tYmTiI5_6W0s07Brd4KA9iAEpvzLZPxk-xZLQK43ioKid8lF0qCTQ58y54Jn7FqVVLICn2w7MPVsgsAasxzFDQfeaZCvTuoHIF7pbblqo/s320/DSCN2911.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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The theme for this month's linkup is Thanksgiving related - Stuffing. The gauntlet was definitely thrown down for us dessert-y people, so I felt that I could not get away with another savory, defiantly non-dessert recipe. I let my mind run amok, as it is wont to do anyway, and went on a whole stream of consciousness adventure. Stuffed cookies, stuffed cupcakes, a cake with something fabulous hidden in the middle....the possibilities seemed endless. But then work got intense, and the world got scary. Elections, hurricanes, nor'easters - and none of that even where we live! And now, we are embroiled in an unfortunate but utterly necessary military operation, and the world is a little scarier and colder place than it was before.<br />
<br />
So the drifting in my brain became focused on two things: 1. the universal need for comfort food, and 2. figuring out what the sweet counterpart to savory stuffing would be. Well, duh, if stuffing is stale bread with liquids, vegetables, and seasoning, then the sweet version is bread pudding!! And let's be honest, call it challah kugel and serve it as a side-dish; call it bread pudding and it's dessert (yummy with Creme Anglaise!!). And if you want to go all out, serve it for breakfast with some maple syrup and it's a fabulous French Toast souffle. I get raves for this dish, especially from my family, who fight over the last piece...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUDxLdrCaN_gCMaq_fc-BFsvb53H6W1Zd9jBmLkXk-Zr00n0X96iWv_i2eVunh780PeV4yRh7YkHofRr-wC76Lf1HGKBJ3tJ0BnTVRw_0F2K9Vvg27ObcDP1DGa7l1Tqmm5lAN5ouv1g0/s1600/DSCN2910.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUDxLdrCaN_gCMaq_fc-BFsvb53H6W1Zd9jBmLkXk-Zr00n0X96iWv_i2eVunh780PeV4yRh7YkHofRr-wC76Lf1HGKBJ3tJ0BnTVRw_0F2K9Vvg27ObcDP1DGa7l1Tqmm5lAN5ouv1g0/s320/DSCN2910.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Is it a side dish? A dessert? Breakfast? Brunch? All of the above!!</td></tr>
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Like almost all recipes I present to you, this is just a launching pad - feel free to change up the dried or fresh fruit components, or leave them out altogether. Use any leftover challah you have, though I am partial to my own <a href="http://www.joyofkosher.com/recipe/dvoras-simple-sweet-challah/" target="_blank">recipe</a>, which happens to have a very soft crust, making it less crucial to trim the challah. Make the seasoning more exotic, like cardamom and ginger, or more homey, with nutmeg and cloves in addition to the cinnamon. Make the dish bigger, make it smaller, just incrementally adjust the amount of bread and the amount of custard. This is a rather rustic looking dish, so don't sweat making it look perfect. Just enjoy!<br />
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<u><strong>Sweet Bread Pudding</strong></u><br />
Ingredients:<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLSRvCMMkHDLfVxUKeslSZz9B0SzUxZP3wqsAmBZZODCwqF_C5GgW2hUF44wn7ghpfe21uTv40MkLUxYfvDgwVvBB9kbMZteWwTo_i4n21bRr00r7OTfeF9ol-UHtHcMRu7cwbQq5LhgM/s1600/DSCN2895.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLSRvCMMkHDLfVxUKeslSZz9B0SzUxZP3wqsAmBZZODCwqF_C5GgW2hUF44wn7ghpfe21uTv40MkLUxYfvDgwVvBB9kbMZteWwTo_i4n21bRr00r7OTfeF9ol-UHtHcMRu7cwbQq5LhgM/s320/DSCN2895.JPG" width="320" /></a>8 cups cubed day-old <a href="http://www.joyofkosher.com/recipe/dvoras-simple-sweet-challah/" target="_blank">challah</a>, crusts removed<br />
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled and diced<br />
1/2 cup raisins<br />
3 eggs<br />
1/2 cup sugar<br />
1 teaspoon vanilla extract<br />
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon<br />
pinch salt<br />
2 cups soy milk or non-dairy creamer or a combination of the two (use real dairy milk for a milchig/chalavi version)<br />
<br />
Directions:<br />
Toss the challah cubes with the diced apple and raisins. Place in a greased oven to table baking pan.<br />
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Beat together the eggs with the sugar until the sugar is fully dissolved. Add in the the vanilla, cinnamon, and salt, then slowly whisk in the soy milk or creamer to make a custard mixture. Pour this custard over the challah cubes, making sure to evenly distribute it.<br />
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Press down lightly to make sure all of the cubes were moistened. Turn the oven on to 350 and let the challah soak while it preheats. <br />
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Bake for about 45 - 50 minutes, until top is lightly browned.<br />
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<!-- start InLinkz script -->Enjoy!<br />
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Now before I send you to see all the other delicious contributions to this month's link-up, please keep in your minds, hearts, and prayers the brave soldiers of the IDF, as well as the residents of the South of Israel, and the entire Home Front. May we all be blessed to live in peace and security.<br />
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Dvora<br />
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<!-- end InLinkz script --><br />Dvorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06238650785129925453noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6365042577034191215.post-61332331895332976172012-11-11T10:30:00.000-08:002012-11-11T10:30:52.046-08:00Working means watchingIf you have read this blog before, you know that from time to time, I wax rhapsodic about television. I love TV, I admit it. I am enthralled by the condensing of narrative into 42 (or 21 funny) minutes. It's about all my attention span can handle. I have several movies waiting for me to watch them, some for months now, but the idea of 1 1/2 hours of straight storytelling is a bit daunting.<br />
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I am really, really busy, these days, Baruch Hashem. I should be working right now, putting cookies in the oven, but I was setting up a show to watch and got excited by the idea of letting you know what new shows I am enjoying (somehow, people know to ask me for TV recommendations, so here goes, in print).<br />
<br />
Elementary - modern Sherlock Holmes retelling<br />
Vegas - the mobbing up of the desert in the 1960s<br />
Arrow - CW + comic book hero = same winning combination as Smallville, but darker<br />
Mindy Project - uneven, but I love her<br />
Apartment 23 - love watching Dawson lampoon himself<br />
<br />
And not new:<br />
Firefly - ten years old, just found it, sad that it had such a short lifespan (how did I miss it? Loved Buffy, think Whedon is awesome!)<br />
Mad Men - started downloading episodes 5 years ago, finally got around to watching. So much fun to identify the guest stars by their other roles, while being thrown off by vintage clothes and hair<br />
Top Chef - only kind of reality show I really enjoy<br />
Homeland - so, so good, not much more to say, except yay to Israeli creativity!<br />
Parks and Recreation - Amy Poehler, you rock!<br />
Fringe - overwhelming final season, but sticking it out (PLEASE don't pull a Lost on me!)<br />
The Middle, Modern Family, Suburgatory - genius line-up<br />
Bones, Castle, Grey's Anatomy, The Office, Scandal, Covert Affairs, going to stop now before I embarrass myself any further.<br />
<br />
Okay, I think that's enough. Feel free to leave your recommendations or protests in the comments. I suppose I will get back to the work of baking - and of course, watching TV.<br />
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Shavua tov!<br />
DvoraDvorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06238650785129925453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6365042577034191215.post-62685956064972579632012-10-21T21:58:00.000-07:002012-10-21T21:58:46.638-07:00Orange Soup - Kosher Connection Recipe LinkupAhh, root vegetables. This month's theme brings to mind autumn. Caramelized roasted vegetables, hearty stews, warming soups. It all sounds wonderful, like fall foliage, roaring fires, warm slippers, and fleece blankets.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv5cxEjC8orilSe33ci5GCn7aCc_bwffUkRwY59rajzHzhZ2UTKmSoFugQAxpLVsekXLyP8q-gJRDx-3cqhvPPjsdVptiCbl7Idbifgs2BsOyWXR75wEnmaNDFnHKRFjRzqDPLe0s6VjI/s1600/DSCN2806.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv5cxEjC8orilSe33ci5GCn7aCc_bwffUkRwY59rajzHzhZ2UTKmSoFugQAxpLVsekXLyP8q-gJRDx-3cqhvPPjsdVptiCbl7Idbifgs2BsOyWXR75wEnmaNDFnHKRFjRzqDPLe0s6VjI/s320/DSCN2806.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
Well, it would, if only we actually had a fall season here. It's still very much summer outside, with today's forecast hitting around 90. The A/C is on, flip-flops are the footwear of preference, and it's too warm to think about running the oven or standing over the stove for a long time.<br />
<br />
And yet, my family is still a bunch of soup lovers. We have chicken soup each and every Friday night of the year. One daughter even enters the house on a regular basis with the delightful greeting, "Did you make soup? Oh, no? (insert sad and pensive face here)... Maybe I'll make some myself (put upon look)." Oh, my poor sweetie, I was too busy eating bon-bons and polishing my toenails, while the elves were busy taking care of the housework and running my business. But I digress...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIY1FSCtl1DuRSvKdUNdsn5TEKlHNiw42Usz0ubLtR9M5njYqUrw9Vet2HgGz7iAFU2GuSMZWyqEpZMKKiS40ZbVb_lZaF76kCeSO1O8ppzE10GTDwEdz2lJCnDydtsOiZaqXhE-ZvQko/s1600/DSCN2808.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="269" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIY1FSCtl1DuRSvKdUNdsn5TEKlHNiw42Usz0ubLtR9M5njYqUrw9Vet2HgGz7iAFU2GuSMZWyqEpZMKKiS40ZbVb_lZaF76kCeSO1O8ppzE10GTDwEdz2lJCnDydtsOiZaqXhE-ZvQko/s320/DSCN2808.JPG" width="320" /></a>So tonight we are having soup, and so can you, whether it's autumnal or or not (yet). "Orange soup" is an Israeli classic, a pureed soup made of a variety of orange vegetables. It can be sweet or savory, depending on the other components, from the added vegetables to the seasonings. This version, which in its original form came from my friend Shoshana, is an easy and delicious addition to your table any time. It stars carrots and sweet potatoes, along with pumpkin, zucchini, onions, and garlic. It tastes great and it's not so heavy that you feel overheated just from eating it. There is no sauteeing, no hard work aside from peeling and cutting. And it cooks rather quickly (easy enough for a teenager to put together after school!). Shoshana makes this in a meaty version, browning some stew meat before adding the other ingredients, and then removing the meat and some of the carrot slices before pureeing. Because we love to have soup on hand all the time, I turned this into a pareve version, adding a bit of cumin for a smoky, beefy background flavor. If you have beef flavored soup powder, it is a tasty enhancement, but we just don't find it too often on the grocery shelves in our part of the world. For a special accent, you can add knaidlach, which makes this extra-enticing for my youngest child, who believes all things are better with matzah balls. Garlic croutons are great with this as well. Feel free to play with the quantities and proportions of vegetables to suit your taste and your refrigerator!<br />
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<strong><u>Orange Soup</u></strong><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVHFfwZp87hxtaKoQa75imSAYS9Uj1A1gtYJAx27vqkdLO5-sAQ4WaiCEoVwHglwQoaQktCr9sm_NLuvdJr6xfPniRjnfuNz72Z0PQ7qDt3rsLBv_VeORXhblzN9UWSt8zhCzkxXi8CBQ/s1600/DSCN2798.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVHFfwZp87hxtaKoQa75imSAYS9Uj1A1gtYJAx27vqkdLO5-sAQ4WaiCEoVwHglwQoaQktCr9sm_NLuvdJr6xfPniRjnfuNz72Z0PQ7qDt3rsLBv_VeORXhblzN9UWSt8zhCzkxXi8CBQ/s320/DSCN2798.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
<strong><em>Ingredients</em></strong>:<br />
2 onions<br />
1 head garlic (If you are fresh garlic-phobic, you can add in a few frozen cubes instead)<br />
4 carrots<br />
2 zucchini<br />
2 sweet potatoes<br />
small chunk pumpkin (optional)<br />
1 tablespoon salt<br />
1/4 teaspoon pepper<br />
1 tablespoon beef soup powder (optional)<br />
several shakes cumin<br />
<br />
<em><strong>Directions:</strong></em><br />
Peel and chop onions, carrots, zucchini, sweet potatoes, and pumpkin. Peel cloves of garlic. Place all ingredients into stockpot, and add water to cover. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That's it, all the hard work is done!</td></tr>
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Bring to a boil, then simmer until vegetables are very tender. Puree with an immersion blender. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqqb3RcQ18ovOSgT_GrOANkvpYszJfqga64twpSBJ7AhHxVapCryp76xAEUN9KzR6VdwzSWIqePDvycVlaEMLX35eMnObAxrBsX2OZ6Od0v7xGk_LguQEdBR1PrVcOyD4hc_OoZuGuAFs/s1600/DSCN2802.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqqb3RcQ18ovOSgT_GrOANkvpYszJfqga64twpSBJ7AhHxVapCryp76xAEUN9KzR6VdwzSWIqePDvycVlaEMLX35eMnObAxrBsX2OZ6Od0v7xGk_LguQEdBR1PrVcOyD4hc_OoZuGuAFs/s320/DSCN2802.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<em><strong>To add knaidlach:</strong></em><br />
NOTE - these are not the matzah balls we add to the Friday night chicken soup. Those are delicate things of beauty, with a carefully combined batter that gets a rest in the refrigerator to let the matzah meal absorb the other ingredients. It is then gently rolled into balls and dropped into a pot of boiling water flavored with salt and chicken boullion, and cooked until perfectly round, light, and fluffy. These are not them. These are rustic knaidlach, a little chewier and heartier, quickly mixed and dropped into the simmering soup by teeny tiny spoonful.<br />
Mix together<br />
1 egg<br />
1/4 cup matzah meal<br />
1/4 teaspoon salt<br />
1/4 teaspoon baking powder<br />
<br />
Drop into simmering soup by teaspoonful, and cook about 10 minutes. Enjoy!<br />
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Now that you can make your soup and eat it too, check out the other Root Vegetable recipes on the Kosher Connection this month. And leave a comment to tell us what you thought!<br />
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<!-- end InLinkz script --><br />Dvorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06238650785129925453noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6365042577034191215.post-47017785442694453512012-10-20T15:55:00.001-07:002012-10-20T15:55:25.211-07:00Got a little ahead of myselfIs anyone else out there STILL having trouble figuring out what day it is? Since the end of Sukkot, every day has held a bit of confusion. So when I suddenly realized it was time for the October Kosher Connection Recipe Link-up, I figured I had better get to work. I bought the ingredients, made the recipe, took pictures, and started the post. With the deadline looming, I neglected to write another post for the blog, assuming the new recipe would be posting shortly. Then I checked my email, only to realize I had remembered the date wrong - I still had six days to go!! Nothing harder for me than to write when I am not under any pressure. So I stopped cold.<br />
<br />
Then I started thinking of the seven different ways I could approach this post. The many millions of super-important, clever, and amusing things I wanted to say. The other recipes I could be posting to fulfil the theme of the month. I just got in my own way. So now it's Sunday morning, recipes should be posting tomorrow, and I have to finish, and I have to acknowledge the fact that the blog has laid dormant for days and days. So I am going to apologize, and let you know that I will giving you a little bonus to make up for my laziness: an extra recipe on the theme, just for the fun of it. But that will not be making its appearance until at LEAST Tuesday, if I can make it to my flour-laden keyboard in between filling orders. I hope this lame little post will hold you over, just a little.<br />
<br />
Shavua tov!<br />
DvoraDvorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06238650785129925453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6365042577034191215.post-8088903913721541882012-10-08T13:39:00.000-07:002012-10-08T22:45:26.903-07:00The Queen of Gluten FreeBefore we made aliyah, celiac disease (or as we knew it to be called, celiac sprue), was barely known to us. David's cousin has it, but she was literally our only encounter with the disease. Then we moved, and while at first we only knew a small handful of people with celiac, the number of sufferers has increased dramatically over the last six years. And not only do people with celiac have to avoid gluten, but we know other people who avoid gluten religiously for a variety of health reasons.<br />
<br />
Gluten, for the uninitiated, is a protein found in wheat and related species, and it's what gives dough its elasticity. For people with celiac disease, gluten can cause many unpleasant, very serious, and long-reaching consequences. While it was not as well known before, more celiac disease is being diagnosed, and the levels of gluten in flour has risen in the last decades, causing people increased sensitivity (or so I have been told). I myself was tested for celiac this year, thanks to a lifetime of stomach issues, and while the test was negative, the wait for results gave me a lot of food for thought, about what I would do with my business if the result was positive.<br />
<br />
The thing is, gluten is in a lot of foods. Surprising and unexpected foods. So it can be hard to avoid. But the amazing thing to me was that most cake decorating ingredients are actually gluten free, so to make a beautiful cake that has no gluten, you just need to find a great cake recipe. That I did with a little help from a few friends with family members with celiac. Since I started working on these GF recipes, I am sort of feeling like that is the most popular thing I do. Believe me, the smiles I get from producing a cake or cupcakes that actually taste good - even to wheat eaters! - makes me feel so good! I love knowing that a person who might not otherwise have had a cake to enhance their celebration will now get to indulge just like the rest of us. I can't share the recipes with you (so far just chocolate and vanilla cake) as it's my livelihood we are talking about here, but I can show you what we have created. It's all GF!!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjUNJW0xozkzhEdpTLtJHBDwZaU-UYpaK7h3XZmh-LOquL93OV99uNMP7OriUwI7RoD-SdHalKT7duMEX-4LRREN3d0oa1Ey4aluPWkv9WSMNMmpZ5s9UahB6AekkJw1SgR61dHvv42cU/s1600/DSCN1432.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjUNJW0xozkzhEdpTLtJHBDwZaU-UYpaK7h3XZmh-LOquL93OV99uNMP7OriUwI7RoD-SdHalKT7duMEX-4LRREN3d0oa1Ey4aluPWkv9WSMNMmpZ5s9UahB6AekkJw1SgR61dHvv42cU/s320/DSCN1432.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">60th birthday celebration</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqQTd4VNiIuTpHFeINadMwH5oymuAYt5L-yMlYzpFVY5iuC32HRbYdSDHftTCxhdfMfLn5wemiTC_LHDPTBbaoMylyEva_pdq5dqXq2xm11ipa_jlVGGuBiop7eNOJx_vB_ZqmGNY0PTg/s1600/DSCN1704.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="309" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqQTd4VNiIuTpHFeINadMwH5oymuAYt5L-yMlYzpFVY5iuC32HRbYdSDHftTCxhdfMfLn5wemiTC_LHDPTBbaoMylyEva_pdq5dqXq2xm11ipa_jlVGGuBiop7eNOJx_vB_ZqmGNY0PTg/s320/DSCN1704.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Engagement party</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs1e_b3abLdViCQvLLL7xKVoElHKOVLjy1IHdJVc1CdyxrwU705S4vwT-pHA86kkKEZPLYLZHg5LFTISGbRH6Yo7rDdV9xKzv0bsvqLaAnOhfbVPbSlo0HaJeewQMjxmVgKXr8Pi5b3io/s1600/DSCN1900.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs1e_b3abLdViCQvLLL7xKVoElHKOVLjy1IHdJVc1CdyxrwU705S4vwT-pHA86kkKEZPLYLZHg5LFTISGbRH6Yo7rDdV9xKzv0bsvqLaAnOhfbVPbSlo0HaJeewQMjxmVgKXr8Pi5b3io/s320/DSCN1900.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Multiple birthday celebration</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf97xcyDvBYDZTv92eEdOqlk_cSsxaZGQ1AQ8n4oqxuWbMHHWu04lugseKq2btVNiz-OxVMXtE8npLwD4Ejv9cmFpLcq4k0vZFF6s05IgUVrHGSxxLwxjKndxbxtEr1wmYeMAZUEenSPs/s1600/DSCN2212.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf97xcyDvBYDZTv92eEdOqlk_cSsxaZGQ1AQ8n4oqxuWbMHHWu04lugseKq2btVNiz-OxVMXtE8npLwD4Ejv9cmFpLcq4k0vZFF6s05IgUVrHGSxxLwxjKndxbxtEr1wmYeMAZUEenSPs/s320/DSCN2212.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Engagement</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0ms-njxqvqmJ3O3ysoXddoHExYAVCzXD5tdXf87fMZN1uJEgdgoegSH46lTiokXFKzVGot1cMPnEpbnQ978GGLGatzrKqyI_mSJkeMdpTqIMf3XgjLwwi0KnB7oqKP0iVspcyLwtPh3I/s1600/DSCN2651.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0ms-njxqvqmJ3O3ysoXddoHExYAVCzXD5tdXf87fMZN1uJEgdgoegSH46lTiokXFKzVGot1cMPnEpbnQ978GGLGatzrKqyI_mSJkeMdpTqIMf3XgjLwwi0KnB7oqKP0iVspcyLwtPh3I/s320/DSCN2651.JPG" width="296" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bat mitzvah dessert buffet</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglj8-UdUTV9lMscs7tnSx4Z69RAHCWXqz1EDbv8udZd6tj-RM_fYaLQLK3_UVJrLTse3BncTS7AJlcpCCwe029z2DsMfyqqbbyuqJiUEJNeDqXULOloQNp1I-El7O2Tfe6MBkfCdEVP1s/s1600/DSCN2659.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglj8-UdUTV9lMscs7tnSx4Z69RAHCWXqz1EDbv8udZd6tj-RM_fYaLQLK3_UVJrLTse3BncTS7AJlcpCCwe029z2DsMfyqqbbyuqJiUEJNeDqXULOloQNp1I-El7O2Tfe6MBkfCdEVP1s/s320/DSCN2659.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bat mitzvah</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy4J9TL3J7hF6cEiLQXZy9FlXacdXQOlpumlDVJYIlJzzRSbY0GRsxjt2k1KPpSWzmEbjZsFClNayrTzHI_H6eBp-2QrGqAAhgUYpvEzloDZFVl09Myr8kLuMRhVook6yJZnaKegBtdbM/s1600/DSCN2716.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy4J9TL3J7hF6cEiLQXZy9FlXacdXQOlpumlDVJYIlJzzRSbY0GRsxjt2k1KPpSWzmEbjZsFClNayrTzHI_H6eBp-2QrGqAAhgUYpvEzloDZFVl09Myr8kLuMRhVook6yJZnaKegBtdbM/s320/DSCN2716.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">17th birthday celebration</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu3zVFkf3v3_Imlau-A4zfSkEHX4corKuqY4trpSEpuMwNvZePSLyzvIbicmApLqUZlXVIk4Ee9WuKQm23APUNLWTg4ZZqy_TAxZCtxWhfNy22_L0ZCQCsy1GJaTMWq-KVTeVbXPzLI5Q/s1600/DSCN2751.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu3zVFkf3v3_Imlau-A4zfSkEHX4corKuqY4trpSEpuMwNvZePSLyzvIbicmApLqUZlXVIk4Ee9WuKQm23APUNLWTg4ZZqy_TAxZCtxWhfNy22_L0ZCQCsy1GJaTMWq-KVTeVbXPzLI5Q/s320/DSCN2751.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sheva brachot</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmlSRCwl7zkJs29D7M_gwdjVMlTDiDWxVfLdGy_mxQby5E7aJdhgS7FuAd0jnxV8bgKK2jHRAof_1djAA8UCMN2yFwiyiTBfWhltYMWKugM20AkF1WT12fp6sckdY8NGypXur2PSSrbL4/s1600/DSCN2766.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmlSRCwl7zkJs29D7M_gwdjVMlTDiDWxVfLdGy_mxQby5E7aJdhgS7FuAd0jnxV8bgKK2jHRAof_1djAA8UCMN2yFwiyiTBfWhltYMWKugM20AkF1WT12fp6sckdY8NGypXur2PSSrbL4/s320/DSCN2766.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">5th birthday celebration</td></tr>
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But to make it up to you, I am going to give you a GF recipe - for the most delicious brownies ever. So why am I sharing davka this recipe with you? Because to be quite honest, the ingredients in this recipe are rather pricey (an entire pound of bittersweet chocolate, for starters), so I don't think selling them would ever be worthwhile. I made them this summer for my GF sister and brother-in-law, and no one at the table missed the gluten.</div>
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Gluten Free Brownies </div>
adapted from <a href="http://pragmaticattic.wordpress.com/2012/04/19/super-fudgy-brownies-gluten-free-and-kosher-for-passover/#more-5067" target="_blank">Pragmatic Attic</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvLmtJPJpJcpF1_Bf6wpiKsy0zJkJA47poQZ__C3wTRDOcsR1LgskVzVE9FCLhOl9pD4K-Ds0GPUQaN4XKOhBBTjTbnXUuIZGhCKaxyc616Ui2RAbGeTiOKn_R9vphIzqdVCwdut6tgeY/s1600/GF+brownies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvLmtJPJpJcpF1_Bf6wpiKsy0zJkJA47poQZ__C3wTRDOcsR1LgskVzVE9FCLhOl9pD4K-Ds0GPUQaN4XKOhBBTjTbnXUuIZGhCKaxyc616Ui2RAbGeTiOKn_R9vphIzqdVCwdut6tgeY/s400/GF+brownies.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Ingredients:<br />
6 tablespoons margarine (75 grams in Israel)<br />
5 tablespoons canola oil<br />
16 ounces bittersweet chocolate (I prefer Vered HaGalil for daily use, but check with your gluten-free person about what chocolates are okay for them - here, Carmit 60% seems to be considered the "cleanest", though many brands claim to have less than 20ppm, which is the gold standard) or semi-sweet, or a combination - whatever you favor<br />
1 1/2 cups sugar<br />
4 eggs<br />
3 tablespoons cocoa<br />
6 tablespoons corn starch, called cornflour in Israel (or potato starch - kemach tapuchei adama)<br />
1/4 teaspoon salt<br />
2 teaspoons instant coffee powder<br />
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract<br />
<br />
Directions:<br />
Preheat the oven to 350F/180C.<br />
Line an 9x13 pan with foil then parchment paper extending over the ends for ease of removal after baking. Spray exposed foil with cooking spray.<br />
Melt together the chocolate and margarine, either on the stove top over a very low heat, stirring frequently, or in the microwave on a half power setting. when the chocolate and margarine are melted, add in the oil, then the sugar, stirring well. Add the eggs, one at a time, then add the salt.<br />
In a small bowl, combine the cocoa powder, coffee powder andstarch to evenly combine. Add to the melted chocolate mixture and mix vigorously to evenly combine.<br />
Mix vigorously until the batter is smooth and well combine. Pour into the prepared pan and spread evenly with an offset spatula.Bake for about 35 minutes, checking beginning at about 25 minutes. Brownies are done when an inserted toothpick comes out nearly clean, with just a few moist crumbs. Cool completely. Use the parchment paper to aid in removal from pan, and cut into squares - these are very rich, so 32 brownies is a fair number.<br />
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Whether you avoid gluten or not, ENJOY!<br />
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DvoraDvorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06238650785129925453noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6365042577034191215.post-86282511161233985352012-09-25T02:41:00.001-07:002012-09-25T02:56:22.524-07:00An Easy and Meaningful FastI would like to wish you one of those - don't we all say that, and hope that it's real? But is an easy fast a meaningful one? Or are we meant to suffer? Deep thoughts...<br />
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As always, I prefer to think about the before and after, and not so much the during. We have a curous minhag of two meals before the fast, both with washing for challah. The first is gefilte fish followed by chicken soup with Lola's favorite kreplach, and the second, after mincha, is the "main course" - chicken, potato kugel, challah kugel, and green beans (something green in the second meal!! Yay us!). Then maybe dessert, while drinking a good amount of water all the way through, and that will be it for 25 hours. Delightful.<br />
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After the fast? Zucchini-potato soup (a pareve variation of the one found <a href="http://morequicheplease.com/2012/09/soup-with-the-simons-zucchini-potato/" target="_blank">here</a>), and of course bagels. Then sukkah building, and cookie baking.<br />
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Hope this did not make you hungry, or anxious, or anything else unhelpful. Wishing you a G'mar Chatima Tova!<br />
<br />
Dvora<br />
<br />Dvorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06238650785129925453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6365042577034191215.post-1672582212299535012012-09-22T15:41:00.000-07:002012-09-22T16:21:38.086-07:00The Baking Powder BrouhahaLast month, I contributed an article to the <a href="http://www.joyofkosher.com/2012/09/dear-jamie-you-can-make-it-anywhere/" target="_blank">Joy of Kosher</a> website about adjusting your baking for Israel. I thought it would be a fun way to share some of what I learned in my six years since aliyah. I addressed about 10 different ingredients, one of which was baking powder. Here's what I had to say about it:<br />
<br />
<em>Baking powder – this is a tricky one. Avkat afiyah is sold in little envelopes, which is annoying, but the real problem is that it doesn’t work the same as American baking powder. There is a scientific explanation (double acting versus single), but bottom line, you have to use less or your cakes will collapse after baking. It is generally fine for cookies, though. If you don’t want to refigure all your recipes, make this one of the few things you import.</em><br />
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Did I know that this one paragraph was going to raise so many eyebrows - and tempers? For every response I received that said "Now I know why my cakes were not turning out right until I started using American baking powder again," I got another one that said, "My recipes come out right every time, and you have no idea what you are talking about!"<br />
<br />
So let's take a few calm steps back, and discuss this rationally.<br />
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1. Israeli baking powder is single acting. That means that the release of carbon dioxide, which is what leavens the cake, occurs as soon as the wet ingredients meet the dry. If you leave your batter on the counter for a little while, you may lose the leavening effect.<br />
<br />
2. Almost all American baking powder is double acting. It contains an additional acid that does not release the CO2 until heat is applied - about 70% of the leavening power is on reserve until you actually bake the batter.<br />
<br />
Conclusion A: there is NO QUESTION that the two kinds of baking powders, American and Israeli, are different, and thusly may produce different results.<br />
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3. There is a difference of opinion among various baking authorities about whether or not the two types of baking powder can be interchanged in even amounts. Some say yes, some say use 1 1/2 times as much single acting in a recipe calling for double acting.<br />
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4. Some folks think double acting is healthier, because it contains phosphate of calcium. On the other hand, most brands also contain aluminum, so hmmm....<br />
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5. To a man, everything I have read indicates that a batter mixed with single acting baking powder must IMMEDIATELY be put into the oven, or the leavening will flop. For someone like me, who works with volume, that just does not work.<br />
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6. I think it's fair to say we all have different expectations of our baking. In general, "Israeli" cakes have a different type of crumb than typical American recipes. I also find, through informal surveying, that Israeli bakers tend to use more beaten egg whites for leavening than American cooks. That could mitigate the leavening issue. It may just be a matter of taste.<br />
<br />
Conclusion B: If you are happy with your baking results, by all means, STICK WITH IT!!! But if you have been using Israeli baking powder and you are unhappy with what has been coming out of your oven, be it tough, dense, or collapsed, try the American baking powder. Our local purveyor of American products (also the local baking supply store) sells it, and I would bet that any Anglo-heavy area has a store that sells many of the things you miss from the alte heim.<br />
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Final disclaimer: My initial discovery of the baking powder issue was when I made a chocolate torte that I had made before, but always with American baking powder. When the stash from my lift ran out, I started using the Israeli kind. The chocolate torte would bake up properly, rising, baking through, testing clean, but when I removed from the oven, it sank a few minutes later. This happened to another friend as well. I had also noticed that a classic yellow cake recipe I had been making for years no longer had the right consistency. When I looked it up in Rose Levy Berenbaum's Cake Bible, the entry on over-leavening described my trouble nearly perfectly. So my impression was that the Israeli baking powder was over-, not under-leavening, and one would need to use less. Scientifically, that may not be right, but it helped me to pinpoint the failed variable. So whether you need to use more or less or just buy the Duncan Hines mix (wash my mouth out with soap!), there is a difference. Maybe let's just leave it at that.<br />
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Wishing happy and successful baking to you all, no matter where you may be!<br />
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DvoraDvorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06238650785129925453noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6365042577034191215.post-11269490677934038762012-09-11T20:27:00.001-07:002012-09-11T20:36:36.483-07:00For a Sweet New Year - Kosher Connection Recipe Linkup<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4IgL2PsG99r-lNm0lcFLhQYsE_ORE3eIPfZAfXfXa5hJhYpAXC_vLk5__0hkUzFvb3BVsPudLJpkS48YuJdZQVgpDfyIQSjaajJ3zds20JoHKUMSCz6AehaYU3tWJwaDU_mtffPtG6_8/s1600/DSCN2703.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4IgL2PsG99r-lNm0lcFLhQYsE_ORE3eIPfZAfXfXa5hJhYpAXC_vLk5__0hkUzFvb3BVsPudLJpkS48YuJdZQVgpDfyIQSjaajJ3zds20JoHKUMSCz6AehaYU3tWJwaDU_mtffPtG6_8/s400/DSCN2703.JPG" width="378" /></a></div>
It's time for the next round of the Kosher Connection Recipe Link-Up! This month's theme is "Honey," which is especially appropriate for the time of year - the run-up to Rosh Hashana. In addition to my grandparents' <a href="http://dvorascookiecreations.blogspot.co.il/2009/09/dip-apple-in-honey.html" target="_blank">honey chiffon cake</a>, which I suggest you make because it makes me happy ;-), I am contributing a newly developed recipe for Spiced Honey Sticks with Lemon Glaze. I can't exactly call them mandelbroit, because there's no mandel (almonds) in the recipe, and they are not biscotti, because they are not toasted after baking and slicing. The texture is soft and chewy, just the way I like them. They have a tasty honey flavor without being cloying, the spice adds interesting notes, and the honey-lemon glaze brings it all together. Feel free to bake and freeze. The honey in the recipe keeps the bars moist and chewy for several days, stored in a sealed plastic container. A great recipe to prepare in advance of the holiday.<br />
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Here in Israel, we don't call it a run-up to chag for nothing. All over the country, people are running around and FREAKING OUT over the impending TWO DAY CHAG!!! When we first made aliyah, I vacillated between thinking that (A) everyone here was crazy, I mean good grief, I could prepare two day yom tov in my sleep and (B) how wonderful it was that everyone is preparing for the same holiday. Six years down the road, I am slightly less enamored of the supermarket chaos that ensues two full weeks before yom tov. If you saw the creative parking that goes on in the lot at our Rami Levy (think drunken sailors and illegal mid-lane car abandonments), you would understand my frustration. But it is still truly beautiful that we are on the same page, gearing up for Rosh Hashana. And I just have to keep telling myself that. Even if I am now enough of an old-timer to think two days of yom tov is really, really long.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP_ygxsxOARuNUcnLsGFkKOOtnQOj27xJpmi-vwT8VT-kX-FY6oeibnqvUfZDkcPIwoxYwXc49Z-tGWBhxFBf2S6rzRzIsS0bFPkBleHiZTbwZERlOWAOUI634XEez7PSFf6PP2dhahe0/s1600/DSCN2685.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="177" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP_ygxsxOARuNUcnLsGFkKOOtnQOj27xJpmi-vwT8VT-kX-FY6oeibnqvUfZDkcPIwoxYwXc49Z-tGWBhxFBf2S6rzRzIsS0bFPkBleHiZTbwZERlOWAOUI634XEez7PSFf6PP2dhahe0/s200/DSCN2685.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fear not the crystallized ginger -<br />
but do try sprinkling a little flour over it while<br />
you're chopping so it doesn't stick to your knife</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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So what are the keys to getting ready for Rosh Hashana? Here's my take: Shop early. Get whatever you can buy in advance, things you can freeze like chicken and meat, dry goods, items with long shelf lives. Start preparing early. Bake and freeze, if you have the room. Make recipes that are quick and require little patchke-ing. Like this one. Mix it up, chill just a bit, bake in two long loaves, cool, glaze, and slice. I considered giving you two variations, one with crystallized ginger and one without, because I thought the ginger flavor might be a bit much for some people. The flavor is indeed quite pronounced shortly after baking, like when you can't wait for the bars to cool and you slice off an end and you burn your fingers and your tongue just a little, but it's worth it. The next day, though, the flavors meld and mellow perfectly. Even if you've never tried it, be adventurous - add the crystallized ginger. But if you don't have it on hand, or don't feel like chopping it up (I can't resist a little patchke!) but still want a spicy kick, add an additional 1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger. Or just omit the crystallized ginger, and it's still a delicious honey dessert for a sweet New Year. Definitely a step up from your traditional honey cake.<br />
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<strong><u>Spiced Honey Sticks with Lemon Glaze</u></strong><br />
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<strong>Ingredients</strong>:<br />
100 grams or 1/2 cup margarine at room temperature<br />
1/2 cup white sugar<br />
1/2 cup brown sugar<br />
1 egg<br />
1/4 cup honey<br />
1 teaspoon vanilla<br />
1 teaspoon ground ginger<br />
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom<br />
2 cups flour<br />
2 teaspoons baking soda<br />
1/4 teaspoon salt<br />
1/4 cup finely diced crystallized ginger<br />
<br />
Glaze:<br />
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice<br />
1 teaspoon honey<br />
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest, optional<br />
1/3 cup confectioner's sugar<br />
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<strong>Directions:</strong><br />
Cream the margarine with the sugars until smooth. Beat in the egg, then the honey and vanilla. Add in the dry ingredients and mix just until combined. Mix in crystallized ginger. Chill dough at least 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 375 F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Divide dough into two and, with oiled hands, roll each into a long, narrow log about 13 inches long, and place on the sheet, leaving space between the two rolls. Flatten slightly.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtq2dmsaxbO6nUNv6rRL75xTUkxWOvHOAq-1etPOvfrjziFuVWXvI8jDX3EeC6SutLX0_s6snnlmSdkmFXDtS46wsDVPSXtAkIp63GMnqC_KOP86cl51NGIcs5LzP4iTOn7QLVdeSOzRk/s1600/DSCN2686.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtq2dmsaxbO6nUNv6rRL75xTUkxWOvHOAq-1etPOvfrjziFuVWXvI8jDX3EeC6SutLX0_s6snnlmSdkmFXDtS46wsDVPSXtAkIp63GMnqC_KOP86cl51NGIcs5LzP4iTOn7QLVdeSOzRk/s320/DSCN2686.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I cheated - I used two separate pans.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Bake for 15-18 minutes, until golden brown. Cool.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje4nCoefHiZC-Eo2xRlSxWcNji82K3ZmMkKS_NY74ykhyVxu063tq4tsu-bFftqQkADq9cXpdeh-io_2js278TBSJCHK5z9tHXR9nr3cwLjHTNKRqYVjQBYXdYCwP8Zw9DuFN_wSstTXY/s1600/DSCN2687.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje4nCoefHiZC-Eo2xRlSxWcNji82K3ZmMkKS_NY74ykhyVxu063tq4tsu-bFftqQkADq9cXpdeh-io_2js278TBSJCHK5z9tHXR9nr3cwLjHTNKRqYVjQBYXdYCwP8Zw9DuFN_wSstTXY/s320/DSCN2687.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not so impressive without the glaze, but still yummy.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Mix together glaze ingredients. Drizzle diagonally across loaves with a disposable decorating bag, a ziploc bag with the corner snipped off, or even with a fork. <br />
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Allow glaze to set, then cut into slices, somewhere between a half and three-quarters of an inch. Enjoy!<br />
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With best wishes for a Shana Tova U'Metuka - a Good and Sweet New Year full of blessings for us all.<br />
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Dvora<br />
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Now check out all the other recipes featuring honey from the September Kosher Connection Recipe Linkup!<br />
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<!-- end InLinkz script --><br />Dvorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06238650785129925453noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6365042577034191215.post-18052242390989954152012-09-06T07:24:00.001-07:002012-09-22T16:23:41.032-07:00Letting you in on a secret or two<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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When we first made aliyah, there was a transition period wherein I went from woman who knew how to run a kitchen, to a sad lady who could not make anything come out right. The food I served on our first Rosh Hashana continues to haunt me.... For whatever reason, the ingredients, the climate, the oven, the water, the air - WHO KNOWS?! - nothing came out the way it did in the US. It took nearly a year until my chocolate chip cookies came out the same every time. Part of the solution was learning not to fight against the ingredients, but to work with them. I could not expect everything to be the same as it was in the US. Once I mastered that, it was smooth(er) sailing in the kitchen.<br />
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Recently, cookbook author and kosher food guru Jamie "The Bride Who Knew Nothing" Geller made aliyah with her husband and children. My <a href="http://www.joyofkosher.com/2012/09/dear-jamie-you-can-make-it-anywhere/" target="_blank">article</a> this month on her <a href="http://www.joyofkosher.com/" target="_blank">Joy of Kosher</a> website is about making baking work in Israel, and I hope you will all enjoy it, either because it is useful to you or because someday it will be ;-).<br />
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Also included, a brand new Apple Oatmeal Cookie, adapted from Joy the Baker, and my challah recipe, adapted from Carine Goren with tweaks for the American-Israeli palate, which has appeared here before, but is worth looking at if you haven't previously. It's the ideal recipe for Israel, as it includes a great ingredient available here, granulated fresh yeast, but it is also a simply delicious, simple-to-make sweet challah. US/dry yeast substitutions are included. These recipes will be wonderful on your holiday table!<br />
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So head on over to <a href="http://www.joyofkosher.com/2012/09/dear-jamie-you-can-make-it-anywhere/" target="_blank">Joy of Kosher</a>, and I'll let you in on a few of the secrets I've learned the hard way, so it will be a little easier on you. I hope these recipes and tips will be helpful to you no matter where you live, and will be a welcome addition to your yom tov tables.</div>
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With wishes for a happy, healthy, and SWEET New Year,<br />
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DvoraDvorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06238650785129925453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6365042577034191215.post-20491783839092331592012-08-20T12:13:00.000-07:002012-08-20T12:13:02.931-07:00Could these be any cuter?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXjnftFSbGlni-PPQ2hTQEs1cRR3Fxl_87fchQ7Hd5rF9onjf7Ezynp8s6IsWskr-JogvtuU84nalrH6fX9wZv062Q5PYtvQTu2GtC1u-TQeHeyHVOhk8QPFX7P5n7Oxx4Ch0vea9Brz8/s1600/DSCN2501.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXjnftFSbGlni-PPQ2hTQEs1cRR3Fxl_87fchQ7Hd5rF9onjf7Ezynp8s6IsWskr-JogvtuU84nalrH6fX9wZv062Q5PYtvQTu2GtC1u-TQeHeyHVOhk8QPFX7P5n7Oxx4Ch0vea9Brz8/s400/DSCN2501.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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I sound like Chandler Bing. Or maybe Jerry Seinfeld. But really.</div>
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Are these not so cute you could scream?</div>
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I mean seriously, the blue, the pink, the bears, the duckies.</div>
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So cute, you could just eat them up (pun intended)!</div>
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And if you think the cookies are cute, you should see the babies!!</div>
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Mazal tov to all the parents and grandparents on their new additions - have lots of nachat!!</div>
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Dvorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06238650785129925453noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6365042577034191215.post-6559045857968419312012-08-19T21:56:00.001-07:002012-08-20T09:53:18.586-07:00Dijon and Thyme Grilled Chicken - Kosher Recipe Linkup<span style="color: black; font-family: inherit;"><em>What is a grilled chicken recipe doing on a baking blog? Well, man can not live on cookies and buttercream alone, and a home baking business can not survive without a strong support system, so read on...</em></span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: inherit;">It’s true confession time, boys and girls.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here’s my big, guilty secret.</span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: inherit;">I don’t know how to use a grill.</span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: inherit;">Seriously.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t even know how to turn our gas grill on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When my husband left on his first trip to the States, he gave me a quick lesson on how to use the grill, which I immediately put out of my mind, as I had many other things to think about, like how to get everything in the house done as a (temporarily) single parent without killing the children I was supposed to be caring for.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I see my girlfriends grilling outdoors and I admire them, but I am truly happy to leave the heavy lifting to my DH and stick to the prep work in the kitchen.</span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: inherit;">So when the Kosher Connection theme for the very month I joined the group turned out to be "Grilled,” I was a bit taken aback.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sugar, eggs, frosting, those are food themes I can easily get behind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And no, I was not about to bake a cake on the grill, or even grill sliced pound cake or nectarines on my very besari (meaty, or fleishig) grill.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So this challenge led me to conclude that I would need some help from my dear grilling husband. Which made me think that I have to make another true confession:</span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: inherit;">I would not be able to make Shabbat without help from my husband and children, especially my two older daughters.</span><br />
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Seriously. People tend to think I am organized and on top of things, able to get everything done and make it look effortless. Hah! Just ask my family. Erev Shabbat in our house is chaos.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Between cooking for Shabbat, baking fresh challah, wrapping cookie platters, and decorating cakes, there is about 24 hours worth of work to be done, but only about 10-12 hours to do it in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have worked up a couple of strategies, including finding a few recipes for each family member to master and be in charge of each week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The other strategy is getting some of the cooking moved out of doors to free up oven space.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With our great weather here in Israel, we can grill pretty much year-round, especially for Shabbat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And since I don’t know how to work the grill, I am off the hook for any grilled items.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Recipes like this one, they help me stay sane. </span>Woohoo!<o:p> </o:p></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFSEAMhn0-OQYMkGO5BvnPsdLhXaTFiBHEndAyIZIjIxmmbqRzWD5BlqP8_h0LrjPgGQNiav7fV8r5iwBj-gEitiFXMlmLslW4WjSMdv6B8o4WNJWMNCxkenystmIc493nRfYYSo8yKpw/s1600/DSCN2527.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="164" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFSEAMhn0-OQYMkGO5BvnPsdLhXaTFiBHEndAyIZIjIxmmbqRzWD5BlqP8_h0LrjPgGQNiav7fV8r5iwBj-gEitiFXMlmLslW4WjSMdv6B8o4WNJWMNCxkenystmIc493nRfYYSo8yKpw/s320/DSCN2527.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit;">So with many thanks to my wonderful husband, I share with you one of our favorite grilled chicken recipes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is so flavorful – even with a relatively short marinating time – and delicious fresh off the grill, or even room temperature or reheated the next day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> You probably have all the ingredients in your fridge and pantry already, a real bonus. </span>It’s also super <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>versatile, as you can use this marinade on boneless, skinless chicken breasts, but also it’s also unbelievable on pargiyot – boneless, skinless chicken thighs, which are so rich and luxurious tasting that you will feel you have died and gone to culinary heaven.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can also cube up your chicken before marinating and put it on skewers along with a variety of vegetables, like onion, zucchini, cherry tomatoes, peppers, and mushrooms that have also taken a bath in the delectable marinade.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t forget to soak your wooden skewers in cold water for about 30 minutes to keep them from burning on the grill.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And if you are useless with a grill like I am, an indoor grill pan works well, too.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: inherit;">And now, with no further ado, here is our family contribution to the August Kosher Connection:</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt12yzoS3wGYSwUN0S1qPqXX-Bzqqj5X4VdL_v1R0CH5IOo92d8oG230CXWNpQmm4vTZcRjZOXjAS77bExOrM6_zuAeAd28ZBYrngCyj-cMG9EjXtSVWH16aiZ8bIdwYhpyb5qJJPKBkI/s1600/DSCN2518.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt12yzoS3wGYSwUN0S1qPqXX-Bzqqj5X4VdL_v1R0CH5IOo92d8oG230CXWNpQmm4vTZcRjZOXjAS77bExOrM6_zuAeAd28ZBYrngCyj-cMG9EjXtSVWH16aiZ8bIdwYhpyb5qJJPKBkI/s320/DSCN2518.JPG" width="244" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The cast of characters, minus the chicken -<br />
and yes, that is a lemon.<br />
Welcome to Israel in August.</td></tr>
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<b><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Dijon and Thyme Grilled Chicken<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: inherit;">Ingredients:</span><br />
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">3 cloves garlic, finely minced<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: inherit;">1/3 cup Dijon mustard <em>(if you prefer a little more mustard kick, use whole grain Dijon for part of the amount; I used smooth only)</em></span><br />
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">1 tablespoon honey<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">2 tablespoons lemon juice <em>(fresh is best, of course, but in a pinch or a rush, bottled is fine, too!)<o:p></o:p></em></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">8 turns of the pepper grinder<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">1 teaspoon kosher salt<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, stripped from a couple of sprigs, or 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme <em>(here, fresh is much more delicious - go for it! And save the rest for the best French onion soup you will ever make...)</em></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">¼ cup olive oil<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: inherit;">1 kilo (about 2 pounds) boneless skinless chicken – breasts or thighs, trimmed and cleaned</span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: inherit;">Directions:</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: inherit;">Take out all your aggressions on your garlic, and chop very finely.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can, of course, use a garlic press, but I prefer a large, sharp knife, both for therapeutic and flavor reasons.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Combine the garlic, mustard, honey, lemon juice, pepper, salt, and thyme in a small mixing bowl.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: inherit;">Whisk in the olive oil.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3XhKpSXf9-Op3kq6ZYY9iZh-PFwbHeDawq2Z4kLAmjc45IqYFFXh1TUmylvHVBN9gM8SjhywRt99hIhu4LyQheFokksglYPpJMl2Ke2MDgF1vKiRKdF8V9mLlnCf4FFQP2GFLO7WrAT4/s1600/DSCN2523.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3XhKpSXf9-Op3kq6ZYY9iZh-PFwbHeDawq2Z4kLAmjc45IqYFFXh1TUmylvHVBN9gM8SjhywRt99hIhu4LyQheFokksglYPpJMl2Ke2MDgF1vKiRKdF8V9mLlnCf4FFQP2GFLO7WrAT4/s320/DSCN2523.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You can whisk with a fork, I won't tell!</td></tr>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: inherit;">Place the chicken in a gallon-sized plastic zipper storage bag or a large bowl. Pour the marinade over the trimmed chicken and mix to combine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Seal the bag or cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about an hour.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimMxqSbqxtHRMqjChipxULa-8xwPD1_3jid-ST_M5YtwM5ZiD7yd-kZlL1ug6wSsQC9M7BjdtJKyW79DE3PorCMzOJOvhbBgsz2B2WC3d3rsfjgQNC05dJSXFOiw-Eqo5D5JZeO5APT5s/s1600/DSCN2524.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimMxqSbqxtHRMqjChipxULa-8xwPD1_3jid-ST_M5YtwM5ZiD7yd-kZlL1ug6wSsQC9M7BjdtJKyW79DE3PorCMzOJOvhbBgsz2B2WC3d3rsfjgQNC05dJSXFOiw-Eqo5D5JZeO5APT5s/s320/DSCN2524.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: inherit;">Preheat your grill (that’s what my husband does, so it must be right!), then grill the chicken pieces about 5-7 minutes per side until you have beautiful grill marks and the chicken is cooked through, but not at all dried out.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqe_sxbqDhyVxv7eqFXGFLEBbo_xIefmpk1javIgP-KYO0gZcffvweGXStjrHbpNovjO5uZMUeNS2wVe53Gq5VBlR8xHHR6lGjKnnMOVbX3at8sgjaH56MJO4AtTJiJAnCNtYnx-ftnww/s1600/DSCN2526.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqe_sxbqDhyVxv7eqFXGFLEBbo_xIefmpk1javIgP-KYO0gZcffvweGXStjrHbpNovjO5uZMUeNS2wVe53Gq5VBlR8xHHR6lGjKnnMOVbX3at8sgjaH56MJO4AtTJiJAnCNtYnx-ftnww/s320/DSCN2526.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Smoky grilling. Thank you, honey!</td></tr>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: inherit;">Serving suggestion:</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: inherit;">Serve alongside <a href="http://dvorascookiecreations.blogspot.co.il/2012/08/best-potato-recipe-ever-seriously_19.html" target="_blank">Joyce’s Dijon Roasted Potatoes</a>, which echo the flavors in the marinade beautifully, and need very little attention once mixed together and thrown into the oven.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A green salad on the side, maybe even some grilled veggies if you want to carry the whole grilling theme through, and you have an unbelievably delicious meal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>B’tayavon!</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yes, the photography could be better, but my specialty is food, not cameras.<br />
Please bear with us as we try to improve! In the meantime, take it on faith - it's delicious!!! </td></tr>
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<br />Dvorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06238650785129925453noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6365042577034191215.post-20273886871210264332012-08-19T13:15:00.000-07:002012-08-28T16:23:44.126-07:00Best Potato Recipe. Ever. Seriously.<span style="font-family: inherit;">I suppose I have a sexist view of barbequing, in that my husband – and now my son – do the grilling, while I do the prep in the house.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To the grillers go the glory, or something like that, but they also spend a lot of time out in the heat with the smoke pouring out on them, so you need to have some mercy on them. I show my love and appreciation by making some of the side dishes indoors. Also, this way, everyone knows I participated in preparing the meal. But I'm not manipulative or tricky or anything...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">This recipe comes from my BF Joyce, who is a great cook, and a consummate cookbook collector. We have enjoyed fabulous meals at her home, and I know that any recipes she gives me are going to be delicious. I don't know where this recipe came from originally, but we all love it so much that I must warn you - make enough so that there is a little extra for everyone in the family who is going to snitch a freshly roasted potato - or two. It's totally worth the burnt fingers!</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The ingredients (potatoes are in their own<br />
beauty shot!)</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>Joyce's Dijon Roasted Potatoes</strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Ingredients:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">3 lbs small red potatoes, scrubbed and halved (or any larger waxy potatoes, cut in 1 inch chunks)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">1/3 cup Dijon mustard</span><br />
1/4 cup olive oil<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">3 cloves garlic, minced</span><br />
1 tablespoon dry white wine<br />
1 teaspoon salt<br />
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper<br />
1/4 teaspoon crushed dried rosemary leaves</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">such cute little potatoes!</td></tr>
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Directions:Preheat oven to 375. Combine all ingredients besides potatoes. Pour over potatoes and mix well.<br />
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Spread onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 40-60 minutes, until golden and crispy on the outside and tender inside. Enjoy!<br />
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<em>And make sure you serve these potatoes with </em><a href="http://dvorascookiecreations.blogspot.co.il/2012/08/dijon-and-thyme-grilled-chicken-kosher.html" target="_blank"><em>Dijon and Thyme Grilled Chicken</em></a><em>, our contribution to the August Kosher Connection Recipe Linkup, from Joy of Kosher. It's a perfect combination. Enjoy - you can thank me later!</em> ;-)</div>
Dvorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06238650785129925453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6365042577034191215.post-56987564062211367732012-08-12T01:14:00.002-07:002012-08-12T01:15:27.645-07:00Houston, we have a problemWe have been home for two weeks now, happily returned to our home and real life. And yet, re-entry has been somewhat difficult. Four weeks away shouldn't feel like a lifetime, but it does. For whatever reason, my brain has not fully readjusted to being home, so functioning normally - as mom, wife, and baker - is something of a challenge.<img height="53" src="https://encrypted-tbn1.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQ7eK3QoDL4BKlAbOWELN5OAkPLlkpTZZGuINMe9i48L5gqVdEQ" style="filter: alpha(opacity=30); left: 608px; opacity: 0.3; position: absolute; top: 139px;" width="96" /><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Would it be so hard to fit this into a carry-on?!</td></tr>
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For example, my grip on both of our primary languages has slipped. I have no idea what we have and what we are missing in the fridge, freezer, and pantry. My grocery lists are woefully incomplete. It's almost like the post-Pesach, need to restock on all the staples and not a few extras syndrome that takes time to complete. Every time I get out of the car, I start stomping my left foot. Why? Because our awesome rental car, a fully loaded Chrysler Town and Country, had a parking brake pedal. My less awesome Mazda MPV, has a handle to pull up. And no automatic doors or seats, no satellite radio, no DVD player, no wireless headphone, and did I mention no automatic doors?!<br />
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And I spent a couple of days after I got back to work complaining that something was wrong with the hot water connection from the dud shemesh (solar hot water heater) to the kitchen sink. I was getting scalding hot water in the shower, but just warm water in the kitchen sink. Why? Because I was turning the handle THE WRONG WAY!!! Six years experience in my kitchen was undone by four lousy weeks away. Maybe I should have taken my mom up on it when I asked her to show me where she keeeps the pareve knives and she answered, "You're only here for four weeks - don't worry about it..." Maybe if I had sat on a chair and let others serve me, coming home would be less confusing. But it's not my style (see previous post!) and I will just have to muddle through.<br />
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All in all, though, I am happy to be home and back in my life. I made these adorable cookies for a new baby girl, and got to make good use of my new onesie cookie cutter - so much fun! I now have blog posts to compose, recipes to create, cakes and cookies to design and execute, life to live and if I am lucky, a vacation to enjoy.<br />
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Shavua tov!<br />
Dvora<br />
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<br /></div>Dvorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06238650785129925453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6365042577034191215.post-62821267701344184912012-07-23T13:20:00.001-07:002012-07-23T13:20:32.984-07:00The devils' playthings<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's my hands. They are idle. And if I were that kind of a girl, I would probably be getting into trouble. But honestly, I am too boring for that, so they are just itching for some creative action. I miss my kitchen, and my mixer, and my pans (don't worry, I got more! where I will put them, I don't know...), and my ingredients that are familiar and that work the way I think they will. (Who knew, six years ago I was saying the same thing about our new home and new kitchen on the other side of the ocean...times have changed!) Whatever I have baked here has not come out exactly right, though I am not entirely sure what the bad variable was. Maybe it was me...</div>
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I will have plenty of baking work when I get home, but for now I am going the think about all the things I want to make when I get there. How about<br />
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Boston Cream Whoopie pies? (picture from Tracy's Culinary Adventures, not mine! Isn't it so yummy looking?!)<br />
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Cutie pie cookies with my new cutters?<br />
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Swiss meringue buttercream? Yes, I have a phobia, born of strange experience and the pareve restriction I have adopted...<br />
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Any other ideas from new and fun baking projects? Can't wait to scour all the blogs I haven't had time for lately, and I would love your ideas too!<br />
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Looking forward to baking again, for real,<br />
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Dvora<br />
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<br />Dvorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06238650785129925453noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6365042577034191215.post-88988857565188511882012-07-12T21:15:00.001-07:002012-07-12T21:15:45.615-07:00It even happens to me...I make an incredibly delicious chocolate cinnamon bundt cake with mocha glaze. Actually, that's a lie. Sometimes I make a beautiful, delectable bundt cake. Other times, I make half a bundt cake and a whole lot of chunks and crumbs of bundt cake. Then I make a whole bunch of tears. Yes, gentle readers, baking disasters happen even to the professionals. And when all is said and done, whether the cake gently slid out of the pan or just broke apart into a bazillion pieces, I need to serve my guests and family something for dessert!! <br />
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Lucky for all of us, the Joy of Kosher website knows that every baker could use a few tips on salvaging baking disasters - and asked me to write <a href="http://www.joyofkosher.com/2012/07/how-to-fix-baking-disasters/">a post</a> about it! Not only does the article include <a href="http://www.joyofkosher.com/2012/07/how-to-fix-baking-disasters/">ideas for saving the day with creative and tasty fixes</a>, it also features a <a href="http://www.joyofkosher.com/recipe/anything-goes-blondies/">recipe for really delicious blondies</a> that are a snap to make, come together in no time, and satisfy every sweet tooth.<br />
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So head on over to <a href="http://www.joyofkosher.com/">Joy of Kosher</a> to check out the article, the recipe, and lots of other great recipes, ideas, and inspiration! Make sure to leave a comment if you like what you see!Dvorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06238650785129925453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6365042577034191215.post-53936022747414268252012-06-25T06:05:00.000-07:002012-06-25T06:05:07.112-07:00Welcome to the Tribe!It is an amazing feeling to help people celebrate their good times. Engagements, weddings, sheva brachot, bar and bat mitzvahs, anniversaries, birthdays, achievements - what a privilege to help make someone's day a little sweeter. One of the more recent additions to the repertoire of life cycle cakes we've been doing is the brit milah cake. Don't get any ideas! It's nothing graphic or icky; just cakes welcoming a new arrival into the family and into the tribe.<br />
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This was a particular favorite, as it incorporates one of the traditional blessings for the newborn - "As he entered the covenant, so may he enter into Torah, Chuppah (marriage), and good deeds." Each part of the blessing is represented with a symbol:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnwAdvd6hHr7bjq5YGm_71tUhrR52XUHoG3VdvSAgWMr2bWHM-wfvWSEFel7_gvYLySCAsJkXs-OJyVsmxpIKeKz8MlNZz9-4AzgW_nHt44-iqfT-ZBimsqmwVe1odnu3l8898-TBP4oM/s1600/DSCN1700.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnwAdvd6hHr7bjq5YGm_71tUhrR52XUHoG3VdvSAgWMr2bWHM-wfvWSEFel7_gvYLySCAsJkXs-OJyVsmxpIKeKz8MlNZz9-4AzgW_nHt44-iqfT-ZBimsqmwVe1odnu3l8898-TBP4oM/s320/DSCN1700.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A pillow to rest the baby on - with the blessing "May this little one become great" or more plaintively, "May this little one grow up."</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzPLPGTjFiROF_Xdvk8w_X-_c3Ooxs8bxG25RoDtjgLQRzmx3B5eDLASfdvBEDXqHRG-n0mrmI4JyZ4NyoRbPSEYXgBGSsGnPEoRf4G54kuYhZobP809anqwJa-hkxZDWe5Ly3Am_Ty5c/s1600/DSCN1701.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzPLPGTjFiROF_Xdvk8w_X-_c3Ooxs8bxG25RoDtjgLQRzmx3B5eDLASfdvBEDXqHRG-n0mrmI4JyZ4NyoRbPSEYXgBGSsGnPEoRf4G54kuYhZobP809anqwJa-hkxZDWe5Ly3Am_Ty5c/s320/DSCN1701.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Torah</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDUqWvMJ5IJl9V_Vn3AunLLuzKx37qEsizcS5lje7pk8uiCBGb_oFPrYYwSSkTk9Qh8bM6SBsOXjNCdXAx_4leZSDWfE-c_NsBGAQJaAJUfZSxIx-lLlDbiaF02XVmo12mbgxcJfaR230/s1600/DSCN1702.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDUqWvMJ5IJl9V_Vn3AunLLuzKx37qEsizcS5lje7pk8uiCBGb_oFPrYYwSSkTk9Qh8bM6SBsOXjNCdXAx_4leZSDWfE-c_NsBGAQJaAJUfZSxIx-lLlDbiaF02XVmo12mbgxcJfaR230/s320/DSCN1702.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Chuppah, or marriage canopy</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQbUKDcjPEMp9uLD3fi2PekGjGKK1IrsJRk3kejI74SwqZkUj3vatprs0_DhW0Wd4xS78uFD9P4vhEd7lAnkWeLfvTpmgWts0WGE-ILW_BVQ2-kFybmGDLsNcOMWXdqBLcb_iFXB22ofE/s1600/DSCN1698.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQbUKDcjPEMp9uLD3fi2PekGjGKK1IrsJRk3kejI74SwqZkUj3vatprs0_DhW0Wd4xS78uFD9P4vhEd7lAnkWeLfvTpmgWts0WGE-ILW_BVQ2-kFybmGDLsNcOMWXdqBLcb_iFXB22ofE/s320/DSCN1698.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Good deeds - charity</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVgYlwSEiq6Ul_k7rz4EKTRVWcVoVQa5nol7b9EC7uQxz-n7qxeQ65vI0TFC2ZhxzCwMM-AdAffDiykwLWuKIf0k21gYEuYuHMu4eAf55J1sf-tM5RDQWkOk9wLydrfjBsugLXKvCS-PE/s1600/DSCN1699.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVgYlwSEiq6Ul_k7rz4EKTRVWcVoVQa5nol7b9EC7uQxz-n7qxeQ65vI0TFC2ZhxzCwMM-AdAffDiykwLWuKIf0k21gYEuYuHMu4eAf55J1sf-tM5RDQWkOk9wLydrfjBsugLXKvCS-PE/s320/DSCN1699.JPG" width="278" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The priestly breastplate, for the family's Cohen status</td></tr>
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<em>In the meantime, my apologies for pictures that refuse to line up properly - new formatting is giving me headaches...</em></div>
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The next was for the same family, several months later. This cake was for the brit of a grandson born to a "Steps and Stairs" family - boy, girl, boy, girl, and now another boy.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-czCwhG_Z7EVU5F3LD9ZQxhm5kKtgRF3o6VM0kPeBmwZhtNUH3ocKw8vq9-syoEdb08L0y3mGqq2YLVmpg9qxW3DtwEh2_kpnMb9wbQUW_xozuh4KU5UJ_l3QjiRc7l4a-fIrbabImhE/s1600/DSCN2329.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-czCwhG_Z7EVU5F3LD9ZQxhm5kKtgRF3o6VM0kPeBmwZhtNUH3ocKw8vq9-syoEdb08L0y3mGqq2YLVmpg9qxW3DtwEh2_kpnMb9wbQUW_xozuh4KU5UJ_l3QjiRc7l4a-fIrbabImhE/s320/DSCN2329.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
And the final brit cake is a fun twist on the car window stickers that keep popping up everywhere.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMOCTpX6XOUxh2cQeAQd9w3IZjccl7zJn4tLioUt-NisfdZHdyCsjsTH6whKXfW4-nWHECDHhpXmUpAKoRjNMFK3FAemg9BY7BZkcsKIsz-k1dEVa0b8-dEgIpUZ3fVpJX4A73c_zpGQ0/s1600/DSCN2362.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="317" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMOCTpX6XOUxh2cQeAQd9w3IZjccl7zJn4tLioUt-NisfdZHdyCsjsTH6whKXfW4-nWHECDHhpXmUpAKoRjNMFK3FAemg9BY7BZkcsKIsz-k1dEVa0b8-dEgIpUZ3fVpJX4A73c_zpGQ0/s320/DSCN2362.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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This cake featured the whole family - the dad, who loves to play piano; the mom, who is a loving wife and mother; big brother, who loves playing soccer; big sister, who loves playing on a slide; and the new baby, whose interests we look forward to learning as he grows!</div>
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May all the new arrivals continue to bring joy to their families!</div>
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Dvora</div>Dvorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06238650785129925453noreply@blogger.com0