I used to order ceasar salads in restaurants until I realized that they cheat. They mix a salad together and then pour on prepared dressing from a bottle. If you like caesar salads, here's how to make it at home the right way.
1 garlic clove
1 T. anchovy paste or 1-2 anchovies
2 egg yolks. If you are unsure of the eggs, coddle them for 2 minutes
1 T. Dijon mustard
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 T. Worcestershire sauce
1 T. white wine vinegar
3 T. extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup parmegiano reggiano cheese or other good parmesan cheese
1 head Romaine lettuce cut into small pieces
Kosher salt and freshly ground black papper to taste
Crush garlic against side of salad bowl and rub it all over bowl. add anchovy paste or anchovies; mix with garlic. add egg yolks, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, white wine vinegar, olive oil, and salt. mix well.
Add lettuce, parmesan cheese, and croutons and toss to combine.
Serve immediately and add cheese and black pepper to taste.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Creamy, Spicy Coleslaw and my Favorite Potato Salad
Coleslaw and potato salad are two sides that you can enjoy all year round and especially during the summer with your favorite barbecues.
Coleslaw
1 T. Italian parsley
1 large carrot
1 head Napa cabbage
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup white wine vinegar
1/3 cup Heinz ketchup
1/3 cup Hellman's mayonnaise
1 T. caraway seeds (optional)
In the bowl of a food processor with the metal blade, pulse the carrot and parsley, a few times. Transfer to large mixing bowl.
Place cabbage in small pieces into food processor with medium slicing blade. Pulse in batches. Transfer to mixing bowl and combine with carrot mixture.
Combine sugar, vinegar, and ketchup in a small sauce-pan and bring to a boil. Pour the dressing over the cabbage mixture and toss to combine. Add mayonnaise and caraway seeds if desired, to cabbage mixture and toss. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours to meld the flavors.
My Favorite Potato Salad
2 pounds red bliss potatoes
3 extra large eggs
3 scallions, sliced fine
2 T. cilantro
1 slice red onion, chopped fine
1/2 to 2/3 cup mayonnaise
salt and pepper to taste
1 T. bacon bits
Place potatoes in large saucepan. Cover with water, cook over medium heat for 20 minutes. Remove from heat, let potatoes cool and cut them into 1/2 inch pieces.
Make perfect hard boiled eggs: Place eggs in small saucepan with cold water. Bring to a boil, cover pan, and turn off heat. Let pan rest for 12 to 15 minutes. Pour off hot water and fill pan with cold water. Peel and chop eggs.
In mixing bowl, Combine potatoes, eggs, scallions, cilantro, mayonnaise, sour cream, and bacon bits. Toss well.
Coleslaw
1 T. Italian parsley
1 large carrot
1 head Napa cabbage
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup white wine vinegar
1/3 cup Heinz ketchup
1/3 cup Hellman's mayonnaise
1 T. caraway seeds (optional)
In the bowl of a food processor with the metal blade, pulse the carrot and parsley, a few times. Transfer to large mixing bowl.
Place cabbage in small pieces into food processor with medium slicing blade. Pulse in batches. Transfer to mixing bowl and combine with carrot mixture.
Combine sugar, vinegar, and ketchup in a small sauce-pan and bring to a boil. Pour the dressing over the cabbage mixture and toss to combine. Add mayonnaise and caraway seeds if desired, to cabbage mixture and toss. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours to meld the flavors.
My Favorite Potato Salad
2 pounds red bliss potatoes
3 extra large eggs
3 scallions, sliced fine
2 T. cilantro
1 slice red onion, chopped fine
1/2 to 2/3 cup mayonnaise
salt and pepper to taste
1 T. bacon bits
Place potatoes in large saucepan. Cover with water, cook over medium heat for 20 minutes. Remove from heat, let potatoes cool and cut them into 1/2 inch pieces.
Make perfect hard boiled eggs: Place eggs in small saucepan with cold water. Bring to a boil, cover pan, and turn off heat. Let pan rest for 12 to 15 minutes. Pour off hot water and fill pan with cold water. Peel and chop eggs.
In mixing bowl, Combine potatoes, eggs, scallions, cilantro, mayonnaise, sour cream, and bacon bits. Toss well.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
The Ultimate Brisket in Sweet and Sour Sauce
My brother in law, Buddy, disdains all food groups except Ketchup. Last year I made a really good lemon chicken and he poured ketchup all over it. However, when I served this brisket, he treated it as though it was being served to Royalty. No ketchep, just great admiration for a dish well cooked. This is truely the ultimate brisket.
1 medium onion, peeled and quartered
1 two-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled
6 large cloves of garlic
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1/2 cup dry red wine
1 1/2 cups coca cola
1 cup ketchup
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1. Heat oven to 360 degrees. Place everything but the brisket into a food processor and process until smooth.
2. Place brisket, fat side up in a heavy baking pan just large enough to hold it. Pour sauce over it. Cover tightly and bake to 2 hours. Turn brisket over and bake uncovered for one more hour or until tender. Cool, cover brisket and refrigerate overnight in cooking pan.
3. The next day, transfer brisket to a cutting board, cut off fat and cut meat with a sharp knife against the grain. Remove congealed fat from sauce and bring to a boil.
4. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Taste sauce to see if it needs to be reduced. If so, boil it down a few minutes. Return meat to sauce and warm in oven for 20 minutes.
This recipe was written by Joan Nathan, the foremost authority on Jewish cooking in America.
1 medium onion, peeled and quartered
1 two-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled
6 large cloves of garlic
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1/2 cup dry red wine
1 1/2 cups coca cola
1 cup ketchup
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1. Heat oven to 360 degrees. Place everything but the brisket into a food processor and process until smooth.
2. Place brisket, fat side up in a heavy baking pan just large enough to hold it. Pour sauce over it. Cover tightly and bake to 2 hours. Turn brisket over and bake uncovered for one more hour or until tender. Cool, cover brisket and refrigerate overnight in cooking pan.
3. The next day, transfer brisket to a cutting board, cut off fat and cut meat with a sharp knife against the grain. Remove congealed fat from sauce and bring to a boil.
4. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Taste sauce to see if it needs to be reduced. If so, boil it down a few minutes. Return meat to sauce and warm in oven for 20 minutes.
This recipe was written by Joan Nathan, the foremost authority on Jewish cooking in America.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Blintzes from Kathryn Murray
Kathryn Murray was the wife of dance instructor Arthur Murray. As a team, Arthur and Kathryn's elegant dancing inspired millions of Americans to learn ballroom dancing which was taught in their chain of dance studios across the United States.Their hayday was in the years before Chubby Checker when dancing meant putting your arms around your partner.
Kathryn also taught America how to cook some great comfort foods like blintzes (pancakes.) Blintzes are similar to crepes suzette but they are more substantial, and thay are made with a lighter hand. They are made to enclose cheese or potato fillings. Marion and I used to eat great blintzes in a Polish restaurant in Queens but the best blintzes I ever tasted were served at a large kibutz in Isreal.
Makes about 14 thin pancakes
6 eggs, beaten
1 tsp. salt
4 T. flour
2 T. water
1. Beat eggs and salt. Mix flour and water in a small bowl and gradually add to it about a capful of the beaten egg. Then add this mixture to the rest of the beaten egg (this is to prevent lumping.)
2. Cover work surface near your stove with wax paper on which pancakes can be tossed as cooked.
3. The secret of making thin, tender blintzes is to watch the heat of the pan carefully. Use a 6 inch heavy skillet or a crepe pan. Heat the pan gradually until a bit of butter dropped on it will sizzle but not smoke. Try to keep the pan at the same heat.
4. Grease the pan lightly but completely with butter. Hold the handle with your left hand as you pour enough batter to make a thin layer that will just cover the pan. Turn your left hand back and forth as you are pouring so that the pan will be covered quickly and evenly.
5. If your pan is correctly heated, the thin pancakes should start bubbling almost immediately. Give the pancake a few seconds until "set" and then invert the pan over wax paper so that the pancake drops out. Note: Pancake is now lying raw side down, cooked side up.
6. Continue making rest of pancakes, greasing pan with butter as needed.
Filling:
1 pound cottage cheese
1 egg, beaten
1/2 tsp. salt
dash of pepper
zest of lemon or orange
1. blend filing
2. Then place heaping T. full in center of cooked pancake. Roll pancakes and place. side by side in greased baking pan.
3. Twenty to 30 minutes before serving, place baking pan in heated 350 degree oven. Bake until pancakes are golden brown.
4. Serve on very hot plates and pass garishes. These can include sour cream, cinnamon, apple sauce or apricot, blueberry or strawberry jam.
Kathryn also taught America how to cook some great comfort foods like blintzes (pancakes.) Blintzes are similar to crepes suzette but they are more substantial, and thay are made with a lighter hand. They are made to enclose cheese or potato fillings. Marion and I used to eat great blintzes in a Polish restaurant in Queens but the best blintzes I ever tasted were served at a large kibutz in Isreal.
Makes about 14 thin pancakes
6 eggs, beaten
1 tsp. salt
4 T. flour
2 T. water
1. Beat eggs and salt. Mix flour and water in a small bowl and gradually add to it about a capful of the beaten egg. Then add this mixture to the rest of the beaten egg (this is to prevent lumping.)
2. Cover work surface near your stove with wax paper on which pancakes can be tossed as cooked.
3. The secret of making thin, tender blintzes is to watch the heat of the pan carefully. Use a 6 inch heavy skillet or a crepe pan. Heat the pan gradually until a bit of butter dropped on it will sizzle but not smoke. Try to keep the pan at the same heat.
4. Grease the pan lightly but completely with butter. Hold the handle with your left hand as you pour enough batter to make a thin layer that will just cover the pan. Turn your left hand back and forth as you are pouring so that the pan will be covered quickly and evenly.
5. If your pan is correctly heated, the thin pancakes should start bubbling almost immediately. Give the pancake a few seconds until "set" and then invert the pan over wax paper so that the pancake drops out. Note: Pancake is now lying raw side down, cooked side up.
6. Continue making rest of pancakes, greasing pan with butter as needed.
Filling:
1 pound cottage cheese
1 egg, beaten
1/2 tsp. salt
dash of pepper
zest of lemon or orange
1. blend filing
2. Then place heaping T. full in center of cooked pancake. Roll pancakes and place. side by side in greased baking pan.
3. Twenty to 30 minutes before serving, place baking pan in heated 350 degree oven. Bake until pancakes are golden brown.
4. Serve on very hot plates and pass garishes. These can include sour cream, cinnamon, apple sauce or apricot, blueberry or strawberry jam.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Stuffed Cabbage
Warm and comforting stuffed cabbage is a staple in Polish and old-time Jewish cooking. This was a dish brought to America by immigrants and cooked by Polish women and Jewish baleboostehs (to rhyme with "walla puss ta", women who according to Leo Rosten in "The Joys of Yiddish" are splendid cooks, bakers, laundresses, and above all, keep an immaculate home.
2 quarts water
1 head savoy cabbage, cored
1 cup milk
1 1/2 T. kosher salt
1 1/2 pounds ground beef or ground turkey
1 cup bread crumbs
1 granny Smith apple, cored and chopped
2 T. chopped Italian parsley
1 T. chopped sage leaves
2 T. garlic, finely chopped
1 medium red onion, finely chopped
1 tsp. sweet paprika
1/4 tsp. allspice
1 T. sugar
salt and freshly ground pepper
2 eggs
Tomato sauce
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 cup diced onion
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 medium carrot, finely shredded
2 T. thyme leaves
1 T. tomato paste
1 can diced tomatoes
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add cabbage and cook 4-5 minutes until outer leaves are soft. Remove outer leaves, drain them and place on a kitchen towel and pat dry. With a sharp knife, remove big rib from back of leaves.
Meanwhile make the filling: In a large mixing bowl, combine the meat, eggs, bread crumbs, parsley, sage, garlic, onion, apple, sugar, paprika, allspice, salt and pepper and mix with hands. Lay the cabbage leaves on a work surface and place about 1/3 to 1/2 cup of the meat mixture at the center of each leaf. Roll the bottom of the leaf over the meat, fold the sides over and roll up the stem until completely closed.
To make the sauce, heat olive oil in a medium saucepan, add onion and garlic and cook until translucent, about 10 minutes. Add carrot and thyme and cook for about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, tomato paste and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 25-30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Place a few leaves on botom of a Dutch oven add some sauce and scatter the sour Kraut. Arrange stuffed cabbage in a single layer and transfer the sauce to the casserole. Scatter more sour kraut around cabbage rolls. Cook the stuffed cabbage until firm to the touch, 25-30 minutes.
Place sour cream in a small bowl and ladle in 3/4 cup of tomato sauce. Whisk to combine. Add sour cream mixture back to the Dutch oven and stir to combine. Serve with additional sour cream. Serve hot.
2 quarts water
1 head savoy cabbage, cored
1 cup milk
1 1/2 T. kosher salt
1 1/2 pounds ground beef or ground turkey
1 cup bread crumbs
1 granny Smith apple, cored and chopped
2 T. chopped Italian parsley
1 T. chopped sage leaves
2 T. garlic, finely chopped
1 medium red onion, finely chopped
1 tsp. sweet paprika
1/4 tsp. allspice
1 T. sugar
salt and freshly ground pepper
2 eggs
Tomato sauce
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 cup diced onion
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 medium carrot, finely shredded
2 T. thyme leaves
1 T. tomato paste
1 can diced tomatoes
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add cabbage and cook 4-5 minutes until outer leaves are soft. Remove outer leaves, drain them and place on a kitchen towel and pat dry. With a sharp knife, remove big rib from back of leaves.
Meanwhile make the filling: In a large mixing bowl, combine the meat, eggs, bread crumbs, parsley, sage, garlic, onion, apple, sugar, paprika, allspice, salt and pepper and mix with hands. Lay the cabbage leaves on a work surface and place about 1/3 to 1/2 cup of the meat mixture at the center of each leaf. Roll the bottom of the leaf over the meat, fold the sides over and roll up the stem until completely closed.
To make the sauce, heat olive oil in a medium saucepan, add onion and garlic and cook until translucent, about 10 minutes. Add carrot and thyme and cook for about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, tomato paste and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 25-30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Place a few leaves on botom of a Dutch oven add some sauce and scatter the sour Kraut. Arrange stuffed cabbage in a single layer and transfer the sauce to the casserole. Scatter more sour kraut around cabbage rolls. Cook the stuffed cabbage until firm to the touch, 25-30 minutes.
Place sour cream in a small bowl and ladle in 3/4 cup of tomato sauce. Whisk to combine. Add sour cream mixture back to the Dutch oven and stir to combine. Serve with additional sour cream. Serve hot.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Stuffed Pepers
Thanks to Joel Pomerantz for sending me his excellent recipe for stuffed peppers. I will be trying it but I am using a similar version that has the flavor of my mother's kitchen and her 58 year old, often used, well worn, dog-eared copy of Jewish Cookery, published by Crown Publishers. Crown also published my father's first novel, Jadie Greenway.
Stuffed peppers are called Ardei Implut in Rumania and other Balkan countries.
Six 5-inch sweet green or red peppers
Boiling water for blanching
1 pound ground beef
1/4 cup uncooked rice or 1/2 cup cooked rice or bread crumbs
1 onion, grated
1 carrot, grated
1/2 tsp. salt
dash of pepper
2 eggs
water to cover
Sauce
1 cup pomato puree
1/2 cup water
3 T. vinegar or lemon juice
3 T. brown sugar
1/8 tsp. paprika
1/2 cup raisins (optional)
Cut away stem ends of peppers. Remove seeds. Blanch and invert to drain while preparing the meat mixture for filling. Combine all ingredients except water. Mix thoroughly. Stuff pepper compactly and even with the top. Stand upright in a casserole and cover with water. Bake 45 minutes at 350 degrees F. Remove cover and increase to 400 degrees for 15 minutes.
Cook sauce on top of stove, stirring continuously till thick, approximately 10 minutes over moderate heat. Add to the peppers in casserole, turn off heat. The heat of the oven is sufficient to lightly brown the tops of pepper stuffing and cook sauce with liquid in casserole.
Serves 6
Stuffed peppers are called Ardei Implut in Rumania and other Balkan countries.
Six 5-inch sweet green or red peppers
Boiling water for blanching
1 pound ground beef
1/4 cup uncooked rice or 1/2 cup cooked rice or bread crumbs
1 onion, grated
1 carrot, grated
1/2 tsp. salt
dash of pepper
2 eggs
water to cover
Sauce
1 cup pomato puree
1/2 cup water
3 T. vinegar or lemon juice
3 T. brown sugar
1/8 tsp. paprika
1/2 cup raisins (optional)
Cut away stem ends of peppers. Remove seeds. Blanch and invert to drain while preparing the meat mixture for filling. Combine all ingredients except water. Mix thoroughly. Stuff pepper compactly and even with the top. Stand upright in a casserole and cover with water. Bake 45 minutes at 350 degrees F. Remove cover and increase to 400 degrees for 15 minutes.
Cook sauce on top of stove, stirring continuously till thick, approximately 10 minutes over moderate heat. Add to the peppers in casserole, turn off heat. The heat of the oven is sufficient to lightly brown the tops of pepper stuffing and cook sauce with liquid in casserole.
Serves 6
Lemon Chicken
Do you remember the only dish that Deborah Barone (Everyone Loves Raymond) could cook? It was Lemon chicken. Here we have a version of the very popular dish with a slightly different approach. This recipe from Fresh Market uses chardonnay, garlic and herb butter and is served over a bed of Israeli couscous.
4 boneless skinless chicken thighs, pounded to 1/4 inch thickness
salt and pepper to taste
1 T. extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup chardonnay
1/2 lemon, zest and juice
2 T. roasted garlic and herb butter
chopped fresh parsley for garnish, optional
4 cups Isreali or other couscous, prepared according to package directions
Heat a skillet over medium high heat for two minutes. Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper. Add olive oil to skillet and swirl to coat; addd chicken thighs and sear for two minutes on each side to create a light crust. Remove pan from heat and add wine and lemon juice.
Lower heat to medium low.
Return pan to the heat and begin scraping up browned bits as the chicken finishes cooking through, approximately three minutes. Place the chicken on a serving platter. Whisk finishing butter into pan juices to make sauce. Pour sauce over resting chicken and garnish with lemon zest and optional parsley.
Cook couscous according to package instructions and serve chicken over coucous.
* To make herb butter place softened butter on plastic wrap and combine with thyme leaves, mashed garlic, finely chopped rosemary. Push butter to form a roll. Place in refrigerator for an hour. Cut off slices for this recipe; store the rest in the freezer.You can also use FTM Roasting Garlic and Herb Finishing Butter, available in the market.
4 boneless skinless chicken thighs, pounded to 1/4 inch thickness
salt and pepper to taste
1 T. extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup chardonnay
1/2 lemon, zest and juice
2 T. roasted garlic and herb butter
chopped fresh parsley for garnish, optional
4 cups Isreali or other couscous, prepared according to package directions
Heat a skillet over medium high heat for two minutes. Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper. Add olive oil to skillet and swirl to coat; addd chicken thighs and sear for two minutes on each side to create a light crust. Remove pan from heat and add wine and lemon juice.
Lower heat to medium low.
Return pan to the heat and begin scraping up browned bits as the chicken finishes cooking through, approximately three minutes. Place the chicken on a serving platter. Whisk finishing butter into pan juices to make sauce. Pour sauce over resting chicken and garnish with lemon zest and optional parsley.
Cook couscous according to package instructions and serve chicken over coucous.
* To make herb butter place softened butter on plastic wrap and combine with thyme leaves, mashed garlic, finely chopped rosemary. Push butter to form a roll. Place in refrigerator for an hour. Cut off slices for this recipe; store the rest in the freezer.You can also use FTM Roasting Garlic and Herb Finishing Butter, available in the market.
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