For some reason, the cheese kreplach has been overshadowed by it’s better known “relation,” the cheese blintz. That is too bad because cheese kreplach are soooo symbolic.Here’s just a few meaning that have been attached to these soft, doughy stuffed triangles. Shavuot is in the third month-that’s when you count from Nissan. The Torah tells … Continue reading
Offal is the British name for animal gut, what we Americans euphemistically call or organ or “variety meats.’ I prefer the British term because it sounds like “awful” which is the opinion most people have of this type of food. Because organ meats are high in fat and cholesterol lots of people won’t touch the … Continue reading
Last week a brick of bright yellow cornmeal sitting on a supermarket shelfl sent me into gastronomic ecstasy. This wasn’t just any cornmeal It was KiTov, a food manufacturer specializing in insect free products. Insects, warehouse beetles, ants, moths and other things that creep are the scourge of the food industry. Nobody wants to eat … Continue reading
In these days of wars and hurricanes there is something imminently comforting about home made bread. I came across this recipe while researching artisanal bread baking online. It is the essence of simplicity, a crusty, moist, open crumb loaf that you can create in minutes. Yes, this is a sourdough recipe .The dough will take hours to … Continue reading
I’m not a gefilte fish lover. I’ve been known to refuse the stuff even when it’s dressed up like a fishy petite four.But gefilte fish isn’t something to sneer at. It is actually a reflection of Jewish culinary genius.Since Shabbos means fish but the Sabbath laws forbid using a utensil to separate the bones from the flesh (you can … Continue reading
While I grew up eating honey cooked carrots every Rosh Hashana, I never realized this was holy food until I read Rabbi Dovid Meisel’s account of the every day life of Rabbi Joel Teitelbaum, the previous Satmar Rebbe. In case you’re unfamiliar with his story, the old Satmar Rebbe walked out of Bergen Belsen alive. … Continue reading
Now I understand why nobody makes Teiglach anymore. You know, Teiglach, that ancient Lithuanian Jewish Rosh Hashana delicacy assembled from hundreds of tiny balls of honey soaked dough. My eyes light up when a recipe is labeled “easy” and “quick.” Teiglach is clearly not this. Teiglach harkens back to a time when women rolled their … Continue reading
If fish could be said to have families, then pickled salmon would rank as gefilte fish’s forgotten sister. Everyone remembers gefilte. The old ground carp has been frozen and jarred even served up in three layers like a petit four. Salmon does star on the foodie pantheon but that’s only when it’s grilled on cedar planks or … Continue reading
Kids don’t think their parents need comfort or comfort foods. Kids, especially really teeny ones don’t think their parents need anything at all-not food or sleep or privacy. But they do. As a battle scarred veteran with 23 years on the front lines of motherhood, I know that Moms sometimes need to scarf down a meal returns … Continue reading
As much as I detest the addiction metaphor , (chochoholic, fashion addict , etc) I can’t find a better way to describe my relationship to sourdough. I’m hooked! Sourdough also known as wild yeast, is of course a magical combination of flour, warm water and a bit of fermented dough . Until commercial yeast became … Continue reading
