Ever since I can remember my dad, aunt and other friends and family gather in early December to make the fig cookies. Usually it is preceded by weeks of my mom suggesting to my dad that he make a 1/2 batch and him stubbornly trudging ahead as planned. The fig cookies aren't something everyone can appreciate, but they seem to be getting better and better each year. The filling is a mixture of dried figs, dates, citron, those other red and green fruit things (whatever they are) that you find in fruit cake, chocolate and other spices. Every year seems to be a new variation based on what is available and what is going through my dad's head at the time.
He usually starts a week or two in advance of cookie day grinding all of the ingredients in a food grinder and letting them sit in the fridge so the flavors can meld. Then on cookie day everyone has their task and the cookies, which would be an enormous job for one, is done in a matter of an hour or two.
I'm not going to bother posting the recipe, but here are some photos of the family at work.
Dad rolling the dough. I apprenticed in the roller position this year.
Franko and Aunt Toni. Joe. Franko would fill the dough and Toni and Joe would seal it and cut it.
A few years ago my sister took a tamle cooking class and gathered my brother and I to make our own tamales. So, for the third year in a row we have made tamales together. It's a lot of work, but so worth it! Here are the favorites...
Tamales with Green Chile and Cheese
Ingredients:
Filling
1 lb Monterey Jack cheese, cut in 2x ¼ inch sticks
4 Pasilla or poblano chiles, roasted, seeded
and sliced
Batter
1 cup lard (Manteca) or vegetable shortening, slightly softened
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 lbs corn masa (4 cups of masa preparada)
11/3 cup chicken broth
Corn husks (soaked in warm water for several hours until pliable)
Batter:
With an electric mixer on medium high speed, beat the lard with salt and the baking powder until light in texture, about one minute.Continue beating as you add the masa to the lard.Reduce the speed to medium low and add broth.Continue beating for another minute or so, until a half teaspoon dollop of the batter floats in a cup of cold water.Add additional broth if necessary.
Cornhusks:
Lay out a large, lightly dried cornhusk with the tapering end toward you.Spread 3 Tbs of dough into about a 4-inch square, add a stick of cheese along with chilies to the center and pick up the two long sides of the cornhusk and bring them together.Fold up the empty section of the husk along the bottom.
Steaming:
When all of the tamales are in the steamer, cover them with a layer of leftover husks, and fill any openspaces with foil to keep the tamales secure.Set the lid in place and steam over a constant heat for the about one hour.Make sure the water doesn’t boil away, add boiling water to the pot when necessary.
Tamales are done with the husk peels away easily.Let tamales stand in the steamer off heat for a few minutes to firm up.
Makes 3 dozen tamales
Tamales with Black Beans in Banana Leaves
Ingredients:
Filling
½ bunch of cilantro
1 cup chicken broth
2 tsp salt
4 Tbs vegetable oil
2 large onions (chopped)
4 gloves of garlic (minced)
1 tsp oregano
½ tsp cumin
4 15 oz can black beans
Salt and pepper
Batter
1 cup lard (Manteca or shortening)
2 lbs masa (4 cups preparada)
1 1/3 cup chicken broth, cooled
3 lbs Banana leaves
Twine
Banana Leaves:
Unfold the banana leaves and cut off the long, hard sides of the leaves along the central vein.Look for holes or rips, then cut leaves into unbroken 8 inch segments (you will need 36).Either steam the segments for 20 minutes or one at a time, run them over an open flame or hot electric burner until soft and glossy.
Filling:
Heat a medium-large saucepan over medium-high heat.Add the vegetable oil and heat until barely smoking.Add the onion to the pan and cook until it is translucent and soft.Add the garlic, oregano, cumin and cook for another minute.Add the beans to the pan and simmer until tender.Mash the beans with the remaining broth until they are soft, not soupy.Season with salt to taste.
Batter:
With an electric mixer on medium high speed, beat the lard until smooth.Continue beating as you add the masa in three additions or more.In a blender puree the cilantro with 1 cup of broth, then slowly pour it into the masa mixture, beating all the while.Beat in enough additional broth to give the mixture of soft, not runny, batter; it should softly hold its shape in a spoon.Season with salt, about 2 scant teaspoons, depending on the saltiness of the broth.
Forming and Steaming the tamales:
Lay a leaf so the long side is horizontal, and smear a scan ¼ cup of batter into a 4x4 inch rectangle.Spoon about 2 tbs of beans over the batter.Fold the right third of the leaf over the middle third, then fold over the uncovered third of the leaf.Fold the ends in at roughly the point where the batter begins and tie with twine.Lay folded side down into a steamer lined with the remaining banana leaves.Cover and steam over medium heat for 1 to 1 ¼ hours.Let the steamer stand off heat for a few minutes—if the leaves peel off easily, they are done.
Makes 4 dozen tamales
Tamales with Chicken and Red Chiles
Ingredients:
Filling
8 medium dried guajillo chiles, stemmed,
seeded and torn into several pieces
8 garlic cloves
1 tsp black pepper
½ tsp ground cumin
3 lbs chicken breast, boneless and skinless
Salt
Olive oil
Batter
2 ½ cups lard (Manteca)
or vegetable shortening, slightly softened
3 tsp baking powder
4 tsp salt
4 lbs corn masa (8 cups of masa preparada)
2 2/3 cup chicken broth
Corn husks (soaked in warm water for several hours until pliable)
Filling:
Heat olive oil in a large saucepan.Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper and pan fry until cooked.Shred the chicken.In a blender or food processor combine the chiles, garlic, pepper and cumin.Add 2 cups of chicken stock and blend to a smooth puree.Pour into the saucepan and add the shredded chicken plus 1 teaspoon of salt.Simmer uncovered for one hour stirring regularly—may want to add more liquid if needed.Once the liquids have reduced, remove and cool.I find the flavor is better if you make it the day before and let it sit in the refrigerator overnight.
Batter:
With an electric mixer on medium high speed, beat the lard with 4 tsp salt and the baking powder until light in texture, about one minute.Continue beating as you add the masa in three additions or more.Reduce the speed to medium low and add 2 cups of broth.Continue beating for another minute or so, until a half teaspoon dollop of the batter floats in a cup of cold water.Add additional broth if necessary.
Cornhusks:
Lay out a large, lightly dried cornhusk with the tapering end toward you.Spread 3 Tbs of dough into about a 4-inch square, spoon the filling down the center and pick up the two long sides of the cornhusk and bring them together.Fold up the empty section of the husk along the bottom.
Steaming:
When all of the tamales are in the steamer, cover them with a layer of leftover husks, and fill any openspaces with foil to keep the tamales secure.Set the lid in place and steam over a constant heat for the about one hour.Make sure the water doesn’t boil away, add boiling water to the pot when necessary.
Tamales are done with the husk peels away easily.Let tamales stand in the steamer off heat for a few minutes to firm up.
I have never really canned anything before. I grew up watching my mom can jars of apricot jam she made from the apricots growing in our back yard, but I never tried it myself. Every year around Thanksgiving our persimmon tree (fuyu) yields an abundance of fruit. We like persimmons, but don't ever really do much with them except eat a few and give a lot away. This year I thought I'd try my hand at a couple of recipes. #1 Persimmon Butter. The canning technique is based off of something I read online. It worked, but I'm not sure if it is the right way to do things or not.
Spiced Persimmon Butter Recipe
Ingredients
3 c Persimmon pulp*
¾ c Apple cider
1 ¼ c Firmly packed brown sugar
1 t Cinnamon
¼ t Ground cloves
¼ t Grated nutmeg
Directions
Combine ingredients in a heavy pot and bring to a boil. Reduce temperature and cook until the mixture is dark and thick. About 30 minutes to and hour, stirring often.
When persimmon butter is close to being ready, fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. place clean jars in the pot and let them boil for a couple of minutes. When you are ready to fill the jars remove them from the hot water and wipe dry with a towel. Pour hot persimmon mixture into the jars leaving about 1/2 inch or more space on top. Wipe rim of jars with a clean damp cloth and seal tightly. Return jars to boiling water and let them boil for 10-12 minutes. Remove from boiling water. Dry jars and check the seal by pressing down. If it moves easily or you hear a popping sound the jar is not sealed. Return butter to the boiling water and try again. I have also found for jars that don't seal the first time around that if you wait for a couple minutes for the jars to cool down a bit and then place them in the refrigerator, the jars will seal.
*For fuyu persimmons that do not pulp easily, peel and chop them and add them to a pot with an inch or so of water. Cover and let the persimmons cook until very soft. Using a slotted spoon place persimmons in a blender and puree until smooth. Add remaining ingredients to the blender or use a hand blender in the pot to incorporate all of the ingredients.
I was challenging a friend who hadn't posted on his blog in a while, em, you know who you are, and he threw my lack of postage (for lack of a better word) on this blog back at me. I've got to confess, I've been doing a lot of cooking lately, but nothing really has stood out as post-worthy. When I browsed my archives for inspiration, I realized that my life has changed so much since I've started. Anyway, I realize that the magic does not need to be made in my kitchen for it to be post-worthy. With that in mind I transition to the subject of this blog - pastrami.
Around Passover I knew I had to find a source for chopped liver. Scott loves it; I don't. And I really didn't want to make it with all of the other things I was doing for our two seders (over 30 people). So I did a little web search for Jewish Deli's in LA to see if anything was nearby and I found Langers. Fortunately it was about a mile from my OB's office, so we made plans to meet my Dad, Sister, Franko (her boyfriend, whose name is really Frank, but there are a high number of Franks in my family - Big Frank, Little Frank, Baby Frank, so Frank has become Franko to avoid confusion) Scott and I decided to meet there for lunch after my appointment. I didn't have high expectations because everyone knows New York has the best Delis. BUT I was very pleasantly surprised. In fact, I found myself thinking fondly of this sandwich: Pastrami and Swiss Cheese with Russian Style Dressing. I only ate half and saved half of it for my mom, but alas the second half kept calling me and I succumbed to it's whispers.
It wasn't until I was in the hospital after Aitan's birth that I had Langers again. This time #19: Pastrami, Swiss Cheese and Coleslaw with Russian Style Dressing. Again, heaven. No regrets about eating the whole thing...after all I had just given birth hadn't I? The third time I had Langer's was for my Dad's birthday. We all met downtown for lunch. I agonized how I was going to avoid eating the whole sandwich...it's just too much of a temptation. Fortunately they have a 1/2 sandwich and soup or salad selection. I definitely wanted to the whole sandwich, though and it was a huge exercise in restraint for me.
I get e-mails from the Jewish Journal and was curious when I saw an article about Jewish Delis. What caught my eye was the claim that LA actually has better Delis than New York. The main reason given was that New York Delis have become tourist traps. Anyway, apparently David Sax talks all about it in his book: “Save the Deli: In Search of Perfect Pastrami, Crusty Rye and the Heart of Jewish Delicatessen,” and he crowns Langer's pastrami as the best pastrami in the world. Well, David, I agree.
I am not going to promise that I will be diligent about posting a family food idea every friday, but I've been thinking about doing something like this for a while. Most moms I know have a hard time coming up with easy, healthy foods for their kids, so, when I have one I'll share it. This week's: Sam I Am Eggs.
Ilan hardly eats. Honestly. He just doesn't have much of an appetite, so it's really important to me to make sure that most of what ends up in his mouth is pretty nutritious. Of course, it doesn't always end up that way and veggies are the hardest thing to get in. One of the things I've been doing lately for breakfast is taking leftover broccoli, asparagus or even fresh spinach and giving it a fine dice and tossing it in with some scrambled eggs. When the eggs are almost done I might add some shredded cheese - whatever I have on hand. Ilan eats it up and the first time I made them he called them Sam I Am Eggs, which I thought was pretty clever.
I LOVE sandwiches. The combination of good bread, lots of veggies, cheese and maybe some meat just always seems to hit the spot for me. So, the other day when we had almost a whole tri-tip left over, I thought about how I would like to eat it and came up with a winner. I had some red peppers that I roasted earlier in the week left over and bought some provalone cheese, tomatoes, red onions that I caramelized, spinach, basil, and garlic mayo to finish it off. YUM!
When I saw the recipe for Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies in the latest issue of Cook's Illustrated I wasn't too interested. My aunt makes pretty good chocolate chip cookies and it was hard for me to imagine a better recipe that was equally simple. As I read the article I was intrigued by their description of toffee flavors in the cookies. When the ladies from MOPS came over for an after-the-kids-go-to-bed cup of coffee, I thought it would be a good opportunity to try this "perfect" cookie recipe.
I must admit that I didn't follow the instructions exactly. I have a tendency to get ahead of myself and assume what the step is before reading...so I browned all of the butter instead of most of it. I think it probably sent the toffee notes over the top, but my "tasters" (em, Erin and Kirsten) seemed pleased none the less and said that the cookies seemed too good to be made at home.
I tried using stoneware and think the result was better on the parchment lined baking sheets. My first batch came out puffy and thick, which I don't like in chocolate chip cookies, so I flattened the dough a little bit for the next couple of batches which resulted in a flatter cookie. These are big, bakery-style cookies, so the recipe doesn't make too many.
Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies Cook's Illustrated Magazine, No. 98; May & June 2009 Makes 16 cookies
1 3/4 C. All-purpose flour 1/2 tsp. Baking Powder 14 Tbsp (1 3/4 stick) Unsalted Butter 1/2 C. Granulated Sugar 3/4 C. Packed Dark Brown Sugar 1 tsp. Salt 2 tsp. Pure Vanilla Extract 1 lg Egg 1 lg. Egg Yolk 1 1/4 Semisweet chocolate chips (preferably Ghirardeli) 3/4 C. Chopped pecans or walnuts, toasted (optional)
Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 Degrees. Line 2 lg. baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk flour and bakind soda together in med. bowl; set aside.
Heat 10 Tbsp. butter in 10-inch skillet over med-high heat until melted, about 2 m inutes. Continue cooking, swirling pan constantly until butter is dark golden brown and has nutty aroma, 1-3 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and using heatproof spatula, transfer browned butter to large heat proof bowl. Stir remaining 4 Tbsp. butter into hot butter until completely melted.
Add both sugars, salt and vanilla to bowl with butter and whisk until fully incorporated. Add egg and yolk and whisk until mixture is smooth with no sugar lumps remaining, about 30 seconds. Let mixture stand 3 minutes, then whisk for 30 seconds. Repeat process of resting and whisking 2 more times until mixture is thick, smooth and shiny. Using rubber spatula or wooden spoon, stir in flour mixture until just combined, about 1 minute. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts (if using), giving dough final stir to ensure no flour pockets remain.
Divide dough into 16 portions, each about 3 Tbsp. (or use #24 cookie scoop). Arrange 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets, 8 dough balls per sheet. (Smaller baking sheets can be used but will require 3 batches).
Bake cookies 1 tray at a time until cookies are golden brown and still puffy, and edges have begun to set but centers are still soft, 10-14 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through baking. Transfer baking sheet to wire rack; cool cookies completely before serving.
In the US these cookies are called Hamentashen (Haman's pockets); in Israel they are Oznei Haman (Haman's Ears). Whatever you call them, these labor-intensive treats are served up at Purim, the feast celebrating God's goodness and the heroism of Esther. Typical flavors include strawberry, apricot, poppyseed and prune, however last year while in Israel we discovered a whole host of middle-eastern flavors that we prefer to the American kind. So, this year I made them with Halvah, Chocolate and the old stand-by Poppyseed. The cookie recipe is good, but it isn't my favorite. Since all my recipe books are in storage I had to make do.
I made a double recipe, which used most of 1 can poppyseed filling (available at Ralphs or any store with a nice Jewish section), almost a whole small tub of nutella, and for the halvah I mixed 1/2 C. Tehina with a little over 1/3 C. honey.
Hamantashen Recipe By Joan Nathan (Jewish Holiday Kitchen) Makes about 36
2/3 cup pareve margarine or butter 1/2 cup sugar 1 egg 1 teaspoon vanilla (I use more) 2 1/2-3 cups sifted unbleached all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder Dash of salt
1. Cream the shortening with sugar. Add egg and continue creaming until smooth.
2. Add the vanilla. Stir in the sifted flour, baking powder, and salt until a ball of dough is formed (a food processor is excellent for this). You may need to add a couple teaspoons of water if dough seems too crumbly.
3. Chill for 2-3 hours, or overnight.
4. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
5. Taking 1/4 of the dough at a time (leaving the rest in the fridge), roll out on a lightly floured board to a thickness of 1/8 inch. Cut circles of dough with a drinking glass or round cookie-cutter. With your finger put water around the rim of the circle. Fill with 1 teaspoon filling and fold into three-cornered cookies. (Press two sides together, and then fold the third side over and press the ends together.)
6. Bake on a well-greased cookie sheet 10-16 minutes, until the tops are golden.
FYI: the dough can get quite crumbly; if it's too hard to work with, add a bit of water, and it should behave. Also, DON'T skip the step of putting water around the edge of the circle. It's the only thing that makes them keep their shape. Enjoy!
I started making Challah bread when Scott and I were first married and bumbled my way through until I finally came to understand yeast! I think as our family grows I will need to start making a couple of loaves of Challah because it seems like there is less an less left-over for french toast the following morning. This recipe is a little combination of methods...I am using the recipe from the CPM newsletter (from ages ago), which called for a bread machine to do all the prep. The hand-made method was learned by trial and error and the braid was taken from Nancy Silverstein, creator of La Brea Bakery. I like the natural look, so I don't do the egg-wash.
⅞ C. Water
3 egg yolks, room temperature
3 C. Bread flour
1 1/2 tsp. Salt
1/4 C. Vegetable oil
⅜ C. sugar
2 tsp. Active dry yeast
1 egg (beaten)
Heat water to 110º. Add yeast and stir to dissolve. (Hint: if your yeast is kept in the refrigerator, try taking it out an hour or so before you bake the bread to let the temperature rise a little)
Combine flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. Make a well in the middle and add the egg yolks, oil and yeast/water mixture. Break the egg yolks and combine them with the liquids. Once eggs are incorporated, combine liquids into the flour mixture. Using dough hook, mix on low until ingredients are combined. Turn mixer to medium-speed and mix for 5 minutes. To do this by hand you will mix ingredients until a dough is formed knead until all ingredients are well incorporated and dough is soft.
Spray large bowl with non-stick spray and place dough in bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place. This can take from 45 minutes to several hours.
Punch down dough and knead slightly. Separate into 6 equal pieces and roll into 12" ropes on floured surface. Join the ropes at one end by pinching tips together.
To begin braid: Bring the fourth rope from the left up to the top left of the other ropes. Lift the rope farthest to the left up to the top right. Bring the rope on the top left down to the center of the 4 ropes below.
For the rest of the braid: Lift the rope to the farthest right up to the top left. Bring the rope on the top right down to the center of the 4 bottom ropes. Bring the rope from the farthest left to the top right. Bring the rope from the top left down to the center of the 4 bottom ropes. When the braid is finished pinch the ends together and tuck under the braid.
Turn oven on to 250º for two minutes, then turn off. Place braided loaf in oven and allow to rise (about 30 minutes). Remove loaf from oven and turn oven on to 350º.
Paint the loaf with the beaten egg and sprinkle with poppy or sesame seeds. Bake at 350º for 25-35 minutes. I use stoneware and it takes my loaf 40 minutes.
The Meyer Lemon is truly one of the world's lost secrets. All the lemony tastes from my childhood are centered on the sweet and tangy fruit of the Meyer Lemon tree in my parents' front yard. Lemonade stands, pies and the unforgettable lemon bar. In my 8 years away from home I have never tasted a lemon bar or lemonade as sweet and tangy as those from Meyer lemon. They are in season and I finally satisfied my eight-year longing for Lemon Bars...the kind that reach back to the sides of your mouth and tickle your senses with their tartness. Crust: 3/4 C. Butter 1 1/2 C. flour 1/2 C. Powdered sugar
Topping: 3 eggs slightly beaten 2 Tbsp. Flour 1 1/2 C. Sugar Juice from 1 lg Meyer lemon (2 small)
Preheat oven to 350. Grease 9x12 baking dish. Mix crust ingredients and press into bottom of the pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until crust is golden. Meanwhile mix egg, lemon juice and sugar. Pour over hot crust and bake an additional 20 minutes or until set. Cool completely Cut into squares and sprinkle with powdered sugar.
