Extra Schmaltz!

This summer standby is traditionally served warm. It doesn't take too many ingredients and it's a reliable crowd-pleaser. I used Yukon golds, but any waxy or semi-waxy potato would work. This recipe makes a moderate amount, and can easily be increased for more people. 2 lbs. waxy potatoes 6 strips thick-cut bacon 6 green onions, sliced thin 1 shallot, minced finely 1/4 c. cider vinegar (or more for zingier salad) 1/4 c. cold water 2-3 tsp. honey or Golden Syrup 2 tsp. whole grain mustard 1-2 tsp. black pepper 2 + tsp. salt Boil the potatoes. For the best texture, boil them whole in their skins. When they're 90% tender, remove from heat and drain. When they cool slightly, hold them in a dishtowel and peel with a paring knife. Cut into large cubes. Meanwhile, cook the bacon until mostly crisp and drain on a paper towel, reserving 2 Tbsp. of the bacon grease. (You can do this all in one skillet if it's large enough and your bacon doesn't crust onto the bottom.) Heat th...

Well, this recipe is totally out of season (much more of a winter thing) but I felt like cooking it, and I had all the ingredients. As with most of my recipes, it does consist of a bunch of stuff smooshed together, with rice on the side, but I do like a chronic state of lack of tupperware and fridgespace, so this is what I'm used to making. It would be good with some vegi item on the side, like steamed broccoli. Also, this is a very, very approximate recipe, and therefore I won't be providing quantities. Sweet Potatoes with Peanut Sauce 2# sweet potatoes, boiled and peeled 1 small onion, diced 1/2 large bell pepper, diced 1-2 jalapeno peppers, to taste, diced 3-4 cloves garlic, minced 3 medium shallots, minced 3 carrots, diced 4-5 tomatoes, diced (optional) tofu or chicken breast, diced 1/4 c. peanut butter 1 tsp. soy sauce 2 Tbls. cilantro 1 tsp fish sauce/Worcester sauce 1 Tbl. curry powder Juice of 1 lemon Chop sweet potatoes into large chunks, then bo...

Here are a couple of components to a Southern style meal. You could accompany these with any number of delicious things, such as cornbread, grits, mac 'n' cheese, sweet potatoes, biscuits and gravy, etc... I like to keep the peas very simple and dress up the greens a bit. Black-Eyed Peas 1 lb. black-eyed peas, soaked overnight and rinsed a few times 1/2 block salt pork, diced (remove rind or see below*) 1 small onion, chopped salt and pepper water In a heavy pot, cook the salt pork until the fat renders and the meat is crisp. This works best if you start over moderate heat and slowly increase it. * One trick for easy removal if you don't want to eat the salt pork later, is to leave the rind intact and cut the pork into segments (like a mango). Then you can pull out one large piece at the end. Once the pork is browned and crisp, add the onion and cook until they are beginning to get crispy and brown. Add the beans and just cover them with water. Add a few grinds of pepper. B...

Another Arabic recipe - Muhammara. This is a dip, much like hummus, and can be served in the same contexts - with bread, carrot sticks, etc. I've adapted it from this recipe with fairly insignificant alterations. Requires a food processor,but otherwise almost entirely brainless. 3 large roasted red peppers (it may be cheaper to buy a jar of roasted red peppers depending on the season). The original recipe recommends roasting them in a cast iron pan in the oven so you can preserve their liquid, which you'll need to keep things juicy. If using the jarred peppers, pour their liquid into the recipe when you add them. 1-1.5 cups walnuts 2 cloves garlic 1 cup bread crumbs 1/3 cup olive oil 1 teaspoon cumin or to taste 1 Tablespoon pomegranate molasses 1 teaspoon salt red chili flakes to taste (this is supposed to be spicy to some degree. This is the main reason we ordered it in Syria, since very little is spicy) Toast walnuts for a couple minutes on medium. During that ...

Looking for a meal that uses some spring greens but can also fortify you through an evening of thunderstorms? I have the soup for you! I'm basically on a quest to Re-Master the Art of Jewish Cooking by Jennie Grossinger (a la Julie Powell's Mastering the Art of French Cooking in Julie/Julia ), but not quite as ambitiously or confessionally as Julie. I intend to haphazardly work my way through the cookbook, updating the recipes for modern palettes and throwing Kosher-ness to the wind. I started this project a while back (though I didn't announce it), so I'll go back and label the recipes: AoJC. I don't intend to hijack the blog with this venture, but I thought I'd let you know why I'm making so many recipes from The AoJC. Carry on posting as usual. Beef Soup with Greens In the AoJC, this recipe is known as flanken soup. Flanken-style short ribs are beef short ribs cut against the bone, similar to what you'd find in a Korean restaurant. More commonly you...

I'm revising this recipe that I wrote back in 2008 to be clearer, a bit easier to follow, and to include some changes I've made in how I make the recipe. This is a heavy dish from Syria, often eaten for breakfast, but still popular for all meals. It's sold in steamy shops that that specialize in anything involving chick peas or fava beans, with big round kettles cooking the beans all day long. These were some of my favorite places to eat out during the cold Syrian winter because they were just so warm and cozy. Ingredients:  1 can chickpeas 1 cup yogurt 1 small lemon juiced (about 1/4 c. lemon juice) ½ tsp salt 1/3 cup tahini 1-2 medium cloves garlic crushed with a dash of salt (traditionally done in a mortar and pestle, but you can do it with a fork on a plate or cutting board) 1/4 cup chickpea juice 1 loaf pita bread, toasted and broken into chunks, or cut into squares and fried 1/4 cup chickpea juice. ¼ cup pine nuts (optional) Preparation:    Th...

Tonight I made two more dishes in my "The Art of Jewish Cooking" by Jennie Grossinger cookbook series. The barley stew was thick and hearty, almost like a congee. I accompanied it with mandlen, or 'soup nuts'--little round crackers. Barley Vegetable Stew I took a few liberties with the original recipe and I'll try to point out where I followed it and where I changed things. I took my time and made a batch of chicken broth first, which I used as the base for this soup and also for the chicken meat (and to have broth on hand). I think this extra step made the final product deliciously complex, so I strongly suggest using your own broth rather than bullion. My first alteration was using a ham shank, because I'm a heretic like that. I think the recipe would still be good without it, or you could use a smoked turkey leg, or hell you could just keep the whole thing vegetarian. I used a leek instead of the original onion, and I think it also added a lot to the soup. ...

It's grill season and I think it's time to post a fantastic marinade recipe from my former roommate JiJY. She brings this sweet, sticky, Asian style marinade from her homeland, Thailand. It can be used on any meat, but is particularly good on fatty pork. I recommend cooking it on the grill, but in a pinch you can use a George Foreman grill or even cook it as a stir-fry. I try to marinate overnight with this recipe, but it's still good if you can only get a few hours in. At some point I'll scan this in, but for the time being you should click on the photo for big: Innit cute, folks? The marinade should be pretty sticky and heavy on the sugar and black pepper. I like to use pork or beef on skewers and serve it with sticky rice and: Thai Quick-Pickled Cucumbers Equal parts: rice vinegar water sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt dash fish sauce (optional) Asian cucumbers, sliced thinly red chile peppers, minced shallots, chopped dry roasted peanuts, ...

I developed this recipe to use up end-of-summer vegetables, such as zucchini and carrots, but it can be made just a deliciously with potatoes alone. Any dense and starchy vegetable will do, including potatoes, carrots, sweet potatoes, parsnips, celeriac, etc... Whatever veggies you choose to use should make 1 1/2 quarts after you grate them, pack them down, and squeeze out the liquid. This recipe can easily be scaled up and is delicious served hot or cold, so I recommend making planned-overs. 1 large zucchini 2-3 potatoes, grated and placed in ice water to prevent oxidation 1-2 carrots, grated 1 small onion, grated 4 eggs 1/2 c. matzo meal 1/2 tsp. baking powder 4 Tbsp. melted butter or schmaltz salt and pepper chopped fresh parsley (optional) paprika (optional) Preheat oven to 350 and grease a 2 qt. casserole. Remove pith and seeds of zucchini, grate, sprinkle with salt, and drain in a colander for 30 min. Squeeze out remaining moisture before using. Grate other veggies and squeeze or...