Extra Schmaltz!

A friend of ours had us over for dinner one night and served us an amazing lentil loaf - it was cooked in a pie pan, and had a nice solid consistency. He claimed it was a British wartime recipe, a meatloaf substitute in a time of scarcity. I kept bugging him for the recipe, but he never ended up giving it to me, and so I decided to just make my own version. It's pretty quick and easy and makes lots of leftovers. Ingredients: 2 cups red lentils Water or chicken broth Oil for cooking 1 medium onion, sliced thinly 8-10 mushrooms, cut into chunks 2 jumbo eggs 1 Tbsp dried marjoram 1 tsp dried oregano 1 tsp dried thyme leaves 1 Tbsp salt (or to taste) Tasty white cheese to garnish (feta or queso fresco) (Weird but tasty: salsa) Preparation: Pre-heat oven to 375. Boil lentils in unsalted water or chicken broth while you prep the veggies - I use about 3 cups liquid, 1 cup chicken broth and 2 cups water, but sometimes have to top it off. You're trying for a thick ...

Some recipes are so elemental that I do not think of including them on this blog. However, our family keeps growing and we must spread the basic cooking knowledge that we Magidows take for granted to the newer members of our flock. Hence, a step-by-step recipe for fluffy mashed potatoes, which Dan has been called upon to supply for his family's Thanksgiving in my absence. There are many ways to make mashed potatoes, but this is my way. This makes a LOT of mashed potatoes. 1 5-lb. bag of russet potatoes 1 stick of salted butter, cut into 1 Tbsp. pieces ~1/4 to 1/3 c. half & half Lawry's seasoned salt Ground white pepper (note to Dan: in the brass pepper grinder) Ground nutmeg (optional) Peel the potatoes. Keep the peeled potatoes in a bowl of water while you are working so that they don't turn brown. Quarter the potatoes--they should be big chunks that can still fit into the potato ricer.  Place into a large pot and fill with cold water until the potatoes a...

This hearty soup can miraculously turn bits and bobs from your winter larder into a satisfying, savory meal. This is one of the few examples of cooking with pickles--don't turn your nose up! Their zingy flavor blends pleasingly into the soup and adds some delightful crunch. The soup is made with a variety of meats, especially cured ones such as ham, smoked turkey, bacon, mild salami...whatever you have on hand. You can also add uncured pork, beef, or chicken. Garnished with capers and jalapenos. Also suggested are: olives, lemon slices, pickled mushrooms, smetana/sour cream. Use 3 lb of a variety of smoked and fresh meats, such as: Cubed pork shoulder Bone-in stew beef cut, such as round or chuck Slab bacon Smoked turkey Ham hock Smoked sausage (Krakovska from Kramarczuks is good for this) 2 medium onions 3 large carrots 1 c. dill pickles, chopped 1 c. frozen green beans (optional) 4 roma tomatoes, or 1 can crushed tomatoes 1/2 c. pickled mushrooms, or fresh mus...