Extra Schmaltz!

 Well it's been a mere 5 years, two children, and a pandemic since I posted! Part of what has been stopping me (other than life itself) is that I tried to create a standalone blog at extraschmaltz.com instead of Blogger, but I haven't been able to figure out how to get the technology working like I want it to. The Blogger site lacks the features I want, but at least we know how to use it. Alas... Anyway, here is a true family classic that we have somehow never posted: savory egg kugel. It was a staple growing up vegetarian--protein, fat, and carbs. Easy, fast, and filling. 1 bag wide egg noodles 6 eggs 1/2 stick butter, melted salt and pepper Boil the noodles in well salted water. Beat the eggs and melted butter together. Drain the noodles and let them cool a bit before you mix in the eggs so that they don't immediately cook. Stir the egg mixture into the noodles and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Spray a casserole dish with non-stick spray and dump the mixture into...

 There's a small hole-in-the-wall restaurant on State Street in Madison, Wisconsin called Mediterranean Cafe. They have a combination of a small fixed menu (falafel, shawarma) and daily specials. My absolute favorite daily special was their Chicken Apricot Pie: a delicious casserole-square of creamy bechamel, sweet-tart apricot something, chicken and bulgur, served with yellow rice and a salad. The best part of the cafe is that everything is hot and pre-made, so you often would get your food before you found your table.  I've wanted to re-create this dish for years, but I've been going basically off of decades-old memories and vibes. I've had a Word doc (pre-Google docs ubiquity) going with multiple versions of it. The biggest breakthrough I had was stalking their Yelp page to find pictures of the dish, which helped me realize that it doesn't have a crust, it just has bulgur to soak up excess liquid.  The dish has a few parts: You're mixing cooked chicken with s...

We had this wonderful, hearty dish during a brief stop for lunch in Mulhouse in the Alsace region during our Europe trip this year. Using a recipe from an actual Alsatian, Hubert Keller , we found that our version actually far surpassed the simple fare we had in Mulhouse. The principle of the Baeckeoffe is similar to the Jewish cholent tradition: make a casserole in a earthenware or enameled dish, seal tightly, and allow to cook untouched for several hours (traditionally, by leaving in a baker's oven Friday before sabbath, then retrieve Saturday after sundown, when you are allowed to pick things up again). I opted not to seal the pot with dough because my lid has no vent (see original if you want to try). The heavy cast iron lid provided a plenty good seal. This dish takes some pre-planning because it should marinate overnight, but it is well worth it. Also, amazingly, I was able to find Alsatian Riesling at Total Wine! Protective and delicious layer of potatoes. The fin...

This is not exactly the dish from our childhood, since it's a bit more complex than the "quick, we need some food" version that's in the Melting Pot cookbook. However, the freshly roasted poblano pepper really gives it a lot more flavor than if you use canned chilies, and roasting them really doesn't take that long. I recommend gloves for processing the pepper.   Ingredients 2 poblano peppers (or if you're spiciness adverse, 1 poblano and 1 Anaheim pepper), roasted, skinned, and cut into thin 1-2" long strips 1 can black beans, drained 1/4 onion, minced finely 1 c. grated cheddar (for filling) and 1/2 c. for topping 2 Tbsp. minced cilantro 1/4-1/2 c. salsa (depending on desired juiciness) (Optional) 1 cooked chicken breast, shredded 1-2 tsp. salt Corn tortillas Diced tomatoes for garnish   Instructions Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Whomp together everything except 1/2 c. of cheese, which you'll use for the topping. Check the seas...

Yeah, my pie pretty much owns. Hot water pastry was mentioned in this Leftover Pot-Pie recipe . Inspired by a discussion about baking ratios and receiving some leftover turkey and stock from Thanksgiving, I decided to refine the crust recipe and write it out more explicitly. This crust is more suited to hot savory pies than a regular flaky pie crust, and the hot water technique is much faster than cutting in cold butter. It's traditionally made from lard, but you can use shortening with some butter mixed in. I added a couple of tablespoons of bacon grease for flavor. 1 lb. all-purpose flour 1/2 lb. (scant) fat 1 c. half water, half milk 1 tsp. salt The ratios are essentially 2 flour: 1 fat: 1 liquid, with salt. This recipe makes 1 very large double-crust pie. The dough will be cooked first at 450 for 15 minutes and then, when filled, at 350 for 1 hour. Combine the milk, water, and fat in a saucepan and bring just to a boil. Allow to sit until the fat is fully melted. In a large bow...

So I realize that this is very similar to Lillian's previously posted Lamb Kibbeh Hotdish , however, this it is different enough that I figured it warranted a new entry. The Arabic name actually, literally means, "Meat in a Pan." It's relatively easy, but needs about an hour or more to cook. I originally learned this from Reem, so the credit is due to her, though in Syria you just get the meat pre-spiced from the butcher. You'll need: Potatoes Tomatoes Ground meat Parsley Garlic Arabic spice mix (or equivalent) Ground red pepper Salt Pepper Heat oven to 350. Get out a large iron skillet, or round baking dish with high sides. Skin and cut enough potato to cover the bottom of the pan in a single layer, in 1/4-1/2" slices. Put the potato in the oven while you do the following steps, unless you have a microwave, in which case you can give them a quick zap and then it'll go a bit faster. Mix ground meat with spices to taste. The flavor of the meat is what real...

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...

Kibbeh is a combination of ground lamb and bulghur*, and is eaten throughout the Levant. It can be prepared in countless ways, from raw to deep fried. Here's my version of a baked style, made into a hotdish with potatoes and tomatoes. I have changed and refined this recipe, and it's very similar to Alex's kufta hotdish, the main difference being that this one contains bulgur. Both versions are delicious! Here's what you'll need: 1 lb. ground lamb 3/4 c. bulghur 1 small onion 1/3 c. chopped parsley + extra for garnish 1 medium russet potato, peeled and sliced very thin (1/8") 1-2 tomatoes, sliced thin 3 cloves garlic, crushed 2 Tbsp. salt 2 tsp. black pepper 1/2 tsp. allspice 1/2 tsp. ground cumin 1/2 tsp. cayenne 1 pinch cinnamon pine nuts for garnish (optional) Preheat your oven to 350. Grease a large, flat-bottomed baking dish or cast iron pan. Place the sliced potatoes in the bottom of the pan and place the pan in the oven while preparing the other ingredi...