Year: 2013

Fourth of July Tartufo

If you’re looking at the screen quizzically wondering what tartufo is, don’t worry. I didn’t know what it was until recently either! A few weeks ago, a few kosher bloggers and I went out to celebrate the anniversary of the Kosher Connection group. It’s a team of kosher food bloggers that joined together to help each other navigate the blogging world. If you follow my blog, you may have noticed our monthly link-up challenges.

We met at Siena’s restaurant in Brooklyn, to celebrate the partnerships and friends we have made over the past year. Siena served us a variety of dishes, sampling their Italian and Mediterranean cuisine. Some of the highlight dishes included their fried zucchini chips with homemade marinara, a medley of fresh salads, ravioli cooked to perfection and a standout tuna steak over white beans and spinach.

For dessert, we were served a tasting of their finest sweets including cheesecake, tiramisu and tartufo. I had to ask the waiter to repeat himself, as I’d never heard of it before. It was a layered ice cream dessert with marachino cherries and vanilla ice cream at the base and pistachio ice cream on top. It was served as a rectangular slice and drizzled with chocolate. The ice cream was delicious, but I couldn’t get over the pretty presentation. After a few hours milling over the tartufo concept (and browsing the internet for every tartufo recipe I could find) – I had a stroke of genius. Why not find blue maraschino cherries, and layer red and white frozen desserts in celebration of Independence day?

I was so excited about my idea that I went straight for the grocery in search of blue maraschino cherries. Little did I know that kosher ones are not that easy to find. So, I did what any idea-obsessed blogger would do…research. I found a kosher company that makes maraschino cherries in a variety of colors and I called them up. I asked where I might find the blue ones in Brooklyn, and they gave me two different locations. I was on it. The next day, I drove out to a shady little store on Coney Island and picked up my loot. I drove straight home, my ice cream already thawing on the counter.

When I uncovered my tartufo the next day, I never imagined it would turn out so pretty. Sure, it wasn’t perfect. The ice cream layers had sunken into each other, and the maraschino cherries peeked out a tad too little. But still. My experiment had worked. Wonderfully. Happy 4th of July!

Fourth of July Tartufo

1 12.5″ x 6.5″ loaf pan (3″ deep)
1 1/2 quarts vanilla ice cream
2 pints red sorbet (strawberry, cherry or watermelon)
1 10oz. jar blue maraschino cherries
1 bar dark chocolate
red, white and blue sprinkles

Method:

Remove the ice cream and sorbet from the freezer and thaw until softened. Drain the maraschino cherries and place on paper towels. Pat dry. Line the loaf pan with parchment paper. Add a thin layer of ice cream to the bottom of the loaf pan. Top with maraschino cherries. Continue to add more ice cream until cherries are covered. Place the loaf pan in the freezer until the ice cream hardens, at least 20 minutes (the longer the better). Top the ice cream with a layer of sorbet (about 1 1/2 cups). Return the loaf pan to the freezer so the layer can harden and set. Continue layering the ice cream and sorbet into the loaf pan, freezing in between each layer (this keeps the layers from sinking into each other). Once you have reached the top of the loaf pan, cover with plastic wrap and/or foil and freeze overnight.

In a double boiler, melt the chocolate. Turn the loaf pan upside down onto a serving platter and remove parchment paper. Drizzle chocolate over the ice cream loaf and top with sprinkles.

If desired, you may drizzle each individual slice with additional chocolate and sprinkles.

Serve immediately.

Yields: 10-12 servings.

NOTE: You may halve this recipe and use a smaller loaf pan for a smaller ice cream loaf.

1 year ago: snap pea, corn & red currant salad
2 years ago: grilled chickpea burgers

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3 Ways with Duck Sauce Chicken

Recently, I was given the opportunity to develop some recipes for the Joy of Kosher Gold’s Pure Foods Campaign. Being a huge fan of many of Gold’s products, I was right on board. While Gold’s is mostly known for their horseradish, they actually produce a wide variety of products including their fantastic wasabi sauce, bbq sauce, and my favorite, their amazing collection of duck sauces.

Since Gold’s duck sauce plays such a huge part in my recipes, I decided to do 3 ways with 3 different types of chicken, and 3 different types of Gold’s duck sauce. Fun, right? Gold’s actually makes 4 varieties of duck sauce including sweet & sour, spicy garlic, snappy ginger and hot & spicy. My husband is not a fan of spicy foods, so I knew just which ones to choose.

In the following post, you’ll find recipes for:

>Chicken wings, using snappy ginger duck sauce
>Chicken breasts, using sweet & sour duck sauce
>Whole chicken quarters, using spicy garlic duck sauce

I hope you enjoy my 3 ways with chicken and 3 different duck sauce varieties. Check out more Gold’s recipes on Joy of Kosher.

STICKY GINGER CHICKEN WINGS

For my first recipe, I decided to do a sticky ginger chicken wing recipe. This makes use of Gold’s delicious Polynesian style ginger duck sauce and brightens up the flavors with fresh ginger, garlic and soy sauce. If you’ve never tried fine shreds of fresh ginger in a sauce, you’re in for a huge surprise. Finely julienned threads of ginger, practically melt into the sauce, giving it a bright and refreshing finish.


First, I sear the chicken wings in sesame oil with a light ginger-scented coating. I saute some finely julienne fresh ginger and minced garlic, adding snappy ginger duck sauce, chicken stock and soy sauce, to create a delicious sticky coating. I bake the chicken wings with the ginger glaze until crisped around the edges. These chicken wings make for the perfect appetizer at your next dinner party!


For the complete Sticky Ginger Chicken Wings recipe using Gold’s Polynesian-style snappy ginger duck sauce, visit this post on the Joy of Kosher website.

SWEET & SOUR PINEAPPLE CHICKEN

For my next recipe, I decided to do a take on a classic Chinese dish – sweet and sour chicken. Growing up, my mom would often fry up shnitzel for dinner, always serving it alongside a bowl of Gold’s sweet & sour duck sauce for dipping. When I got older, and started eating out, I was shocked to find that all people did not eat their shnitzel that way! As an ode to my childhood, I prepared this dish shnitzel style, instead of in little nuggets. It saves you on frying (and calories!)

I started off this recipe with classic Chinese takeout food in mind, and I couldn’t believe just how close it came to the real thing. This dish tastes like a perfect cross between sesame and sweet & sour chicken. I started off sauteing some onion, pepper and pineapple chunks until tender. I fried up the shnitzel in a crispy tempura batter, and prepared a sauce with Gold’s Cantonese-style sweet & sour duck sauce, ketchup, brown sugar and pineapple juice.


For the complete Sweet & Sour Pineapple Shnitzel recipe using Gold’s Cantonese-style sweet & sour duck sauce, visit this post on the Joy of Kosher website.

SPICY GARLIC CHICKEN

Finally, for our last recipe, I’m bringing up a not-so-old recipe for spicy garlic chicken using Gold’s Oriental-style spicy garlic duck sauce. This recipe went viral on Pinterest (4500+ repins), when a famous Pinterest user repinned the recipe here. It has become my blog’s most popular recipe, and you’ll see why when you revisit the recipe here.

What is your favorite recipe using Gold’s duck sauce? Share it with me in the comments below!

Watermelon Limeade

There’s nothing like an ice cold cup of lemon or limeade to cool you off on a hot summer’s day. Summer, or winter, I’m a huge fan of citrus drinks, but all too often, I find that they are overly sweet. This lightly sweetened watermelon-limeade is reminiscent of agua fresca, a refreshing fruit-infused water drink popularized in Mexico . Aqua fresca is a terrific thirst quencher for summer picnics and barbeques.

For as long as I can remember, I’ve been wanting to set up a lemonade stand for my kids. So when I was testing this recipe for the blog, I knew just  what to do with my pitcher full of limeade. My girls couldn’t be more excited about their reenactment of one of their favorite books “Pinkalicious and The Pink Drink,” while my son stood by asking for continuous refills. I set my kids to work designing a sign for our table (isn’t it adorable?!) while I put together all the necessities. Since we used tiny little cups, we set our price at just 5 cents, a total steal for today’s economy!

We live on a very quiet block, with not much foot traffic, so my little ones grew increasingly sad as they waited for someone, ANYONE to buy a cup. With construction going on directly across the street, we were lucky enough to have the contractor buy a round for all of his workers. He generously gave my kids more than 20 cups worth of pay. After that, traffic picked up and thanks to the generosity of strangers and friends my elated children netted $6.51. That’s a whole lot of profit when you’re asking for a meager 5 cents a cup.

I’ll never forget the excitement and smiles on the faces of my children, and the pride they showed in their first business venture. Our pink lemonade wasn’t just a thirst-quencher. For two little girls in Brooklyn, it made a favorite book come alive and wishes and dreams come true.

Watermelon Limeade

1/4 watermelon, or 3.5 lbs
3 cups water
1/4 c sugar dissolved in 1/2 c boiling hot water
juice of 2 limes
2 limes, sliced
ice cubes
sliced limes, for garnish

Method:

Peel and chop watermelon Add the watermelon to a food processor and blend until completely smooth. Pour the watermelon juice through a fine mesh sieve or cheesecloth, squeezing to release all the juice. Discard watermelon pulp. Bring 1/2 cup water to a boil and add 1/4 cup sugar. Mix until sugar is completely dissolved and set aside to cool. Add the watermelon juice, water, cooled sugar syrup, lime juice, sliced limes and ice cubes to a pitcher. Pour into glasses and garnish with sliced limes.

TIP: If you don’t have a citrus squeezer, see my kitchen tips for a great way to juice your limes!

1 year ago: smores chocolate toffee bark
2 years ago: salad nicoise

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Portobello Burgers with Sundried Tomato Aioli


When Dena from Chai & Home contacted me about a collaboration between Jewish bloggers to celebrate summer recipes, I was more than happy to join the team. I love the opportunity to work with and promote other bloggers, especially those that share the same traditions and customs as me. “A Very Jewish Summer Week” has been underway since Monday, with fun and exciting posts ranging from tablescapes to summer camp packages.

You can join in on the fun, by visiting the following blog posts:

Monday: Evoking Childhood Shabbat Memories on YentaMamas
Tuesday: Shabbat Style: Alfresco Orange Tablescape on Chai&Home
Wednesday: Summer Camp Care Packages on MadeByMamaleh
Thursday:  Grilled Portobello Burgers with Sundried Tomato Aioli by ME ;)
Friday: Ceviche & Champagne on Bisstyle. English translation here.

When I thought about what kind of recipe to post as part of a weeklong summerfest, I just knew it had to involve grilling. It doesn’t hurt that my newly purchased grill pan was waiting to be broken into! Well what better way to celebrate “A Very Jewish Summer Week” than with the  quintessential American summer food – burgers. Burgers, especially grilled ones on the BBQ, are a summer staple in our culture. When you think of summer BBQ’s – burgers and hot dogs are the very first things that come to mind. They cook up rather quickly on a hot grill, and paired with some fresh lettuce, tomato and onion, make the perfect summertime meal.

The only problem with featuring an authentic burger on “A Very Jewish Summer Week” is that as an observant Jew who keeps kosher, cheeseburgers are a no-no (we don’t eat milk and meat together). I’ve never been to McDonalds or Burger King, and I’ve never tried a slice of melted cheese on a beef patty.

So what’s a kosher blogger to do? I decided to celebrate both my Jewishness, and the joy of Summer BBQing with something even better. A grilled portobello burger with all the fixings. With the Nine Days (a period of mourning in which observant Jews abstain from eating meat). soon approaching, we’ll be thankful for this delicious vegetarian take on a summer classic!

Now, back why you’re all here. The burger. I decided on a portobello mushroom cheeseburger because thick and meaty portobellos are the perfect stand-in for beef in a vegetarian sandwich. They also lend themselves really well to grilling. To take this vegetarian burger over the top, I topped it off with some sundried tomato aioli, the perfect complement to grilled mushrooms. The addition of mozzarella cheese, beefsteak tomatoes, bitter arugula and red onions leaves nothing behind. One bite of this heavenly sandwich and you’ll forget what meat burgers are all about!

UPDATE 10/2/13: This recipe won 2nd place in The Mushroom Channel’s Swap It or Top It Contest. To watch me make the burger for News 12 Brooklyn, click here.

Grilled Portobello Burgers with Sundried Tomato Aioli

portobello mushrooms
olive oil
salt & pepper, to taste
mozzarella cheese
arugula
beefsteak tomato
red onion
burger bun
sundried tomato aioli, recipe follows

Method:

Heat up your grill pan until it’s nice and hot. Lightly clean the mushrooms and brush with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Grill for approximately 5 minutes per side. While the mushroom is still on the grill, top with slice of mozzarella cheese.

If desired, toast the burger bun on the grill. Top with sundried tomato aioli, arugula, portobello mushroom with cheese, tomato & red onion.

VARIATION: For added flavor, you may marinate the mushrooms for several hours in some Italian dressing, garlic-infused olive oil, or any marinade of your choice.

Sundried Tomato Aioli

1/2 cup mayo
3 sundried tomatoes packed in olive oil
1 tbsp olive oil from sundried tomato jar
1 clove garlic
juice of 1/2 lemon
s&p to taste

Method:

Add all ingredients to a blender or food processor and puree until smooth.

1 year ago: kid-friendly dirty rice
2 years ago: easy strawberry shortcake

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Moscato, Honey & Vanilla Poached Apricots


When the Kosher Connection team (a group of Kosher Food Bloggers that I belong to) decided on the theme of “cold soups” for this month’s Link-Up challenge, I was thrilled. I had made these poached apricots a few times already, and I knew I just had to share them. Granted, poached apricots in moscato, honey & vanilla bean syrup is a bit of a stretch for a soup, but I think we’re covered. Cold fruit soups are all the rage in the summer, and this elegant take on a fruit soup is the perfect way to celebrate apricots – summer’s sweet and tart bounty.


Fresh apricots are available from mid-June to mid-July and are best tree-ripened (it doesn’t ripen after it’s picked). Try to find them at your nearest farmers’ market for optimum flavor. Apricots should be purchased ripe or slightly under-ripe, yielding slightly to gentle touch.


Poaching is one of the best ways to prepare apricots, but they can also be grilled. The addition of honey helps to balance out the apricot’s tartness. Vanilla bean and Moscato wine add an amazing depth of flavor that complements the apricots perfectly. The syrup is so unique and flavorful, you’ll want to drink a cupful all by itself!

What is your favorite way to prepare apricots? Share your ideas with me in the comments below.

For more great cold soup recipes, check out the Kosher Connection Cold Soup Link-Up Challenge below! You can also view my recipe for cold strawberry rhubarb soup here.

Moscato, Honey & Vanilla Bean Poached Apricot

10 fresh apricots
2 cups Moscato wine
1 cup water
1/2 heaping cup honey
1/2 vanilla bean
juice of 1/2 lemon

Method:

Cut apricots in half and remove pits. Scrape the seeds off the vanilla bean and place the seeds and the bean in a pot. Add moscato, water, honey, and lemon juice. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring to make sure the honey and vanilla bean seeds are incorporated throughout. Add the apricots and reduce to a simmer. Cook for approximately 5 minutes (depending on ripeness) until apricots are fork-tender. Using a slotted spoon, carefully remove the apricots from the pot. Bring the sauce to a boil and cook over high heat until it is thick and syrupy (reduced by half). Set the apricots and syrup aside to cool. Add to a jar and refrigerate until chilled. Serve with frozen yogurt and chopped nuts.

NOTE: If desired, you may gently remove the skins of the apricots after poaching. I prefer to leave them on as they are quite thin and don’t bother me.

VARIATION: To make apricot sauce, do not remove the apricots from the sauce. Instead, let the apricots continue to cook until they fall apart and the sauce begins to thicken. If you prefer to peel the apricots for the sauce, poach for a few minutes, remove and carefully take off the skins. Return to the pot and continue to cook until apricots fall apart and sauce thickens.  Serve over ice cream or yogurt.

1 year ago: shlishkes
2 years ago: tuna salad with a twist

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