Author: chanie

Spicy Roasted Edamame

I am so excited about this post. And not because of the recipe (even though it is incredibly delicious!). It’s because I finally cracked the code to the mystery of food photography. OK it’s not exactly a mystery, but it was to me. If you’ve been following my blog for a while, you  may have noticed how my photography has been slowly evolving. First, I ordered this book. And then this ebook. Then I took a photography class. And then I listened intently to the talented food photographer Noah Fecks at the Kosher Food Blogger Conference. And finally, finally, I pulled out my tripod from the basement. As if 2 books and a class in photography didn’t stress it enough! I was just too lazy to set up a whole mini “studio” to photograph my dishes. But slowly I’ve been pulling out little things here and there (like my son’s old portacrib mattress that serves as my lightboard!) to form my little space in the corner of my kids playroom. Here’s a peak at my “studio”!

So, now for the food! I absolutely love those spicy wasabi roasted peas that they sell with the nuts in all the drug stores. You know what I’m talking about right? Well I wanted to recreate them at home, so I started playing around with some recipes. And here’s what I learned: wasabi loses it’s potency when heated. That’s right. Once you put wasabi-anything in the oven, it loses it’s flavor and it’s like you added nothing! So, to get that spicy kick, I added Asian hot sauce (sriracha) and sprinkled on wasabi powder once the edamame were browned and toasty. The resulting healthy snack is incredibly addicting. I like the medium spice level but you can adjust the sriracha to make it more or less hot. Roasted edamame beans are best eaten fresh, straight out of the oven!

For more Chinese recipes, check out the kosher connection link-up below!

Spicy Roasted Edamame

1 bag frozen shelled edamame, thawed
1 tbsp canola oil
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp sriracha sauce
1 tbsp wasabi powder, for sprinkling

Method:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a bowl, combine the edamame, oil, soy sauce and sriracha. Spread out on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 25-30 minutes, tossing occasionally.

Remove roasted wasabi beans from the oven and sprinkle with wasabi powder. Eat immediately.

1 year ago: crunchy shriveled green beans
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Remembering Zaidy

While my blog is mostly about food, it’s also so much more than that. My recipes and crafts are an expression of who I am. I could not imagine letting this week go by without sharing with you someone who has had a huge impact on my life and is so near and dear to my heart.

This past Saturday night, on the eighth night of Chanuka, the world lost a special soul. My Zaidy, Rabbi Peretz Hecht, passed away. Zaidy was a 3rd generation American, a real Yankee. Growing up in Williamsburg, he had a serious Brooklyn accent, and commonly used genuine New York slang. He was affectionately called “Daddy” by his children. My grandfather was an extremely hardworking man, but he always found the time to learn Torah. From when I was very young, I remember his dining room table covered in holy books. When Zaidy would learn, he never did so superficially. Each and every sentence was analyzed and questioned. I would watch him sitting with my cousins passionately arguing over every single word in the Gemara. “You gotta fight with the Tosfos!”, he’d say excitedly.

In the late 1960’s, Zaidy opened a printing business, working tirelessly to support his family. When the digital era evolved, his dated printing services were no longer needed, and he went out of business. He returned to his passion for Torah, tutoring Yeshiva boys one on one. Over the years, I’ve met countless bochurim who were lucky enough to learn with my Zaidy. His love, care and understanding touched each and every person he encountered.

My Zaidy was so full of life. He loved to live, and enjoy the good things. Bubby would always try and coax him to eat something healthy, but even in his old age, he would always have his eye on the candy (halva was his favorite!). He had a real passion for music. I’ll never forget when I returned from seminary, my family was in the middle of moving, so I spent the summer months in my grandparents’ home. Each Shabbos, Zaidy and I would sing his favorite tunes. He would sing with all his heart and soul, the melodies rising straight to the heavens. I will forever cherish those moments we shared together.

I never met anyone who could give a bracha like my grandfather. Whenever I went to visit, Zaidy would give me a lengthy blessing. He always got terribly emotional, his voice rising at the end, pleading “Tate zeeseh in himmel, we need Moshiach, let him come already!”

While Zaidy was serious about his learning, he also had the most amazing sense of humor. Whenever he’d get up to speak at family gatherings, he would have everyone laughing until they cried. And then, he would cry. And cry. He just had a way with people, especially young children. They were drawn to his gentle spirit and his smile that could light up a room.

Zaidy was a no-nonsense kind of person. He knew what he meant and he meant what he said. His sincerity was felt by all who knew him. But with all his qualities, humility was Zaidy’s biggest virtue. As a young girl, I remember thinking that my Zaidy was one of the Lamed Vav Tzadikim Nistarim. I was so in awe of his bittul and love for Torah. Over the past few years, Zaidy suffered through a terrible illness that ultimately claimed his life. It is a comfort to know that he is no longer suffering. I have no doubt that his neshama is making it’s journey to the highest realms of Gan Eden.

There is no one like you Zaidy, you will truly be missed! Your legacy lives on in your children and grandchildren. I hope we continue to make you proud!

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Kosher by Design Cooking Coach Review & Giveaway!

When it comes to kosher cookbooks, Susie Fishbein is in a league all her own. Her talent and professionalism shine through in each new edition of Kosher by Design, especially her latest, Cooking Coach. Like all of the cookbooks in the Kosher by Design series, Susie carries through on her theme in an immaculate way. In Kosher by Design Cooking Coach, Fishbein shares recipes, tips and techniques to make anyone a better cook. Each section is prefaced by a Game Plan in which Susie teaches the fundamental principles of cooking. She shares techniques, advice and amazing tips to help guide you in the kitchen. From kitchen equipment and essentials, to an in-depth guide to preparing fish, poultry and meat – there’s something to learn for everyone. As a blogger who is familiar with a lot of cooking techniques, there was still so much for me to take away from this book.

Besides for the delectable recipes and beautiful pictures, something else I loved about KBD Cooking Coach is the Playbook. In it, Susie gives you ideas for revamping leftovers of some of her dishes. Or as she likes to call it, reincarnating food. Each recipe and idea in the playbook is as good as it’s original. My only issue with this section (and with the whole book, really) is that I wish the reincarnated recipes were printed beneath their originals, instead of in their own section. It makes it a tad bit confusing.

Not surprisingly, Fishbein does not dissapoint with the well-composed recipes in this book. Some of the dishes I look forward to trying include tomato tarte tatin, Jerusalem artichoke soup, strawberry-goat cheese salad, blueberry and fig glazed duck breasts, cornish hen in port & chocolate sauce, pretzel-crusted lamb chops, fall harvest silver tip roast, sole with peach-basil reduction, butternut squash broken lasagna, silan-roasted sweet potatoes & leeks, gooey walnut brownie pie, and almond thumbprint cookies.

I was lucky enough to be invited to the launch of KBD Cooking Coach at Pomegranate Supermarket back in October. Susie conducted a cooking demo in which she prepared the following turkey taco eggrolls. She also shared her great ideas for reincarnating extra turkey filling into stuffed portobello mushroom caps or into marinara sauce for pasta. We were all served a sample of each dish and they were so incredibly delicious, I knew I had to share them with you!

In the spirit of Chanukah, Busy In Brooklyn is giving away a copy of Kosher by Design Cooking Coach! To enter the giveaway, help your favorite blog win the FriendsEat 2012 Best Food Blogger contest by voting. Simply visit the BIB page on FriendsEat, login with your facebook account and click the “love” button. Then, leave a comment below letting me know you’ve voted. For a bonus entry, ask your friends to vote too by posting it on your facebook status. Winner will be chosen at random at 9:00 AM Tuesday, December 18th.

Helene’s Turkey Taco Eggrolls
reprinted with permission from Kosher by Design Cooking Coach, Artscroll Publications
yields 16 eggrolls

2 tablespoons canola oil
1 pound dark meat ground turkey
1 (1.25-ounce) packet Ortega taco seasoning mix
3⁄4 cup water
5 ounces (½ of a 10-ounce box) frozen spinach, completely defrosted
1 (1-pound) package eggroll wrappers; I like Nasoya brand
1 large egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash
canola oil, for frying
bottled taco sauce or hot sauce for dipping

1. Heat 2 tablespoons canola oil in a large (12-14-inch) skillet over medium-high heat. Add the turkey, breaking up the chunks with a wooden spoon. Cook for 2-3 minutes until no longer pink and just starting to brown. Add the taco seasoning packet and the water. Bring to a simmer.
2. Squeeze all the liquid out of the 5 ounces of spinach. Add spinach to the pan and cook for 5 minutes longer. Stir to distribute the spinach. Cook until all liquid is cooked out. Remove from heat. Cool completely or the eggrolls will be soggy.
3. Arrange an eggroll wrapper on your cutting board facing you like a diamond. Brush the eggwash along the edges of the wrapper. Place 2 tablespoons of filling horizontally in the middle of the eggroll, form into a 4-inch log. Fold the bottom corner over the filling toward the top corner. Fold the two sides in toward the center. It should now look like an envelope. Roll firmly toward the top corner, making a roll 4 inches wide. Be careful not to tear wrapper, and seal the final edge with a brushing of the egg wash. Set aside, seam-side-down. Continue with remaining filling and wrappers.
4. In a deep fryer or in a medium pot, heat canola oil to 355°F. If using a pot, oil should to be deep enough to keep eggrolls from touching bottom of pan, at least 3 inches of oil. Fry eggrolls in batches, about 2-3 minutes until golden brown, turning occasionally; don’t crowd the pot. Drain on paper towels. Serve with taco sauce.

Playbook Recipes:

Make a double batch of the filling. It freezes beautifully up to a month. When you are ready to use, defrost it and mix with 1/4 cup jarred marinara sauce to make stuffed portobello mushroom caps. Bake at 350 degrees until the mushrooms are soft and the filling is warmed, about 20 minutes. You can also add an additional 1/2 cup marinara and serve over freshly cooked pasta.

1 year ago: sea bass en papillote
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Gluten Free Butternut Squash Latkes

Latkes. We can’t seem to get enough of their crispy, fried goodness! I don’t know about you, but I can eat latkes all Chanukah long. As long as I switch up the flavors, I’m good. Butternut squash latkes has become a family favorite in our home. They’re light, mildly sweet, and lend themselves well to all sorts of seasonings. We like them best straight up – good old butternut squash, onion, egg and some simple salt seasoning, but feel free to spruce them up with curry, paprika, cumin, or your favorites.

Because I prefer to prepare these gluten free latkes with simple flavors, I spice up the garnishes instead. Ginger applesauce and curried sour cream are the perfect complements to the butternut squash. Top them off with some scallions for latke perfection on a plate.

What are some of your favorite latke varieties? I’d love to hear! Share them in the comments below!

Butternut Squash Latkes

1 2 lb. butternut squash, peeled and grated (about 6 cups)
1 medium onion, grated (about 1 cup)
3 eggs
salt and pepper, to taste
oil, for frying
ginger applesauce, for garnish (recipe below)
curried sour cream, for garnish (recipe below)
scallions, for garnish

Method:

Add grated squash, onion, eggs, salt and pepper to a bowl and mix well. Heat up oil in a frying pan and place spoonfuls of mixture into hot oil. Fry until golden and crispy on each side. Serve with applesauce and sour cream.

NOTE: If the mixture starts to get wet and soggy, use gloves to form patties and squeeze out moisture before frying.

Ginger Applesauce

8 honeycrisp apples, peeled, cored and cut into chunks
1 cup apple juice or water
juice of 1 lemon
1 2″ piece fresh ginger, peeled
2 cinnamon sticks
3-4 tbsp honey or maple syrup

Method:

Add all ingredients to a pot and bring to a boil. Cover the pot and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove ginger and serve.

NOTE: If you find the applesauce too chunky, mash it with a fork.

Curried Sour Cream

1 cup sour cream
2 tbsp honey
1 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp curry powder

Method:

Add all ingredients to a bowl and mix to incorporate. Serve over latkes with applesauce.

1 year ago: cheese latkes with raspberry sauce
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Chocolate Olive Oil Crinkle Gelt Cookies

I don’t think I’ve ever been so excited about a post before. I mean, have you seen these cookies? If you think they look gorgeous in the picture, JUST. WAIT. TILL. YOU. MAKE. THEM.

My excitement over baked goods needs some explaining, I know. You see, as I’ve mentioned many times on my blog, I’m not the biggest baker. But I had this epiphany one night. I was thinking about crinkle cookies, and how you get those beautiful cracks in the cookie when it bakes. Traditionally, crinkle cookies are rolled in confectionary sugar, so they result in a beautiful zebra-like design. I figured, if I spray the cookies with edible gold spray paint, they’ll kind of look like a crumpled up foil wrapper from those chocolate Chanukah gelt coins. Am I right?

I thought about this one night last week and I was so excited, I couldn’t sleep. First thing the next morning, I ran to the store to collect my ingredients. My friends over at Colavita had recently sent me a few samples of their amazing olive oil, and I knew I had to incorporate it into the recipe. After all, isn’t it the miracle of olive oil that we celebrate on Chanukah? Luckily, Colavita included their 100% GREEK olive oil, and that just put it over the top. Olive oil and chocolate make a wonderful combination, so I set out developing a recipe for fudgy and delicious crinkle cookies. A few hours and a messy kitchen later, I hit the jackpot. To intensify the chocolate flavor without having to melt down chocolate over a double-boiler (I’m always looking for the easy way out, aren’t I?), I added some coffee and used dutch process cocoa powder. The result is a chewy, intensely-flavored chocolate cookie that’s reminiscent of brownies, but oh so much prettier!

To round out my Hanukkah cookie theme, I topped the cookies off with some real chocolate gelt coins. They’ve gone a long way since the waxy variety that used to be available. Nowadays, some of the chocolate gelt is made from real Belgian dark chocolate. So tell me, does it get any better than fudgy chocolate cookies topped with real dark chocolate?

In my special kosher package from Colavita, I received 4 bottles of their amazing premium world selection first cold pressed extra virgin olive oils, including:

Colavita 100% Argentinian Fruity
Colavita 100% Greek Classic
Colavita 100% Californian Mild
Colavita Private Selection 100% Italian

To celebrate Chanukah and these delicious cookies, Colavita is giving away free olive oil samples to one of my readers!

To enter the giveaway, and to get into the Hanukkah spirit, leave a comment letting me know your favorite deep fried foods! Also, if you don’t already follow me on facebook, like the BIB page here. Winner will be chosen at random at 11:00 PM Wednesday, December 12th.

Colavita is also generously offering a 25% discount to all my readers in honor of Hanukkah. Use coupon code BIB25 at checkout. Off expires 1/31/13.

Chanukah Greek Olive Oil Crinkle Cookies

2 cups flour
1 cup dutch process cocoa powder
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cup Colavita 100% Greek olive oil
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2 tsp instant coffee dissolved in 1/4 cup water
Wilton gold color mist food spray
chocolate Chanukah gelt coins

Method:

In a bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, combine the olive oil, sugar, eggs, vanilla, and coffee. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir well to combine. If any lumps remain, stir the mixture with a hand-mixer until all the ingredients are well incorporated. Place the dough in the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight.

Roll 1 heaping tablespoon of batter into a ball and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Make sure to roll the batter quickly (otherwise the heat of your hands will make it sticky). Repeat with remaining batter.

Spray the cookies with gold spray paint and bake at 350 degrees for approximately 12 minutes. Set aside to cool.

While the cookies are still a little warm (but not too hot that they will melt the chocolate), press chocolate coins into the center of each cookie.

VARIATION: Spray the cookies with silver color mist and top with milk chocolate coins. If you prefer not to use color mist, you can roll the cookies in turbinado or powdered sugar instead.

NOTE: If you do not have Colavita 100% Greek olive oil, you may substitute with any other olive oil.

YIELDS: 3 dozen cookies


1 year ago: chanukah cookies
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