Category: Dessert

Bitayavon Magazine Review + Sample Recipe + Subscription Giveaway!

Busy in Brooklyn is giving away a ONE YEAR SUBSCRIPTION to Bitayavon Magazine. For a chance to win, “like” our facebook fan page (click the “become a fan” button on the side of the blog or go to www.facebook.com/busyinbrooklyn to get to our fan page). A winner will be chosen on Sunday, April 17th.

If you love cookbooks as much as I do, you probably love cooking magazines too. Cooking magazines, to me, are like mini cookbooks, with a lot more advice and interesting food-for-thought (pun intended!). And so back in the day, when eBay used to offer magazine subscriptions for next to nothing, I subscribed to a LOT of them. Here’s the problem (besides for the fact that I had piles and piles of cooking magazines) – every page you turn to has another mouth-watering photo that you just have to make. Then you look at the recipe and either it has meat seared in butter, or it’s loaded with nonkosher unmentionables. And so, after admiring the food photography of loads of magazines, I let the subscriptions run their course and I didn’t renew a single one.

Imagine my excitement when I heard about the new kosher magazine, Bitayavon. I was first in line for their premiere issue back in February, and I couldn’t wait for their spring edition. The premiere issue was full of exciting recipes, articles and tips. The spring issue shines even more, with brighter pictures and even better recipes (yes, even, and especially, the Pesach ones). You’ll find a nice mix of simple fare for the on-the-go cook, and more advanced recipes for the gourmand.

The Pesach issue boasts over 70 recipes and tips. It starts off with protein-packed family dinners like Quinoa israeli salad and Bran Flake crusted turkey breasts. The “Going Gourmet” section is chock-full of original gourmet sandwich ideas such as Banh Mi, a Vietnamese recipe that uses leftover roast chicken as well as a Tiramisu sandwich using store-bought sponge cake. The recipes are paired with mouth-watering photos as well as additional winning recipes from the sandwich contest that was introduced in the previous issue.

The magazine continues with a twist on traditional recipes such as “gefilte fish crab cakes” and an “eggplant deli roll”. These deconstructed recipes are creative and simple enough for the novice cook. It’s Pesach section runs the gamut of fish, salads, meat/poultry, sides and desserts. Each recipe is clear with numbered instructions. You will find original preparations such as salt encrusted sea bass, as well as chicken noodles, all paired with an apropo wine.

Rounding out the issue are articles on kashrus, the kosher challenge abroad, seasonal recipes, an interview with a chef and a look at a cookbook, among others. The magazine is well thought out, with interesting topics and an all-encompassing menu (both in the articles and recipes) for the kosher consumer.

I guess I will be subscribing to a food magazine after all. This time, only one.

Bitayavon!

Thanks to Bitayavon Magazine for sponsoring the subscription.
Photos & Recipe courtesy of Bitayavon magazine.

{UPDATE added April 17th, 2011: Mashi Laufer of Brooklyn, NY has won the Busy in Brooklyn subscription giveaway! Congratulations Mashi and Chag Kasher Vesameach!}

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Perfect Pareve French Toast

If you oftentimes have leftover challah, as I do, I’m sure you couldn’t think of a better way to use it then for delicious french toast smothered in maple syrup (ok, maybe for some bread pudding with some raisins and rum!). Now since I’ve got a child who’s severely allergic to dairy, I have to come up with ways to substitute for the real thing. In this recipe, almond milk does a great job. It’s rich, sweet, and flavorful. And between the eggs and the almonds, it helps add some protein to what feels like a loaded carbohydrate meal (talk about deguiltifying comfort food!). So go ahead, whip up a batch for breakfast, brunch, or even dinner (as I did!)

Of course, if you’re able, go all out and use the real thing with whole milk and fry in good old butter!

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Purim Ice Cream Clowns!

In the spirit of Purim, I decided to make some ice cream clowns with my daughter’s class. This project was easy (no prep required!) and so much fun for the kids! Give a kid an ice cream cone, and tell them to decorate it with candy – does it get any getter than that? They were in ice cream heaven!

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Mocha Bundt Cake


In my last post, I revealed that I recently turned the big three-o. It should come as no surprise then, that back in 2008, I celebrated my 10 year high school reunion. Together with my friend Dina (our self-appointed class president :)) and Raizy, we organized the reunion for several months, collecting recipes from our classmates and printing a professional cookbook from Morris Press Cookbooks. The reunion was a huge success, with most our class in attendance. We had the evening catered, but for the dessert table, we had several girls chip in and make some things. One of the most talked about cakes of the evening was this Mocha Bundt Cake. Since it was not included in the class recipe book, we emailed it to everyone the following day. The cake has lots of coffee, so I would recommend going with decaf. It’s moist and delicious, great for a party, or for Shabbos morning with a steaming cup of, you guessed it…coffee :)

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some pics of our 10 year high school reunion.

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Oven Baked Organic Sweet Potatoes

Last year, we spent Purim in Asheville, North Carolina, by a friend of my husband. We drove about 12 hours to get there, the longest drive we have ever taken by car. It was actually not as bad as I thought it would be, but by the time we got there, I was definitely happy to be able to stretch and sleep! Lucky for us, our friends, the Rabbi and Rebbetzin of Asheville, had set up warm and comfortable accomodations. Purim in Asheville was a lot of fun. My kids enjoyed the Purim party, a magic show, and an adorable play put on by the Hebrew school kids. Even better was the delicious food that the Rebbetzin, Chana, prepared during our stay. One evening, she prepared oven baked organic sweet potatoes as a side dish. This was not new to me, as my mother always made them growing up. However, the organic part definitely was. I was never into the whole organic trend. It’s expensive, hard to find in my neighborhood, and since I turned out fine until now, I figured I’d take my chances. But Chana had recently given birth to twins, and she wanted to eat clean and healthy during her pregnancy, so she adopted a diet rich in organic fruits and vegetables. Being as I grew up eating oven baked sweet potatoes, I knew how they were supposed to taste. So when I put a spoonful of the organic stuff in my mouth, I immediately tasted the difference. It was so fresh tasting, full-bodied, and over-the-top sweet! It felt like eating a decadent dessert! Ever since then, whenever I plan on making oven baked sweet potatoes, I make it a point to buy organic ones. I really taste the difference!

I wouldn’t exactly call this a “recipe” because there is honestly nothing to it. I just find that sometimes we get so hung up on finding “recipes” for things that the star ingredient ends up getting lost. We’re busy taking delicious, wholesome, healthy sweet potatoes, adding butter, brown sugar, eggs and cream (amongst other things) to make sweet potato pie. What happened to baking a sweet potato just as it is? It is so sweet and delicious, it literally needs nothing! Don’t get me wrong, just a few days ago I took perfectly delicious baked salmon and mashed it up into salmon patties. I do it too. But I’m just saying, we definitely live in a “kugel” society and it’s nice to eat a vegetable purely for what it is every once in a while!

Since we weren’t home to give out shalach manos last year, I made Purim cards and sent them to family and friends, letting them know that we gave a donation in their honor in lieu of shalach manos.

Here is the card we sent out:


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