Dairy Diary aka Shavuot in Israel

Two of the many advantages of living in Israel is that Shavuot is a one-day holiday and that for dairy lovers, there are a plethora of dairy products available.  Also an advantage, a copy of Dairy Made Easy, the new cookbook from Leah Schapira and Victoria Dwek arrived right before Shavuot.

Number One recipe for this reviewer and her "tasting committee:"  Israeli Pizza Dip.  It's bad enough that people put corn on their pizza here.  It's bad enough that the secret ingredient pizza spice is a combination of sugar and MSG (probably lethal in large quantities).  Then you have to dip your pizza.  Many stores give out packages of Thousand Island Dressing, but it is not the same.  These two talented cooks have captured the flavor and enhanced it with the right combination of spices, a little kick, and no added sugar.  I could not figure out why someone would want to add anything to an already delicious slice of pizza, but after tasting this dip, I can see why it is so popular.

Shavuot is also a great time for dairy baking with real butter, which tastes so much better than margarine.  We had a standard Israeli cheesecake, which disappeared; and a layered dessert, which will probably not be made again because it did not disappear.  On the list for next year's dairy baking:  Chocolate Cheese Muffins with Chocolate Ganache and Sour Cream Chocolate Chip Cake.

Leading up to Shavuot is the Counting of the Omer.  The period between Passover and Shavuot is an opportunity to get ready to receive the Torah.  For me, once I have cleaned out the chametz, not just the physical bread and pasta, but any spiritual chametz in terms of ego or patterns of behavior that are not working, it's time to keep the momentum going. The mere act of counting these days has a meditative and anticipatory quality, and although I do not look forward to the Omer in terms of no music or celebrations, I do look forward to some spiritual growth.

I found an interesting book to add to my collection of  "Omer" books (see the AJL Bibliography Bank for a list). Through the Gates:  A Practice for Counting the Omer by Susan Windle took me out of my comfort zone.  She is a poetess who is involved with the Jewish Renewal Movement, and her life and background are totally different than mine.  But I identified with the Omer has a sacred time and space to think about different aspects of relationships with God, with other people, and with myself.  I also identify with following the structure of the count (at night, with a blessing, mentioning both days and weeks), while finding a way to make it your own, either through poetry, chanting, or just quiet time.

Jeanette Walls says that "one benefit of summer is that each day we have more light to read by."  Some I'm looking forward to more light and more reading.  What about you?
 

Start With This

Recent kosher cookbooks have set a standard of expectation:

• interesting "main stream" or "gourmet" recipes (not a kugel to be had!)
• the latest "in" ingredients like quinoa, tilapia, etc.
• mouth-watering color photographs
• clear layout with different fonts in different colors and enough white space to read the recipe clearly
• detailed index
• "bonus" information about measurements, substitutions, cooking techniques, appropriate wines or the like.

To this, I had my own checklist:

• consistency - all measurements are either in volume, ounces or grams. Bonus points if the volume measurements are also converted to grams for those who live in Israel.
• no more than 10 ingredients
• no more than 6 steps to make the recipe
• easily obtainable, reasonably priced ingredients that will be used in other recipes
• something a little out of the ordinary for the Sabbath or a holiday, but not too weird
• things my family will eat.

Leah Schapira and Victoria Dwek's latest book, Starters & Sides Made Easy, has earned the coveted 12 checks. It continues in the tradition of their joint effort, Passover Made Easy, and Leah's solo effort Fresh & Easy Kosher Cooking. These busy ladies are also the editors of the Whisk section of Ami Living, and maintain a website, www.cookkosher.com, with recipes, serving suggestions and travel tips.

As my Mancunian neighbor (who is not a perfectionist; she just likes to do things properly) would say with her ever so lovely accent, "starters are a very important part of the meal. They set the tone for the whole seudah (festive meal)."

Shall I extol the virtues of this jam-packed little gem? Why not?! Let's start at the beginning. This is a paperback with what some call a "french fold" cover, so you can hold your place in the book. I love a big heavy cookbook as much as the next person, but when you think about it, how many recipes do you really use out of those huge tomes, and how hard is it to follow the recipe when you keep the book far away from the cooking space for fear of staining it? The $15.99 suggested retail price will make a small dent in your wallet but a big impact on your menu. The recipes are arranged in sections by main ingredient, which makes it easy for those of us who think, "I'd like to serve a vegetable as a first course" or "I'd like to try a new grain instead of the rice or kugel I always serve."

In the acknowledgments, the first mention is Hashem (God). The second mention is family. Just as the starter sets the tone of the meal, starting with this appreciation sets the tone of the cookbook as more than just a collection of recipes, but as an inspired effort.

The introduction is a conversation between Victoria and Leah, complete with speech bubbles. These ladies are passionate about their cooking, but as the same time are aware of the needs of those who aren't so enamored. A colorful Spice Guide follows. The numbering is a little hard to follow on the first pages, but if you don't know your spices, you should learn them by now!

One of the nicest features of the cookbook is "Building Blocks." These are quick tips to help you either expand a recipe or think out of the box. Instead of plain mashed potatoes,  you can leave the skin on, add garlic or onions, or use different vegetables, like sweet potatoes or broccoli.Other "Building Blocks" offer suggestions for rice, and roasted vegetables. It's like getting even more recipes for free!

This versatility extends to all the recipes. Things like "Chessy Onion Rolls," "Barbecue Noodles," and "Terriyaki Mushrooms" work well as either starters or sides. While some of the meat and fish dishes may not be perfect as sides, never fear! There are instructions at the back of the book for making several recipes into "mains," some as simply as adjusting portion size or serving over rice.

It seems this cookbook was published just for me. Each recipe is presented on a double spread, with the  ingredients and instructions on the left, as well as the number of servings and some tips and tidbits (Who knew that in the past, the most common variety of eggplant was small, round and white and actually looked like an egg?). The right side of the spread includes the clear color photo, how to plan ahead (prepare the sauce, freeze dough to use later), as well as a note that could be a serving idea or an anecdote.

Finally, for those who enjoy the aesthetics of food, there are plating ideas and serving ideas that include little cups made out of egg roll wrappers and stacking and arranging methods. I learned the scallion curling method from my Mancunian neighbor; it's a great way to add a little color.

As a responsible reviewer, I needed to try out several recipes, even though they are "triple-tested." The Terriyaki Mushrooms were very tasty - my crowd preferred them over a bed of rice.  I would make a big batch and use this one as a side instead of a starter. The Barbecue Noodles were "interesting," which meant some liked the novelty of a new dish, others thought they were very tasty, and still others were trying to be polite, but were not thrilled. Overall, a big success for eaters who like to eat the same thing every week.
  
 Bitayavon! (Hearty appetite in Hebrew)

Nosh This, That and Especially Page 72

I have several vices, or virtues, depending on how you look at it, which, during the High Holiday season, is an interesting thing to ponder. One of them is books, which encompasses the love of the written word, an appreciation for the creativity of illustrators, and also the physical aspect of books that define almost all the rooms of my home. As Marcus Tullius Cicero said, “A room without books is like a body without a soul.” In the Jewish home, the kitchen is often the soul of the house. Providing nutritious, sustaining meals and enhancing holidays with customary and symbolic foods are integral functions of this room. How many people have warm memories of special foods made by a loving mother or relative, the smell or taste of which floods the senses with nostalgia?

Another vice (or virtue) is baking. Mixing ingredients and seeing them transform into a delicious dessert, the aroma of freshly baked items, and the fact that you normally don’t have to bake every day make it a little more special than cooking, which has to be done every day. Baking challah is a one way we transform a physical act into a spiritual one with intention and prayer (if you are separating challah).

So the intersection of books and baking is cookbooks. My collection ranges from an old notebook in which my grandmother wrote down recipes after some prodding. The secret recipes with “a handful of flour,” or “fill this cup half full of water” had to be converted to standard measurements because my mother’s and my hands are bigger than my grandmother’s and neither of us has her special cup. Then I have plenty of those spiral bound ones that were compiled by a local sisterhood or PTA. Though not very pretty, some of my best recipes come from these: simple and tasty. I also have several of the “cookbook as memoir” variety, where stories are dispersed amongst the recipes, or maybe the recipes are dispersed through the narrative. I’m a purist: although I love to look through cookbooks, I like to either cook/bake or read, not do both at the same time.

Then there are recent cookbooks, which are beautiful, with clear color illustrations accompanying every recipe, lots of white space around the recipe so it is easy to read, and detailed indexes of the content.

But what do you do when, because of food sensitivities, your family cannot partake in the treats of yesteryear made with wheat flour? You run, do not walk to the store (physical or online) and get the brand new Nosh on This: Gluten-Free Baking from a Jewish-American Kitchen by Lisa Stander-Horel and Tim Horel. It is published by The Experiment and distributed by Workman Books, and I thank my friends at both places for providing a PDF. I’ve hit the trifecta again:

• a gorgeous cookbook
• with recipes the whole family can enjoy that include some traditional Jewish favorites,
• created by someone whose ancestors come from the same corner of the world as mine (Romania/Hungary/Transylvania).

In my case, it was my great-aunt who pined, “It’s so fresh, and it’s so dahlicious, and if you don’t eat it, I will have to throw it in the garbage.”

Many of the recipes are available on the author’s blog, Gluten-Free Canteen, but as already discussed, it’s just not the same unless you’re holding this book in your hands and debating whether to make another batch of Rugelach or try the Chocolate Babka (or make both because you never know you might stop by!)

Although all the recipes sound amazing, there are several that invoke the High Holiday spirit – the Apple Upside Down Cake with Pomegranate Honey Syrup (yes, on page 72), or the Honey Cake (page 71), or the Baked Honey Bites (page 138). One could even argue that the Linzer Hearts would remind us to open our hearts and that the Black and White cookies are a nice visual for illustrating the darkness of sins versus the whiteness of purification. But we decided to go even deeper than that. The mazal or astrological sign for this season is Libra, the scales. So as our good deeds are weighed in the Heavenly Court, we’re going to have some coffee and Goldie’s Pound Cake!

May we all be inscribed for a year of health, happiness, peace, and delicious gluten-free baked goods.