The Modern Jewish Table - Comfort Cooking With Glam

Jewish cuisine has always been considered more comforting and homey than glam or lux. However that's changing thanks to a new cookbook. It shows the cuisine in a new light as well as giving timeless recipes sparkle and color. This is not your bubby or granny's cookbook, that's for sure.

The Modern Jewish Table (Skyhorse Publishing Inc 2017) was written by self  proclaimed  Jewish princesses, Tracy Fine and Georgie Tarn. They're also British which gives lends itself to some cheeky descriptions and a more open cookbook that features a variety of world recipes. There are nods to Vietnam and Italy as well as to the American South. Of course Jewish dishes also are mentioned. There's borscht and latkes along with matzoh ball soup. These have been updated or given a Sephardic spin (the Sephardic Jews or Ladinos are from the Iberian Peninsula).The book isn't just cooking , it's also about table decorating too. Chefs Fine and Tarn , who are also celebrities with having appeared in the English press and television offer ideas on creating glam "princess perfect" tables.This has to be the British influence, since the Brits are obsessed with the overall picture and not just the food alone. There's advice on how to create a rustic bagel brunch to elegant dining complete with velvet tablecloths. There's even a small chapter dedicated to what gadgets should be in the kitchen , from the Nutribullet (!!!) to kitchen mixers and which ones are the best.Since this is a Jewish cookbook, Yiddish phrases and their definitions ate sprinkled all over the book.

What I like about The Modern Jewish Table is that anybody can use the recipes. I'm fascinated by the Yemeni Meat soup, along with Cannellini Bean Tomato Soup. The two cooks have divided the book into sections, from small plates or appetizers to even a chapter just devoted to all recipes chocolate.Fish gets its' own chapter and there is even a recipe for fish blintzes which are like haddock stuffed crepes with a cheese sauce. Yes, there is gefilte or stuffed fish but Chefs Fine and Tarn turn it into a kind of homage to their beloved battered fish from the local chippy.Matzo meal is the main ingredient in the batter. Another British classic, Toad in the Hole is also included  , in their Meat The Main Event chapter.Instead of pork sausage however, the chicken kind is used instead. There are some Italian recipes such as the yummy homemade pizza that uses a polenta crust, along with Middle Eastern and Indian recipes. Dessert lovers will go mad for the eggy zabaglione with ladyfingers  and the apple pear and honey pudding , perfect for the upcoming holidays along with the delicately scented lavander shortbreads. These princesses love all things chocolate so there are the richly decadent  pots du chocolat to the naughty peanut chocolate fudge brownies .

The Modern Jewish Table  is not your typical Jewish cookbook. It's a fun romp through a variety of different cuisines and traditional recipes. Get it for the upcoming holidays and for everyday dinners and desserts.

Brownies With A Touch Of Salt

What could possibly make brownies taste even better? More butter? More sugar? Walnuts? Try salt along with rich caramel. These two additions elevate the brownie to a whole new level.

Julia Moskin knows this and wrote about it in her Recipe Lab column in today's New York Times Food section. As we all know almost everything has been mixed in to the sweet's basic batter. Many home bakers have blended in cream cheese or peanut butter into their recipes. Oreos have been crumbled in and British bakers have even added chocolate chip cookie dough to create what's known as a "slutty" brownie (slutty means lazy over there, although the name does conjure up what other ingredients to slip in).The famed Manhattan bakery , Baked, has made mint coffee and chile ones but only their Sweet and Salty brownie has made the permanent list. It is a spinoff of one of their most popular cakes of the same name. The cake is a heady mix of cocoa, and caramel with a chocolate caramel whipped ganache and dusted with he flaky French sea salt, fleur de sel along with another dusting of sanding sugar.Home chefs can easily replicate this at home, however as Ms.Moskin warns, don;t use those bags of wrapped caramels - the kind that usually are used to enrobe apples Make your own. It's easy and the overage will be great over ice cream or cakes - or just taking a mouthful for yourself.

Caramel is not scary to make although many home chefs are terrified to make it. It could be the high temp, but as Ms Moskin points out  we cook something as basic as pasta on a high heat. making caramel is no different.Her caramel is the basic recipe but sour cream is added to give it a tang .Remember to also use corn syrup and sugar to prevent crystallizing.and the caramel from seizing up. The color should be between the shades of ice coffee and iced tea. Many, namely children, will not care for this caramel's bitter sweetness. Cook it then until it's golden brown instead of amber.The chocolate should between sixty and seventy percent cocoa solids which may be listed as cocoa beans or cocoa butter. These should be coarsely chopped for the mix. This is a top quality recipe with two sticks of butter added along with brown sugar. Five eggs are used for richness instead of the usual two. As for the salt.Ms Moskin recommends any flaky kind for sprinkling on top.Any kind of salt will do for the batter as long as it gives the brownies that sweet-salty flavor.The caramel is drizzled over the poured batter and then use a butter knife or icing spatula to swirl the two together. The salt and sugar are sprinkled on when the brownies come out of the oven,Their edges will be puffy  but the middle should be barely set.

Home made caramel and sea salt are what can elevate the brownie to a whole new level. It 's that sweet and salty marriage that does it. It is the perfect union and perfect to change up this classic treat.

A Real HalloweenTreat: The NYT Magazine Food Section

Foodies received a real Halloween treat today - the New York Times Magazine food issue. If you haven't received or bought it yet,HALT- go no further. If you're still curious , read on.It's one of the best compiled culinary centric so far. It's truly a goodie bag filled with yummy articles.

One of the best pieces was written by Francis Lam, who wrote about radical chef, Edna Lewis.Mr. lam himself, is pretty famous, having been a judge on Top Chef masters. Chef Lewis was an amazing woman, even  without the food aspect. She was part of the Harlem Renaissance ,along with being a seamstress to Marilyn Monroe and model Doe Avedon It is  her cooking and her quest for redefining Southern cooking that is her legacy. It is the cooking of both plantation and plantation kitchen, combining African vegan cooking with the elite French cooking that Thomas Jefferson brought from France.There are also good recipes that feature poached pears and biscuits It is  the fried chicken recipe though that sounds amazing. It involves frying the pieces with a slice of country ham for more flavor along with not frying in deep fat but rather a sautéing method  in which the pieces are piled on top of each other. Brown the breasts first and then lay on  top of the sizzling legs . Doing this will let the legs cook up evenly.

One of the most colorful is the reinterpretation of those wacky Betty Crocker recipes from the Fifties. Tamar Adler wrote the accompanying article but the real credit goes to photographers Maurizio Cattalan and Pierpaolo Ferrari, Their accompanying photo shoot is trippy and Fellinisque with gilded lobsters alongside a tongue in cheek made cheeseburger pie and chicken salad in melon rings.There is also a salute to fondues, from the original Swiss to a wild variation involving British breakfast meats. On the serious side there is also the story of food historian Barbara Ketcham Wheaton interviewed by Bee Wilson.MS Wheaton ,a former librarian , has quietly compiled a database entitled "The Cook's Oracle". Her goal is to catalog every recipe ever written along with every ingredient ever used and every technique that was ever employed. There are all sorts of interesting gems in this articles, such as food trends and long forgotten cooking methods. The issue also holds sweet personal essays on food that must be read as well.

Sit back, grab a handful of leftover Halloween candy and read this issue. This is New York Times Food reporting at it's best.It's definitely a yummy treat.

A Proper British Tea

Now with the Royal Wedding at the end of the week people are actually going to be craving British foods. What better than a British tea? In all honesty a high tea is the way to go for any Spring event. I;ts classic,and elegant yet, surprisingly filling. it;s also th eless headache way to go for anyone planning a party.

Any one can plan a British tea party. It 's much easier to navigate around than say an outdoor barbecue or typical celebration party. For one thing you don't have to make sure the food is hot because it's all finger sandwiches and cakes . Another plus is that it's not messy so you can nix the bibs and wet wipes. A tea is even better than a Sunday brunch, You don't have to scoot from kitchen to table , worrying about the frittatas or stratas. The bonus in planning a tea party with the girls? Only tea is served , not boozy fruity drinks that could lead to heavens knows what.

A tea is easy to assemble. There's are usually watercress and cucumber filled sandwiches. If these; aren't to your liking you can make a very easy egg salad along with chicken and ham salads. These are a snap to whip up because you can use devilled chicken and ham with some mayonnaise . Sprinkle in tarragon for the chicken and celery seeds for the ham and voila, an instant sandwich filler. As for the sweets, you can easily order petit fours and macaroons from your local bakery as well as scones . Some specialty stores do sell those tea must haves clotted cream and cream. However you can also sub in the sweet Irish butter most supermarkets do sell. Have a variety of teas on hand to vary it, although both Earl Grey and Lady Grey teas fit high tea - to well - a tee.

You don't have to be British to throw a delicious tea party. It's easy to create for any gathering and just as fun as a barbecue or a picnic. Best of all it's s less stress than these others to plan just as fun and just as tasty.

Pie Charts

Just when I thought macaroons were the new thing, pie comes along and tops it. Yes, pie, that lovely homespun treat that our moms and grannies perfected.Nowadays people can't get enough of this traditional dessert. Pie shops are popping up everywhere. Let's face who can't resist this down to earth simple and simply delicious sweet.

Pie was one of the first foods mankind ate. Ancient Egyptians invented them then the Romans adored them and spread the recipe throughout the Empire. The English and French perfected the dish , first calling it boxes or tartes. Early Americans celebrated both sweet and savory kinds, varying the dish from the traditional British shepherd's pie thus creating delicious meat pies. Americans were also fond of fruit pies thanks to the abundance of wild fruit trees. Soon apple pie became a Colonial favorite and standard, served at almost every holiday and family event.

Today the dish comes so many variations . You can make a really nice custard filled one using any instant pudding and a ready made shell. There are also the traditional fruit ones such as strawberry rhubarb, and blueberry along with peach. Make these with the traditional flaky homemade crust. for a real treat. Sometimes the two fillings are combined as in a banana cream pie . Another favorite is pecan pie that combines chewy pecans in a gooey caramel like pudding. This has a variation in the walnut pies where one kind of nut is substituted for another.

Pie is suddenly making a comeback. it's a reminder of all foods homey and earthy. It's not pretentious or trendy. It's just down to earth.

Power Picnics

The weather in most of the Northern Hemisphere is getting warmer and that means one thing.

Picnics!

Now is the time to head to the beach ,park or mountains to soak up the sun and enjoy nature. It also means that being outdoors builds a healthy and hearty appetite. For that you're going to have to bring food.

What to bring on an excursion? Easy foods. Fun foods. Foods that can be messy or neat. Sandwiches are your best bet. They're easy to make and store along with being relatively mess free to eat. You can go wild with real or tofu cold cuts. If you're bringing the sandwiches in a cooler, don't hesitate to use mayo. Try the less threatening butter or margarine if you're bringing sandwiches in a backpack. For a different spin you can make heroes and drizzle oil and vinegar on a variety of meats and cheeses. Pack juice or soda . If you're planning on hiking, swimming or games, bring an energy drink like Fyxx Hybrid Water to give you a much needed boost. You may want to bring along veggies and dips or almonds for fun snack foods.

If you're looking for a more elegant "British" style picnic, think about bringing a whole cold chicken or pate. You can buy the chicken already roasted from your local supermarket and just store the entire bird in a cooler. The same with pate. With fancier food, you can serve a classic cucumber salad with either a sour cream or vinaigrette dressing. Add a potato salad and a jar of olives and you're set. With this type of picnic think about bringing sparkling cider or if it's allowed champagne or sparkling wine. Pack china picnic plates, good utensils and glasses instead of the usual paper and plastic. Foodie paradises like Williams and Sonoma sell traditional picnic hampers complete with plates along with forks and knives. The kits sometimes include cloth napkins and small glass tumblers .

What to do about a picnic dessert? The easiest one would be fruits of the season. Pick up strawberries or some cut melon. Cookies are another easy to tote dessert, providing you bring the indiviual snack packs . Don't pack any kind of cake or cupcake that has icing because the icing will get all over. Sliced pound or Bundt cake is a another "clean" way to end your picnic meal. If you want you can even bring a thermos of cold or warm coffee or tea. Also it doesn't hurt to throw in some toothpicks for after meal cleaning.

Get out with your favorite foods and enjoy all the warm sunshine and fresh Spring air. Ther'es nothing better than enjoying natures beauty combined with a picnic.


Easy Hero

1 Loaf Italian bread , sliced down the middle.
Oil and vinegar combined
5 slices ham.
5 slices pepperoni,
5 slices provolone
2 tomatoes sliced
oregano


Split bread in half and sprinkle with oil and vinegar. First layer the ham , then the pepperoni. Drizzle on more oil and vinegar and then add the cheese, tomatoes and liberal sprinklings of oregano. Wrap sandwich tightly in waxed paper for half and hour before you pack it up. You can pre cut the sandwich or cut it at your picknic. Serves four.