March Plans

 Even though it's only the first of the month ,March is a holiday rich one. There's St.Patrick;s day  followed by Purim. Pam Sunday and Easter Sunday end the month. Throw in bridal showers for those May and June brides and you have a lot fo planning and cooking to do.

St Paddy's Day may be the easiest to prep for. Its just corned beef and cabbage , right? Actually there's a lot more . You may want to make homemade colcannon, that yummy mix of kale and cabbage cooked with mashed potatoes and garlic or onions. The dish becomes labor intensive if you use homemade mashed. The colcannon only takes about ten to fifteen minutes to crisp up like a giant potato pancake. The're also Irish soda bread.If you used up your flour for some Valentuines' day cookies and cakes then it;s time to go out and ge tmore along with raiins for this treat. If you;re celebrating Purim, then it's also baking . This time is hamentasen ,  filled cookies to symbolize eating Hamen's ears or pockets. The dough must be chilled before being rolled out, and cut into triangles. They then have to be filled with either poppyseed or Mohn, prune, Levkar or apricot filling. These can be a lot of work especially if you;'re making tow or three dozen for a party. You may also want to bakes a loaf or two of kulich a challah type bread too.

Pam Sunday and Easter also mean a lot of planning, cooking and baking. This is the time to start planning if you want a smaller dinner or a large one with family and friends. Usually Palm Sunday is spent with the immediate family while Easter is a bigger gathering. You could have just a small ham with some trimmings for Palm Sunday and save the big family brunch for Easter a week later. Most families serve ham or incorporate it into quiches and frittatas . You could also  serve a whole ham accompanied by a cheesy strata full of eggs and cheddar. Bake mini muffins in different flavors as well . These are perfect for the little ones. As for dessert, a traditional Easter lamb shaped cake is always nice. Just remember that this is labor intensive and you'll need a lot of flour , sugar and butter for the cake and frosting./ Since this is also the month for bridal showers now is the time to start planning for bridesmaids and mothers. If the weather grows warm and Springlike, then think of a back yard tea party with sandwiches and small cakes. Again the couple's mothers can also get together and prepare hot dishes such as roasts and sides for an indoor sit down dinner if that's more preferable.

March is here and with it a host of holidays. Start deciding and planning what you want to make and bake. Be prepared for this busy month ahead.

Purim And Holi Treats

 There are so many delicious treats with two fun holidays, the Jewish Purim and Hindu Holi happening now. Both are fun , with the first having an almost carnival atmosphere and the second a joyous celebration. Enjoy them both with sweets and treats

Purim is the commemoration of the Jewish people being saved from annihilation at the decree of an ant- Jewish official of the Achaemenid Empire.There is wine drinking by the men in some Orthodox communitiues while the whole community share in games and treasts along with wearing costumes.Hamantaschen or Haman's pockets (named for the villain of the story, Haman a minister to the king of Persia).In Israel they're called oznei Haman. They're triangular cookies filled wirh a variety of different fillings.The cookie is like a shortbread dough, with flour ,eggs sugar and flour. it's a mild flavor won't over power the fillings. You could use poppy seeds which represent  the bribes that stuffed Haman's pocket. Apricot and prune are also popular fillings and some home bakers use chocolate now. There are also hadgi badah , am almond cardamon cookie that Iraqi Jews love. Borth African Jews love debla, strips of thin dough wrapped in the shape of a rose  and deep fried. They're covered in sugar syrup and nits and symbolize the megillah, the Book of Esther.

Holi is another joyous holiday starting tomorrow. It symbolizes the coming of Spring and the blossoming of love. It's also a time to forgive, play, laugh and mend broken relationships.People throw colored powders at each other in wild abandon as they enjoy both savory and sweet dishes. Hosts offer platters of gujiya, a sweet fried dumpling stuffed with milk solids, coconut and nuts. These can even be made in an air fryer, The dough is an easy make, consisting of flour clarified melted butter or ghee and water. Mawa is added and you can buy this at any Indian  supermarket or make it with ricotta and ghee. Add cardamon for a heavy sweet flavor along with raisins and nuts. Mix with powdered sugar  to create a kind of cannoli fuilling. Another type of dumpling , a lentil one is also served. This is dahi bhalla, which are dipped in a yogurt  dip. Two kinds of dal or mashed lentils are made . Chilis and peppercorn are added for zing , The dipping sauce is a mix of Greek yogurt with kashmiri chilli powder whuch gives th e yogurt a rich red color. Sugar and tamarind juice balance it out with sweetness.

Celebrate Purim and Holi with tasty bites.It;s a time for partying and eating good food. Try these treats for extra fun.

Poppyseeds Pop

Poppy seeds are one of those ingredients that are always overlooked. They are not only decorative , they also add flavor to anything. They're a fun way of sprucing up ordinary foods from bagels to salads. Sprinkle just a few or add a handful to create an entirely new dish.

Poppy seeds come from the same poppy that creates opium.It is an oilseed, mostly used in baking however it can be washed to make what's known as poppy tea.Don't worry about being drugged if you eat a poppy seed bagel or have it sprinkled in salad. The opiate level is very low. There are only trace amount s in each seed.Black poppy seeds are most prevalent in the US however in Europe they can be both black and white. Premium ones from Holland are slate blue in color.The seeds may appear round to the eye however look a little more closely and discover that they are really kidney shaped.

German and Polish bakers use poppy seeds the most, namely in baking, Buns and cakes often are laced with them for color and crunch. Central Europeans love a strudel made with a poppy seed paste.They can also be crushed and mixed with honey to make a candy bar that is popular in the Balkans and in Greece. Poppy seeds are also ground in a fine paste and mixed with rum, vanilla,orange zest, raisins, almonds walnuts or heavy cream to create a thick filling for rolls.Jewish cuisine calls for poppy seeds during the festival of Purim. Indian cuisine goes the other way using the white variety in savory dishes such as korma. Here in the US , the seeds are best known for gracing bagels  and adding extra zip to salads whether on their own or in dressings.

Poppy seeds really do make foods pop. They are a great addition to any dish. Try them in savory or making a traditional strudel or cake! They bring crunch and fun, along with a distinct flavor.