A Provencal Passover

The Avignon region of southern France is rife with history and tradition. This also applies to food and the traditional dishes associated with this season of faith and belief. To the Jewish community of Avignon, the Passover dishes take on a special meaning.

Joan Nathan, a regular contributor to the New York Times Food section and export on Jewish cooking wrote an informative and intriguing article on the community at Carpentras. since Roman times, Jews have lived in this Northern Provence town and will now be celebrating Passover at the Carpentra Synagogue, first built in 1367/ It is one of the oldest synagogues still in use and will welcome some with roots in African Judaism.Carpentrs a became the center of Jewish life in 1306 when the Jews were expelled from the Kingdom of France.Like other nearby sanctuaries of Avignon and Cavaillon, the town was under French rule but the Contat Venaisson under the command of Pope John XXII. His Holiness decreed that the Jew would be welcomed as refugees. Thanks to the initial 1,000 Carpentras was known as 'Petit Jersusalem. They still sadly  had to  contained be in a ghetto, which was locked at night. They had their own butchers and bakers which now the slaughterhouses and ovens along with the ritual baths are being excavated. Some things have changed. Most of the younger generation have moved to the larger cities and townspeople have to travel to Marseilles for kosher meats.

The holiday foods has both Jewish and Provencal influences The cuisine is Jewish dishes were adapted from local foods according to the laws of kashrut, or Jewish religious dietary laws. Gilberte Levi's Haroset, the sweet paste that represents the mortar that built the pyramids has dried  apricots, figs, raisins and chestnuts, reflective of the harvests of southern France. She will also serve veal stuffed with Swiss chard, with the last being a popular ingredient of the region. Her Haroset is easy to recreate It not only has the chestnuts but also almonds, pine nuts  and walnuts.She adds in the traditional apple along with cinnamon and fresh ginger. The fruit used can be dried because sweet Kosher wine will moisten it. The provencal veal breast stuffed with Swiss chard also has rosemary and garlic, not too far in ingredients from an Italian Easter lamb Cote du Rhone,a  dry red is also added for moisture.

Carpentras  will celebrate Passover ,using ancient recipes and traditions of both France and Jerusalem. The food will reflect centuries of lives led there. It is a reminder of their contributions to Provencal life.

A Perfect Christmas Breakfast

One of the best things about Christmas morning is a cozy family breakfast together.  There;s nothing like sitting down and sharing a sumptuous and yummy special treat. A breakfast casserole is the perfect dish for this It has the best AM foods like bacon eggs and bread along with some other flavorful ingredients. It is the perfect start to a holy day and holiday.

Melissa Clark gave her recipe for it in her A Good Appetite column today's New York Times  Food section. It's similar to strata with a few tweaks..It's an easy bake for novice home chefs and a break from the usual holiday morning fare for more experienced cooks.There is a ratio of  one egg to one cup of dairy to a cup of cubed bread However there are so many variations, to try any one is a good combo. Start with the bread. As per Ms. Clark, the lighter the loaf, the more ethereal the casserole. A good choice is the airy French brioche, followed by the honey sweetened challah,good white bread (think straight from the bakery or Pepperidge Farm sandwich white) and a light whole wheat bread.Stay away from the ones that are too hearty, seedy or grainy, She uses toasted  croissants that have been oven toasted for only five to ten minutes.Try  to get good croissants if you can at this late date.. Au Bon Pain has the best but Dunkin Donuts and Stop and Shop have good ones too. Just remember that the staler it the the more the read will absorb the custard. Another way of having  crispy bread is toasting it in a very hot oven  (NO toasters ,please). This will dry it out and also give it a deep caramelized flavor.

This recipes calls for a lot of eggs, eight in all. Ms. Clark also suggests just using the yolks for a truly custardy texture, along with three cups of milk and one cup of heavy cream. You could also just add all milk or all cream however the combination of the two adds to the casserole's silkiness.A quarter of a pound of Italian sausage is added however you could also use maple infused breakfast ones , cubed ham or cooked bacon (or if you want all of them) . Gruyere is a must  and if you can get the smoked for the intense flavor. It's grated so it blends in perfectly into the dish. sauteed and roasted vegetables can be added too. Try spinach, mushrooms or cherry tomatoes. If you want potatoes, then serve them on the side as extra crispy hash browns or plank fries.I think they'd be a bit too much in this dish.Ms. Clark even recommends adding bits of dried fruit such as figs or apricots. Have the figs simmered in port or the apricots in white wine first to make them even more tastier.It's a nice shot of boozy sweetness amidst all the savory. The recipe does call for scallions and sage for flavoring, You could also sub in rosemary and oregano if you're tossing in the tomatoes and Italian sausage.Everything is place din a buttered casserole dish and baked the next morning.

Make this yummy and easy breakfast casserole Christmas morning. It's a nice treat after present opening and gift giving. It's warm and cozy , just like the holiday itself.

A New Treat Scuffins

Can two traditional baked items be combined into a yummy new hybrid?The answer is yes and it's the scuffin.It's an interesting blend of scone and muffin , perfect for breakfast or for wowing people at a home brunch. Frog Hollow Farm of Brentwood ,California has come up with this treat.It was by necessity, thanks to the farm having an overabundance of fruit that is too ripe or cosmetically imperfect.Purée was made from this and it was incorporated into many of the farm's baked goods. One of the best pairings was the purée with the scone muffin marriage.This is a unique blend of flavor and texture.The scuffin's exterior is crumby like that of a scone with the shape of a muffin.Flax seed is added for both color and flavor.This, by far, is one of the best fruit filled treats I've tasted.I had the apricot filled ones and fell instantly in love.The best part of it is the deep well of purée.This is no thin vein of fruit, this is a good ,gooey dollop of refreshingly tart apricot.Usually most fruit added to any baked product is cloyingly sweet but not Frog's Hollow"s. The treat can also be bought with nectarine and peach fillings too.Scuffins can be served cold but try them toasted for two minutes in a 350 degree heated toaster oven.This really brings out the flavors. Scuffins would make a nice Mother 's Day gift(especially for a lux breakfast in bed).Their website, www.frog hollow.com has other treats as well.Again the farm is not afraid of unusual parings,such as the olive oil brownies.These are the traditional sweet but with the added boost of olive oil and no gluten. They also have European favorites such as the bacci di dam a from my great grandparents Provence of ,Piedmonte Italy.These are definitely on my to buy radar since I haven't had them since my last trip to the Val Susa decades ago.Frog Hollow is primarily a fruit farm and there are all sorts of great fruit gifts as well.Try the fruit of the month California style.You can also order just apricots or kumquats, all organic and fresh picked. Frog Hollow Farms also have on site manufactured marmalades and purees which would be fantastic filling homemade crepes. Scuffins are a must have hybrid.They are a delicious blend of the best baked goods and fruit purees of Frog Hollow Farm.Order them now to enjoy a yummy breakfast or brunch treat!

Julia's Floating Island

Is there nothing more elegant than an ile flottante or floating island dessert?it's a delicate combination of a sweet liquidy custard dotted with meringue puffs. When  it's Julia Child's recipe it's even more special  with a certain Gallic twist to it. It's not only classic but delicious too.
Madame Child's recipe was the subject of A Good Appetite's column in yesterday's New York Times. Melissa Clark gives an homage to her childhood favorite that her parents, huge Julia Child affectionadoess made. As a child it was one of her favorite desserts. An ile flottante is a syrupy kind of custard dotted with mergingue puffs, hence the name floating island.It is the perfect dessert to make not only to impress people (]it's up there with Cherries Jubilee)  but also to finish off a nice roast with the trimmings.You can make it during any time of year.it can end a summer soiree as easily as in a holiday meal.

Since it is a Julia Child recipe , it is a labor intensive one.Floating island requires meringues to be mad which are not always easy. It's a two day prep with a cooling process of one day. The custard for it can be too sweet so Ms. Clark  added apricots to give it the appropriate tartness.It does require one half cup of sugar to balance out the milk and four egg yolks used..You can make it without the fruit or add another kind such as blueberries or cherries. You can also leave it plain as well. However since the meringue is also super sweet , the dessert should have some bite.

Julia Child' s legacy continues to new generations of chefs and home cooks. Her desserts are as elegant now as they were during the Fifties  and Sixties. Iles flottante is evidence of that  of what she gave us   delicate French cooking made for American tastes.