A Marriage Of Old And New Rosh Hashanah Dishes

 The Jewish New Year is upon us and it's a time to celebrate with the traditional. It's also a time to embrace the new as well. Both ideas can also mean the Rosh Hashanah table, with a marriage of family recipes along with introducing different dishes. This will make for a more interesting meal.

Brisket has always been the centerpiece of the holiday table. It's been enjoyed  for generations, usually braised. Many will cook ones with onions added, to give it a sweet and earthy flavor. A sweet and sour sauce , with crushed tomatoes, brown sugar and garlic, can also be used. More adventurous cooks can try rubs such as a garlic and onion rub or ones spiked  with chile powder. Chicken is another choice to try for the holiday. Think of making it with cinnamon and apples for that touch of sweetness that represents a sweet new year. Another recipe that's a blend of sweet and savory is  one made with pomegranate or cranberry juice along with Granny Smith apples and the traditional ingredient of honey. Cayenne pepper is added for bite and kick.This calls for the chicken to be cut into pieces and cooked in a Dutch oven.Every family has vegans and they should be considered into the equation as well.Think tofu, zested up with cumin and ginger Moroccan  style. This is an easy dish, with first cooking the tofu, then setting it aside to create a sauce redolent with onions , garlic and scallions. Almonds and apricots are added for crunch and sweetness.

Side dishes are just as important as the main ones. If the family insists on traditional then think tzimmes, but maybe with a slight twist. Try a trio of yams, sweet potatoes, and carrots, cooked in orange juice, honey and chicken broth.If it's too sweet add a sprinkle of flaky sea salt to cut the sugar. Salads can also be incorporated into the dinner. Use the super green of the moment - kale mixed with pomegranate seeds covered with an almond halvah (!) dressing. For crunch and zing try the Sephardic Jewish  inspired lemon fried cauliflower .This is breading the boiled florets in a breadcrumb batter and then frying them in oil. They are then drenched with lemon juice to cut the oiliness.Carrots are a big part of any Rosh Hashanah meal. Roast baby ones with olive oil, honey,  and orange zest. They can be also served with basmati rice , spiked with raisins and almonds. This is also a good main dish for vegans too.  How to end the meal? With the traditional honey cake. The timeless recipe is spiced with cloves and allspice but it can be modernized with coffee and even whiskey (!) It can even be baked into cupcakes Decorate with dried apple slices and drizzles of honey.

Rosh Hashanah is a time of celebrating the new while holding on to tradition. Create a holiday meal that reflects this. Use old and new recipes to create a unique New Year's dinner.

The End Of The Harvest

Summer is coming to a rapid close and with it the harvests of the seasons. Many plants are still producing fruit and vegetables well into apple and pear time. Don't worry if you still have some. There's so many recipes that call for them.

Tomatoes are the most versatile of any garden fruit.If you still have an abundance of them, then consider the red gems for salsa cruda. This is a simple sauce to  make because the only cooking involves the pasta.It's taking tomatoes of any kind, chopping them and letting them marinate in garlic and olive oil.Feta or mozzarella can be added as well. Of course salsa is the easiest way of dealing with a bumper crop. Roast the tomatoes along with chili peppers for a smoky rich flavor. Like any other fruit, tomatoes can be turned into a preserve.The best part, it doesn't require any elaborate canning equipment or skills. It's just cooking it on a low heat for two to three hours and then letting it set in the fridge in any kind of jar.Tomato jam is versatile and can top anything and everything from crab cakes to fried eggs. It can also be whisked into a vinaigrette for some punch or served on toasted and oiled Italian bread. If you have green tomatoes and want to clean out the garden, pick and put in a paper bag to ripen. You can also fry them too. The coating is a double one, with the first just being flour and the second being a mix of breadcrumbs and cornmeal for some crunch and bite.

Tomatoes also go well with another end of harvest veggie - pepper. Combine the two with eggplant and onion for a tasty ratatouille, perfect for an early fall al fresco lunch. Peppers, alone , can be tasty. Use any bumper crop to make a pepper salad. Julienne into strips and toss with a simple vinaigrette. Crumble in some feta cheese for variation and bite. Of course, there's nothing like that great comfort dish  - stuffed peppers. Make them the traditional way with ground beef and rice or mix it up with ground turkey and chili powder. Yes, they can also be pickled too. The process is an elaborate canning one, that does require skill and equipment. Zucchini is another part of a late summer harvest. Try spiralizing them to create a healthier kind of pasta. Saute the strands in an olive oil and crushed garlic. It can be stuffed too or split in half to create boats. This last is a fun way to serve the squash. You can stuff them with meat and cover with sauce and mozzarella or skip the meat for a pizzaiola .  A sweeter idea is using it in a spice laden bread, redolent with cinnamon and cloves or a cake, 
rich with dates, topped with an orange cream cheese frosting.

An end of season bumper crop is a true gift. Use this harvest in a variety of ways to create tasty dishes and desserts. It's a nice way to clean out the garden and fill up the fridge.

Discovering Aldi's Supermarket

One of the hottest trends in American food shopping today is Aldi's This German import is offering European brands at cost , as it helps to expand the Yankee palate.It's a great place to shop and sometimes has items that you wouldn't see in a traditional grocery store.

Aldis' was started by brothers Karl and Theo Albrecht in Germany  in 1946.it was a continuation of their mother's store which started in Essen, an industrial city in northwest Germany.Theo worked with their mother  while Karl apprenticed at a deli. It was Karl who took over another food store, known for it cheap prices and this was the basis for the future Aldi. The Second World War disrupted their business, but the brothers were back with a vengeance afterwards. They took over the family store and soon after, opened a second one. By 1950 they had opened thirteen stores in their native Ruhr Valley. Their philosophy was simple - remove merchandise that did not sell, along with cutting costs by not advertising or selling fresh produce. The brothers split in 1960 over a dispute of cigarettes and whether to sell them in the stores. By that point the Albrechts were the richest men in Germany, owning three hundred stores.It was at this time that the name Aldi - short for Albrecht Diskont came about. Karl  was the owner of Aldi-Sud while Theo and other investors were the owners of Aldi-Nord. By the 1970's they had expanded to Austria and the US with the first store opening up in Iowa. In 1979 they acquired Trader Joe's Now there are 8,000 stores worldwide.

Aldi's was a treat from its opening day. Yes, sometimes it has kind of out of the ordinary non food items (toilet seats?dumbbells?screwdrivers?ottomans?) but most of the products are perfect for those on a budget. There is also fresh produce as well as fresh meats and fish. too,  It's really no different from any other grocery except that most Aldi's are smaller in size. What I like is their in house brand's such as Clancy's which encompasses all the snack foods. Their microwave popcorn is the best I've ever tasted and now it's the only one I'll eat. Their Priano risottos and pastas are excellent too. The risotto comes in a variety of flavors, such as mushroom and asparagus and they take half the time to cook as traditional arborio rice. I am looking forward to trying  their cold cuts as well as their breads. They have European style cookies that you can't get in American grocery stores. A new
  favorite is. their Specially Selected brand's Lacey's Dark Chocolate Almond cookies, those mouthfuls of delicate goodness.Their Choceur chocolate covered almonds are also amazing - perfect to end an elegant meal or just as a sweet nosh.

Aldi's is becoming a strong presence on the American shopping scene. It's no wonder, with their interesting varieties of products and cheaper prices. Visit one today and fall in love.

Brisket For The Holiday

With the holidays coming up within the week, it's a good time to look at what to serve. One of the staples of any Rosh Hashanah  table is brisket. This classic cut is versatile and can also be made for any fall dinner. Make it in a variety of ways.

What is brisket exactly? It's breast meat from the cow and it can be tough. The reason why is that the meat  serves as the cow's collarbone - mostly comprised of muscles and connective tissue. This does make it ideal for barbecuing and many home chefs only cook it this way. However, it is also ideal for a slow cooker and of course, braising. Before doing all this the perfect cut needs to be bought. What should a home chef look for? A really white layer of fat. The whiter the better because it indicates that the cow has been grain  fed.Stay away from any that have yellowing fat. A dark butter hue  means that the meat is older along with indicating  that there is more gristle to deal with when cooking and eating. The meat should be a dark red color. Another must is good marbling . Look for a cut that has an equal amount of fat and flesh  veining it. The last thing to do is picking up the meat  and its' package and bending them. The cut  should be flexible and the plastic wrap should not have any tears, rips, or holes. The ideal place to buy a brisket is the local butcher's however if there's none within your area, then go for the supermarket. Most groceries usually have pretty good cuts and a variety of sizes to choose from too.

Now what to do with it. David Tanis gave an excellent recipe for it in Wednesday's New York Times Food section. He first rubs it with a fiery mix of cayenne and paprika blended with salt and  pepper. After doing this, wrap it in Saran wrap and then refrigerate preferably overnight but it can also sit for a few hours too.It is then cooked in a 300 degree F oven . Pour a cup of either red or white wine over it  then add cloves, garlic bayleaf  and  allspice berries. Mr. Tanis scatters sliced onions over it and bakes it forth ree hours until tender. He also caramelizes more  onions  and ladles them over the brisket once its' sliced.. If this is too "onion.y" for you, then omit them.Scallions can be sprinkled on top for more flavor.  For a different taste try a sweet and sour version in which ketchup and brown sugar is used.Cook the brisket in a Dutch oven or skillet and then adding the two along with water, cider vinegar, and two sliced onions. This last  creates a sauce that's then ladled over the brisket slices.It can be refrigerated and reheated  too., although eating it freshly cooked is preferred. Serve any brisket with carrots, celery and potatoes.

Brisket is a nice way of welcoming in Rosh Hashanah. It is the centerpiece of the holiday table and works well with any cooking method. Celebrate with a good  cut ,delicious on its' own or with onions ad other vegetables./

The Last Great Restauranteur Drew Nieporent.

Drew Nieporent is one of the one of the last great restauranteurs. His kind is not seen that often anymore , sort of being a culinary dinosaur of sorts. Yet he was and still is a strong presence on the Manhattan restaurant scene for four decades. As long as there's a trendy eatery to oversee, he's there.

He was the subject of a fascinating interview and article in yesterday's New York Times Food section written by Alan Richman .Drew Nieporent is an interesting throwback to the Sixties when larger than life hosts/owners greeted and seated customers. Mind you, this is the era before celebrity chefs like Bobby Flay and Mario Batale ruled the roost.  The era brought such stars as Sirio Maccioni  of Le Cirque, Joe Baum,of both the Twelve Caesars and The Four Seasons and Georges Lang of the famed Cafe Des Artistes. They shone more than than their cooks did , as . Nieporent does now with his own. His father is to thank for this love. The elder Neiporent worked for the New York State Liquor Authority where there were endless invitations to eat free from restaurant  owners looking for easy ways to maneuver through bureaucratic channels. As a child, Nieporent dined at the fancy San Marino where his mother properly taught to twirl spaghetti on a spoon and ate egg  rolls and sweet and sour pork at China Song., right next to the Ed Sullivan Theater. He ate there the night the Beatles first appeared on Ed Sullivan's show.

It was inevitable that . Nieporent went into the hospitality industry, graduating from Cornell School of Hotel Administration and worked on the cruise ships, Vistafjord and Sagafjord during his summer vacations.His first jobs were at the prestigious Le Perigord, Le Regence, La Grenouille and La Reserve. He also worked as assistant restaurant director at  the famed Maxwell's Plum, owned by one of the greatest restauranteurs, Warner Leroy.   Later he would hire the now famous David Bouley, who was then a little known chef from San Francisco. He was also responsible for bringing eateries to the then industrial wasteland, Tribeca. This was back in 1983 when no one really ventured south of Broadway. He'd have to  find customers who called saying they were lost on their way to the restaurant, scared to even venture into the dark deserted streets. .He Is credited with inventing the 
inexpensive prix fixe dinner for $16.00 at Montrachet. He is also partners with Robert Di Niro and is currently a partner in five (! ) restaurants right now (he's owned over forty for forty years)that include the trendy Nobu and Tribeca Grill.

Drew Nieporent is ne of the last of his  breed, yet he is as influential now as he was back forty years ago. He is responsible for what Manhattan eats and the food trends that touch our lives. He is the heartbeat behind the city's dining scene

The Trump Effect On Our Eating

It is true that our current president can leave a bitter taste in one's mouth. Now his ideas and decrees are affecting our restaurants. From waitstaff to chefs, they're being hurt by President Trump's reneging of DACA Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. The Dreamers that have big dreams are being threatened with their worst nightmares.They'll be forced to go back to the bleakness of their  homelands and the problems that they left there.

The issue - not surprisingly - hit the New York Times Food section today. Fernanada Santos interviewed an up and coming chef, Suny Santana and what he could face. His story is not unusual. He and his family came to Arizona from northern Mexico when he was eleven. His father , although he had a degree in mechanical engineering, along with his mother ,felt that the future would be bleak for their three children, Using tourist visas, they stayed in Phoenix where there would be new world of opportunity for Suny. He was enterprising,  As a teen  he collected plastic bottles and aluminum cans  to resell  to recycling centers. At the age of eighteen he graduated from high school and enrolled in a community college where he studied in a culinary program. That was the first problem. Chef Santana couldn't pay the grossly unfair out of state tuition fee that Arizona required from dreamers at the time ad had to leave.

Luckily there was Aaron Chamberlin, his boss, at the trendy St. Francis Restaurant where he worked.  There was also President Obama's DACA created in 2012, which allowed dreamers such as Chef Santana permission to live and work in the US. He thrived. His skills, along with his hunger to learn and determination impressed Mr. Chamberlin greatly,The restauranteur offered to put him in charge of the restaurant. He did so well that Mr. Chamberlin asked him what he'd want to do next. The answer was opening up a taqueria, He'd either do it with his father or raise the money on his own . Not wanting him as competition Mr. Chamberlain  offered to create a taqueria with him.It will be named Chelo , in honor of  Chef Santana's mother.It is her nickname and she will be the inspiration behind many of the dishes.Her method for tortillas will be used in his kitchen. It involves soaking and cooking wheat in lime water, then draining, rinsing, and hulling it. It is then ground in a hand cranked stone mill to make masa, the dough used to make the tacos.

Hopefully Taco Chelo will be allowed to be a successful restaurant and Chef Santana allowed to be a famous chef. It would be an abomination for him to be deported. It should not happen. We can't let it happen.

The Perfectly Iced Cake

Fall means baking and with that decorated cakes. Cooler temps make it ideal to frost and decorate cakes and cupcakes. Every home baker should possess a variety of tools to create a creation worthy of any baking show competition.

One of the most important items to have is a turntable.Mine is an Ohuhu brand that is perfect for getting a smooth , even surface. Buy an icing spatula if you don't have one. It can even be bought at your local dollar store. Again this guarantees an even surface. You can also use a regular butter knife for this too if you want.

Another must have is an icing comb, This is a set from Cake Boss that I got from Target. It creates those elegant lines that bakery cakes have . These two create two entirely different designs with wavy squiggles or elegant lines. .

Every home bakers also needs this

This is one of my favorites. The Wilton Icer which is a dream to use. It can be used to create lush roses or delicate lines of leaves. It also makes lovely puffs of frosting on cupcakes, as well as filling them with cream. There are many attachments to create all sorts of  buds and blossoms. Unfortunately  it doesn't come with an icing nail. I had to buy those separately through Amazon.

As for the icing. I prefer a cream cheese frosting This one is from Allrecipes and it is a classic. I have used it not only on carrot cupcakes but also on chocolate ones as well.

1/2 cup softened butter (I prefer I Can't Believe It's Not Butter)

8 oz, cream cheese (Philadelphia Cream Cheese is the best)

3 1/2  to 4 cups confectioners sugar

2 tblespns good vanilla extract.

Beat butter and cream cheese until well blended. Slowly add confectioners sugar and vanilla. It will yield two cups. Double it if you;re planning on making a sheet cake. Add two or three tablespoons of extra confectioners sugar to a cup of reserved icing to make roses.

This is the season to start baking. Try your hand at creating a fancy cake for a fall soiree or party.It's easy to do if you have these tools. They'll aid you in making the picture perfect cake.