WOW!! You have got to check out this technique for Eggs:

Each year at Passover, I enjoy making this charoset for my seder plate.

Pasty and clay-colored like mud used to make bricks, this sweet mixture of fruits and nuts is meant to serve as a reminder that we, the Jewish people, were once slaves in Egypt. We worked and worked and worked… and now we are free.

But what does this freedom mean to us? And, in our own lives, what exactly have we been freed from?

Passover challenges us to use the story of our ancestors’ enslavement, and ultimate liberation from slavery, as a springboard for reflecting on our own lives and making the necessary changes to experience the joy that freedom can bring.

For me, these are continually the key Four Questions to ask ourselves at Passover:
1) What does freedom mean to me?
2) What continues to hold me back/”enslave” me from experiencing that freedom?
3) What steps am I taking to “break free”?
4) How am I helping others find their freedom?

For all who celebrate, my best wishes to you and your family as you struggle with these questions and find meaning and sweetness in your Passover experience.

MAKE YOUR OWN RECIPE

Using my recipe below as background, how might you make your own recipe? How about you:

Mix up the ingredients?

• In addition to using any other dried fruits or nuts (prunes, coconuts, raisins, pistachios, etc…), feel free to use fresh apples (Ashkenazi-style), oranges, bananas and pomegranates.

Vary the spices?

• Ginger, cloves and/or cayenne would add interesting dimensions of flavor.

Change up your liquid?

• Manischewitz, grape juice, apple juice and even Calvados would add wonderful sweetness and tang.

MY CHAROSET

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup – brandy
• ½ cup – dried apricots, chopped
• ½ cup – dried and pitted dates, chopped
• ½ cup – dried mango, chopped
• ½ cup – dried cherries
• ½ cup – dried blueberries
• 1 cup – toasted walnuts
• 1 cup – toasted sliced almonds
• 1 tsp – ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp – ground all-spice
• ½ cup – honey
• Zest of ½ orange

 Method:

1. Combine all ingredients
2. If possible, store in fridge overnight (flavors concentrate and develop with time)

Whether celebrating Passover, Easter or both, everyone I know is planning out their holiday meals. But what to serve? That is always the question.

For those celebrating Easter, lamb is a tradition and with the lambing season upon us (running from approximately February to April), it is also the perfect way to celebrate the arrival of Spring.

For Jews, however, the tendency (particularly in Ashkenazi circles) is to opt for brisket during Passover seder. However, it is quite interesting to note that in the book of Exodus, we are given detailed instructions about eating lamb in anticipation of the liberation of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt. And while Jewish law discourages us from serving a whole roasted lamb (as it would be too similar to the Paschal sacrificial offering), there is no restriction on braised pieces of lamb. So why not delight your holiday guests with something different?

This lamb stew uses a typical braising technique, but makes life super easy by making it in a slow cooker. Just prepare your ingredients and place them in the slow cooker. Overnight, your lamb will cook to perfection. Make this dish ahead of time and you can freeze it – the flavors will only get better.

And, regardless of which holiday you’re celebrating, to fully enjoy the feeling of spring on a plate, contrast the heartiness of the stew by finishing the dish with a plentiful garnish of fresh parsley and lemon zest. Happy holidays to you and yours!

LAMB STEW

Ingredients:
• 3 tbsp – olive oil
• 4 lbs – lamb shoulder (trimmed of excess fat and cubed)
• ½ cup – flour
• 1 – onion (sliced)
• 3 ounces – tomato paste (1/2 of a 6 ounce can)
• 2 tsp – cumin
• 2 tsp – paprika
• 2 cups – chicken or beef broth
• 1 – lemon (zested and juiced) – reserve zest for garnish
• ¼ cup –parsley (minced for garnish)
• Salt and pepper – to taste

Method:
1. Season lamb cubes with salt and pepper and allow to come to room temperature (30 minutes minimum)
2. Heat oil in a heavy skillet
3. Dry seasoned lamb cubes with paper towel and dredge each cube in flour
4. Sear lamb cubes in batches – don’t overcrowd the pan!
5. Place the seared lamb cubes in the slow cooker
6. Add tomato paste and a splash of stock to the skillet and cook for a few minutes, scraping the bottom of the skillet to lift the drippings from the lamb. Pour contents of the skillet over the lamb in the slow cooker
7. Add sliced onions, cumin, paprika, lemon juice, salt and pepper to the slow cooker
8. Cook in slow cooker on low for 8 hours
9. Once the lamb is tender, skim off excess fat from the surface of the stew and separate the meat from the sauce
10. Taste the sauce and adjust seasonings and consistency (i.e. if the sauce is too thin, cook in a pot on the stovetop over medium-high heat, stirring regularly, to allow evaporation to reduce and thicken the sauce)
11. Recombine the meat with the sauce
12. Garnish with parsley and lemon zest

Check out this newspaper write-up on one of my latest projects: Our Family Table. 

I’m so proud to combine my culinary skills with my background in Jewish studies – engaging people around Jewish values while simultaneously empowering them to cook!

More than just nourishment, food is linked to family and values in a very meaningful way and can serve as an important means of connection. Creating rituals that promote positive feelings and interactions around food can both strengthen family relationships and encourage healthy eating.

Using the wisdom of Jewish texts as a backdrop, Our Family Table explores the role that food and family play in our lives while teaching participants how to cook healthy and delicious recipes.

Join us on this journey…

Cake, candy, chocolates… 

In honor of Valentine’s Day,  I’m sure you expected me to post a recipe for a delectable sweet. But no, Valentine’s Day is all about treating MY sweetie and therefore, it’s all about Ribs!

Though we live in Miami and could technically BBQ all winter long, I do live in a condo. Therefore, my options are limited. However, does that mean my hubby should be deprived of the flavor of smoked and slow-cooked meat? NO WAY! We just need to get creative…

For those of you coping with winter snow storms, yet dreaming of warmer summer days, this easy technique should do the trick for you too. By simply combining your oven with hickory-smoked wood chips, you can create the BBQ flavors of summer indoors, any time of year. Hope YOUR sweetie enjoys them as much as MINE!

OVEN-SMOKED RIBS*

Ingredients:

• 2 ½ tbsp. – Kosher salt
• 1 tbsp – Dry mustard
• 1 tbsp – Paprika
• ½ tsp – Cayenne pepper
• ½ tsp – Black pepper (freshly ground)
• 8 lbs – Ribs (St. Louis-style spareribs are my husband’s favorite!)
• 3 cups – Barbecue sauce (bottled or home-made)
• Hickory-smoked wood chips

Method:
1. Combine first five ingredients and rub onto ribs
2. Wrap tightly in foil or plastic wrap and store in refrigerator overnight
3. Preheat oven to 250*
4. Line the bottom of a large roasting pan with the wood chips and add just enough water to moisten the chips
5. Place a rack inside the roasting pan
6. Lay ribs on rack and cover with a tent of aluminum foil to create an insulated smoking environment
7. Bake for 3 hours
8. Once cooled, slice between the ribs to separate into individual pieces (if you’re making this ahead, you can stop here and store the ribs in the fridge for up to 3 days)
9. Slather the barbecue sauce on each piece and store in the refrigerator for a minimum of 3 hours
10. To serve, heat in a 425* oven for approximately 30 minutes – until
the barbecue sauce begins to dry and the ribs are perfectly glazed (and feel free to baste with extra sauce if you like saucy ribs!)

*adapted from Mark Bittman’s recipe

Yup – the more I look at this picture and remember how delicious it actually tasted, the more I regret that I didn’t take a picture AFTER cutting into this cake… Alas, it’s too late because the cake is now completely gone

But if you could only have seen the moist, intensely almond interior with the delicate layer of rich dark chocolate, you would insist on making this cake right now.

Fellow almond lovers will understand how, despite the fact that I’m usually more of a savory eater, the almonds’ prominence and heartiness in this dessert make it a game-changer!

Pair this with a good cup of coffee and, I promise, heaven…

ALMOND CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE GLACAGE

Ingredients:

CAKE

(adapted from recipe by David Lebovitz)

• 1 1/3 cups – Sugar
• 9 oz. – Almond paste
• 3/4, plus 1/4 cup – Flour
• 2 sticks (8 ounces) – Unsalted butter, at room temperature, cubed
• 1 1/2 tsp – Baking powder
• ¾ tsp – Kosher salt
• 1 tsp – Vanilla extract
• 1 tsp – Almond extract
• 6 – Eggs, at room temperature
• ¼ cup – Almond liqueur (such as Disaronno) – OPTIONAL, but I love it!

 GLACAGE

• 1 cup – Heavy cream
• 1/3 cup – Granulated sugar
• 2 tbsp + 1 tsp – Corn syrup
• 275g package – High quality Dark Chocolate (such as Scharffenberger), chopped
• 1/6 cup – Milk
• 1 cup – Sliced or chopped almonds (to coat the bottom sides of the cake)

Method:

CAKE

1. Preheat oven to 325ºF and spray a 9/10-inch cake or spring form pan with baking spray
2. In a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, combine the sugar, almond paste, and 1/4 cup of flour until the almond paste is finely ground and the mixture resembles sand
3. Once the almond paste is broken up, add the cubes of butter and the vanilla and almond extracts and mix until the batter is smooth and fluffy
4. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing in between and scraping the sides of the mixer intermittently
5. In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining 3/4 cup of flour, baking powder, and salt and add half of this flour mixture to the stand mixer and mix for a few seconds. Then add the rest, mixing until just incorporated, but do not overmix
6. Scrape the batter into the prepared cake pan and bake the cake for 65 minutes, or until the top is deep brown and feels set when you press in the center
7. Remove the cake from the oven and run a sharp or serrated knife around the perimeter, loosening the cake from the sides of the pan. Let the cake cool completely in the pan. Once cool, tap the cake out of the pan and set on a cake plate (Tip: Warm the bottom of the cake pan directly on the stovetop for just a few seconds, which will help the cake release.)
8. STORAGE: This cake tastes better if stored for a bit before eating. It will keep for four days at room temperature, well-wrapped. It can also be frozen for up to two months.

CHOCOLATE GLACAGE

1. When ready to finish the cake, prepare a plastic-wrapped sheet tray with a rack placed on top
2. In a large bowl, place the chopped chocolate
3. In a saucepan, bring the cream, milk, sugar and corn syrup to a boil
4. Pour hot liquid over chocolate and let sit to melt
5. Stir  with a rubber spatula to ensure that all the chocolate is melted and then let      mixture cool
6. Turn the cake upside down onto your rack and if desired, use a pastry brush to brush on the almond liqueur
7. Pour the Chocolate Glacage on in one step – swirl from the center out ensuring that the glacage flows down and covers the sides of the cake.
8. Using your hands, dress the bottom of the cake with sliced or chopped almonds

Naturally decadent in taste yet filled with miraculously healthy Omega-3 fatty acids, salmon is truly a super food.

While delicious roasted, sauteed, or poached, I believe salmon is best eaten raw and finds its true calling in salmon tartare.

My recipe below balances the flavors of shallots and lemons to create a perfect bite. Eat it on its own, spread it on baguette or even on top of seaweed.

MAKE YOUR OWN RECIPE

Using the recipe below as background, how might you make your own recipe? How about you?

Change up the fish?

• Tuna tartare is also delicious and would play beautifully with this flavor profile

Diversify the flavors?

• If you like Asian flavors, try adding ginger, garlic, soy sauce, sesame oil and scallions

Dress it up?

• How about flavoring your own creme fraiche with red onions, wasabi or scallions? Just place a dollop right on top of your tartare!

SALMON TARTARE

Ingredients:
• 10 oz. – Salmon filet, bones/skin removed and minced
• 1 – Shallot, minced
• 2 – Lemons, zested (reserve ½ lemon to juice)
• 1/3 cup – Chives, minced
• 5 tsp – Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper (to taste)

Method:
1. Combine all the ingredients, except the lemon juice
2. Taste and adjust the seasoning
3. Refrigerate for a few hours (maximum of 6)
4. Mix in reserved lemon juice just before serving