Toasted Almond Napoleon with Balsamic-Glazed Bananas

Every cook makes mistakes. Even the best cooks. Even chefs. Even food writers and cooking teachers.

Once, when I was teaching a baking class and meant to prepare a recipe for a chocolate “souffle roll” — a jelly roll stuffed with whipped cream and sliced strawberries — I forgot to put a towel or parchment paper underneath the cake that would help me roll it up. The cake stuck to the counter in parts, so rolling it was nearly impossible. The top cracked in several places and looked awful. So I quickly got out some confectioner’s sugar and sifted lots of it all over the top of the cake. It looked so pretty you could actually think that this was the way it was supposed to be all along.

Jelly rolls, made without flour, are very popular for Passover, of course. And maybe most people won’t make the mistake I did with that chocolate roll. But sometimes, when you’re rolling a flourless jelly roll, it cracks anyway.

That has happened to me too. When I don’t doctor things by sifting confectioner’s sugar or cocoa or something else on top (like a glaze or frosting), I cut the cake and make layers out of it, instead of rolling it jelly roll style.

Take a look at this recipe, for a toasted almond flourless jelly roll cake. You can roll it the standard way (look for instructions at the end of the recipe). But it is also pretty when you cut the cake and stack it stuffed with good, moist ingredients like fruit and jam (or pastry cream, whipped cream, ganache and so on) and garnish the top with a simple sprinkle of confectioner’s sugar, chopped nuts, shredded coconut and so on.

Toasted Almond Napoleon with Balsamic-Glazed Bananas

6 large eggs, separated
1/2 cup sugar
pinch of salt
1-1/2 cups ground almonds
1 teaspoon ground ginger 
potato starch or Passover confectioner’s sugar
10 ounces strawberry or cherry preserves 
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 medium chopped banana (about 1 cup)
Passover confectioner’s sugar, optional
Grated coconut

Preheat the oven to 350º. Line a 15-1/2-inch by 10-1/2-inch jelly roll pan with parchment paper or waxed paper; lightly oil the paper. Set aside. Beat the egg yolks with 6 tablespoons of the sugar and the salt with an electric mixer set at medium for about 3 minutes or until the mixture is thick and pale. Stir in the almonds and ginger. Beat the egg whites with an electric mixer at medium speed until the whites are foamy. Continue to beat, gradually raising the speed to high and gradually adding the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar until the whites stand in stiff, glossy peaks. Stir one-third of the whites into the nut mixture and blend in thoroughly. Add the remaining beaten whites and fold them in gently. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan. Bake for about 20 minutes or until the cake is lightly browned and springs back when touched gently. Place the pan on a cake rack. Cover it with a lightly dampened towel and let it cool. Place a kitchen towel on a clean work surface and sprinkle it with potato starch or Passover confectioner’s sugar. Invert the cake over the towel and pat the pan to loosen the cake. Remove the paper. Cut the cake into 3 sections on the longer edge (each section will now be about 5 inches x 10-1/2 inches). Mix the preserves and balsamic vinegar together. Spread most of the preserves on two of the sections, reserving about 3 tablespoons. Scatter the banana on top of the preserves. Layer one section on top of the other. Place the plain layer on top. Spread with the remaining 3 tablespoons preserves. Sprinkle with grated coconut. Cut with a serrated knife. Makes 8-10 servings.

To make a classic jelly roll: Spread the preserves mixture on top of the cake. Scatter the chopped banana (and coconut, if desired) on top. Roll the cake, starting at a narrow end. Lift it onto a platter, seam side down. Sprinkle with Passover confectioner’s sugar if desired.

Orange-Honey-Nut Tart

What to do with Macaroons

In the old days we ate macaroons straight out of the can. That was dessert.

But there are so many delicious things you can do with plain old macaroons. Like use them to make a crust for cheesecake. Or crumble them to top a fruit crisp. Or break them up into a parfait dish with ice cream and chocolate sauce.

Or make this fabulously rich tart. It’s sort of like a Chess Pie or Pecan pie. With a macaroon crust. 

Make it ahead and keep it in the fridge for 2-3 days. You won’t be sorry.

Orange-Honey-Nut Tart

18-20 macaroons

2/3 cup honey

1/2 cup butter

1/3 cup sugar

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup cream (light, whipping or half and half)

2 large eggs

1 tablespoon grated fresh orange peel

1 cup medium-fine chopped almonds

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease the bottom and sides of a 10-inch tart pan with removable bottom. Crumble the macaroons and press them onto the bottom and sides of the greased pan. Set aside. Place the honey, butter, sugar and salt and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, mixing constantly. Cook for about a minute or until the sugar has completely dissolved. Set aside to cool slightly. In a bowl, beat the cream, eggs and orange peel together until well blended. Pour in the honey mixture and blend ingredients thoroughly. Pour the mixture into the macaroon crust. Scatter the nuts on top. Place the tart in the oven and bake for about 30 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool.

Makes 8 servings

Matzo Polenta Crisps

Matzo Polenta Crisps

I like to tweak recipes. So sometime last year as I was making polenta — or what my grandma called mamaliga — I wondered whether I could adapt the recipe using matzo meal instead of corn meal and thus be able to serve it at Passover.

It was awful. Like some cooked cereal I once served my daughter Gillian and she said it tasted like a box.

So I fried some onions, celery and mushrooms until they were golden brown, mixed them into the matzo-meal mamaliga and let it chill inside a loaf pan. When it was cold, I cut the loaf into slices and fried the slices until they were hot and crispy.

Who says you can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear?

Now these were absolutely delicious. And are a terrific side dish during Passover.

Matzo Meal “Polenta” Crisps

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 medium onion, chopped

• 1 large stalk celery, chopped

• 2 cups chopped mushrooms

• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mixed herbs such as dill, basil, rosemary, thyme, etc.

• 2 cups vegetable or chicken stock

• 1 cup water

• 1 cup matzo meal

• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

• 1/2 cup grated Fontina cheese. optional

• vegetable oil and/or butter for frying

Lightly grease a 9”x5”x3” loaf pan. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add the onion and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3-4 minutes or until softened. Add the mushrooms, parsley and herbs and and cook for another 3-4 minutes or until all the liquid has evaporated from the pan. Set aside to cool slightly. Bring the stock and water to a boil in a large saucepan. Whisk constantly as you gradually add the matzo meal and cook for about 2-3 minutes or until the mixture is thick. Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally for another 3-4 minutes or until the mixture is very thick. Stir in the vegetable mixture and season to taste with salt and pepper. Mix in the cheese of used. Spoon the mixture into the prepared loaf pan. Refrigerate until cold, at least one hour. Unmold the loaf onto a cutting board and cut into 3/4-inch slices. Heat the olive oil and/or butter in a saute pan over medium heat. Cook the s,ices a few at a time, for 2-4 minutes per side, or until crispy. Makes 6-8 servings

Fairway Passover Catering

I am what Jewish people call a “balabusta.” Which is a yiddish term generally meaning something like a woman who likes to cook, is energetic and keeps herself busy with a lot of different things. 

So preparing for Passover and cooking an entire dinner for anywhere from 14 to 30 people never seemed daunting to me.

But I also realize that while being a “balabusta” always worked for me, it is not every woman’s goal. Many many women have absolutely no interest in cooking, no less for a crowd of guests. Or they have absolutely no time or are too busy with kids or elderly parents or whatever it is that takes up a life. They need help if they are having a Seder at their house.

Order in!

Sometimes a local kosher catering place has a special Passover menu. Sometimes you can order through your synagogue. If you live anywhere near Fairway (there’s one where I live in Stamford, CT.) you can order from their menu: http://www.fairwaymarket.com/files/catering/fairwaystamfordkosherforpassovercateringmenu2012.pdf

It’s a traditional Ashkenazi style dinner, complete with matzo ball soup, gefilte fish, brisket, potato kugel, etc. and you can order a complete dinner or a la carte items.

Why not!?

Matzo Balls

Should Matzo Balls sink or float? 

I had a cousin who made the kind of matzo balls that sank. In fact, I would have bet that they also bounced. But her family loved them and it’s true, when it comes to matzo balls you either like the firm, rubbery cannonball type that sits at the bottom of the soup bowl or the soft, spongy, light-as-a-feather kind that floats on top.

Here’s the recipe we use. These make medium, slightly-firm, soup soaked delicious matzo balls. Perfect for Passover, which is only 11 days away! If you like matzo balls fluffier, cut down dough refrigeration time.

Matzo Balls

• 1 cup matzo meal

• 1 teaspoon salt

• freshly ground black or white pepper to taste

• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley or dill, or both, optional

• 4 whole large eggs, slightly beaten

• 1/4 cup melted goose fat, chicken fat, margarine or vegetable oil

• 1/4 cup chicken soup, water or seltzer

In a bowl. combine the matzo meal, salt, pepper and parsley or dill (or both). In another bowl, beat the eggs, melted fat and soup together. Add the egg mixture to the matzo mixture and blend thoroughly. Stir in the liquid. Cover the ingredients and refrigerate for about 30 minutes. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. With wet cold hands shape the matzo mixture into balls 1/2-inch to 1-inch balls (you may have to re-wet hands occasionally). Add the matzo balls one by one to the boiling water. Lower the heat so that the water is at a simmer. Cover the pan and cook for at least 50 minutes (do not lift the cover) or until they are tender. Remove the matzo balls from the water. Place into the soup to soak up more flavor.

Makes up to 20

Hard Cooked Eggs

Even good cooks have a hard time with hard cooked eggs.

I’ve been doing it for a lifetime, I learned how from my Mom, but still, sometimes when I try to peel the shell off it sticks and some of the white comes off with it and the egg looks battered and lumpy with little craters all over the surface.

It usually doesn’t matter because either I will be eating the egg as a snack and I really don’t care if it’s lumpy. Or, I am using it for egg salad and will be grating it or mashing it anyway.

But hard cooked eggs are a must for Passover and you can’t have some egg that looks like it’s been in a fight on the Seder plate. And also, you want a nice, smooth, lovely looking egg for everyone to eat at the start of the feast.

So how do you do it?

I’ve tried all ways. My Mom told me to use eggs that weren’t the “freshest” but that’s never really a problem with supermarket eggs, is it! Even with organic eggs, which I always buy. By the time eggs get to the store they’re not exactly right out of the chicken. She also told me to have the eggs at room temperature — take them out of the refrigerator at least one hour before cooking them.

She also had this little pick (it had a plastic handle and looked like a metal toothpick) and she would pierce the narrower top of each egg before cooking it. (Or was it the rounder, larger end? Can’t remember.)

Tried that too.

The Incredible Egg site instructions say to put the eggs in a pot, bring the water to a boil, remove the pan from the heat and let the eggs rest in the water for 12 minutes (for large eggs, 9 for medium, 15 for extra large). Some snarky relative who once criticized my hard cooked eggs (they did look awful!) said to let the eggs rest for 10 minutes.

But I did both a few times and the yellows were never cooked enough even at 12 minutes (and as for the 10-minute version, well, the yellows were still wet in the middle). I like a hard cooked egg cooked through. Light yellow and still moist, but not wet in the center.

My son-in-law Greg told me to bring the water to a boil first, then add the eggs (this is how my mother did it), then wait for the water to boil, turn the heat lower and simmer the eggs for 10 minutes, then immediately plunge the eggs into ice water.

That’s what I did today, just for practice. The yellows were perfect.

But I have to say, I used eggs from 2 different cartons bought at two different times. Despite the fact that the timing was good for the taste and texture, the shells on the fresher eggs were harder to peel. The thin membrane between the white and shell stuck, so I wound up with a few eggs with little craters on the surface.

I will follow Greg’s recipe for Passover. But I will also follow my Mom’s advice: use eggs that are at least a week in the fridge, take the eggs out way before I cook them and make extra, just in case, because, it seems, no matter how much of an expert you are and no matter how much extra advice you follow, the shells might not always come off so well.

Hard Cooked Eggs

large size eggs

water

Bring a potful of water to a boil. Immerse the eggs one by one. Let the water return to a second boil. Lower the heat and simmer the eggs for 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat. Place the eggs into ice cold water.

Does anyone out there always get perfectly peeled eggs?

Matzo Stuffing with Apricots and Raisins

In a roundabout sort of way, yesterday’s post about white bread made me realize that Passover is coming soon. Which means no white bread of course.

Passover is all about matzo.

I love matzo. Fresh, crisp, fragrant, new matzo. When I open that first boxful, I take out a piece, slather some butter on top and crunch, crunch crunch away quickly, stuffing it into my mouth with both hands like a kid sneaking candy.

Why is that? Matzo is available all year. I don’t have to wait until Passover.

But somehow I do.

I suppose because matzo seems more fitting at Passover. Like pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving, even though pumpkin pie is available all year too.

Matzo with butter is a real treasure. Not to be underestimated. Like a summer tomato or a new crop autumn apple. It doesn’t need much but itself (except the butter and a few grains of salt).

On the other hand, you can do a lot with it all through the Passover holiday.

Like a sandwich. Matzo is crunchier and crisper than any artisinal bread. So soft fillings like egg salad and tuna salad go perfectly.

I also make grilled cheese-on-matzo (in the toaster oven). The matzo gets even crispier and toastier-tasting!

Matzo Brei, of course.

And stuffing for chicken or turkey.

Like this one:

Matzo Stuffing with Apricots and Raisins

• 4 pieces of matzo, broken up into little pieces
• 1 cup boiling water
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 large stalk celery, chopped
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh ginger
• 1/2 cup cut up dried apricots
• 1/3 cup raisins
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 2 large eggs, beaten

Place the matzos in a bowl and pour the boiling water over them. Let soak for 4-5 minutes. Drain excess water. Set aside. While the matzos are soaking, heat the vegetable oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add the onion and celery and cook for 3-4 minutes. Add the ginger, apricots and raisins and cook for another minute. Spoon the contents of the pan into the bowl with the matzos. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss ingredients to distribute them evenly. Add the eggs, mix the ingredients thoroughly. Place into a lightly greased casserole or inside a large roasting chicken to bake (if a casserole, about 35-45 minutes in a preheated 350 degree oven).

Enough for a 6-7 pound chicken; 6 servings

How to Cook Brisket, plus Mango-Honey Barbecue Sauce

How to make brisket

I never liked my mother’s brisket. In fact I didn’t like brisket at all until recently. To me it was always this brown, wet meat and the slices were too narrow and lean. And unless the meat was cut into very thin slices, it was tough and stringy.

My mother always used first cut brisket.

Then I met my mother-in-law, who used second cut brisket.

My parents and in-laws actually got along and were good friends who travelled together. Even so, you can imagine what each of the women had to say about the other one’s recipe. 

My mother said second cut brisket was too fatty. My mother-in-law said first cut wasn’t fatty enough.

I thought both were still too tough, too wet and too stringy.

So I experimented. Because that’s what I do. And in the process learned quite a lot about cooking this particular portion of meat.

Which can be tough and stringy if you don’t cook it right. And wet if you don’t do something good with the pan juices.

I buy a whole brisket. First and second cut. Yes, it’s way too big for my family, but I freeze some of it (portions from the fatty and lean parts together to please everyone tastes) because braised meat holds up very well in cold storage. A whole brisket has enough fat to enrich the meat, so that the leanest portions are more flavorful. And after the cooking has ended, you can cut away any excess fat that you don’t actually want to eat.

The real trick to brisket is LONG SLOW cooking.

Here’s what I do: you can see from the photo that all I do is season the meat with garlic powder, pepper and paprika (and salt if necessary). I scatter a lot of onions on top and throughout the pan. I cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil.

NO STOCK. NO WATER. NO WINE.

It doesn’t need anymore liquid. The onions and the meat give off enough.

I put the pan in a cold oven before I go to bed at night, set the oven to bake at 250-275F degrees and go to sleep.

The next morning the brisket alarm clock wakes me up about many hours (for a large brisket 8 hours) later with the most glorious aroma ever. (Actually it competes with the coffee, which is set to brew just about when the meat is done.) If you choose a smaller portion, say a first or second cut piece, obviously, it takes less time (let’s say 4-5 hours).

But don’t follow those recipes that tell you to cook brisket at 350 degrees! Your pot roast will rebel and show you how tough it is.

I usually don’t serve brisket with the pan gravy. Sometimes I strain the juices and use it for soup. Sometimes I boil the pan gravy down and use it for things like mashed potatoes. Sometimes I puree the juices with the onions. It really all depends on my particular culinary needs at the moment.

As for the brisket: none of us likes it wet. So I let the meat cool and put it on the grill (or under the broiler or in a 425F oven), and keep slathering the surface with barbecue sauce and cook the meat until it is hot and crispy to a mahogany glaze on the surface. 

This is not wet, stringy or tough. It’s just dee-lish!

The sauce I frequently use as a glaze is not appropriate for Passover. But here’s one that’s just fine.

Mango-Honey Barbecue Sauce

• 1 large ripe mango

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

• 1 medium onion, finely chopped

• 1 large clove garlic, finely chopped

• 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh ginger

• 1 teaspoon grated fresh orange peel

• 1 cup bottled chili sauce

• 1/4 cup orange juice

• 1/4 cup honey

• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Peel the mango and puree the flesh in a food processor. Heat the vegetable oil in a nonstick saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for one minute. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for another minute. Add the orange peel, mango puree, chili sauce, orange juice, honey and cayenne pepper. Stir to blend the ingredients thoroughly. Cook over low-medium heat for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until slightly thickened. Let cool.

Makes about 2-1/2 cups

Passover Tiramisu

Passover products have been on the supermarket shelves for weeks now. Which makes Passover like any other holiday in this respect — you have to think about the food way ahead of the actual event and the mountains of matzo meal and farfel and potato starch are a reminder to stock up and start planning.

So too in the food business. I’ve been experimenting with Passover recipes for months and have already given several cooking demonstrations of Passover dishes. Last week I blogged about the one for the UJA Federation of Greenwich Annual Education Symposium (you’ll find a really delicious recipe for Quinoa Salad in that post).

The Symposium was a half-day event featuring keynote speaker Linda Scherzer, former Middle East correspondent for CNN and Israeli Television. Then came the breakout sessions, of which mine was one. You can read all about it here.

Well, in addition to that Quinoa Salad recipe,  I also showed the group how to make The Easiest, Fastest Tiramisu in the World.

Made with Macaroons.

Perfect for Passover.

It takes less than 15 minutes to make. And yes, it isn’t the authentic, cooked, egg-yolk enriched custardy tiramisu you may have eaten.

But it is pretty good! And looks good and takes almost no time at all.

The Easiest, Fastest Macaroon Tiramisu in the World:

12 ounces Mascarpone cheese

1 cup ricotta cheese

1/2 cup sugar

2 tablespoon cold brewed espresso coffee

2 tablespoons Sabra coffee liqueur or Orange-flavored brandy*

1 teaspoon cocoa powder

1/2 cup finely chopped bittersweet chocolate

12 macaroons

Beat the mascarpone cheese with an electric mixer set at medium speed for about 2 minutes or until smooth and creamy. Add the ricotta cheese, sugar, coffee and liqueur and beat ingredients for another 2-3 minutes. Crumble 12 macaroons into 6 dessert dishes. Spoon equal amounts of the cheese mixture on top. Sprinkle with the cocoa and chocolate. Makes 6 servings 

*or use more espresso coffee or mix equal amounts of instant coffee and water together.

You can double this and serve it in a large serving bowl, layered with crumbled macaroons.

Salmon Fish Cakes

I understand why certain foods are associated with specific ethnic groups. Like spaghetti and marinara sauce, which may be an American favorite but its origin is Italian. Egg rolls are part of Chinese cuisine, crepes are French and so on.

What I don’t get is why Salmon Fish Cakes are thought of as Jewish food?

Or are they?

Okay, my Mom made them by mixing a can of red salmon (she was adamant that it had to be red, not pink, salmon) with eggs and matzo meal. And she did call them latkes (a Yiddish word for “patties”). But sometimes she made them with regular bread crumbs and called them croquettes.

Yet, every Jewish kid I knew (and those who are now grown up) had a mother who made them. And every non-Jewish kid (now adult) I knew didn’t.

Really, fish cakes are multi-ethnic. Non-ethnic. They’re just fish cakes. You can make them with almost any leftover fish, bind them with eggs and a starch (matzo meal or bread crumbs or mashed potatoes or corn meal, whatever), shape them into patties and fry them.

They are also a good way to use fish leftovers (or fish from scratch). They are easy to make, quick to cook. And they taste good whether hot, room temperature or cold.

What more could you ask of a summer meal?

Whatever your background, try Salmon Fish Cakes. You can eat them plain or in a sandwich with a thick slice of summer tomato and some mayo. Or serve them a bit fancier with some easy to make Horseradish Cream Sauce (recipe follows).

Salmon Fish Cakes

• 2 medium Yukon Gold or all-purpose potatoes
• 2 cups crumbled, cooked salmon
• 1 large egg
• 1 thick scallion, finely chopped, optional
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh dill, optional
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• matzo meal (or all-purpose flour)
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Peel and cut the potatoes into chunks, cook them in boiling water for 12-15 minutes or until tender, drain and place the chunks in a bowl. Mash the chunks. Add the fish, egg, scallion, dill and some salt and pepper and mix the ingredients thoroughly. Shape portions of the mixture into 4 patties about 3/4-inch thick. Dredge the patties in some matzo meal to coat the surface. Heat the butter and vegetable oil in a saute pan over medium heat. When the butter has melted and looks foamy, place the patties in the pan and cook for about 3 minutes per side or until crispy. Drain on paper towels.

Makes 4 servings

Horseradish Cream Sauce

• 1/2 cup plain yogurt, preferably Greek style
• 1 tablespoon prepared white horseradish
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice

Mix ingredients thoroughly.

Makes 1/2 cup