New LaLa Lunchbox kosher content

My daughter Gillian, mother of three kids and creator of the best-selling lalalunchbox app, is expanding the content of this wildly successful tool that helps parents and children plan lunches for school, camp, field trips and so on.

It involves cute monsters and shopping lists that make it easy to get all that's needed, but mostly it encourages children to make decisions and healthy food choices. You can read more about it here.

Now there is going to be a special section geared for kosher food. Yes, many of the original items can already be kosher -- chicken leg, for example. Or made with kosher substitutions. But now there is a special section that is kosher-only. With no need to make changes or substitutions.

And I am thrilled to be curating the kosher items for the app!

Here are some of the items you can choose from when you download this app:

Traditional favorites such as: Pierogies! Blintzes! Banana bread! Hamantaschen! Potato Latkes! Matzo Ball Soup!

But also lots of up-to-date foods that kids love, like Date Snack Balls, Roasted Carrots, Grilled Chicken, Hummus, and much, much more.

I am happy to shard my recipes with you so you can make them with your family.

Check it out today so you can be ahead of the game in time for back-to-school!

Philly Cheese Steak, the Kosher way

Philadelphia. City of Brotherly Love. So named (from the Greek words "philos" meaning love and "adelphos" meaning brother) because the city's founder, William Penn, wanted the place to be a refuge from religious persecution. 

I wonder what Penn might think of that today, what with this year's contentious election and the Democratic National Convention at hand in the city.

But, current times aside, Philadelphia has a lovely history.

Home of the Liberty Bell. And Independence Hall, where the founding fathers debated (and adopted) the Declaration of Independence AND the Constitution.

Once the temporary capital of the United States while the newly minted America waited for the District of Columbia to be built.

And, among the more mundane of matters, home of the Philly Cheese Steak.

Philly Cheese Steak.

I have to say, I've been to Philadelphia several times and never ate one.

But thoughts of the city and its famous hoagie (hero sandwich, sub, whatever others may call it) got me to think about trying one at home.

Kosher.

I looked at lots of recipes and saw that they called for different cuts of beef, cut into strips. I decided on skirt steak because it's so juicy and flavorful.

I also noticed that the cheese could be cheddar or American or provolone and even -- OY -- cheese whiz. 

I opted for provolone (non-dairy, soy-based from Daiya Foods) because it has such a magnificent tang to it.

Some recipes called for sauteed mushrooms or other vegetables in addition to the more usual onions and red bell pepper. I decided not to.

In the end -- magnifico!!

Does it taste the way a Philly Cheese Steak is supposed to? 

I have no clue.

All I know is that it tasted good. Very good.

And so, in honor of Philadelphia's few days in the sun again -- my recipe for Philly Cheese Steak.

 

Kosher Philly Cheese Steak

• 8 ounces skirt steak, semi-frozen
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 small onion, sliced
• 1 small red bell pepper, deseeded and sliced into narrow strips
• 2 hoagie rolls
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 4 slices Daiya soy “provolone style cheese”

Cut the beef into thin slices against the grain. Heat the vegetable oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onion and pepper strips and cook, stirring occasionally, for 4-5 minutes or until soft and lightly browned. Add the meat to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3-4 minutes or until browned. Cut the rolls in half. Move the meat and vegetables to one side of the pan (or temporarily spoon into a plate) and place the 4 pieces of roll, cut side down in the pan. Cook for a minute or so, to lightly toast the rolls. Turn the rolls cut side up. Using equal quantities, place equal quantities of meat and vegetables on each of the two roll bottoms. Top with equal amounts of the soy cheese. Cover with the tops of the rolls. Turn the heat to low. Cover the pan and cook for a minute or so or until the cheese has melted.

Makes 2 sandwiches

Grandma's Blintzes

I feel blessed that my children and grandchildren come to stay over at my house in Connecticut for holidays and birthdays and occasionally just to hang out. It reminds me of when I was a kid and visited my grandma -- almost every weekend -- along with practically everyone else in my mother's family (aunts, uncles and cousins).

That was back in the day before children had so many other activities. Sure, there were brownies and cub scouts, but back then I never heard of things like soccer or gymnastics. Art classes happened during school hours. The only cooking classes for children took place in your own kitchen if you were lucky to have a Mom like mine who let you patchky around.

Weekends were strictly for family activities.

I'm not saying one way of life is better than another. One size does not fit all, as they say. And maybe today's kids are better educated or are more well-rounded than we were.

But I have wonderful memories of that life. 

It was good. I got to play with my cousin Leslie every weekend. She and her family lived with our grandma.

I also got to eat some of my grandma's wonderful food. 

I hope that in years to come my grandchildren will feel happy when they recall their visits to Ed and me. And have good memories of some of the favorite foods I cooked when they came.

Like Macaroni and Cheese. Apple Pie. Matzo Brei.

My grandma also made matzo brei and macaroni and cheese. But one of her signature dishes was blintzes.

She filled the blintzes with cheese, the classic, but, as I learned later, most people made the cheese filling sweet, seasoned with vanilla and/or cinnamon. My grandma's cheese-blintz filling was lemony, with just a hint of sugar.

Also, because there were so many of us, she had no time to fry them a couple at a time and still have everyone eat at the same time. So she placed the blintzes, seam-side down, on a baking sheet, topped each with a little dab of butter, and baked them until they were golden brown.

Me? I still love blintzes lemony and baked. And -- surprise to me! -- so do my grandchildren.

Her recipe is below, but the filling instructions give you the option to make the more popular vanilla version (and also how to fry them). Don't worry if the wrappers don't fry into perfect circles -- you're going to roll them and if they're a little off, no one will ever know.

Grandma Rachelle Hoffman’s Blintzes

Wrapper:

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1-1/2 teaspoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup milk, approximately
• 2 large eggs
• softened butter for frying

Filling:

• 1 pound farmer’s cheese
• 1 large egg
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon grated fresh lemon peel, optional
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, optional

To make the wrapper, combine the flour, sugar and salt in a bowl and stir to blend the ingredients. Add the milk and eggs and whisk until the batter is smooth and uniform (you may do this in a food processor). Add more milk if the batter seems too thick (it should be the consistency of heavy cream). Set aside for 30 minutes. Place a small amount of the softened butter in a crepe or omelet pan and place the pan over medium-high heat. When the butter has melted and the foam is beginning to separate, add enough batter to cover the bottom of the pan (for an 8-inch pan it will be 1/4-cup), shaking the pan quickly to spread the batter evenly. Cook for a minute or so or until the bottom is lightly browned. Turn the wrapper over and cook briefly. Remove the wrapper and proceed with the remaining batter, separating the cooked wrappers with aluminum foil or waxed paper.

To make the filling, place the cheese, egg, sugar and lemon juice in a bowl and mix thoroughly. Add the lemon peel OR vanilla extract and mix in thoroughly.

To fill each wrapper: use the first fried side as the inside of the blintz. Use about 2 tablespoons of filling for an 8-inch wrapper and place the filling in the center of the wrapper. Fold the bottom side up, over the filling. Fold the left side, then the right side over the filling, then roll up to enclose the filling. Fry the blintzes seam side down first over medium heat (using the same method as for frying the wrappers – let the butter melt and become foamy). Or, you can bake the filled blintzes: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the blintzes in a single layer on a jelly roll pan, top each with a tiny piece of butter. Bake for about 10 minutes.

Makes 8 8-inch blintzes

Russ & Daughters at the Jewish Museum

Now hear this! Russ & Daughters at the Jewish Museum is open!!!!

It's a cafe but also a retail takeout shop.

It's new. Clean. Bright. Comfortable. Kosher!

And with all those fabulous items we love -- like herring and lox and whitefish.

PLUS: lots more, like blintzes, mushroom barley soup, knishes, chocolate egg creams, noodle kugel.

Oh my, oh my oh my.

PLUS: some Israeli favorites: Shakshuka and Chopped Salad.

And a few extras like pickles, beet salad and halvah ice cream.

Ed and I were lucky to be invited for a preview lunch last week. I was a glutton and ordered two things. First Kasha Varnishkas, which I am really fussy about because my mother-in-law's recipe was so spectacularly delicious. This dish was fabulous and they add a modern touch that makes this side dish into a whole lunch (at least for me!) -- a poached egg on top so that the runny yolk oozes into the grains and caramelized onions. Ooooooh, is all I can say.

I also had the shakshuka (which they spell with an extra o), which was nice and tomato-y and rich with -- another poached egg.

I was too full for dessert.

Ed did the easy thing -- testing out the Russ & Daughters herring plate, which was loaded with tidbits of different flavored herrings and accompanied by several sauces and chopped beets. The fish were very fresh, briny, tender. I had tastes of course.

The fish is where Russ & Daughters has always excelled of course. The takeout shelves included whitefish that were so fresh and fat they didn't look real. I wanted desperately to get one but we were on our way elsewhere and I didn't think carrying a big fish around would be such a good idea.

The breads are some of the best I've ever tasted. Rye and pumpernickel and especially the challah. If you ever read this blog you know I am pretty stubborn about my own challah being unsurpassed. But Russ & Daughters challah is amazing.

We will go back. 

Thanks for the invite, Niki Russ Federman and Josh Russ Tupper (4th generation owners). Good luck on your new venture!

Potato Galette with Caramelized Onions and Sincerely Brigitte Parsley and Chives Cheese

Latkes on Hanukkah? Of course! But cheese is also a Hanukkah tradition.

I’ve written about it before.

Why cheese?

Because of the role a woman named Judith, who lived in Judea, in biblical times. According to legend, the Syrian-Greek army was about to invade. Holofernes, the general of the enemy army, was smitten with Judith. So she agreed to dine with him and at that dinner she fed him lots and lots of cheese, which got him thirsty, so he drank lots and lots of wine, which made him sleepy. At long last he fell asleep and she cut off his head! Upon hearing that their leader had been killed, the enemy army fled instead.

So, cheese. To celebrate!

Good cheese is worth celebrating too. Like the ones from Sincerely Brigitte, which produces delicious cheeses with interesting flavors, like Jack with Parsley and Chives. Besides a good variety, Sincerely Brigitte cheeses have a lot more to offer. They are made without animal sourced rennet and starters. The milk comes from a small Wisconsin farm and is rBST-free. Also, the cheeses are kosher.  

I wanted to develop some good Hanukkah-cheese recipes and this Potato Galette with Parsley and Chives Cheese was a big winner at our house. Not just fabulously rich and tasty, but simple. 

AND you can make it ahead and pop it into the oven to complete the cooking a day or so later.

Perfect for Hanukkah. Or anytime really.

Potato Galette with Caramelized Onions and Sincerely Brigitte Parsley and Chives Cheese

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large or 2 medium Vidalia or other sweet onions, thinly sliced
• 3 tablespoons melted butter
• 2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme or rosemary
• 7-ounces Sincerely Brigitte Parsley and Chives Cheese, grated

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Heat one tablespoon of the olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5-6 minutes or until softened and golden brown. Remove the onions to a bowl to cool. In another bowl, mix the melted butter with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Brush a film of this mixture inside a baking pan about 11”x7” (or 10” round). Peel the potatoes and cut them into thin slices. Wipe the potatoes with paper towels to dry the surface. Place the potato slices in the bowl with the melted butter and olive oil and toss them around to coat them completely. Place a layer of potatoes in the pan, overlapping the slices. Top with some of the onions. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and some of the thyme or rosemary. Repeat layers two more times. Scatter the cheese on top. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the cover and bake for another 25-30 minutes or until the potatoes are tender and the cheese is bubbly and lightly browned.

Note: You can make these in individual ramekins; cooking time after you remove the cover will be shorter; check after 20 minutes.

Makes 6-8 servings

Plum Cake with Oat Streusel

Plum Torte with Oat Streusel 

It wouldn’t be the Jewish High Holiday season if you didn’t see at least one recipe for Plum Torte.

I suppose it’s because the holidays come at around the same time as the harvest for those small, dark purple Italian prune plums and what could be better than dessert made with the newest, freshest, soon-to-disappear seasonal fruit? (Although the torte recipe is so versatile that my niece Rachel Vail, renowned children’s book author, once made it with pears.)

I’ve made several versions over the years, including the NYTimes recipe and my Aunt Beck’s famous apple cake made with plums.

This year I’m baking a new variation for the holidays. If Plum Torte is so delicious, can’t it be even better — and lovelier looking — with a streusel top?

Yes!

Here it is:

PLUM CAKE WITH OAT STREUSEL

CAKE: 

• Streusel (recipe below)

• 1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1/2 cup sugar

• 1 tablespoon baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 2 teaspoons grated fresh orange peel

• 2 large eggs

• 1 cup milk

• 12 Italian prune plums, pitted and sliced

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Make the streusel and set it aside. Lightly grease a 9-inch springform pan. Melt the butter and set it aside to cool. Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and orange peel in the bowl of an electric mixer. In another bowl, combine the eggs, milk and melted butter. Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ones and beat for about one minute, until smooth. Turn the batter into the prepared cake pan. Top with the plum slices. Cover with the streusel. Bake for about 45 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Remove the outer ring from the pan and let the cake cool completely.

Makes one cake serving 8 people

STREUSEL:

• 1/2 cup rolled oats

• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour

• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

• 1/8 teaspoon salt

• 4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Mix the oats, flour, brown sugar and salt in a bowl. Add the butter and work it into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs. Set aside.

4 Bloggers Dish

Holidays are for traditional food right?

Well, yes and no. Even traditions change. Maybe more slowly, but they change. New people come into the family. Health issues arise. Someone is allergic to something. Someone else is on a gluten-free diet or has decided to be a vegetarian. Another one hates that old soup that’s been on the menu for ages.

So new recipes are welcome. Especially if those recipes are fresh and modern, easy to make and festive enough for the holiday table.

There’s a new e-book for Passover that has all that and more. It’s called 4 Bloggers Dish and it’s filled with recipes that work not only for the holiday but year round. There’s no way I am waiting for Passover to try the Zucchini Fries with Horseradish Aioli. Ditto the Asparagus with Anchovies and Lemon Dressing.

I know two of the bloggers — Liz Rueven and Whitney Fisch who put this book together. They’re wonderful cooks (as I know Amy Kritzer and Sarah Lasry are). They know food, they know flavor and their Passover recipes offer a whole new collection of dishes that conform to all the Passover dietary laws but bring the menu into the 21st century.

In addition to the recipes you’ll find tips, freezer instruction and notes on how to prepare some of the dishes ahead — a worthy and necessary bonus when you have zillions of other things to do.

Here’s one of Liz Rueven’s soup recipes. It’s a vegetarian version of traditional onion soup that you can prepare on the stovetop or in a slow cooker. It can be a dairy dish too, by including the cheesy matzah crackers.

French Onion Soup with Cheesy Matzah Crackers

Prep Time: 45 minutes. Cook:  30 minutes

Ingredients:

Soup:

4 tablespoons margarine

4 large Spanish (red) onions, peeled, cut in half and sliced thinly

6  cloves garlic, peeled: 2 whole, 4 chopped

1/3 cup dry red wine

8 cups organic vegetable broth

1 cup water

3/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

5 sprigs fresh thyme

3 bay leaves 

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Heat margarine in large pan on stovetop. Saute the onions over low heat, stirring only once or twice. Onions should be soft and caramelized in about 20-25 minutes. Add chopped garlic and cook another 5 minutes. Add red wine and simmer until the alcohol cooks off, about 10-15 minutes. Transfer onion mixture to large pot with a lid or slow cooker insert. Add vegetable broth, water, and all seasonings. On stovetop; simmer on low for 45 minutes, covered. In slow cooker: cook on High for 4 hours. When soup is finished, remove thyme sprigs and bay leaves.

Make matzah crackers

Ingredients:

3-4 matzah crackers per person

1 cup shredded mozzarella or other cheese of choice

paprika powder

a few sprigs of fresh thyme for plating

Directions:

Line a cookie sheet with foil. Place matzah crackers in a single layer on sheet. Sprinkle cheese on crackers. Shake a bit of paprika over the cheese for added color. Place pan under broiler and stay close by. Melt cheese until bubbly and remove tray from oven.

Ladle soup into bowls and top with cheesy matzah just before serving. Place a bit of fresh thyme in the center of each cracker.

Makes 8-10 servings

Prep Ahead Guide:  Onion Soup may be made 2-3 days in advance and will improve as flavors have time to meld. Re-heat in pot on stove .

Freezer Instructions: Freeze one month ahead, in airtight container, minus the croutons.

This recipe is vegetarian, Gebrokts. The broth is pareve. Adding the Cheesy matzah crackers makes it dairy. 

Aunt Belle’s Spicy Honey Cake

I used to shiver at the thought of honey cake. The old Rosh Hashanah dessert, every year, year in, year out. Too sweet, too sticky, too oozing with whatever it was that it oozed with.

Tastes change. I now love honey cake and don’t think it’s too sweet at all. I do use a good honey, not the store brand, and I can taste the difference. 

So, now that it’s time for Rosh Hashanah and all things honey, it’s time for me to get out Aunt Belle’s recipe. She was known for only this one recipe and it is a good one. She made her honey cake spicy. And citrusy. And this, too, makes the big difference. The seasonings and refreshing flavors or orange and lemon cut the ultra-sweet honey rush.

This is a good cake (which you can freeze, by the way).

Here’s the recipe. But in case you hate to bake, you can buy a good honey cake for the holidays here: http://www.koshercarepackages.com/

Aunt Belle’s Spicy Honey Cake

3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2-1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg

1-1/2 tablespoons grated fresh orange peel

2 teaspoons grated fresh lemon peel

2 cups honey

1 cup strong coffee

1/4 cup vegetable oil

4 large eggs

3/4 cup sugar

sliced almonds

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Lightly grease two 9” x 5” loaf pans. Line the pans with parchment paper, then lightly grease the paper. Set the pans aside. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg together into a bowl. Stir in the orange peel and lemon peel and set aside. Heat the honey, coffee and vegetable oil together over low-medium heat for a minute or two, just enough to blend them together easily. Set aside to cool. In the bowl of an electric mixer set at medium speed, beat the eggs and sugar for 2-3 minutes or until well blended. Stir in the honey mixture and blend it in thoroughly. Add the flour mixture and blend it in thoroughly. Spoon the batter into the prepared pans. Scatter some sliced almonds on top. Bake for about 1-1/4 hours or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes then invert onto a cake rack to cool completely. Makes 2 cakes

Roasted Cider Chicken

I’m in an apples and honey frame of mind these days because the Jewish High Holidays are coming. So next Wednesday night, when Rosh Hashanah begins at sundown, my family will be snacking on slices of apples dipped in honey. Just like my family did when I was a kid. Just like other Jewish families do and have been doing for generations.

It wouldn’t be Rosh Hashanah without that. 

But besides the usual apples and honey snack, I like to make food that has apples and honey in it. Like this Roasted Cider Chicken, which I will probably make for dinner the first night of the holiday. 

Roasted Cider Chickenwith Apples and Honey

• 2 cups apple cider
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 6 whole cloves
• 6 thin slices fresh ginger
• 1 roasting chicken, 5-7 pounds
• 2 tablespoons softened margarine or vegetable oil 
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 small red onion, sliced
• 2 tart apples, peeled, cored and quartered

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Combine the cider, honey, cloves and ginger in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook until the liquid has reduced to one cup. Discard the cloves and ginger. Set the liquid aside. Rinse and dry the chicken. Place it on a rack in a roasting pan. Rub the chicken with the margarine or vegetable oil (or butter if you are not kosher) and sprinkle with salt, pepper and thyme. Place the chicken breast side down on the rack. Scatter the onion in the bottom of the roasting pan. Place the pan in the oven. Immediately reduce the oven heat to 350 degrees. Roast for 30 minutes. Pour the reduced cider over the chicken. Roast for another 30 minutes, basting the chicken once or twice, then turn it breast side up. Place the apples in the pan. Roast for another hour or so, or until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast reads 160 degrees F. Baste several times during the roasting period. Remove the chicken to a carving board. Strain the pan fluids, remove the fat and pour the fluids into a small saucepan. Let the chicken rest at least 15 minutes before carving. While carving, cook the pan fluids to reduce them to a syrupy consistency. Serve the chicken and fluids separately.

Makes 6-8 servings

Koshercare Packages

Oh the glories of the Internet!

I recently blogged about the Purim hamantashen I bought from Kosher Care Packages (you can order stuff here: http://www.koshercarepackages.com/) and I mentioned that I didn’t order enough with chocolate (I bought mostly traditional apricot, prune and raspberry filled cookies). 

Well, yesterday I got a rather generous gift package of guess what!!!!! Traditional jam-filled hamantashen dipped in chocolate! Take a look at these. Doesn’t that chocolate look good?

They are!

Happy Purim everyone and THANKS, KAREN at Kosher Care Packages.