SURE SIGN OF SPRING

Yes, artichokes are a pain to clean and are labor intensive. But they are delicious and they scream "SPRING". This member of the thistle family is one of the first heralds of spring and pairs well with fresh herbs-especially mint. Look for small/baby artichokes that feel heavy for their size (they will have a "meatier" heart) and have tight compact leaves.
Drizzle on your favorite olive oil and serve this throughout the season. The caponata can be stored, covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Caponata di Carciofi (Relish of Artichokes)

This caponata does not have the usual tomatoes and eggplant. Instead it is a concoction of early spring and late winter vegetables. I serve it with roasted chicken, duck and even fish. It adds flair to any table and for Passover we drizzle our matzah with olive oil and herbs and then dollop some of this caponata on top of it for a crunchy snack.

Yields about 2 cups

1 pound baby artichokes or frozen artichoke hearts
1 fennel bulb-julienne (save fronds for garnish)
2 leeks-white parts only chopped
3 cloves garlic,minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
½ cup white wine
½ cup golden raisins
¼ cup pine-nuts
¼ cup fresh mint-torn or cut into thin strips (chiffonade)
½ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley-chopped
2 tablespoons fresh thyme-chopped
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

1. To clean the artichokes, use a paring knife to cut the outside leaves free from the body of the vegetable. Continue turning your knife around the artichoke until you have an equal amount of green leaves with yellow tops. Be sure to leave the stem intact. You can peel some of the tough green fibers from the outside. The stem gives the artichoke a pretty shape! Cut the artichoke in half lengthwise and scoop out the choke (if any) with a melon baller. Place the artichoke pieces in a bowl of cold water with lemon juice squeezed into it to keep the artichokes from turning dark.
2. Place a large sauté pan over medium high heat and coat the bottom lightly with olive oil. Add the fennel pieces and leeks. Sauté the vegetables until the are lightly browned and have softened. Add the drained artichokes and continue sautéing until the artichokes are lightly browned. Add the garlic, tomato paste and white wine. Stir together. Add the raisins and turn down the heat to low and allow the mixture to simmer.
3. Place a small sauté pan over medium heat and add the pine-nuts. Toast the pine-nuts until they are lightly browned. Watch them carefully as then can burn quickly.
4. Add the pine nuts to the mixture. Add the mint, parsley and thyme. Salt and pepper to taste
5. Serve the caponata warm or cold. The caponata can be made three days before serving and stored covered in the refrigerator.

SPRING HAS SPRUNG!

Kosher and Delicious for Passover and Every Other Day

One sure sign that spring has sprung is the plethora of Passover products that start appearing on grocery store shelves. Each year I look forward to checking out what new foodstuffs were invented. Usually these products are meant to counterfeit their non-Passover counterparts. Each year I hold my own personal contest to see what the strangest and most Pesadich-y thing will be. Last year I was thrilled and simultaneously disgusted by the Pesadich soy sauce. I saved the bottle and put it in my cabinet just to remind myself of how scary food can get. I wrote last year about my friend Karen and her favorite find of the neon faux Passover mustard. We both thrilled to the thought of faux mustard on faux bread!

Well, that mustard and soy sauce are so last year. I found something that trumps all the ersatz foods out there. The new crop of Passover substitutes includes a product called Mac & Cheez. There is neither Mac (pasta) even of the Passover kind nor is there Cheese or Cheez. The product is pareve and the pasta is made from tapioca. It is nutritionally empty, there is not one vitamin in it. I bought a box and put it right next to my soy sauce and there it shall stay as a reminder of how bad faux food can get.

There is something really great that we can use for Passover. It is delicious, all natural and minimally processed. All Extra Virgin Olive Oil is kosher all year round and that includes Passover. The savvy Passover shopper is buying great olive oil this year.

Olive oil is the fruit oil obtained from the olive. Commonly used in cooking, cosmetics, soaps and fuel for lamps, olive oil is grown and used throughout the world but especially in the Mediterranean.

Olive oil is produced by grinding or crushing and extracting the oil. A green olive produces bitter oil and an overripe olive produces rancid oil. For great extra virgin olive oil it is essential to have olives that are perfectly ripened.

Purchasing olive oil and knowing how to use it can be confusing. Add to that, the kashrut factor and it is no wonder that consumers and home cooks are bewildered by the array of products on supermarket and specialty market shelves.

Here is a summary of olive oils and their uses:
• Extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO) comes from virgin oil production only and contains no more than 0.8% acidity. Extra Virgin olive oil accounts for less than 10% of oil in many oil producing countries. The superior fruity flavor makes this oil best used for vinaigrettes, drizzling on soups and pastas for added richness and a fruity taste for dipping breads and vegetables. Extra virgin olive oil does not require hashgacha (even for Pesach) as it is cold pressed.
• Virgin olive oil comes from virgin oil production only and has an acidity less than 2%. This oil is best used for sautéing and for making vinaigrettes. It is generally not as expensive as the extra virgin olive oil but has a good taste. This oil does require hashgacha.
• Pure olive oil. Oils labeled as Pure olive oil or Olive oil are usually a blend of refined and virgin production oil. This oil is perfect for sautéing. It does not have a strong flavor and can be used for making aiolis and cooking. This oil does require hashgacha.

Extra virgin olive oil is the highest quality olive oil. It is typically more expensive than other olive oils. Extra virgin olive oil is typically not recommended for high heat cooking. Every oil has its smoke point. A smoke point refers to the heat temperature at which the oil begins to break down and degrade. An oil that is above its smoke point not only has nutritional and flavor degradation but can also reach a flash point where combustion can occur. You can observe this when you have a very hot pan and hot oil and food are added to the pan and they produce a bluish and acrid smelling smoke or worse yet, catch fire.

Extra virgin olive oil has a very low smoke point of 375. I use my best extra virgin olive oil for making vinaigrettes, adding luxurious fruity flavor to pasta dishes, garnishing foods and dipping breads. When I am high heat sautéing or frying, I tend to reach for pure olive oil or a different type of oil.

Extra virgin olive oil has a long list of health benefits from reducing coronary artery disease, cholesterol regulation and possibly reducing risk of certain cancers. This makes the decision for using extra virgin olive oil a no-brainer.

The bigger decision is which oil to buy. Most of the world’s extra virgin olive oil comes from the Southern Mediterranean countries. I favor an organic, unfiltered Spanish oil. I also like estate grown products as I know that an farmer fretted over the olives and the weather. Many mass produced oils are made not from a single source or farm and the flavor can be uneven and harsh.

When cooking for Passover and for every meal, I recommend whole, natural ingredients. I never go to the dark side of cooking with products that are loaded with laboratory made ingredients and faux flavors or colors. For this holiday and everyday-let’s keep it real.


Chocolate Mousse with Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Passover used to mean a hiatus from good chocolate. Recently there have been several new companies that have introduced kosher for Passover high end chocolate. I like to sprinkle my mousse with sea salt as a garnish. The sparkly flavor of the salt enhances the fruitiness of the olive oil and the chocolate.

7 ounces bittersweet chocolate (must be at least 70% cacao)
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup brewed coffee
4 eggs separated
2/3 cup powdered sugar (kosher for Passover)
1/3 cup brewed coffee
1 vanilla bean scraped

1. Melt the chocolate and cool to room temperature. Mix in the olive oil and coffee and set aside.
2. Combine the yolks and powdered sugar and whisk until foamy, add the chocolate mixture.
3. Beat the whites to stiff peaks; fold the whites into the chocolate.
4. Pour into a 9-ich cake pan or loaf pan lined with plastic wrap and chill 8 hours or freeze for 3 hours. Unmold onto a serving plate and slice.
For a variation I like to sprinkle coarse sea salt onto the top of the mousse. The sea salt brings out the fruitiness of the olive oil and the chocolate.


Poached Halibut in Olive Oil


I remember the first time I watched a chef/friend poach fish in olive oil. It was one of those moments when the light bulb goes off! The fish cooks through with a gentle heat transfer and gains the delicate olive oil flavor. The fish is moist and really luscious! Enjoy the fish hot or cold.

4 cups olive oil
4 6-ounce halibut filets-skinned and boned
1 whole head of garlic cut in half
6 thyme sprigs
1 rosemary sprig


Preheat oven to 275.
1. Place the olive oil into a large oven proof dish. Cover the fish with olive oil ¾ of the way. Add the garlic and herbs. Cover the fish directly with a piece of parchment paper.
2. Poach the fish until firm and completely translucent (about 15 minutes). Gently remove the fish and discard the garlic and herbs. Strain the oil and refrigerate covered. The oil can be used to poach fish again and will keep for up to 2 weeks.

Parsley sauce with Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 large bunches of flat leaf parsley, leaves trimmed off (reserve the stems for stock making)
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1. Place a large sauté pan over medium high heat. Lightly coat the bottom of the pan with olive oil. Sear the parsley for about 2 minutes until it is bright green and slightly wilted.
2. Place the parsley and extra virgin olive oil in a blender and process until the sauce has a smooth consistency. Salt and pepper to taste

KITCHEN GOLD

When I promised my husband that I would provide a steady supply of “Kitchen Gold” I think he was expecting something completely different than what he found in the freezer, refrigerator and sometimes balcony.

There is no recipe more important than Homemade Stock. Canned and vacuum packed products just do not even dimly resemble the nutritious, comforting homemade stock. Last night I taught a class at a local synagogue and was flooded with questions from curious home cooks. Stock making is an art and thankfully-also an easy one to master. Feel free to use your own “riffs” on my theme and make the stock your own. Add your favorite herbs, garlic, non-starchy vegetables,peppers...whatever. Just do not add salt. Stock should be neutral. When you make soups or sauces from the stock-you can add salt, hot sauce, spices or whatever your family likes.

As we prepare for an 8-day eating festival (Pesach), I think it is important to take some time to make homemade arsenal products. Stock is one of those. With a freezer loaded with stock- you will have soups, sauces and dinners at your fingertips. It is easy-call your local butcher, buy some bones and let ‘er rip. Stock making is mostly a passive project. You can be doing other tasks while the stock pot or slow cooker does the rest.
Stay tuned for my favorite Pesach recipes.

World’s Greatest Chicken Soup
Chicken soup is as warm and comforting as a favorite pair of slippers. It turns out that the myth of Jewish Penicillin is more than a myth. Chicken Soup may actually have some medicinal benefits. But, healing properties or not, it is a fact that almost every culture has some form of chicken soup. Try making your own stock, you won’t regret the time and you’ll appreciate the incredible taste. Everyone loves chicken soup!

Chicken Stock Yields: 4 quarts rich stock

5 pounds of chicken bones
Approximately 12 cups of water
1 large Spanish onion, chopped
3 large carrots, chopped
3 celery ribs, chopped
3 sprigs of fresh thyme
5 parsley sprigs
1 bay leaf
1 whole clove
1 teaspoon of whole black peppercorns
1. Place all the ingredients in a large stock pot and fill with water only to the level of the bones and vegetables. This will guarantee a rich, not watery stock. (Do not add salt at this point. The stock will reduce as part of the natural simmering process and salting the stock early can make it overly salty.)
2. Place the stockpot (uncovered) over medium heat and bring to a simmer.
3. Skim off any film that floats to the top. The film will make your soup cloudy and bitter.
4. Continue simmering for 4 hours. Turn off the heat and allow the chicken stock to steep for one hour. This allows for a complete extraction of collagen and gelatin from the bones.
5. Strain out the bones and vegetables and discard. Cool the stock in your stock pot in a sink filled with cold water and ice completely before storing covered in the refrigerator or freezer. Ladle off the fat from the top of the stock before using.
Stock may stored, covered, in the freezer for up to 3 months or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

From Stock to Chicken Soup Serves 8

1 pound white or dark chicken meat, cut into small cubes
½ cup of each: thinly sliced celery, carrots, parsnips, and celery root
½ pound wide egg noodles
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
Salt and white pepper to taste
Bring chicken stock to a simmer in a large saucepan or stock pot. 1.
Add the remaining ingredients and simmer about 20 minutes until the vegetables are tender. 2.
Adjust seasoning to taste.

Throw a Purim Party that Kicks “Tuches”!

I like hamantashen and certainly have eaten my fill of the tender cakey treats. Don’t get me wrong. They are delicious and fun to make. But, they are safe and not at all sexy. So, this year-I want some excitement on Purim. I think I am just tired of winter, the economy and bad news. Time for FUN! Get out your martini shakers, groggers and whatever else you need to put on a splashy and delicious Purim Feast. For dessert-I recommend you pull out those nice hamantashen or do like the Persians and serve dried fruit, nuts and fresh citrus.
All of the recipes can be prepped ahead of time, leaving you lots of time to get your Esther or Mordechai on. Have a Freylich Purim!

Blood Orange Martini

It is scary how tasty these martinis are-like you could easily get into trouble with a pitcher of these scary! Oh well, Haman-Mordechai...whatever! just have fun

1 ½ ounces vodka
2 ounces blood orange juice
½ ounce simple syrup
Squeeze of fresh lime juice
1. Shake together and serve. Garnish with blood oranges slices and pomegranate seeds



Persian Meatballs (Kufteh)

This is a great dish for the end of winter. Serve this for Purim as a first course or as part of a Purim feast! Traditionally, the meatballs would not be browned before being poached. As a chef, I think the caramelized crust on the meatballs is essential and gives a great texture and more pronounced flavor. You can opt to do it either way.

2 cups cooked basmati rice
1 cup cooked yellow split peas
1 pound ground chicken, turkey or beef
½ cup finely chopped fresh dill
½ cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
1 cup chopped scallions
2 cloves garlic-chopped
2 large red onions-peeled and chopped
2 eggs-lightly beaten
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin seed
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cardamom


1. Place all the ingredients in a large bowl. Using your hands, mix the ingredients together until well combined. Do not over mix as the mixture will be too tight and tough. Salt and pepper the mixture (I like to take a small amount and fry it to taste if the seasoning is correct).
2. Lightly, shape the meat balls with your hands.(I find that wetting my hands with cold water and using a rolling motion keeps them from getting too packed and tight.) You can store the meatballs at this point covered in the refrigerator for 2 days or freeze them for 1 month.
3. Place a large sauté pan over medium heat. Lightly coat the pan with olive oil. Brown the meatballs in batches. Remove form the pan and drain on paper towels.

For the poaching liquid

1 16-oz can of canned tomatoes with their juices
2 cups of chicken stock
1 teaspoon saffron threads
Juice and zest of 1 orange
Juice and zest 1 lemon
Salt and pepper

Bring the poaching liquid ingredients to simmer in a large saucepan. Place the meatballs in the pan. Gently poach them until cooked through. Do not stir the pan as the meatballs will break apart.

Basmati Rice
This is a show stopper for any buffet or dinner. The crispy crust on the rice tastes a little bit like popcorn. It is easy to make ahead and can be reheated in the pan in a low oven.

2 quarts water
2 tablespoons salt
1 1/2 cups Basmati rice
3 tablespoons olive oil

1. In a large saucepan bring water with salt to a boil. Add rice and boil 10 minutes. In a colander drain rice and rinse under warm water.
2. Place a 3 quart sauce pan over medium heat. Coat the bottom with olive oil. Spoon rice into the pan, cover pan with a kitchen towel and a heavy lid. Fold edges of towel up over lid and cook rice over moderately low heat until a golden brown crust forms, about 30 to 35 minutes. Invert the pan onto a serving platter. Garnish with pomegranate seeds and blood orange sections.

ATTENTION CHOCOHOLICS-THIS IS FOR YOU!

Chocolate

Often lovingly referred to as the “other food group” chocolate has found its way into our daily lives.
Inspiring everything from recipes, stories, cravings and a host of products from eating chocolate to bubble bath; chocolate is an obsession.
Cacao trees are native to Mexico, Central and South America. Cultivated for over 3000 years, Mayans drank chocolate both as an everyday beverage as well as for ceremonial purposes. The frothy bitter concoction was mixed with vanilla, chile peppers and achiote (annatto). Turning cacao beans into the tasty sweet confection we all know and crave is a complicated process with only a handful of companies all over the world truly making their own chocolate. Most candy shops buy chocolate in blocks, melt it and shape it into candies and other sweet treats.

Xocoatl as it was known in the Mayan culture was believed to be used to fight fatigue. This is due to the theobromine content in chocolate.
Chocolate then and now is considered to have many therapeutic benefits including cancer fighter antioxidants, circulatory benefits and many studies are being conducted on using chocolate to fight obesity. While this is certainly good news and really any excuse to eat chocolate is a good one, I urge you to take heed of the adage “you get what you pay for”.

Not all chocolate is good chocolate. In fact, there is a lot of bad chocolate out there. Thankfully it is easy to find the good stuff. Look at the ingredients on the label. There should be just a small handful of ingredients. They should be: CACAO PASTE, sugar, COCOA BUTTER, lecithin, and vanilla for dark chocolate. Milk chocolate will have the addition of milk listed and white chocolate, which is not really chocolate due to the fact that it does not have cocoa paste or cocoa mass but does have cocoa butter, will have sugar, cocoa butter, milk or milk powder, and vanilla. That’s it! No other ingredients should be in the chocolate. Notice that CACAO Paste is listed first. Great chocolate should have a high concentration of cacao, not other ingredients.

There are many great chocolates on the market that are kosher. In fact, there is no reason that great chocolate cannot be kosher. I am lucky enough to have recently been in Paris where I slurped and stuffed myself full of chocolate for one solid week. Armed with my list of kosher chocolate companies and bakeries, I ate my way through the city of lights. You also can enjoy amazing chocolate if you follow a few simple rules.
• Buy the good stuff. You are feeding your family and friends. They deserve the good chocolate. Do not cut corners. Cheap chocolate cannot be disguised by any amount of other ingredients in a recipe. My favorites are: Callebaut chocolates for cooking, baking and eating. Valrhona Cocoa powder. This is an amazing cocoa powder with a deep, dark color and flavor. (all 100% cocoa powder is kosher-Yeah!)
• Chef Laura’s golden rule-do not use substitute ingredients. Butter is butter, cream is cream, Margarine is never good and non-dairy whipped topping comes from a laboratory and should never be ingested by humans.

Now that you have the rules-go forth and enjoy!

Chili Con Carne

The chocolate in this recipe adds not only a faint sweetness but also an earthy and robust flavor. I love the way the chocolate makes the texture of the chili velvety. My kids like to garnish their chili with additional chopped chocolate and cacao nibs which are the cracked shell of the cacao bean. They add a crunch as well as cocoa butter fragrance. Cocoa nibs are found easily in the baking aisle of most grocery stores and on-line.


2 pounds lean ground beef
2 large red onions, diced
6 cloves of garlic, minced
2 ancho chiles, stemmed, seeded, toasted and torn into pieces
1 chipotle chile
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 15-ounce cans tomato puree
1 3-ounce can tomato paste
1 32-ounce can whole plum tomatoes
2 cups dried pinto beans or canned
2 cups dark brown chicken stock (see recipe, page)
2 cups dark beer-such as Guinness or Aventinus
¼ cup finely chopped dark chocolate


1. Brown the beef in batches in olive oil over medium heat. Brown the onions until they are caramelized and soft. Add the garlic and continue cooking for 2 minutes until the garlic has softened slightly. Add the remaining ingredients to the slow cooker and cook on HIGH for 3 hours until the beans are tender. Remove the chipotle chile before serving.

Suggested garnishes-fresh or frozen corn niblets, lime wedges, tortilla chips, fresh flat leaf parsley and fresh cilantro, chopped scallions, chopped jalapeno peppers, chopped red onions, cocoa nibs, chopped chocolate




DIY-CHOCOLATE BUBBLE BATH
This is a chocolate recipe that won’t go to you thighs. This is one you can really Enjoy!

1 cup of unscented bubble bath
1/2 cup of dried milk powder
3 ounces powdered unsweetened chocolate

Mix the powdered milk and chocolate well, until blended. Stir into bubble bath until well mixed. Add to your bath in the amount desired. Relax and enjoy the fragrance of chocolate without worrying your waistline!


Chocolate Pound Cake

We cannot have a meal in our house without chocolate.This recipe was created by my husband who is also a chocoholic. The cake is simple but has a big chocolate flavor and can be dressed up or down by adding fruit and a sauce. Attention home cooks: there is no margarine in this recipe because you can still have your cake and eat it too-even pareve!


1 cup all-purpose flour
½ cup best quality cocoa powder (I only use Valrhona)
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt

4 ounces bittersweet chocolate (I only use Callebaut 71%), melted
3 eggs
½ cup brewed coffee
1 ½ cups brown sugar
½ cup canola oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Lightly grease a loaf pan with canola oil and then dust it with coca powder.

1. Whisk the dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. Set aside
2. Mix the chocolate, eggs, coffee, brown sugar and vanilla together in a small mixing bowl.
3. Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Be careful not to over mix or the cake will be tough. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake in a preheated oven for 50-60 minutes until a toothpick can be inserted and will have moist crumbs on it.
4. Place the cake pan on a cooling rack and allow to cool for 1 hour. Run a knife around the edge of the cake and un-mold onto a plate. Dust with powdered sugar.

SUPER BOWL XLIV-A SUPER KOSHER DECISION

When I had my restaurant in New York (Shallots NY), my staff and I would take breaks outside the Sony Building. We would people watch and try and catch some fresh air before going back in for another wave of diners. I was always fascinated by two hot dog stands that were on the corner of 55th and Madison. One of the stands was kosher and the other was not. I used to watch people go out of their way, even waiting extra traffic light changes, to get to the kosher hot dog stand. The line at the kosher hot dog stand was always several people deep and at lunch time, the line was very long for a mid-town street food cart. By the way- writing this makes me miss New York very much.

I looked at the eager hot dog enthusiasts and I could easily identify those that obviously kept kosher by their kippot, those that maybe kept kosher, and then some who probably did not. I am, of course making an educated guess on the kosher consumers. Either way, the line at the kosher stand was often easily tripled or more than that of the non-kosher stand.

One summer day I ate my first New York street food. In Chicago we do not have street food carts so I am not in the habit of purchasing food from street vendors and had also been frightened by my New York kitchen staff and years of watching David Letterman, with the stories of the annual changing of the water from the dirty water dogs. But, I was curious about the kosher dogs and I got in line. After ordering my dog I asked the vendor why his dogs were so much more popular than the other stand’s dogs.
He told me that kosher dogs were healthier and that they were blessed. This guy was a savvy business man, people were scarfing up the kosher dogs while the other stand was almost empty.

I talked to my non-kosher staff and asked why they thought people like the kosher dogs better. They said they were under the impression that the food was blessed and that they knew that kosher food was closely inspected and it was healthier.

At a recent demo for my second book, JEWISH SLOW COOKER RECIPES (John Wiley and Sons), I had several attendees who were not Jewish but followed Jewish dietary laws. They were insistent that kosher food and the kosher lifestyle was healthier and that a multitude of health problems could be cured simply by keeping kosher. They pointed out that pork was not a healthy meat and that combining cheese and meat was hard on the digestive system.

I am not sure if they are right-but I was glad for the extra attendance at the demo and for the book sales.

For the first time ever Glatt Kosher food will be sold at the Super Bowl on February 7, 2010. The New York Times nails the issue right on the head. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/13/dining/13kosh.html?scp=2&sq=kosher&st=cse
Some people eat kosher food simply because they are kosher observant Jews and that is what they do. Others eat kosher food because they believe that the food is healthier and/or higher quality.
As a professional chef who has been serving strictly kosher food for over 13 years, I can say that have never had a recall on beef, poultry or other meats. I watch as my fellow chefs in our company pull tainted meat from their coolers and freezers and then send it back to the distributor and then scramble for safe products. We, like everyone in the country had to stop using peanut butter and have had to pull spinach, cilantro and various other vegetables occasionally from our production when there were e. coli scares, but for the most part we have never had any health or safety concerns. While kosher meat and poultry seems to have had less recalls than non-kosher products, we have had our share of woes with the Agriprocessor debacle and the shame and shortages that followed from the raid of the Iowa plant.

Last summer I wrote a post about the new poultry line at Whole Foods. http://www.lauraskosher.com/2009/07/throw-another-chicken-in-pot.html
I urged all my fellow kosher observant readers to purchase and congratulate Whole Foods on their decision to carry what I call the exacta or win-win of kosher food. Not only is the poultry kosher but it is organic. (I am still thrilled by this). While several other kosher poultry providers have organic products, Hain-Celestial Group seems to be the most successful and has been able to keep up the with demand as well as variety of products.
I have reached out to Whole Foods to ask them why they decided to sell kosher products and am awaiting a response. I know that Trader Joe’s has also started carrying kosher poultry products as have many local and neighborhood stores.

For whatever reason the food vending folks at the Super Bowl have decided to sell kosher food this year, I hope that whether or not you keep kosher, you buy some kosher food. If you do not have tickets to the Super Bowl, maybe you can drop them a line or two regarding their excellent decision to have kosher food available. I fear that if we do not support this decision, just as the square footage in the poultry case has decreased for the kosher poultry line at Whole Foods, so too will kosher food disappear at the next Super Bowl.

No Reservations Necessary

DIY-Date Night

Imagine soft candle light, beautiful music, crisp-refreshing martinis, crackling skinned chicken with the fragrance of rosemary and lemon perfuming the air and deep dark chocolate mousse. Your favorite restaurant? No. This is your home kitchen and you at the helm. Usually date night means eating at a restaurant and sometimes having a great meal and sometimes not. I propose that the next date night, whether you are cooking for one, two or a bunch you can treat yourself and those you love to an intimate home cooked meal.

A home cooked meal has oodles of advantages.
1. You set the atmosphere. Light your candles, play your ipod and wear your favorite dress up clothes or your pj’s.
2. Homemade date night is usually more economical. You have the advantage when you are making food at home of picking and choosing which ingredients to splurge on and which to be a bit thriftier. You also get to eat the leftovers!
3. When you make a fabulous dinner, even if it is for just one, you are giving your heart and soul to the diner(s). Nothing says “love” like a great meal with a little TLC thrown in.
4. Making dinner at home is intimate. You can have your date help you in the kitchen or go for the big “ta-dah” and present your diner with beautifully presented food.
I could go on and on, but you get the idea. Next time you feel like making reservations, consider a homemade date night. My simple recipes will help you make a luscious and restaurant quality meal that will have your diners begging for another at DIY Date Night.

Mixed Olive Tapenade
Serve the tapenade with crostini. Cut a baguette into ½ inch thick slices, Rub them with olive oil and toast them in a 350 degree oven until they are lightly browned and crispy. Rub the crostini with a peeled garlic clove while they are still warm and then dollop the tapenade on the toasts.

½ cup kalamata olives-pitted
½ cup cracked green olives-pitted
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
2 cloves of garlic-peeled
Pinch of crushed red chili flakes
2 anchovy filets
Extra virgin olive oil
1/ 4 cup fresh flat leaf parsley-chopped

3. Place the olives, lemon juice, zest, garlic, chili flakes (if using) and anchovy filets in a food processor. Pulse the mixture until it resembles a chunky paste. Add additional olive oil if necessary.
4. Remove mixture and place in a small bowl. Stir parsley. Adjust seasoning. Tapenade can be stored in the refrigerator covered for up to 3 weeks.

Herb Roasted Chicken

Roasted chicken with a crackling skin and luscious meat is the little black dress (or male equivalent) of the food world. It goes with everything. You can dress it up or down depending upon how you serve and garnish it. Do not even think of substituting boneless-skinless chicken breasts for a whole chicken. Boneless-skinless breasts are fine for some recipes, but a whole chicken just tastes more savory and succulent. Serve this fragrant chicken with a big salad and you will be a star.

Serves 2-3

1 whole chicken about 3 ½ pounds
½ cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
3 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary plus 1 sprig
Juice and zest of 1 lemon plus 1 whole lemon
Juice and zest of 1 orange
2 tablespoons cracked black pepper corns
1 bulb of garlic cut in half horizontally
¼ cup Extra Virgin olive oil
Kosher Salt

Pan Jus
½ cup white wine
1/3 cup chicken stock

1. Preheat the oven to 450. Rinse the chicken thoroughly. Pat dry and place on a roasting rack. Place all the fresh herbs (except for the whole rosemary sprig), zest and juices and black pepper in a small bowl and whisk together.
2. Use your hands to thoroughly rub the chickens inside the cavity and out with the herb mixture. Stuff the lemon, whole rosemary sprig, garlic and ½ onion into the cavity of the chicken. Tuck the wings under the body of the chicken tie the legs together (this will help keep the shape a little nicer).
3. Roast the chicken for 20 minutes at high heat. Turn down the oven temperature to 250 and slow roast (occasionally brushing on more of the herb mixture) until a thermometer inserted into the thigh registers 160 ( about 1 hour). Remove from the chicken and loosely cover with foil. Allow the chickens to rest before carving.
4. To carve the chicken: (You CAN do this part!)Cut the string off of the chicken and remove the vegetables and lemon. Reserve the garlic and discard the rest. Cut down the center along the breast bone on both sides. Remove the breast bone. Pull the chicken apart slightly to expose the back bone. Cut along both sides of the back bone and remove it. Cut the birds into quarters and place a serving platter. Reserve the pan juices.
5. Skim off the fat from the pan juices. Add the pan juices back to the roasting pan and place the pan over medium heat. Squeeze the garlic cloves into the pan. Mash the garlic with the back of a spoon to puree it. Add wine and chicken stock and reduce the mixture until the jus has slightly thickened.



Chocolate Mousse

No fake whipping cream needed when you use great chocolate (no cheap stuff or the recipe will not work) and a plump vanilla bean loaded with flavor. This mousse is all about chocolate. Serve with fresh fruit, cocoa nibs and chopped nuts.


4 1/2 ounces bittersweet chocolate (70% cocoa mass), chopped
3 tablespoons strong, brewed, coffee
1 tablespoon cognac (or water)
4 whole eggs at room temperature
3 tablespoons water
3 tablespoons sugar
Pinch of kosher salt
1 vanilla bean scraped

1. Place the chocolate, coffee and cognac if using in a small bowl and place over a pan of simmering water. Melt the chocolate. Transfer to a large bowl and set a side to cool.
2. Place the eggs, water, sugar, salt and vanilla bean in the bowl of a high-speed mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk on high until the mixture resembles whipped cream. This will take 7-10 minutes-be patient!
3. Fold the whipped eggs into the cooled chocolate in several additions.
4. Portion the mousse in dessert glasses or ramekins. Place in the refrigerator to set at least 2 hours before eating. The mousse may be made one day ahead, wrapped with plastic wrap and stored in the refrigerator.