Issue 144

S L E E K . C R I S P. F O R M A L . N A T U R A L . S W E E T .

ISSUE 144 NOVEMBER 20, 2013 17 KISLEV 5774

Celebrate Chanukah

Whisk

CHANUKAH FESTIVITIES hose of you who spend some time in Miami each winter surely remember Sara’s, the North Miami Beach restaurant that closed a few years ago. One of my memories from Sara’s is the Chocolate Chip Cookie Milkshake (I am sure I can duplicate it, but I don’t know if I can personally bear to throw multiple cookies, along with ice cream and milk, into a blender…If someone else prepares it I have less of a concept of how many calories are involved). A more healthful memory is the freshly squeezed orange juice, my husband’s choice of drink. The juicer was a big contraption that was visible to the diners. You could see the oranges moving through the machine, waiting their turn to be pulverized.

A couple of weeks ago, my father had purchased a juicer while on a business trip and accidentally left it in the hotel room. My brother decided to track it down and have it shipped back home, and so, this past Erev Shabbat, when the entire extended family was in my parents' home, the juicer arrived.

On Motzaei Shabbat, my brother Bobby went to the keilim mikvah with the juicer, and then to the supermarket to buy three bags of oranges.

As my mother was putting the packages away, she felt something hard inside one of the shopping bags. Besides oranges, Bobby had also purchased a bottle of freshly squeezed orange juice.

Just in case the juicing experiment didn’t work out.

He didn’t need the bottled juice.

The real freshly squeezed juice was delicious...we enjoyed it with our melaveh malka... although I would have liked it better if the oranges were sweeter.

I suppose they’ll get sweeter as we move deeper into citrus season. Pomegranates, though, are already sweet and plump. For those of you who only eat pomegranates on Rosh Hashanah, now is the time to bring some real pomegranates home. Lately, my breakfast every day has been Norman's Greek yogurt mixed with some granola and the seeds from half of a pomegranate (+

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coffee).

I think that Greek yogurt bars, with all the fun different mix-ins, are going to be the new trend at parties, riding on the popularity of DIY yogurt shops. Get all your ideas for setting up your own bar at Renee’s party on page 4.

More about this super exciting issue: We wanted to challenge ourselves to channel our inner-Shavy and create FOUR different table setting + centerpiece ideas for you. (We invited Shavy too.) Renee, Leah, and I are girls without party planner prop garages: just a desire to be creative and make our tables extra special without spending a lot of money. I think it’s fascinating how four different girls can have the same challenge and show up to a photoshoot with four completely different looks. But here’s where you come in: You all have different tastes and styles. With four parties to attend in this issue, there’s bound to be one table that speaks to the hostess in you.

Be inspired by these tables. Get your menus all wrapped up with exciting recipes from Renee, Zehava, and Miriam. Don’t forget to pick up your wicks and oil. And be ready to celebrate.

Best, Victoria Dwek victoria@amimagazine.org |

17 KISLEV 5774

Make this centerpiece!

It’s super easy.

NEXT WEEK: THE CHANUKAH ISSUE Leah Schapira’s Fleishig Chanukah... including the soon-tobe-legendary Babka Donut.

Victoria invites the kiddies (and their parents) to a very mysterious Chanukah party... Stay tuned.

Ingredients

Directions

1 64-oz container Abe’s vanilla berry Parvelicious

To prepare the blueberry sauce, combine the blueberries, water, orange juice, and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat.

Stir gently and bring to a boil. In a cup, mix together the cornstarch and cold water. Gently stir the cornstarch mixture into the blueberries so as not to mash the berries. Simmer gently until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, approximately 1 to 2 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice and cinnamon. (Add water if you prefer a thinner consistency.)

2 cups frozen blueberries ¼ cup water

Here's something berry quick, berry easy, and so berrylicious!

The blueberry sauce can be served either warm or at room temperature, however you prefer.

¾ cup sugar 3 Tbsp cornstarch dissolved in ¼ cup cold water ½ tsp lemon juice 1/8 tsp cinnamon

To assemble, remove the ice cream from the freezer. Defrost slightly and squeeze through a pastry bag with a decorative tip.

Variation: To make the dreidel shapes, empty the container of ice cream into a 9” x 13” pan.

Using a large knife, slice it horizontally into 4 slices. Arrange the slices in the pan and allow them to thaw a bit. Using the back of a spoon, press the Parvelicious down into the pan, smoothing it out until you have an even layer. Freeze for approximately 30 minutes.

Tip: Dreidel shapes can be cut out in advance and frozen until you are ready to serve.

Dart Design | 845.782.6558

Blueberry Delight

1 cup orange juice

Available at your local supermarket

Whisk

CHANUKAH FESTIVITIES

Sweet Natural.

Crisp.

Formal.

Sleek.

Formal.

Crisp.

Natural.

Sweet.

It was getting cold, and my house wasn’t heating up. The thermostat was broken. So I made a reluctant trip to Home Depot and came home with gorgeous vinyl tiles. And birch firewood. And a thermostat.

Inspiration always hits when you least expect it, sometimes in the oddest of places. I needed a Chanukah table-setting idea, and once I spotted those beautiful tiles that look like real wood planks, I knew I had found what I’d been looking for all along. These tiles come in different shades. They’re light and so versatile. Use one row as placemats, use two or more as a table runner, stagger them, line them up, or use them for your buffet in tiers (see the yogurt bar a few pages ahead). Whichever way you like it, they are cheap and yet so elegant. And those two words don’t usually share a sentence.

The centerpiece made from birch firewood and candles adds an element of coziness and festivity, while again, keeping the cost low. I bought a massive bag of wood for $8. (Anybody have a wood-burning fireplace? Come pick up some wood: plenty to spare.)

And those belts. Let’s not forget those gorgeous belts, courtesy of my closet.

The dreidels are available at Crate and Barrel.

Table setting and recipes

by Renee Muller Table setting photography on this page

by Esti Photography Food photography, pages 6–14,

by Morris Antebi

Tea lights and drinking glasses courtesy of Noir Signature Gifts in Lakewood (732) 3633263

Whisk

CHANUKAH FESTIVITIES

The Churro Station

For the Churros Canola oil for frying ½ cup (1 stick) butter or margarine 1 tablespoon sugar 1 cup water ½ teaspoon salt 1 cup flour 4 eggs

For the sugar coatings: ½ cup sugar mixed with 2 tablespoons cinnamon ½ cup sugar mixed with 3 tablespoons cocoa powder (or ½ cup instant hot cocoa powder) 1 cup powdered sugar

I don’t know about you, but every year, come Chanukah, I plan to make donuts with my kids. Isn’t that an integral part of our mesorah? A must, for sure. Well, come Chanukah, with all the coming and going and the abundance of store- bought donuts being served at every possible occasion (starting Rosh Chodesh Kislev, I may add), making homemade donuts just doesn’t “happen.” Either the kids are not as interested as I thought they would be, or the timing isn’t right (yeast

1. Prepare the churros: Fill a large, deep frying pan with about 2 inches of oil.

Heat until oil reaches 350ºF on a deep frying or candy thermometer.

2. In a saucepan, combine margarine, sugar, water, and salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat. When the butter has melted, add flour and mix well, using a spatula. A dough will form. Remove

saucepan from the heat and wait 2 to 3 minutes.

3. Add one egg at the time to the dough, vigorously mixing with a whisk to combine after each addition. When the last egg is fully incorporated, scrape the dough into a piping bag that has been fitted with a large star tip.

4. Working in batches, pipe strips of

dough directly into the hot oil. Use your fingers to cut the dough strips. Strips should be about 4 to 5 inches long, but anything goes. Fry until golden on all sides, making sure to maintain the same temperature.

5. Meanwhile, prepare 3 different plates with the different sugar options. In one place the cinnamon sugar, the cocoa sugar in another, and lastly the powdered sugar.

6. Drain churros briefly on a paper towel.

Roll each churro into desired sugar topping. Serve immediately. (The powdered sugar coating sticks better if the churros don’t first drain on a paper towel) Yield: 45 churros

dough+rising time+rolling and cutting+resting again=not an activity we just squeeze in between supper and baths). Last year, this scenario repeated itself night after night (you’d think eight nights would give you enough opportunities, but no). Finally, it was the last night of Chanukah, and my Jewish-mother's-guilt was creeping up. It didn’t matter that we fried up latkes almost every night and I had agreed to prepare any variation of deep fried dinners they wanted. My kitchen had grease in the spotlights on the ceiling, and I was feeling guilty.

We hadn’t fried donuts yet. My kids might need therapy someday...

They might feel deprived of frying-donuts-with-mama-memories.

But it was too late to put up a dough. And then, I had a stoke of inspiration. Churros! Perfect. A dough that can be prepared in a matter of minutes, no kneading required. No waiting time. But they’re fried, just like donuts. The kids loved it; the adults, even more.

And now it’s tradition. It has to start somewhere, right?

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Whisk

CHANUKAH FESTIVITIES

Parsley- and Garlic-Infused Baguette I like to serve this bread in an antipasti-style buffet, for the sole reason that it makes the house smell wonderfully inviting.

It also goes really well with Natural & Kosher's fresh mozzarella balls, the olives, and the capers…but that’s just a bonus.

The Antipasti Bar

1 large baguette, halved 4 tablespoons butter ½ cup extra virgin olive oil 3 large garlic cloves, minced ½ cup finely chopped parsley ½ cup grated parmesan cheese 1. Preheat the oven to 450ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the baguette on it, cut sides up.

2. In a medium skillet, melt

the butter in the olive oil.

Add garlic and cook over medium heat for 1 minute.

Remove from the heat and add parsley.

3. Spoon the garlic butter over the baguette, and top with the grated parmesan cheese. Bake for 7 to 10 minutes, or until golden.

Cut the bread into slices and serve alongside mozzarella balls, olive, and/or capers as pictured.

Yield: serves 6

Spaghetti Nests I’m always on the lookout for fun ways to serve pasta. I’m also looking for interesting hors d’oeuvres. Here you get both, and more: elegant, easy, pretty, and even practical. And of course, delicious.

Serve these pretty spaghetti nests alongside your antipasti bar.

1 pound thin spaghetti, prepared according to package instructions 2 cups of your favorite marinara sauce (I used Sugo Della Nonna, from Whisk, Issue #59) 1 stick cheddar cheese, cut into ¾-inch cubes 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese 1 tablespoon chopped parsley

Prepared Using: Fiber Calories Net Carbs FiberGourmet 14g 200 20g Standard 1g 270 34g Serving Size: 3 spaghetti nests Cut 70 calories by replacing regular pasta with FiberGourmet Light Pasta!

1. Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Generously grease a muffin pan with oil or cooking spray. Set aside.

2. Mix the cooked pasta with the sauce until well combined. Using a fork, scoop up a bit of the pasta and twirl it into the inside of a soup spoon. Slide it off the fork and into the prepared muffin cup, tucking stray ends into a nest shape and opening the center a bit to make room for the cheese.

Place a cube of cheddar inside each nest. (You can prepare this step ahead of time. Just cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to bake).

3. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly and the tops of the pasta nests start becoming crispy.

Remove muffin tray from oven and sprinkle nests with the shredded mozzarella and chopped parsley (optional). Return to the oven until the cheese melts, about 5 minutes.

4. Using a small spatula or spoon, carefully remove nests from the muffin tin. Serve immediately.

These are best served hot, although they taste great at room temperature, too.

Yield: 36 nests

Whisk

CHANUKAH FESTIVITIES

Just like a visit to the FroYo shop, a Greek yogurt bar can take center stage at your Chanukah party.

Give your guests lots of different toppings and mix-in options. We also included some fun mix-ins to attract the kids to the bar (so they might actually end up with a healthy Norman's yogurt in their hands).

Use paper roll tape (available at craft and office supply stores) to label each of the toppings. The tape won’t move, so all your toppings will stay in the right spot. And the tape comes right off and won’t ruin your wood boards either.

For Chocolate Cranberry Granola recipe, see following page.

The Norman's Greek Yogurt Bar

Brought to you by

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CHANUKAH FESTIVITIES

Chocolate Cranberry Granola

I really wanted to call this “Incredibly Addictive Chocolate Cranberry Granola, Infused with Silan.” But it didn’t fit on the tape for the yogurt bar. I’d need a separate plank for that.

3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats 1 cup steel cut oats ¾ cup wheat germ ¾ cup oat bran 1 cup roasted and salted sunflower seeds 1 cup slivered almonds 1 cup chopped walnuts ¾ teaspoon salt ¼ cup brown sugar ¼ cup honey ¼ cup oil ¼ cup silan (date honey) 2 teaspoons cinnamon 2 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 cup chocolate chips 1 cup cranberries 1. Preheat the oven to 325ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

2. In a large bowl, combine oats, wheat germ, oat bran, sunflower seeds, almonds, and walnuts.

3. In a small saucepan, over low heat, stir together salt, brown sugar, honey,

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oil, silan, cinnamon, and vanilla extract. Bring to a gentle simmer, constantly stirring. Pour mixture over the dry ingredients and stir to coat. Spread the mixture out in an even layer over the baking sheet.

4. Bake for 20 minutes, stirring once halfway. Mixture will be soft and gooey, but do not bake longer than directed. Granola will harden while it cools. Remove granola from the oven and immediately stir in chocolate chips and cranberries. The chocolate will melt, coating the granola and forming clumps here and there. Once cooled, transfer granola to an airtight container. Granola will last for approximately 2 to 3 weeks.

Yields: about 8 cups

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What kind of

Greek Yogurt

should you serve?

Norman's Original Greek is authentic Greek yogurt. Greek yogurt is authentic when it is thickened through traditional straining, not through modified food starch. The straining, which requires time and expertise, is what gives Norman's original Greek its unique, creamy taste and texture.

Want to offer flavored yogurts to your guests without the extra calories?

Norman's new Greek Light yogurts have 100 calories and 13 grams of protein per serving and are available in Strawberry, Coffee, Vanilla, with more flavors to come. They have the same great texture and taste of the other Norman's Greek Yogurts you love.

The 1-lb. value size of Norman's Greek Yogurt is perfect for your Greek Yogurt bar.

Norman's has the only exclusively cholov Yisrael yogurt factory in the US. They do not outsource or do runs on kashered, noncholov Yisrael equipment.

Who said winter salads ought to be boring? Nonsense. Show up at your family’s Chanukah party with a big bowl of Brown Buttered Pear Salad and steal the show. The salty parmesan combined with the sweetness of the warm, buttered pears will have your tastebuds singing and everyone talking.

A TAVOLA Brown Buttered Pear Salad 2 tablespoons butter Dash salt Freshly ground black pepper 2 Bosc pears, cored and sliced lengthwise 2 tablespoons sugar 8 cups mixed greens (some arugula works well here, too) ½ cup walnuts, chopped ½ cup thinly shaved parmesan cheese Dressing: ¼ cup white wine vinegar 2 tablespoons honey 2 teaspoons mustard

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Juice of one lemon ½ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon pepper ½ cup extra virgin olive oil 1 heaping tablespoon mayonnaise 1. Heat a large frying pan over high heat.

Once hot, drop the butter inside and lower heat to medium. Butter will melt quickly and start browning. Swirl the pan round and round, ensuring even browning.

Browning butter releases an incredible nuttiness that complements the flavor of the pears. Once butter looks brown to the eye, add salt and pepper (about three turns of black pepper). Sprinkle the sugar over the prepared pears, and toss

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to distribute evenly. Add pears to the pan and gently toss to coat in butter. Sauté over low heat until pears are slightly caramelized and just starting to soften.

2. Meanwhile, prepare the dressing: In a blender combine vinegar, honey, mustard, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Pulse to combine. With the blender running, add olive oil in a slow stream. Lastly, add the mayonnaise and let the machine run until smooth.

3. Combine the greens with the walnuts.

Top with the caramelized pears and shaved parmesan cheese. Drizzle with the dressing just before serving.

Yield: serves 6

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Jamie loves sharing the joy of cooking with people like her — busy parents who want to make real food for real families in a snap, and people who want to entertain without slaving in the kitchen, knowing their dishes will always elicit oohs and aahs.

Joy of kosher has more than 100 of Jamie’s absolute best recipes, each with a creative twist:

ThaT’s 200 recipes for every day, Yom Tov, or simchos!

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dress it Up for entertaining, or dress it down for everyday.

Whisk

CHANUKAH FESTIVITIES

Sleek.

Sweet.

Natural.

Crisp.

Formal Crisp.

Natural.

Sweet.

Sleek.

Tired of your traditional-style dishes, flatware, and stemware? Don’t pack them away, because you don’t need a new set of anything to update the look of your table. Even traditional place settings can look modern and up-to-date.

Whenever I entertain, I use the same glass vases as centerpieces and simply cover them with different paper from the craft store. Use any vases you have—or even mason jars—and cover in coordinating papers or ribbons. When you cluster lots of vases together, you only need a very minimal amount of flowers (My total flower budget here: $14). You can even use the frame chargers as a tray on smaller tables.

I like my guests to leave with a gift (A munchy for the ride home? A treat for the kids?) and personalized these favors with wooden letters, also available at craft stores.

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Table setting

By Victoria Dwek Photography

by Esti Photography

The tablecloth is a chevron print.

The fabric is available at Jo-Ann’s Fabrics (less than $3 a yard with a coupon). Ask your dressmaker to create a hem, and you still have very inexpensive and unique new tablecloths.

Even if I use paper napkins rather than cloth when entertaining a large crowd, I still like to use my napkin rings, securing the paper napkin inside with a ribbon.

The chargers are picture frames I purchased from the dollar store and spray painted in white and silver: a traditional style gets modern colors. Always use a primer spray paint first for best results.

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Family Fun in the Kitchen: Chanuka treats perfect for the whole family!

Make your Chanuka special with these simple recipes that bring a fresh spin on the traditional foods we all love. These delectable treats are designed with love and for the whole family.

Light up your home this Chanuka with Tnuva’s top-notch dairy recipes!

For additional easy and family-friendly recipes, please visit www.tnuva.com.

Spaghetti and Pesto Latkes

Cheese and Chocolate Sufganiyot

Ingredients:

Ingredients:

to the instructions on the package

1/2 cup of Tnuva Goat Cheese

5 cups of spaghetti, prepared according 5 eggs 1/2 cup of Tnuva Edam cheese grated 1/2 cup of Tnuva Kashkaval Cheese, grated 2 Portobello mushrooms, finely chopped 2 tablespoons of pesto A pinch of nutmeg A pinch of black pepper A pinch of salt

1/2 cup of Tnuva Quark Cheese Spread 2 eggs 1/2 cup of flour 1.5 tablespoons of sugar 1.5 teaspoons of baking powder 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract A pinch of salt 3/4 ounce of dark chocolate, chopped Powdered sugar for topping

Olive oil for frying Instructions: 1. In a large bowl, mix together the eggs, cheese and mushrooms.

Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Stir well.

2.

3.

4.

Using a knife or scissors, cut the spaghetti into pieces that are approximately 4 inches long. Add into the boil with all the other ingredients and mix well.

Instructions: 1. In a bowl, mix both cheeses and the eggs. Using a hand mixer, whisk together.

2.

3.

Heat up a skillet with a drop of olive oil. Once the oil is hot, place small mounds of the spaghetti mixture onto the skillet and fry on both sides until they are crispy and brown.

Place cooked latkes onto a plate lined with a paper towel and repeat until all the batter is cooked.

Serve warm.

4.

Add in the flour, sugar, baking powder, vanilla extract and the salt and blend well. Then, add in the chopped chocolate.

Heat up a large skillet with at least half an inch of oil. Once the oil is hot, carefully place 5-6 teaspoons of the batter onto the skillet. Fry until golden brown and flip to fully cook on all sides. Remove from heat and place to cool on a plate lined with paper towel.

Continue until all the batter has been prepared.

Top with powdered sugar and serve warm.

Mini-Sufganiyot Ingredients: 3.5 cups of flour 1/4 cup of sugar 1/2 teaspoon of dry yeast 1 1/4 cup of 1% milk, lukewarm 2 tablespoons of Tnuva butter 1 egg, at room temperature Oil for frying 8 tablespoons of sugar 1 tablespoon of cinnamon Instructions: 1. In a small bowl, mix together yeast, milk and eggs.

2.

In a separate bowl, mix half a cup of flour with the sugar. Then add in the yeast mixture and blend together. Add in the remaining flour and continue stirring until the dough is elastic.

3.

Cover the bowl with a towel and let the dough rise for about an hour or until the dough has doubled in volume.

4.

On a floured surface, roll out the dough until about ½ an inch thick.

Make circles using a mediumsized cookie cutter.

5.

Place the dough patties onto a wellfloured baking tray and let them rise again until they have doubled in volume (about an hour).

6.

Heat up oil in a medium saucepan and fry the dough patties until they are golden on both sides.

7.

Mix the remaining sugar and cinnamon and coat the sufganiyot with the mixture.

Whisk

CHANUKAH FESTIVITIES

Formal.

Sleek.

Sweet.

Natural.

Crisp.

Natural.

Sweet.

Sleek.

Formal.

On a scale of one to ten, good food and a happy atmosphere definitely rank higher than decor, but all good parties deserve a special touch.

For a dairy Chanukah meal, I used this tablecloth made of blue burlap. I use this tablecloth whenever I use my blue dairy dishes. It’s actually not a tablecloth— it’s fabric I purchased at a local fabric store. I then had it “edged” (much less costly than actually hemming it).

If you don’t actually want to put food on the table, including a menu on each place setting is a great way to make the plate look full. You can also use this concept to make personal place cards at each setting.

The centerpiece is made from PVC pipes. These are actually PVC connectors that come pre-cut and cost about $1.70 to $2.00 a piece at Lowe's or Home Depot. Connect them with Gorilla Glue or any strong glue. You may find it easier to connect the first layer, and let it dry before building the subsequent layers. You can also stand the connectors up and assemble the whole centerpiece at once.

Put cutlery, flowers, extra napkins, candles, or even rolls or other food items inside each “cubby.” Build it as tall as you like, or lay it down flat and have everything stickup up out of the holes (you can even make it long like a table runner).

Don’t have vases? Put your flowers in a pitcher (but don’t put your drinks in vases).

Table setting

by Leah Schapira Recipes

by Zehava Krohn Photography

by Esti Photography

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Fusion Salmon Salad

1 pound salmon fillet, cut into 2- to 3-inch cubes Salad: 1 bag Romaine lettuce 1 pint cherry tomatoes 1 medium red onion, sliced into thin strips 1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds

The Asian and American flavors we like on our salmon finally meet in this sweet and savory salad. For this salmon marinade, I used a barbecue sauce that doesn’t have any extra flavors added, so that it doesn’t overpower the other ingredients.

Dressing: 1 cup mayonnaise 2 tablespoons vinegar 2 tablespoons water 1/4 cup sugar 2 garlic cloves, crushed 1/4 cup fresh dill (optional)

Marinade: 2 teaspoons teriyaki sauce 3 teaspoons toasted sesame oil 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder 2 tablespoons Hunt’s Barbecue Sauce (or any barbecue sauce) 2 teaspoons brown sugar 1 teaspoon ketchup

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1. Preheat the oven to 400ºF. 2. In a medium bowl, whisk teriyaki sauce, |

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sesame oil, garlic powder, barbecue sauce, brown sugar, and ketchup. Add salmon cubes to marinade and toss to coat. (If you have time, you can leave the salmon in the marinade and refrigerate. Otherwise, this can be baked immediately after coating in the marinade.)

Remove salmon from marinade and place in a single layer in a baking pan. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Broil for an additional 5 minutes.

3. In a large bowl, combine lettuce, cherry tomatoes, and onion. Top with salmon cubes and sesame seeds.

4. In a small bowl, whisk together dressing ingredients. Toss with salad. If serving salad on individual plates, place the dressing in individual bowls on the side.

Yield: serves 4 to 6

Just

REAL FOOD

Donut Muffins 1½ cups (3 sticks) butter or margarine 13/4 cups sugar 4 large eggs 6 cups flour 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 13/4 teaspoons salt 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg 12/3 cups milk or soy milk 1/4 cup buttermilk (1 teaspoon lemon juice in 1/4 cup milk)

This recipe makes a huge triple batch, enough for a party or the entire week of Chanukah. You don’t have to bake all the muffins at once either. The batter will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to three days.

For Dipping Muffins: 1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine 2 cups sugar 2 tablespoons cinnamon 1. Place a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350ºF. Grease 3 muffin pans with nonstick cooking spray.

2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar and beat until smooth.

Add in eggs, one at a time, and beat to combine.

3. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg.

4. In a measuring cup, combine the milk and buttermilk.

5. Add the dry ingredients to the mixing bowl, then add the milk mixture and beat to combine.

6. Scoop batter into each muffin cup, until batter is even with the rim of each cup.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes.

7. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, melt butter. In a shallow bowl, combine sugar and cinnamon. Once muffins come out of the oven and are cool enough to handle, brush them with butter (or dip them) and roll in the cinnamonsugar mixture.

Yield: 36 muffins

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Sun-Dried Tomato Thin Crust Pizza Pizza Dough: 1 tablespoon dry yeast 1 tablespoon sugar 13/4 cups warm water 2 tablespoons olive oil 4 cups bread flour 1 teaspoon salt Cornmeal, for sprinkling

Topping: 4 plum tomatoes, thinly sliced 1 recipe Garlic Marinara Sauce (see opposite page) 11/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes

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1. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine yeast and sugar. Add warm water and let bubble. Add remaining dough ingredients and mix on low for 5 to 7 minutes, until dough is pliable.

2. Divide into two balls.

Coat in flour. Place in a bowl.

Cover and let rise for 30 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 500ºF. Place tomatoes on a greased baking sheet and roast for 7 to 10 minutes.

4. Roll each ball of dough thinly using a rolling pin. You can roll them into a 12-inch round pizza or into a 9- x 13inch baking pan.

5. Preheat the oven to 475ºF. If using a pizza stone, sprinkle with cornmeal and place the dough on the stone. If you choose to bake your dough in a 9- x 13inch baking pan, spray pan with nonstick cooking spray and sprinkle with cornmeal before placing dough in pan.

6. Top pizza doughs with Garlic Marinara Sauce, mozzarella cheese, roasted tomatoes, and sun-dried tomatoes. Bake for 10 minutes. |

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This is my go-to sauce for on top of pizza and for dipping the mozzarella sticks.

Crispy Mozzarella Sticks with Garlic-Marinara Dipping Sauce When you think dairy and fried, you think mozzarella sticks. Want to skip the breading process? Eggroll wrappers give you all the crispiness without the mess.

1 (8-ounce) brick mozzarella cheese or 12 mozzarella string cheese sticks 12 eggroll wrappers Oil, for frying

1 recipe Garlic Marinara Sauce (at right)

1. If you are cutting a brick of mozzarella cheese, cut cheese into strips, no thinner than Âź-inch thick.

2. Working with one eggroll wrapper at a time, place a mozzarella stick near the bottom corner of each wrapper (keep remaining wrappers covered with a damp paper towel until ready to use).

Fold bottom corner over cheese. Roll up halfway. Fold sides toward center over cheese. Moisten remaining corner with water; roll up tightly to seal. Repeat with remaining wrappers and cheese.

You can keep these frozen until ready to fry fresh.

3. Heat oil in a small saucepan. When oil is hot, add sticks and fry for 30 to 60 seconds on each side, or until golden brown (oil must be hot enough to fry these quickly).

4. Serve mozzarella sticks alongside Garlic Marinara Sauce.

Yield: 12 mozzarella sticks 17 KISLEV 5774

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Garlic Marinara Sauce 2 tablespoons olive oil 6 to 8 garlic cloves, crushed 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce 1 (16-ounce) can whole tomatoes, drained 1 teaspoon basil 1 teaspoon oregano 1 teaspoon garlic powder 11/2 tablespoons sugar 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 1. Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and sautĂŠ until golden, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add tomato sauce and whole tomatoes, and stir.

2. Stir in basil, oregano, garlic powder, sugar, and pepper. Let simmer for 30 minutes.

Blend until smooth using an immersion blender.

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CHANUKAH FESTIVITIES

Crisp.

Formal.

Sleek.

Sweet.

Natural.

Sweet.

Sleek.

Formal.

Crisp.

It’s cold outside, and the grass might be turning white, but you can evoke the feelings of spring and new blossoms and growth in your home this Chanukah.

Start with an earth-toned tablecloth. To achieve the look of blossoming trees, I added strips of bark paper inside standard glass cylinder vases. You can find bark sheets at any local florist for about $5 a sheet.

Bark candles are available at craft stores. Group a bunch of vases and your candles on a tray (this one was $10 at Closeout Connections) to make it come together into one cohesive centerpiece.

Your flowers don’t have to be costly either.

I used magnolia leaves (about $6 for a big bunch) both in the vases and at each place setting, and brought color in with the rose hip branches, which are also inexpensive.

To bring the Chanukah feel to the table, I wrapped a strand of burlap and brown grosgrain ribbon around each plate—the meal is a gift that can be unwrapped when each person sits down. All these textures, from the cloths to the ribbons, bark, and florals tie into our natural theme.

Table setting

By Shavy Weiss Photography

by Esti Photography

17 KISLEV 5774

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CHANUKAH FESTIVITIES

Natural.

Crisp.

Formal.

Sleek.

Sweet.

Sleek.

Formal.

Crisp.

Natural.

Some of you may wonder about us food writers. Do we ever buy takeout food? (Secret: I do!) Do we cook five-course gourmet meals for supper every night? (Secret: No, I do not!) Do we ever have cooking or baking failures? (Secret: I totally do!) Really, we are pretty much just like you.

But if you’re wondering how to spot the food writer in your local grocery store, it’s not that hard.

We are the ones heading up to the cashier a month or two before Chanukah sporting multiple huge bottles of oil in our shopping carts.

And a day or two later, we might be the ones paying for six pounds of confectioners’ sugar, all in the name of creating lots of different donut glaze recipes. But it actually goes back before that.

Because back when you were making hot gooey caramel pie for Sukkos, my mind was in the frying pan. It was probably at about 2:00 in the morning, sometime before Rosh Hashanah, when I opened my eyes, quickly typed “dessert ravioli” into my phone, then rolled over and went back to sleep. And today, you hold in your hands the result of my feverish latenight musings.

When you are at your family Chanukah party enjoying mouthwatering delicacies, I’ll probably be thinking about Purim. Or maybe Pesach. But either way, it was worth it, because I love it when I—or rather my recipes—get invited to your party. It’s an honor, and it’s worth all the stares I got for buying those huge bottles of oil.

Recipes and Photography

By Miriam Pascal

Chanukah

Treats!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough-Filled Ravioli This Chanukah, think beyond the donut for your fried desserts! These ravioli are a chocolate chip cookie lover’s dream come true: crunchy fried exterior, soft, hot, and gooey interior—like eating chocolate chip cookies straight out of the oven...only better! The textural contrast is amazing in a totally different way.

These wontons really need to be served fresh, but you can prepare them ahead (even freeze them!) and fry them just before serving. ½ cup canola oil ½ cup brown sugar ¼ cup sugar ½ teaspoon vanilla extract 2 tablespoons milk or soy milk 1 cup flour ½ cup chocolate chips, preferably mini or extra mini 1 package square wonton wrappers (about 40) oil, for frying chocolate glaze (see next page)

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the oil, brown sugar, and sugar until smooth. Add the vanilla, milk, and flour, and beat to combine. Beat until a dough forms. Stir in the chocolate chips.

2. Form a small ball of the dough and place it in the center of a wonton wrapper. Dip your finger in water and rub it along two of the edges, then press the edges together and press tightly to seal. Repeat with remaining wontons and dough. (Do not overfill the wrappers or they will open up during freezing and/or frying.) Up until this point, you can prepare the raviolis ahead, freeze, and fry them fresh.

3. Heat 1½ to 2 inches of oil in a medium saucepan or deep fryer over medium heat.

To test oil’s readiness, dip a ravioli in the oil. When it’s hot enough, the oil will bubble around the ravioli immediately.

4. Fry the ravioli for about a minute, until golden brown, then flip the ravioli over and fry for about an additional minute,

until golden brown on the other side.

Do not crowd the pan; fry only 2 to 4 at a time, depending on the size of the pan.

5. Remove cooked ravioli from pan and place on a paper towellined plate. Serve immediately, while hot. Drizzle with chocolate glaze if desired (see page 32).

Yield: 40 raviolis

The quality of your chocolate matters!

For an easy chocolate garnish, drizzle a melted bar of Shufra 64% baking chocolate over your ravioli.

Brown Sugar Donut Cookies This recipe is really two in one. It’s a fabulously delicious new recipe for rolled sugar cookies, and a great idea for a fun Chanukah treat to serve at your party or make with your kids. If you aren’t planning to make these for Chanukah, save this cookie dough recipe for the next time you bake sugar cookies! And if you have a go-to cookie dough recipe, you can still use this idea for decorating!

Unlike most rolled sugar cookies, which aren’t particularly delicious, these are delicious all on their own...and pretty addictive! (Hey, at least I warned you!)

1 cup (2 sticks) margarine 1 cup dark brown sugar ¼ cup sugar 1 egg 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1 teaspoon baking powder 3 cups flour 1. In the bowl of an electric mixer at medium speed, beat together margarine, brown sugar, and sugar until smooth and creamy.

2. Add egg, vanilla, cinnamon, and baking powder and beat to combine. Turn the mixer to low

To make donut cookies:

and add flour. Beat until just combined.

3. Refrigerate cookie dough for about 1 hour, or up to overnight.

4. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.

5. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the cookie dough to about an eighth-of-an-inch thickness. Cut into desired shape (see below for instructions on cutting into donut shapes) and place on prepared cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes.

Allow cookies to cool completely before decorating.

17 KISLEV 5774

If decorating cookies with royal icing always scared you, try this simpler version! The glazes are simple to make and simple to work with, and the end result is just plain adorable!

1. Cut the dough into large circles, then cut a smaller circle from the center. Reroll the scraps and repeat until all of the dough is rolled and cut. Bake according to the directions above.

2. Once cookies have cooled completely, glaze them with your choice of glazes (recipes follow), and top with sprinkles or your favorite donut toppings. Let the glaze set for about 10 minutes before handling cookies. |

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2 eggs ¾ cup sugar 1 tablespoon baking powder ¼ teaspoon nutmeg 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 3 ¾ cups flour ¾ cup milk or soy milk ¼ cup oil oil for frying glazes, optional, recipes follow

CHANUKAH FESTIVITIES

Bakery-Style Cake Donuts

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together eggs and sugar until smooth and creamy, about 2 to 5 minutes. Add baking powder, nutmeg, and vanilla extract, and beat to combine.

2. Add ⅓ of the flour, followed by the milk, followed by another ⅓ of the flour, then the oil, then the remaining flour. Beat until a sticky dough forms. Refrigerate dough until firm, about 1 to 2 hours.

3. Remove the dough from the fridge (The dough will not rise until frying, so don’t get worried!). Place it on a very well-floured surface. The dough will still be somewhat sticky, so it’s important to use plenty of flour to roll it out.

4. Roll the dough out to about ¼ of an

If you read “cake donut” and think “baked donut,” think again. If you’re among those who prefer the cakey style of bakery donuts, this recipe is the one for you! This recipe is also the one for you if you don’t like working with yeast. These donuts are made using a dough similar to cake batter that utilizes baking powder instead of yeast for rising. My favorite thing about these donuts (as opposed to yeast donuts) is that while best freshly fried, these donuts stay fresher longer than yeast donuts, and will still be great the next day!

inch. Cut circles of dough out, then cut out a small circle from the center. Be careful when picking up each donut to make sure they keep their shape. Reserve the small circles to fry as donut holes.

5. Heat about 2 inches of oil in a medium saucepan or deep fryer over medium heat.

Test the oil by dipping a donut into the oil—it should start to bubble immediately.

Fry about 2 to 3 donuts at a time. Wait until you see the golden brown color start to creep up the side of the center before removing donut from oil. This will take about 1 to 1½ minutes.

6. Flip the donuts over and fry until golden brown on the other side, about a minute.

Remove from the oil and place on a paper towel-lined plate. Allow to cool slightly before glazing (see below for glazes).

NOTE: To make cinnamon sugar donut holes: Fry the small circles cut from the donuts for about 30 seconds per side.

Remove from oil and place into a mixture of 4 teaspoons of sugar and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon. Roll to coat in the mixture. Set aside to cool.

Donut Glazes When decorating the donut cookies, the glazes will work best when they are as thick as possible, so try adding an extra tablespoon or two of confectioners’ sugar to any of the recipes you choose, until they’re as thick as possible while still being spreadable.

Don’t be afraid to play around with the texture of the glazes. If it seems too thin, add a bit more confectioners' sugar. If it seems too thick, add more liquid, but only a drop at a time! I always prefer thicker glazes, as they hold more nicely on the finished product.

Chocolate Glaze ½ cup confectioners’ sugar 1 tablespoon cocoa powder 1 tablespoon milk or soy milk In a small bowl, whisk all ingredients together until completely smooth.

Maple Cinnamon Glaze 1 cup confectioners’ sugar 1 tablespoon maple syrup 1 teaspoon cinnamon 2 teaspoons milk or soy milk

In a small bowl, whisk all ingredients together until completely smooth.

Vanilla Glaze 1 cup confectioners’ sugar 1 tablespoon corn syrup 1 tablespoon milk or soy milk ½ teaspoon vanilla extract a couple of drops of food coloring, optional In a small bowl, whisk all ingredients together until completely smooth.

For Confectioners’ SugarCoated Donuts Roll the mostly cooled donuts in confectioners' sugar, turning to coat all over. (This works really well with donut holes too!)

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The

Secret on

40

Communicates

th Street C H A P T E R

T W O

A CULINARY SERIAL

Last Week: Victoria goes into The Loft’s kitchen to see her favorite dishes being made.

By Victoria Dwek

Very often home cooks, myself included, pride ourselves on being able to duplicate a restaurant recipe at home.

But it all goes out the window when we try to recreate the perfect steak.

When a restaurant is serving Delmonico Steaks and Signature Steaks every night of the week in generous portions we certainly can’t even try to compete.

On my visit here today, all around me I can see The Loft’s meat entrees—some steaks as thick as 4 inches — being carted by the waiters to the excited diners. They’re tempting even to this veggie girl and I rush back to my table to see what’s waiting there for me.

When I get there, the entrees are in the center of the table. There’s that Pan Seared Chicken (the one you heard my husband talking about in Chapter 1) and the Petit Fillet Steak (perfectly done as ordered...medium-rare with the right amount of pink) with a classic side of The Loft’s Fries.

Leah always says that you can tell the quality of a restaurant by the quality of the fries. I lift up a fry.

Perfection. Consistently crisp. No greasiness. These were fried right.

As we’re enjoying the mains, I learn that the previous night, anyone who visited the restaurant enjoyed a taste of all Chef Boris’s new dishes that will be debuting on the menu.

“One of those items was a first cut veal chop with a

side of gnocchi...I had never tasted gnocchi,” Chany says.

Did someone say gnocchi?

I want to talk to the chef about the new dishes that were taste-tested the previous night, so I go back to the kitchen.

Oops. My timing is not so good. The chef is very occupied. The main course is about to be served at the sheva brachos that is being hosted here at The Loft and there are 40 plates with huge steaks, fries, and sautéed vegetables lined up in the kitchen. All the chefs are working together to perfect all 40 plates.

“These are the fries for the two medium rares,” Chef Boris says to one of the sous chefs. Even with so many plates being served at once, the kitchen is still on top of every detail, including the particular doneness of the steaks for each sheva brachos guest.

There’s a little bit of a thick, dark sauce being spooned on top of each of the steaks. I’m very curious what that is. When all the plates have finally left the kitchen, I ask the chef.

“That’s onion marmalade,” he says.

“How do you make it? I won’t tell anyone.” (Oh, oops.

I suppose I will.)

I learn that it entails a three-step process. At the final stage, the onions are sautéd for five hours—that’s why they look black—but they’re not burnt. Rather, they get very sweet. You must give constant attention to the onions when caramelizing for so long.

Gnocchi in Garlic Sauce

I’m intrigued. After hearing how it’s done, I don’t want to prepare the marmalade. But I do want to try it on a steak. First, though, I get to try the gnocchi.

Chef Boris tells me that the gnocchi is made fresh every single day. After the gnocchi are formed, they’re supposed to be kept cold and cooked to order. Chef Boris takes the pan of cold gnocchi from the refrigerator and tells me to taste one.

I think it’s my favorite bite of the night. Gnocchi is now one of my new favorite foods. And it was not even hot. Happy dance.

Pan Seared Chicken

Even though I’m really getting in the way, I can see the kitchen operating like clockwork. Chef David’s on the grill; Chef John is sautéing; Chef Francisco is manning the ovens. Chef Boris is the conductor, and Chef Osiah is bringing up some freshly butchered steaks from the prep kitchen.

I want to hear more details about the new menu, but I see desserts happening on the other side of the kitchen.

The Napoleons for the sheva brachos are being assembled.

A few members of the kitchen staff are helping to prepare the dessert, but when I see Mattis, the manager, holding a piping bag, I know that I found something I can actually do.

“Can I do the piping?”

I might not be able to duplicate that marmalade, but I’m completely confident in my piping skills. I can pipe at least as well as a restaurant manager.

He hands the commercial-sized piping bag to me, and

Petit Fillet Steak

I start filling those Napoleons, pressing a swirl of cream onto each pastry leaf (I was a bit generous). After I add the cream, one of the chefs adds a pastry leaf. We keep going.

It’s an efficient little assembly line and I feel like I’m part of the team.

“Am I doing a good job?” (I know I’m doing a good job, but I want some reassurance.)

The chefs nod. Piping cream (and torching creme brulee) is one of my culinary joys in life.

After we’re done, the Napoleons are whisked upstairs to the lucky sheva brachos guests.

I really want to eat one too. But I’m not yet done with the main course. Suddenly, a bowl of hot gnocchi in a garlicky sauce is placed in my hand. I’ll hold out for dessert.

“See those ladies over there? They’re peeking out from the sheva brachos room. They want to see what Victoria from Whisk looks like,” Chany comes over to tell me.

That is too funny.

I’ve been wanting to see the party room the whole evening; now I have an excuse to pop in.

Up we go.

The upstairs room at The Loft is cozy and elegant at once...this is the place to spend an evening. I pass the sitting area with a comfy couch and reach the women’s table.

They’re licking Napoleon cream off their spoons when Chany introduces me.

“Victoria! So you’re a real person.”

“How do you like that gnocchi?” another lady asks, seeing the bowl in my hand.

We talk about their meal and which dishes we want recipes for. I take notes.

When I tell the ladies that I assembled their Napoleons (little bow), I learn that this dessert was specifically requested by the sheva brachos hostess, because it’s her favorite.

Now I want to taste my own.

Back downstairs, a triple-layered Napoleon is on my table. Chany says it’s all for me.

I know that we’re in a fleishig restaurant and the dessert is pareve. That’s why my next bite was something completely not expected….

To be continued…

Next week: Victoria tries to get the Napoleon recipe...

Beef Spring Rolls

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