COOKING
WITH KIDS!
How Do You Like Your
Pickles?
DESSERT: No Oven Required
SALADS FIT FOR A MEAL
joyofJamie kosher Geller with
Caramel Peach Pie A La Mode Bites
JULY/AUGUST 2011 | SUMMER 5771
The Grill IS HOT!
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p. 66
SUMMER RECIPES
FROM SOUTHWEST SPICE TO ITALIAN PORTOBELLO: 9 Ways to Quick & Kosher Burgers
The Party’s Here:
Jamie’s BBQ Beef Burger with Quick Pickles p.59
Entertaining hints by Shavy Weiss WE GO SHOPPING WITH CHEF JEFFREY NATHAN at Union Square Farmer’s Market
FOR ORIGINAL SUMMER RECIPES, MEAL IDEAS AND MORE, VISIT WWW.JOYOFKOSHER.COM
USA $3.99 CANADA $5.99 / INT’L $6.99 Jul/Aug 2011 | Summer 5771
KOSHER MEDIA NETWORK
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21405
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the cellar
with Gary Landsman
Guess the Photo by Andrew Purcell | Styling by Carrie Purcell
One evening, relatives, neighbors, and friends passed through the home of one of our Joy of Kosher editors to take part in our Guess the Grape challenge. In this blind taste test, could they guess the wine varietal they were drinking?
On th e Tab le:
Binyamina Reserve Shiraz
Barkan Barrel Aged Cabernet
Carmel Appellation Cabernet Franc
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Fletchas de Los Andes Malbec
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Baron Herzog “old vine” Zinfandel
Five bottles sat on the table with their labels covered. Instead, we called them “one,” “two,” “three,” “four,” and “five.” Our participants tasted—and tasted. They thought for a few moments—then tasted again. And at the end, they discovered new wines they loved—but would have never thought to purchase had the label been revealed. A Merlot lover discovered he likes Syrah/Shiraz. A White Zinfandel lover discovered he also liked the Red Zinfandel best out of all the reds he tasted. The Cabernet Franc was popular all around for being a lighter and easier to drink Cab. The surprise of the evening? The Malbec. Interestingly, it became a new favorite for many of our testers who usually prefer Cabs. It was the least favorite, though, for those who usually favor Zinfandel.
The Cheat Sheet
Grape
How do you recognize the flavor of a wine you’ve never tasted? With a cheat sheet, of course. Taste testers were given the following information to be able to deduce which wine varietal they were tasting. Six choices for five bottles made the guessing a little trickier.
Shiraz/Syrah Typical taste: aromas and flavors of wild black fruit (such as blackcurrant), with overtones of black pepper spice and roasting meat.
P a la t e C le anser
HOW DID OUR TASTE TESTERS DO? “Nice color…very rich purple. The prettiest looking out of all of them…Whoa, strong smell… Wow, delicious wine, fabulous. Smooth and velvety. Remember that one, I want to buy it.” —Avi on Malbec
Plain crackers do cleansing the pa the best job of la tastings. Choos te in between e a water cracke r or unsalted sa ltines.
Merlot Typical taste: typical scents include black cherry, plums and herbal flavors. The texture is round but a middle palate gap is common. The Merlot type of wine is less tannic (rough) than Cabernet Sauvignon.
Cabernet Sauvignon Typical taste: full-bodied, but firm and gripping when young. Rich currant and blackberry qualities.
Malbec
“Oh wow—this is very different than all of them—very different. Nicer smell…delicious.” —Richie on Malbec
Typical taste: bold, in-your-face fruit yet with a softer, less tannic experience. An easy-drinking style, well-colored wine that tastes of plums, berries, and spice.
Zinfandel Typical taste: often a zesty flavor with berry and pepper.
“This one is very good.” (She takes a few slow sips.) “Do you have a guess?” we asked. “Oh, I knew what it was right away. I was just enjoying it.” –Margaret on Cabernet Franc “This does not taste like Merlot. It tastes like Cabernet, but lighter…the same idea.” —Joseph on Cabernet Franc “I’m a Merlot guy…I don’t like anything else. This is Merlot.” –Judah on Shiraz/Syrah
“This one tastes the most familiar to me.” –Merlene on Cabernet Sauvignon “I’m gonna guess the Zinfandel for sure.” (He sips). “I never had this one. This is very good.” —Zac on Zinfandel “This is thicker…very good to drink and very hard to drink…the kind that makes you fall asleep.” —Isaac on Cabernet Sauvignon “This fifth one is good…this one is the best. I gotta guess the Zinfandel.” –Jackie on Zinfandel
Our winner: Joseph M. correctly guessed 3/5 wines
Cabernet Franc Typical taste: lighter than its disciple Cabernet Sauvignon, Cab Franc shows aromas and flavors of raspberry, red cherry with violet floral and bell pepper herbaceous notes.
CLICK
Go online to JoyofKosher. com/magazine for more information on the differences between wine varietals. Discover a new flavor you just might love!
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Farm to Table
TABLE STYLE By Naomi Weinstein
Let’s side t u o t i take
The sun is shining, the trees are swaying, and your garden is in full bloom, so why are you dining indoors? Draw inspiration from warm climate locales where the balmy weather allows for a fusion of indoor and outdoor living. Start with...
Mediterranean Inspired
Choose an outdoor spot with easy access to the kitchen. Place your table and chairs out of direct sunlight. Set the scene with comfortable cushions, plants, lighting, and casual linens.
Keep it Going...
Nature’s Palette
Inside you may rely on a neutral and reserved décor, but dining outdoors is your opportunity to bring on the color and bold patterns. Take your cues from nature: Blue skies and sea, green grass, flowers in bold reds and yellows. Choose festive patterned tableware with Mediterranean flair in practical materials for outdoor use.
Fill in the blanks…
Earth Friendly Options
Give thanks to nature and incorporate organic and compostable items into the scheme. 18 | JOYOFKOSHER.COM | JULY/AUGUST
2011 | SUMMER 5771
Give a hand
Bamboo Hands fit yours for tossing and serving salad with a clever design to keep them from slipping inside the bowl. (Crate and Barrel, $20, crateandbarrel.com)
Serve fresh picked berries or tomatoes in this vintage inspired porcelain berry box (Crate and Barrel, $6, crateandbarrel.com).
Polycarbonate drinkware is nearly unbreakable. (Le Cadeaux, $7, available at touchofeurope.net)
Utensils and plates made of birch and bamboo are fully compostable.
(Natural Disposables, $10, bambuhome.com, Birchware, $10, birchware.com)
Talavera salad plates feature traditional Mexican pottery patterns reinvented in melamine. (Pottery Barn, $24, potterybarn.com)
Expecting a crowd?
Disposables with French country charm (Boston International, bostoninternational.com)
Le Cadeaux’s Benidorm tray, constructed of triple-weight melamine, has the look of hefty stoneware.
(Le Cadeaux, $33, available at touchofeurope.net)
Stir it up!
Hand carved wooden iced tea spoons (Anthropologie, $14, anthropologie.com)
ďƒœ CLICK
Visit JoyofKosher.com/magazine to enter to win a selection of the item you see here! JULY/AUGUST 2011 | SUMMER 5771
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DIY diva
Do-It-Yourself with Felisa Billet
Photo by Andrew Purcell Styling by Carrie Purcell
Pickled
While hamburgers and hotdogs are requisite barbeque fare, in my family, a summer gathering isn’t complete without pickles. After reading the labels on commercial varieties made with ingredients whose names I can’t pronounce, I promised myself to never buy another jar of processed, neon green pickles again. Whether utilizing produce from your garden or purchasing veggies from the store, making pickles is a relatively simple way to preserve summer’s harvest. Get into do-it-yourself mode and think beyond cucumbers. Okra, tomatoes, peppers, snap peas, carrots, summer squash, radishes and cabbage, make wonderful pickled vegetables.
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Sweet Freezer Pickles with Dill Freezing marinated crisp, firm veggies is a quick, tasty way to preserve veggies like cucumbers, peppers, carrots, and cabbage. Once thawed, they can be kept in the fridge for a few days.
2½ pounds cucumbers, cut into rounds or slices 3 tablespoons pickling or kosher salt 5 garlic cloves, minced ⅓ cup minced fresh dill 1 teaspoon whole dill seeds 1 cup chopped or sliced red pepper, optional 1½ cups sugar 1½ cups cider vinegar 1. In a large bowl, toss the cucumber slices with the salt. Let the cucumbers stand for about 2 hours to release moisture and drain. 2. In another bowl, combine the salted cucumbers, garlic cloves, dill and dill 2011 | SUMMER 5771
seeds, chopped red pepper, sugar, and vinegar. Refrigerate the mixture for a few hours so the cucumbers have a chance to absorb the flavors of the brine. 3. Remove the bowl from the fridge. Pour the cucumbers and brine in freezer bags or containers and store in the freezer. Thaw the pickles for about 8 hours in the fridge before serving.
Mixed Pickled Vegetables If you don’t want to bother with canning, combine the veggies in brine, and store the pickles in the refrigerator, where they continue to develop in flavor over time. Adding a sliced beet to this basic recipe turns the mixed pickles a lovely shade of pink.
2 quarts mixed vegetables such as small, sliced cucumbers; summer squash; green peppers cut into strips; cauliflower florets; small, sliced radishes; whole snap peas, or carrot slices 1 small beet, peeled and sliced (optional)
Like the flavors of
cilantro and mint? They won’t hold up in traditional canning methods but their delicate flavors are perfectly maintained in freezer pickles. These pickles were frozen with their brine in Ziploc bags before I defrosted to serve.
3 large garlic cloves, sliced Sprigs of as many of the following: basil, tarragon, cilantro or dill 1 cup red or white wine vinegar, or cider vinegar 3 cups water 3 tablespoons pickling salt, or 4½ tablespoons kosher salt, or to taste 6 peppercorns 3 bay leaves 1 cinnamon stick (optional) 1. Pack the vegetables and the beet, if using, in a 2-quart jar. Add the herbs and half of the garlic. 2. In a saucepan, add the remaining garlic, vinegar, water, salt, peppercorns, bay leaves, and cinnamon stick to a boil. Pour the brine over the vegetables in the jar, and affix the lid. 3. When the jar has cooled, store in the fridge. The pickles will begin to develop in a week or so, with the flavor deepening in a month’s time.
Fermented Kosher Sour Pickles Olive-green and deliciously tangy, classic kosher sour pickles are made through a fermentation process. In order to get natural bacteria to form and effectively preserve cucumbers, begin by thoroughly cleaning your veggies. The cucumbers will be ready in about a week or more depending on how much salt was added and how sour you like your pickles. The more salt, the longer the fermentation process will take. Half sour pickles, made with about 1/2 cup salt per gallon of water, are ready in about a week. Full sour pickles, made with about 3/4 cup of salt per gallon of water, are ready in about 10 days, or more.
4 pounds small cucumbers 6 fronds of fresh dill 2 small fresh or dry hot peppers (optional) 10 garlic cloves, thinly sliced 1 tablespoon whole allspice berries 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
2 tablespoons whole coriander seeds ½ cup pickling salt 3 quarts water 1. Place the cucumbers in a gallon jar. Add the dill, hot peppers, garlic, allspice, peppercorns, and coriander. 2. Dissolve the salt in water, and pour enough of the brine over the cucumbers so they are completely submerged in the liquid. 3. Push a gallon size freezer bag into the jar. Pour the remaining brine into the bag, and seal the bag. By having a heavy bag of brine weigh down the cucumbers, they maintain a crunch during the fermentation process. Store the jar in a cool, dark place at room temperature. 4. In about three days, tiny bubbles should appear in the brine. Skim any scum that may have accumulated in the jar, including rinsing of the bag of brine. When pickles are ready, they will be an olive-green color and have a prominent sour taste. Remove the brine bag and any scum. Store in the refrigerator where the pickles should keep for several months.
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QUICK & KOSHER
To dress this baby up add thinly sliced dill pickles and crispy onion rings
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9
9
WAYS
Plus 8 snappy homemade condiments By Jamie Geller | Photos by Andrew Purcell | Styling by Carrie Purcell
There’s nothing like biting into a juicy burger, soft bun, crisp lettuce, fresh sliced tomatoes, oozing with grilled onions and ketchup. Burgers aren’t limited to beef though—try these delish variations using fish, turkey, and veggies. And when the ol’ ketchup & mustard just won’t do, top these creations with special sauce, pico de gallo, and black olive tapenade. No boring burgers at this “Q!” (Go ahead—lick your fingers, nobody’s looking.)
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Meals that look and taste like you slaved over them all day — only you didn’t. You don’t have time for that.
! w ne
NEW from Jamie Geller, bestselling author of the Quick and Kosher series Available at Jewish bookstores or at:
feldheim.com 1-800-237-7149
More than 215 new, quick recipes More than 100 scrumptious meals 20, 40, and 60 minute meals – from start to finish New fast takes on traditional holiday meals
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