Comfort Me

I love this breakfast above all others. When I am in Paris I like to rise early and retire late -- not wanting to miss a minute of the sounds and sights and smells and tastes of Paris. As a rule, I try to be Hobbit when in France -- I never limit myself to one breakfast or one lunch. I've never been able to eat a second dinner, but I have had a second dessert on occasion. Mornings for me usually start with a map of boulangeries of note in a particular part of town. I taxi to the first I want to explore. There I will have a tartine or a croissant or a demi bagguette. I love cafe au lait with all my heart. And if I'm near a market I will stop for a pear or plum or those delicious wild strawberries. And when I finish one, I go to the next and start all over again! C'est la vie!

We are in year six of Jewish Day School. My wife, Mrs. Me, relies on the following: Ants on a Log (raisins on peanut butter stuffed celery) or Red Ants on a Snowy Log (craisins on blue-cheese stuffed celery) Cucumber sandwiches broccoli with ranch dressing peanut butter & pickle relish sandwich (try it before you knock it) cream cheese & jelly sandwich canned mandarin orange segments cream cheese on banana bread gefelte fish (horseradish optional) hard boiled eggs leftover salmon vegetarian mock liver with crackers & cheese and crackers (kids love to dip or assemble) fruit leather Now we are very lucky. The elementary grades have a "Meat Table" in the lunch room, so he can take kosher pastrami, or turkey or salami or even bagel dogs. That really made lunches much more varied.

I have a unique perspective...I am a Jew born and raised below the Mason Dixon AND I have Catholic family who own and opperate a funeral home. The above post was correct regarding paying a shiva call. I would add that, if the family observe the dietary laws of kashrut, one should make certain that any food you take to the house is certified kosher and still wrapped in its original packaging. As for Catholic services, I've seen many variations on the post-funeral luncheon. When my great-uncle John died, his only child, a nun, had everyone to a smorgasbord restaurant. When my dad (Catholic) died, any get together would be too large for any one home -- I have a huge family -- so we rented out a large hall and had it catered, then I sat shive and had a minion at my home. Funny, the things one remembers. When my grandmother, who raised me, died, the only food I remember from the whole ordeal was the daughter of my grandmother's best friend brough a car full of groceries -- big cans of Folger's coffee, coffee cakes, creamer, tea, juice. I remember thinking to myself -- "Why of course, I'm going to need coffee to serve to all these people. Why didn't I think of that?" So now, when someone dies, I take groceries.

I don't know how to cut and paste links to posts, but search for Tagine and look for the multi-page work by the expert -- Paula Wolfert. It has lots of pictures, commentary, trial and error, etc. There is a great deal on the different tagines and their pros and cons. That said, I have the LeCreuset. I use it a lot, and I love it.

Throw in non-stop mah jong and it sounds like heaven! Welcome back!

A Haiku for our time: With Pesach over We have only one question; Where is the damn bread? In keeping with the spirit of the season, this Shabbat will be a huge salad nicoise accompanied by a dairy (only) version of Mario Batali's Potato Pizza. Since I'm not using salami (because of the riccota) I'm stuffing with a mixture of sun dried tomatoes, marinated artichokes, olives, anchovies, and a generous sprinkling of Aleppo peppers. Dessert is going to be an almond polenta cake with riccotta whipped cream. Oh -- and challah. This is a Shabbat I'm not worried about having leftover bread!

We all survived! And I found a new Pesach culinary joy -- schmurah matzah made in Chicago. Wafer thin, crisp and flavorful -- the absolute best matzah I've ever had. I'm sorry I have to wait until next year to get more. Delicious with mock chicken liver. I'd like to hear what you all cooked/ate in the days beyond the seder. Aidan

I have done a lot of my own sausage making, and I liked Bruce Aidell's "Complete Sausage Book". There are a lot of recipes for fresh sausages, but there are an equal number of cured, cold, and hot smoked sausages. The book also gives you enough information on curing to allow you some freedom to develope your own sausage recipes. Enjoy.

And now -- the lastest installment of: The Neurotic Bi-Polar Jewish Paralegal Caterer! When last we saw our hero, Aidan was cleaning for Passover, obsessing over proper ways of freezing and transporting foods, wishing there were more hours in the day, and feeling a little morose over the loss of his favorite non-Pesadich pots and pans -- if only for a couple of weeks. But today is a new day! All of my cooking is done! While I didn't find the time to make any Mazel Toffee, the chicken soup is made, the bullets are formed and frozen, the Sephardic charoses balls are rolled and refrigerated, the Moroccan meatballs are cooked, chilled, and were placed in the freezer before I left for work this morning. The plastic bins are packed with non-perishables going along on the trip, and Mrs. Me is home right this second folding the last load from the dryer -- after that, all she has to do is put a couple of things in the suitcases and we are good to go! We pull out at 5am tomorrow! I am already anticipating the horseradish and gefelte fish! Tonight we will go out for a pizza orgy. We might even splurge for garlic bread. And then maybe, if we get back in time, I might be able to pull off a double batch of Mazel Toffee. Mrs. Me just called to say "something white is leaking from the pan I put in the freezer". Hmmm. Since that container is full of Moroccan lamb meatballs in a spicy tomato sauce, I sort of wonder what this mysterious white liquid could be. Have a great Passover, everyone.

Friends like that are important as they become part of your family. There's something special about knowing there are people you can count on and even better is being able to be there for someone who needs your help. ← Let me also say for the record how very much I appreciate the friendship of my eGulleteers. You, Andrea, and Gifted, and so many others have been so kind throughout this last year. Even though sometimes I disappeared for months at a time, and when I reappeared it was with tales of illness, grief, fires, and the like, you took the tzurris of the week in stride and offered encouragement and laughter in return. May the one who blessed your ancestors... I just made myself laugh -- I mispelled friendship in the paragraph above -- I left out the "r". Made it a much different post! Oh -- I almost forgot to post the link to the Sweet and Sour Chicken. This is definitely a recipe we will make all year long. It would be really good with rice. Later!

Shalom, y'all. We are going away for the first half of the festival (I live for the day I can afford to take the whole time off so I can go away and forego a bit of the cleaning!) . Anyway, I am cooking and freezing some things that I normally would make once I was there, but what with work and Shabbas, etc. I need to make them ahead of time. One thing I am making is a family favorite called bullets. They are matzah balls, for lack of a better word, made with a stiff matzah ball mix and stuffed with a mixture of chopped boiled chicken, sauted onions, salt, pepper, and lots of schmaltz. LOTS of schmaltz. Then they are brushed with schmaltz and baked until golden. Served up in a bowl of golden chicken soup. Divinge. So here is my question: Should I make the bullets, bake them and freeze them, or should I form them, freeze them, and bake them once they have thawed? Hoping for an answer quickly -- must make them tonight. Hag Sameach.

It was an unusual shabbat. I decided to cook a recipe I read in an epicurious e-mail. It was for Pesach, but there isn't a rule, you know. The recipe was for sweet and sour chicken thighs (from the freezer) with onions and carrots. I used half hot paprika and half sweet, and also made it a bit richer by using chicken stock where the recipe called for water. I served it with spicy garlic roasted potatoes. About an 45 minutes before shabbas one of my dearest friends called to say that her husband, who was supposed to be making shabbas dinner while she was at work, had gotten distracted by last minute tax filings, was just running out to mail the taxes, and hadn't started dinner. I told her to grab a pound of peas from the freezer and tell her husband to walk to our house when he got back from the post. (Don't you hate it when you start an argument just before Shabbat starts? That is such an ugly feeling. You really notice shalom ha'bayit when it's gone!) I quickly cut up a few more potatoes and seasoned them up to roast. I set more places at the table, then put more decaf on and checked to see that the timer was set right. I had plenty of sponge cake and berries for dessert. An extra bottle of pinot grigio stuck quickly in the freezer to chill and dinner for three became dinner for six. It wasn't the most abundant shabbas spread I've ever put on the table, but it was peaceful, relaxed, tasty, and even a little romantic. I "remarried" my wife by placing the new ring on her finger. Our Rabbi had suggested saying a shehekianu, so we did. And it makes me feel good to know that we are so close that they can call and say "Invite us to dinner!" That's friends.

Blovia, darling: I am, today, a Bear of Little Brain. Tell me what to make for dinner. I'm a bit "cooked out" -- so nothing too strenuous. It will be the first Shabbas in a long time that we are alone, just the three of us. And I am surprising my Beloved with new wedding rings (mine original was lost in a mugging and hers hasn't fit since pregnancy). The rings were supposed to come (from Israel) for our anniversary in March, but they just arrived. Do you ever find yourself in a place where you just want someone to tell you what to do? I can always trust you, Andrea, to have a great idea. Aidan

It is tradition for me to make matzah brei for the extended family while everyone is still together for pesach. I love using schmaltz, though I don't always, and I slice one onion per person, slowly cook it until it is well carmelized, then add the matzah and then eggs. Lots of salt and pepper. Yum.

This week I want to be able to rest, relax, and enjoy my company. I'm serving smoked salmon with mustard viniagrette for the fish course, followed by Chicken Marbella, noodles, vegetables a la greque, and brownies. Also some wonderful decaf (Trader Joe's Bay Decad -- I just found it, but my company Saturday night couldn't stop talking about it.). I was thinking mashed potatoes instead of noodles for a while -- they would be yummy AND they have the added luxury of being easy to make in advance. But then i figured noodles wouldn prevent me for being social. Aidan

It felt like we were in shul nonstop from Thursday morning to Sunday night. And we were! Except for Shabbas dinner. The bar mitzvah went smoothly, and the bar mitvah made everyone proud. What a great kid! We made all of the food for the luncheon -- all favorite foods of the bar mitzvah. So we had potato knishes (thank you again, Andrea!), pesto casserole, carrot pudding, hummos, pita, home-graveled lox, a mesclun salad with a sweet mustard dressing, and a sensational apple salad we "invented" a few years ago which, again, was the thing people kvelled about. This Shabbas is going to be decidedly low key. I'm making macaroni and goat cheese, pan roasted salmon and a tossed salad. Probably ice cream for dessert. If it seems like fun and not work, I may make a few loaves of challah. Saturday is going to be chili cholent. We provided respite foster care for our Rabbi's dog, Abraham, while the Rabbi and family were in Israel for two weeks. WHen they returned, they brought us an incredibly beautiful, embroidered Challah cover from the shuk at Ramla. It is so beautiful, I'm trying to convince my wife that we now need to paint the dining room and buy new linens to compliment it! But, even without redecorating, we plan to put it to use this Shabbas. (Oh -- they also brought us a wonderful cholent/kubbanah pan with an exceptionally tight-fitting lid! That, too, will be used this Shabbas!) Would it be wrong to have the challah cover matted and framed and hung on the wall? It really is almost too beautiful to use.

Things went PERFECTLY. THank you all so much for your input. And I have one salmon in the freezer, just waiting for me to roll out some puff pastry!

Thanks, Chrome. I think this is the way I am going to go. I need it to be as fuss-free as possible. And portioning it before assembling is a great idea. It'll make it so easy. Thanks everyone for your ideas -- I'd do whole salmon save for the fact that at least two of the people who will be in attendance have this thing about fish with bones. It isn't uncommon, and since I am offering hospitality, it is the least I can do to accomodate them. The puff pastry looks so spectacular, but I just couldn't do it for this dinner. Maybe I'll try it out for shabbat dinner before it gets too warm.

THis week is so very busy...I can't wait for SHabbas! Since my firm is on a trial and I'm working late several nights ths week, I'm going for ease and comfort: Salmon poached in olive oil (Paula Wolfert's method) Homemade pita tzatziki (made with thick, tangy Greek yogurt -- my new addiction!) roasted red peppers in basil oil Dilled rice And, since it has already been a shitty week, I'm self medicating in a major way: Chocoate Repeat (also call Chocolate Upchuck by one of my friends) for dessert: Warm chocolate brownie topped with rich chocolate-chocolate chip ice cream with hot fudge and chocolate whipped cream. With a chocolate wafer... and nuts, of course. When I come out of that sugar coma it'll be a brand new week.

Blovia: And how exactly did you do that? I am only afraid of two things in the kitchen: folding egg whites into batter (I went through a few week period with horrible genoise experiences -- they broke my will) and filo (I'm too much of a perfectionist -- I see only my flaws). Sorry the ginger cake sucked. Maybe the babycakes would have turned out differently? If you subscribe to The Cake Bible theory, the larger cake might have had too much baking powder. Just a theory.

So I need to do something else. (I can't possibly assemble 20 papillote just before dinner and still act as host AND have a presentable house.) I'll have to re-think the whole menu. Thanks.

So how did OTBN go? Can you tell us about your ginger cake? I love anything with ginger. I will admit to always -- always -- having Krusease Gingerbread mix in the pantry. If someone drops by unexpectedly, I simply empty a box into the stand mixer, add 2 tablespoons more ginger and 1 teaspoon ground black pepper and follow the directions on the box. It's foolproof, easy -- I can put it together, wash and dry the stand mixer bowl and return to my guests having only been gone five minutes. But I always feel like I'm cheating. I would love a good recipe for planned company.

I am going to be cooking for a family get together (everyone in town for a bar mitzvah) and I am trying to design the menu so as much of the preparation as possible can be done the morning of the dinner. That will give me (and the cleaning lady) time to get the house presentable before dinner! I would love to do salmon en papillote, and I particularly like Alton Brown's recipe, but I want to bake rather than microwave. So a couple of questions: 1. There isn't a huge amount of acid in the recipe -- just the orange segments and vermouth. Can I assemble the papillote in the morning and refrigerate until evening? 2. If I was roasting, I'd use a 400 degree oven, and would generally figure 10 minutes per inch thickness. But this is a whole different kettle of fish. Or papillote. Assuming I can assemble them in advance, what temp / what timing would you suggest. 3. Alton's recipe calls for "1 orange cut into wedges with white, pithy membrane removed". He means supremes, right? I'm easilly confused! I'm planning to serve a pinot grigio and a full bodied cabernet -- when I drank, I always preferred a red with salmon. I was also thinking of serving a tossed ceasar salad, a celery root puree and roasted red peppers in basil oil. Any suggestions? Comments? I welcome all advise. (Well, almost all. Once someone p-mailed me that a menu I had written about made them gag, called me a fat pig, and told me to eat less and exercise more! When i tried to e-mail them back to thank them for their concern about for my health, the e-mail was returned as undeliverable. I think it may have been my mother-in-law.) Aidan

I usually make my plans much earlier in the week, but this week I haven't had the energy or the inspiration to pull anything together until now. Since it is so late in the week, I'll have to keep it simple: Chicken soup with escarole and tiny chicken meatballs Roasted Chicken Mustard Mashed Potatoes Steamed Carrots with Dill Pineapple Casserole (from Miss Mary Bobo's Boardinghouse Cookbook -- served as a side dish -- REALLY delicious!) Chocolate sorbet The pineapple casserole was one of those wonderful surprises -- my boss brought in this cookbook she had purchased in Lynchburg, TN, home of Jack Daniel's distillery. It is like a pineapple bread pudding. Now it is one of my favorites.

I used to get goat in our old neighborhood -- we got them at a Jamaican fruit/produce/meat market -- my favorite dish was goat ribs braised with saurkraut and potatoes. Pretty foolproof, just be sure to rub the ribs with salt, pepper, and garlic and sear them off before adding the saurkraut.