Comfort Me

Until recently, a friend of mine only ate one vegetable -- green beens -- cooked one way -- boiled to death. (The humanity!) So one night at dinner at my home I served asparagus roasted with olive oil, garlic and sea salt which he said smelled so good he tried it. And much to his (and my) surprise, he loved it. He at half a pound! Now the funny part: he asked me if he could roast green beens the same way. And I didn't know the answer to that. But I told him I knew where to turn. Can you roast green beens? (Next time he comes over I'm roasting cauliflower!)

So my menu changed dramatically with a call from a guest whose companion is Catholic and thus observing Lenten dietary restriction. And who am I to look ascance at dietary restrictions! So the lamb is off the menu, as is chocolate, which now looks like this: Nibbles before dinner: goat cheese, gorgonzola, bagguette, pears, dried pineapple, macadamia nuts. Dinner: Hummos Home made pita A plentiful salad of chickpeas, feta, red onion, cucumber, tomato, and cilantro in olive oil and white wine vinegar. Roasted asparagus Penne topped with the roasted grape tomato sauce from the current Cooks' Illustrated. (with olive oil, red pepper, garlic, capers, olives, and I'm adding fresh thyme and oregano) Grated parmesano reggiano A kodafa made with couscous instead of kataif filled with a sweet cheese mixture and served with a spiced safron/honey sauce.

Silverfish -- welcome. The reason you have an odd idea of the thread is that many of us are odd! But we are, for the most part, welcoming and rarely bite! I know this will set off some howls. OH how I love doing this: Given the constraints of a parve dessert, I have, at times, used non-dairy substitutes. Last year I did a very nice dinner party with a meat menu not dissimilar from yours. I ended the meal with plates of fresh and dried fruit, parve pound cake, and individual ramekins of chocolate fondue made with Blommers parve bittersweet chocolate, non-dairy creamer, a dash of almond liqueur, and a "knob" of butter. It was a hit, and I didn't see much of a difference in the quality. Oh -- and a nice, rich French Roast isn't a bad idea, either! Come back and hang out -- eGullet is a like a big tent....

The challah recipe I told you about was nothing to write home about. It didn't taste of anything, crumbled, and disappointed at every turn. Even today's baked french toast tasted a little flat. I'll definitely switch back to my old stand-by challah. The book, however, is still very interesting to me. I can't wait to make some of the more interesting shapes -- there is a Moroccan bread made for Purim which incorporates a hard boiled egg. The egg represents Hamen's eye, which you pluck out and eat. A little barbaric for my taste, but it could be really hot for 8-year-olds. One note about the book -- and it may have just been heavilly-medicated me -- I tried to follow the directions for the 6 strand braid, but after eight or nine attempts, I just could not follow the directions and ended up pairing the strands and making a three strand braid. Next shabbat we are having guests -- singles we want to introduce to each other. I'm hoping to do a quasi-Moroccan banquet: A vegetarian couscous with pumpkin, chickpeas, and cauliflower coucous with sultanas and pistachios broiled kefte with harissa an onion and sumac salad cucumber salad homemade pita ravani mint tea

I had some surgery earlier in the week -- please, dear G-d, let it be the last -- and I wanted something stripped-down, easy and comforting. So the menu this week: Challah (using the recipe from Freda Reider's The Hallah Book) Green beens with butter and garlic Salmon filets, pan fried and finished in a hot oven Italian potatoe cake stuffed with fontina, sun-dried tomatoes, and marinated artichoke Pineapple casserole (from Miss Mary Bobo's Boardinghouse Cookbook) and storebought cupcakes for dessert. The challah recipe was interesting to me -- it started with 1 cup boiling and 1/2 cup cold water. I was afraid the temp was too high when it came time to add my SAF yeast, so I added a couple of cups of flour first. It rose wonderfully. The recipe calls for three full rises -- I thought it would me pressed for time, but I wasn't. It looks delicious. I'll let you know how it tastes. Shabbat Shalom, y'all. Aidan

But Blovia, my old, dear friend, I can't do that in Cholent, can I? I thought it had to all be cooking befor Shabbas began...

and I presume that you will be willing to share the recipe, Senor Aidan? ← It's really quite simple -- I soak dark and light kidney beans overnight. Drain them, add them to my cholent pot along with some dried hominy. Then I throw in some cubed chuck (or, if I have nothing else, I cube the ubiquitous "cholent meat" from the kosher Jewel) a large diced onion, a few cloves of chopped garlic, a can of diced tomatoes, a couple of teaspoons of salt -- maybe a tablespoon, a beer, some chicken broth, and an uncivilized amount of the most wonderful Chili Powder from The Spice House. I may use 1/3 of a cup. IT is bold and spicy. I heartilly recommend it. Order from the Milwaukee store -- they are supervised and hecshured. And ask for the spices to be marked kosher! Bring the cholent to the boil then slap it in a slow oven. Easy. I serve it with a dash of hot pepper vinegar and oyster crackers. One caution -- you have to soak the beans overnight. Cheating with the boil and rest method doesn't work for some reason.

We are going to a family potluck, and I'm still in my comfort food schtick. So I'm taking tuna casserole made with fresh tuna, mushrooms, peas and a mornay sauce topped with crushed potato chips! Tomorrow it's chili cholent and corn muffins, cucumbers in lime and chili powder, and apple pie topped homemade caramel ice cream.

Hello, dear friends. I've missed you all! I'm back -- a little worse for wear, but I'll be back to my cantankerous old self in no time! Having been sick for the last two months, I haven't had anyone for shabbas dinner in longer than I can remember. Can it be since Thanksgiving? (My mom's house burned down at Thanksgiving, then I got sick!) Anyway, I am having company for SHabbas dinner for the first time in a long time. I'm sure then I will feel like me again. Comfort food is a must. So the menu: Chicken soup with kreplach Mixed greens with a tart mustard viniagrette meatloaf with garlic mashed potatoes peas and carrots Challah Baked rice pudding (made with vanilla soy milk -- a new parve recipe) Coffee It'll be nice to cook for a crowd again. Shabbat shalom, y'all. Aidan

On New Years Eve, which was eruv shabbat, we sang Adon Olum to the tune of Auld lang Syne. Try it...it's quite catchy. Happy New Year, Y'all.

baba's are wonderful, a very special treat, easy, and can be made a day ahead, soaked, and glazed with apricot jam. I make a variation of Nick Malgiery's brownies. Best quality chocolate, always, and espresso powder. Once added too much espresso powder, realized mistake, so I added some lemon zest. I had martriage proposals! Have fun! Aidan it is going to be a huge amount of work, but it will be a lot of fun.

Our lives seem to be in a spiral. Immediately after Rosh Hashannah we started a long overdue redecoration project. Just painting -- supposed to be done by Oct. 12. It meant moving all of our stuff our of half of our home and cram it into the dining room and bedrooms. What was supposed to be a paint job turned into new plaster in the walls and ceilings. Triple to original cost estimate. It is now November 17th, and we aren't done yet. Since Rosh Hashannah we have been eating dinner -- including Shabbas dinner -- sitting on the floor around a coffee table. Luckily we had friends host us most weeks, but the whole thing has taken its tole on us. Add to that the fact that my mother, aged 80, is in the final stages of lung cancer and you can imagine we are all pretty depressed and demoralized. With the living room, entry, and sunroom completed, we were able to move some furniture and finally reclaim our dining room. (Although the 50 ft. long hallway which connects every room in our condo is in an indescribable state!) Last Shabbas we were able to eat at a real table with real chairs and a table cloth and cloth napkins -- it made me realize how much I have come to take Shabbas for granted. We ate a wonderful, comforting meal of meatloaf, mashed potatoes, brussel sprouts, and parve eclairs from the bakery for dessert. Michelle and I had decaf afterwards in our newly appointed living room and relaxed just a little bit -- the first time in weeks! This Shabbas we are having pan roasted chicken (Cooks Illustrated's master recipe), noodles in garlic and herbed "butter", roasted beats, and scallopped apples. I haven't ordered dessert yet, but I think I will get a chocolate babka. My favorite shabbat of the year is coming up. I love the Friday night after Thanksgiving. I always make a huge turkey potpie with lots of gravy and a pastry crust. I put it together while putting the leftovers away, so the entree is already finished. That way I have all day Friday to do the things I like to do -- I'll bake challah, make a special salad (maybe roasted beats, walnuts, and pears) and spend the rest of the day on an over-the-top dessert. Last year it was babka filled with homemade persimmon preserves. This year I'm yearning for sweet and sticky -- so I may make baklava or cigars or maybe both! Again, I am looking forward to sitting in my new, comfortable chair with a cup of hot decaf, enjoying quiet conversation with my lovely wife. It will be nice to feel normal again.

A (circumsized) friend who converted in adulthood was at the mohel's office for his bris. When the mohel said "Allright, show me a little penis" his response was "We have a problem, then, because I don't have a little penis." The mohel didn't get the joke. That is when my friend almost passed out. A guy with no sense of humor was coming after his whoopsidaisy with a scalpel. I'd pass out, too! So, depending on how much prep work you had done as a child, the mohels visit could be bad, or it could be just a little prick. Chag Sameach, y'all.

I know sooner or later someone is going to recommend the Camelia Grill for breakfast. I will not be one of them. It lead my wife to ask "Does New Orleans even HAVE a health department?" So dirty and disgusting, I can't do justice with words. Other than that, we loved New Orleans like no other place on earth. We were there this past year in January and had the time of our lives. I recommend Cafe DuMonde for coffee, beignets, and morning people watching. I also second the chicken livers at the Praline Connection. I know it will sound strange, but I STRONGLY recommend the bakery (La Boulangerie?) on St. Charles next to the Bar Center. Absolutely the very best iced cafe au lait ever poured. My seven year old son still talks about the chocolate undertones and how velvety it was. I have honestly had dreams about it. If you are there on a Monday (bean day), be sure to stroll into Fiorelle's on Decatur, right across the street from the French Market. Their beans and rice and sausage are great, their prices teriffice, too, and the service was cheerful and friendly. (The place looked like it was falling down, but they were obviously doing work ont he exterior of the building.) One not mentioned here that we enjoyed was Cafe Degas. It was very pleasant and funky -- good food in an unpretentious setting. Our waiter didn't know shit about cheese, but we didn't need to intellectualize it to enjoy it! One thing I don't recommend -- the pralines. OUTRAGEOUSLY overpriced. I asked ofr one praline at an upscale (tourist) spot and paid $4.50 plus tax. Make your own. For the price of one praline, you can make a whole batch. I must tell my wife at least twice a week how much I loved New Orleans and want to go back. I envy you. It is such a beautiful place. Screw San Francisco -- I left my heart in New Orleans. The moss in the trees in City Park, the beautiful stained glass in the Tauro Synagogue, the rooftop pool at the Renaissance Arts, the Riverwalk, explaianing to my son why strange women showed him their breasts -- I loved it all. Have a great time.

Ellen: I will gladly post the recipe -- but please forgive me if I don't do it until after the holidays/Shabbat. I made 16 loaves of bananna bread yesterday (early) morning to take to hosts of our local "Sukkah Hop". We made it to all of the sukkot save one -- we just couldn't cram in one more sukkah! Byt he end of the day, people were a little slap happy...making up "Sukkah Carols" (Shake! Shake! Shake! Shake you lulav! Shake your lulav!)...tripping on the sugar overload. Have I mentioned that Sukkot is my favorite holiday of the year? Next year, with the holidays so late, we are going to buy one of those outdoor fireplaces for warmth -- and possibly s'mores! Hag Sameach, Y'all.

I made a horrible mistake -- out of laziness and impatience -- which proved fatal. I didn't want to wait for veal to thaw, and I didn't want to run all the way to the butcher, so I made the balls with all beef. Not a good thing. The rice was brown from the meat juices, and it didn't really stick to the balls (sort of tearing off in large pieces). I attribute the color to either using all beef, which has more fat than pork, or maybe to the dark soy sauce I used. I didn't throw them out -- my family will eat them -- but I'm certainly not planning to serve them to company. They were definitely brown. The flavors in the meat were subtle and comforting -- and I liked the dipping sauce, though I added a teaspoon of sugar and a clove of garlic paste. I hope to make better in the future. Next time I will use half beef, half veal or turkey and see if the leaner mix solves my problem.

Actually, I have! A friend shipped me some bialys, but by the time they shipped, even overnight, they were past their prime. I ate several, and by then they were stale. So I cut the bialy into chunks, put them in the bottom of a soup bowl, poured chicken soup with vegetables over it, and it was pretty good. Probably not what you were thinking, but I hate to waste food!

Although the discussion is quite learned, and I respect the opionions of the great and gustatory Jason Perlow as those of the Sages of old, I am afraid to inform you that you are all wrong, wrong, wrong. The ONLY hot dog is the Garlic Frank made by the Romanian Kosher Sausage Co. at 7200 N. Clark St. in Chicago. All others hot dogs are instruments of heresy! And it doesn't matter what you put on it -- onions, kraut, mustard, etc. -- as long as you don't blaspheme and desecrate the Great Sausage with the Demon Catsup. The place is worth a trip -- regardless of where you are from. And while you are there, their liver and onion sausage is a little bit of heaven. And their Romanian (red) pastrami may be the best in the world. Pastrami King ain't got anything on them!

My menu doesn't compare to Sukkot in Rome or Paris! I always use Sukkot as a chance to switch my menus over to fall/winter cuisine! This year we aren't having our own sukkah, but I have offered to cook dinner a couple of nights when we visit friends in their sukkah. Night One: The last of the garden tomatoes with pine nuts, shaved fennel, scallions, and a balsamic dressing Beef in a Pot -- Chuck roast braised in a sweet, spicy and sour beef broth with potatoes, cabbage, onion and tomato. Filled onion rolls (a joy to make, and quite impressive) Scalloped apples with cinnamon and a bit 'o rum and sponge cake. Night three: French onion soup -- with soy cheese, alas, but my soup is still the easiest and best I've ever had! Challah, Challah, and more Challah. (Nobody on Atkins here!) Meatloaf stuffed with hard boiled eggs, olives, and anchovies and topped with a tomato/vinager/ caper sauce. (Thank G-d for the eruv tavshilin!) Roasted garlic and carmelized onion mashed potatoes Steamed carrots a la fine herb Baked apples stuffed with couscous, nuts, raisins and honey.

Kossar's has declined? Please, say it ain't so! I can't think of anything better than a Kossar's bialy "mit schmear" and a cup of strong coffee. Some Sunday mornings I ache to be back in the East Village (NYU in the early 80's) sitting at my kitchen table eating Kossar's bialys with homemade yogurt cheese and Essex street pickles. I see Mr. Melamed occasionally at my office, and I have always wanted to talk to him about the book -- but he is such a big macher, I've always demurred! I agree with you that bialys are best left to the pros, but when the urge gets irresistable, I make the recipe in Secrets of a Jewish Baker. I use all fresh onions, though, since I never skeep dehydrated around. They are passable, and they ease me over the hump! BTW -- I not only loved The Bialy Eaters, but I loved your book on Chicken Soup. I guess I've made more than a dozen recipes from the book. Have you thought about borscht? I have never been in any situation where having a beet hurt!

I agree that the discussion has been entirely Ashkenazic in content. I would suggest, for a well-rounded view of Jewish food, a stroll through Joan Nathan's "The Foods of ISrael Today". I have actually worn one copy out and am on my second! WOnderful!

Jo-mel: Thank you so much for taking the time to type your recipe for everyone. I agree that the use of sticky rice makes for better and more attractive zhen zhu. (Although I also understand why Gourmet substituted, as I imagine it is hard to find sweet rice in small town America.) THank you also for your instructions for freezing! Very helpful! I plan on adapting your recipe -- we are Jewish and don't eat pork, so I think I'll use equal parts veal and beef -- and will serve the zhen zhu on Sunday to my mah jong group with some steamed dumplings, rice, and maybe some rice noodles stuffed with chicken poached in soy sauce and sherry. (I just learned how to make my own rice noodles, so I can use the practice!) Thanks again!

I forgot one...for the sin of eating first when invited to a really bad cooks' house for dinner. (In my defense, though, corned beef isn't supposed to be crunchy.) For the sin of looking down smugly on parents whose children eat only raw hot dogs while mine asks for kefta and dolmades. And for the sin of not counting my blessings every day for the wonderful child with the wonderful appetite for many wonderful foods. Baruch HaShem. An easy fast to you all. And may the new Year be filled with blessings and joy. Veimeru, amain.

For the sin of starting an oral recipe with "Oh, it's so easy. First you kill the chicken..." Oh, and pride -- knowing no one had ever taken Resurection tamales to shul before, making 100, and being agast that no one knew how to eat a tamale! For using a cake mix, but relating the recipe by saying "Use your favorite yellow cake recipe..." I sometimes dream about really juicy, gooey cheeseburgers with ghiardinera and grilled onions. That has to be a sin. When I told a food-snob aquaintance about a tomato, vodka, and kosher "crabmeat" soup I had made, and he started pontificating about how it didn't compare with real and that fake crab was a "shandah" and only stupid people would buy such crap -- I couldn't think of anything polite to say so i said "Blow me." I'm sure there are more. Oh, yes. A nurse in the hospital telling me how yummy something was. I told her that I'd tasted it and thought it tasted like shit. But if that appealed to her, she was welcome to it. I preferred by green vegetables green, not grey. There are still more, but they will have to wait.

I second the notion you should buy the book. It is one well worth having. (I love the buttermilk bread, and it was this book that gave me the courage to try croissants from scratch! Now I've mastered laminates and feel lvery proud!