Comfort Me

Let's take the topic back to the show... Looking back, I realize why I disliked the show so much. It wasn't because of personalities, although, Dog knows there's plenty of disfunction among the participants. I didn't like the show because, though it was supposed to be about a restaurant, they spent almost no time at all on the food. And when they did talk about food, it was usually as a plot twist -- "Mama's gonna die 'cuz she loves her boy so much she works 32 hours a day making meatballs!" or "That fat ugly bald guy at table 21 with the shag rug poking out of his shirt says his food is cold. I told him osso bucco is SUPPOSED to be served cold. I think he believed me. What a yutz" Does anyone remember a time, even in the first season, when the food seemed like Rocco's first priority?

Well, last night was the Knish-a-thon, and it went splendidly! I used the recipe suggested by Bloviatrix (Snaps for Andrea!!!), and couldn't have been happier. The filling was so good, I could have eaten a bowl full -- I mean, what could be bad? It's potatoes, onions, schmaltz, salt and pepper -- I also added garlic. Yum! I made the filling at home Tuesday night, which cut down on the amount of work Wednesday. The dough was unusual -- It was oil, water, salt and flour. Hard to describe -- it had a, well, sexy feel to it. I wasn't the only person who thought it was sensual. All sof and oily and pliable. It was the easiest thing in the world to roll out, and when baked, it was crispy AND tender! And tasty, too! And while everyone I talked to described them as time consuming, 4 of us filled and shaped 80 knishes in around 20 minutes -- that includes rolling out the dough. Everyone involved agreed that they had never made them because they had heard how difficult they were -- we decided that was just an invention by someone's Grandma Etta to get attention! I have to remember the digital camera the next time we do one of these -- we all have so much fun! Again, thank you all for your encouragement, research, memories! You all are why I love eGullet! Here is Gil Marks' recipe as related by our beloved Bloviatrix: Potato Knishes Oil Pastry 1/2 c plus 2 tbls vegetable oil 1/2 c plus 2 tbls lukewarm water 1 tsp salt About 2 1/2 c all-purpose flour Combine oil, water and salt in large bowl. Add 1 1/2 cups of flour. Gradually stir in enough ot the remaining 1 cup flour to make a soft dough that comes away from the sides of the bowl Form into ball, flatten slightly, cover with plastic wrap and rest at room temp for about 30 minutes. Don't refrigerate. Potato Filling 1 lb potatoes (about 3 med) (I used russets) 3 tbls schmaltz or other fat 1 cup yellow onions, chopped (about 2 medium) (A little bit more won't hurt!) 1 large egg, lightly beaten About 2 tsp salt About 3/4 tsp ground black pepper Place unpealed potatoes in large pot. Add water and cover. Boil until fork-tender, about 25 minutes. While still warm, peel and mash. Heat fat in large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and saute until golden brown, about 15 miniutes. Remove from heat and stir in the poatoes, then the egg, salt and pepper. (This is where I added some garlic.) Let cool. Assembly of knishes Make egg wash (1 large egg beaten with 1 tsp water) Preheat over to 375, lightly grease a large baking sheet On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough 1/8 inch thick. For large knishes, cut into 5 X 4 rectangles, for small cut into 3 inch squares or rounds. Place about 1/4 cup of filling in the center of the large knishes, or about 1 tbls in the small knishes. Bring the edges together in the center, pinching to seal. Place the knishes seam side down on the prepared baking sheet and brush with the egg wash. Bake until lightly browned, about 30 mintes. Serve warm or at room temp. (once cooled these can be frozen. to reheat, cover loosely with foil and bake at 375 oven for 15 minutes)

Oh my Dog! That is such a funny idea. Of course, he'd never actually BE in the studio, so Michael Jackson would be able to fill in as guest host. (Michael's hair catches fire in each progam!) LMAO. Thank you!

Gifted: The first recipe is the most interesting to me, as it makes individual pieces. I never thought of cooking them in muffin tins. But think back to the last time you took a tourist to Rockefeller Center and you bought a knish from one of those disinterested men selling from the carts. They were individual round pillows of pastry dough -- about the size of a man's fist -- encasing a rich and onion-y potato filling. Maybe I'm wrong in thinking they were shaped individually -- maybe they were formed in a log and cut. Would that really seal the dough? DOes the dough really contain no leavening? Am I crazy for attempting this? I guess I could make the cocktail knishes, only larger. Instead of rolls 8" wide, I could do 4" rolls and pinch off the ends. But I'd really like to reproduce the knishes of my youth! I welcome any and all discussion! And if I don't check back before shabbas, Shabbat Shalom, y'all! I'll see you Saturday night or Sunday morning!

They have to push the fillings because they cover up the bland flavor of their ice cream. Give me a confidently flavored bowl of plain 'ol vanilla over some namby-pamby ass nothin-tasting drek crammed full of more drek.

I chair a program at my synagogue where once a month a group gets together, cooks a meal which we eat communally, thenanother meal which is packaged for distribution to members of the congregation who are elderly, homebound, experiencing illness in the family, the recently bereaved, etc. Next week we get together, and I would like to make potatoe or kasha knishes. (The large ones, like from the knish carts, not the cocktail ones.) No one I know has a recipe! We all seem to have some variation on what everyone swears is the Yonnah Shimmel recipe for cocktail knishes. Does anyone have a recipe that doubles or triples? (I need to make about 60 big knishes.) Thank you all in advance for your consideration and assitance. G-d bless eGullet!

I haven't made the recipe, but there are a few lines of inquiry I want to explore: What kind of flour are you using? Your recipe may have been developed using American hard wheat, which may have more gluten than the four avaiable in eretz Yisrael. (I don't know this for a fact, I'm just guessing.) Try adding a few tablespoons of wheat gluten with the flour and see if this improves the dough. Also, 3 packages of yeast seems like a little much to me. IT could be that you have too much yeast, which can affect structure. Have you ever made it using 2 packages? It would definitely work, you can trust me on this, but it might also affect your rising times, so I wouldn't try it for the first time on eruv Shabbat in the winter, when days are short! I'm really amazed by the 1/2 pound of butter! I'm not an expert, like some here, so maybe someone else can confirm or debunk my thinking that the high fat content could also affect the shape. If asked which I think is most likely, I'd say the flour, since the recipe worked for you before you moved. Oh -- another question: Are you in Jerusalem? Elevation also affects breads. Let me know what happens and what you figure out. I'm also going to make the recipe -- I'm curious about the 1/2 pound of butter! It sounds so yummy! Shabbat Shalom!

Aliwaks: Thanks for your report. Your "Restaurant of Lost Dreams" description is so sad. And so on target.

I'm happy to see Shabbat -- even though we've barely had a chance to breath after the festival! I always count the Shabbat immediately preceeding Memorial Day (and any of the three-day weekends) as a special shabbat. We relax more than usual, don't make plans for after shabbat (other than DVD's and popcorn) and keep the togetherness going through the rest of the weekend. (We call them "Long Shabbats"). For tonight I've made gazpacho, arroz ammarillo with peas, frijoles negroes, chicken tamales (red) and a salad of tomatoes and red onion dressed with a lime vinagrette. Dessert is a (bought) pecan ring that was still warm when the kosher bakery delivered it! I didn't have time to make tortillas, so we're having challah with our mexican! I'm serving a homemade lime/lemonade. Tomorrow we'll have more of the gazpacho, tamales, challah with honey, and hot smoked salmon, olives and other stuff. Tomorrow dinner will be cold poached salmon with citrus horseradish, French potato salad, a tossed salad with a mustard viniagrette, and ice cream sandwhiches for dessert -- made with my grandmother's recipe for Snickerdoodles. Sunday morning will be challah French toast with butter, maple syrup, and fresh oj. Lots and lots of coffee. Sunday lunch will be eaten out together. So this is more than just Shabbat, but I guess you won't have my post deleated. Have a great Shabbat and a great weekend. Pray for peace.

OOOoooh -- Bloviatrix -- I think you've discovered something! Cheesecake soup for shavuot! Garnished with graham cracker crumbs! In small batches it could be a delicious dessert soup! You could "cook" the eggs over simmering water. I would leave out any flour (if your recipe includes it) and replace it with cornstarch. Serve it nice and cold, and maybe float some berries in it! By the way -- Bloviatrix is is too long and awkward. Do you prefer Blovia or Trixie? Have a wonderful holiday. And dont' forget the 11th commandment -- "Eat! Eat! You are too thin!"

I love charmoula -- I use Joyce Goldstien's recipe. I usually decrease the oil somewhat. Sometimes I decrease it by half and increase the lemon juice a bit and dress a salad with it. (In summer, when I can't stand the thought of anything warm!) That with a room temp (leftover) lamb tagine, some pita smeared with a little harrisa, and some iced mint tea makes a lovely meal. And Gifted -- your menu sounds divine! I don't know why -- maybe because it always occurs at such a busy time for kids -- I never put much planning into Shavuos. (This year I'm doing better than the year we had grilled cheese and store-bought macaroni salad!) I always feel like I just threw stuff together. And it isn't like I don't know about it well in advance! Having a kid in day school is the best way to stay up on the calendar! This year I at least planned a whole day in advance! But still not enough time to make the 30 mile drive to my monger, or I might have made fish myself. I may grill salmon filets and serve them with charmoula for Shabbas, though. I have time to defrost some filets from the freezer. And I love couscous with pistachios drizzled with a little harissa! And then I could have something dripping in butter and cream for dessert! I am getting so hungry!

The doofus! Mrs. Me does the same thing. Makes me crazy. Why have a cell phone, then? Here's hoping your menu is flexible! It must be nice to have a husband who goes to the market for you! I wish I had one of those! (Although it would probably irritate my wife a bit.) Hag Sameach, Blovia.

We'll be having homemade pasta (alas, dried) cut in 3/4 inch strips, sauces with a mixture of moscarpone, riccotta, romano. I throw frozen peas in for the last minute the pasta cooks, and add mushrooms sauteed in butter and garlic. Other than that, it's salt and pepper. For dessert we'll have cheesecake with little bits of chopped dried mango in the batter and a mango puree on top. Lunch on Wednesday will be a sweet kugel, cheese, bread, and brownies for dessert. Second night we are goint to the neighborhood Chabad House -- they are hosting a dairy buffet, and we like to support their activities. Second day lunch will be leftovers, hopefully presented in an attractive and appatizing manner. And as soon as the sun goes down, it'll be time to start working on Shabbas!

I've consistantly been The Spice House's biggest chearleader -- I think Tom and Patty have contributed significantly to the culinary culture of Chicago and -- via their website -- the country. I know for a fact that my cooking just wouldn't be the same without them. One warning though -- If you are going to the Wells Street store, take change for the meter. I was there recently and went inside to get change for the meter. I was gone all of three minutes, but found a parking ticket on the car already. The metermaid's name is Nicademus -- sounds sinister, doesn't it? I only think of it because I paid the ticket online about five minutes ago.

I was in the mood for something special tomorrow -- maybe 'cause I'm not making lunch. So I threw together a batch of kubbanah -- a spiced sephardic bread that bakes, covered, all night with eggs on top of the lid. We'll have the kubbanah, some labne, the eggs, and some peppered salmon from my monger. Shabbat Shalom, y'all. Pray for peace.

I changed my mind. Instead of the saffron beans, I'm going to make a rice pilaf with safron, sumac and pinenuts.

It's really best to take your cues from Pop. I've undergone voluntary poisoning at the hands of medical professionals twice -- chemo for people WITHOUT cancer! Both times were awful. The first time I figured out that if I ate hot tamales -- the spicier the better -- before 6:00 a.m., I could keep them down. Otherwise I kept nothing solid down. DOn't ask me how I figured this out, but it worked the whole time I was on the drugs. The second time -- which just ended in April -- there was no rhyme nor reason to what I wanted. THe drugs dulled my tastebuds a bit, so I would eat things that were highly seasoned so I felt like I was tasting something. I also liked milkshakes. But I've always liked milkshakes, so it might not have been anything to do with treatment. If Pop is anything like me, he'll just be thrilled to death that anyone cares. Any effort, any small gesture will be greatly appreciated. He might be too ill or too unhappy to say it to you -- so I will. (I still think fondly of the kind and supportive notes I received from my fellow eGulleters!) You are doing a great thing. You and your family are in my thoughts and in my prayers.

Is there anything stopping you from making the hummos sans garlic the day before and adding the garlic the morning of the event? It's a simple solution, and I can't think of why it wouldn't work. You'd get the advantage of doing the hard part ahead of time and get the flavor of fresh garlic.

I was taught that aged is better, also. Question: I like to buy rice in quantity -- but how do you prevent weevils and other meely, wormy things from taking up residency in you rice? I recently bought sticky rice which was, after only a couple of weeks, very um...active. I'm now quite wierded out when I approach the rice cooker.

I am not a napper, so on Shabbas, when everyone else is taking their Shabbas nap, I generally curl up in bed with a good cookbook to read. I often save new cookbooks to savor a slow first read on Shabbat! This week I opened my newerst -- Mediteranean Street Food by Anissa Helco, a Lebanese ex-pat living in London. While a little -- OK, a LOT -- lopsided toward foods from arab cutures, it is a spectacular read and DEFINITELY an inspiration! I also fear she "dumbs down" the spices for a white-bread palate; 2 pounds lamb with 1/2 teaspoon ras al hanout. But I can fix that quite well on my own! This coming Shabbas I will serve: Dinner: Cannelini beans with safron (MSF recipe) Onion and Parsley Salad (MSF) Moroccan Kefte (MSF) Homemade pita Israeli carrot salad Ravani We are invited for Shabbas Lunch, so I only have to worry about dinner this week! Oh, wait. We have young people (7 year olds!) coming over after lunch, so I'll probably make some salted edamame and maybe some carmel corn. Here's anticipating another wonderful Shabbas! As they say where I come from: Shalom, y'all!

I ate -- and still do -- peanut butter and pickle relish sandwiches. And you know what? I used to trade them for the best stuff out of other kids' lunches. It's a really good combination. I also liked peanut butter and pineapple sandwiches. But not NEARLY as much as relish.

I'm feeling better now. Sorry for the catharsis earlier. Rab Rib: I once tasted the most wonderful vinegar -- not hecsured -- from a Chinese market. The name translated into "Apple Health Vinegar, or some such name. When I tasted it, I was blown away. I've never had such a sweet, velvety vinegar in my life. I went back a few weeks later for more, and they looked at me like I had two heads. It must have been one of those Apple HEalth Vinegars that only appear on the shelves once every hundred years, like Brigadoon!

I'm feeling so OVERWHELMED! My house looks like the Cossaks left because of conditions! My refrigerator couldn't hold another raddish. I still have to cook the meatballs and make the pita and tabouleh. My cleaning lady was there when I left for work, so when I get home I'll also have to set the table. THe weather sucks here, raining constantly. My workplace has exploded in political backstabbing, infighting, and name calling, and all I really want to do right now is close my door and cry. And I just remembered that I didn't put grape juice in the fridge to chill. You know how to make G-d laugh, don't you? Tell Her your plans!

Self Edited to Comply with the eGullet User Agreement. Although I seriously doubt there is anyone enjoying this topic.

For the record, I DO NOT advocate punching a child or anything like that. I'll admit, I overstated it (probably for effect) with 5 accross the eye... However, if one of the little pogues gets out of line at a restaurant, a quick smack in public (not one that hurts) is certainly in order.