JFLinLA
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I want to chime in here between weekly Food Sections to point out that this past Sunday's magazine section was devoted to kitchens & kitchen design. Here is the link.
You can join an already existing discussion here.
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What flavored hamentaschen do you make?
Well, let's see . . . there are all the traditional flavors -- poppy, prune, apricot, cherry, etc. -- that I generally use the Solo fillings for given the number of varieties I end up making. I love their almond filling too. Last year for the first time I made a sugarless poppy seed filling substituting barley malt syrup for the honey for use with the yeast dough recipe I like -- hubby can't have sugar and he was thrilled. I always make a pecan caramel filling -- also from the Zeidler book. There's a sweet cheese filling -- like a cheese danish filling that I make with cream cheese that I got from my friend Judy Aaronson who is also the source of the yeast dough recipe. That filling is good on its own or combined with one of the fruit fillings. As stated at the beginning of this thread, I continue to struggle with the chocolate that the kids adore. Sometimes I do a chocolate/peanut butter thing for the Reese's effect. I've used apple butter in the past as well. The possibilities are endless.
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Blov -- Here's the easy to handle cookie dough recipe. It's from Judy Zeidler's "Gourmet Jewish Cook" but, I'm including some notes I've learned from experience. When I say "experience," let me explain. Every year, another woman and I each make 5 batches of this recipe and bring them to our temple with a variety of fillings. Then, on one Sunday morning, in about 3 hours, about a dozen people transform these into hundreds and hundreds of hamantashen that are sold at the Purim carnival. Let's just say that our team members have varying levels of experience and dexterity when it comes to this task. This recipe is not chocolate but you could easily throw a few tablespoons of cocoa powder into the dough.
1/4 pound unsalted butter or margarine (I can never explain it but margarine makes this easier to handle and which is why we use it for the massive hamantashen assembly line. Please forgive me.)
1/4 cup sugar
3 eggs (2 for the dough plus 1 for glazing)
grated zest of 1 orange
2 cups flour (I think this is a mistake in the book as I have always found that this recipe takes much more flour at least 2 1/2 cups and often more. You'll know when it's right.)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
hamantashen fillings
In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until well blended. Beat in 2 of the eggs and the orange zest, blending thoroughly. Add the dry ingredients and blend the dough until smooth. (This is when I add more flour in.) (If I were adding cocoa, I'd sift it in with the other dry ingredients to prevent clumping.)
Transfer to a floured board and divide the dough into 3 or 4 portions for easier handling. (Set a small bowl of water nearby.) Flatten each portion with the plam of your hand and roll it out 1/4 inch thick. (Quite frankly, the thinner you can roll it, the easier it will be to fold around your fillings without the dough cracking. Think wonton skins.) With a scalloped or plain cookie cutter (or rim of a glass), cut into 2 1/2 inch rounds (Okay, other sizes work well too.) Place a bit of filling in the center of each round (less is more here). (Dip your fingers in the water and run them lightly around the edge of the dough to moisten.) Fold the edges of the dough up over the filling toward the center to form a triangle, pinching & sealing the edges together as you go. Leave a bit of the filling visible in the center. (Just a little bit showing, the hole will expand during baking.)
Place the hamantashen 1/2 inch apart on a parchment lined baking sheet and brush with remaining egg, lightly beaten. Place in preheated 375 oven and bake until golden brown -- 10 - 15 minutes. Cool on racks.
One batch of this recipe easily makes 5-6 dozen.
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Restaurant Journal in this week's LA Times Food Section had some interesting restaurant suggestions for specific nights of the week.
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LA Times Food Section -- February 4, 2004
Brief summaries and links to individual articles are provided below. The LA Times posts their restaurant reviews, and some other Food Section articles, in the Calendar section on-line even though they appear in the Food section of the print edition. Further, one is required to register separately to access the Calendar section and pay a fee if you don't already subscribe to the paper.
My favorite article in this week's section, The artist in Puck's kitchen, is a wonderful profile of Spago chef Lee Hefter. This Matters of Taste column by David Shaw argues that it may be time for this "inventive chef" to "step into the spotlight." Tell us what you think, here.
For years, it was a hard to find this status wine but now we are Awash in Pinot Noir. Corie Brown says that even though you can find a decent bottle at Trader Joe's of $3/bottle, it may not be a good thing. Find out what's going on. How do the new Pinot's stack up? Not so well according to the Times tasting panel. This side article will tell you which ones are worth your while.
Like produce, olive oil is best when it's fresh and local. Well, the 2003-04 California olive oils are now being released and Emily Green says to Get 'em while they're fresh. This includes a brief overview of 5 of the latest releases.
Cookbook Watch, by Susan La Tempa reviews Anya von Bremzen's new book of the world's greatest dishes, "The Greatest Dishes!: Around the World in 80 Recipes." Recipes included in the article are Scott Peacock's fried chicken with tomato gravy, and Russian winter borscht with beef and pork.
Cindy Dorn provides the recipe for Warm spinach-basil salad from North Hollywood's Eclectic Cafe in Culinary SOS.
Gougeres, the french hors d'oeuvres, are the Amuse of the moment. Leslie Brenner and Donna Deane tell all about it and include a recipe for gougeres, including substitutions, and a filling of Chicken liver mousse.
The Wine of the Week is 2002 Chateau Thivin en Beaujolais Côte de Brouilly.
Better known for its rock & roll guests, than its food, the restaurant at Chateau Marmont is this week's review by S. Irene Virbila. In Romancing the castle on the hill, she gives them two-and-a-half stars, credits chef Mohammed Islam, and recommends the Calamari tempura, risotto al salto, crab cakes, poached shrimp and blood orange salad, roasted free-range chicken, slow-roasted Atlantic salmon, lamb loin in red-curry emulsion, butterscotch "silk," sticky-toffee pudding with mascarpone sorbet, cookie plate.
In Restaurant Journal, Leslee Komaiko says that if it's Tuesday, it must be mussels at Mimosa . . . or pizza night on Mondays at Vincenti . . . or grilled cheese night at Campanile on Thursday . . . or cassoulet at Opaline on Monday . . . or bistro night at Jiraffe on Monday . . . or fish night at Jar on Tuesday . . . or Wednesday fondue night at Granita. Weren't we just talking about something like this on the California board? Now you can too. You can also find out about the six mini breakfast treats you can take home from Grace pastry chef Elizabeth Belkind, and the new opening of The Sunset in Malibu.
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Blov -- It was a crazy night. It will likely be the weekend before I can get to the dough recipe to post for you. Given that it's a few weeks to Purim, I hope that's OK.
MKF -- I've never done that but it sounds like it's worth a try. Can you provide a recipe for a fearless home baker?
Trish, or anyone else -- Where can I find the chocolate bars used for chocolate croissants. I had thought of that as well and had seen them in the past from the King Arthur folks but couldn't find them when I checked there yesterday.
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Blov:
Don't mind at all. I may have something at home that will work. I'll have to check. I make two different kinds of dough:
A cookie dough that is easier to work with, especially for kids and newbie bakers. You could probably easily replace a bit of flour with cocoa.
A yeast dough that is flakier and less sweet that I like much better.
What kind of dough do you prefer?
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I'm getting ready for my annual baking of massive quantities of hamantashen. I use a combination of purchased and home made fillings -- both the traditional fillings as well as some non-traditional ones.
The non-traditional filling that I struggle with every year is chocolate. Always a favorite with the kids and, quite frankly, I like it too. Every year I make a pretty thick ganache, and every year it boils up and out of my dough during baking.
Can anyone propose a good alternative? Could I make something with cocoa instead of chocolate? Any ideas are welcome.
[if you are unfamiliar, hamantashen are a Jewish pastry where the dough is rolled and cut into a round shape and then folded into a triangle to surround a filling, with a small amount of the filling peeking out of the top. Traditional fillings are poppy seed (mohn), prune (lekvar), and a variety of other fruit flavors.]
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have any of you been to campagnola in westwood? a small, intimate italian restaurant (the owner's from sardinia, but the food isn't). it is quite good and as far as i know has never made it into the zagat. on westwood south of wilshire.
I concur on your Campagnola recommendation. Once, when I got lots of attitude trying to get into La Bruschetta down the street, we walked a little further to Campagnola and had a respectable meal. Some of the tables are a little close together but the food is good.
Can't believe I've never been. It's so close to home and I drive by it a million times. We're often looking for a place at the last minute to run to on the weekends for lunch or dinner. Ideally something good but casual, reasonably priced and with no 'tude. Can you provide some more details about Campagnola's.
Haven't been in a while but we also like "Little Taste of Hoboken" which is also on Westwood between Olympic and Pico. It's next door to and owned by Matteo's and is their more family-oriented place. Good take out too.
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I know the area, but wasn't sure which one to go to.
I think the biggest one is called Granada market. However, this stretch is only a few blocks long and you would have a better sense, and a lot more fun, if you just got out there and explored for yourself. It wouldn't take much time. Plan an afternoon and eat along the way.
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Darn Carolyn, Verve beat me to the punch. I love, love, love Sorrento in Culver City. It's owned by Al Vera, the most charming, older gentleman you'd ever want to meet. He immigrated here from Italy a long, long time ago and is the Italian grandfather you would want to have. But don't be fooled into translating his charm into lack of sophistication. He owns agricultural property in the Central Valley where he grows almonds and lots of other stuff, serves on the Culver City Council, and is a shrewd businessman and local politician. I love the guy.
I'd also like to recommend Nicolosi's on Ventura Boulevard as a great Italian bakery. It's on the south side of the street just east of White Oak (not far from a Buca de Beppo -- ugh). Great cannoli and other stuff and they make their own Italian ices.
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Erin -- Have you hit the strip of Sawtelle between Santa Monica and Olympic Boulevards? Lots of Japanese stores, restaurants, nurseries, and markets.
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Verve -- Sounds like you're leaning toward Josie's. However, for this or some other occassion why don't you give Campanile another try. Not that I get to eat out at fancy places all that often but, the last time we went to Campanile, we had a lovely time. It was this past summer and we went there with our daughter. The food and service were terrific and Mark Peel was very present -- both in the kitchen and the dining rooms. There were some other "eG"ers at a nearby table. Don't know about their deliveries that day but we enjoyed ourselves.
And, Happy Birthday by the way.
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Isn't Monday when they do "family night" at Campanile? And, you can order of the regular menu as well.
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I use a KitchenAid stand mixer as well, and I find it to be rather maddening for bread dough. By trial and error, I've determined that anything more than a modest 600-700g batch of dough (about a pound and a half) tends to be more trouble than it's worth. In my case, the big frustration is that once the dough gets to a certain consistency it climbs the (pick an expletive) dough hook and gets wound around the head of the mixer.
Having worked with the KA stand mixer for a long time, I can offer 2 suggestions that help with these problems (though they are not perfect):
I place the mixer on top of a rubber mat on the counter.
Spray a bit on non-stick spray on the dough hook to prevent climbing.
Hope that helps.
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LA Times Food Section -- January 28, 2004
Brief summaries and links to individual articles are provided below. The LA Times posts their restaurant reviews, and some other Food Section articles, in the Calendar section on-line even though they appear in the Food section of the print edition. Further, one is required to register separately to access the Calendar section and pay a fee if you don't already subscribe to the paper.
Our California Cook, Russ Parsons, tells all about greens in The color of winter. They are the mainstay of farmer's markets this time of year. Good on their own but great when you cook them together. Recipes for Tart of garlicky greens and black olives, Greens with spicy lemon-cumin oil, and Southern comfort soup.
They have a new chef and sommelier at Valentino's and it's still terrific. That's what S. Irene Virbila says in her review New guard at an old flame. The still classic restaurant gets 3 stars and she recommends the tortellini in brodo, grilled seppie (cuttlefish) with lentils, spaghetti alle vongole veraci, paccheri with rabbit ragù and other pastas, veal chop with mushrooms and Marsala, lamb cooked in a bread crust, cannoli, sweet almond-hazelnut focaccia -- and dishes from the "menu extravaganza."
Barbara Hansen thinks that a "big, soupy bowl" of pozole is a perfect party dish and for your Super Bowl gathering. Find out all about it in Flash of radish, splash of lime. To make your own, two recipes are provided -- Pozole verde, and Pozole Estilo Jalisco. If you prefer to take out, the armchair alternative at the end of the article has some recommendations.
Valli Herman is Basking in the glow of winter. In case you've forgotten why we all live in this paradise, this article will remind you as she points out that, "In every nook of the Santa Monica farmers market are reminders of what makes Southern California shine." Find out what the pros are buying this time of year and what they're doing with it. Recipes for Garlic risotto with baby broccoli (from Joe Miller of Joe's), Wild striped bass with artichoke fricasee and wilted turnip greens (from Josiah Citrin of Melisse), and Meyer lemon poundcake with citrus salad and brown butter sauce (from Elizabeth Belkind, the pastry chef at Grace).
Stett Holbrook says Who needs terroir? It appears there is "a burgeoning movement in California -- call it counter-terroirism" that feels in part that France's AOC system, based in part on terroir is "viticultural racism."
The Wine of the week is 2001 Podere Il Pasazzino 'Argentina' Chianti Classico.
Some guys have all the fun and this is a very fun article. In his Matters of Taste column, David Shaw and family go along to the Honolulu fish auction with Chef Mavro as they are Making a bid for the best.
In Counterintelligence, Barbara Hansen wants to know Will you have the chicken or the chicken? This profiles the LA Chicken Center in the heart of Koreatown.
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Had a great Spanish meal in Pacific Grove but it was a million years ago. I think the place was called Fandango but who knows if it's still even there. Stay away from the tourist traps in Monterey along Cannery Row but you should be able to find some nice places in Carmel, Pacific Grove, etc. If you're willing to make the drive to Big Sur, you should be able to have a nice meal at the Ventana Inn and/or the Post Ranch Inn.
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LA Times Food Section -- January 21, 2004
Brief summaries and links to individual articles are provided below. The LA Times posts their restaurant reviews, and some other Food Section articles, in the Calendar section on-line even though they appear in the Food section of the print edition. Further, one is required to register separately to access the Calendar section and pay a fee if you don't already subscribe to the paper.
Need a really unusual ingredient to make a truly authentic dish? Regina Schrambling says A gastronomic world (is) within reach on the internet. Exotic ingredients are a click away points you toward some good sources. For inspiration, recipes for Rajasthani kadhi (chickpea dumplings in spicy sauce), Sgroppino al limon, and Keshi yena (stuffed cheese).
Dig this: bargain truffles is by Russ Parsons. Well, there are truffles and there are truffles. These cheaper versions are different from their more expensive cousins but, you can still have fun with them. Find a recipe for Fettuccine with white truffle sauce. To get a good truffle (and chocolate) shaver, be sure to read Cookstuff.
The high price of cheap food is Emily Green's opinion piece about the current hot issue of factory farming and it's implications. Read to the end of the article for information on how to decode food labels. Several eG discussions are already underway about this. Here's one you can join.
Grapefruits are for more than just breakfast. It's grapefruit season and Donna Deane says to Go ahead -- cook with it. Recipes at the end of the article for Red grapefruit, jicama and pea sprout salad, Grapefruit curd tartlets, & Halibut with grapefruit and blood orange sauce.
Culinary SOS and Cindy Dorn provide the recipe for Corn-cherry scones from The Cheese Board in Berkeley.
David Shaw would like to know if you want Some sake with your penne? He profiles Trevor Hammond and other importers who are encouraging sake with non-Asian dishes.
The Wine of the Week is 2002 Caludius Chardonnay Carneros Reserve.
Cuban sequel debuts in Hollywood is S. Irene Virbila's review of Xiomara on Melrose Avenue. "If Versailles is Cuban 101, then Xiomara . . . is the graduate course." She gives it 2 stars and recommends the Black bean soup, codfish fritters, corn tamale, duck ropa vieja, arroz frito, pork hash, nuevo Cubano chicken, tres flancitos.
In Restaurant Journal, Leslee Komaiko discussed the restaurants that are now providing A little eye candy with your meal. Updates also on Panzanella in Sherman Oaks and The Pig now at Universal City Walk.
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A few months back Russ Parsons did a great article in the LA Times Food section about fish, including the great places to get it. Many in LA but there were others. Scroll through my weekly "digests" on the Media board and you'll find the summary and links to the articles.
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Neil -- I only have non-fat milk in the house which is what I use. Okay, I usually top off the milk with a dollop of half and half. Basically, use what you've got and see what happens. I think you'll be fine.
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The expiration date was nearing on the farmers cheese and Blovie asked nicely, so I decided to attempt the cheese latkes tonight. I will admit they were somewhat of a disaster. I made the batter in the blender - it was like a very thick cheesecake batter but still quite viscous, so I could probably use more flour next time.
Anyway, Blovie decided that he wanted to help. So first, we tried the non-stick pan with a bit of oil. Not good. Had a lot of problems flipping them over. So, I pulled out the regular skillet and decided that I would use lots of oil and see what would happen. Still not great. But they flipped. They absorbed a lot of oil, though. It tasted really good - kind of like fried cheesecake.
I'm afraid to know what they did to my arteries. I think I feel them hardening as I type.
Maybe I'll try this again next year. If I do, the spouse ISN'T allowed in the kitchen.
Why wait for next December? How about Shavuot this spring.
Try a regular skillet with enough oil so they don't stick.
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Used to work at a small bakery where we made them every Thursday and Friday, all 6 braids, and then worked at a Jewish country club where I could make whatever size and shape I wanted. So I've made New Year's challah, 2 braid, 3 braid, 4 braid, 5 braid, and 6 braid. I have the braiding routines in a little table that to me is a lot easier to follow than some instructions in some books. For instance, a 6 braid is 2 over 6, 1 down the middle, 5 over 1, 6 down the middle. Repeat till done. I'll dig them out if anybody wants them. I find the 2 braid the most confusing. But if you have enough dough to make one of each, they look cool side by side.
Mc D:
Would love to see your table. I usually do a 6-braid but have had more trouble trying to explain it to others.
For "holiday-themed" challahs, I mentioned my menorah challah on another board when I believe we were discussing latkes around Hanukkah. I make some others including a giant hamantashen challah for the upcoming holiday of Purim. It's a lot of fun and many are quite easy. If I can learn how to do it, I'll post pics.
I have a fairly old book called, "The Hallah Book" (make sure you spell it that way) that has some fun ideas for various shapes and braids though some are hard to follow. I started there and developed some of the other ideas myself. They have recipes and other challah info as well though the Baking with Julia one is still my fave.
Jody
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Never picked out a live chicken but have experienced the cookie from the bakery as a kid, grinding of the horseradish, grating of potates and onions, etc.
Are latkes made from hand-grated potates and onions fleishig since they always end up with some "protein" (ahem) in them.
Thank goodness for the food processor.
Sample of Best Ethnic in LA for a NYCer
in California: Dining
Posted
I'm laughing. Before farmers markets were so prevalent, before Whole Foods, before all of that stuff, I used to find an excuse to stop into a Gelson's market when I was taking east coasters around in the middle of the winter. I'd just "stop by" the produce aisle and watch their eyes get wide and jaws drop.
Tee Hee