bloviatrix

We're home for three of the four meals. And I'm actually NOT entertaining. The blintz souffle is done. The spinach noodle pudding will be out of the oven shortly. And the black bean chili which is a component of the enchiladas is simmering away. Not bad considering I walked into the kitchen less than 2 hours ago. Since it's just two of us, I will not be making a cheesecake. Rather I'm thinking of doing a tart with a layer of sweetened cream cheese/mascarpone and layer of strawberry-rhubarb compote. And some sort of ice cream.

We've been invited out so I haven't been cooking. But, we're in this week. Actually, we're hosting lunch tomorrow. Tonight is borscht, something with chicken thighs, and roasted peppers. Lunch tomorrow is a picnic theme: Mesquite sausage and spinach salad Corned Beef w/ a bourbon glaze Pasta salad with a pignoli-herb sauce Cole slaw w/lemon mayo Mango Soup for dessert

Ari Zivotovsky, who's mentioned in that piece, occasionally speaks on the mesorah of kosher animals. He's an interesting guy - if you have a chance, go hear him speak.

Hey, I like the smell of cooking garlic.

Pam, the store had both freezer and refrigerator cases in addition to dry goods. From what I understand, Supersol (one of the local markets) absorbed the Passover store. I don't know if this is a one year thing or permanent.

There was no stand alone store this year. Not sure why.

Like others, I'm trying to finish open bags/boxes of grains/pasta etc. Last night was: New wave borscht Lamb chops rubbed with garlic and rosemary Steamed asparagus Roasted parsnips Bulgur pilaf with orzo and hazlenuts Marble sponge cake

I cannot recommend the Dalton Oak Age Shiraz 2003 as I find the oak overpowers the fruit. But otherwise, I'm consistently pleased with their offerings. Their SR Sauvignon Blanc was my go to wine last summer and the Sasufa SB is quite pleasing as welling - they have completely different flavor profiles. And the unoaked Chardonnay is made in the Chablis style - very crisp. I just picked a bottle of Goose Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2004, which is a New Zealand wine which I'm eager to open. They also have released a Cab. If you can still find the Recanati Special Reserve 2000, do. I opened a bottle several months ago and it's aging nicely. For those who aren't big wine drinkers, the Terra del Belmonte, which is from Portugal is a nice gateway wine - semidry. It's a blend of 5 grapes native to Portugal. The other Portugese wine is called Sephard. It's inoccuous - drinkable but nothing great. As for splurges, I recently drank a Ch. Leoville-Peyoferre. The vintage escapes me, but it was quite tasty. It could still use a bit of aging, but we polished off very quickly. For bargains, you can't go wrong with the Baron Herzon Chenin Blanc Clarksburg. It costs about $6 a bottle. And for dessert, Katie mentioned the Tierra Selvaje Monastrell Dulce. This is wonderful and marries perfectly with a flourless chocolate cake. The Yarden Moscato which is fortified with brandy is quite pleasant and will please your non-wine drinking fans.

Rogov, maybe I'm missing something but I don't get why so many people think highly of the Castel reds. I've had both wines, several times and I find them disappointing. The "C" on the other hand is quite nice. Also, what are your thoughts on Chillag? I just picked up a bottle of the 2003 Cab Reserve - my wine guy suggested I try it.

Piece of food trivia: artichokes were actually introduced to Italy by Jews.

All vegetables are kosher especially when found in their natural state. But, canned/frozen vegetables can be an issue and must carry certification. Plus all vegetables must be inspected for bugs. This is why some people don't eat aspargus tips. And greens must be washed very well. When trimming the artichokes keep an eye out for bugs and get rid of them (soaking in a mild vinegar solution works).

We had meal of some of our favorites. Black Bean soup with coconut, chile and lime (didn't love this.) Veal Shnitzel Kasha Varniskes - once Pesach comes this won't be eaten again until fall. Brocolini sauted with garlic Pear and prune compote Dalton shiraz to drink.

I recently picked up Deborah Madison's new soup book. My first recipe out wasn't a success. It was a black bean soup with coconut, chile, and lime. The flavor was just disappointing and the color was not very attractive.

I'm pleased to say the menus for the final days have been set. We planned everything tonight. So now we know what needs to be bought.

Might be time to raid the closet..... Otherwise it looks like you're in for 2 days of soup!! (Although the soups you've described on eGullet do sound absolutely yummy.) I have been acquiring things since we moved from an apartment to a house but much of what I have is the inexpensive IKEA stuff or TJ Maxx stuff. Those are the things I chose to buy. On the other hand, my mother has started bringing me all kinds of things now that I've started hosting seders. I still haven't figured out what to do with it all. (I'm still hoping she'll bring over my great-grandmother's glass measuring cup. It's round at the base and then gradually reaches a triangular shape at the lip and you can pour from the corners.) When I was single, I think I managed with 1 frying pan, a cutting board, 2 couple of bowls, and a Swiss Army knife. I still get teased about the Swiss Army knife but it worked for me, sort of. Then again, I mostly ate salads, matzoh brei, cheese/matzoh sandwiches, and yogurt in those days and rarely prepared a meal for anyone else. jayne ← KB and I put our head's together last night to figure out what we have equipment-wise. Most exciting - her ice cream maker that's never been used (dessert has been solved). And a food processor. And we realized her mom has some equipment as well (and it's local) so we're going to check that out on saturday night. In the meantime I spoke with my mom who said what ever she owns is mine. Of course, the most important tools are good knives. I'm thinking of buying a Global chef's knife and paring knife. Since they're all stainless, I could use them all year and kascher them for Pesach. I have feeling I'll be buying a whole lot of the heavy duty aluminium pans.

The one is Teaneck has been closed for about a year.

My problem with the prep for Passover isn't the food limitations, but rather the lack of equipment with which to cook. We'll back in NY for the last 2 days and taking all our meals with friends. I have a 20 qt stock pot, an immersion blender and a hand mixer that have never been used. I'm not sure what tools she has. When I suggested to Blovie that I make a run out to my parents to raid the Pesach closet (which hasn't been touched in 11 years) he looked at me like I was nuts.

Meringues are another good option for dessert.

We're headed to Toronto this year for the sederim. It's going to be so much fun. We're going to stay with friends. I've offered to help cook, but I don't know if I'm going to be put to work. We'll be back in NY for the last days. Friends just got a second apartment with a brand new stove. So, we'll be taking all our meals there. That's when I'll roll up my sleeves and cook.

Back in the kitchen after two weeks of not cooking. It's a pleasure to hold a chef's knife with minimal discomfort. Bourdain's mushroom soup Short-ribs braised in an ancho coffee sauce over rice Cider roasted carrots Dalton Galilee Shiraz, 2003. A bit too much oak for my tastes. But, otherwise ready to drink.

My best laid plans were foiled. I had Blovie buy all the ingredients for me and in the end, I couldn't make hamentaschen because of my wrist injury. I don't have the dexterity. It feels very strange to do be a day before the holiday with no hamentaschen in the house. Plus, we've been invited out for the se'udah so I'm free of that responsibility as well.

I'm on the disabled list with an injured wrist/hand. I can't handle a knife to chop or stir a pot. So, my darling husband has stepped in. Last night's dinner was: Baby greens with a honey balsamic vinaigrette Veal chops rubbed with rosemary, garlic and evoo Artichokes and carrots in a lemon sauce Bulgur with cardamoms, cloves, and cinnamon The veal chops were really good.

The International Food Wharehouse in Lodi probably carries it.

We were disappointed with the cherry filled hamantaschen I made last year - the feeling was that the filling was too tart for the dough. Just something to think about. I'm planning on making my batters next saturday night and sunday will be devoted to baking. Just the usual gingerbread-apricot and standard with prune. Maybe some halvah filled. I'm already dreading this coming week. It's going to be very hectic.

Just picked up Vegetable Soups from Deborah Madison's Kitchen. As I was paying for it, the guy helping me commented "Ooo, that looks good."