What We're Cooking for Shabbos: 2004 - 2006

[bloviatrix]

Tonight's dinner is:

Vichysoisse, my ode to Julia Child

Lemon Sole coated in cornmeal flavored with chili powder and pan fried

Sweet Corn from the market

Green beans

Bread pudding with cranberries that smells so divine I want to eat it now!!

We'll drink white wine. Haven't decided what.

Lunch tomorrow is the usual salad.

[bloviatrix]

It's really amazing how much efficient I am in the kitchen when I don't have eg to distract. Not only did I get my cooking done in a timely fashion, I even made it to the gym!!!

We've been eating dairy foods all summer, but now with Rosh Hashanah fast approaching, I'm going to have to clean my oven and go back to eating more meat and poultry. Therefore, friday night's dinner was a "farewell to summer". (where's the teardrop emoticon when you need one?)

Corn soup with corn kernals and celery leaf -- this is my homage to the heavenly soup we had at Per Se. Benno's is better.

Eggplant and Mozerella Tart with Basil Garlic crust

Roasted Tomatoes with garlic and thyme

Zucchini, sauteed with basil

Roasted Corn and Black Bean salsa, with red peppers, red onion, evoo, and red wine vinegar

Blueberry Pie

We drank a 2002 Macon.

[Gifted Gourmet]

It's really amazing how much efficient I am in the kitchen when I don't have eg to distract.  Not only did I get my cooking done in a timely fashion, I even made it to the gym!!!

Okay, so I skipped the gym, Bloviatrix, but my newfound free time away from the lure of my serious addiction to eGullet allowed me to make the following:

this along with garlicky roasted potatoes, a lovely romaine salad, a chunky tomato-orange-ginger broth, some fresh zucchini and olives, and a peach pie ...

[bloviatrix]

Tell me more about the Tomato-orange-ginger broth! That sounds good.

[bloviatrix]

We received an unexpected invite for dinner tonight. So, the fish I was planning to serve tonight will be lunch tomorrow. So, we're going to have cold baked whitefish fillets with a multi-bean salad.

The RH eating orgy starts in 5 days.

[Swisskaese]

My fiance made the following for Shabbat dinner:

Spanish red wine

First course: Steamed asparagus

Main course: Stewed chicken with red peppers, green peppers, mushrooms, lemon juice, lemon zest, fresh oregano, fresh rosemary, onion, garlic, balsamico

Sides: Steamed broccoli, red and white rice

After dinner drink: Kiwi liqueur from a winery in the Galil

[bloviatrix]

I didn't make the bean salad. Instead I made a ratatouille. Wow, that stuff is addictive when eaten cold.

[bloviatrix]

We were out of town this weekend at a bar mitzvah so I didn't cook, but now that the holiday's are over, it's time to get back to the usual routine of shabbos meals.

Here, at the Blov's we're done with eating dairy. My fall/winter menus will include more meat and chicken. Lunch will be chili and long braised dishes.

For those of you who cook for shabbos, what did you make now that the holiday gorge-fest is complete?

[bloviatrix]

We've been invited out for lunch tomorrow. So, I'm just cooking for tonight. We're having:

Celeriac-Pear Soup

Schnitzel

Parsnips, Baby white turnips, and carrots slow roasted in duck fat

Concord Grape Sorbet

I picked up a sesame pugliese instead of challah (I haven't recoved from all the challah over the holidays). I'm thinking of a Macon for wine.

Let me add, the apartment smells fabulous from the duck fat.

[bloviatrix]

Hmmm, I feel as if I'm talking to myself here. I know there aren't a lot of us out in eg-land, but if the family sits down to a sabbath dinner please share!!!!

Anyway, we've been invited out for dinner tonight.

But, this morning I spontaneously invited some friends to come for lunch. They're like family so I don't have to cook to impress. I'll be serving Korean Beef (london broil in a marinade of soy sauce, sherry, garlic and sesame oil) with Soba in a Rice Vinagrette w/mint and scallions. I've also made green beans which I will toss with toasted sesame oil. For dessert I made apple-pear-cranberry crisp.

[Pan]

You aren't just talking to yourself, Andrea. I don't make anything for Shabbos but I do read this thread. I suspect I'm not alone.

[Carrot Top]

You aren't just talking to yourself, Andrea. I don't make anything for Shabbos but I do read this thread. I suspect I'm not alone.

←

Yes, you are very generous to share your dinner descriptions with all. The Shabbos dinner may be something that not many people do have...but still it is a vital and interesting part of food culture (besides being mouthwatering in real-life food 'fact' as you present it!) and here it is...all encapsulated in a thread to read and know.

Look at it this way. You are actually placing a very nice plate of your Shabbos dinner out for someone (anyone, anyone at all that happens upon then reads this thread) to dine upon, virtually.

Many do, and are enriched in many different ways by it, bloviatrix.

The plate is cleaned, the last drops licked off, and the unknown diner walks away quietly...with a bit of nurture, a bit of knowledge.

Sometimes 'thank-you's' are forgotten in the quickness and blank spaces of cyber-life though...but surely many silent 'thank-you's' are there, nonetheless.

Thank you...for many fine Shabbos meals.

Edited October 30, 2004 by Carrot Top (log)

[Swisskaese]

Hmmm, I feel as if I'm talking to myself here.  I know there aren't a lot of us out in eg-land, but if the family sits down to a sabbath dinner please share!!!!

I am sorry I haven't been sharing, but I have enjoyed hearing what you have. I will do better, I promise.

Here is what I served for Shabbat:

Chicken with Pomegranate (a Moroccan recipe), sweet potato puree and green beans. We had Yarden Mount Hermon Red 2002. We thought the wine was a little too heavy for this dish. We will try Merlot next time.

Shavua Tov everyone!

[bloviatrix]

Here is what I served for Shabbat:

Chicken with Pomegranate (a Moroccan recipe), sweet potato puree and green beans. We had Yarden Mount Hermon Red 2002. We thought the wine was a little too heavy for this dish. We will try Merlot next time.

Shavua Tov everyone!

←

The chicken with pomegranate sounds good. Can you share the recipe?

[Swisskaese]

The chicken with pomegranate sounds good.  Can you share the recipe?

←

Hi Bloviatrix,

Here is the recipe:

3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, julienned, divided in half

3 cloves garlic, sliced

4 pieces of chicken (legs, breast or thighs)

12 threads saffron

1 teaspoon ground ginger or 1/2 tsp of fresh ginger

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg, or to taste

pinch ground cloves

2 bay leaves

2 cups water

1/4 cup honey

4 tablespoons pomegranate syrup

Heat the 3 to 4 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot or deep frying pan. Saute half of the onions with the garlic. Add the chicken.

Steep the saffron threads in just enough hot water to cover.

Brown the chicken, then add the spices (including the steeped saffron with its liquid), and water. Cover pot and simmer for about 25 minutes. Add the remaining onions, honey and pomegranate syrup. Cook for about 20 minutes on until sauce thickens. Remove bay leaves and serve.

[Swisskaese]

I made the following for Shabbat:

A improvised version of Hungarian Paprikas

Jerusalem Artichokes

Asparagus

[bloviatrix]

Thanks so much for the recipe. I'm going to have to try that.

We had some excitement this weekend. Blovie needs to be in Boston for a conference on sunday morning, so we figured we would go up early and spend shabbos with friends in Sharon. Hence, I had no need to cook for shabbos. As we were driving up on I95 near Bridgeport, our car started to make horrid noises so we pulled off found an repair shop and learned that our transmission all but died. Fortunately, we have friends who live in Stamford so we called them and invited ourselves for shabbos. They rescued us!!!

We'll attempt Boston in a rental tomorrow.

[Pan]

Sounds like a little too much excitement for one day! Good luck with everything.

[bloviatrix]

I'm having some problems adjusting to shabbos starting an hour earlier (since this is the first week I'm cooking since the clock changed). As a result, all my plans got switched (such as roasting caulilflower). So, dinner will be:

Celeriac and Pear Soup

Roasted Turkey Breast with a Bitter Orange Glaze

Jerusalem Artichoke Pancake (I made one huge one)

Cranberry and apple compote

I think there's some sorbet in the freezer for dessert. To drink we'll have an Israeli Gamay.

Edited November 12, 2004 by bloviatrix (log)

[spaghetttti]

Your menu sounds really delicious, Andrea. How do you make the soup?

Shabbat Shalom!

[jaynesb]

Hi, I just wanted to say that I enjoy reading this thread also. As a family, we don't have very elaborate meals. Mostly, it's just the 4 of us (and my 7-year old twins are more of the "plain pasta" types, although we are trying to encourage them to try other foods.) I'll try to share some of the more interesting dishes on this thread.

So right now, we are having a lot of lasagna-type stuff and some tarts that have been simplified to what our children are willing to try. I try to make Challah at least twice a month and even if the rest of the meal doesn't work, I know that my children are happy.

I mostly cook vegetarian and recently enjoyed the Musa's lentil dish with pomegranate. I learned about it on egullet. The recipe is on the "Food and Wine" site but since I don't have a subscription, when I tried saving it to a file, only the intro and ingredient list showed up.

http://www.foodandwine.com/invoke.cfm?obje...7EB57&preview=1

On the other hand, google helped me to find a site where someone has an [uncredited] adaptation of the recipe where the layering of the ingredients is described:

http://www.recipezaar.com/recipe/getrecipe.zsp?id=94413

The instructions on "Food and Wine" say that the stew gets better if it sits for a few hours or maybe if served the next day. It also can be served hot, warm, or at room temperature. It's really yummy and it did freeze pretty well. The only tricky thing was finding pomegranate molasses.

Anyway, I reallly just wanted to let you all know that I enjoy this thread. Thank you again.

jayne

[bloviatrix]

Your menu sounds really delicious, Andrea.  How do you make the soup?

Shabbat Shalom!

←

Thanks so much for the compliment.

I'm still working on perfecting the soup recipe. I sauted some onion, then added celery root (medium and diced) and 2 pears (diced) as well as a combination of vegetable broth and pear nectar. I brought it to a boil, reduced to a simmer, then pureed it with the immersion blender. I thinned it out with some diluted pear nectar. We found the soup to be a bit too sweet which is why it needs more work.

I've only recently come to the celery root. Once again, it's all because of eG.

[bloviatrix]

Hi, I just wanted to say that I enjoy reading this thread also. As a family, we don't have very elaborate meals. Mostly, it's just the 4 of us (and my 7-year old twins are more of the "plain pasta" types, although we are trying to encourage them to try other foods.)  I'll try to share some of the more interesting dishes on this thread.

←

Welcome to this thread!!

There's no need to be concerned that your meals aren't elaborate. The best part of friday night meals is that time seems to slow down and all the usual distractions fade into the background. It's nice to have a good, simple meal and just spend time together as a family. I really believe that when your kids get older that's where their found family memories will come from.

I'm impressed that you make your own challah. It's something I keep saying I'm going to do, but I never get around to. Do your kids help?

[jaynesb]

Bloviatrix,

Thanks for the kind words and encouragement. In response to your question about whether my children help with the challah, mostly it's just me making it because the time block in the early morning seems to work the best for me. But sometimes my children help me out. I think that I make it much more frequently now than I did when I lived in the city.... (We used to live on the Upper West Side and I have fond memories of Royale Bakery's challah.)

Making your own gives you a lot of flexibility on the size. On Succot, I made smaller ones for days when I knew we'd be accumulating half-loaves otherwise. If we've got a lot of company, I just make larger ones. I've also been making a lot of rolls lately. (They freeze well and are the school lunch of choice for Tuesday and Thursday when my children need to bring pareve lunches.)

jayne

[Swisskaese]

We are going to a Pot-luck Shabbat Dinner at the Shul.

It is dairy, so David is making a leek quiche and I am either making an Apple Gallette or a Chocolate-Crusted Plum Gallette.