eG Foodblog: Pam R - or Pam's Passover Plotz (Part 2)

[FoodieRD]

Thanks for the roll recipe! It will be leftover brisket sandwiches for lunch today.

[Pam R]

This is a brand of pomegranate juice that we have available for purchase in Vancouver.  Perhaps you can find it in your area. 

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Thanks - I can get the POM stuff here - I think Safeway carries it in all their stores. But I'm always on the lookout for a new Israeli juice - I've never seen it on my supplier lists though. I will definately get some POM juice and try the cocktail.

[Pam R]

Spring makes Pomegranate juice. They started offering it last year for Rosh Hashanah.

Lemonana is also very nice. I also like Summer Fruit. It has plum, pear, apricot, peach, apple and forest fruit juice.

I prefer Spring over Prigat.

Watermelon juice is not as popular as it used to be. You can find it at some of the juice kiosks.

There was a kiosk at the top of Ben-Yehuda

How do they make the juices? They had no juice machines then - do you think I could just blitz the watermelon in a food-processor and strain? It doesn't seem like it would create what I remember... though it's so long ago - who knows if I really remember what I had . I also loved that we could go into cafes all over and just order 1/2 an ice-cold watermelon. It's just not the same here!

Pomegranate juice for RH makes sense - I'm just starting to get more Spring juices in and available to me, so I'll keep a look-out for the SUmmer Fruit.

It is so strange. I have known all these years years, but know after seeing all the things you make for Passover, I realize how little I know about Ashkenazi food. My family didn't make all of these things. I didn't have Matzah Brei until I went to university, we always had rice during Passover and we didn't eat gefilte fish. I found out that they didn't know what gefilte fish was in the part of Germany that my grandparents are from.

I'm surprised about the gefilte fish - but the other foods are less suprising. It's not just what area your family comes from that influences what you have - but where they've moved to. Most of the items we do for Passover my Babas did. But neither of them made Shmoo torte!

I also didn't know what farfel was and I still don't know what you use it for.

Well - I don't know how to explain the lack of farfel in your life, but I can tell you what we do with it. Of course there's the fried farfel - but if you just do the tossing in egg and toasting, it makes a great addition to chicken soup (in fact, I didn't use all of it up in the fried farfel so I'd have some for soup). People also use it for kugles - I'd guess any matzo kugle recipe could be made with farfel instead. It's good for matzo brei.

If you have a recipe that calls for breaking up matzo - you can use farfel instead. OR you could save the extra shekels and just break up some matzo

I didn't know you could make crepe batter from potato starch. How do you do that?

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If I have time late I'll show you - if not I'll tell you.

[Pam R]

Thanks for the roll recipe!  It will be leftover brisket sandwiches for lunch today.

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It's my pleasure. And what I should have added to the recipe is that it's imperitive that the first roll out of the oven gets slathered in butter. Then, later, one MUST fill another with leftover brisket.

It's the rule.

[Pam R]

I have had a terrible time getting online all morning. Now I'm going to make some lunch and I have to do little running around after.

Later today I'll be smoking a turkey roast. I was going to throw something else on the smoker with it, but I just don't have the energy or the brain-power to decide what. We'll see what happens.

[tejon]

Thanks for the roll recipe!  It will be leftover brisket sandwiches for lunch today.

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It's my pleasure. And what I should have added to the recipe is that it's imperitive that the first roll out of the oven gets slathered in butter. Then, later, one MUST fill another with leftover brisket.

It's the rule.

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Now that sounds like a delicious rule to me!

I'm really enjoying this blog. I grew up in a mildly Protestant family but had many Jewish friends in school, so I find the foods and restrictions fascinating. I still remember introducing my friends to turkey ham for the first time - they were just about delirious that they could eat "ham"!

Edited April 15, 2006 by tejon (log)

[Pam R]

Lunch today was chicken schnitzel.

Breading:

I didn't have any cake meal - so I skipped that step. And I made my own matzo meal out of spelt matzo. Dipped in an egg, parsley, paprika, garlic, onion, salt & pepper wash - then into matzo crumbs seasoned with salt, pepper and paprika.

Breaded:

This is what we refer to as Panko Matzo Meal . A little course... but it tasted great!

Fresh veg with some coarse salt - copious amounts of fresh lemon juice and washed down with Miranda soda. If you can make out the Hebrew lettering about the Miranda, it says tapuzeem - in case I wasn't sure it was orange

[Pam R]

I still remember introducing my friends to turkey ham for the first time - they were just about delirious that they could eat "ham"!

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Ah yes - turkey ham, turkey bacon, beef-fry. We try to come up with alternatives for all the things restricted. Some people love the stuff, some hate the very idea of it. I've had some good, some bad. As long as it tastes good, I'm all for it!

[Pam R]

I've just started the coals - the wood chips are soaking and the turkey breast/roast is seasoned. Let the smoking begin!

(Not sure what to make with it though.. must look through the kitchen)

[MomOfLittleFoodies]

Living here I never think about people having the opposite problems we have.  Some people come in and literally spend thousands of dollars on food for a one-week period.  We were discussing this - amazed to see what people were spending.  Then we realized that people here, who care about keeping kosher during the holidays, have no other choices.  They can't go out for a meal - everything must be prepared at home (or catered  ).

I'm coming to this late, but kosher-for-passover products are in fairly high demand among people who are allergic to corn, soy and to a lesser extent, dairy products. I've talked to people who spend hundreds of dollars stocking up on everything from hot dogs to candy to get through the year.

The pictures of your business would have some people drooling.

Maybe I should plan a vacation to Winnipeg.

[Pam R]

I'm coming to this late, but kosher-for-passover products are in fairly high demand among people who are allergic to corn, soy and to a lesser extent, dairy products. I've talked to people who spend hundreds of dollars stocking up on everything from hot dogs to candy to get through the year.

The pictures of your business would have some people drooling.

Maybe I should plan a vacation to Winnipeg. 

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That makes a lot of sense. Unfortunately there is a movement to allow us all to eat corn and soy and some other items during Passover. (do a search on the Kitniyot Liberation Front)

As for dairy - all year long items are available, as long as they are meat or parve, they contain no dairy.

The Passover stuff is only available for about 3-4 weeks before Passover though - so I can understand the need to stock up. Come on up to Winnipeg in early April - we'll take care of you!

[Pam R]

Anybody know how long a bonesless, rolled turkey breast should smoke for? I can't seem to find a thermometer...

[UnConundrum]

Tuff question Pam.... Uhhh what temp are you smoking at and how big is the breast?

[UnConundrum]

gotta leave the computer for a bit...sooooooo if you're smoking at 250 (121 C), I'd go for about 25 minutes per pound... At 275 (135 C), I'd go for 20.... Down to about 15 minutes per pound around 325... but I like slower smokes... 250 or even lower.

[Pam R]

Tuff question Pam.... Uhhh what temp are you smoking at and how big is the breast?

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oh you know... couple of pounds. No thermometer ANYWHERE (not even on the smoker ). I had to do it - I had to cut into it to see where we were . Not long and it'll be done.

I don't know if I'm the only person like this - but my home kitchen is very low on equipment. I do most of my cooking at work - so I'm winging it here.

[Pam R]

Dinner is over.

First the turkey. Seasoned and into the smoker:

I definitely need a thermometer. It was on for about 3 1/2 hours.

Off the grill and relaxing (tented). A little blurry:

When I sliced into it, it was still juicy. So my mid-cooking slicing didn't kill it. But I'd prefer not to check it that way.

[Pam R]

I didn't know you could make crepe batter from potato starch. How do you do that?

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I don't have my blintz recipe at home (I really should have a copy of all my recipes here) - so I had to play around with it. In the end the blintzes were good - but the bletach (crepes) were a little too thick.

First the filling:

Peeled potatoes set to boil and yellow onions sauteing in olive oil with salt and black pepper.

The onions need to cook on medium low for a while, until they're really dark and sweet.

Potatoes drained, mashed and mixed with onions and a little garlic powder - to taste.

Set aside and onto the batter.

The batter was 3 large eggs, pinch of salt, 3/4 C. potato starch and approximately 1 1/4 cups of water.

It should be very loose and well combined:

You can't tell if the batter is too thick until you make your first crepe. If it's too thick add some more water. If it's too thin, you can add a little potato starch.

Lightly grease a non-stick pan, heat over medium/medium low and pour in enough batter to form a thin crepe (a small pan would work much better, but slim pickings at home). Pour out any excess batter:

Cook until the top of the crepe is dry, but the bottom hasn't browned. Turn over onto a lined tray:

Continue until all the batter is used - layering between sheets of wax or parchment paper. Makes about 12.

Place the crepe onto a work surface so that the side that was up in the frying pan is down on the work surface. Form the filling into a long, narrow shape and place on one end of a crepe :

Roll over once, then fold in each side:

Continue to roll the blitz up and finish all of them:

Before serving, finish the blintzes by browning them in a non-stick pan. I used oil here, but for a dairy meal they're great in butter.

[Pam R]

Dinner is served:

Smoked turkey breast, potato/onion blintzes and a pear salad with balsamic vinaigrette.

[Pan]

Pam, I'm glad I could catch up a little with your blog tonight. I still think you're nuts to do a blog during the busiest time of your year but it's great that you got a chance to demonstrate so many of the things you've been making and selling like kosher l'pesach hotcakes. Chag sameach!

[Pam R]

Pam, I'm glad I could catch up a little with your blog tonight. I still think you're nuts to do a blog during the busiest time of your year but it's great that you got a chance to demonstrate so many of the things you've been making and selling like kosher l'pesach hotcakes. Chag sameach!

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Thanks Michael . Chag Sameach to you too.

[Pam R]

Well... this little blog will be winding down tomorrow. I'm not sure what is in store for tomorrow - but I'll be at work for a few hours.

I still have to test a recipe for one of my columns - theme is 'kosher Italian' ... and I have two good recipes for it (tested before Passover), but I'm thinking of adding a granita or two. We'll see.

See ya tomorrow.

[Sugarella]

Pam, I just wanted to chime in and add my thanks and praise. I just read through your last one also and loved it! I've learned so much, and I'm enjoying all the wonderful food.

How on earth did you move your whole kitchen!? Was there much down time when you did it .... I assume you had to have the business closed for a while?

[Swisskaese]

I didn't know you could make crepe batter from potato starch. How do you do that?

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I don't have my blintz recipe at home (I really should have a copy of all my recipes here) - so I had to play around with it. In the end the blintzes were good - but the bletach (crepes) were a little too thick.

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Thanks, Pam. I am going to try those. They really look yummy.

[eJulia]

I hope that one day I can be a guest at a traditional seder... I am so interested and curious. The history and symbolism is just so intense.

Thanks for your efforts this week - blogging is never a simple effort!

I hope your holidays were joyous and meaningful.

Happy wishes and best thoughts...

Julia

[Sugarella]

Hi Pam, I hope I have time to get his question in here before the blog is locked..... should've thought of it earlier.

You mentioned that you have all these orders for pickup..... I was wondering if they're all prepaid, or do people just pay when they pick up their orders? Do a certain percentage of people forget and you have all this leftover unsold food?

Thanks again for blogging....