By Sheilah Kaufman , Special to JTNews
I love the holidays, having my family and friends break bread with me gives me with a wonderful feeling. I think cooking for family and friends is a way to express your love for them. But, I like to serve dishes that are new/different, thereby starting my own new traditions for the holidays. In addition, I have certain criteria for cooking and baking: my simply irresistible philosophy where everything has to be able to be made days ahead and/or frozen; can’t take a lot of preparation time; can’t make a big mess; has to taste fabulous; and my friends don’t have the recipes yet! Every year, for each holiday, I try and add several new recipes that come from far away places, or have a new twist to an old favorite. Here are some “new traditions” for you to try when you sit down for the High Holidays.
This lovely recipe is from Chef Mark D’Alessandro. His career has taken many turns, from fishmonger to butcher, line cook to executive sous chef, culinary student to head chef instructor of the first professional kosher culinary arts training program in the U.S., the Center for Kosher Culinary Arts.
Spiced Carrots With Honey
2 lbs. carrots, peeled, cut into 1/ 4-inch rounds
3 oz. coconut oil*
4 green cardamom pods*
1 cinnamon stick
3 whole (if possible) star anise pods*
12 coriander seeds
4 fluid ounces honey (orange blossom preferred)
1 Tbs. orange blossom water
Kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper
Blanch the carrots in boiling, salted water for two minutes. Plunge immediately in ice water. Heat coconut oil in a sauté pan, and toast the spices in the oil as it is melting. Be sure to stir constantly. Sauté the carrots in the oil until nearly tender. Add the honey halfway through the cooking process.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
*Available at most health food stores or Whole Foods Market
I have never been a big lover of pasta/noodles or kugels, until I tasted this one. It was addiction at first bite. When I first had it at my friend Eileen’s, she gave me some to take home. The next morning while rummaging in the refrigerator for breakfast, I spied the leftover kugel and decided to nuke a piece. Around 11 a.m., I needed a snack and nuked another piece. Of course I had to have another for lunch and dinner, and then it was gone.
Now I send the leftovers home with my guests! The secret to this kugel is the tiny noodles. There are not a lot of them, so mostly you are eating a fabulous custard. This can be made lowfat and freezes beautifully. From Simply Irresistible: Easy, Elegant, Fearless, Fussless Cooking (Sheilah Kaufman).
Eileen’s Fabulous Noodle Kugel
8 oz. tiny (soup) noodles
5 large eggs (or egg beaters)
1 lb. cottage cheese (regular or lowfat)
2 cups sour cream (regular or lowfat)
1 cup milk
1 cup sugar
2 sticks butter or margarine, softened to room temperature
8 oz. cream cheese (regular or lowfat), softened to room temperature
Cinnamon to taste
Preheat oven to 450º F. Cook the noodles for five minutes in boiling salted water. Drain well. Let noodles cool to room temperature or they will curdle the eggs. This takes about 20 to 30 minutes, tossing occasionally with a fork.
In a bowl, beat the eggs. Combine the remaining ingredients and stir in the noodles and eggs using a hand beater. Grease an ovenproof 9” x 13” baking dish and pour in the mixture. Sprinkle a little cinnamon on top and bake at 450º for five minutes. This sets the custard.
Reduce heat to 350º and continue baking for another 45–50 minutes or so until lightly browned on top. Freezes beautifully after cooling to room temperature.
Hint: Adding salt to the water when cooking pasta is based on science. The salt raises the boiling point of the water, making it hotter, and cooks the pasta more consistently.
Serves 8 to 12. If using larger pan, can serve 16.
This next recipe seems to be the one that I receive the most requests for. I once had a call from India from a student because she had lost her copy! From Simply Irresistible: Easy, Elegant, Fearless, Fussless Cooking.
Jewish Apple Cake
4 to 6 firm apples, peeled and sliced
2 tsp. cinnamon
2-1/4 cups sugar
3 cups flour
1 Tbs. baking powder
1 cup canola oil
4 large eggs
1/3 cup orange juice
1/2 tsp. salt
2-1/2 tsp. vanilla
Preheat the oven to 350º F, and grease and flour a 10” tube pan. In a medium bowl, combine the apples with the cinnamon and 1/4 cup of the sugar. Set aside.
In a large bowl, with an electric mixer at medium speed, combine the remaining sugar, the flour, baking powder, oil, eggs, orange juice, salt, and the vanilla. Beat just until the batter is smooth.
Pour a small amount of the batter into the prepared pan, and place a layer of the apple slices on top. Continue layering in this fashion, ending with a layer of batter.
Bake at 350º for 1-1/2 hours, or until it tests done.
Cool the cake in its pan for 30 minutes on a wire rack; then turn the cake out onto the rack to cool thoroughly.
Serves 12.
Sheilah Kaufman teaches cooking classes around the country and is currently food editor of the Jewish Women’s International magazine. Find more recipes and information at www.cookingwithsheilah.com.