Old Fashioned Carrot Soup

In our family, when there’s a baby about to be born, we cook a bunch of stuff to freeze so that the tired, sleep-deprived new Mom and Dad don’t have to worry about dinner. My daughters Meredith and Gillian and I make stuff like Spinach Pie, Baked Ziti, Bean Soup and so on, pack them into family-size containers and put them in cold storage until the time comes.

So it’s a good thing we start well ahead because SURPRISE, we got a call at about 4:00 a.m. on September 30th that Gillian was on her way to the birthing center, 17 days before the due date and lickety-split, baby Carina Joy was born before we could even get there.

We are thrilled of course. New babies do that. Carina has a head-full of hair and two fat dimples. Gillian, who worked out almost every day and is fit as ever, is doing well and looks great.

All of this happened suddenly to Gillian and Jesse after a big move and in the middle of pre-school applications for Remy, age 2 (for next year!).

So yesterday I opened the freezer and brought them a few stored items, including this carrot soup. Dinner was all done.

Old Fashioned Carrot Soup

·      2 tablespoons butter or margarine

·      2 tablespoons vegetable oil

·      1 medium onion, coarsely chopped

·      2 pounds carrots, coarsely chopped

·      2 medium all-purpose potatoes, peeled and coarsely chopped

·      1/4 cup chopped parsley

·      2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

·      1-1/2 teaspoons salt, or to taste

·      freshly ground black pepper to taste

·      7 cups vegetable stock

·      pinch of sugar

·      1 cup cream (any kind) or cream substitute

Heat the butter and vegetable oil together in a soup pot over medium heat. When the butter has melted and looks foamy, add the onion and cook for 3-4 minutes or until softened. Add the carrots, potatoes, parsley, dill, salt and pepper and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the stock and sugar. Bring the soup to a simmer. Cook, partially covered, for 45 minutes. Puree the soup in a food processor or blender (or use a hand blender). Return the soup to the pan. Stir in the cream. Heat the soup through and serve.

Makes 6 servings

Best Hummus Ever

Best hummus ever?

That’s what everyone told me Wednesday night at our Break-the-fast. They said it was the best hummus they ever tasted. Also the best texture; smooth but with some graininess; moist but not pasty.

Maybe they were all just hungry? And hummus is the first nibble of food they consumed in 24 hours, the initial tidbit to prepare the stomach before eating dinner?

But I kept it out even during dinner and by the end of the night it was gone, gone gone. Several people took a bit more to eat with the Mujadarah, Spinach Pie, Kugel, chopped salad and egg salad.

So, here’s the recipe. Try it yourself and let me know what you think. 

Btw, hummus stuffed cherry tomatoes is a good treat for Sukkot. 

HUMMUS WITH ZATAR

• 15 ounce can chickpeas

• 2 large cloves garlic

• 1/4 cup tahini

• 1/4 cup lemon juice

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

• 1 teaspoon paprika

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 teaspoon zatar

Drain the chickpeas but reserve the liquid. Place the chickpeas in a food processor. Cut the garlic into smaller chunks and add to the food processor. Add the tahini, lemon juice,   olive oil, parsley, paprika, salt and zatar. Process to combine ingredients into a rough puree. Continue to process while adding some of the reserved liquid though the feed tube until the mixture reaches the desired consistency (approximately 3-6 tablespoons).

Makes about 1-1/2 cups

Apple Cake

Sometimes simple is best. This is the time of year I buy a load of apples and bake pies and fancy cakes and gorgeous French apple tarts.

But, with all the cooking and baking I’m doing now, I also try to make a few really easy desserts that are light and fresh tasting so we can eat them even after a heavy holiday meal.

This one is a classic. Good plain, with a hot cup of coffee or tea. Or with ice cream of course.

I think I could write a whole book about different kinds of apple cake.

Apple Cake

3-4 medium tart apples, peeled, cored and coarsely chopped

1/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1-1/4 cups sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

4 eggs

1/4 cup apple, orange, peach or mango juice

1 teaspoon grated lemon peel

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 10-inch springform pan (or a 9”x13” cake pan). Combine the apples, 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon together in a bowl and set aside. Place the flour, baking powder, salt, 1-1/4 cups sugar and vegetable oil in the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat at medium speed for 2-3 minutes or until thoroughly blended. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Stir in the juice, lemon peel and vanilla extract. Spoon half the batter into the prepared pan. Spoon some of the apple mixture on top. Repeat the layers. Bake for about 65-75 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.

Makes one cake

Corn fritters

Do you ever daydream about foods you haven’t had in a long time?

Like the fried chicken you used to eat but you don’t now because it’s too fattening, too fatty and too messy to make?

Or Mac n’ Cheese the way your Grandma made it, but it doesn’t taste the same since she’s gone?

Or the original Bonomo’s Turkish Taffy that doesn’t taste anything like it used to so you don’t bother?

One of the foods I think about more than occasionally is my Mom’s Corn Fritters. Crispy outside, soft and puffy within, and loaded with corn. Great for breakfast, lunch or dinner. With a little real maple syrup.

It’s an indulgence, to be sure, so I don’t make them too often. But I just had to have some yesterday. I had been thinking about them, mostly because I had some corn left over from a few extra cobs I cooked over the weekend.

So I made some. I changed one important ingredient though. I switched from dairy milk to coconut milk. UNSWEETENED refrigerator case coconut milk (not canned).

The fritters were vaguely sweeter, but every bit as wonderful, delicate, crispy-edged and perfect. I think Mom would approve.

CORN FRITTERS

2 tablespoons margarine or butter

1 large egg

1 cup coconut milk (or use regular, whole milk)

2 cups cooked corn kernels (about 4 ears of corn)

1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon sugar

1-1/4 teaspoons salt (or to taste)

margarine/butter/vegetable oil for frying

maple syrup, optional

Melt the butter and set it aside to cool. In a bowl, beat the egg and coconut milk together. Stir in the cooled melted butter and the corn kernels. In a second bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt; add this to the corn mixture and stir ingredients gently to blend them together. Heat enough margarine, butter and/or vegetable oil in a saute pan over medium heat. When the fat has melted and looks foamy (or the vegetable oil is hot), drop the corn batter by the 1/4-cupful. Cook for about 2 minutes or until the bottom has browned. Flip the pancakes and cook for another 2 minutes or until the second side is brown. Serve with maple syrup if desired.

Makes 6-8 servings

Imam Bayildi

Need a good side dish? Imam Bayildi is one of my favorite go-to recipes whenever I am at a loss. It’s a good family dish and also works for company. 

I learned to make Imam Bayildi years ago when I was working on an article for eggplant. I found a recipe and the name of the dish, translated, was so intriguing — “the Imam fainted” — I had to try it. If only because, as the story goes, the Imam (an Islamic clergyman or spiritual leader) who first ate this dish was so delighted that he passed out from joy.

Well, whether the tale is apocryphal or not, this dish is very very good. And what’s more, you can serve it hot, warm or at room temp, so you can either get it together in advance and cook it for dinner, or make the whole thing in advance and serve it for dinner.

It’s also a good item for a vegetarian meal (I like it accompanied by scrambled eggs or mushroom ragout).

This year during Passover I made this dish for dinner and used leeks instead of the usual onions. My family liked it even better this way, so here’s the recipe.

Btw, a tumblr reader once told me she added olives to the dish when she made it. I’ve tried that and it is delicious! So, add some olives if you like — black, pitted olives make the dish even more colorful.

Imam Bayildi

• 1 medium eggplant

• salt

• 1/2 cup olive oil

• 3 medium leeks, cleaned and sliced

• 2 large cloves garlic, chopped

• 3 large tomatoes, deseeded and chopped

• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

• 1 teaspoon sugar

• 1 teaspoon salt or to taste

• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

• 1/3 cup water

Cut the eggplant into slices about 3/8-inch thick. Sprinkle with salt and let rest for 30 minutes. Wipe the eggplant slices dry with paper towels. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Heat one tablespoon olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Cook the eggplant slices a few at a time for 2-3 minutes per side or until slightly wilted. Add more olive oil to the pan as needed to prevent scorching (use 4-5 tablespoons more if needed). Place the cooked eggplant into a baking dish (cut it into smaller pieces if you wish). Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to the pan. Add the leeks and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the tomatoes, parsley, sugar, salt and lemon juice. Cook for one minute, stirring frequently. Spoon the vegetables on top of the eggplant. Drizzle with any remaining olive oil and the water. Cover the pan and bake for 45 minutes. Serve hot, warm or at room temperature.

Makes 6-8 servings

How to Braid a 6-strand Challah

Baking challah? I posted my recipe last week and later realized that a lot of people don’t know how to braid a challah. A cousin of mine called a while ago to confirm that fact. She had wanted to make a challah but didn’t know how to make the bread look professional.

Btw, her name is Jenny Rosenstrach and she is a food writer and blogger, with a terrific book about getting dinner to the table every day (Time for Dinner) and book coming in June called Dinner: a Love Story and a wonderful, family-oriented blog with the same name: Dinner: a Love Story.

She wasn’t the first to consider the whole braiding issue (plus how to make a round challah at holiday time).

So I decided to tell you all how to do it.

I myself became a “pro” not to long ago, I should confess. I had been to a bakery on a tour with one of the women’s groups I belong to. The baker zipped through the braiding so fast it reminded me of those old time black and white movies where people are walking but they look as if they’re running. So we asked him to show us again but of course it was a “show” not a real instruction lesson so he went even faster the next time and no one figured it out.

I always made challah with a standard three-strand braid.

Then I found someone who showed how to do it on Youtube. I don’t remember which version it was or I would mention it here. But my eldest grand child and I were watching and trying to braid the challah as we watched. We had to stop the computer after each step so we could write it all down (and of course we got flour crumbs all over the keyboard) but we finally did get it right.

The next time we made a challah together he remembered it all.

I had to get my instruction sheet out and do it step by step.

I finally got it (after several times).

Okay, you can make a regular three-strand braided challah, the way I had done for years and years. The challah is still delicious. That kind of braid is like braiding someone’s hair. Left over middle, right over middle, left over middle, right over middle, etc.

But, making a 6-strand braid is a little more complicated.

Here’s how:

Lay the six strands alongside each other and press the strands together at the top to seal the top edge. Then braid the strands as follows:

1. far right strand all the way over to the left

2. former far left strand all the way over to the right

3. the now far left strand into the middle

4. the second from right strand all the way over to the left

5. the now far right into the middle

6. the second from the left all the way over to the right

7. the now far left into the middle

8. repeat 4 through 7 as many times as necessary to use up the strands

9. press the strands together at the bottom

Good luck! And enjoy.

Egyptian Hummus with Tahini

What’s the most popular hors d’oeuvre?

I think it has to be hummus. I don’t have any scientific proof but I once counted the kinds of hummus sold at one of my local supermarkets and stopped when I reached 38.

Thirty-eight kinds of hummus? That’s almost as many varieties as potato chips!

Of course there aren’t actually 38 different flavors. There are several brands and some of them are the same flavor, brand to brand — like garlic flavored or spicy, olive, tahini.

But there are also some that I will call post-modern versions because I can’t think of another word for it. Like Sabra’s chipotle or Buffalo style hummus or Tribe’s hummus topped with Cilantro Chimichurri. Wow, that’s what I call fusion cuisine!

Sorry, but when it comes to certain foods, I am a purist. Like with hummus.

In Egypt, hummus is still blessedly kind of pure and simple, so I’ve been eating it every day with breakfast and dinner. It’s basic stuff: pureed chickpeas mixed with spices, olive oil and lots of tahini. Mix it all up in a food processor, garnish with a drizzle of olive oil and a few cooked chickpeas and it’s yummy enough. You don’t need to make it more complex or add any sauce or topping. That way you can actually taste the hummus.

Try this version — it’s easy to make, cheaper than store-bought and you won’t have to make a decision about which of the 38 (or more) flavors to buy.

Egyptian Hummus with Tahini

• 1 pound can chickpeas
• 1/3 cup tahini
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
• pita bread

Drain the chickpeas but reserve the liquid. Set aside a tablespoon of chickpeas. Place the remaining chickpeas in a food processor with the tahini, 2 tablespoons olive oil, lime juice, garlic, salt and 1/4 cup of the reserved bean liquid. Process until the ingredients form a smooth puree (turn the machine off and scrape the sides of the work bowl once or twice). If you prefer a thinner hummus, add some more of the bean liquid. Spoon the hummus into a serving bowl. Garnish with the remaining tablespoon olive oil and the reserved chick peas.

Makes about 1-1/2 cups

Egg Salad — My Go-To Staple

Egg Salad — My Go-To Staple

The kids are coming for the holiday weekend, so I’ve just made some egg salad. There’s always egg salad in my fridge. It’s like having salt and pepper in the cabinet, a no-brainer nibble. I make egg salad because everyone eats it. On a sandwich or crackers or cucumber slices or just plain on the plate. For lunch or as a snack or even for breakfast. 

Egg salad is my all-purpose go-to dish.

My son-in-law Jesse teases me about it. He rolls his eyes when he sees the fresh batch in the fridge. But then he takes it out and has some. If there weren’t any egg salad there he’d be upset that something was wrong.

I’ve tasted all sorts of egg salad over the years. My mother made it with onion and sometimes cooked potato. That was delicious. I’ve tasted egg salad with fresh dill. That’s good too. And there have been tastes of egg salad with olive, tuna, salmon, cooked peas and carrots and so on.

All good. But not plain old egg salad. I am an egg salad purist. I like it plain and always make it the same way. People say they like it because it’s dry, not overly loaded with mayonnaise — I use a microplane to crush the hard cooked eggs (you use less mayo that way). The only thing I change is the dish I serve it in. 

Everyone loves my egg salad, which is basically this: 

Egg Salad

• 8 hard cooked eggs
• 2-1/2 to 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1-2 teaspoons Dijon mustard if you must

Crush the eggs using the finest grater possible (microplane is best) into a bowl. Add 2-1/2 tablespoons mayonnaise, season with salt, pepper (and mustard if you like it) and mix with a fork. Add slightly more mayonnaise if the egg crumbles don’t hold together.

Makes 4 servings

What to cook when it's just me for dinner

My husband won’t be home for dinner tonight so it’s just me. So this can be a delicious night of something that only I like to eat. Or it can be a night of picking tidbits from the fridge and thinking I am eating nothing but actually consuming millions of calories.

My husband Ed likes almost everything I cook, so looking for something he doesn’t like but that I do is nearly impossible. I am not complaining here. His good humor about dinner is a blessing.

But cooking for one shouldn’t be a lonely, burdensome deal. Better for it to be a guilty pleasure of sorts.

Maybe I’ll make meatloaf. Ed hates meatloaf. He always hated it and keeps telling us the story about how his grandmother made meatloaf for him and hid it under the spaghetti, which he did like, so that when he got to the bottom of the pile of pasta, there it was, a slab of beef he had to eat because his grandmother was watching.

His aunt Alice, who was also at the house on occasion would say “Ma, you know Eddie doesn’t like meatloaf!” To which grandma would insist that Eddie did.

When Ed and I were married he made me promise never to make meatloaf. He’s one of the only men I know who really doesn’t like it despite what his grandmother said.

So, because I can’t think of anything else he hates, I guess I’ll make meatloaf because I love it. Especially the next day, cold, on a sandwich with ketchup.

I hate ketchup. But that’s another story for another day.

Meatloaf

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 stalk celery, finely chopped
• 2/3 cup fresh bread crumbs
• 1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup water
• 2-3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1/2 pound ground veal
• 1/2 pound ground turkey
• 1 large egg
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 cup bottled chili sauce, optional

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Heat the olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add the onion and celery and cook for 3-4 minutes or until the vegetables are soft. Set aside to cool. In a large bowl, combine the bread crumbs, tomato sauce and water and let soak until all the liquid has been absorbed. Add the beef, veal, turkey, egg, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, salt and pepper and the cooled vegetables. Mix gently but thoroughly to distribute the ingredients evenly. Place the mixture in a loaf pan (or shape the mixture into a large oval and place it in a roasting pan). Bake for 30 minutes. Top with the chili sauce, if desired and bake for another 30 minutes.

Makes 6 servings

Imam Bayildi with Onions

Passover will feel a little strange for me this year. I’m used to having lots of grownups and a bunch of kid cousins, a crowded dining room with tables that spill into the entryway, a ton of food, crayon-friendly placemats for the little ones, plus puppets and other props we use to keep the children occupied and interested during the Haggadah reading.

But families get bigger as the years go by and people move and somehow — it seems this happens to so many people — the time comes when families separate and have their own Seders. That’s what’s happening to me this year.

It’s been my gig for more than 25 years. In the early days when my generation were the young ones with children, there were a couple of times when my sister-in-law Barbara had a Seder. And two or three times we went to my brother Jeff’s house for Passover. And once we even had a Seder at a restaurant with extended family. I hated that.

My Mom had the Seders before I took over. Now I understand how she felt when my aunt Min called one year before Passover and told her that their family had become so big (4 children had married and had kids) they couldn’t burden my Mom anymore and would have their own.

But we’ll still celebrate. Still read the Haggadah. Still have the Seder plate and sing the songs and hide the afikomen and pour the cup of wine for Elijah. Passover is a joyous holiday. A time to be happy that so many of us are still together, celebrating together, appreciating our lives and being grateful for what we have. Isn’t that what the Haggadah really tells us? To read about the journey to freedom and be thankful for it?

A Thanksgiving of sorts. 

In fact, when my son-in-law Jesse asks what I’m serving and I tell him “turkey” he answers, “oh, Thanksgiving.”

Sort of. My Passover menu always centers around turkey. My mother made turkey. My grandmother made turkey. There’s also cranberry sauce. But that’s where the Thanksgiving comparison ends. Obviously there won’t be pie or bread stuffing!

Of course there will still be a ton of other food. Like most families, we will repeat our favorite menu, although I can’t help but add a few things here and there and experiment with a few dishes so we always wind up with days worth of leftovers.

One of the constant dishes in my menu is Imam Bayildi, which is braised eggplant with tomatoes. It’s a good side dish and you can make it a day or so ahead. Also, it’s the kind of dish you can eat hot, warm or at room temperature. If there’s a vegetarian in your life, this dish is also a winner.

So, smaller Seder or whatever, we are going to celebrate and wish everyone a Happy Passover.

Here’s the recipe:

Imam Bayildi

• 1 medium eggplant
• salt
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 2 large cloves garlic, chopped
• 3 large tomatoes, deseeded and chopped
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/3 cup water

Cut the eggplant into slices about 3/8-inch thick. Sprinkle with salt and let rest for 30 minutes. Wipe the eggplant slices dry with paper towels. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Heat one tablespoon olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Cook the eggplant slices a few at a time for 2-3 minutes per side or until slightly wilted. Add more olive oil to the pan as needed to prevent scorching (use 4-5 tablespoons more if needed). Place the cooked eggplant into a baking dish (cut it into smaller pieces if you wish). Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to the pan. Add the onions and cook for 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the tomatoes, parsley, sugar, salt and lemon juice. Cook for one minute, stirring frequently. Spoon the vegetables on top of the eggplant. Drizzle with any remaining olive oil and the water. Cover the pan and bake for 45 minutes. Serve hot, warm or at room temperature.

Makes 6-8 servings