This week marks an important birthday. On April 30, 1952 Mr. Potato Head was born. He originally arrived with a styrofoam head, accessories for making your very own face, and suggestions to use fresh fruit and vegetables instead of the styrofoam.
Children in the inner cities, including myself, didn’t understand the fresh fruit and vegetable part, so we used the styrofoam over and over until it fell apart.
The next year, Mr. Potato Head met and married Mrs. Potato Head. Brother Spud and Sister Yam soon followed. I remember Mrs. Potato Head because I was thrilled with the jewelry and purses included in the accessories, but I don’t recall the potato children at all.
A few years later, realizing the styrofoam wasn’t working too well, Hasbro substituted a plastic body in the kit.
Mr. Potato Head pursued a political career, getting four write-in votes in the 1985 mayoral election in Boise, Idaho.
He also became politically correct when the American Cancer Society convinced Hasbro to eliminate the pipe from the accessory kit. When he quit smoking in 1987, he became the official “spokespud” for the American Cancer Society’s Great American Smokeout.
When the last Star Wars movie was released last year, Hasbro created a new version of Mr. Potato Head called Darth Tater. Princess Tater should be released this month.
There’s a lot to be said about the popularity of potatoes. It’s difficult to make cream of potato soup without potatoes, and when you’re not sure what side dish to serve, potatoes come to the rescue. You can’t go wrong with garlic-mashed potatoes or steak fries. And, don’t get me started on potato salad!
So, happy birthday, Mr. Potato Head, and may the force be with you.
Potato and Cheese Croquettes
When I was a child, I was thrilled when we had leftover mashed potatoes, because that meant that my mom would be making potato croquettes the next day. Hers were a simple affair, made with leftover mashed potatoes, Parmesan cheese, eggs, and breadcrumbs. This recipe is a bit updated with the addition of Gruyere cheese. Other cheese works just as well. Use gouda or cheddar, if you like. If you have leftover mashed potatoes, you could eliminate the step of sautéing potatoes and onion from scratch.
2 tablespoons plus 1/2 cup vegetable oil
One large russet potato, unpeeled and cubed
1 small onion, chopped
1- 1/4 cups packed grated Gruyere or Swiss cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon or 2 teaspoons dried
1- 1/2 tablespoons minced bread and butter pickles (optional)
1 large egg yolk
2 large eggs
3 cups breadcrumbs
Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add potato and onion. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Sauté until vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.
Transfer to a bowl. Cool completely. Mix next 4 ingredients into potato mixture. Using moistened hands, form about 1/4 cup of the mixture into a log 3x1-inches long. Chill until firm, about 1 hour. This helps with dipping the croquettes in egg and breadcrumb.
Whisk eggs in medium bowl. Place breadcrumbs in pie dish. Dip each croquette into eggs, then coat with breadcrumbs, pressing to adhere. Chill 1 hour. Heat 1/2 cup oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Working in batches, add croquettes to skillet and cook until crisp and golden brown, turning occasionally, about 8 minutes. Transfer to paper towels and drain. Serve hot or at room temperature. Makes about 10 croquettes.
Thursday, April 27, 2006
Thursday, April 20, 2006
The Yolks on You!
Passover and Easter have come and gone, and in their wake, we are left with a multitude of hard-cooked eggs—that symbol of life, fertility, and hope everlasting.
The woeful egg has come under attack over the years for being too abundant in cholesterol. However, things have calmed down, and now it is okay to indulge—in moderation, that is.
I happen to like eggs when cooked properly and tastefully, and have pretty much pooh-poohed the medical profession’s warning on eating too many eggs—one a week and all that. Go ahead, turn me in; it is worth it—omelets, soufflés, custards, waffles—I eat them all.
I’ve always wondered about the brave soul who first had the idea to eat an egg. Let’s face it, cracked and placed on a dish as is; it’s not very appealing.
Authorities on the subject claim that as early as 1500 B.C. the Chinese bred chickens for sport and food. What they prized were the roosters for cock fights. The hens were kept caged to lay eggs to produce more roosters.
Somewhere along the way, someone wise and daring ate one of those eggs and found it to be delicious.
If a hen were left to her own devices, she would probably lay only one brood of eggs in the spring of the year, and no more.
Normally, a hen will produce only one egg per day, but the prudent farmer promptly takes the single egg from the hen and ships it to market. The hen, trying to accumulate her brood, keeps replacing the lost one with another. She has hope eternal welling up in her tender naïve breast. How cruel the modern farmer—he tricks the hen with lights that resemble sunlight, and steals her eggs, forcing the hen to lay more eggs than fowlly possible.
So, here we are with all these eggs; some gaily colored and hard-boiled, and some just plain old hard-boiled. What to do? Eat them, of course. And, here’s how.
Warm Asparagus with Eggs Mimosa
2 hard-cooked eggs, peeled
1 tablespoon wine vinegar
1 shallot, minced
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
2- 1/4 pounds asparagus spears
In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, shallot, olive oil, salt and pepper. Set the vinaigrette aside.
Press the cooked and peeled eggs through a coarse sieve into a bowl, or chop them by hand. Set aside.
Snap off the tough stem ends from the asparagus spears and discard. Using a vegetable peeled, peel the bottom 3 inches of each asparagus spear to remove tough outer skin. (If your asparagus spears are pencil thin, you don’t need to peel the bottoms.) Bring a large skillet pan filled with salted water to a boil. Add the asparagus; reduce the heat to medium and cook just until tender, 4 to 6 minutes.
Using tongs, carefully transfer the asparagus to a double thickness of paper towels to drain briefly, then arrange the spears on a warmed platter or on individual plates. Drizzle the vinaigrette over the warm asparagus, distributing it evenly. Sprinkle the eggs over the center of the asparagus spears and serve immediately. Serves 6.
Tuna, Tomato and Olive Sandwich
This sandwich is essentially a salade niçoise on a roll, a specialty of Nice. In fact, niçoise means, “As prepared in Nice.” Fillings may vary, but tuna is nearly always included, as are tomatoes and olive. It is sold from storefront sandwich shops along the Promenade des Anglais bordering the Mediterranean.
4 large round chewy bread rolls
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
4 ounces water or oil-packed tuna
1 green bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
2 tomatoes, thinly sliced
2 hard-cooked eggs, peeled and sliced
12 anchovy fillets
16 pitted niçoise (oil-cured) olives
4 to 6 lettuce leaves
Slice the rolls in half horizontally. Sprinkle the cut sides evenly with the olive oil and vinegar.
Drain the tuna and place it in a bowl. Using a fork, flake the tuna into smallish pieces. Divide evenly among the bottom halves of the rolls. Then evenly divide the bell pepper, tomatoes, eggs, anchovy fillets, and olive among them. Cover the filling with the lettuce. Put the roll tops in place and serve. Serves 4.
The woeful egg has come under attack over the years for being too abundant in cholesterol. However, things have calmed down, and now it is okay to indulge—in moderation, that is.
I happen to like eggs when cooked properly and tastefully, and have pretty much pooh-poohed the medical profession’s warning on eating too many eggs—one a week and all that. Go ahead, turn me in; it is worth it—omelets, soufflés, custards, waffles—I eat them all.
I’ve always wondered about the brave soul who first had the idea to eat an egg. Let’s face it, cracked and placed on a dish as is; it’s not very appealing.
Authorities on the subject claim that as early as 1500 B.C. the Chinese bred chickens for sport and food. What they prized were the roosters for cock fights. The hens were kept caged to lay eggs to produce more roosters.
Somewhere along the way, someone wise and daring ate one of those eggs and found it to be delicious.
If a hen were left to her own devices, she would probably lay only one brood of eggs in the spring of the year, and no more.
Normally, a hen will produce only one egg per day, but the prudent farmer promptly takes the single egg from the hen and ships it to market. The hen, trying to accumulate her brood, keeps replacing the lost one with another. She has hope eternal welling up in her tender naïve breast. How cruel the modern farmer—he tricks the hen with lights that resemble sunlight, and steals her eggs, forcing the hen to lay more eggs than fowlly possible.
So, here we are with all these eggs; some gaily colored and hard-boiled, and some just plain old hard-boiled. What to do? Eat them, of course. And, here’s how.
Warm Asparagus with Eggs Mimosa
2 hard-cooked eggs, peeled
1 tablespoon wine vinegar
1 shallot, minced
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
2- 1/4 pounds asparagus spears
In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, shallot, olive oil, salt and pepper. Set the vinaigrette aside.
Press the cooked and peeled eggs through a coarse sieve into a bowl, or chop them by hand. Set aside.
Snap off the tough stem ends from the asparagus spears and discard. Using a vegetable peeled, peel the bottom 3 inches of each asparagus spear to remove tough outer skin. (If your asparagus spears are pencil thin, you don’t need to peel the bottoms.) Bring a large skillet pan filled with salted water to a boil. Add the asparagus; reduce the heat to medium and cook just until tender, 4 to 6 minutes.
Using tongs, carefully transfer the asparagus to a double thickness of paper towels to drain briefly, then arrange the spears on a warmed platter or on individual plates. Drizzle the vinaigrette over the warm asparagus, distributing it evenly. Sprinkle the eggs over the center of the asparagus spears and serve immediately. Serves 6.
Tuna, Tomato and Olive Sandwich
This sandwich is essentially a salade niçoise on a roll, a specialty of Nice. In fact, niçoise means, “As prepared in Nice.” Fillings may vary, but tuna is nearly always included, as are tomatoes and olive. It is sold from storefront sandwich shops along the Promenade des Anglais bordering the Mediterranean.
4 large round chewy bread rolls
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
4 ounces water or oil-packed tuna
1 green bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
2 tomatoes, thinly sliced
2 hard-cooked eggs, peeled and sliced
12 anchovy fillets
16 pitted niçoise (oil-cured) olives
4 to 6 lettuce leaves
Slice the rolls in half horizontally. Sprinkle the cut sides evenly with the olive oil and vinegar.
Drain the tuna and place it in a bowl. Using a fork, flake the tuna into smallish pieces. Divide evenly among the bottom halves of the rolls. Then evenly divide the bell pepper, tomatoes, eggs, anchovy fillets, and olive among them. Cover the filling with the lettuce. Put the roll tops in place and serve. Serves 4.
Thursday, April 13, 2006
Baking Easter Memories
Spring heralds a host of religious holidays, and just as budding flowers and trees rejoice in physical rebirth, Easter celebrates hope and the renewal of the spirit.
Foods and specialty dishes are an integral part of holidays, and Easter has some wonderful ones. The Italians prepare wonderful rustic and savory pies for Easter, such as pizza rustica di pasqua, which is ham, salami and mozzarella cheese filled pie. Don’t let the word pizza confuse you; pizza means pie in Italian. Another pie is pizza di scarola, an escarole pie, and one of my favorites. On the sweet side is the ricotta pie and grain pie.
The Italian grain pie is made with soft wheat berries, and though it doesn’t sound very appetizing, it is not to be missed. All my life, I always thought the little nibs in the pie were tapioca, since it looked just like tapioca. It wasn’t until a few years ago that I discovered the grain in the pie were wheat berries.
The English have their Easter specialty, as well. Hot cross buns have been associated with Easter since Tudor times when they were traditionally made on Good Friday to be eaten over the holiday weekend.
Every family has their own recipe for these sweet breads, but I love them when they are filled with currants and glacéed fruit.
The French have a rich dessert called blancmange, which is a molded custard thickened with ground almonds, and flavored with kirsch. This recipe has been found in mediaeval manuscripts.
In Russia, a nut and fruit-filled yeast cake called kulich is served during Easter. The classic kulich contains glacéed fruit, almonds, and raisins.
This sweet bread is baked in a special pan that is tall and cylindrical like a coffee can. When the cake is finished baking, it is decorated with white frosting drizzled down the sides. On the side, spelled out in pieces of glacéed fruit, were the letter XB, representing the Cyrillic letters for “Christos voskres” (Christ is risen).
Accompanying the kulich is a sweet cheese spread called paskha, which is carefully molded in a triangular shape. The letters XB are also inscribed on this creation.
Whichever sweet or savory bread you’re baking this Easter, may your holiday be filled with the love of family and friends, and may this spring raise your spirits.
Russian Easter Kulich
2 1/2 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons yeast
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup butter
1 egg
2 egg yolks
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup currants
1 tablespoon rum or sherry
1/4 cup slivered almonds
Glaze:
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
1- 1/2 teaspoons milk
Butter a 2-lb. coffee can. Fold a double sheet of aluminum foil around the top of the can to extend it about 2 inches.
Soak raisins and currants in the sherry for about 1/2 hour before beginning dough.
Combine yeast, 1 cup flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl of an electric mixer. Heat milk and butter until butter is melted and mixture is very warm, but not boiling. Pour milk mixture into dry ingredients with mixer slowly running, then beat until smooth. Beat in eggs, egg yolks, and lemon zest. Gradually add remaining flour, beating well after each addition. Beat in almonds and sherry-soaked raisins and currants.
Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and satiny. Place in a lightly greased bowl, cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours.
Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead a few times. Shape dough into a ball and place in the greased 2-pound coffee can. Loosely cover top of can with plastic wrap or foil and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, or until dough almost reaches the top of the can.
Bake in a preheated 400° oven for 15 minutes, reduce the heat to 350° and continue baking for another 35 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean and the loaf sounds hollow when thumped. Let cool on a wire rack, remove from can after about 10 minutes and let cool completely before glazing.
To mix glaze, blend confectioners’ sugar and milk until smooth. Spread glaze over the top, letting it drizzle down the sides.
To serve, cut off the frosted crown and place in the center of a serving plate. Cut remaining loaf lengthwise, then in half crosswise, and arrange on plate around the cut top.
Foods and specialty dishes are an integral part of holidays, and Easter has some wonderful ones. The Italians prepare wonderful rustic and savory pies for Easter, such as pizza rustica di pasqua, which is ham, salami and mozzarella cheese filled pie. Don’t let the word pizza confuse you; pizza means pie in Italian. Another pie is pizza di scarola, an escarole pie, and one of my favorites. On the sweet side is the ricotta pie and grain pie.
The Italian grain pie is made with soft wheat berries, and though it doesn’t sound very appetizing, it is not to be missed. All my life, I always thought the little nibs in the pie were tapioca, since it looked just like tapioca. It wasn’t until a few years ago that I discovered the grain in the pie were wheat berries.
The English have their Easter specialty, as well. Hot cross buns have been associated with Easter since Tudor times when they were traditionally made on Good Friday to be eaten over the holiday weekend.
Every family has their own recipe for these sweet breads, but I love them when they are filled with currants and glacéed fruit.
The French have a rich dessert called blancmange, which is a molded custard thickened with ground almonds, and flavored with kirsch. This recipe has been found in mediaeval manuscripts.
In Russia, a nut and fruit-filled yeast cake called kulich is served during Easter. The classic kulich contains glacéed fruit, almonds, and raisins.
This sweet bread is baked in a special pan that is tall and cylindrical like a coffee can. When the cake is finished baking, it is decorated with white frosting drizzled down the sides. On the side, spelled out in pieces of glacéed fruit, were the letter XB, representing the Cyrillic letters for “Christos voskres” (Christ is risen).
Accompanying the kulich is a sweet cheese spread called paskha, which is carefully molded in a triangular shape. The letters XB are also inscribed on this creation.
Whichever sweet or savory bread you’re baking this Easter, may your holiday be filled with the love of family and friends, and may this spring raise your spirits.
Russian Easter Kulich
2 1/2 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons yeast
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup butter
1 egg
2 egg yolks
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup currants
1 tablespoon rum or sherry
1/4 cup slivered almonds
Glaze:
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
1- 1/2 teaspoons milk
Butter a 2-lb. coffee can. Fold a double sheet of aluminum foil around the top of the can to extend it about 2 inches.
Soak raisins and currants in the sherry for about 1/2 hour before beginning dough.
Combine yeast, 1 cup flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl of an electric mixer. Heat milk and butter until butter is melted and mixture is very warm, but not boiling. Pour milk mixture into dry ingredients with mixer slowly running, then beat until smooth. Beat in eggs, egg yolks, and lemon zest. Gradually add remaining flour, beating well after each addition. Beat in almonds and sherry-soaked raisins and currants.
Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and satiny. Place in a lightly greased bowl, cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours.
Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead a few times. Shape dough into a ball and place in the greased 2-pound coffee can. Loosely cover top of can with plastic wrap or foil and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, or until dough almost reaches the top of the can.
Bake in a preheated 400° oven for 15 minutes, reduce the heat to 350° and continue baking for another 35 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean and the loaf sounds hollow when thumped. Let cool on a wire rack, remove from can after about 10 minutes and let cool completely before glazing.
To mix glaze, blend confectioners’ sugar and milk until smooth. Spread glaze over the top, letting it drizzle down the sides.
To serve, cut off the frosted crown and place in the center of a serving plate. Cut remaining loaf lengthwise, then in half crosswise, and arrange on plate around the cut top.
Thursday, April 06, 2006
40 Years in the Desert
Passover begins at sundown on April 12. I look forward to this holiday each year because it’s a time for a little bit of sacrificing. Although it may be minor, the sacrifice is still challenging.
During the eight days of Passover, no leaven (bread) products can be eaten, and that would include crackers, and breadcrumbs.
This ban would also exclude anything made from the five major grains (wheat, rye, barley, oats, and spelt). The only grain product permitted is matzo. Matzo is unleavened bread, made simply from flour and water and cooked very quickly. This is the bread that the Jews made for their flight from Egypt.
Necessity is the mother of invention and very inventive ways have been devised to use matzo for cooking: matzo flour (finely ground for cakes and cookies), matzo meal (coarsely ground as a breadcrumb substitute), matzo farfel (little chunks as a stuffing substitute), and full-sized matzos as a bread substitute.
I find that this is a great time to follow a low-carb diet for 2 weeks. Bread and pasta are already taken out of the equation for me because of Passover restrictions; if I just don’t overdo it with the matzo, I’ll do fine.
Therefore, on the days leading up to the beginning of Passover, I start looking for recipes exclusive of bread, bread products, and pasta.
There are the usual standbys of sautéed or baked unbreaded chicken, meat or fish. Dinner is usually taken care of, and flourless chocolate cake or coconut macaroons are yummy for dessert; it’s breakfast and lunch that is a challenge. Included are some ideas. However, I’m always on the lookout for new Passover dishes. Please send them along, if you’d like to share.
Hopefully at the end of Passover, I’ll be closer to enlightenment and ten pounds lighter.
Breakfast Matzo Brie
Some cooks make this savory; I like it sweetened. If you’d rather have it more omelet-like, eliminate the brown sugar and cinnamon and add salt and pepper to taste, and some sautéed garlic and onions if you like.
1 matzo
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon brown sugar
Pinch of cinnamon
Break matzo in a large bowl and pour hot water over it to cover. After a minute or two, pour off water, squeeze excess water out and add the beaten egg, sugar and cinnamon; mix well.
Melt a little butter in a skillet and add the mixture all at once; flatten out into a large pancake. You can cut it in the pan while it is cooking, or make smaller individual one. Flip it when it starts to get crusty underneath. Don’t worry if you can’t flip it all at once; not many people can.
Cook through on the other side until it’s cooked, but still soft. Serve immediately with maple syrup, jam or brown sugar sprinkled on top.
Los Angeles Caponata
Something for lunch, serve this with matzo, lettuce leaves, or on cucumber rounds.
3 pounds eggplant, unpeeled
1 red or yellow bell pepper, cored and sliced julienne
2 medium onions, peeled and thinly sliced
4 medium tomatoes or 2 cups canned plum tomatoes, drained and chopped
6 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
Dash of freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Matzo, lettuce leaves or cucumber rounds for serving
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons pine nuts
Slice the eggplant lengthwise and then into 1/2-inch half-moon slices. If using fresh tomatoes, peel them, remove seeds, core and cut into small chunks.
Place 3 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large skillet. Sauté the sliced onions and pepper until the onions are just wilted, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and eggplant. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the eggplant is tender, about 10 minutes. Add salt, sugar, oregano, and pepper; stir, and cook 2 minutes more.
Remove from heat and gently stir in the chopped tomatoes. Transfer to a large bowl; mix in the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil and the lemon juice. Chill at least 4 hours. Serve chilled on lettuce leaves sprinkled with fresh parsley and pine nuts. Serves 8.
Mock Chopped Liver
This is a standard dish served at the Seder dinner, but delicious any time before and afterwards. Some cooks make this with green beans instead of mushrooms.
1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
3 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup chopped walnuts
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon water
Sauté the mushrooms and onion in the oil over medium heat until onion is translucent.
Turn into a blender or food processor container; add the walnuts, salt and pepper, and water. Process until blended but not too smooth. Serve as a spread with matzo or cucumber rounds. Makes 1 cup.
During the eight days of Passover, no leaven (bread) products can be eaten, and that would include crackers, and breadcrumbs.
This ban would also exclude anything made from the five major grains (wheat, rye, barley, oats, and spelt). The only grain product permitted is matzo. Matzo is unleavened bread, made simply from flour and water and cooked very quickly. This is the bread that the Jews made for their flight from Egypt.
Necessity is the mother of invention and very inventive ways have been devised to use matzo for cooking: matzo flour (finely ground for cakes and cookies), matzo meal (coarsely ground as a breadcrumb substitute), matzo farfel (little chunks as a stuffing substitute), and full-sized matzos as a bread substitute.
I find that this is a great time to follow a low-carb diet for 2 weeks. Bread and pasta are already taken out of the equation for me because of Passover restrictions; if I just don’t overdo it with the matzo, I’ll do fine.
Therefore, on the days leading up to the beginning of Passover, I start looking for recipes exclusive of bread, bread products, and pasta.
There are the usual standbys of sautéed or baked unbreaded chicken, meat or fish. Dinner is usually taken care of, and flourless chocolate cake or coconut macaroons are yummy for dessert; it’s breakfast and lunch that is a challenge. Included are some ideas. However, I’m always on the lookout for new Passover dishes. Please send them along, if you’d like to share.
Hopefully at the end of Passover, I’ll be closer to enlightenment and ten pounds lighter.
Breakfast Matzo Brie
Some cooks make this savory; I like it sweetened. If you’d rather have it more omelet-like, eliminate the brown sugar and cinnamon and add salt and pepper to taste, and some sautéed garlic and onions if you like.
1 matzo
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon brown sugar
Pinch of cinnamon
Break matzo in a large bowl and pour hot water over it to cover. After a minute or two, pour off water, squeeze excess water out and add the beaten egg, sugar and cinnamon; mix well.
Melt a little butter in a skillet and add the mixture all at once; flatten out into a large pancake. You can cut it in the pan while it is cooking, or make smaller individual one. Flip it when it starts to get crusty underneath. Don’t worry if you can’t flip it all at once; not many people can.
Cook through on the other side until it’s cooked, but still soft. Serve immediately with maple syrup, jam or brown sugar sprinkled on top.
Los Angeles Caponata
Something for lunch, serve this with matzo, lettuce leaves, or on cucumber rounds.
3 pounds eggplant, unpeeled
1 red or yellow bell pepper, cored and sliced julienne
2 medium onions, peeled and thinly sliced
4 medium tomatoes or 2 cups canned plum tomatoes, drained and chopped
6 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
Dash of freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Matzo, lettuce leaves or cucumber rounds for serving
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons pine nuts
Slice the eggplant lengthwise and then into 1/2-inch half-moon slices. If using fresh tomatoes, peel them, remove seeds, core and cut into small chunks.
Place 3 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large skillet. Sauté the sliced onions and pepper until the onions are just wilted, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and eggplant. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the eggplant is tender, about 10 minutes. Add salt, sugar, oregano, and pepper; stir, and cook 2 minutes more.
Remove from heat and gently stir in the chopped tomatoes. Transfer to a large bowl; mix in the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil and the lemon juice. Chill at least 4 hours. Serve chilled on lettuce leaves sprinkled with fresh parsley and pine nuts. Serves 8.
Mock Chopped Liver
This is a standard dish served at the Seder dinner, but delicious any time before and afterwards. Some cooks make this with green beans instead of mushrooms.
1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
3 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup chopped walnuts
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon water
Sauté the mushrooms and onion in the oil over medium heat until onion is translucent.
Turn into a blender or food processor container; add the walnuts, salt and pepper, and water. Process until blended but not too smooth. Serve as a spread with matzo or cucumber rounds. Makes 1 cup.
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