Ricotta cheese mini pastries

First of all, wanting my own cooking book, I'm learning how to write recipes for the book. It's quite interesting task to be my the own editor.


Ricotta cheese mini pastries
It's quite traditional pastries using farmer's cheese. In Russian these pastries were made with farmer's cheese (tvorog). I decided to tweak the recipe and make them with ricotta cheese, because ricotta cheese is available everywhere in US and Canada. Unfortunately, farmer's cheese is not that popular as ricotta and, truly speaking, many Russian immigrants still used to make farmer's cheese (tvorog) at home. Every woman has her own way to make tvorog and results are different. If you're good in making farmer's cheese you can use it for this recipe.
For those who want to try making farmer's cheese at home, I recommend some site with recipes to follow.

Here they are:
http://yulinkacooks.blogspot.com/2006/04/how-to-make-tvorog-farmers-cheese.html
http://cuceesprouts.com/2011/04/homemade-farmers-cheese/

Actually I found a nice recipe to make ricotta cheese at home on a blog of German Jew. Here's it is:
http://eatartword.wordpress.com/2011/11/20/milky-white-ricotta/


Make 5 dozens mini pastries
1 cup margarine, melted
1 cup ricotta cheese
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons milk or water
Prepare 2 bowls: one - big one, one - medium one. In a large bowl, mix the melted margarine with the ricotta cheese and 1 egg. In a medium bowl, mix baking powder, salt and flour. Slowly add flour mixture to a big bowl. Mix to obtain an homogeneous dough. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead until smooth. After dough is smooth and elastic, wrap dough in plastic wrap. Put the dough into the fridge for 4-5 hours.
Preheat the oven to 350F.
Roll out the portion of dough to about 1/8" thick on a floured board. Using a cutter or a drinking glass, cut out approximately 3 inch circles. Each circle sprinkle with sugar and fold into quarters (fold in a half and fold in a half again). After removing the lacy bits of dough in between the circles, put it back in a bowl and use it up later. Re-roll your scraps until it is ALL used up! Repeat with rest of the dough.

Prepare the egg wash beating the 1 egg and mixing with water or milk. Brush with egg wash the surface of a pastry and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 15-20 minutes.

Творожные мини-пирожные

На 60 мини пирожных
1 чашка (225 грамм) маргарина, растопленного
1 чашка (250 грамм) творога или сыра рикотты
2 яйца
1 1/2 чайных ложки разрыхлителя
1/2 чайной ложки соли
2 1/2 (300 грамм) чашки муки
2 столовые ложки воды или молока

В одной посуде смешайте маргарин, творог и 1 яйцо. В другой посудине перемешать разрыхлитель, соль и муку. Добавуть мучную смесь к сырной. Замесить не слишком крутое тесто и положить в холодильник на 4-5 часов.

Нагреть духовку до 350Ф. Разделить тесто на небольшие порции. Каждую порцию раскатать. Вырезать кружки. Каждый кружочек, посыпать сахаром и сложить пополам обсахаренной стороной внутрь. Получившейся полукруг поспать сахаром и снова сложить.
Проготовить яичную помазку. Смешать 1 яйцо с водой или молоком. Помазать пирожные и выложить на противень. Выпекать 15-20 минут. Вынуть, остудить и подавать с чаем или кофе.

Vareniki 1

Farmer's cheese pierogi (vareniki)

Make 30 medium size pierogies (vareniki)

Dough:

1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 hot boiling water
1 tablespoon corn oil

Filling:
1 1/2 cup farmer's cheese
1/3 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg

Sift together flour and salt on a work surface; form a mound with the flour and make a well in the center. Pour boiling water and oil into the center. Work the flour into the liquids slowly. Turn out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead until smooth. Allow dough to rest under and overturned bowl for 20 minutes.
Prepare filling.Mix all ingredients in a small bowl.
Place a large soup pot with water on the stove on medium heat. Bring it to a boil while making varenike.
Divide dough in half. Roll out the portion of dough to about 1/8" thick on a floured board. Using a cutter or a drinking glass, cut out approximately 3 inch circles. Place only about 2 tsp of filling, maximum, in the center of the circle. Wet the edges of one half of the circle and bring the top half down. press well to seal the edges. After removing the lacy bits of dough in between the circles, put it back in a bowl and use it up later. Reroll your scraps until it is ALL used up! Repeat with second portion of the dough.

Drop in the varenike in batches. Let them cook until they float and then simmer for 10 minutes, the pot partially covered. Remove them with a slotted spoon and let them drain.

Some people like varenike with potatoes or mix of potatoes and cheese. I promise, to make potatoes varenike next time. I found a good and trustful recipe. I hope you will enjoy another recipe as well as mine.

Potato latkes

Potato latkes (modern way)

Makes 12 medium size latkes

4 medium potatoes
1/4 medium size onion
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1/2 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup corn oil for frying

Peel potatoes and quarter. Place potatoes and onion in food processor and process until almost smooth. Transfer potato mixture to a bowl and stir in salt, egg, flour and baking soda. Mix well.

Heat 1/4 cup oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderately high heat until hot. Working in batches of 4 latkes, spоon 2 tablespoons potato mixture per latke into skillet, spreading into 3-inch rounds with fork. reduce heat to moderate and cook until undersides are browned, about 3-5 minutes. Turn latkes over and cook until browned, about 3-5 minutes more. Transfer to paper towels to drain.

Дыруны.

На 12 блинчиков.

4 среднего размера картофелины
1/4 средней величины головки лука
1 чайная ложка соли
1 яйцо
1/2 чашки муки
1/2 чайной ложки соды

1/2 чашки кукурузного масла для жарки.

Почистить картофель и разрезать на четвертинки. Положить картофель и лук в кухонный комбайн и прокрутить до получения глаской массы. Вылить картофельную массу в миску и добавить соль, яйцо, муку и соду. Хорошо перемешать.

Нагреть 1/4 чашки кукурузного масла на сковороде. Выкладывать по 4 блинчика.Каждый блинчик проблизительно по 2 столовые ложки картофельной массы. Жарить блинчика на каждой стороне по 3-5 минут. Выложить блинчики на бумажные полотенца.

Quick buns

Quick buns

Makes 20 medium size buns

2 cups farmer's cheese, 1/2 cup melted butter, 2 large eggs, 3 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon salt, 3 teaspoon baking powder, 3 tablespoons sugar, 3 tablespoons milk, 5 teaspoons sesame seeds.

In a big bowl mix together farmer's cheese, eggs, sugar, and salt. Add melted butter. In another bowl mix flour and baking powder. Add flour mixture to a big bowl. Mix well until dough is soft and slightly sticky, then turn out onto floured surface and let rest under a large greased bowl for about 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350F (180C). Divide the dough into 2 equal parts. Shape each part of dough into 10 balls and place on greased baking sheet to rest for 5 minutes. Lightly brush balls with milk and sprinkle each ball with 1/4 tsp sesame seeds.

Bake in preheated oven 20-25 minutes until golden brown. Let cool.

Быстрые творожные булочки

2 чашки (450грамм) творога обезжиренного,1/2 чашки (100 гр) сливочное масло, 2 яйца, 3 чашки муки, cоль 1 ч.л, 3 ч.л разрыхлителя, 3 столовых ложки cахара, 3 ст.л молока, 5 чайных ложек кунжутных семечек

Смешать в миске творог,яйца,сахар и соль.Растопить сливочное масло,остудить,чтобы оно было теплое и добавить в миску к творогу,яйцам соли и сахару.В муку добавить разрыхлитель и просеять.Добавить муку в творожную смесь и замесить тесто.Тесто на ощупь будет мягкое,но слегка липнуть к рукам.Накрыть полотенцем и оставить на 30 минут в теплом месте.

Разогреть духовку до 180 гр.Тесто разделить на 2 части.Каждую часть разделить на 10 частей и того получится 20.На слегка присыпанной мукой доске сформировать из каждой части круглые булочки.Положить их на противень выстланный бумагой для выпечки оставляя между булочками небольшое растояние.Кисточкой смазать каждую булочку сливками и посыпать кунжутом. Дать постоять ещё 5 минут.
После поставить противень в духовку и выпекать 20 минут.

Recipe from http://elena-fialka.livejournal.com/164635.html#cutid1

Roasted Eggplant Pate

Roasted Eggplant Pate

3 medium-sized eggplants, 4 medium size tomatoes,chopped; 1 medium size white onion, shopped; 2 garlic clove minced; 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil; salt, sour salt, and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Slice eggplants in half lengthwise and roast in 400 degree oven for approximately 45 minutes, or until very soft and creamy. Allow to cool slightly, then scoop out inside of eggplants.
While the eggplants are baking, drain liquid from tomatoes. Mix together tomatoes and onions. In a blender, pulse eggplants, tomatoes, and onionsuntil they turn into small chunks or, if preferred, into a smooth paste. Transfer to a bowl. Stir well and season with salt, black pepper and sour salt to taste. Chill before serving (can be made a day in advance).

Sour salt (Citric Acid) - "A salt substance derived from acidic citrus fruits, such as lemon and limes, that is dried and formed into a powder or crystal. When used as an ingredient to flavor foods, it provides a distinctively sour or tart taste to the food dish. It is a common substance used in sausage making or canning to keep the color of fruits from darkening. It is commonly used as a substitute for lemon juice, providing a tart flavor with only a few grains of the salt. Since the flavor can overpower some recipes, it is best if used with sugar to arrive at an enjoyable blend between the sweet and sour taste. This type of salt, which may also be referred to as citric salt or citric acid is often used in recipes for Borscht, a cold beet soup, or lemon cheese cake." from Recipe Tips

I publish this recipe only on English because Russian women know the recipe very well.

Green Borscht

Green Borscht

Makes 4 sides-dish servings.

2 cups fresh spinach; 1 tablespoons cooking oil; 2 small chopped carrots (2/3 cups); 1 small chopped onion (1/2 cup); 4 cups vegetable stock or broth; 2 medium size potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch cubes; 1 teaspoon lemon juice; 2 hard-cooked eggs, sliced (optional); 4 tablespoons sour cream; salt and pepper by taste

Tear off stems from the spinach leaves and chop them small (the smaller the better. You can use food processor. Place spinach leaves into food processor and pulse several times.)

In a large saucepan, heat the cooking oil over the medium high heat, Add the chopped carrots and onion, cook and stir until tender. Add chicken stock or broth and the cubed potatoes. Bring to boiling, reduce the heat, Simmer, covered, about 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Stir in the spinach and lemon juice. Add salt and pepper. Simmer on medium heat more 10-15 minutes.

To serve, ladle the soup into bowls, garnish with sliced hard-cooked eggs and sour cream.

Marinated Eggplant salad

4 cups water, 2 tablespoons salt, 1 eggplant, about 1.5 pounds, sliced lengthwise into 4-5 pieces, 1 small red onion, thinly sliced, 1 cup chopped cilantro, 1 red pepper, thinly sliced
3 garlic chopped cloves.
Marinade: 1/3 cup vinegar, 1/4 cup olive oil, 1 tablespoon boiling water, 1 tablespoon sugar, 2 teaspoons salt


Bring 4 cups of water and 2 tablespoons of salt to a boil. Add eggplant slices and boil for 10 minutes. Remove the eggplant, let it cool and then slice across into bite size pieces.

Prepare marinade. Mix together vinegar, olive oil, water, sugar, and salt. Taste it and adjust the level of salt if you need.

In a bowl combine the eggplant and marinade.

Refrigerate the dish for at least one day.

Салат из маринованного баклажана

4 чашки воды, 2 столовые ложки соли, 1 большой баклажан, нарезанный по длине на 4-5 кусков, 1 небольщая локовица красного лука, 1 чашка мелко нарезанной петрушки, 1 сладкий красный перец, 3 зубчика чеснока.

Маринад: 1/3 чашки уксуса, 1/4 чашки оливкового масла, 1 столовая ложка кипяченной воды, 1 столовая ложка сахара, 2 чайные ложки соли.

Закипятить 4 чашки воды с 2 столовыми ложками соли. Полозить в кипящую воды баклажан и кипатить 10 минут. Вынуть баклажан, дать остыть и разрезать куски баклажана на порционные.
Приготовить маринад. Смещать вместе оливковое масло, уксус, воду, соль и сахар. Попробoвать маринад на соль. Если нужно добавить еще. Перемешать баклажан, перец, лук, чеснок, петрушку и маринад. Поставить в холодильник на 1-2 дня.

Recipe from Olga Berman

Banana Bread

Best-Ever Banana Bread

Male 2 small loaves or 1 big one

1 1/4 cups sugar, 1/2 cup butter or margarine melted, 2 eggs, 1 1/2 cups mashed very ripe bananas (4 medium size), 1/2 cup buttermilk, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 2 1/2 cups flour, 1 teaspoon soda, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Heat oven to 350F. Grease bottoms only of 2 (8x4 inch) loaf pans or 1 (9x5 inch) loaf pan.
In large bowl, mix sugar and butter. Add eggs, bananas, buttermilk and vanilla; beat with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Stir in flour, baking soda, salt and nuts just until moistened. If desired, fold in walnuts. Pour batter into pans.

Bake 8-inch loaves for 1 hour, 9-inch loaf for 1 1/4 hours; or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool about 1 hour before slicing.

Кекс из бананов.

2 маленьких кекса или 1 большой.

1 1/4 чашки сахара, 1/2 чашки сливочного масла или маргарина, 2 яйца, 1 1/2 чашки бананового пюре (4 банана средней величины), 1/2 чашки кефира, 1 чайная ложка ванильного экстракта, 2 1/2 чашки муки, 1 чайная ложка соды, 1 чайная ложки соли, 1 чашка мелко нарубленных грецких орехов.

Нагреть духовку до 350Ф. Приготовить 2 (8x4 дюймов) формочки или одну (9x5 дюймов) формочку. В большой посуде смешать сахар и масло. Добавить яйца, бананы и ванильный экстракт. Все хорошо взбить миксером. Добавить муку, соду и соль. Все хорошо перемешать. Добавить орехи. Тесто вылить в форму.

Если вы выбрали маленькие формочки, то печь кекс около 1 часа, если Вы выбрали большую формочку, то печь 1 1/4 часа. Проверить лучинкой на готовность. Вынуть из духовки и остудить в течении 1 часа перед тем, как начать нарезать.

Recipe comes from Gold Medal Flour

For Russian-speaking guests

Today I would like to present a new Russian-Jewish cooking online magazine. Several Russian women get together and created something new and exciting. To view magazine, please visit a site.
Actually we have to say thank you for their endless effort to improve our menu and involve us to something new and interesting. I hope you will enjoy the online magazine.

Apple Cake with Lemon Glaze

Apple Cake with Lemon Glaze
Makes one 9-inch cake
It makes a very elegant treat for tea party. Initially I found the recipe on Food and wine magazine website. I decided to tweak the recipe and come up with new apple cake. It was delicious and very good. Please, try it.

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon salt, 3/4 teaspoon baking powder, 2 large eggs, 2/3 cup granulated sugar, 1/3 cup milk, 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, finely grated zest of 1 lemon, 2 large size coarsely chopped apples
Universal Lemon glaze: 1 tbsp melted butter or margarine, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 1 c icing(powered) sugar

Directions
Core and chopped fresh apples. Drizzle with some lemon juice. Put aside.

Preheat the oven to 350°. Butter and flour a 9-inch springform pan. In a small bowl, whisk the flour with the salt and baking powder. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs with the granulated sugar until pale yellow. Whisk in the milk, olive oil, melted butter, lemon zest. Fold in the flour mixture. Scrape the half of batter into the prepared pan. Place apples over the batter and scrape the another half of batter

Bake the cake for about 50-55 minutes, until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer the cake to a rack, carefully remove the ring and let cool to room temperature.
Remove the cake from the base and transfer to a serving platter. Prepare the lemon glaze: mix together all ingredients until smooth and well blended. Pour over the cake. Let stand on a plate for couple hours. Cut the cake into wedges and serve with tea.


Яблочный торт с лимонной помадкой.
1 1/2 чашки муки, 1 чайная ложка соли, 3/4 чайной ложки разрыхлителя, 2 яйца, 2/3 чашки сахара, 1/3 чашки молока, 1/4 чашки оливкового масла, 4 столовых ложки растопленного сливочного масла, свежая цедра одного лимона, 2 больших яблока.
Лимонная помадка: 1 столовая ложка сливочного масла или маргарина, 1 столовая ложка лимонного сока, 1 чашка сахарной пудры.
Очистить яблоки и мелко нарезать. Побрызгать лимонным соком.
Нагреть духовку до 350Ф. Приготовить круглую 9-инчевую форму для выпечки тортов. В первой посуде смешать муку, соль и разрыхлитель. В другой посуде хорошо перемешать яйца и сахар. Добавить молоко, оливковое масло, растопленное сливочное масло и лимонную цедру. Всыпать смесь из первой посуды и хорошо перемешать. Тесто будет блинной консистенции. Выложить половину теста в форму, выложить яблоки и покрыть второй половиной теста.
Выпекать 50-55 минут. Вынуть пирог из духовки, переложить на тарелку. Приготовить помадку. Перемешать растопленное сливочное масло, лимонный сок и сахарную пудру. Залить торт и оставить осtывать на 2-3 часа.

Kung Pao Shrimp

1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce, divided, 1 1/2 teaspoons dry sherry, divided,2 teaspoons cornstarch, 1 pound peeled and deveined medium shrimp, 1 tablespoon peanut oil, 1/4 cup chopped dry-roasted peanuts, 1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger, 1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic, 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper, 1 1/2 cups thinly sliced celery, 1 cup chopped red bell pepper, 1/4 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth, 1 teaspoon rice vinegar, 1/4 teaspoon salt

Preparation
1. Combine 1 teaspoon soy sauce, 1 teaspoon sherry, cornstarch, and shrimp.
2. Heat oil in a wok over high heat. Add peanuts and next 3 ingredients; stir-fry 30 seconds. Stir in celery and bell pepper; stir-fry 2 minutes or until crisp-tender. Add shrimp mixture; stir-fry 2 minutes. Add remaining 2 teaspoons soy sauce, 1/2 teaspoon sherry, and broth. Bring to a simmer; cook 1 minute or until slightly thickened. Remove from heat; stir in vinegar and salt. Top with onions.

Recipe from Cooking Light DECEMBER 2009

Для русско-язычных читателей пищу отдельно. Это острое блюдо можно часто встретить в меню китайских ресторанов. Обычно его делают с креветками или с курицей. Я решилась сделать с креветками. Вообще мне нравится китайская кухня, потому пробую блюда из этой кухни. Вообще в Америке трудно оставаться любителем только одной кухни, нравится многое и из разных кухонь. Попробуйте, может и Вам понравится.

Zabar's Banana Bread

This recipe for those who likes really delicious piece of banana bread. It's not just a recipe, it's recipe from Zabar's blog. For many people Zabar's means a gold standard in cooking and baking. And these people is right. Zabar's deli is one of the best in US. It's a first recipe from their blog I tried and it's an instant hit. My coworkers and I really like it. Now I offer you to make really delish banana bread. Plus this recipe can be pareve.
Enjoy as much as we enjoyed.

I made 2 loaves because I want to entertain my coworkers with something new and tasty. I came out with similar recipe.

Zabar's Banana Bread (corrected version)
For 2 loaves

Ingredients
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cup sugar
2 egg
1 tsp vanilla
2/3 cup strong coffee or espresso (can substitute with milk)
5 mashed ripe medium size bananas
1 cup chopped walnuts

Zabar's Banana Bread (original version).

Ingredients
2 cups white whole wheat flour or all-purpose flour
½ tsp baking soda
1 ½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
½ cup butter, softened (see tip below)
2/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
¼ tsp orange blossom water (optional)
1/3 cup strong coffee or espresso (can substitute with milk)
2-3 mashed ripe bananas (see banana tips below)
¾ cup walnuts
Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 F

1. In a medium bowl mix together the dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. I use white whole wheat flour for a little extra nutrition without having bread that seems “whole wheat-y”. Set this aside.
2. In a large bowl cream the softened butter until smooth and light. If you haven’t pre-softened your butter, here’s my trick: slice it into ½” slices and place in a microwave safe bowl and microwave it for 8 second increments. Slicing it before microwaving will soften the butter without melting it. Every microwave’s power settings are different so experiment to see what time works best for you.
3. Add the sugar and continue to mix it until it’s creamy.
4. Add the beaten egg, vanilla, orange blossom water, and espresso and mix until lemon colored and fluffy. You can use an electric mixer, but I don’t, especially for the following steps, your bread will turn out better if you mix it by hand with a wooden spoon.
5. Add the flour mixture slowly, stirring until just combined and add the mashed bananas and walnuts.
6. Transfer this to a greased 9 inch loaf pan. Smooth it to fit. Bake 50 – 60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let it sit for 10 minutes in the pan before you transfer it to a wire rack to cool.
You can also bake this as muffins; just reduce the cooking time to around 25 minutes. It will make about 10 muffins, depending on how tall you want them to be.
A note about bananas. The perfect banana for this recipe is a very very ripe banana. It’s very yellow with a lot of brown spots on it. The more brown there is the sweeter the banana is. If you have ripe bananas on hand (but aren’t ready to bake with them) just peel them, wrap them well and freeze them. Then thaw them before adding them to your mixture.

Recipe from Zabar's Blog

Middle Eastern Cucumber Salad

1 large English cucumber (2-3 medium size cucumbers from farmer's market), peeled, thinly sliced; 1 small red onion, finely shopped; 1/2 teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoon of mint, chopped; 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin, pinch of sugar, 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, 2 tablespoon olive oil.

Toss vegetables with remaining ingredients in a serving bowl. Taste a piece of cucumber and add salt, sugar or lemon to taste. Serve at once.

Салат из огурцов.
1 больщой огурец или 2-3 среднего размера свежих огурца. Почистить и тонко порезать; 1 мелко нарезанная небольшая головка красного лука; 1/2 чайной ложки соли, 2 чайных ложки мелко порезанной мяты; 1/2 чайной ложки молотого кумина, щепотка сахара, 1 столовая ложка свежего лимонного сока, 2 столовые ложки оливкового масла.

Все перемешать. Попробовать, если нужно добавить соли, сахара или лимонного сока. Подать на стол.

Chopped Liver (Печеночный паштет)

Есть блюда, которые не нужно рекламировать. Немного их, но они существуют, и рецепты их должны быть в арсенале любой хозяйки. Как приготовить печеноченый паштет? Какой рецепт лучше? Где можно купить знаменитый деликатес к праздничному столу? Этими вопросами занялись журналисты из TCJewFolk.com и Ваша покорная слуга. Прежде всего журналисты купили паштеты, сделанные в нескольких ресторанах Миннеаполиса и Нью-Й орка. Заранее знаю, что не все жители Миннесоты даже знают, где можно купить этот деликатес. Итак, журналисты купили печеночный паштет в Cecil’s (www.cecilsdeli.com), Mort’s(http://morts-deli.com), и Crossroads (http://crossroadsdelicatessen.com). А также привезли знаменитый нью-й орский паштет из "Russ and Daughters" (Lower East Side in New York City). Это фамильный рецепт делается и продается с 1914 года. К тому же журналисты пожелали попробoвать вегетарианскую версию домашнего печеночного паштета.
На первом месте оказался деликатес, сделанный в Cecil’s Deli. Его цена $20 за килограмм. На втором месте - паштет из Нью-Й орка, на третьем месте - вегетарианский паштет домашнего приготовления. Четвертое и пятое места разделили Crossroads Deli и Mort’s Deli. Самым дорогим оказался паштет, сделанный в Mort’s Deli, почти $36 за килограм.
Для наших читателей я предлагаю два проверенных мною рецепта деликатеса.

1. Chicken Liver pate with walnuts

2.Vegetarian mock liver pate

English version

Stuffed Cabbage (Golubtsi)

Usually I don't bring recipes from another blogs, but this time it's exception. I'm talking about stuffed cabbage, exclusively comforting food. I found this recipe in another blog. Actually I would like to present my blogger-colleague on East coast, who spends a lot of time blogging about food and restaurants. She is also from Russia and her name is Olga Berman. Enjoy the recipe. It's really good with garden tomatoes and fresh cabbage.

Russian Stuffed Cabbage (Golubtsi)

Ingredients
2 heads of cabbage, or one large cabbage
2 teaspoons olive oil
4 carrots, peeled, shredded
1 onion, shredded
2 garlic cloves, shredded {Note: I shredded all the carrots, onion and garlic cloves in a food processor. If you want to have more texture and have more time, you can chop/dice them instead.}
salt & pepper
1 pound ground beef
3/4 cups Basmati rice, cooked halfway through
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
28 ounces crushed tomatoes {Note: I used crushed tomatoes that came with basil and other spices, but recommend you buy just plain tomatoes and add in your own spices. Also, I ended up adding a bit of sugar to mine.}
28 ounces water or vegetable broth or cabbage cooking water
optional: sour cream, cheese, parsley, salsa

Directions
1. Using your largest soup pot, bring enough water to boil that will cover your cabbage. Remove the core from the cabbage (be incredibly careful) and add the cabbage to the water for 5 minutes. You want the leaves to soften up.
2. Remove the cabbage from the water (again, be incredibly careful not to spill boiling water on yourself) and let it drain and cool. {I used the awesome over the sink colander I have from freelancing for Robyn.}
3. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a skillet. Add carrots, onions, garlic and salt & pepper and saute for about 10 minutes. Let the mixture cool and add rice, ground beef and parsley. Mix well. {Note: at this point it'd be great to make a mini meatball and fry it up to check if your seasoning is dead on. Or you can just hope for the best and let your guests add more salt if they want.}
4. Carefully peel back the cabbage leaves and place them side by side. Creating an assembly line is the best when it comes to making this recipe. If you have helpers, that'd be even better! Using an ice cream scoop, add about 2-3 tablespoons of the mixture to each cabbage leaf (it all depends on how large the cabbage leaves are).
5. Roll them up like burritos.
6. Add your crushed tomatoes and the same amount of water to a large soup pot and bring to a simmer. Carefully add stuffed cabbage leaves (I ended up making 22) to the tomatoes. Bring back to a simmer, cover, and simmer for about 45 minutes.
7. Make sure to test one of the stuffed cabbage leaves to make sure the ground beef is cooked all the way through. Serve with sour cream and parsley. Or/and shredded cheese and salsa.
As this recipe makes quite a bit, feel free to freeze some or give it away to friends.

Salty Cheese Blinzes (Налистники с сыром)

Pareve batter: 2 cups water, 2 eggs, 2 cups flour, 1 tablespoon corn oil, 1/4 teaspoon baking soda.
Filling: 1 1/4 pound of farmer cheese, 2 tablespoons flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon fresh black pepper, 1 egg.

Make wrapper batter:
In a blender blend wrapper batter ingredients and let stand 30 minutes. Add baking soda in a last minutes before frying.

In an 8-inch skillet, preferable non-stick, melt a butter over moderately high heat. Pour in enough batter (approximately 1/4 cup) to just coat the bottom of skillet, swirling, and cook, undisturbed, until top is set and bottom in golden (do not turn wrapper over).
Transfer wrapper to paper towels in one layer, golden side up. Make more wrappers with remaining butter and batter.

Make filling:
In a food processor, blend cheese, salt, pepper, egg and flour.

Put 2 tablespoons filling in center of each wrapper and fold opposite sides of wrapper over filling until sides barely touch. Fold in ends to completely enclose filling, forming packets. Make more blintzes with remaining filling and wrappers. Fry blintzes until golden brown, 5 to 10 minutes.

A history from the traditional to the treif.

Our history

Cheese Kreplach

Today I'm blogging about very familiar recipe such as cheese kreplach. It reminds me my childhood in Zhitomir. We used to eat a lot of kreplach calling them "vareniki".
Enjoy the recipe ! Happy Holiday!

Peas and cheese salad

Peas and cheese salad
6 portions.

I adopted this recipe from one of Betty crocker cooking books. I did some minor changes for the recipe.

Dressing: 1/3 cup mayonnaise, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon mustard, 1/4 teaspoon sugar, 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Mix all dressing ingridients together in large bowl.

1 package (10 ounces) frozen green peas, thawed and drained, 1 medium stalk celery, thinly sliced, 3 sweet pickles, chopped, 2 tablespoons finely chopped red opinon, 2 hard-cooked eggs, chopped. Add all salad ingridients to dressing.

Thinly shred 3/4 cup white american cheese and pour over the salad. Cover and regrigerate about 1 hour or until chilled. Serve on lettuce leaves if desired.

Салат из зеленого горошка и сыра.

На 6 порций.

Приготовить соус: 1/3 чашки майонеза, 1/2 чайной ложки соли, 1/2 чайной ложки горичицы, 1/4 чайной ложки сахара, 1/8 чайной ложки молотого перца. Все перемешать и вылить в салатницу.

1 пакет замороженного зеленого горошка (270 грамм), разморозить и отцедить жидкость, 1 средних размеров росток сельдерея, мелко нарезать, 2 столовых ложки мелко нарезанного красного лука, 3 мелко нарезанных маринованных огурца, 2 мелко нарезанных сваренных вкрутую яйца. Все перемешать и пересыпать в салатницу с соусом. все хорошо перемешать.

Мелко натереть 3/4 чашки мягкого сыра. Посыпать салат. Поставить в холодильник на 1 час. Подавать на листьях зеленого салата.

Obama Foodorama

Today I decided to introduce a nice and quite challenging culinary blog. It's not about everyday food, it's not about new cuisine or organic
ingredients. It's about our President food and food initiatives. Here is Obama Foodorama
One thing I should tell you first, it's quite unique, I even would say, it's very unique, because author has an access to White House.
In one blog you can get events, speeches, recipes, menus, which was made for President. The author is very republican Eddie Gehman Kohan.
Personally I enjoyed every byte of the blog. I hope you will do the same thing.

Picture from Obama Foodorama blog.

Jicama and dry cranberries salad

Jicama and dry cranberries salad
Serves 2.

2 cups fresh greens; 1/2 large jicama, peeled, then julienned or cubed; 1/2 cup dry cranberries, 1/4 cup walnuts.

Dressing: 2 teaspoons of honey, 1 teaspoon mustard, 1 teaspoon apple vinegar, 3 tablespoons olive oil. Salt and pepper by taste. Mix all ingridients together.


Toss together the jicama, greens, cranberries, and walnuts. Pour dressing over and mix well again. Let sit a half an hour before serving.

If you don't know anything about jicama, please read Wikipedia


Салат из сушеной клюквы и хикамы.


на 2 порции


2 чашки листьев зеленого салата, половина большой хикамы, очищенной и нарезанной на мелкие и тонкие кусочки, 1/2 чашки сушеной клюквы, 1/4 чашки мелко нарезанных грецких орех.


Соус: 2 чайных ложки меда, 1 чайная ложка горчицы, 1 чайноая ложка яблочного уксуса, 3 столовых ложки оливкового масла. Соль и перец по вкусу. Перемешать все составляющие.


Перемешать вместе хикаму, листья салата, клюкву и орехи. Полить соусом и хорошо перемешать. Дать постоять полчаса перед подачей.

Ricotta mini cakes

Ricotta mini cakes


36 cookies


2 & 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) butter, softened, 1 cup sugar, 1 egg, 1 cup ricotta cheese

Glaze: 2 cups confectioner's sugar, 3 tablespoons milk.

Heat oven to 350F. Coat 2 baking sheets with nonstick cooking spray.

Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together; set aside. Beat butter and sugar together, add egg and ricotta cheese. beat well until combined. Add flour mixture. Mix everything together.

Drop by tablespoon onto prepared pans. Bake at 350F for 14 minutes, or until lightly browned around edges. let cool on sheets for 3 minutes, than remove from the rack to cool completely.

Beat confectioner's sugar and milk together until well blended. Dip tops of cookiеs into glaze and set aside until glaze has hardened.


Пряники из итальянского творогa Ricotta

36 маленьких пряников.

2 & 1/4 чашки муки, 1 чайная ложка разрыхлителя, 1/2 чайной ложки соды, 1/4 чайной ложки соли, 1/2 чашки мягкого сливочного масла, 1 чашка сахара, 1 яйцо, 1 чашка итальянского творога Ricotta.

Перемешать муку, разрыхлитeль, соду и соль. В отдельной посуде взбить масло с сахаром. Добавить яйцо и творог. Постепенно всыпать мучную смесь. Замесить липкое тесто.

Нагреть духовку до 350Ф. Приготовить 2 дечки. Сформировать шарики из теста и выложить на деко. Печь 14 минут. Вынуть и остудить.

Приготовить помадку. 2 чашки сахарной пудры и 3 столовых ложки молока. Перемешать. Полить помадкой каждый пряник.


Recipe from "Family circle"

The best hamentashen...

You will use this recipe over and over again. Please try and enjoy!

this is a great recipe which gives an irresistable cookie dough in the raw state!
try not to eat it all up before you make your hamantaschen :)) the only thing to remember about this dough is that it will be very soft once you finish making it. it requires FULL CHILLING (overnight or at least 8 hrs) but is instantly ready to roll out from the fridge. i suggest rolling half and keeping the remainder in the fridge until needed. make sure to use a well floured surface and to flour (and keep flouring) the top of the dough well as you roll it out.

ingredients:

1/2 c margarine
1 c sugar
1 egg
2 c flour
2 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
2 tbsp orange juice
1 tsp vanilla extract or pkg vanilla sugar


in a separate bowl, blend the dry ingredients together and set aside.In another bowl, cream butter with sugar for several minutes until light. Add egg, orange juice and blend well. Add the flour mixture and blend until you get a dough. Cover and chill overnight until ready to bake.
this cookie dough bakes at 375F for approx. 12-15 min. depending on the pastry size. adjust accordingly.

Spiced Apple Cake

12-16 generous portions

2 tablespoons (30 g) butter, salted or unsalted, 4 tart, firm medium-size baking apples, peeled, cored and cut into 3/4-inch (2 cm) cubes, 2 tablespoons (30 g) sugar
12 tablespoons (6 ounces, 170g) unsalted butter, at room temperature, 1 3/4 cups (350 g) sugar, 4 large eggs, at room temperature, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 3 cups (420 g) flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon freshly-grated nutmeg, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves, 1 cup (240 g) buttermilk

1. Melt the 2 tablespoons (30 g) of butter in a large skillet and sauté the apples over medium-high heat until the turn golden brown, stirring them as little as possible as they cook.
2. Once cooked through, add the 2 tablespoons (30 g) of sugar and cook until the apples cubes are nicely glazed. (Maria mentioned to cook them until all the liquid had evaporated, but mine had no liquid. So it depends on your apples.) Transfer apples to a plate and cool to room temperature.
3. Preheat the oven to 350F (180C) and butter and flour a 12-cup (3l) bundt pan, tapping out any excess flour.
4. In a stand mixer, or by hand, beat the 12 tablespoons (170 g) of butter with the sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla, stopping the mixer between additions to scrape the batter down on the sides, as necessary.
5. In a small bowl, toss the dates, if using, with about a tablespoon of the flour to separate them.
6. In a medium bowl, sift together the remaining flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.
7. Stir half of the dry ingredients into the creamed butter mixture, then mix in the buttermilk or yogurt. Then stir in the remaining dry ingredients until just almost mixed in completely, but do not overmix. Visible wisps of flour are normal.
8. Fold in the cooked apples, and dates (if using). Scrape the batter into the prepare bundt pan and bake for 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
9. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn the cake out onto a cooling rack. Once cool, dust with powdered sugar, or glaze, if you wish.

Recipe from David Lebovitz and "The Vineyard Kitchen" by Maria Helm Sinskey

Again about Challah

Best and worst Challah in Twin Cities. Again and again every bakery tries to recreate the PERFECT challah. Now you can choose the best one. Please read the article.

Blueberry bread

Blueberry bread.

2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 2 1/2 tablespoons butter, 3/4 cup sugar, 1 large egg, 1 cup sour cream, 1/2 cup milk. 1 tablespoon honey, 1 cup large blueberries

1) Preheat the oven to 400°F. Spray a 9" x 5" loaf pan with cooking spray and set aside.

2) Place the flour, baking powder, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix on low for 1 minute to aerate and blend dry ingredients.

3) Mix in the butter and sugar until only small lumps remain.

4) Beat in the egg, sour cream, and milk. Add the honey and Fiori. Beat on medium speed about 1 minute, until fairly well incorporated. A few streaks of flour left is fine.

5) Fold in the blueberries by hand. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan.

6) Bake the loaf for 55 to 65 minutes, until golden brown and a cake tester comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, and turn out onto a rack to cool completely. Store airtight at room temperature for 2 to 3 days.

Yield: 9" x 5" loaf.

Recipe from King Arthur Flour

77 Mouth-Watering Baking Blogs You Need to Bookmark

Chocolate Torte for Passover

Here's the one: delicious and feastful torte

The story of Passover in 7 minutes (must see)

Hamantashen with orange juice

Chocolate cupcakes and cream cheese frosting

Makes 12
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan, 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for pan , 1/2 cup of cocoa powder, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 3/4 cup sugar, 2 large eggs, room temperature, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, 1/2 cup whole milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a standard 12-cup muffin pan, or use paper liners.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
With an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition; add vanilla, and mix until combined. On low speed, beat in half the flour mixture, followed by milk; end with remaining flour mixture. Mix just until incorporated (do not overmix).

Divide batter among prepared muffin cups, filling each 2/3 full. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of a cupcake comes out clean, 22 to 24 minutes. Cool cupcakes in pan, 5 minutes; transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Frost with cream cheese frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting
4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature, 6 ounces cream cheese, room temperature, 1/2 pound (2 cups) confectioners' sugar, sifted, 3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Beat butter and cream cheese with a mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low. Add sugar, 1 cup at a time, and then vanilla; mix until smooth. Frosting can be refrigerated for up to 3 days; before using, bring to room temperature, and beat until smooth.

Шоколадные кексы со сливочным кремом.

На 12 порций.

8 столовых ложек сливочного масла, 1 3/4 чашки муки, 1/2 чашки кaкao порошка, 2 чайные ложки разрыхлителя, 1/2 чайной ложки соли, 2 яйца, 1 чайная ложка экстракта ванили, 1/2 чашки молока.

Нагреть духовку до 350Ф. Приготовить формочку для кексов, промаслив каждое отверстие. Посыпать мукой.

В небольшой посуде перемешать соль, муку, кaкao и разрыхлитель. В другой мыске взбить миксером сливочное масло и сахар. Добавить по одному яйцу. Продолжать взбивать и добавить ванильный экстракт. На маленькой скорости добавить половину мучной смеси, постепенно долить молоко. Затем добавить оставшуюся мучную смесь.

Разлить жидкое тесто по отверстиям. Каждое отверстие наполнить на 2/3 общего объема. Поставить в духовку и печь до готовности, приблизительно 22-24 минут. Вынуть из духовки, остудить и украсить кремом.

Сливочный крем

100 грамм сливочного масла комнатной температуры, 150 грамм сливочного сыра "Филадельфия", 2 чашки сахарной пудры, 3/4 чайной ложки ванильного экстракта.

Взбить масло и сливочный сыр на средней скорости в течении 2-3 минут. Уменьшив скорость, добавить сахарную пудру. Этот крем прекрасно сохраняется в холодильнике в течении 3 дней.

Recipe from Martha Stewart

Tu Bishvat or SuperBowl.

Tu Bishvat or SuperBowl.

Thе story happened to me many years ago. I would rather to write this story on Russian and for those who prefer on English, please use Google Translation Service

Каждый раз перед Superbowl эта история вспоминается мне. Сама история произошла более чем 10 лет тому назад. Каждый раз перед Superbowl я думаю, что важнее еврейские традиции или американская культура? Может быть и то и другое важно...

Еще до приезда евреев из Советского Союза, американское еврейство было УБЕЖДЕНО, что в Советском Союзе никто не помнит ни о каких обычаях, да и евреи мы только по паспорту. По приезде в Америку каждая еврейская община НАСТОЙЧИВО заботилась о том, чтобы многие из нас познакомились с древними обычаями. Часто американские евреи даже не подозревали и не подозревают, что о многом мы уже знаем, и многие обычаи мы соблюдаем. Если честно, то многие американские евреи не знают того, что знаем мы.

Много лет тому назад я познакомилась с американским евреем. Знакомство было достаточно интересным как и сам мужчина. Будучи воспитанной в Советском Союзе, где мы привыкли поздравлять друг друга с праздниками, я подняла трубку телефона, чтобы поздравить его с Tu Bishvat. "Happy Holiday!" - я произнесла. Помолчав несколько секунд он воскликнул: "Superbowl!" Именно в тот год праздник Ti Bishvat совпал с Superbowl. Я удивленно спросила его "Is it a Jewish Holiday?" Он понял, что сделал ошибку. С этого момента я четко поняла, что американские евреи преданно учат нас быть евреями, а сами полностью погружены в американскую культуру.

Как ни говори для многих из них американская культура ближе, чем вековые традиции своего народа. А для меня это стало еще одним американским уроком.

Great-hearted...

Sometimes it's not easy to be Jewish, not always we're proud who we are because none of us is perfect. But there are moments when we are proud to be Jewish. Definetely lately we have plenty of such "great-hearted" moments. I expect, that everybody have already watched this segment on CNN. Anyway, I'm posting video about extraordinary in all means Israeli hospital in Haiti. Please feel free to watch it.

Apple & Honey Strudel

Apple and Honey Strudel.

Dough: 2 1/2 cups flour, 8oz (2 sticks) margarine, 1/2 cup cold water, 1 teaspoon vinegar, 1/3 teaspoon salt.

Apple filling: 4 tart medium sized apples, 2 tablespoons sugar, 2 tablespoons honey, 4 tablespoons bread crumbs

For assembling: 1 small egg, 2 tablespoons water, 2 tablespoons oil.

1. Measure the flour into a big bowl. Use a pastry blender to cut margarine into the flour until mixture resembles small peas.Mow work with your fingertips crumbling the margarine in the flour until it resembles cornmeal.

2. Combine in a measuring cup the water, vinegar and salt, and drizzle it over the flour.Blend with a fork then knead with your and 40 kneads. The dough is quite soft and elastic. Shape the dough into 2 balls.
Wrap them with waved paper and let rest in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

3. Preheat oven to 375F and begin to prepare filling. Peel the apples and thinly sliced. Add all ingredients and mix well.

4. Dust working surface with flour and roll out a rectangle, out of each ball, of about 12" x 15".Brush each rectangle with 1 tablespoon oil and sprinkle all over with bread crumbs. Divide filling into 2 equal parts, using 1 part for each. Put filling on the dough. Roll up lengthwise, starting by folding 1" edge over the filling, then rolling like a jelly roll. Repeat the same with the second ball.

5. Transfer the strudels to a cookie sheet. Beat the egg and water together well then brush on tops of the strudels. To prevent strudels bursting while baking make 1" diagonal buts in the tops with sharp knife. Bake in oven for 1 hour, or until the strudels are nicely browned. Cool completely before serving.

Avocado Dip

Avocado Dip
For 2 medium bowls
2 avocado, 4 Tbls mayonnaise, 2 Tbls. finely shopped onion, 1/4 tsp pepper, 1/2 tsp. salt, 2 Tbls lemon juice.

Peel avocados. Mash the flesh and mix in all other ingredients. Pour into bowl.

My note: I used food processor to mix all ingredients.

Паста из авокадо.

2 авокадо, 4 столовых ложки майонеза, 2 столовых ложки мелко нарезанного лука, 1/4 чайной ложки перца, 1/2 чайной ложки соли, 2 столовых ложки лимонного сока.

Почистить авокадо, размять мякоть плода и соединить со всеми ингридиентами.

Я положила все в кухонный комбайн и провернула.

Recipe from "A taste of Tradition" by Ruth Sirkis

Rose's Tips for Cake Baking

Rose's Tips for Cake Baking It's quite interesting and useful. Let's have fun with cakes!

Beets salad

Beets salad

2 medium size beet root, 2 cloves of garlic, 1/4 cup mayo, salt, 1/4 chopped walnuts, 1/4 cup chopped prunes.

If using fresh beets: Remove leaves, leaving about an inch of stem, and don't cut the taproot. Wash gently (don't break the skin), and place in a pot of cold water to cover. Bring to a boil and cook until done (firm but cooked, about 40-50 minutes). Drain the beets, cool under running cold water, and remove skin with fingers.
Finely Shred. Combine all ingridients and toss. Add salt and pepper to taste, and refrigerate covered for several hours before serving.

Салат из красной свеклы.

2 шт свеклы среднего размера, 2 зубчика чеснока, 1/4 чашки майонеза, соль,
1/4 чашки мелко нарезанных грецких орех, 1/4 чашки мелко нарезанного чернослива

Свеклу вымыть (не очищать), завернуть каждую в фольгу и запечь в духовке при температуре ~180° ~60-80 минут (в зависимости от размера свеклы) или отварить до готовности. Вареную свеклу очистить и натереть на крупной терке.
Чеснок пропустить через чесночный пресс. Смешать все ингридиенты

Chocolate Chickpea Spread

Recently I found a nice dessert recipe. It's really HEALTHY and easy. Please use it.

Chocolate Chickpea Spread

Frosted Apple Squares

Frosted Apple Squares
Dough
1/2 cup (4 ounces) lukewarm milk
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons instant yeast
4 cups (17 ounces) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks, 8 ounces) unsalted butter

Filling
3/4 cup (5 1/4 ounces) granulated sugar
1/4 cup (1 ounce) cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
8 cups (about 3 pounds before peeling) apples, peeled, cored, and very thinly sliced

Glaze
1 cup (4 ounces) confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons (1 ounce) milk or cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the dough: Beat the eggs and milk together, and set aside. Combine the yeast, flour, and salt in a medium bowl, and cut in the butter with a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the egg/milk mixture, stirring until a soft dough forms. Divide the dough in half and chill for about 30 minutes.

Lightly grease a half-sheet pan (13" x 18"). On a piece of parchment paper, or on a lightly floured surface, roll half the dough into a 12" x 17" rectangle; the dough will be quite thin. Transfer the dough to the prepared pan. If you used parchment, this is easily done by flipping it over into the pan and gently peeling the parchment off, then smoothing the dough where it needs it. If you didn’t use parchment, transfer the dough by rolling it onto the rolling pin, then lifting the pin above the pan, centering it and unrolling the dough. Smooth out the corners. You may find a giant spatula helpful to transfer the dough.

For the filling: Whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, salt, and cinnamon. Spread the apples over the dough, and sprinkle with the sugar mixture. Roll out the remaining dough and place it over the apples. Pinch the edges together. Cut steam vents in the top. Cover with greased plastic wrap or a proof cover, and let rise in a cool place for about 1 hour. After 30 minutes, preheat the oven to 350°F.

Bake the pastry for 25 to 30 minutes, until it’s golden brown. Remove it from the oven and cool on a rack for 20 minutes.

For the glaze: Mix the sugar, milk, and vanilla until smooth. Drizzle it over the bars. Cool completely. Cut into 3 ½" squares if you want to serve it as dessert (topped with ice cream, of course!), or 2" x 3" bars. Refrigerate any leftovers.
Yield: 3 dozen bars.

Variation: For added color and flavor, spread a layer of dried cranberries atop the apples before adding the top crust.
Recipe from King Arthur Flour

Shrimp Scampi with Pasta

Shrimp Scampi with Pasta
- serves 2 -
Adapted from Tyler Florence.

1/2 pound pasta, 2 tablespoons butter, 2 tablespoons extra virigin olive oil, 1/2 large shallot, finely diced,3 cloves garlic, sliced, 1/2 pound shrimp, peeled, Salt and pepper, 1/4 cup dry white wine, Juice of half a lemon, Handful of parsley, chopped

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. And a couple tablespoons of salt, then add the pasta. Cook according to the instructions on the pasta box. Drain when done.

2. Meanwhile, drop one tablespoon of the oil and one tablespoon of the butter into a large skillet. Melt the butter of medium-high heat. Add the shallots and garlic.
Cook until the shallots are translucent, about 2-3 minutes.

3. Add the shrimp and cook for about 3 minutes, turning halfway through. Remove the shrimp when pink, and set aside. Add the wine and lemon juice to the skillet, and bring to a boil. Add the rest of the butter and oil. Stir the sauce and let cook for 30 seconds to combine.

4. Return the shrimp to the skillet, season with salt and pepper, then add the drained pasta. Toss to combine everything. Add a little pasta water if the mixture is too dry. Serve with a sprinkle of parsley.


Креветки "Scampi" со шпагетти
На 2 порции.

250 грамм сухих шпагетти, 2 столовых ложки сливочного масла, 2 столовых ложки оливкового масла, 1/2 головки мелко нарезанного лука, 3 зубца мелко нарезанного чеснока, 250 грамм свежих почищенных креветок, соль, перец по вкусу, 1/4 чашки белого вина, сок половины лимона, мелко нерезанная петрушка

1. Закипятить воду, посолить и добавить шпагетти. Варить до полной готовности, отцедить воду.

2. Тем временем положить 1 столовую ложку сливочного масла и 1 столовую ложку оливкового масла на сковороду. Через 2-3 минуты добавить лук и чеснок. Жарить 2-3 минуты до того, что лук будет прозрачным.

3. Добавить креветки на сковороду и жарить 3 минуты. ВЫнуть из сковороды розовые креветки. Добавить в соус вино и лимонный сок. Добавить еще по одной столовой ложке сливочного и оливкового масла. Дать покипеть 30 секунд.

4. Переложить креветки в сковороду, поперчить, посолить. Добавить шпагетти и все перемешать. Перед подачей на стол украсить мелко нарезанной петрушкой.

Recipe from Serious Eats

Cranberry-Walnut Sweet Potatoes

4 large sweet potatoes
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup cranberry juice
1/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons minced chives
Directions
Scrub and pierce sweet potatoes. Bake at 400° for 1 hour or until tender.
In a small saucepan, saute onion in butter until tender. Add the cranberries, syrup, water, cranberry juice and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until berries pop, stirring occasionally. Stir in walnuts and mustard; heat through.
Cut potatoes in half lengthwise; sprinkle with pepper and remaining salt. Top each with 2 tablespoons cranberry mixture; sprinkle with chives. Yield: 8 servings.

Recipe from Taste of Home

Kishke

Kishke
Time: About 2 hours
6 tablespoons chicken fat, suet or vegetable oil
1 medium to large onion, cut in 1-inch pieces
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 stalk celery, cut into chunks
1 large carrot, peeled and cut into chunks
1 cup matzo meal
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
1/8 teaspoon hot paprika.
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with a double layer of foil 12 inches long, topped with a sheet of parchment paper the same size.
2. In a skillet over medium-low heat, heat 4 tablespoons fat or vegetable oil, and sauté onion and garlic until soft and golden. Cool slightly and pour everything, including fat, into a food processor equipped with a steel blade.
3. Add remaining 2 tablespoons fat or oil, celery, carrot, matzo meal, salt, pepper and paprika to food processor. Pulse until vegetables and fat are incorporated into a paste. Transfer mixture to parchment paper, and shape into a knockwurst-like cylinder about 9 inches long and 1 3/4 inches in diameter. Enclose parchment and foil firmly around cylinder, folding ends under.
4. Bake for 30 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 degrees and cook until kishke is solid, 45 to 60 minutes more. Unroll kishke to expose surface; return to oven just until top is lightly browned and slightly crisped, 10 to 15 minutes. Cool slightly, and cut into rounds. If desired, serve as a side dish with pot roast or roast chicken.
Yield: About 8 servings.

Recipe from New York Times

Маринованный перец.

Маринованный перец.

На 12 больших цветных перцев.

Помыть перец, порезать на 4 части, положить на деко кожурой наверх и поставить в духовку. Включить духовку в режите "broil" и запекать 40-50 минут. Вынуть из духовки, снять кожуру и уложить в пластиковый контейнер. Залить маринадом.

Для маринада: 1/3 чашки растительного масла, 2 столовые ложки соли, 1/3 чашки сахара, 1 чашка уксуса, 2 чашки кипяченной воды, 3 зубчика мелко нарезанного чеснока.
Перемешать все составляющие.

My home grown tomatoes

Hava Nagila on Ukrainian

Roasted Beet Salad with Barley, Pickles, and Red Onion

Roasted Beet Salad with Barley, Pickles, and Red Onion

Makes about 5 cups1 cup dry pearl barley, 4 medium beets, tops removed, 1/2 medium red onion (about 1/2 cup),3-4 pickles, cut into small squares or crumbled, 4-5 scallions, sliced into fine rounds, 1 1/2 Tablespoons lemon juice, 1 Tablespoon Extra-Virgin Olive Oil, salt and pepper to tasteextra sliced scallions for garnish

Heat the oven to 400-degrees.Loosely wrap the beets in tin foil and roast in the oven until they are just fork tender--30 - 45 minutes. Peel and dice the beets into small cubes.Meanwhile, bring 3 cups of water to a boil. Add the barley and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook until the barley is al dente, about 30 minutes. If there is extra liquid in the pot, drain the barley and return it to the pan. Cover with a clean dishtowel until ready to use.Combine barley, beets, red onion, pickles, and scallions in a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle the lemon juice and olive oil over the top and toss to coat.Taste the mixture. As needed, add salt 1/4 teaspoon at a time. Pepper to taste. Serve family-style in a large bowl or in individual bowls.Garnish with extra scallions.

Осенний салат из буряка (красной свеклы), перловки и соленых огурцов.

На 5 порций.1 чашка сухой перловой крупы, 4 средних по размеру бурячка, 1/2 головки мелко нарезанного красного лука, 3-4 мелко нарезанных соленых огурца, 4-5 стручков мелко нарезанного свежего зеленого лука, 1 1/2 столовых ложки лимонного сока, 1 столовая ложка оливкового масла, соль и перец по вкусу.

Нагреть духовку до 400Ф. Положить свеклу в фольгу и запечь 30-45 минут в духовке. Вынуть ис духовки, остудить, очистить от кожуры. Нарезать на мелкие кусочки.Пока свекла печется в духовке, сварить перловку. Налить 3 чашки воды в кастрюлю, нагреть до кипения и добавить перловую крупу с 1/2 чайной ложки соли. Варить до готовности, отцедить лишнюю воду. Дать остыть до комнатной температуры.Перемешать перловку, красный лук, буряк, зеленый лук и огурцы. Полить лимонный соком, посолить и поперчить.

Summer Borscht

Summer Borscht

2 medium size fresh beet roots, 4-5 cups of cold water.

6 cups of cold water, 2 tablespoons vegerable oil, 1 medium size thinly sliced onion, 1 large carrot, diced, 2 medium size potato peeled, cut into 1/2-inch pieces, 1 1/2 cups finely sliced cabbage, salt, pepper and sour salt by taste.

1. Pour water into pan and boil. Put beet roots into boiling water and continue to boil until beets are soft. It will take approximately 1 hour. Take beets out of water, peel and thinly shredd.

2. Bring 6 cups of water to boil. Add carrots; reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes. Meanwhile saute on a frying pan onion with vegetable oil for 5 minutes, add shredded beets and saute for next 10 minutes.

3. Add onion with beets to a pot with carrots and add potatoes chunks. Simmer for next 5-8 minutes. Add cabbage and cook about 15 minutes. Season with salt, pepper and sour salt. Ladle soup into bowls. Top with yogurt or sour cream.
Летний борщ.
2 средней величины красной свеклы, 4-5 чашек воды.

6 чашек холодной воды, 2 столовые ложки подсолнечного масла, 1 средней величины головка лука, 1 большая морковь, 2 небольшие картофелины, 1 1/2 чашек тонко нарезанной капусты, соль, перец и лимонная кислота по вкусу.

1. Налить воду в кастрылю и закипятить. Положить в воду свеклу (буряк) и сварить до готовности (приблизительно 1 час). Вынуть свеклу, остудить, очистить от кожуры и натереть на крупной терке.

2. Закипятить воду, добавить очищенную и мелко нарезанную морковь. Уменьшить огонь и варить 10 минут. Тем временем на сковороде пожарить лук в течении 5 минут, потом добавить натертую свеклу и продолжать жарить на малом огне в течении 10 минут.

3. Добавить эту смесь в кастрюлю с морковью. Добавить картошку, порезанную на небольшие кусочки. Варить 5-8 минут. Добавить капусту и варить еще 15 минут. Посолить, поперчить и по желанию добавить лимонной кислоты.
Подавать с йогуртом или сметаной.

Applesauce Bread

Family Recipe

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, 1 cup of sugar, 2 eggs, 1 3/4 cups of flour, 1 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. baking powder, 1/2 tsp. baking soda, 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, 1/2 tsp. nutmeg, 1 cup sweetened applesauce

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Grease a 9×6x3-inch loaf pan.
2. In a large bowl gradually add sugar into butter, cream until light. Add eggs and beat until light and fluffy.
3. In a separate bowl combine all the dry ingredients.
4. Combine dry mixture with the butter mixture. Then add in 1cup of applesauce and combine.
5. Pour into pan. Bake for about 1 hour. It’ll be a nice golden brown and a toothpick will come out clean. Cool 10 minutes and remove from pan.
Wrap it up in some plastic warp or foil to keep it fresh.

Кекс с яблочным пюре

1/2 чашки мягкого (растопленного) сливочного масла или маргарина, 1 чашка сахара, 2 яйца, 1 3/4 чашки муки, 1 чайная ложка соли, 1/2 чайной ложки соды, 1чайная ложка разрыхлителя (baking powder), 1/2 чайной ложки корицы, 1/2 чайной ложки натертого мускатного ореха.

1. Нагреть духовку до 350Ф. Нагреть немного формочку для выпечки light bread.
2. В большой посуде перемешать сахар и масло. Добавить яйца и взбить в течении нескольких минут.
3. В отдельной посуде соединить муку, соль, соду, разрыхлитель, корицу, мускатный орех.
4. Соединить все ингридиенты и в последнюю очередь добавить яблочное пюре.
5. Вылить жидкое тесто в формочку. Печь 1 час. Вынуть из духовки, дать остудить в течении 10 минут и вынуть из формочки.

Остудить и завернуть в пластиковую пленку для сохранения свежести.

Recipe from Applesauce Bread

Passover Seder