Meat Strudel (FLEISCHSTRUDEL)

Savory Meat Strudel (FLEISCHSTRUDEL)
This is one of my favorite HOMY dishes.

Dough Recipe courtesy Wolfgang Puck, "Pizza, Pasta & More!" Random House, 2000

1 package active dry yeast, 1 teaspoon honey, 1 cup warm water, 105 to 115 degrees F, 3 cups all-purpose flour (my note: 2 1/2 cups of flour - 3 cups of flour), 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus additional for brushing

In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast and honey in 1/4 cup warm water.
In a food processor, combine the flour and the salt. Add the oil, the yeast mixture, and the remaining 3/4 cup of water and process until the mixture forms a ball. (The pizza dough can also be made in a mixer fitted with a dough hook. Mix on low speed until the mixture comes cleanly away from the sides of the bowl and starts to climb up the dough hook).

Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface and knead by hand 2 or 3 minutes longer. The dough should be smooth and firm. Cover the dough with a clean, damp towel and let it rise in a cool spot for about 2 hours. (You can leave a dough overnight in refrigerator).

Work dough by pulling down the sides and tucking under the bottom of the ball. Repeat 4 or 5 times. Cover the dough with a damp towel and let rest 1 hour.

Meanwhile, prepare the filling.

Filling: 1 lb boiled veal, 1 egg, 1/2 cup chopped fresh onion, salt, pepper, garlic. Combine the above ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth.

Spread meat filling over stretched dough. Fold edges inwards so that filling does not spill while baking. Brush edges with butter. Roll the dough, using the dish towel to help. Place strudel on a greased and floured pan with the edge on the bottom.



Prepare the egg wash and brush entire strudel with the egg wash. Transfer sheet to preheated 350 F oven and bake 45 minutes until crisp and golden brown. Transfer strudel to cutting board, allow it to rest 5-10 minutes before slicing. Serve with a salad for a delicious taste treat. Makes a great luncheon or brunch dish, too.

Note: you can use a meat leftovers for filling.

Yiddish from Moscow

Watch, cry, smile, and enjoy!

Yiddishe mama



Gefilte fish



Sholom Aleichem



Poppuri

Eggplant Caviar

Eggplant Caviar

Makes 3 cups

2 medium eggplants (1 1/2 lb.), 1 large red bell pepper, 1 large yellow bell pepper, 1 red small onion, finely chopped (1 cup), 2 Tbs. red wine vinegar, 2 Tbs vegetable oil, salt, pepper, 2 gloves garlic, 1 Tbs lemon juice (optional)

Preheat oven to broil. Prick eggplants several times with fork. Place eggplants and bell peppers on baking sheet. Broil 20 to 25 minutes, or until eggplants and peppers are blackened on all sides, turning occasionally. Place bell peppers in plastic bag to cool and steam skins. Cool eggplant and bell peppers 20 minutes, or until easy to handle.

Peel eggplants. Place in a food processor. Add onion, garlic and process together. Then place in large bowl. Peel and remove core and seeds from bell peppers. Chop into 1/4-inch dice, and add to bowl with eggplant. Stir in vinegar, oil and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper.

Баклажанная икра.

2 средней величины баклажана, 1 большой красный перец, 1 большой желтый перец, 1 небольша головка красного лука, 2 столовые ложки винного уксуса, 2 столовые ложки подсолнечного масла, соль и перец, 2 зубца чеснока, 1 столовая ложка лимонного сока (по желанию)

Включить духовку в режиме "broil". Разрежать баклажаны пополам, положить баклажаны и перцы на дечку, проколоть вилкой несколько раз. Запекать в духовке 20 - 25 минут, пока шкурка потемнеет. Перевернуть несколько раз. Вынуть из духовки, остудить. Аккуратно снять тонкую кожицу.

Положить баклажаны, лук и чеснок в кухонных комбайн и прокрутить, выложить в посуду и добавить мелко нарезанные перцы. Заправить солью, перцем, винным уксусон, маслом и по желанию лимонным соком.

Поставить в холодильник на 2 часа.

The intimate Yiddishe shpiel: cheap or inexpensive cooking

Food does not have to be a high-priced. I did not say anything new, I just repeated the words of Jewish rationality. All of us remember the times, when Yiddishe mama had to cook and bake on a limited budget. So, sometimes we learn from the history lessons.

Healthy Eating Need Not Be Expensive, Even in a Bad Economy. I hope, we can learn something new.

• ABC NEWS


• CBS NEWS


• FOOD NETWORK CANADA


• CNN


• TIME-magazine

Remember an old Jewish proverb: "Worries go down better with soup."

Another accepted Jewish dish

Rosemary-Lemon White Bean Dip (Паштет из белой фасоли)

I would like to reintroduce a very friendly dish we used to eat a lot. I think, Mark Bittman is one of the best ones, who masters this dish to perfection.

Rosemary-Lemon White Bean Dip

Yield 2 cups
Time 10 minutes using precooked or canned beans

Mark Bittman Tony Cenicola/The New York Times

This takes less than 10 minutes if you start with canned beans, but is best made with freshly cooked dried beans: Cook them in water to cover, with a couple of bay leaves, until very tender.

2 cups cooked white beans, like cannelini, drained but moist
1 to 3 cloves garlic, peeled
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary
Grated rind of 2 lemons

1. Put the beans in the container of a food processor with 1 clove of garlic and a healthy pinch of salt. Turn the machine on, and add the 1/4 cup olive oil in a steady stream through the feed tube; process until the mixture is smooth. Taste, and add more garlic if you like; then, puree the mixture again.
2. Place the mixture in a bowl, and use a wooden spoon to beat in the rosemary, lemon zest and the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Taste, and add more salt and pepper as needed. Use immediately, or refrigerate for as long as 3 days.

Variations
The puree can form the basis of a wonderful sandwich. For example, combine a thick layer of puree with grilled vegetables and a little olive oil on rolls or between thick slices of crusty bread. It can be used to thicken and flavor cooked beans. Just stir a few spoonfuls of the puree into simmering white beans (if you have pesto, add some at the same time). Thinned with the cooking water from beans or pasta, it makes a good pasta sauce.

A small mound of the puree served next to braised chicory or other bitter greens (both drizzled with olive oil) makes a fine side dish. Similarly, serve it at the center of a plate of lightly and simply cooked vegetables: carrots, green beans, turnips, asparagus, potatoes or cauliflower.

Layer the puree with grilled eggplant or zucchini and bake or broil to form a simple vegetable napoleon.
You can make this dish even more elaborate by incorporating thin-sliced toast and grated Parmesan cheese in the layers. Or roll smoked salmon or thin-sliced cooked vegetables -- again, zucchini and eggplant are good candidates -- around a bit of the puree, and serve as hors d'oeuvres.

Recipe from NY Times

The Garlic Eaters

The Garlic Eaters

Today NY Times posted a lot of info about garlic. I think, it's good to know as well as good to use for cooking and even for baking.

Enjoy some really healthy reading.

I also found a really interesting article for Russian-speaking readers. Enjoy!

Plus one more good book

Let me know if you have any questions.

It takes a lot of courage to show your dreams to someone else

Just a typical Jewish law student who returned to New York to study playwriting, Roberts forsook torts and all things dramaturgical for tarts and all things culinary. In order to better share his discoveries and enthusiasms, he eventually launched a Web site—amateurgourmet.com—replete with recipes, marketing and cooking tips, restaurant reviews and overall winsomeness.

Now he shares his experience with us how to write a book.

I wish one day my dream will come true.

A Turkish monarch...

Eggplant holds an esteemed place in many Mediterranean cuisines. I think that the Turkish kitchen has exploited its versatility to the fullest. Turks use eggplant in hot and cold dishes, cubed, sliced, layered, puréed, stuffed, wrapped around meat, and wrapped in pastry. For me, the smell of eggplant cooking in olive oil on a summer evening is one of the most evocative memories of my homeland. The absence of eggplant from any summer meal would be unthinkable.

Full Article

More info: Learning to love Eggplant"