Herring in America... Селедка в Америке

I don't have to say a lot of words about herring. Just read :

1. The World on a Plate

2. Какова роль селедки в мировой науке и культуре? (Натощак не читать!)

3. Как и когда празднуется День селёдки?

I have heard, that herring is a one of the popular dishes in Israeli Army...

Potato& Pear latkes with Spice Cucumber salad

Potato & Pear latkes with Spice Cucumber salad

Serves 4
1 lb potatoes, 1 pear, 1 small onion, 1 egg, 1/3-1/2 cup flour (use matzo meal for Passover), salt and peppers to taste.

Peel potatoes. Peel and core pear. Grate all with a food processor. Strain any excess liquid. Grate onion. Add egg, flour, salt and pepper. Mix until coated.

Spoon latke mixture onto hot frying pan, forming 2-inch patties. Fry on each side. Serve with cucumber salad.

Spice Cucumber salad.

1 medium cucumber, 1 tsp sugar, 2 tsp white vinegar, 2 Tbsp vegetable/olive oil, 2 gloves of crushed garlic, salt and pepper by taste, 1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion, dash of Chili Garlic Paste, chopped cilantro (optional)
Wisk together Chili Garlic Paste, vinegar, sugar, olive oil, garlic. Let dressing ingredients hang out at room temperature so flavors will blend.
Cut cucumber in half lengthwise and cut each half in to 1/4 inch slices. Stir cucumbers in dressing, enough to coat cucumbers. Add salt and pepper.
Note: You probably won't need all the dressing; save for another salad.
Блинчики с картофелем и грушей.

500 грамм свежего картофеля, 1 груша, 1 маленькая головка лука, 1 яйцо, 1/3-1/2 чашки муки (на Пасху используйте matzo meal), соль и перец по вкусу.
Очистить картофель и грушу от кожуры. Поместить в кухонный комбайн и перемолоть. Вынуть из комбайна и отцедить. Добавить натертый лук, яйво, муку, соль и перец.
Столовой ложкой выкладывать на горячую сковороду. Обжарить на каждой стороне. Подавать с салатом из свежих огурцов.

Острый салат из свежих огурцов.

1 огурец средней величины, 1 чайная ложка сахара, 2 чайные ложки уксуса, 2 столовые ложки подсолнечного/оливкового масла, 1/4 чашки мелко нарежанного красного лука, несколько капель острого китайского соуса "Chili Garlic Paste", 2 зубца чеснока мелко нарезанные, соль и перец по вкусу, мелко нарежанная петрушка (по желанию)
Приготовить соус, перемешав уксус, острый соус, сахар, масло и чеснок. Оставить на 10-15 минут. Тем временем, разрезать пополам в длину огурец. Каждую половину нарезать на тонкие кусочки. Добавить красный лук. Все салить приготовленным соусом. Посолить и поперчить по вкусу.

Шарлотка (apple quick cake)

Что такое шарлотка и как ее готовить?

Lemon Vodka Salmon with Sauteed Mushrooms

Lemon Vodka Salmon with Sauteed Mushrooms
(enhanced recipe)

Serves 4

675g/1½lb salmon fillet, skinned, 5-6 tablespoons vodka, salt and pepper, 2 tablespoons sesame seeds, 55g/¼ cup butter, 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped, 1 lemon

Cut the salmon into four equal pieces so they take the same time to cook. Lay them in a non-metallic dish and sprinkle with two tablespoons of the vodka and some salt and pepper. Turn and sprinkle the other sides with a tablespoon of vodka and more salt and pepper. Leave them to marinate for 10-15 minutes so they pickle slightly and pick up taste. Meanwhile, toast the sesame seeds in a dry non-stick frying pan over a medium heat, stirring often, until they are brown and fragrant, 4-5 minutes.

Drain the salmon and pat it dry on paper towels. Melt the butter in a frying pan. Sauté the salmon until browned, 2-3 minutes. For an attractive golden brown it’s best to heat the oil until sputtering stops, then put in the salmon with the cut or backbone side downwards. When brown, sprinkle it with the chopped garlic and fresh lemon juice, then turn and continue cooking. Depending on the thickness of the fillets, this should take 2-3 minutes for medium done salmon that is still translucent in the center, or 4-5 minutes if you prefer it well done. Pour the remaining vodka into the pan, bring just to a boil, then set it alight, standing well back. Take the pan from the heat and sprinkle the salmon with the reserved lemon juice and sesame seeds.

Sauteed Mushrooms in white wine and garlic

1 pound mushrooms, cleaned and cut in half, 1/4 cup butter, 1/4 cup white wine, 2 small cloves of garlic.

Clean and cut in half mushrooms. Put in a same fry pan and sprinkle with butter. Stir mushrooms around the pan, saute in pan and add fresh garlic. When the mushrooms look like they are cooking, pour wine over the mushrooms and cook until the wine has evaporated and the garlic has caramelized.


Arrange the salmon and mushrooms on warm plates and spoon over the pan juices. Garnish the plates with parsley. Sprinkle with lemon juice.

Original recipe from http://www.lavarenne.com/recipes/2007/december.htm

Cheesecake, cheesecake, and more cheesecake...

Looking forward for a milky Holiday "shavuot", we need to be educated how to make a cheesecake, and mostly, learn about new good recipes.

For a good recipe, please, visit New York Times

For a good educated experience, please watch some video:

Plain cheesecake:


Chocolate cheesecake:



Let me know, if you need more info for making AMAZING and DELICIOUS cheesecake.

Caterpillar Bread

2 cans (13.8 oz each) Pillsbury® refrigerated classic pizza crust
1 pack of sausages/franks
mayonnaise
ketchup
Divide the dough from each can into 4 pieces and mould them into balls. Let them rest for 10 minutes, then roll them flat with a rolling pin.




Pictures had been borrowed from Novice-baker
Put the sausage on the center of the dough and fold the dough into halves. Lightly pinch to seal. Cut each folded dough into 6 small portions, leaving 1/3 from the sealed edges uncut. (The dough should resemble a comb at this point.)

Twist first cut portion to the left, and second to the right, repeat this for the rest of the portions. Place the shaped dough onto a greased baking sheet and press each lightly. Let the dough prove for 25 minutes. (please see pictures and follow them)

Brush with egg wash.

Bake at 375F for 15-20 minutes or until the breads look golden brown. You can pipe some mustard and ketchup on top if desired (for presentation).

Recipe from Novice baker

Dark Chocolate Pudding

Serves 2 to 4
Total Time 20 minutes

3 Tbsp. cornstarch, 5 Tbsp. sugar, 2 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder 2 cups skim milk, 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

In a saucepan, thoroughly combine the cornstarch, sugar, and cocoa. Add the milk and stir until very smooth. Cook on medium heat, stirring constantly, until the pudding comes to a boil. Then lower the heat and gently simmer, stirring continuously, for 3 or 4 minutes. Stir in the vanilla, pour the hot pudding into a decorative serving bowl or individual custard cups, and serve warm or chill for about 2 hours, until cold and set.

You can always replace the skim milk with whole milk for a richer pudding. And if you want a more intense chocolate hit, replace the cocoa powder with 2 or 3 ounces of high-quality semisweet chocolate, such as Scharffen Berger. Melt the chocolate separately, then whisk it into the other ingredients. Cook, stirring, until the mixture simmers and thickens. Add vanilla and serve.

Малокалорийный и быстрый шоколадный пудинг

На 2-4 порции.
Время приготовления: 20 минут.

3 столовые ложки кукурузного крахмала, 5 столовых ложек сахара, 2 столовый ложки порошка какао (лучше 1/2 чашки жидкого сладкого темного шоколада), 2 чашки нежирного молока, 1 чайная ложка эстракта ванили.

В небольшой кастрюльке смешать крахмал, сахар и какао (шоколад). Добавить молоко и перемешать. Поставить на средний огонь, постоянно помешивая, довести до кипения. Уменьшить огонь и кипятить 3-4 минуты. Жидкость начнет густеть. Не переставая помешивать, продержать пудинг еще 1-2 минуты на огне. Добавить ваниль и снять с огня. Разложить по декоративным стаканам и поставить в холодильник на 2 часа. Украсить взбитыми сливками и свежими фруктами.

Если Вы используете шоколад, то распустите его заранее.

Для тех, кто еще не знает о знаменитых книгах, изданными работниками Moosewood restaraunt в штате Нью Йорк, рекомендую познакомиться. Все книги продаются на http://www.amazon.com/. В моей кулинарной библиотеке уже 3 книги из этой серии.

Recipe from Moosewood Restaurant Low-Fat Favorites by Moosewood Collective

Gwyneth Paltrow and Mario Batali.

Pat Carter/AP

She takes soy milk in her coffee. Meet TV's new culinary odd couple: Gwyneth Paltrow and Mario Batali.

Longtime friends, the actress and the star chef recently completed filming a documentary series, "Spain . . . On the Road Again," in which they travel through Iberia (in a convertible – everyone shares the driving), eating, cooking and taking in the sights, along with food writer Mark Bittman and Spanish star Claudia Bassols. PEOPLE has your exclusive first look at the show, scheduled to air this fall on PBS (check out http://www.spainontheroadagain.com/ for more info).

Watch the video