Noodling about Noodle Pudding with Kugel Recipes Sweet and Not

In my latest column in the j. newsweekly, I celebrate my rediscovery of the noodle kugel, a baked noodle and egg dish often called a noodle pudding. I’ve eaten my share of gloppy, indiscriminately sweet noodle kugels (also known as luchen kugel in Yiddish) and had kugels served with dinners that were nothing more than desserts in disguise.

Then I had the kugels made by my friend Karen Bloom. Hers were light and fluffy, tasty and varied. Her noodle puddings were in a different class. She comes by it naturally; her cousin, Nina Yellin, has written two kugel cookbooks and Bloom has based several of her creations on her cousin’s recipes. Bloom recommends whipping the egg whites separately and folding them in last to keep kugel lighter. I took her advice and made a fragrant and sweet Cinnamon Bun Kugel. It was adapted from Yellin’s latest cookbook -- Kugel, Knishes, and Other Tasty Dishes, Smylan Reed Books. (FYI -- The book was published in 1993 and seems only to be available used.) The kugel’s spicy warm scent entices as the oozing cinnamon, brown sugar and butter topping melts into the creamy noodles.

But a kugel need not be sweet and creamy. Onions, garlic, and all sorts of vegetables are featured in Yellin’s recipes, so I devised a savory kugel that draws on Sephardic influences including toasting the pasta to add extra flavor. Baked Fidellos Tostada with Sephardic Flavor combines the nutty flavor of the pasta with the earthiness of chickpeas, cumin and saffron, and the bright tastes of lemons and tomatoes. Use vegetable broth to keep the dish vegetarian or punch up the flavor with chicken broth.

You can read my article in the j. here.

Cinnamon Bun Kugel
Serves 8-10

A small piece is perfect for dessert or as an accompaniment to brunch. If you want to trim back a bit on the fat without loosing the lusciousness, substitute low-fat sour cream, cottage cheese and milk. If you want to try Yellin's original recipe, use a 10x10-inch pan, a full stick of butter, 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts instead of the pecans and crushed, drained pineapple instead of the applesauce.

8 oz. medium wide egg noodles
3 eggs, separated
½ pint sour cream
½ pound cottage cheese
½ cup milk
½ cup sugar
1 cup chunky apple sauce
1 and ¼ tsp. ground cinnamon, divided
4 Tbs. butter
½ cup brown sugar
Heaping 1/3 cup roughly chopped pecans
1/3 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook and drain noodles. Beat yolks and mix with sour cream, cottage cheese, milk and sugar. Combine apple sauce with ¼ tsp of cinnamon, add to egg yolk mixture. Mix in noodles and combine. Beat egg whites until stiff and fold into noodles.

Melt butter and pour into 8”x8” baking pan, being sure to fully coat inside bottom and sides. Scatter remaining cinnamon, brown sugar, pecans and raisins on bottom of pan. Stir. Pour noodle mixture into pan. Bake for 50 minutes or until kugel is firm to the touch. Invert on serving platter to serve immediately, serve out of pan, or store in pan and warm before inverting and serving.

Baked Fidellos Tostadas with Sephardic Flavors
Serves 10

I ate the leftovers for lunch for several days -- it only got more delicious, so try making this one in advance and reheating it.

Oil spray
12 oz. angel hair pasta, broken into pieces about 1” long
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ tsp. ground cumin
½ tsp. ground oregano
½ tsp. ground thyme
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. ground black pepper
½ tsp. red pepper flakes, or to taste
1 carrot, diced
1 celery stalk diced
1 red pepper, chopped
1 yellow pepper, chopped
1 15-oz. can diced tomatoes (undrained)
2 cups cooked chickpeas
1 cup vegetable or chicken stock
¼ tsp. saffron threads
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tsp. lemon zest
½ cup chopped parsley plus extra for garnish
6 eggs, beaten
½ tsp. smoked or regular paprika

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Spray baking pan(s) with oil spray or grease with olive oil. Spread broken pasta pieces out in a single layer. Toast in hot oven until lightly browned, turning over often. Cook in boiling, salted water until just cooked. Drain.

Set oven to 350 degrees. In a large frying pan over medium high heat sauté onion until golden, add garlic, sauté a minute or two, add cumin, oregano, thyme, salt, black pepper and pepper flakes. Sauté a minute and then add in carrots, celery and red and yellow peppers. Sauté until vegetables are browned then add the tomatoes with liquid, chickpeas, stock and saffron threads. Simmer until vegetables are just cooked. Mix in lemon juice. Combine with cooked pasta. Add in lemon zest and ½ cup parsley. Taste and correct seasonings. Mix in eggs. Spray or grease a 10”x14” baking pan. Pour pasta mixture into pan. Sprinkle paprika on top. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes until lightly brown and firm to the touch. Garnish with chopped parsley. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Other kugels on the web: a traditional style noodle pudding from Smitten Kitchen and a cornflake topped one from David Lebovitz. My friend Karen makes a similar one using frosted flakes as a topping.

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About the photos: Top -- my cinnamon bun kugel oozing. Bottom -- whipping the egg whites.

East Bay Community Benefit to help Haiti at Oliveto Restaurant

Directly from Oliveto Restaurant:

East Bay Community Benefit to help Haiti at Oliveto Restaurant
Saturday, January 30, 2010 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Adelmise Warner, a St. Teresa School parent, recently asked us if we would host a fundraiser to benefit Haiti earthquake victims. We agreed, and immediately started fielding offers of donations from cafe regulars to pig farmers. We've been moved by the outpouring, and the event hasn't even happened yet!

There will be an auction, a silent auction, and a raffle.
Guest auctioneer will be Don Perata, and Jean Quan will also be on hand to help with the silent auction. Feature guest speakers include: Blaine Bookey, Bureau des Avocats Internationaux (BAI) Legal Fellow and Institute for Justice & Democracy in Haiti (IJDH) Development Director Walter Riley, prominent Civil Rights Attorney in Oakland and Chair of the Haiti Emergency Relief Fund in Berkeley.

There will be an ongoing slide show, Haitian music and great food, some of it donated by one of our farmers. Mark Pasternak of Devil's Gulch Ranch was in Haiti at the time of the earthquake on a humanitarian agricultural mission with his family. He's given part of one of his very fine, large hogs and Chef Canales will be making polpettoni.

Contributions for admission will be made to the American Red Cross (Bay Area), and will be for $25 - $300+.

Questions? Contact Adelmise Warner at 415-378-6613 or adelmisew@yahoo.com
RSVP by contacting Clare Nisbett at 510-547-5356 or clare@oliveto.com

Celebrate the New Year of Trees with Pomegranate Fish, Barley-Olive Tabbouleh and Carob Fruit Nut Bars

Tu B’Shevat, with its seder of fruits, nuts and wine to mark the New Year of Trees, is celebrated on January 30th this year. It’s a wonderful time to reflect on the bounty of produce we have year round in the Bay area. The custom at Tu B’Shevat is to eat the foods mentioned in Deuteronomy 8:8 -- wheat, barley, grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives and dates (since the honey mentioned is thought to be date syrup). Many also include carob and almonds, traditional foods of ancient Israel.

In my j. weekly column, I suggested not just sampling the foods in a seder but making a meal out of them. (Click here to see the article.)

Sweet and Sour Pomegranate Fish
Serves 4

Pomegranate molasses gives the fish a fruity tang. It can be found in gourmet, Jewish and Middle Eastern markets.

1½ pounds thin, mild white fish filets such as tilapia
1 Tbs. brown sugar
¼ cup pomegranate molasses
1 tsp. lemon zest
1 Tbs. minced garlic
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. fresh ground black pepper
12 ounces baby spinach, steamed or sautéed
½ cup pomegranate seeds

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place filets in single layer in glass baking dish. Mix pomegranate molasses with brown sugar. Spread evenly on top of fish filets. Sprinkle zest, garlic, salt and pepper over fish. Cover dish with foil and cook in the oven for about 10-12 minutes or until the fish is cooked through. Serve on top of cooked spinach. Garnish with pomegranate seeds.

Barley-Olive Tabbouleh
Serves 6-8

This was unbelievably tasty. I think I liked it better than the traditional bulgar or couscous tabbouleh (sometimes spelled tabbouli).

4 cups cooked pearl barley
4 oz. parsley, finely chopped
2 oz. mint, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 red bell pepper, chopped
6 scallions (green onions), white and green parts, finely chopped
½ cup chopped, pitted Kalamata olives
1 cup diced tomato
¼ cup olive oil
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. fresh ground black pepper
¼ cup white wine vinegar
Juice of large lemon

Combine all ingredients. Mix well. Taste and correct seasonings.

Carob Fruit and Nut Bars
16 bars

These look like chocolate but have the malty fruitiness of carob. The recipe should work well with cocoa instead of carob if you prefer.

Oil or oil spray
½ cup raisins
½ cup chopped black mission figs
½ cup chopped, pitted dates
½ cup slivered almonds
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
½ cup carob powder
½ cup flour
¼ tsp. baking soda
1/3 cup honey


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Oil or spray an 8-inch square baking pan. Combine raisins, figs, dates and almonds in a bowl. Mix with sugar. Set aside. Melt butter or margarine in a large glass bowl in microwave. Stir in eggs and vanilla. Mix well. Add carob, flour, and baking soda. Mix well until combined. Mixture will be very thick. Heat honey to make liquid if necessary. Mix in honey. Slowly stir in dried fruit, nut and sugar mixture until well combined. Pour into prepared pan and bake for about 35 minutes until center is set and springs back to touch. Allow to cool completely in pan on rack. Cut in 16 bars.

I've written about Tu B'Shevat before as part of a post about pomegranates (including how to seed and juice them). To see that post and another with recipes from other food bloggers, please click here.

Good Weather for Slow Cooking

I recently reviewed Laura Frankel’s Jewish Slow Cooker Recipes: 120 Holiday and Everyday Dishes Made Easy (John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2009) for my column at the j. newsweekly. You can read the article here.

Frankel, a restaurant chef, a working mother, an observant Jew and a devoted slow cooker user, has Ashkenazi, Middle Eastern and Sephardic recipes in the book, but most of the recipes are for contemporary dishes from around the world that are not particularly “Jewish,” such as cassoulet, tortilla soup, wild mushroom stroganoff, Szechwan chicken, tamales, key lime cheesecake and flan. She also has lots of subsidiary recipes, including spice mixes, sauces and accompaniments, which she uses to develop the dishes’ tantalizing and fresh-tasting flavors. But that means many of the recipes have extra preparation steps. Doing these steps in advance (such as the night before) would help keep the slow cooker prep time down in the morning when you are in a hurry to just plop the ingredients in the cooker or in the evening when you need to finish off the dish before serving, important criteria for me.

I do have one quibble. Frankel writes a lot about using the slow cooker for Shabbat luncheon meals, but most of the recipes cook in four to eight hours. I would have liked tips on how to start some of her other recipes on Friday afternoon to eat at Saturday lunch. Based on the back-of-the-jacket blurb “Your Slow Cooker: Not for Shabbat Only,” I assume she is writing for an audience that she feels already knows how to do this. Her emphasis definitely seems on using the slow cooker as just another kitchen preparation technique as opposed to only using it as a time-shifting convenience appliance.

The book has a chart showing which recipes are pareve, meat or dairy and the recipes give options on how to alter from one category to another when appropriate. There is also a section on Jewish holiday menus. I like the idea of using the slow cooker to have some of a holiday dinner cook unattended while I fuss with the rest.

Chick Pea and Lentil Soup
Serves Six

Here is a recipe adapted from Jewish Slow Cooker Recipes. I love soups made in the slow cooker and liked the Middle Eastern feel of the Chickpea and Lentil Soup.

2 Tbs. olive oil
3 medium carrots, diced small
3 celery stalks, diced small
1 large Spanish onion, diced small
1 medium fennel bulb, trimmed and diced small
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 cup red or green lentils
1 cup dried chickpeas, soaked overnight and drained
One 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes with juice
2 tsp. ground coriander
1 tsp. ground cumin
3 Tbs. lemon juice
2 quarts chicken or vegetable stock
Salt and pepper
Chopped cilantro or parsley for garnish
Harissa or fresh salsa for garnish

Preheat a slow cooker to low. Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Sauté the carrots, celery, onion, fennel and garlic until lightly browned. Put the vegetables in the slow cooker insert. Add the lentils, check peas, crushed tomatoes with juice, coriander, cumin, lemon juice and stock. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 9 hours. Before serving adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve the soup with the garnishes.


The j. article also has a recipe for persimmon pudding made in a slow cooker.

For slow cooker recipes I've featured here on Blog Appetit, click here.

For slow cooker recipes elsewhere on the web, check out the blog A Year of Slow Cooking or this recipe for Hungarian pot roast from Kalyn's Kitchen.

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note: Photo from Barnesandnoble.com

Menu for Hope Winners Announced

Go to Chez Pim to see the winners of the annual Menu for Hope fundraiser to combat hunger.

This year food bloggers and supporters raised almost $79,000 for the World Hunger Food Programme. You can see the list of winners on Pim's site. Click here for her post. Jennifer Chan, I'm waiting for your email so I can get you your blurb.com gift certificate!

Back to the Future (of Food Products) - Fancy Food Shows Prelimminary Report

In just a few minutes I'll be off for my second day at the Fancy Food Show.
Some quick impressions (admittedly I've only seen have of the exhibits so far, though)

Year of the Organic Munchie -- Natural, good for you, good for the environment treats seem to be big -- lots of nuts, crackers, seeds, bars, dried fruit, etc. I was joking that it seemed to be the year of sticks and twigs when I saw a product labeled "Twigs and Sticks." Bonus karma points for high fiber, organic, fair trade and gluten free. Following up on the munchie theme -- a big display for "Hippie Chips" with lots of tye-died adorned hippie chicks handing out samples.

Year of the Rain Forest -- Lots of products from the Amazon, South and Central America

Best thing I put in my mouth -- Pistachio oil ice cream and VoVo's chocolates (details to come)

A sign of the times: Appears that there are less exhibitors, sample sizes seem smaller, and so far I haven't seem many luxe foods.

Update for day two

I did the South Hall, and there were all the truffled pates, rich cheeses and chocolates of my dreams missing from yesterday's trek through the North Hall, which had an organic and health focus. They were yummy. (FYI -- if you walked every section of the North Hall you covered 1.3 miles. I did it twice.)

Two of my favorites today were the goat cheese macarons at Fabrice Delicacies and the roast pork porchetta at Petite Porchetta. Info and links to come.

If my first day was the Year of Natural Munchies, the theme of the second seemed to be the Year of the Pig. Lots of observations and comments on that to come.

I also attended the independent Food Fete media event which featured Sub Rosa's wonderfully mysterious saffron vodka and other lovely products. More on that later as well.

Special shout out to my food blogging friends An Open Cupboard, Wasabimon, Heat Eat Review, Cooking with Amy, Candy Blog, The Picky Eater and others I spotted at the Fancy Food show or the Food Fete. And special thanks to the glamourous, marvelous and generous food writer Marlena Spieler for letting me stalk her the past few days.

More later!

Coming Attractions: Tamale Party, Fancy Food Show

Since I made my tzimmes tamales a few weeks ago, I've been wanting to try making them again. A few friends came over to help form the roasted green pepper and cheese tamales and chicken mole tamales. As we filled and formed, wrapped, stuffed and tied, a kind of grace descended on us; the timeless connection of women working together in the kitchen from Chessy, age 9, to me, well, the oldest. Secrets were shared, stories told, connections made. Time (and the pile of tamales) grew. While eating the tamales was tasty, the time we spent making them was even more special. (to be continued ...)

Today is the first day of the Fancy Food Show in San Francisco. I'll be attending it and related events over the next few days.

Look for my tamale party write up (with recipes for the fillings and a NEW posole recipe, too) and my dispatches about the food show.

In addition to the above, I have some other, new recipes to post as well as some of the items I promised here.

Bittersweet Chocolate Citrus Tart with Jasmine Tea Scented Whipped Cream

I rang the New Year in with friends and this bittersweet citrus chocolate tart from Alice Medrich's book Pure Desserts. The book should be called "Perfect Desserts" because that's what this tart was -- the dark bittersweet chocolate offset by the grapefruit and orange zest and the wonderful jasmine-scented whipped cream just adding to the wild party in my mouth. As wonderful as this tart was, it was the whipped cream that caused a sensation and started me thinking about other jasmine-infused desserts I might make.

I also found the same recipe on line at epicurious.com but uncredited to Medrich. I suspect it's her recipe leftover from an article she wrote and just uncredited in the archives.

The recipe really has three parts -- the tart crust (easy to make and just patted into place, no rolling out), the bittersweet chocolate filling (very straight forward, although she used a new-to-me technique to make sure the egg wasn't raw to avoid food-borne illness) and the wonderful jasmine tea-flavored whipped cream. Just leave enough time for the cream to steep and the tart to chill.

The ethereal cream was an amazement. I've never had anything quite so wonderful atop my chocolate dessert before. Use the best quality jasmine tea you can find (you only need a tablespoon, after all) Look for ones scented with real jasmine flowers, not oils. Medrich recommends steeping in the fridge for 8-12 hours. I didn't start enough ahead so I steeped it about four hours outside the fridge (it was a cold day). You can taste a bit of the cream to see if it has a slight, perfume, floral note to it before straining out the tea leaves. Did I mention the taste is ethereal?

Here's the recipe for Bittersweet Chocolate Citrus Tart with Jasmine Whipped Cream. (fyi -- I skipped the candied orange peel, the tart was perfect without it).

Alameda Jewish Chef Series -- and a Riddle -- What Looks Like Hummus, but Is Not? Plus a Pickle Pepper Tongue Pleaser

My January 9 column in the j. Bay area Jewish newsweekly was about a series of chef talks, demonstrations and tastings at Temple Israel in Alameda. Please click here to see the article, the chefs and schedule and contact info.

The article was accompanied by recipes adapted from Linda Hillel, a participant in the series and a former cooking teacher and recipe developer. The Miso-Tofu Tahini Spread recipe reflects not only her family’s Iraqi roots but the time they spent in Japan, where Hillel was raised, as well as her interest in soy foods. It has a rich, full, savory taste and would work well as a dip or sandwich spread. (But since it looks so much like hummus, you may want to warn potential eaters it isn't garbanzo beans; it does taste different.) The easy pickled-pepper recipe goes back generations and was a regular part of the family’s meals in both Baghdad and Tokyo.

Miso-Tofu Tahini Spread
Makes a generous 1½ cups

8 ounces firm tofu
1⁄3 cup tahini
2 Tbs. red miso
½ tsp. minced garlic
1⁄4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tsp. za’atar
1/8 tsp. ground cayenne pepper
1 to 2 tablespoons minced flat-leaf (Italian) parsley

Rinse and drain the tofu. Break up the tofu into chunks as you place it in a food processor or blender. Add the tahini, miso, garlic, lemon juice, za’atar, and pepper. Purée until smooth. Adjust seasonings to taste. Stir in the parsley. Serve as a dip with chips, pita bread and vegetables, or spread in fresh pita bread with some chopped Vinegar-Pickled Peppers (see below).

Vinegar-Pickled Peppers
Makes about 32 pieces

2 cups white vinegar
3 Tbs. sugar
1 Tbs. kosher salt
½ tsp. ground cayenne pepper
2 whole dried red chile peppers
4 medium green bell peppers

Combine the vinegar, sugar, salt, cayenne, and chile peppers in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Meanwhile, cut the bell peppers into 3⁄4-inch strips. Trim the membranes. Taste the vinegar mixture for a balance of sweet, sour, salty, and spicy.
Adjust the seasonings to taste. Add the pepper strips, cover, and simmer over medium-low heat for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the peppers are tender and have turned olive green. Set the pan aside and let it cool to room temperature. Transfer the peppers to a glass jar, cover with the liquid, put the lid on the jar and refrigerate. Once chilled, the pickles are ready to use as a condiment as is or can be chopped and added to tuna, egg or sardine salads. They will keep for several months in the refrigerator.

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The newpaper version of my j. column shows off a new photo of me by Bonnie Burt. The online version still features the older "deer in the headlights" photo. Watch for the online make over!

On the Menu

I've been busy playing with my sons who are home from college, so not a lot of posts lately, sorry.
Here's some recipes I've been working on for the blog, the Omer and the j. column:

• Energy Efficient Baked Apples with Raisins, Almonds and Honey (make them in the oven, steamer or microwave)
• Carob Fruit and Nut Bars
• Barley-Olive Tabbouleh
• Pomegranate and Spinach Fish Fillets
• Vegan Samosa Pie
• Vegetable Satay Skewers
• Bittersweet Citrus Chocolate Tart with Jasmine Tea Flavored Whipped Cream

There's lots more on the back burner as well. Please check back soon for updates on these and other food adventures.

2009 in Review -- With Lots of Recipes and No Angst

This round up is all about the flavor, honey. No explanations or analysis here. You want to read about Blog Appetit's growth and development? We've got that here. Scroll to the bottom to see my favorite of 2009.

These recipes are the ones that stand out in my mind and make my mouth water just thinking about them.

January: These Spanish Stuffed Peppers with Smoked Paprika Tomato Sauce were the first recipe I tweeted. I was all atwitter about the combination of tastes and textures. I couldn't wait to have the leftovers the next day for lunch. While this recipe was made with turkey, I also gave vegetarian options.

February: I love gremolata, that raw garlic, parsley and lemon zest topping traditional for osso bucco. Here I use it on top of an earthy root vegetable stew with gremolata. The meal stands out in my mind not just for its taste but because my husband and I shopped the farmer's market for its ingredients and it was our Valentine's Day dinner.

March: A new pot inspired a new soup: Sweet and Sour Onion Soup, which combined two of my favorite soup concepts into one. The story behind the pot and the soup began begins with my husband snagging a well-loved, used five-quart red enameled cast iron French (i.e. Dutch) oven at a local estate sale for just $18.

April: I wrote a lot about my trip to Buenos Aires. The submarino was a drink I had there. Unbelievably easy, unbelievably good. Take a glass of warm, frothy milk. Submerge a few ounces of good quality chocolate in it. Stir. Drink.


May: Thy of Wandering Spoon taught a class at the Oakland Asian Cultural Center in the famed Vietnamese sizzling crepes called Banh Xeo with loads of fresh seasonal greens and dipping sauce. The results were delicious. I post her recipe here. You can see a slide show of the class here.

June: I'm torn between the wonderful Not Your Grandmother's Beet Borscht and Gary's Granola, but I'm going with my husband's granola recipe, it is truly the best. His recipe is constantly evolving. Don't tell him, but I sometimes swipe a handful for a snack.


July: I began writing my Jewish food column and kicked it off with some recipes for Israeli-styled grilled food. While the chicken and lamb kabob recipes were great, it was the pomegranate molasses bbq sauce that made me, and several others, swoon. So easy, so delicious, so versatile.

August: August was a lazy month. I really didn't write a recipe for this but gave more of a how to, but BBQ Chicken Salad with BBQ vinaigrette was finger licking good, anyway. I also didn't take a photo. Bad Blog Appetit.

September: I probably got more positive feedback from my Cranberried Chicken recipe than any other I've written for the blog or for my Jewish cooking column. It's easy, tasty and very festive. Unfortunately, I don't have the recipe on my blog, you'll have to click the link to it's home on the j. Jewish newsweekly. Luckily, another recipe I wrote that month also pushes my flavor buttons. My Hunger Challenge Cassoulet (which costs about $1-$1.50 a serving) was part of my week's worth of menus for eating on $4 a day or less in support of San Francisco Food Bank's Hunger Challenge.

October: This pumpkin pie with dates in filo crust was all treat and no trick this Halloween.



November: The hands down favorite from this month is my Balkan-inspired Lemon and Egg Sauce Moussaka. The zing of the citrus, the richness of the lamb, the creaminess of the egg sauce and the earthiness of the eggplant combine to make an unforgettable dish.

December: No contest -- from the moment I thought of the concept of a Jewish-Mexican tamale all I wanted to eat was tzimmes tamales. And once you've tried them, I think you'll be similarly obsessed. It's a rich beef and dried fruit stew with a chipolte kick wrapped in a schmaltz (chicken-fat) -based tamale dough. Bring on Christmukkah.

My personal favorite best recipe for 2009, that's a tough one, since I only post recipes I really like. The finalists are the moussaka, the tamales and the pomegranate molasses bbq sauce. The bbq sauce also wins Miss Congeniality for its simplicity. If I had to pick I guess it would be the tamales, but I could change my mind, that moussaka was awfully good ...

2009 in Review -- With Lots of Angst and Explanation but without Recipes

This has been an interesting year for Blog Appetit and myself as a food writer and blogger and recipe developer.

First, I stopped "lurking" on my own site and felt comfortable enough to share actual photos of myself on Blog Appetit, but more importantly I worked hard to develop a voice and a vision for Blog Appetit as kind of an "urban ethnic" resource. The blog focus became "cooking local, eating global" and I strived to have my posts reflect that when I could. I also began refining the voice the blog has into one that is part reportorial and part commentator.

Good examples of my developing this are the posts on my visit to Tombstone, AZ, and my piece on the sociologist studying Jewish delis (both with recipes, of course). I have more posts like that planned. They are more time consuming to write so for now they remain the "blue plate specials" of Blog Appetit.

I've also been working on my photography. I am using larger photos with most posts and I'm trying hard to not have posts without photos. I like to use one or two photos that have some narrative to them and really tell the story. I am taking more time composing and planning the photos and feel like overall the quality of the photos has improved. This is something I am continuing to improve. My vow is no more glop in a pot shot from on top (if I can help it)!

My participation in BlogHerFood 09 was a turning point in making these changes.

Several forces have shaped my blog posts and recipes this year. I began writing a twice-a-month cooking column for the j., a Jewish newsweekly in the San Francisco Bay area. This has been an immensely satisfying experience. Because of this commitment, I've been exploring more facets of "Jewish" food and the blog reflects that. I've also been exploring a lot of Asian food through my work with the Oakland Asian Cultural Center and the classes I've taken there, and I think you see some of the flavors and techniques I've been exploring there. Another factor has been my participation in the San Francisco Food Bank's Hunger Challenge. The experience of eating on about $4 a day was a powerful one.

On a personal level, I became an empty nester, which meant I could cook with mushrooms with abandon. (We had a strong anti-mushroom force at the dinner table.) Not having children at home also influenced the kinds of food I made, resulting in much less baking and more complex flavors. I thought I would find additional time to develop recipes and post, but found that I just worked more hours instead.

Well, enough reflection, on to the recipes. Click here to see the list of my favorite Blog Appetit recipes for 2009.

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Photo of me by Bonnie Burt, filmmaker, artist, jewlery designer and good friend

Tzimmes Tamales -- New World Meets Old -- Merging Holiday Food Traditions

For a recent cooking column in the j. , the Jewish newsweekly of the Bay area, I highlighted how intermarried families also merge their holiday food traditions and wrote about Building Jewish Bridges, a program for Jewish intermarried in the San Francisco area headed by Dawn Kepler. BJB offers a variety of programming and workshops to help couples navigate the differences and compromises in a two-religion household. The site also has a wealth of clear explanations of Jewish holidays and traditions for anyone, intermarried or not, who needs a brush up on Judaism.

Dawn was able to give me some examples of families that had successfully merged food traditions and I was enthralled by the idea of a Mexican grandmother making "non-pork" tamales ( a Christmas eve staple) for her Jewish grandchildren for Chanukah. That inspired my tzimmes tamales. Replacing the lard with the chicken fat gave the tamale dough a lot of flavor and helped give the finished tamale a lighter taste. Beef tzimmes (sometimes spelled tsimmes) is a traditional Eastern European stewed dish. Adding the peppers also gives it a bit of a twist as well. To read my full article, click here. Below are the recipes.

Beef Tzimmes with a Kick
Serves 6, or 4 if also making tamales

The chipotle pepper gives the stew a nice tingle without much burn. Remove the seeds if you want the taste without much heat.

2 Tbs. vegetable oil
3 pounds of chuck steak or roast cut into 2” cubes
2 cups thinly sliced onion
1 clove garlic, minced
2 carrots sliced into ½ inch rounds
1 large sweet potato cut into 1” cubes, divided
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp ground black pepper
1 chopped chipotle pepper packed in adobo sauce (from a can, reserve remainder for another use)
½ cup dried apricots
½ cup pitted, dried prunes
1 cup chicken stock
2 Tbs. tomato paste

Heat the oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium high heat. Brown the meat and set aside. Add onions and sauté until light brown. Add garlic and carrots, sauté for a few minutes. Add half of the sweet potatoes, the salt and pepper and the chipotle pepper. Sauté until vegetables have begun to color. Add the meat, apricots, prunes, chicken stock and tomato paste. Stir up any brown bits that may be on the bottom of the pot. Bring to a simmer. Cover, lower heat and simmer for about an hour, stirring occasionally. Add remaining sweet potatoes. Continue simmering, covered, and stirring occasionally for another two to three hours or until the meat is falling apart tender. Taste and correct seasoning if needed. (Note: Sometimes the meat needs less time to be truly tender, sometimes it needs much more.)

Tzimmes Tamales
Makes 12 Tamales

Tamale making is often a time to have friends or families over to help stuff and wrap the tamales. While extra hands help, the recipe below can be managed by one person without much trouble. I adapted the tamale-making process from Rick Bayless’ Mexican Kitchen cookbook.

8 ounce package dried corn husks
1 ¾ cups masa harina (look for the type labeled for tamales)
1 cup plus 2 Tbs. of hot water
5 ounces chilled schmaltz (chicken fat) or vegetable shortening
1 tsp. baking powder
About 1 ¼ cups chicken stock
¾ tsp. salt
2 cups chopped solids from Beef Tzimmes with a Kick recipe above
Salsa, for serving

Put the corn husks in a large pot. Add water to cover. Bring to boil. Let stand for about an hour, keeping the husks submerged by putting a plate on top of them. Separate out 12 unbroken husks to wrap the tamales in. Tear one of the remaining husks into 12 long ¼” “strings” to tie the tamales. Separate and keep the rest to line the steamer.

Make the batter by mixing the masa harina and hot water together. Set aside to let cool. Beat the schmaltz or shortening and baking powder in the bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Add the prepared masa mixture in three batches, mixing well with each one. With the mixer going, add in a ½ cup of the chicken broth until combined and then add ¼ cup of chicken broth at a time as needed until the masa mixture is soft but still holds its shape. Mix in the salt, tasting and adding more if necessary.

Spread a corn husk open in front of you with the pointed, narrow side at the bottom. Wipe dry with a paper towel. Place ¼ cup of the masa mixture about ¾ of an inch from the top of the husk. Spread it into about a 4” square, being sure to leave a ¾” margin on each side and at least 1 ½ inches from the bottom point. Place 2 Tbs. of the chopped tzimmes filling down the center of the masa. Next pick up the two long sides and push them together, making the batter enclose the meat filling. Roll both flaps in the same direction around the tamale. Flip the stuffed husk so the seam side faces you and fold the pointy end of the husk up to close off the bottom. Secure it by using a torn husk strip to tie it together. Repeat to make remaining tamales.

Prepare or improvise a steamer at least 4” deep. Put several inches of water in the pan underneath. Line the steamer with 2/3 of the remaining corn husks. Place tamales inside the steamer with open (top) sides up. They should be packed in so they are standing up. Place a bowl or some crumpled foil to the steamer basket to help the tamales stay upright if needed. Top with remaining corn husks and cover. Bring to and keep water at boiling. Add water as needed and steam for about 1 ¼ hours or until the husk peels away easily. Let tamales firm up for a few minutes before serving with salsa.

Christmas Bulbs ...

or maybe Christmas lillies since onions and garlic are in the lilly family.

More Followers

I just wanted to acknowledge some new and relatively new followers.
Thanks for choosing to spend time with Blog Appetit!

Michelle94577
Igramos2004
Chefjmr1
The Flowering Cactus
Sherdian Shu
Miss Melanie

One More Night to Light the Lights

Chanukah Curious -- Read all about how to play dreidel, make latkes and some history on my annual (C)Hanuk(k)ah wrapup here.

Menu for Hope VI -- Help the World Food Programme and a Chance to Publish Your Own Cookbook

Update: Menu for Hope extended to December 31.

Every year, Food Bloggers from all over the world join together for a fundraising campaign. We call it 'Menu for Hope'. For the past three years, we've raised nearly $250K in support of the UN World Food Programme. (As of 12/27, we've raised more than $53,000 for the programme this year and there is still time to participate. )

From Pim the Menu for Hope organizer: "This year, Menu for Hope ... is highlighting the new initiative Purchase for Progress (P4P). P4P enables smallholder and low-income farmers to supply food to WFP’s global operation, helping farmers improves their practices and putting more cash directly into their pockets in return for their crops."

The way this fundraiser works is that you make a donation and get to choose a bid item for every $10 donated. At the end of the drive, a "winner" is selected from those who have selected that particular bid item and the offering is yours.

The bid item Blog Appetit will be offering is a $50 gift certificate to blurb.com. At blurb.com you can create you own cookbook (or photo or other book) with the site's free software. Depending on the number of photos, size, binding, cover and paper, the gift certificate should be enough for you to buy one or more copies of your own book. Then you can direct others to blurb.com so they can purchase copies of your new book! (Alternatively, you can use the gift certificate to buy others books from the site.)

As an added bonus, I will be glad to help copy edit your new book. I'm an ex-newspaper copy editor and have taken classes in copyediting cookbooks. That's something the winner of this bid item can work out with me.

The bid item number for this donation is UW10. You'll need this number when you go to the donation site (see below).

Here's the list of bid items from West of the Mississippi food bloggers at Gluten-Free Girl, the West Coast coordinator. Here is the master list of bid items from Chez Pim, the founder and organizer of Menu for Hope.

Here's the rules from Pim:

To Donate and Enter the Menu for Hope Raffle, here's what you need to do:
1. Choose a bid item or bid items of your choice from our Menu for Hope main bid item list. (Note: background on all this is at http://www.chezpim.com/blogs/2009/12/mfh6main.html. The bid list is here.)
2. Go to the donation site at Firstgiving and make a donation.
3. Please specify which bid item you'd like in the 'Personal Message' section in the donation form when confirming your donation. You must write-in how many tickets per bid item, and please use the bid item code.
Each $10 you donate will give you one raffle ticket toward a bid item of your choice. For example, a donation of $50 can be 2 tickets for EU01 and 3 tickets for EU02 - 2xEU01, 3xEU02. 4. If your company matches your charity donation, please check the box and fill in the information so we could claim the corporate match.
5. Please check the box to allow us to see your email address so that we can contact you in case you win. Your email address will not be shared with anyone.
Check back on Chez Pim on Monday, January 18 for the results of the raffle.

Please be sure to come back later tonight for the updated post.
Thanks,
Faith

What's Cooking

I've been in the kitchen cooking up beef tzimmes (a veggie and dried fruit-based stew), tzimmes tamales and planning on making a new version of my apple cider vinegar chicken and trying some new recipes including a samosa pie and sweet potato torte. Watch for the various postings.
I've also had some things published in the j. and elsewhere I'll post links, to. Just have been busy this time of year.

More later plus some Chanukah (Hanukkah) info.

Thanks for stopping by. I'm on my way to a Tibetan cooking class this morning!
Oh, and I'll post today or tomorrow with info on my Menu for Hope prize.

Asian Cooking Classes in Oakland Chinatown

The wonderful Oakland Asian Cultural Center is once again sponsoring a series of workshops on Asian cooking. Sign up for Tibetan, Filipino and/or Mongolian workshops on Dec. 12, 13 and 19 by calling OACC program director April Kim at 510.637.0462. Class size is limited to 15 participants.

The workshops go from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. are completely hands on and include lunch. You learn a recipe or two and get exposed to a culture and immigrant experience. Classes are affordable, just $5to $30 each (sliding scale).

For more information, please go to the OACC website.

The December 12 Tibetan workshop will be focused on a traditional fermented cheese soup, churu. The December 13 Filipino workshop focuses on arroz caldo, a traditional comfort food.
The December 19th Mongolian food class centers on buuz, wheat dumplings. That class is already sold out, but you can be put on the waiting list by calling April.

To see some of the slide shows, recipes and other info I've posted about the OACC's series of Asian food workshops, please click here. I will be attending all three workshops. Hope to see you there.

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About the photo: Tools of the trade from a previous class on Vietnamese crepes

Sea U II -- A Tale of the Deep Sea, Big Fish, Sisters and a Deconstructed Seared Tuna Cassoulet

In the video, my brother-in-law John looks determined and weary but gleeful. A 260-pound big-eye tuna was on the other end of his fishing rod line. For two hours or so he and the fish had battled until they were both were exhausted. When John and his buddies were finally able to haul the creature through the fish door of his boat, the tuna was so spent that it lay on the deck almost still awaiting its fate without the usual flipping and struggling about. In the video you can see the respect the men of the Sea U II had for their prey as well as their delight in catching the big one that did not get away.

If your idea of a tuna comes in a can or as a clean slab of pale flesh from a fish counter it can be a shock to come face to fins with your dinner. Most Americans have become pretty squeamish about the fact our proteins of choice come from living creatures. I know the first time lobsters under my control went from live to formerly live I pretended a blitheness I didn’t really feel. But now I’ve come to accept that if I eat meat or fish or chicken my meal once had a face and it died for my dinner. In my opinion it is an acceptance anyone who decides to be an omnivore should have and we should have the same respect for those animals as the sport fishermen did for that tuna.

The tuna itself was no trophy. It ended up feeding untold many. It did earn Captain John a trophy, though, the prize for the largest tuna caught during a local marina’s fishing contest – a large fiberglass fish.

While this tuna was large, it is not the largest John and his friends have caught, that one was over 500 pounds. While the catch is shared by all those who crew the boat, that still means my sister, Beth, ends up with a lot of fish to cook. She has created almost a whole cookbook of recipes for the fish John has caught off the coast of Long Island, New York. She also always carefully freezes some of the choicest specimens for me to take home after my yearly visits. With the correct packaging and no unexpected flight delays, a few pounds of tuna steaks stay frozen from New York to San Francisco.

The tuna I receive from Beth and John always inspires me to create the best dish I can to honor both the fish and the gift. The recipe below came to me simultaneously as a title – Seared Tuna and Deconstructed Cassoulet – and a taste – peppery seared tuna with saffron broth and vegetables. The rest came together out of what I had in my pantry and refrigerator. To see another recipe I created for tuna caught by John, please see the limoncello-marinated tuna over couscous salad recipe here.

Seared Tuna and Deconstructed Cassoulet
Serves 4

I’m always wary of calling something a cassoulet when it is not classically so, but this is what my unconscious instincts called the dish as it leapt practically fully formed in my mind so I’m going with it. It is a light dish with lots of satisfying flavors brightened by the lemon zest and peppery finish of the fish and the crunch of the seasoned croutons. The bean and vegetable mixture with the croutons works well as a side dish or vegetarian main course (when made with the vegetable broth) without the fish.

About 1 ½ pounds of fresh tuna sliced into 4 steaks
Fresh cracked pepper
2 Tbs. grape seed or other oil for high temperature heating
2 Tbs. + ¼ cup olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
3 minced garlic cloves
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
½ cup chopped celery
2 cups chopped baby or regular bok choy stems
¼ tsp. + pinch of salt
¼ tsp. + pinch of ground pepper
¼ tsp. + pinch of red pepper flakes
¾ tsp. + pinch of French Herbs de Provence seasoning
8 oz. chicken or vegetable stock
¼ tsp. saffron threads
2 cups cooked navy or white kidney beans
2 cups chopped tomatoes
1 cup (packed) chopped baby or regular bok choy greens
Zest of 1 lemon, divided
Juice of ½ lemon
2 cups of cubed (1”) stale or toasted bread

Spread the cracked pepper on a plate and press both sides of the tuna steaks into it. Heat the grape seed oil in a 12” sauté pan or deep skillet over high heat until the oil is smoking. Sear the tuna steaks on both sides until the outside is crusty and brown being careful not to cook the insides. Set the tuna steaks aside and wipe out the oil and any debris with some paper towels.

Add the 2 Tbs. olive oil to the pan and heat over medium heat. Sauté onion until beginning to soften and golden, add garlic and sauté a moment. Add carrots and sauté a few minutes and then add red bell pepper. Sauté for a minute and add celery and bok choy stems. Sauté, stirring often, until the vegetables have begun to soften. Add the ¼ tsp. of salt, ¼ tsp. of ground pepper, ¼ tsp. of red pepper flakes and the ¾ tsp. of the Herbs de Provence seasoning. Stir well and sauté for a moment to release aroma of the seasonings. Add the chicken stock, bring to a simmer and add the saffron threads. Simmer gently until the vegetables are somewhat softened. Add the cooked beans, tomatoes and the bok choy greens. Allow to simmer until the vegetables are tender but still a bit crisp to the bite. Add the lemon juice and scatter ¾ of the lemon zest over the top of the vegetables and combine. Taste and correct the seasoning. Place the tuna steaks on top of the mixture and let them gently reheat in the simmering stew. Check tuna for desired doneness and remove. (For true seared tuna, the fish should still be mostly raw in the center.) Put vegetable mixture in serving dish. Place tuna steaks on top. Scatter prepared croutons over all. Garnish with remaining lemon zest. Serve warm or at room temperature.

To make the croutons (can be made ahead): Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toss bread cubes in a bowl with ¼ cup of olive oil, remaining salt, pepper, red pepper flakes and Herbs de Provence.
Spread coated bread cubes on a baking sheet and bake in oven until toasted and brown, turning as needed.

Here's info on tuna choices and sustainability in the U.S. from the Monterey Bay Aquariam.
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About the photo: Commercial fishing boats at the Hampton Bays, Long Island, marina by sister and brother-in-law keep their sport fishing, 52-foot Sea U II.

Tamale-Stuffed Pumpkin for the Holidays

I can't say the idea to use tamales as a stuffing is unique to me. I first saw the concept as a stuffing for Cornish hens and after I created the recipe I saw it as a stuffing for a boneless turkey roll in the local newspaper. Neither was exactly like mine, but I just wanted to be sure everyone understood I wasn't taking credit for being the first one to think of it!

My tamale stuffing goes inside a pumpkin. It makes a lovely vegetarian holiday main course or a great vegetable side dish this time of year. We enjoyed it with some vegetarian bulgur chili (watch for that post.) I used some of Primavera's wonderful gourmet tamales, but you could use any kind of cheese or, better yet, cheese and chile, tamale. Just add in some chopped vegetables of your choice to the initial saute. Truly a great way to celebrate a harvest festival!

Here's a quick recap of how to make the recipe

Tamale-Stuffed Pumpkin
Serves 4-5

One good size kabocha (Japanese green) pumpkin, top removed, strings and seeds removed
1/2 cup of milk
4 cheese tamales (I used Primavera's white corn and zucchini tamales in roasted tomato chipotle salsa with jack cheese)
2 Tbs. olive or other oil
1/2 large onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
If needed (depending on tamales) -- salsa, chopped chiles, 1/4 cup corn kernels, 1/4 chopped zucchini or other ingredients to taste.
Salt and Pepper to taste
Regular or Smoked Paprika

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place pumpkin in roasting pan. Put milk inside pumpkin. Cook for about 20 minutes until pumpkin flesh is just starting to get soft. Steam tamales, unwrap from husks, set aside. Saute onion and garlic in oil until onion is browned. If using additional ingredients, add them to the onions and garlic and saute until softened. Crumble tamales into saute, breaking up and combining with other ingredients. Add salt and pepper as desired. Pack into pumpkin, stirring any milk remaining on the bottom into the mixture. Sprinkle paprika on top. Return to oven and bake another 45-60 minutes until the pumpkin flesh is soft and the stuffing heated through. When serving be sure to scoop out some of the pumpkin with the filling.

Eastern European Stuffed Cabbage in Sweet and Sour Tomato Sauce for National Vegan Month

This is the second vegan cabbage roll recipe I developed for National Vegan Month. (For the Asian-inspired recipe and more on November being National Vegan Month, click here.) Since I was writing this for a Jewish audience (the Temple Beth Abraham Omer), I thought I would tweak a traditional Ashkenazi style stuffed cabbage taste profile. It is still filling, still hearty, and still a great main course or perhaps an accompaniment to some Chanukah potato latkes.

The kasha (buckwheat groats) in the filling gives these cabbage rolls their hearty taste; a bit of ginger and a sweet and sour tomato sauce give them a lively, bright taste. I always found prepping the cabbage leaves for stuffing a bit intimidating. Some recipes have you whacking out the cabbage core and/or submerging and boiling a whole cabbage. I’ve developed a fairly fuss free way to prep the cabbage leaves that makes it relatively easy to prepare them for the stuffing (see recipe directions below). Give it a try.

East European Style Cabbage Rolls in Sweet and Sour Tomato Sauce
Serves 4

Large Savoy or green cabbage
2 Tbs. vegetable oil
½ cup finely chopped onions
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp. minced fresh ginger root
½ tsp. ground black pepper, divided
¼ tsp. red pepper flakes
1 carrot, chopped
½ cup of sliced mushrooms
½ tsp. salt, divided
1 cup uncooked kasha (buckwheat groats)
3 cups vegetable stock
¼ cup chopped parsley, plus additional for garnish
1 cup chopped tomatoes, divided
16 ounces plain tomato sauce
¼ tsp. ground dried ginger
1 Tbs. sugar
¼ cup apple cider vinegar

First prep the cabbage leaves. Score the bottom of the cabbage all the way around stem with a knife to detach the leaves from the stem. Pull off 10 of the outer leaves, making additional cuts at the stem if needed. Place the leaves in boiling water in a large pot. (You may want to prepare a few additional leaves in case of rips and tears or if you have some leftover stuffing.) Make sure the leaves are submerged. Cover and simmer for four to five minutes or until tender and pliable. Drain and let cool.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large frying or sauté pan, heat the oil over medium high heat. Add onion and sauté 1 minute, add garlic, ginger, ¼ tsp. of black pepper and red pepper flakes. Sauté for a minute. Add carrots, sauté for 3 minutes, then add the mushrooms. Sauté for 1 minute and add the kasha, stirring well. Add the stock, bring to a low simmer. Cover and lower heat, simmering until the stock is absorbed and the kasha is cooked through (about 8 to 10 minutes), stirring occasionally. Taste and add more black pepper if needed and ¼ tsp. of salt or as needed. Mix in ½ cup of chopped tomato and ¼ cup parsley.

In a small sauce pan over medium low heat, mix the tomato sauce, ground ginger, ¼ tsp. salt and ¼ tsp. of ground pepper, sugar and remaining tomatoes. Cook, stirring frequently, until the tomatoes have begun to soften. Take off the heat. Add the vinegar. Stir well and taste. Adjust by adding more sugar or vinegar as needed and more salt and pepper as desired. Ladle a thin layer of the sauce on the bottom of a 9x12-inch baking pan.

Spread a cabbage leaf on a cutting board. Cut off hard end of stem. Place ¼ cup of filling in the middle of the leaf. Fold over the two shorter sides of the leaf. Fold over one of the longer sides, then the other. Place folded side down in the baking pan. Repeat with other leaves. Spread sauce evenly over top of cabbage rolls. Bake until the sauce is bubbling and the rolls are cooked through, approximately 45-50 minutes. Garnish with parsley before serving.

Laotian Food in Oakland

I've been remiss about writing about my experiences with the Laotian food resources and restaurants here in Oakland, but Andrew Simmons of Bay Area Bites hasn't. He's written a wonderful article about the food and the people who create it here.

He mentions the classes at the Oakland Asian Cultural Center taught by Sokham Senthavilay. (That a photo of her to the left teaching a cooking class at the OACC.) I've taken two classes with her and was very impressed with the flavors, textures and tastes of Laotian food. You can read what I've written about the OACC classes and Sokham here. (True confession, I have several other posts with photos planned from the classes and haven't written them yet.)

See what the OACC has posted about the workshops here (including links to recipes).

The OACC may be planning more Asian culinary workshops in the near future. I'll be sure to post about them when more info becomes available.

A special thank you goes out to the Alliance for California Traditional Arts which has funded the OACC workshops.

National Vegan Month and an Asian-Inspired Stuffed Cabbage

The back story to this recipe is that I met an editor of VegNews at the BlogHer Food conference. We got to talking and she told me November was National Vegan Month. I was inspired to develop several vegan recipes to celebrate the month and to help me reduce the animal fats in my own diet. This Asian-inspired stuffed cabbage is stuffed with a veggie-packed stir-fried rice and features a zippy sesame soy sauce. (Use a wheat free soy or tamari sauce to make it gluten free.) The recipe was developed for my twice-a-month food column at the j. You can see the complete article here.

What is this Asian-ish dish doing in a Jewish newsweekly? Well, my wonderful editors really give me free reign on what I choose to write, but stuffed cabbages of all sorts are traditional Eastern European dishes. (Plus other Jewish communities stuff cabbage and grape leaves as well as vegetables with all kinds of rice pilafs and mixtures.) And there are Jewish communities throughout Central Asia and the East, where traditional dishes have been adapted to local ingredients, so just think of it as a Far East Eastern European speciality!

Asian-Style Cabbage Rolls with Sesame-Soy Sauce
Serves 3 to 4

Large Savoy or green cabbage
4 Tbs. vegetable oil, divided, plus oil for baking pan
¼ cup chopped onions
3 garlic cloves minced
1 tsp. minced fresh ginger
½ tsp. red pepper flakes
½ cup chopped, peeled jicama
½ cup chopped red bell pepper
¼ cup chopped carrot
1 cup chopped fresh shitake mushrooms
½ cup chopped cabbage
2 green onions (white and green parts), sliced into thin rounds
½ tsp. salt
2 Tbs. of Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
2 cups of cold, cooked long grain rice
¼ cup chopped cilantro, plus additional for garnish
3 Tbs. soy or tamari sauce
2 tsp. of chili paste (such as sambal oelek)
2 Tbs. apple cider vinegar
2 tsp. sugar
2 Tbs. Japanese or Chinese-style sesame oil

First prep the cabbage leaves. Score the bottom of the cabbage all the way around stem with a knife to detach the leaves from the stem. Pull off 10 of the outer leaves, making additional cuts at the stem if needed. Place the leaves in boiling water in a large pot. (You may want to prepare a few additional leaves in case of rips and tears or if you have some leftover stuffing.) Cover and simmer for four to five minutes or until tender and pliable. Drain and let cool.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 9x12-inch baking pan with oil.
In a wok or large frying pan, heat 2 Tbs. oil over high heat. Add onions, stir fry 1 minute. Add in garlic, ginger and red pepper flakes, stir fry for a minute. Add jicama, red bell pepper and carrots. Stir fry 3 minutes. Add mushrooms, stir fry 2 minutes. Add the cabbage. Stir fry 1 minute. Add the green onions, salt and wine and mix well. Add cold rice, mix well and stir fry for 2 minutes, breaking up any clumps. Take off the heat. Stir in ¼ cup cilantro.

Spread a cabbage leaf on a cutting board. Cut off hard end of stem. Place ¼ cup of filling in the middle of the leaf. Fold over the two shorter sides of the leaf over the filling. Fold over one of the longer sides, then the other. Place folded side down in the prepared baking pan. Repeat with other leaves until you have 10 stuffed rolls. Bake, covered with foil, for about 30 minutes or until the rolls are heated through.

While the rolls heat, mix 2 Tbs. vegetable oil with the soy sauce, chili paste, vinegar, sugar and sesame oil in a bowl. Mix well. Stir again and drizzle half over the cabbage rolls and garnish with cilantro before serving. Pass remaining sauce on the side.

Update: I've posted a second vegan cabbage roll recipe -- Eastern European style with a sweet and sour tomato sauce. You can check it out here.

Taste 10, Looks 2 -- Balkan Lemon-Egg Sauce Moussaka with Lamb

Over at the j weekly, I've had an article on the wonderful photo exhibit at the BJE Community Library in San Francisco on Balkan Sephardic Jews. Called "Images of a Lost World" it documents the lives of a population killed during WWII or dispersed afterwards. The photos and accompanying interviews document these communities in Bulgaria, Greece, Bosnia, Turkey and more. You can read my article here. The exhibit continues on display through the end of January.

Many of the folks who were interviewed mentioned the food their mothers and grandmothers had cooked, but without naming any specific dishes. I started to think about the Greek and Turkish influences on the cuisine in that part of the world and developed this recipe in response to the exhibit. Lemon-Egg Sauce Moussaka with Lamb is lovely to eat, with rich, bright flavors, but only so-so to look at. So make this in your prettiest casserole dish and garnish with some chopped parsley and maybe a handful of fresh diced tomatoes on top to doll it up. Once you taste it, I think you'll agree, looks aren't everything. (Plus the leftovers were great, even cold.) There is no milk or cream in this moussaka, so it might work well for lactose-intolerant guests.

Lemon-Egg Sauce Moussaka with Lamb
Serves 4

The finished casserole may look a bit homey, but the taste is decadent and complex. The dish’s citrusy zing works well with the richness of the sauce and lamb, both of which help mellow the assertiveness of the eggplant. Use the full cup of juice for a stronger lemon flavor. Try serving with rice or potatoes to soak up the creamy (but definitely not dairy) sauce.

Olive oil
1 large globe eggplant, peeled and sliced into ¼” rounds
½ small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound ground lamb
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
2 Tbs. tomato paste
¼ tsp. salt or to taste
¼ tsp. ground black pepper or to taste
½ tsp. dried ground oregano
1 tsp. lemon zest
3 Tbs. flour
2 cups chicken stock, divided
¾ to 1 cup lemon juice
2 eggs, beaten
½ tsp. paprika
¼ cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

Prepare the Eggplant

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a large baking tray and place eggplant slices in single layer (use two trays if necessary). Brush tops of slices with a light coating of olive oil. Bake for about 30-40 minutes, turning and brushing tops with additional oil occasionally until the eggplant slices are soft throughout and golden brown. Set aside.

Cook the Lamb Filling

Over medium high heat, heat 2 Tbs. of oil and sauté onion until beginning to turn golden. Add garlic, sauté until the onions are beginning to brown. Add lamb, stirring to break up meat. Sauté until the outside of the lamb is just browned. (Drain if desired, discarding fat). Add tomatoes, tomato paste, salt, pepper and oregano. Sauté until lamb is cooked through and tomatoes have begun to soften. Taste and correct seasoning. Add lemon zest, mix well. Set aside.

Make the Lemon-Egg Sauce

Have all ingredients for the sauce ready. In a large saucepan over medium high heat, heat 2 Tbs. oil. Quickly stir in the flour until it is just incorporated. Be careful not to scorch the flour-oil paste. Add in half of the chicken broth. Stir or whisk constantly until the flour mixture and the stock are smooth. Add remainder of the chicken stock and the lemon juice. Reduce heat to medium. Bring to a low boil, stirring occasionally. Remove a half cup of the hot chicken stock mixture and stir into the beaten eggs until well combined. Now slowly drizzle the egg and stock mixture back into the pot stirring the sauce in the pot the whole time until the egg mixture is fully incorporated. Stirring occasionally, bring the sauce back to a low boil. Cook, stirring often, until the mixture has reduced to about half. Taste and add salt if necessary. (Makes about 1 ½ cups of sauce.)

Assemble and Bake the Moussaka

Preheat (or turn oven down to) 350 degrees. Grease an 8 to 9” round casserole. Cover the bottom with half of the baked eggplant slices. Layer with half of the lamb filling. Pour half of the egg-lemon sauce over the lamb. Repeat. Sprinkle top with paprika.
Bake uncovered for 50 to 55 minutes or until top is browned and the sauce is set (it will still be a bit loose when served). Let sit for 10 to 20 minutes before garnishing with chopped parsley and serving.