New England Feijoada

This is my take on the succulent Portuguese bean stew of the same name. Being a New Englander, I could not resist making it slightly sweet, but the spirit of the authentic thing shines through. I would have loved to use some tawny port instead of sherry, but that was all I had.

Initially, I made the stew in a slow cooker; but this dried out the linguica. I have not yet tried it out on range-top, but I have a very good idea of how it should come out. All in all, I am quite pleased with this excellent winter stew.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 lb. dry black beans, soaked overnight
  
• 2 lbs oxtail, trimmed
  
• 1 lb. linguica, cut on a bias into 1/3" rounds
• 1 large onion, diced
• 3 large cloves garlic, crushed
• 1/2 cup pitted prunes
• 1/4 cup tawny port or sherry
  
• 7 cups water
• Olive oil for sauté

DIRECTIONS

1. In a heavy pot, brown the oxtail over medium-high heat until seared on both sides, about 2 minutes per side. Remove and set aside.
   
2. Reduce heat to medium-low; add olive oil. Sauté onions and garlic until caramelized, about 10 minutes, turning frequently.
   
3. Add the port and scrape the bottom of the pan with a spatula. (If using a nonstick pot, be sure to use a plastic spatula.) This should free up all browned bits from the oxtail and the onions.
   
4. Add all remaining ingredients to the pot, and simmer on medium-low for 1 1/2 hours or until beans are tender.

Serve with white rice.

Apple cranberry sauce

Adjust the proportions here according to taste; they can vary pretty widely. Mine comes out quite tart and not too sweet.

Note that applesauce requires almost no water; you just add enough to allow the apples to steam themselves into a sauce.

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 lbs granny smith or other sour apple, peeled, cored and quartered
  
• 1 lb. fresh cranberries, rinsed
• 3 tbsp. lemon juice
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
  
• 4 cloves, whole
  
• 1 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 cup water

DIRECTIONS:

Combine all ingredients in a slow cooker. Mix thoroughly and turn heat to low. Let cook for 8-10 hours, stirring occasionally. Mash before serving. Refrigerate unused portion.

Split Pea Curry

This excellent curry is a fine alternative to a traditional split pea soup (such as the first post on this blog). This one is based on the recipe entitled "Lemon-Split Pea Soup" from The Art of Seasonal Cooking by Perla Meyers (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1991), which, despite its name, contained lemon only in the garnish. No matter. It is a fine recipe, and I made only a few small changes to suit my taste.

I would certainly also try this with lentils. I also plan on adding okra and/or potatoes in a future iteration. Stay tuned.

Meyers called for heavy cream, which struck me as profoundly gratuitous. I added light cream instead, and still felt that it was unnecessary if the soup was made with a good stock. I suppose the light cream could do something for the soup if using a commercial broth; for homemade broth, don't bother (or use less).

Since the soup is pureed at the end, it is acceptable to prep the carrots in a food processor.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 tbsp. unsalted butter
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 large onions, peeled and finely diced
• 3 large carrots, peeled and finely diced
• 2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 1/2 cups split green peas, rinsed
• 6 cups chicken stock
• 6 whole black peppercorns
• 1/2 cup light cream (optional, see above)
• 2 tsp. minced jalapeño peppers (optional)
• Salt to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a heavy soup pot, heat the butter and oil over medium-low heat. Once butter is melted, add onions and peppers. Sauté until onions are soft, stirring frequently, about 7-10 minutes.
2. Add the carrots and continue to sauté for 5-6 more minutes or until carrots begin to soften.
3. Add the cumin and stir well to combine. Add the peas and stir to combine. Allow to cook with the onion mixture for a minute or two.
4. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer, cover, and allow to cook for 45 minutes.
5. If you have an immersion blender, use it to puree the soup to the desired consistency. Otherwise, puree in a conventional blender or food processor in small batches, then return to the pot.
6. Add the cream (if using) and stir to combine. 
7. Salt to taste.

Serve with bread. Makes an excellent leftover.

Beef Barley Soup

I honestly can't believe I didn't already have this recipe written up on the blog. Not a cold month goes by where I don't make this at least once, either with beef or with dark meat chicken: both work equally well.

Don't bother making this soup if you don't have homemade broth. The recipe is designed to emphasize each of the ingredients, so bad ingredients equal bad soup.

As with lamb, the meat will become tough if you allow it to reach a boil. I should probably measure the actual temperature I use with a meat thermometer and put it here.

The fundamentals are the use of mushrooms, onions, rosemary and butternut squash--and, of course, the technique. There is a good deal of give in how to make the stock. I often use a half a cup of fresh cider (or a bottle of hard cider or brown ale) in place of the apple. Use beers only with beef; avoid them with chicken. Do not use wine, light-colored beers or porters. Don't use sweet potatoes; every time I try using sweet potatoes, I regret it.

The recipe, as written, gives a soup so hearty you can almost eat it with a fork. Add more broth if desired.

INGREDIENTS:

• 10 cups homemade chicken broth
• 2 lbs. shoulder chuck, trimmed and cut into 1" cubes (or boneless chicken thighs, cut in half)
• 1 sour apple, finely minced (food processor is fine)
  
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 10 oz. crimini mushrooms, sliced
• 1 small (1 to 1 1/2 lb) butternut squash, cut into 3/4" cubes
• 2 yukon gold potatoes, cut into 3/4" cubes
  
• 4-6 cloves garlic, crushed
  
• 1 cup barley, rinsed
  
• 1/3 oz. fresh rosemary, removed from its stem
• 1 tsp sugar
  
• Olive oil for sauteing
• Salt

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large soup pot, heat olive oil over medium-high heat.
2. Add the beef and sear on all sides until brown. Remove and set aside.
3. Add more olive oil if needed. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add the onions, garlic and sugar; sauté until the mixture begin to turn golden, about 5 minutes.
4. Add the mushrooms and continue to sauté for 5 more minutes.
5. Add the apples and rosemary; continue to sauté for a few minutes more.
6. Add the dry barley and continue to sauté for 5 minutes more, stirring constantly. The barley will absorb liquid from the other ingredients and roast slightly.
7. Add the beef and the remaining vegetables; mix thoroughly.
8. Pour broth over mixture; cover and set heat to low. Allow to cook for approximately 1 1/4 hours, being careful to keep heat just below a boil.
9. Add salt to taste.

PAIRINGS: Serve with hard cider or brown ale.

Hot Chocolate (and Friends)

I discovered LA Burdick in my second year of college, and found myself happily addicted to their rich, lathery hot and iced chocolates. I was less addicted to the several dollars that each cup costs. Fortunately, they do not keep their recipe a secret. I have halved this recipe, which is corroborated by several other websites, for the basic hot chocolate.

This is not to say that it's not still worth buying it from Burdick: they use shaved chocolate, a painstaking process that produces a more decadent result; and they have proper equipment for steaming and scalding milk to the perfect temperatures. If you've never been, you'd better try it.

I know better than to tamper with perfection: the hot chocolate keeps the original Burdick proportions. But for cafe mocha, below, I have tweaked things a bit to accommodate the coffee.

SPICED HOT CHOCOLATE

INGREDIENTS:

• 6 oz. milk
• 2 tbsp. dark chocolate (ground up is best, but chocolate chips will do)
• 1 1/4 tsp. cocoa powder
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• Pinch of white pepper (optional)
  

DIRECTIONS:

1. Scald the milk in a saucepan by heating to a gentle boil, then immediately reduce heat to low.
2. Add all remaining ingredients and beat together with a whisk.
3. Pour into a mug and serve immediately.
   

CAFE MOCHA

INGREDIENTS:

• 6 oz. double-strength coffee
• 3 tbsp. dark chocolate chips
• 1 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup milk

RECIPE:

1. In a small saucepan, combine milk, chocolate chips and cocoa powder. Heat over a medium flame, stirring constantly with a wooden or plastic spoon. Do not allow to boil.
2. Pour the chocolate mixture into a mug. Using a small whisk or electric frother, foam the milk mixture slightly.
3. Add the coffee to the chocolate and serve immediately.
   

Fish Chowder

Raphael Pereira introduced me to the charms of salt cod, known in Portuguese as bacalao. Cod is the fish for which Cape Cod, Massachusetts gets its name, and has historically been abundant along the coast of New England and Nova Scotia. The fish is dried and preserved in salt, creating a commodity that could survive the journey back to Europe.

This chowder, based (loosely) on the one found here, is very typical of traditional New England food. Fish chowder and its more famous cousin, clam chowder, have been signatures of the Boston area for centuries.

Here I have tried to do it some justice, creating a hearty stew in the old New England fashion.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 lb. salt cod (bacalao), soaked for 8-12 hours in ice water
• 3-4 potatoes, peeled and diced (about 3 cups)
• 2-3 medium carrots, peeled and diced (about 1 cup)
• 1 medium onion, chopped
  
• 1 can (12 oz.) evaporated milk
• 1/2 lb bacon or salt pork, minced
  
• 3 cups milk
• Black pepper to taste
  

DIRECTIONS:

1. Bring some water to a boil. Blanch the soaked ("freshened") cod by immersing it in the boiling water for 2-3 minutes, then immediately immersing it in ice cold water. Remove from water and set aside.
   
2. Cook minced bacon over medium-high heat for several minutes until it begins to cast off a good deal of fat. Add the chopped onions and sauté until tender.
3. Add the carrots, potatoes and pepper. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook covered until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally to prevent the bottom from burning.
4. Break the fish into large-ish chunks (it will continue to fall apart on its own).
   
5. Add fish, milk and evaporated milk to the vegetables. Cook gently over medium-high heat for several minutes. Do not boil or the milk will curdle.

Serve immediately.

Tom Kha Gai (Chicken Coconut Soup)

The following soup tastes very good, but I haven't nailed down that of the sweet, delicate aromatic Thai coconut soup called Tom Kha Gai.

One glaring difference from the traditional recipe, of course, is the vastly different composition and quantity of bulk vegetables that I use here. That's because Tom Kha Gai is typically served as a soup appetizer, and I wanted to prepare it to stand on its own as a meal. But that shouldn't affect the broth.

Another possibility is that I make some 'convenience' substitutions such as using anchovy paste instead of fish sauce (which is made from fermented anchovies). I do this both because I don't like to buy lots of exotic condiments, and because I want to be able to make it 'kosher enough.' (See below.)

Still, I think it should be possible to get very close without those kinds of things. If anyone has a recipe for Tom Kha Gai that really replicates the authentic Thai flavors, I'd love to hear about it.

KASHRUS: I have not listed this recipe as 'kosher meat' because it uses anchovy paste (fish) in a dish with chicken. Some people consider the use of fish and meat together to be unhalakhic, although strictly speaking I don't think anyone considers it tref.

INGREDIENTS:

• 6 cups chicken broth
• 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken
• 2 lbs. red potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4" pieces
  
• 2 lbs. carrots, peeled and cut into 3/4" pieces
• 3 bay leaves
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
  
• 3 tbsp. minced ginger
• 1/3 cup lemon juice
• 1 tsp. anchovy paste
• 1 can (14 oz.) coconut milk (I used light)
• 2 tsp. sesame oil
• Oil for sautéing
• Corn starch for desired consistency (I used about 3 tbsp.)
  
• Tamari (or regular soy sauce) to taste
  

DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat oil in a pot. Sauté chicken over medium high heat until browned on both sides, about 2-3 minutes. The chicken should still be mostly raw.
2. Remove the chicken to a cutting board and cut into narrow strips.
3. Combine all ingredients except cornstarch and tamari in the pot; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer, covered, for 45 minutes.
4. Mix 2 tbsp. cornstarch into a small amount of cold water so that it forms a paste. Make sure no lumps exist. Combine the cornstarch with the broth and allow to simmer for a couple of minutes. Repeat until desired consistency is reached.
5. Add tamari to taste.

Pickled Carrots

If a food product comes in a nice jar--clean, a useful shape, sturdy lid--I usually run it through the dishwasher and keep it around in case I want to preserve something. These kinds of jars are perfect for an impromptu jam or pickle that you want to throw together and put in the fridge.

Here is just such a case: I forgot to put the carrots in the cholent (see below), and didn't want them to go to waste. These sweet, spicy pickles were ready in a week, and probably would have kept much longer than that, but at the rate we're eating them, I'll never find out.

Since these are refrigerator pickles, you don't need to go too crazy about acid levels and so on, but I would still sterilize the jars with boiling water just to be on the safe side.

Many pickle recipes frown on cider vinegar because it turns the brine yellow, but so do carrots, and I think cider vinegar tastes better. One bunch of carrots is good for two jars or so.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 bunch carrots, peeled
• 1 tbsp. salt
  
• 3 tbsp. dried dill
• 3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 2 cups water
• 3/4 cup sugar
  
• Several whole cloves of garlic, peeled (2-3 per jar)
  
• Several bay leaves (2 per jar)
• 1 fresh chili pepper per jar (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Steam or boil the carrots until just slightly tender. Cut to fit your jars, or into slices.
2. Place the carrots into the washed and sterilized jars.
3. Stuff the garlic, bay leaves and chili peppers in between the carrots.
4. Combine all remaining ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and allow to simmer for several minutes.
5. Pour liquid over carrots, filling the jars to the brim, then carefully put the lids on.
6. If you're paranoid, you could boil the prepared jars in water for 10-15 minutes.
7. Refrigerate for 1 week.

I would assume that these would be good for at least a month, but I really have no idea because once you open the jar, you eat them all pretty fast. They go great with hamburgers or other beef dishes.

Chicken broth

This is something I do all the time, and is so familiar to me that I never thought of it as a 'recipe.' But after a conversation a couple weeks ago, it occurred to me that this is not at all obvious, so I'm writing it up. This broth comes out a rich, caramel color and has a hearty, thick texture. I use it in everything.

Broth freezes very nicely and will keep for several months in an airtight container. Freeze in several 'portions' so that you don't have to defrost more than you want. (Like anything else, defrosting broth and then freezing it again is a Bad Thing.)

This will seriously warm up your house. (In my thousand s.f. home, the temperature usually rises 3-4 degrees farenheit everywhere, and maybe 10-12 degrees in the kitchen!) Also, you are pretty much guaranteed to set off a smoke detector while you're roasting the bones, so take whatever precautions are necessary. (If you choose to unplug your detectors, you'd better not leave the kitchen for even a second until you're done roasting the bones!)


INGREDIENTS:

• 8-10 lbs chicken necks and/or frames (any chicken will do, but these two products are extremely cheap--typically $0.50 - $0.80 / lb, or twice that for kosher).
  
• 2-3 lbs onions, peeled and cut in quarters
• 2 lbs carrots, cut into large pieces
  
• Several bay leaves
• Several whole peppercorns
• Oil for sautéing
  

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 425˚ F.
2. Arrange the chicken pieces on a large broiler pan. You may need two. Make sure it's got one of those fat-drippy thingies.
3. Roast the chicken for about 45 minutes, turning about halfway through. It should be dark brown.
4. Meanwhile, sauté the carrots and onions in your stock pot over medium-high heat until the onions begin to turn golden, about 10-15 minutes.
5. Transfer the chicken to the stock pot. Add the spices. Combine the ingredients gently.
6. Add enough cold water to just cover the chicken and maybe a little more. This is usually about 4-5 quarts. (Don't worry about this too much, as long as the chicken is covered; you can always add more water or reduce it.)
7. Cover and bring to a boil. (This could take awhile with so much water.)
8. Reduce heat to a simmer and continue to cook for another 2 1/2 - 3 hours or so. Add water as needed to keep the chicken covered. Including the time it was coming to a boil, you want it to go for about 3 1/2 hours. Less, and you under-extract the chicken; more and the bones begin to decalcify, turning the broth slightly bitter.
9. Using a long-handled metal strainer (or just a slotted spoon), remove most of the solid stuff in the pot as is convenient. Then, using a ladle and a fine strainer, strain the liquid into containers.
10. If freezing, make sure the containers are about 1/3 empty so that the broth has room to expand.

You can also reduce the broth as much as you want once the bones have been removed; a very strong reduction becomes somewhat like a demi-glace and makes a fabulous base for a gravy. (Careful when doing this with kosher broth, as you are also concentrating the salt that comes in kosher meat.)

Cholent

On the Jewish sabbath, it is not permitted to create or adjust a fire. This has been extended to all heat sources, making it essential to create foods that can keep cooking all through the sabbath day. Cholent is a sabbath stew so tightly bound to the old-world weekly sabbath rituals that one might reasonably call it a ritual of its own. My version uses a hell of a lot more onions than would typically be found because, hey, onions are fantastic.

Since you are blasting the meat for so incredibly long, it's especially important to use a rich, marbled cut that won't dry out as you cook it. With beef, I prefer flanken (also known as 'boneless short ribs'), but you could also use brisket. Lamb would work very nicely!

Based on impressions from this beautiful essay on cholent.

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 medium Spanish onions (about 1.5 - 2 lbs), sliced
  
• 10 oz. Crimini or Baby Bella mushrooms, scrubbed and sliced
• 4-6 whole cloves of garlic, peeled
  
• 1 1/4 cup dry beans (any), rinsed and soaked overnight
• 3/4 cup pearl barley
• 1 1/2 lbs. red bliss potatoes, skin on, cut into large chunks
• 3-4 carrots, washed and cut into large chunks
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 2 lbs. beef brisket or flanken (boneless short rib)
• 1 tbsp. sugar
• 2 tbsp. paprika
• Salt and pepper
• Several whole raw eggs (optional), rinsed
  
• Olive oil for sautéing
  

DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat a large skillet to medium-high heat. Once hot, add olive oil and allow to warm.
2. Add the onions and mushrooms along with the sugar. Sauté, turning frequently with a spatula, until beginning to caramelize: about 25-30 minutes.
3. Add the whole garlic cloves and continue to sauté about 5 minutes more. (The garlic will still be white.)
4. In a crockpot, thoroughly combine the caramelized vegetables, the beans, barley, carrots, potatoes and paprika.
   
5. Bury the beef in this mixture.
6. If you have room in the crockpot, bury some eggs in the mixture at this point as well. The egg white will turn an incredible caramel color.
7. Cook in the crock pot on low for a minimum of 8 hours, and as many as 18.

Serve at any time after the first 8 hours. Since you can't shut off the heat on shabbos, it's not uncommon to see people start eating the cholent after 8 or 12 hours, and then again several hours later.

PAIRINGS: I know that beef and beans and barley all fairly scream out 'red wine' (or dark beer), but I find that the entire dish has a sufficiently dark and brooding character that I really crave something a little bit sweet and fruity. Sweet white wines like Gewürztraminer and Riesling come easily to mind, or even a tawny port. A hard cider would also do the job.

Traditionally, people drink hard liquor (often scotch and vodka) on shabbos, although I've never been too crazy for that.

Kasha (Roasted buckwheat)

Kasha is a traditional preparation of buckwheat groats prepared in stock with mushrooms, onions and (sometimes) meat. I love kasha. I think the better the broth you use, the deeper the flavor is, and also the nutrients.

I love to cook a meat or dark poultry to go into the kasha. I make a really strong broth first. I make either a beef broth or a chicken broth. Then, the next day, or later that day, brown the meat you want to use: like flanken or chuck or turkey thighs or whatever you use, and then simmer it (poach) in the broth (strained) for a few hours till it is falling apart and wonderful. Strain the broth again (if necessary) . This recipe uses 4 cups. Put it aside for the kasha. It has to be BOILING
only at the point when you add it to the pan with the vegetables and the egg/kasha mixture.Cut the meat up and keep warm and save to add to the kasha in the end.

Kasha Varniskes is kasha with bow-tie noodles. I cook two cups dry noodles and drain and keep to add at the end with the meat.

NOTE (4/18/09): Do not wash the groats, or else they will absorb some of that water while cooking with the eggs and end up soggy.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups kasha (medium or coarse granulation)
• 2 cups dry bow tie noodles, cooked and drained
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup chopped onions
• 1 cup chopped mushrooms
• 4 cups broth, hot

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large saute or frying pan with a cover, cook the onions and mushrooms in oil until they are very soft and fully cooked, and smell great. You can add salt and pepper to them.
2. Keep this mixture warm until you are ready to add the hot kasha/egg mixture and the boiling broth to it.
3. KASHA : Beat 2 large eggs in a bowl. Add 2 cups dry kasha and use a fork to stir together until the kasha groats are all coated with egg.
4. Into another HOT (NON STICK )skillet ( yes, there are a lot of pots and pans and bowls for this ) toss the coated kasha groats. Cook over high heat 2-3 minutes,stirring,until the egg has dried on the kasha , the groats are separate and hot to the back of your finger.
5. Now, make sure that the broth is boiling, or get it boiling. ( Don't let it sit there boiling because you will lose some and there will be less than 4 cups).
6. Add the kasha/egg mixture to the frying pan with the mushrooms and onions (which you have thoughtfully heated up again) . Pour in the hot broth. Let it come back to a little boil, and then cover and turn down the heat and simmer for 7-10 minutes until the kasha groats are tender and the liquid is absorbed. It may take a longer time depending upon the richness of the broth.
7. Add the meat , if using, and the noodles. Season.

Serve warm; very good left over.

Vegetable Borscht

Vegetable borscht is extremely versatile. For one thing, it is fat free and extremely healthful (assuming you don't have some kind of prejudice against carbohydrate). It is appropriate to serve it either hot or cold; if you're kosher, it can go with dairy or meat meals depending on what you like to put in it.

Traditionally, you put things into the borscht right as you're about to eat it, just like dressing a hamburger. And like hamburger, there are a million and one options and they all have their appeal. Here are some suggestions:

• Shredded red cabbage (easy either by hand or in a food processor)
• Sliced radishes
• A hard boiled egg
• Half a boiled potato
• Sour cream or cottage cheese

When I make borscht, I usually have several of these things on hand. Speaking of hands, the beets will turn your hands purple, so wear gloves if that sounds unattractive to you. (For me, it's a point of pride.)

Beets get much sweeter as they cook, and somewhat sweeter as the soup mellows, so take it easy with the sugar. The following proportions are all approximate, as I have never measured anything when making borscht, even the first time I made it. And neither should you.

INGREDIENTS:

• 3-4 lbs beets, peeled and cut into 3/4" cubes
• 1 large red onion, chopped
• 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
• 2 tbsp. lemon juice
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• Lots of dill, fresh or chopped
• Prepared horseradish (quantity depends on intensity, which varies greatly)
• Cold water (see below)

• Optional: 1/2 head red cabbage, shredded
  

DIRECTIONS:

1. Combine beets and onion in a soup pot.
   
2. Add the lemon juice and vinegar.
   
3. Fill up the pot with water until it's about 1-2" higher than the vegetables.
4. Add the remaining ingredients except cabbage (if using); bring to a boil.
5. Reduce to low heat and let simmer, covered, for about an hour or until the beets have softened.
6. If using cabbage, add it in and allow to cook until it has wilted somewhat.
   

Serve hot or cold.

PAIRINGS: Beets have a slippery, soft sweetness that pairs extremely well with acid. A structured, tart white wine such as a Muscadet or Chablis brings out some of the more delicate qualities of the beet.

Short ribs

This slow-cooker recipe works well with many stewing meats, so long as they are rich enough not to dry out. Short ribs and their boneless counterpart (known in Yiddish as flanken) are far and away the most impressive, but a shoulder chuck roast will hold up pretty well, too.

The single most important seasoning here is cloves; this cannot be omitted.

But as I think I mentioned in an earlier post, the real secret ingredient in sweet red sauces for beef in Yiddish-American cooking is soda: cola for dark sauces, and ginger ale for light ones. I have also experimented with cranberry and orange juices to good effect. (Orange juice ends up tasting like tzimmes.)

It's impossible to provide proportions here as it is completely a matter of personal preference. Since the sauce contains no raw meat, you can taste it until it "seems right"--and remember, of course, that it will be made far richer and milder by stewing with the beef.

INGREDIENTS (SAUCE):

• 1 can (6 oz.) tomato paste
• Plenty of molasses
• Ground cloves (this is essential)
• Spicy brown mustard
• Cider vinegar
• Chopped garlic
• Allspice
• Nutmeg
• A little cola or ginger ale
• Salt

INGREDIENTS (BRAISE):

• 4 beef short ribs --or-- 2-3 lbs. flanken or shoulder chuck roast
• 2-3 russet potatoes, peeled and sliced
• 1 onion, sliced

Arrange the potatoes at the bottom of the pot, followed by the onions, and then the short ribs, then apply the sauce to the top of the ribs. It will drip down as it cooks, so don't worry too much about spreading it around. It's OK to put some ribs on top of others; if you do that, put some sauce on top of the first layer before putting the second layer on. Cook in the slow cooker for 8-10 hours on low. Serve warm with kashe or rice.

Shepherd's Pie

This is one of my favorite comfort foods, and it's very easy if you have leftover potato knish filling (or any mashed potatoes, really). I find that the knish filling really made a perfect topping for the shepherd's pie.

The potato knish filling is essentially just mashed potatoes prepared a particular way, and I don't feel like writing it again, so I refer you to that recipe.

If prepared appropriately, this recipe can be kosher (fleishig).

INGREDIENTS:

• 6 cups potato knish filling (see below)
  
• 1 lb. green peas, fresh or frozen
• 1 lb. lean ground beef
• 2 tbsp. brown mustard
• 3 tbsp. ketchup
• 1 tbsp. molasses
• Worcestershire sauce
• Yolk of one egg

RECIPE:

1. Preheat oven to 425.
   
2. If peas are frozen, defrost in the microwave.
3. Crumble and brown the beef in a frying pan, stirring frequently.
4. When the beef is brown on the outside, add the mustard, ketchup, molasses, and Worcestershire sauce to taste. Cook for another minute or so.
   
5. Transfer beef mixture to a casserole dish.
6. Top beef with peas.
   
7. Spread knish filling evenly over the peas using a spatula.
8. Beat the egg yolk together with some more worcestershire sauce or some water; brush onto top of pie.
9. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the top is somewhat crisp and the egg mixture has turned golden brown.

Serve warm with a green salad.

PAIRINGS: Goes well with a bitter stout such as Guinness.

Braised Rabbit in Wine Sauce

This dish makes me think of Spain: specifically, of Hemingway's elaborate descriptions of Spanish country food in For Whom The Bell Tolls. Maybe that's just me.

Anyways, I started with this hasenpfeffer recipe, sticking to it pretty closely, except with about twice the herbs and aromatics. It was delicious--seven people ate six pounds of rabbit, and no one saved room for dessert--but it was too tough, and I don't think the recipe did enough to tender up the meat.

So I've incorporated some steps from this coq au vin recipe, which uses the wine to soften the fibers of the meat overnight before braising. I have not yet tried it this way; expect updates.

INGREDIENTS:

• 5-6 lbs rabbit meat, cut into small pieces
• 1 1/2 cups flour, divided use
• 2 tsp. kosher salt
  
• 1 lb bacon, diced
• 2 medium Spanish onions (about 1 1/2 cups), finely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 bottle red wine (preferably Pinot Noir)
• 3 tbsp. black currant or blackberry preserves
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp. dried rosemary
• 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• Freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1. Place 1 cup of flour and the kosher salt into a zip-loc bag. Coat each piece of rabbit in this mixture and set aside.
   
2. In a deep metal skillet, sauté the bacon over medium-high heat until evenly browned, stirring often. Remove the bacon to a bowl but leave all the grease in the skillet.
3. Fry the rabbit pieces, browning them on each side, and then remove them to a covered casserole or dutch oven.
   
4. Sauté the onions and garlic over in what's left of the grease, adding a little butter or oil if needed. (It's OK if the pan's pretty gunked up at this point.)
5. Add 1 cup of wine to the skillet and gently scrape the sides with a plastic or wooden spatula. The cooked-on drippings should yield to your spatula as if by magic. (This is called deglazing the pot.)
   
6. Pour this into a bowl and combine with the rest of the wine, bacon, herbs, pepper, lemon juice, and preserves.
7. Pour liquid over the tabbit, cover and refrigerate overnight.
8. The next day, preheat the oven to 325.
9. Cook the rabbit in the dutch oven for about 2 hours, maintaining a very gentle simmer. You want the lowest heat you can get while still having the liquid bubble slightly.
10. Transfer the rabbit to a serving plate and cover it with foil to keep warm. Meanwhile, transfer the liquid to a saucepan.
11. Remove about a cup of the liquid and combine with 1/2 cup flour. Bring the rest of the liquid to a simmer and whisk in flour mixture gradually to avoid lumps.
    
12. Simmer the gravy for a few minutes, then transfer to a gravy bowl.

Serve immediately with mashed potatoes or egg noodles.

PAIRINGS: Rabbit has an intense, almost spicy gaminess, so a robust red wine such as Pinot Noir is the obvious choice.

Fauxlenta

I eat a lot of Cream of Wheat during the winter, but sweet Cream of Wheat gets kind of boring about two weeks after the snow starts to fall. But I don't really feel like making pancakes or hashed potatoes or steak and eggs at 6:30am.

So I took a cue from southern cooking and adapted an old grits trick to my favorite hot cereal. A pie made on Monday should last a good ways into the workweek, and you can heat it in the microwave. Prepare a Latin-American coffee in your French Press and suddenly being awake doesn't seem so bad anymore.

Based on this recipe and on a pie my mom used to make when I was a kid.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup Cream of Wheat or grits
• 3 cups water
• 1 cup milk (or substitute both milk and water for chicken broth)
  
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 bundle of scallions, chopped
  
• 1/2 cup Parmesan
  
• 1/2 cup grated Gruyere or Irish Cheddar
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
  
• Black pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a nonstick baking pan with cooking spray or butter it to prevent sticking.
   
2. Bring the water and milk to a boil in a nonstick saucepan. Gradually stir in the cream of wheat and keep stirring until thick.
3. Remove from heat. Gradually add in all remaining ingredients.
4. Pour the mixture into the baking pan, using a spatula to get it all out of the pot. (Suggestion: immediately rinse out the pot or it will be impossible to clean later.)
5. Bake the grits for 45 minutes or until set.

Refrigerate. To serve, you have a couple of options: cut 1/2 slices and sauté with an egg or two (thus impersonating polenta), or just heat it up in the microwave for 60 seconds on high.

Slow-cooked barbecue pot roast

The sauce for this was based on a barbecue sauce recipe from the back of a Grandma's Molasses bottle. While this sauce would be totally inadequate for that purpose, it does taste a lot like some of the zestier Ashkenazi recipes for flanken (boneless short ribs). Coca-Cola (or ginger ale) is the secret ingredient to many of these recipes.

In college, I discovered that a well-marbled shoulder chuck, when slow-cooked, developed the consistency of flanken. So for when you make that banana ketchup, here is an exotic variation on a well-rehearsed Yiddishe soul-food.

(If you don't have any banana ketchup, you can substitute 12 oz. (2 cans) tomato paste, 3/4 cup molasses, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup vinegar or lemon juice, some garlic, and a bit of ginger for that part.)

INGREDIENTS:

Sauce--

• 2 cups banana ketchup (see below) or the substitution described above
  
• 3/4 cup Coca-Cola
  
• 1/2 cup molasses
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup dijon mustard
• 2 tsp chopped garlic
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1/2 cup coke or ginger ale
  

Pot roast--

• 3-4 lb. shoulder chuck pot roast
• 2 large onions

DIRECTIONS:

1. Combine all ingredients for sauce and set aside.
2. Slice the onions and place at the bottom of a slow cooker.
3. Brown pot roast on all sides and place in slow cooker.
4. Pour sauce over pot roast. Set slow cooker to low and allow to cook overnight (8-10 hours).

Serve with barley.

Split yellow pea soup with okra

I love pea soup. And pea soup loves you, too. Because peas, like lentils, have a ridiculous amount of fiber and protein, and they have a fairly distinctive taste. This is especially nice on cold days. Serve with a dollop of thick yogurt and some spongy bread (like sourdough) and you will be a happy camper. Also delicious over a small grain like quinoa or couscous.

3/22/2008: This recipe also comes out great if you add several carrots, cut into 1" pieces. I also added a tablespoon of molasses. Prepared with broth, the result is an even heartier stew that stands up on its own very impressively for a primarily vegetable-based food.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 lb. dry split yellow peas, rinsed
  
• 6 oz. dry-smoked bacon, chopped
  
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 lb frozen cut okra
  
• 6 cups chicken broth or water
• a dash of lemon juice or cider vinegar
  
• chopped garlic to taste
  
• a dash of applesauce, apple cider or chopped apple (optional)
  

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a medium-sized soup pot, cook the bacon over high heat until the fat begins to melt, stirring with a spatula to prevent burning.
   
2. Add the chopped onion and sautee with the bacon until it begins to soften.
3. Add the okra and the garlic and them to soften as well, stirring often.
   
4. Add in your peas and mix in with the vegetable-bacon mixture, allowing them to cook together dry for a minute or two while stirring vigorously with a spatula to prevent burning.
5. Add the broth and all remaining ingredients and bring to a boil.
6. Once boiling, reduce heat to a simmer and let cook covered for 30-40 minutes or until peas are soft.
7. (Optional) use an immersion blender to pulverize a little bit of the soup. (Don't overdo this: most of the contents should still be intact.)

This soup is great as a leftover; just heat it up and you're good to go.

PAIRINGS:

Serve with full-bodied red wine, brown ale or cider (hard or soft).