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Having fun with challah dough: Knishes and Blueberry Buns

Potato knishes, blueberry buns and knishes with sesame seeds.

It takes a village to make knishes and buns.

The thing that I possibly love best about being Jewish is the food—the passing down of recipes, the sharing within our community, and the beauty of the culinary traditions. Some of them are so odd and involve an acquired taste: my grandmother slapping the board with whiskey to make her Passover candy, the cleaning of the fish bones to make gefilte fish and boiling up the broth we call yuch, and the tradition of cooking with chicken fat or schmaltz.

Blogging, apparently has broadened my community. I had never heard of blueberry buns until I received a comment last week from a woman named Irene Saiger, telling me of her family’s tradition of taking challah dough and filling it with sugared fresh blueberries. She invited me to try her recipe: click here for a link to that.

I couldn’t imagine why our family had never tried this, so I made them today. And since I was going to the effort of filling circles of rolled out challah I decided to make some potato knishes as well. A potato knish is another kind of challah bun, this one savory, stuffed with mashed potatoes. At their best they are made with chicken fat—schmaltz—both as part of the mashed potatoes as well as brushed onto the dough before baking. My mother always had chicken fat on hand. She would tear it off of the chicken every week and keep a bag full in the freezer, along with chicken livers, saving both until she had enough of each to make chopped liver. Years ago I started saving up chicken fat in the freezer. But I never used it for anything. Today I found the bag but it was, well, rancid. My kind neighbor, Bev, volunteered to stop by the store and pick up a fat chicken for me. And then I thought of Ben, five houses down, who loves to make his own chicken stock and matzo balls with schmaltz. “Ben,” I asked, “Do you, by any chance, have any chicken fat in your freezer?” “I have a jar in the refrigerator, still fresh. I’ll bring it right over,” he said.

What are the odds of finding a neighbor in the middle of east central Illinois with a jar of schmaltz in their fridge?

 

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Bean and Cheese Burritos—with homemade refried beans

Burritos topped with sour cream and salsa, garnished with fresh cilantro and served with corn and watermelon.

I got into the habit of buying canned refried beans, but tonight I set myself straight and made them from scratch. It was surprisingly easy and, not surprisingly, tasted fresh and light since I used far less oil than one finds in the canned beans.

Refried Beans

  • 1 lb. dried pinto beans
  • 2 Tbs. oil
  • 1/2 onion, chopped fine
  • 3 cloves garlic, slivered, to cook with the beans
  • salt to taste
  • cumin (optional)
  • more fresh garlic, crushed, to taste (1-2 cloves)
  • cayenne (if you like it spicy)

Put the beans, 2 tsp. salt and 3 cloves of slivered garlic up to cook, covering them in 3-4 inches of water. Boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook for about 2 hours, or until soft. Drain the beans, reserving 2 cups of the liquid.

Heat oil in a sturdy pan, saute onion until soft then add beans and mash them with a potato masher while cooking over a low heat. Add the reserved liquid, as needed, until the beans are the desired consistency. Taste, then add salt and 1-2 cloves crushed garlic. If you like it more spicy add cumin and cayenne to taste.

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Fish breading when you’re out of bread crumbs

Breaded and pan fried talapia.

This is a simple breading to use as an alternative to bread crumbs.

Fish breading

  • 1 c. matzo meal
  • 1 c. flour
  • 1/2 c. corn meal

Rinse off your fish fillets, and dredge them right into the breading (no need to dip in an egg if you don’t want to). Season with some salt, pepper, dill weed and garlic powder, then fry them up in a little hot oil.

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The best food I’ve ever tasted was given to me by a friend.

 

One of the best meals I ever had was broccoli beef stir fry, gifted to me by my friend Jani.

 

The day that I lost my first pregnancy, about 16 years ago, Jani called to ask if we’d made plans for dinner. It really was the last thing on my mind, and so we numbly accepted our friend’s offer of a meal. Jani, with four children of her own, took the time to make the phone call, prepare something extra, and with her youngest boy in tow she walked the meal over to our house. I still can picture it: broccoli beef stir fry, sitting on a bed of rice, with some shortbread still warm from the oven. It almost brings me to tears remembering her kindness, but then I’m a sucker for the gift of a meal.

I remember the container of frozen vegetable soup that an acquaintance—someone I had struck up a conversation with in the grocery store and later had run into at the park—dropped by my house during the week before I had my second baby. It was the middle of summer and I thought that it was so odd to give soup in June in Albuquerque. But after I was home with Molly, my appetite soaring, that soup was amazingly satisfying and delicious. I could taste the care that went into the chopping of each vegetable. Superb soup.

I remember Bev knocking on my door the day we moved into this house, ten years ago. Moving across country with three small children had left us just a little bit weary! “Would it be alright if I brought over some soup for your supper?” she asked. It was a vegetable beef soup, so perfect for a February night.

And Leo, my brother-in-law. What a mensch. Leo took a week off from his life to stay at my house and take care of my dad while our family traveled. When we walked in the door after a long day of driving, he had a meal of barbecued chicken, along with three or four side dishes, hot and on the table just as we walked in the door.

If I don’t check my blog, I can’t tell you what I made for dinner last week. I don’t remember the finest meal that I ever prepared, but I remember with rich detail the meals that were gifted my way. From my friends, I hope, I’ve learned to pass it on. When we hear that a friend is in crisis the phone call can feel awkward, but go ahead and make the call, ask if they would mind if you stopped by with a little soup.

This is Jani’s recipe:

Broccoli and Beef

Cut a piece of steak into bite sized pieces. Marinate it in soy sauce, a bit of rice wine, some sugar, oyster sauce (if you have some). Set aside.

Chop up some garlic (1 or 2 cloves), ginger (1 or 2 slices chopped into slivers) and green onions. Set aside.

Cut up broccoli and any other vegies you have on hand. Set aside.

Heat a tablespoon of peanut or vegetable oil in a large pan or wok. When hot throw in the ginger, green onions and garlic. Stir fry until fragrant. Add beef. Cook until barely done. Remove, and set aside.

Add a bit more oil to the pan (1/2 T.). Throw in the broccoli. Stir fry until they are all coated with the oil. Add a bit of water and cover. Steam until almost the way you want to eat them, then add the beef. Stir fry. When it is nearly done you can add soy sauce, a bit of sugar, some rice wine, more oyster sauce, some slices of green onion. Stir around and serve with rice.

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My misadventure with Father’s Day breakfast scones.

The third time was the charm for these sour cherry scones.

There’s no gift like a good breakfast, right? That’s what I thought as I prepared to whip up some sour cherry scones for my husband on Father’s Day. I dipped into my prized stash of frozen cherries, mixed up the scones, popped them in the oven, and then glanced back at the recipe. I had forgotten to add any sugar. As my daughter would say, “Fail.”

I washed and dried all of the utensils and set about on round two. The second batch was tasty and lovely and also FLAT. I served them, but I also puzzled over their flatness for half of the day.

That afternoon I decided to give it one more try, and I made the recipe with less liquid and baked them at a little higher temperature, achieving a taller, flakier scone. This one I’m happy to share:

Sour Cherry Scones (makes 12)

  • 2 c. flour
  • 2 tsp. baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp. baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 3 Tbs. sugar
  • 6 Tbs. butter
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 c. vanilla yogurt
  • 1 c. whole sour cherries, pitted (may substitute blueberries, dried cherries, cranberries or raspberries)
  • granulated sugar

Mix together the dry ingredients and cut in the butter. Mix together the egg and the yogurt, add the cherries and fold into the dry ingredients. The scones may be formed in several different ways: drop them by large spoonful; divide into two parts, pat each into a circle, and cut each into 6 wedges; or pat out on a floured board and cut into circles with a large biscuit cutter. Place the formed scones onto a lightly greased cookie sheet. Lightly sprinkle each scone with a little granulated sugar. Bake for 15 minutes at 450 degrees.

When cool, you may drizzle them with a sugar glaze:

Glaze

Mix together the following:

  • 1 c. powdered sugar
  • 2 Tbs. milk
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Making the table festive for Father’s Day

Use part of your dinner menu to decorate the plates at the table.

We had been traveling and I was ill-prepared for Father’s Day this year. But I did fix a special meal, splurging on some beef tenderloin for the grill. The fresh pineapple was going to be cut up and served with the dinner, but I decided to cut it length-wise into sixths and place a leafy wedge on everyone’s plate at the table. The pineapple added a lot of color to the table, as well as making the meal feel more festive.

Look for beauty in the simple details, and enjoy!

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Pasta Salad

This pasta salad doubles as your vegetable dish.

This is our favorite pasta salad—it’s officially summer when this is served. I like this recipe because it is very light and flavorful and  is loaded with a lot of different vegetables. If you’re a meat eater and want to eat this as a main course, add some cubed, cooked chicken and serve with a crusty bread and some fresh melon.

Pasta Salad

  • 3 c. various shaped pasta, cooked al dente, then drained and rinsed under cold water
  • 5 c. vegetables, any combination of the following (to blanch any of the vegetables just add them to the pasta water 1 minute before the pasta is finished cooking):
  • sliced black olives
  • quartered artichoke hearts
  • blanched broccoli florets
  • sliced cherry tomatoes
  • sliced sweet red peppers
  • sliced celery
  • chopped fresh parsley
  • blanched mushrooms
  • blanched sliced sweet onions
  • blanched thinly sliced carrots
  • 1 c. cubed, cooked chicken (optional)

Mix all of the following dressing ingredients in a blender, then pour over the pasta and vegetables:

  • 3/4 c. mayonnaise
  • 1/2 c. red wine vinegar
  • 1/2 c. olive oil
  • 1 Tbs. sugar
  • 3/4 tsp. salt
  • 1-1/2 tsp. oregano
  • 1-1/2 tsp. basil
  • 1 tsp. ground pepper
  • 1 large clove garlic

Stir everything together, chill for an hour or more before serving.

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Homemade thin crust pizza

This is almost easier than calling in an order and waiting for the pizza delivery guy. Sometimes I use part whole wheat flour—it depends on how healthy I’m feeling. Use whatever toppings you love, and don’t forget things like minced fresh garlic, chopped spinach or broccoli.

Homemade Thin Crust Pizza

For the dough:

  • 1 c. warm water
  • 2-1/4 tsp (1 package) yeast
  • 2 Tbs. olive oil
  • 3 c. flour
  1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
  2. Dissolve the yeast in the water, add the oil, and mix in the flour a bit at a time, and then knead in just enough to make a smooth and elastic dough. The kneading should take you about 10 minutes. I do mine in the Kitchenaid mixer, with the dough hook,  for 7 or 8 minutes.
  3. Let the dough rest for 10 minutes.
  4. Grease two 12-inch round pizza pans, sprinkle with some corn meal (if you like) and shake off the excess.
  5. Divide the dough in half, roll out each piece and place into the prepared pizza pan.
  6. Bake for 12 minutes or until brown.

To prepare the pizzas:

  • 1 12 oz can tomato sauce
  • oregano
  • basil
  • garlic powder
  • red pepper flakes (if you want your pizza a little spicey)
  • 1 lb. grated mozzarella cheese
  • 2 c. sliced vegetables such as sweet onion, green pepper, mushrooms, black olives, tomatoes
  • 1 package sliced pepperoni (if you want some meat), or
  • 1/2 pound Italian sausage, crumbled

For each pizza, spread about 1/2 cup of tomato sauce over the hot pizza crust. Sprinkle with herbs, top with vegetables and then the cheese. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until the top is slightly browned.

Also, this makes a wonderful kids’ activity to get little children involved with cooking. They can make their own mini pizzas and put on their own toppings.

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Peppered Cauliflower with Cabbage and Swiss Chard

It pays to be inventive when you have a few different leftover vegetables. That’s what I did tonight and I created something sweet and delicious. Forget about the leg of lamb at tonight’s table, for me the highlight of the meal was this cauliflower dish.

Peppered Cauliflower with Cabbage and Swiss Chard

  • 1/2 head cauliflower, broken into tiny florets
  • 1/3 head cabbage, chopped
  • 1 sweet onion, chopped
  • 3 stalks colored Swiss chard, chopped (green chard is okay, but this dish benefits from a little color)
  • 3 Tbs. olive oil
  • coarsely ground pepper
  • salt

The trick to this dish is to make all of the ingredients the same size, so that everything cooks at the same rate. For the cauliflower, use a knife to cut off the tiniest little florets. Save the rest of the cauliflower for a stir fry or soup.

Heat the oil, add all the vegetables and cook until the cauliflower is just a bit tender. Grind on a lot of pepper and sprinkle with salt, coarse kosher salt if you have it.