I love eggplant. My parents are from Romania, and along with mamaliga, the cornmeal-made staple (think Italian polenta, American grits… but that’s another post), it’s embedded in my DNA. My parents arrived in this country in the early 50’s, with a stopover of a few years in Vienna. They brought quite a bit with them, including my grandma and a little German-speaking almost-toddler, AKA my sister Annie. One of the first things my mom bought soon after they arrived, was a wooden bowl and a hocker (curved knife blade with a metal handle). Whenever she cooked, that bowl was out and the hocker was busy. What noise did the hocker make? Hock, hock hock… silly.
bowl and hocker, circa 1951
This bowl has seen many a batch of chopped chicken liver, egg salad, and vinetta (VEE– neh- teh). Shegave it to me recently because it was very lonely just sitting in the cabinet. You can imagine how I treasure it and use it every chance I get. Which brings me back to my beloved eggplant.
I never met an eggplant I didn’t like. Once, years ago, I was in a sparkly new market (anyone remember Irvine Ranch Farmer’s Market? (Oops, there I go dating myself again… the girl can’t help it, the girl can’t help it). There I stood, transfixed, in front of the most amazing display of eggplant, neatly stacked in ascending rows, their butts all pointed towards me. I was drawn to one near the center. Something about the shade of purple, I don’t know, called to me. I gave a gentle tug, holding all his brothers in place. It didn’t budge. I gathered all my focus, not to mention upper body strength, took a breath, and went for it. No, the display did not come a-tumbling down (one of many miracles in my life). I found myself staring at an eggplant with, I swear to you, a Jughead Jones-style nose where a nose would go (do I need to explain myself? please look up The Archies on your own time).
I took my treasure home and gently laid him in the crisper drawer in the fridge. I’d come home from work every day, open the crisper and say hello. Is this the day I’ll use him? Not just yet, I’d say to myself, day after day. The skin was getting a little mottled. I still couldn’t bring myself to make a move. And eventually, I came home, checked on Jughead, turned him over and, yikes, Jughead, my eggplant, had rotted. Please learn from this tale. I try to use my beautiful produce while they’re still beautiful (with the exception of bananas).
Þ
So my niece Karen says to me, “Do more posts on eggplant, I’m a little scared of them.” We’ll take care of that. She’s a pediatrician in Ohio and a little one, as she says, will soon (b’eH) be making his grand entrance into the world. A few weeks ago, a five-year-old looked straight at her belly and said matter-of-factly, ” I like your baby.”
I get it. You don’t want to roast the eggplants over your gas stove until they char to black and all these tiny soot-like pieces get everywhere. There are purists who insist on this method, and yes, that smoky flavor is pretty delicious. But let’s leave that smoky thing for the purists and the restaurants. We can still attain a high quality of life. We’ll be civilized and lower our stress levels by roasting the eggplants in the oven until they soften, pucker and start to look dehydrated.
For a very brief rundown of all the regions of the world that love eggplant, click here.
We’ll use basic additions like oil, chopped onions and salt. Very popular to also include minced garlic and black pepper. I love adding lemon juice and sometimes chopped Italian parsley.
Set the roasting pan on the back of the stove and let the eggplants cool. Cut the eggplants in half lengthwise and scrape out the pulp with a fork. Toss the little seeds. You can also gently peel the eggplants and then cut in half. There’s some talk of not exposing the eggplant to metal as it will turn the flesh dark. Don’t know what to say. Yes, it’s nicer when it’s more snowy, but I don’t have a high reliability quotient in this area. I comfort myself in knowing that it’s delicious either way.
Chop the eggplant with a hocker, or any way you like.
Other additions to roasted eggplant:
- A few spoons of tahini and you have baba ghanoush
- fresh herbs such as parsley
- roasted red peppers
- chopped tomatoes
- capers
- olives
- spices, like cumin or smoked paprika
- mayonnaise (yes, mayonnaise) instead of olive oil
- vinegar instead of lemon juice
I like to serve eggplant with sliced (Persian) cucumbers and tomato.
My Novio, my mom and I all love onion. When it’s just us, you know the onion’s going to be all over that eggplant. When non-onion lovers are present, this is the diplomatic way to go.
VINETTA: Romanian Eggplant Appetizer
Courtesy of Gerta Weintraub
Ingredients:
2 medium globe eggplants (not Italian or Japanese or baby Indian- all delicious, but for other uses) juice of ½ lemon 2 T. olive oil (or safflower oil) 1 clove garlic, minced 2 T. white onion, finely chopped 2 T. Italian parsley, chopped (optional, either mixed in with the eggplant or sprinkled on top) salt & pepperDirections:
Preheat oven to 400°.
Place eggplant on foil-lined baking dish.
Bake until very soft and blackened on outside, about 30-40 minutes.
Cool, then cut in half lengthwise and scrape out flesh.
Chop and place in bowl with remaining ingredients. Mix well. If you have non-raw onion eaters present, don’t mix in the onions and serve them on the side.
Adjust seasonings to taste. If you like, sprinkle chopped parsley on top.
Enjoy with tomatoes and cucumbers.
Serves 4-6 as an appetizer.
It was Novio’s birthday. My sister was planning to make dinner for him. That meant one thing for certain: he would be eating brisket that evening. She asked me if I could select a cake for him. Chocolate? One might think so. But no. If it’s in front of him, he will, of course, eat it. But he doesn’t crave the stuff like some people (hello) we know.
I checked out the options at the bakery she was headed to. Lots of chocolate. Lots of custardy things. No and No. Apple crumb tart. Hmmm. Described as having a cookie base, chunks of fresh apples and topped with a crumb topping. It was a winner. Later that evening, I asked him what he thought of it. “It was good,” he said and paused, “but a little bland.”
It got me thinking. Seems straightforward enough. Start with a mix of lovely Farmer’s Market apples- two tart and one sweet.
A cookie bottom that I would just press into the pan. Something like the Mierbteig my mom used to make that she learned in Viennese cooking school decades ago. Creaming butter and sugar. Only in this case, creaming dairy-free Earth Balance sticks, with sugar and flour. And using a food processor to do it.
Not necessary to pre-bake the bottom. Just press the mixture into pan and pile the apples on.
I played around with a few versions. One topping had 25% less flour/meal. This version had 1/2 c. almond meal and 1/4 c. whole wheat pastry flour.
I knew I wanted something very flavorful but different from the usual apple & cinnamon pairing. I went for almond meal and added pure almond extract to boost the flavor and aroma. As long as I have an almond theme happening, I’ll use almond milk. Have you tried unsweetened almond milk on your cereal? It’s really really good!
Fifty minutes later, this comes out of the oven.
Grab some ice cream
Had to make another version with more crumb topping. If you like fewer crumbs, use the ratio above. If you want more crumb, and I did, follow the measurements I use below. And you get this robust and flavorful apple almond crumb tart.
No dairy products, no eggs. Viola!!* I do believe we have another Vegan dessert here. Yes, by golly, we do!
Apple Almond Crumb Tart
Ingredients:
1/2 c. flour 1/2 c. whole wheat pastry flour 1/2 c. sugar 1/2 stick (2 oz.) Earth Balance, very cold, cut into small pieces 1 t. vanilla 2 T. unsweetened almond milk 3 large apples, peeled and diced- I used 2 Granny Smith and 1 Fuji Topping: 1/2 c. almond meal 1/4 c. whole wheat pastry flour 1/4 c. flour 1/4 c. sugar 1/2 stick (2 oz.) Earth Balance, very cold, cut into small pieces 1/2 t. pure almond extractDirections:
Preheat oven to 350°.
Pulse the flours, sugar, butter substitute, vanilla and almond milk in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until mixture is sandy. Don’t wash the bowl just yet -we’ll need it again.
Line a greased 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper. Lightly grease paper.
Press dough into bottom of pan and a little up the sides.
Peel apples and cut them in a medium dice.
Arrange apples on top of pressed cookie dough.
Pulse together almond meal, flours, sugar, almond extract and Earth balance (butter substitute) until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
Scatter the amount of topping over the apples that you like..
Bake for 50-55 minutes or until top is set.
If you try hard, you can get 10-12 slices. Excellent warm, chilled or at room temperature. Equally terrific with vanilla ice cream or coconut milk vanilla ice cream.
*I’ve been saying Wa-LAH! all my life, but whenever I read it, I always think, who’s this Vi-O-LA?? And what does she have to do with what I’m reading? I must be finally cured of that, because I automatically typed Viola above. But just to be sure, I yelled to Novio, “Is Wa- LAH spelled like VI-O-LA?” I gave him his chuckle for the day. I should start charging.
The year is rolling to a close and right on its heels… a new year. ( I am a proud mixer of metaphors.) Funny how that works. What’s a good thing to have on hand, or better yet, to have on hand and give to someone you love? Something that’s got comfort spelled all over it. Something simple. I’m thinking applesauce. Roll some apples your way and let’s get started.
And, if you’ve got fresh rhubarb available, which, with the bb kitchen lucky enough to be right in the middle of Southern California, we have, then it’s rhubarb applesauce that’s going to be featured. Simple? With only 5 ingredients, this certainly fits the bill. Yes, I could have made a crisp, but I’m baking for Friday night (you’ll hear about that soon enough). Applesauce! True, some unsweetened store-bought brands are good.
But there’s nothing like homemade applesauce. The aroma emanating from the kitchen is reason enough to make it.
Remember this Corningware? It’s still sitting in my kitchen. As kitschy and as durable as ever. Plus, it cleans up so well. Amazing.
After about 30 minutes and a little mashing with the potato masher, this is what you get…
and this is what someone you love gets…
Think outside the box. Sure it’s delicious as a snack or a simple dessert after supper.
Here are a few more ideas:
Supper: as a side to roast chicken or turkey,
Lunch: shmear on some bread and top with sliced turkey (or not-turkey),
mix with yogurt and granola… wait, that works for breakfast too,
Breakfast: enjoy some rhubarb applesauce with hot buttered toast, or spread all over the top,
use it as a topping on pancakes or waffles,
stir it into your oatmeal or other hot cereal,
or enjoy it on top of French Toast, made here with thickly sliced leftover Challah. Is there another way?
Rhubarb Applesauce
Ingredients:
2 stalks rhubarb, cut into 1/2″ chunks 5 medium apples, peeled and cut into 1/2″ chunks (I used sweet Fuji apples, see note) 1 cinnamon stick (or 1/2 t. ground cinnamon) 1/4 c. water 3-4 T. sugar (begin with 3 spoons of sugar and add more halfway into cooking if you need to)bb Note: I like using sweet apples and very little (or no sugar when making straight applesauce). Tart apples work well too, adjust sugar up to the level of sweetness that works for you.
Directions:
Place cut fruit in a large saucepan with water, sugar and cinnamon stick over medium heat. When water begins to boil, turn heat down to medium low, give the fruit a stir and cook for about 30 minutes or until fruit is tender. Add a bit more water if you need to, during the cooking process. Remove cinnamon stick.
The fruit will be chunky. You can leave it as is or use a potato masher to mash to desired consistency. Allow it to cool a bit before mashing.
Delicious warm, cold or at room temperature.
Keeps for 2-3 weeks in the refrigerator. Also freezes well!
Happy New Year to all my bb friends!
I’m grateful for what you’ve added to my life!
I try to keep kitchen gadgets and items that aren’t used a lot to a minimum. Sure, I love to peruse the merchandise, but I can usually keep it in check. I said usually. There are a few stores around town that I will only enter a few times a year, if that often. One of them is Cost Plus World Market. They have some great inexpensive kitchenware, baskets and all types of foods from around the world. Belgian chocolate! Biscoff! Australian fudgy cookies! You can see what aisle I was (slurp) salivating in. I was there with Novio and he appears holding this really sweet min-loaf pan. He never ceases to surprise me. I couldn’t resist. I gave him a squeeze. And the pan? I couldn’t resist that either. It proceeded directly to check-out.
Eight Mini-Loaves In One Tidy Pan
What to fill it with on its maiden voyage to the oven? Something with chocolate? But of course!
And it’s just during these times that I’m grateful for the Novio-reject chunks of banana that I always (almost always- plowed right through it –must buy more bananas) have on hand in a Zip-loc bag tucked away in the freezer.
Banana & Coconut: A lovely pair
Instead of milk or yogurt or sour cream, I opted for almond milk.
Did I forget the egg? Nope! Go dairy- free. Go eggless and guess what? You’re bringing your vegan friends joy. And in the process, you’re giving your own tummy a bit of a break. Which is a good thing. That’s what my tummy says.
If you don’t have a mini-loaf tin, like I didn’t before a week ago, no problem. This batter can easily be plopped into a 12-cup muffin tin and ta-da! You have 12 delicious muffins ready to go after about 23 minutes in the oven. By adjusting times to a few minutes more, you can also do slightly larger loaves. Pick your pleasure and get yourself to the kitchen – you’ll be so happy you did!
cool muffins
To share or not to share
BANANA CHOCOLATE CHIP MINI-LOAVES
Ingredients:
1 c. unbleached flour 1 c. whole wheat pastry flour 1 ½ t. baking powder ½ t. baking soda ¼ t. salt ½ t. cinnamon ½ c. canola or grape seed oil 3 large bananas, mashed scant ½ c. finely shredded unsweetened coconut ½ c. loosely packed light brown sugar ¼ c. ultrafine sugar 1 t. pure vanilla extract 2/3 c. unsweetened almond milk ½ c. chocolate chipsDirections:
Preheat oven to 375°. Lightly grease pan.
Mash bananas well with a potato masher.
Whisk together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.
In a large bowl, beat oil with brown and white sugar, coconut and vanilla with a wooden spoon. Add the mashed bananas.
Beat in half the almond milk. Stir in half the flour mixture. Mix until just incorporated.
Add the second half of the almond milk. See how it’s coming together. You may need to hold back a tiny bit on the milk if your mashed bananas have lots of moisture.
Add the rest of the flour mixture and then the chocolate chips. Mix just until the flour is incorporated.
Drop batter by tablespoonfuls into pan.
Bake mini-loaves for 24-26 minutes. Turn tin around halfway through baking. For muffins, fill cups to the top and bake for 22- 24 minutes. Check with a toothpick. It should be dry or have one or two crumbs.
Makes 8 mini-loaves or 12 muffins. Best eaten that day or the next. Keep at room temperature up to one day. If you have any left, place in the freezer. They will be delicious when you defrost them.
Enjoy!
Vegan Country… it’s a brave new world for me. But, inspired by the likes of Yuval, Noa, Daniel, Dorit and Uri, all vegan or transitioning-to-vegan Israeli cousins, I’m motivated to look into this hitherto (nice word, hitherto, I don’t believe I’ve used it yet on this blog. But watch out, once I’ve dipped my toe, I may return for another… hitherto) uncharted world. Making my way through uncharted territory isn’t anything new for me.
My friend Sue tells me I do that a lot. Well, someone’s got to, Sue. It might as well be me. 
Then Frank tells me about his good friend who’s now a vegan. Frank is a physician who is very near and dear to me. Years ago, when I asked him if he cooks, he replied, “No, I eat.” All that’s changed now that he’s retired. He’s a new man. He cooks. He bakes. He gets excited about tagines.
So Frank calls me up and asks for some vegan dessert ideas. He’s already done fresh fruit and is wondering what to do next to entertain his vegan friends. Step right this way, Frank…
You may need to do a little sleuthing. If you’ve got a Whole Foods close by (or something equivalent), it won’t be hard. We’re not using margarine that’s completely synthetic and contains ingredients created in laboratories. Earth Balance makes “baking sticks” that’s made with healthy oils. How they create these sticks from liquid oil may be a little too much information for us. Let’s move along. 
Now there’s the small matter of the egg.
These cookies do not rely on the animal kingdom whatsoever to be created.
Take 1 part flax seed meal to 3 parts water
Make paste, I mean, make a binding agent.
Now you’ve got a workable substitute for an egg.
Other options I’m learning about: the use of arrowroot or cornstarch as a binding agent. There are other egg substitutes out there, which we’ll look into in future posts.
It’s all recognizable from here.
Dry ingredients
Lovely warm spices
Good-looking dough.
But no egg.
Nothing happened to the egg.
We just didn’t use one.
Demerara sugar, a raw sugar for a quick coat. Turbinado sugar works well too.
A quick roll in the sugar.
Cookies, behaving.
Cookie #1: Hey Man, I need my space.
Cookie#2: Be Cool, Dude.
Make Room for Cookies
I found this terrific recipe on Sarah Louise’s blog , The Cozy Vegan. Check it out to see what a very enthusiastic young woman in Calgary is up to.
I think I’ll have a nice cup of tea…
… with a gingersnap or three
GINGERSNAPS courtesy of The Cozy Vegan
Ingredients: 2 c. unbleached flour 3/4 c. superfine sugar 1 T. ground ginger 1 1/2 t. cinnamon 1/2 t. freshly grated nutmeg or 1 t. ground nutmeg 1 1/2 t. baking soda pinch of salt ¾ c. vegan margarine ¼ c. molasses (or pure maple syrup) 1 T. flax seed meal (AKA ground flax) 3 T. water Optional: Additional tablespoon or two of Turbinado or Demerara sugar for tops of cookiesDirections:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
In a food processor (I used my mini-processor, we’re only talking a few spoons, heck, you can do it with a little elbow grease- but no lumps, please), combine flax seed meal and water and pulse until blended well. Let the mixture rest for about 10 minutes to really come together.
Sift dry ingredients together in medium mixing bowl.
In a large mixing bowl, or in a stand mixer, cream together vegan margarine, molasses, sugar, and flax seed mixture.
Make a well and slowly combine dry ingredients, mixing thoroughly.
Taking a tablespoon or so of dough at a time, roll dough into small balls. If you’d like, roll these balls into the extra sugar for shining gingersnaps.
Space balls (Ha! Remember Spaceballs?) of dough out on cookie sheets, a dozen on each. Bake for 10-12 minutes. By this time, they should have rounded and spread out, and the tops will have cracked nicely.
Allow to cool, share and enjoy!! Makes 24 cookies. 
P.S. I brought these lovely cookies to the Food Bloggers LA Cookie Party where they were warmly greeted…
… by many other cookies
My oh my oh my…
And if you want some of these lovelies to grace your table, I’ve got the lovely links for you right here. Step right up…
FBLA 2013 Cookie Exchange Recipes
- Chai Tea Cookies — Cathy Arkle of She Paused 4 Thought (She also got tired of rolling the dough and refashioned the rest into Baby Hedgehog cookies.)
- Butter Pecan Fudge — Dorothy Reinhold (me!) from Shockingly Delicious.
- Antioxidant Chocolate Bark — Erika Kerekes (our hostess) of In Erika’s Kitchen.
- Sweet Potato Marshmallow Bars with White Chocolate Chips — Jennifer Richmond of Kitchy Cooking.
- Chocolate Chip and Apricot Walnut Rugelach and Vegan Chocolate Mini Cupcakes (“Naughty & Nice Cookies”) — Dana of Foodie Goes Healthy
- Vintage Sponge Drops with Double Fudge Filling — Leslie Macchiarella of Bake This Cake.
- Sicilian Christmas cookies — Judy Lyness of Two Broads Abroad.
- Cranberry Orange Walnut Sugar Cookies — Patricia Rose of Fresh Food in a Flash.
- Brown Butter Praline Chocolate Chip Cookies — Valentina Wein of Cooking On The Weekends.
- Mini Chocolate Nut Sandwich Cookies — Kelly Page of Tasting Page.
- Rosemary Raisin Cocktail Shortbread — Sharon Graves of Cheesy Pennies.
- Saketini Christmas Balls, Chocolate Macarons with Japanese Wine Cream Centers, and Matcha Green Tea Cookies with Chocolate Centers & Espresso Cookies with Caramel Fillings — Kim Watkinson of Ninja Baking.
- Blueberry Coconut Mini Cupcakes, Rainbow Chocolate Bark, and Vegan Gingersnaps — Judy Weintraub of Bumbleberry Breeze.
- Chocolate-Dipped Apricots with Pistachios — Adair Seldon of Lentil Breakdown.
- Spumoni Shortbread — Nancy Rose Eisman of Adventures with Nancy Rose.
- Crispy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies and Cardamom Gingersnap Cookies — Alison Ashton of Nourish Network .
- Gluten-Free Pumpkin Oat Bars — Alanna Waldron of Eats Real Food.
- Red Velvet Gooey Butter Cookies — Tanaya Ghosh of Tanaya’s Table. (Tanaya’s Table, the blog, will launch in 2014.)
- Black and White Cookies — Tina Kil. (Her blog isn’t up yet, but watch for her contributions in the future!)
Non-Cookie Items
- Chiang Mai Chicken in Endive Spears — Cathy Arkle of She Paused 4 Thought.
- Seasonal salad — Nancy Rose Eisman of Adventures with Nancy Rose.
- Barrel-Aged Sazerac — Jennifer Richmond of Kitchy Cooking.
And Happy December, everyone!
I’m not into candy.But I was perusing the chocolate section in my local Trader Joe’s and an item caught my eye: rainbow-colored chocolate-covered sunflower seed pieces. First reaction: Wierd! Second reaction: That’s so weird, it’s kinda cool! I reached for them. Perfect for a chocolate bark topping. As a rule, I stay away from anything with artificial colors. Then I looked at the ingredients and saw things like red beet powder, paprika and turmeric! Alright, very acceptable. Once a year, let’s go for it! If this isn’t available to you, and you’re willing to get a tiny bag of plain M&M’s, chop them up and call it a day.
If not, go the natural route and get the color from chopped apricots, pistachios, toasted coconut, slivered almonds. Important thing: have lots of fun with it.
Best way for me to melt chocolate is to roughly chop about half the chocolate.
Melt it for a minute, then another half a minute, and vigorously stir in the rest of the chopped chocolate. The whole batch melts up easily and gently. If not, microwave for another half-minute and stir thoroughly again. For more info on the technique behind melting chocolate and to check out more recipes for chocolate bark (both dark and white), click here. You’ll find, “Nuts for Bark”, that I posted during bb’s first year.
Did you know chocolate breaks into shard-like pieces? Fascinating stuff, this chocolate.
Ahhh, melted and smooth
We need to move very fast with melted chocolate. Once you spread it in the pan, it starts to re-set almost immediately.
Best defense: Have all your ingredients out and ready to sprinkle on once you spread the chocolate in the pan.
This will be a perfect addition to what I’m bringing to my Annual Food Bloggers LA Cookie Swap.
I’ll also be bringing my Blueberry Coconut Mini Cupcakes (click here for that post) as well as Vegan Gingersnaps (a terrific cookie that I’ll be posting very soon, thanks to the Cozy Vegan from Calgary, Canada).
RAINBOW CHOCOLATE BARK
Ingredients:
16 oz. best-quality bittersweet chocolate 1/2 c. golden raisins 1/2 c. white chocolate chips 1/3 c. Trader Joe’s Chocolate Sunflower Seed Drops (an alternative would be 1/4 c. roughly chopped plain M&M’s) 1/4 t. sea salt Other options: toasted coconut, tart dried cherries, sweet bing cherries, chopped dried apricots, slivered almonds, toasted pecans to total 1 1/4 c. to 1 1/2 c. of toppings. If the chocolate is spread thinner than 1/8″ thickness, use fewer toppings.Directions:
Cut up chocolate with sharp knife on cutting board. Place half the chocolate in glass bowl and microwave on high for 1 minute, stir and microwave for another 30 seconds. Stir again. If not fully melted, place in microwave for 30 more seconds (a total of 2 minutes). Throw remaining chocolate in bowl and stir until all chocolate is melted.
Pour warm melted chocolate onto the center of a parchment-lined (or aluminum foil-lined) large sheet pan. With a rubber spatula, ease chocolate from center to sides of pan to about 1/8″ thickness.
Be sure to chop any ingredients that need prepping ahead of time (i.e. dried apricots). Immediately sprinkle on prepared toppings, either in rows or all mixed up and evenly distributed.
Place pan in refrigerator until it sets, about 30-40 minutes. If time is of the essence, place in freezer for about 20 minutes. Break bark into pieces and share!
FBLAers set up.
One good-looking table.
I love FBLA
And here for your holiday gift from FBLA are links to all the recipes. Go to it and enjoy!
FBLA 2013 Cookie Exchange Recipes
- Chai Tea Cookies — Cathy Arkle of She Paused 4 Thought (She also got tired of rolling the dough and refashioned the rest into Baby Hedgehog cookies.)
- Butter Pecan Fudge — Dorothy Reinhold (me!) from Shockingly Delicious.
- Antioxidant Chocolate Bark — Erika Kerekes (our hostess) of In Erika’s Kitchen.
- Sweet Potato Marshmallow Bars with White Chocolate Chips — Jennifer Richmond of Kitchy Cooking.
- Chocolate Chip and Apricot Walnut Rugelach and Vegan Chocolate Mini Cupcakes (“Naughty & Nice Cookies”) — Dana of Foodie Goes Healthy
- Vintage Sponge Drops with Double Fudge Filling — Leslie Macchiarella of Bake This Cake.
- Sicilian Christmas cookies — Judy Lyness of Two Broads Abroad.
- Cranberry Orange Walnut Sugar Cookies — Patricia Rose of Fresh Food in a Flash.
- Brown Butter Praline Chocolate Chip Cookies — Valentina Wein of Cooking On The Weekends.
- Mini Chocolate Nut Sandwich Cookies — Kelly Page of Tasting Page.
- Rosemary Raisin Cocktail Shortbread — Sharon Graves of Cheesy Pennies.
- Saketini Christmas Balls, Chocolate Macarons with Japanese Wine Cream Centers, and Matcha Green Tea Cookies with Chocolate Centers & Espresso Cookies with Caramel Fillings — Kim Watkinson of Ninja Baking.
- Blueberry Coconut Mini Cupcakes, Rainbow Chocolate Bark, and Vegan Gingersnaps — Judy Weintraub of Bumbleberry Breeze.
- Chocolate-Dipped Apricots with Pistachios — Adair Seldon of Lentil Breakdown.
- Spumoni Shortbread — Nancy Rose Eisman of Adventures with Nancy Rose.
- Crispy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies and Cardamom Gingersnap Cookies — Alison Ashton of Nourish Network .
- Gluten-Free Pumpkin Oat Bars — Alanna Waldron of Eats Real Food.
- Red Velvet Gooey Butter Cookies — Tanaya Ghosh of Tanaya’s Table. (Tanaya’s Table, the blog, will launch in 2014.)
- Black and White Cookies — Tina Kil. (Her blog isn’t up yet, but watch for her contributions in the future!)
Non-Cookie Items
- Chiang Mai Chicken in Endive Spears — Cathy Arkle of She Paused 4 Thought.
- Seasonal salad — Nancy Rose Eisman of Adventures with Nancy Rose.
- Barrel-Aged Sazerac — Jennifer Richmond of Kitchy Cooking.
When it comes to Chanukah, families divide along interesting lines. You’ve heard of the Hatfields and the McCoys? Well, it’s not quite like that. But there is this business of the graters vs. the shredders when it comes to latke (potato pancake)- making. Could be that versus is too strong a word. But the two camps are definitely opinionated as to which produces a superior latke.
Karen and Yoni (my niece and her hubby/my nephew) have it figured out. She, from generations of graters and he, a staunch shredder. They both cook. Excellent. They’ve simply made a deal to take turns making his/her own version. Whoever doesn’t cook, eats the favorite of the other. Seems very democratic.
Enter the Little, yet mighty, Crispy Latke Bite. A highly bi-partisan little guy, this one turns out delicious whether he’s grated or shredded. I had a gathering last weekend where I served both. No one said anything and I had staunch members of both camps present. All the little bites were devoured in record time. Novio and I only managed to get our hands on one each. They are that good.
If you think just a bit of onion is needed for latkes, think again. I used a large onion to two large potatoes and it was just right. So up the onion ante, please, and you will be sure to delight.
If making a small batch, I like the results achieved with the humble box grater the best. What can I say – I’m old-fashioned. Plus, I try to always get help in this department. Otherwise, it would be a scene with my little fingers. If the batch is larger than a couple of potatoes, then, if you’ve got one, I suggest hauling out the old food processor and giving it a go. Chop onions first using the (default) knife blade and pulse on/off until onions are in tiny pieces.
Place onions in a large colander with a bowl underneath to catch excess liquid.
Take out and measure all ingredients and get ready to move fairly quickly. Once potatoes are grated, they can turn a darker color.
Have everything ready to go and move quickly to assemble the batter.
Many place the potatoes in a large bowl of cold water once they’re peeled. Be sure to minimize excess liquid by drying the potatoes well with paper towels before processing. I was trying to move quickly and skipped the soaking step, which I believe, not only helps keep potatoes white but removes some starch (which some people don’t like but others do – you know how people are). As you can see, there’s a bit of pink action happening here. Oops.
Grate in 2 to 3 batches, depending on how many potatoes you’re using. Place grated potatoes in colander with onions. Drain off extra liquid.
A little chopped parsley adds a note of brightness.
Grease nonstick mini muffin pans well with oil. I don’t have 2 non-stick 24-cup tins, so I just did it in two batches. No sweat. If you happen to own two (I’m impressed), then by all means.
A good dark nonstick pan is important; otherwise the muffins tend to stick. A dark baking pan browns better than a light one. Do you notice that? That’s why I do cakes that I don’t want to brown too quickly in lighter aluminum pans. When I want browning, darker is the way to go.The diameter of each muffin is about 2 inches – this creates a very pleasing size; just enough for two little bites.
Spoon batter into muffin pans. Fill each cavity to the top, and lightly smooth the batter flat. Optional- brush a little oil on the tops. If using regular-sized muffin pans, fill each cavity half full. For the larger version, increase cooking time by 4-5 minutes.
Bake the little ones for about 30 minutes. Latke Bites are ready when the outside of the bites are golden brown and crispy. Run a blunt knife around each one to help remove them from the pans. Place on large plate lined with paper towels. Serve warm with applesauce or sour cream. Or both.
Look ma! Baked, not fried! (but still has oil… Tradition!)
Wow , the options! This is a terrific idea for a passed appetizer or as a starter or an offering for a buffet. A mix of potato and sweet potato, or all sweet potato, or zucchini or zucchini-carrot-potato or parsnip potato or cauliflower-potato. I think there’s a call for another post (or three) on this topic,,,
Karen, Yoni, now there’s a third way coming along for you.
Enjoy, everyone.
CRISPY LATKE BITES
Ingredients:
4 large potatoes peeled (Russet or Idaho) 1 large yellow onion, cut into chunks 2 large eggs ¼ c. flour (or matzo meal or a gluten-free alternative) ½ t. salt ½ t. baking powder 1 T. Italian parsley, finely chopped Safflower, canola or grapeseed oil for greasing pan or use cooking spray 2-3 t. oil (see above for best oil choices) for drizzlingDirections:
Preheat oven to 400° F.
Grease nonstick mini muffin tins well. The diameter of each muffin tin should be about 2”. The dark non-stick tins help make these latke bites extra crisp.
Chop onions in food processor with basic knife (AKA “S” blade) by pulsing until finely chopped. Place in colander over a large bowl to catch excess liquid. Or, use box grater on the small (not tiny) grating side.
Place potatoes in food processor and process by pulsing until just grated . Or use box grater on either the grater or shredder side. Your choice.
Place potatoes in colander with onions. Squeeze out excess liquid.
Add eggs, flour, baking powder and salt. Sprinkle in chopped parsley. Quickly stir to blend.
Fill mini-muffin tins to the top, using a spoon. Lightly smooth batter flat. If using regular sized muffin tins, fill halfway.
Using a teaspoon, drizzle tops with oil.
Bake for 30 minutes, until tops are golden. Run a blunt knife around them and pop them out onto paper-towel lined plates.
Makes 48 latke bites.
Latke bites can be frozen in a Ziploc bag or plastic container (that’s another big plus for these bites!). No need to defrost; simply place in a 400° oven on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake until warm and crispy, about 10 minutes.
bb tip: Homemade applesauce is easy! Simply peel and cut a half-dozen apples into small chunks. Place in a large-enough saucepan with a tablespoon or two of water. Bring water to boil (that will be quick) and cook, partially covered, for about twenty minutes, until soft. Once cooled a bit, mash with potato masher to your favorite consistency – chunky or smooth. I like using Fuji apples and I go for chunky. A cinnamon stick or a few dashes cinnamon? If you like! (I love cinnamon, but I’m a purist with latkes – so apples only please).
Hurray for Latke Bites!
Happy Chanukah!
And for a special treat, check out Chanukah Blessings, one of my favorite contemporary Chanukah songs by Barenaked Ladies…
click here to listen and enjoy.
I developed this recipe while I was doing exercises in the pool. It’s a very cool pool. What I mean by that is it’s warm. It’s heated just right. And kept clean with a salt solution, not chlorine. There are physical therapists working with people, occasional classes and people doing their own program. Like me.
Yes, I tend to talk food while in the pool. Big surprise, huh? So, I’m talking to one of the physical therapists there (who’s Italian) who knows about ricotta. She agreed that Italian cheesecakes are lighter and less sweet than your standard doorstop-style American cheesecakes. God bless America & New York but I have to pass on NY Cheesecake. More than a bite weighs me down. And I don’t want to be weighed down. And I don’t want to weigh others down.
I have a gathering coming up and December is also my Novio’s birthday month. He loves cheesecake. I’m thinking pumpkin. I’m thinking lowfat Ricotta. I’m thinking Neufchatel, which is a lower fat block-style cream cheese that I use when any dish calls for a block of cream cheese (cheesecakes, rugelach, some kugels).
Warm spices for the pumpkin. Maybe a bit of freshly grated nutmeg too.
Stir pumpkin mix into cheese mixture.
Graham crackers have long held a soft spot in my heart. With peanut or almond butter. With PB&J. With Nutella. Plain. Broken up over ice cream. As the base for all kinds of desserts. And instead of using the Cuisinart to finely process the crackers into crumbs, I’m going to pull something way lighter out from the cabinet. My French rolling pin. So smooth and lovely to use. Just throw broken up graham crackers into a Ziploc plastic bag, seal, and crush them up. You’ll have crumbs in no time.
Some people use confectioner’s sugar to add to the crumbs. Others use regular or superfine sugar. I tried it different ways and only use a small amount, so type of sugar didn’t seem to make much of a difference.
This is what the crust looks like with just graham crackers.
Then my mind drifts over to pecans. I love pecans but won’t deal with pecan pies. Ain’t my style. I’ll add some finely chopped pecans to the graham crackers to enrich the crust.
This is what the crust looks like when you add finely chopped pecans.
Clearly, I made more than one batch–a terrible hardship for me, Novio and friends.
Pour cheesecake batter onto pre-baked crust.
And I’ll bypass a sour cream topping (get it? bypass? sour cream? never mind…) and top the cheesecake with roughly chopped pecans.
You can simply use pecan halves. One per bar, please.
Or scatter some roughly chopped pecans all over the top. No need to toast the pecans first. They’ll toast during the baking process.
Water helps my creative juices flow, whether I’m in the pool or in the shower. Inspiration tends to bubble up during those times. And while driving in the car… when I leave space for an AHA moment, it might even come! And come it did. Between the water and the car, a luscious, potentially rich dessert was seriously lightened by using a mix of ingredients that didn’t sacrifice flavor one iota. In creating bars rather than offering wedges, you can serve up a bit of heaven, without sending people there prematurely.
PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE BARS
Ingredients:
CRUST 10 squares graham crackers (150 g.) , crushed 1/4 c. (50 g.) pecan pieces, finely chopped 2 T. Baker’s ultrafine sugar 3 T. unsalted butter, melted and cooled 2 T. lowfat (1% or 2%) milk FILLING 8 oz. lowfat (Neufchatel) cream cheese, at room temperature 1/2 c. Baker’s ultrafine sugar 1 15 oz. (2 c.) container lowfat (part-skim) Ricotta cheese 3 eggs 1 15 oz. can organic pumpkin 1 t. cinnamon 1/2 t. ground ginger 1/2 t. allspice 1/8 t. cloves a few grates of fresh nutmeg or 1/8 t. nutmeg 1 T. flour 2 T. maple syrup TOPPING: 1/2 c. pecans, coarsely chopped or 28 pecan halvesDirections:
Pre-heat oven to 350°F.
Break up graham crackers, place in Ziploc bag, seal, and crush with rolling pin to a fine crumb. Alternately, you can use the Cuisinart fitted with a metal blade and process crackers until fine. Chop or process pecans finely (don’t over-process; you’ll end up with paste). Place crumbs and nuts in bowl. Add sugar and melted butter. Add milk one spoon at a time and stir until completely moistened. You want the mixture to clump together when pressed between your fingers.
Transfer the graham cracker mixture to a lightly greased 9×13-inch pan and evenly pat into the bottom and a little up the sides. Bake for 10 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for 20 minutes.
Beat cream cheese and 1/2 cup sugar in a stand mixer or a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until creamy (about 3 minutes), scraping down the sides occasionally. Add ricotta and beat until smooth. Beat in eggs one at a time, scraping sides down after each addition. Add vanilla.
In a separate bowl, mix pumpkin with salt, flour, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, cloves and either freshly grated nutmeg or ground nutmeg. Add maple syrup and mix to combine. Blend into cheese mixture in large bowl.
Scrape the filling into the pan, spreading evenly over the crust. Top with pecan halves, arranging so that you will have one in the center of each bar. Or, sprinkle roughly chopped nuts over the top. I think I like the latter method better – you can enjoy the pecan-pumpkin-cheese flavors together in every bite.
Bake until barely set in the middle and the edges are light brown, about 35-40 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack, then refrigerate for at least 1 hour before cutting into bars.
If not eaten that day, you can refrigerate for up to 2 days. Works well frozen too so you can prepare in advance; always a good thing. After cooling the bars, cut into squares and place in one layer in shallow plastic containers. Defrost in fridge, from a few hours before to the night before serving.
Makes 28 bars.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Blue, blue my world is blue. Blue is my world, my world without you.
Blueberry fields forever.
I can tell you this. I go to the Farmer’s Market. I buy local. I buy seasonal. But, as in life, there are always exceptions that fall, or in this case, roll outside the norm. We’re talking blueberries, little bundles of Blu-Joy. I eat them pretty much year-round.
I start my day with them. On cereal. On cottage cheese. In plain yogurt with a bit of maple syrup or honey and homemade granola.
And I also like to play around with blueberries. In baked French Toast. In muffins, coffee cakes, crisps, crostatas and gallettes. And cupcakes. Do you know I like cupcakes? I do.
Cupcakes sometimes get a bad rap.
Which brings me to my brother-in-law, Bill. He’s got an issue with cupcakes. He doesn’t like them… What, you say? How can anyone NOT like cupcakes? But you know what? He’s got a point. Often, the cupcake has to be sturdy enough to balance a whole lot of frosting on its head. And all the tweaking that needs to be done to achieve that sturdy texture can’t help but sometimes sacrifice natural flavor and lightness. If you have little ones in your life (or big ones) (or maybe you yourself have done this), then you’re aware of the phenomenon of cupcakes tossed aside with much of the frosting eaten off the top. Most of the poor cupcake is still stuck to the paper.
I’m into mini-cupcakes. And I’m also into the flavorings coming from the cupcake itself.
Yes, some may disagree with my not being so into frosting. That’s cool. I don’t like kids grabbing at cupcakes and inhaling the frosting and tossing 7/8ths of the cupcake aside. A cupcake is not a vehicle that conveys frosting to the mouth. A cupcake is not a plate. A plate is a plate. Allow me to share another way. Let’s just throw a little toasted coconut on top and call it a day. We can agree to disagree.
This will turn things around for you. A cupcake where the cake itself is the thing.
And when I say coconut, I mean serious coconut- this isn’t coconut or even double coconut- we’re talking a 1-2-3-4 punch of coconut.
Flaked (shredded) coconut for toasting, finely shredded coconut mixed throughout the batter, coconut oil as the added fat, and coconut milk (light coconut milk has filtered water added to reduce the total fat content), replacing a dairy alternative (yogurt or milk).
Man, we packed these little babies full of coconut flavor. Add to that, a bunch of fresh blueberries stirred into the batter in the final mix of ingredients and you wind up with a thing of joy… a burst of fresh blueberry and coconut.
It yields a cupcake with a very light crumb- so light that I would recommend sitting down with a napkin or little plate holding the cupcake. I’d even consider a little fork.
For your next celebration, instead of a three-layer cake, consider cupcakes or better yet, make mini cupcakes which are about one-third the size. And bypass the whole artery-clogging frosting route altogether. Top with a bit of toasted coconut, toasted nuts, seeds or a little bit of streusel topping.
I used only part of the 13 ½ ounce can of light coconut milk. Once the cupcakes were in the oven, I wanted to see about how much was left and figure out what to do with it. My friend Glenda suggested cooking rice on it. In the moment that I was reaching across the counter for it, I realized it was further away from me than I thought. I saw what was going to happen in the millisecond before. That ever happen to you? Not so bad, my pants, top, sandals, toes got a dose of coconut milk. That’s alright. Coconut is very moisturizing for the skin and I’m sure it is for fabric too (not to mention the wood floor it puddled on). P.S. Had enough left to cook some quinoa with it – had run out of rice.
BLUEBERRY COCONUT MINI CUPCAKES
Ingredients:
3/4 c. shredded unsweetened coconut1 c. all-purpose flour
3/4 c. whole wheat flour plus 1 T. flour
1 1/2 t. baking powder 1/2 t. salt
1/2 c. Baker’s superfine sugar
2 eggs, at room temperature ½ c. virgin coconut oil ¼ c. finely shredded unsweetened coconut
2 t. vanilla extract 3/4 c. light coconut milk 1 c. fresh blueberries, rinsed and gently patted dry
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Toast the large shredded coconut in a medium baking pan. Be sure they are spread out in the pan for even baking. Bake for 3 minutes, until just golden. They will have time to toast more once they’re on the cupcakes. Set aside.
Increase oven temperature to 375°F.
Either grease two 24-cup muffin tins or line them with papers.
In a small bowl, toss blueberries with 1 tablespoon flour.
In a small saucepan, warm the coconut oil until it melts. It should still be on the cool side. Or barely heat the 1/2 cup of oil for a few seconds in the microwave. Another alternative is to place the closed jar of coconut oil in a bowl of very warm water (it won’t effect the rest of the oil in the jar).
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl, stand mixer is best, beat the eggs, sugar, coconut oil and vanilla. Stir in the 1/4 cup of finely shredded coconut. Mix half the flour mixture into the wet ingredients. Mix in the coconut milk. Mix the rest of the flour mixture into the batter until just combined. Fold in the blueberries.
Divide batter among prepared muffin cups then sprinkle the tops with toasted coconut.
Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out batter-free, about 15-16 minutes. Transfer muffins to a rack and let cool.
Yield: 48 mini cupcakes
Note: If you are doing regular-sized cupcakes, bake for 18-20 minutes. You should get about 16 cupcakes.
Best eaten that day or the next day. These cupcakes freeze well.
Billy, prepare to be enlightened.
Blueberry production is on the rise. Looks like people are eating a whole lot more blueberries these days. I learned this on my blueberry field trip, courtesy of the Blueberry Council.
These little cupcakes looked so pretty on a table with all manner of sweets at the Food Bloggers LA Cookie Party.
FBLA Cookie and Sweets Love
And here is my gift to you. The complete list of all the links to the fabulous cookies we enjoyed at the FBLA Cookie Party:
FBLA 2013 Cookie Exchange Recipes
- Chai Tea Cookies — Cathy Arkle of She Paused 4 Thought (She also got tired of rolling the dough and refashioned the rest into Baby Hedgehog cookies.)
- Butter Pecan Fudge — Dorothy Reinhold (me!) from Shockingly Delicious.
- Antioxidant Chocolate Bark — Erika Kerekes (our hostess) of In Erika’s Kitchen.
- Sweet Potato Marshmallow Bars with White Chocolate Chips — Jennifer Richmond of Kitchy Cooking.
- Chocolate Chip and Apricot Walnut Rugelach and Vegan Chocolate Mini Cupcakes (“Naughty & Nice Cookies”) — Dana of Foodie Goes Healthy
- Vintage Sponge Drops with Double Fudge Filling — Leslie Macchiarella of Bake This Cake.
- Sicilian Christmas cookies — Judy Lyness of Two Broads Abroad.
- Cranberry Orange Walnut Sugar Cookies — Patricia Rose of Fresh Food in a Flash.
- Brown Butter Praline Chocolate Chip Cookies — Valentina Wein of Cooking On The Weekends.
- Mini Chocolate Nut Sandwich Cookies — Kelly Page of Tasting Page.
- Rosemary Raisin Cocktail Shortbread — Sharon Graves of Cheesy Pennies.
- Saketini Christmas Balls, Chocolate Macarons with Japanese Wine Cream Centers, and Matcha Green Tea Cookies with Chocolate Centers & Espresso Cookies with Caramel Fillings — Kim Watkinson of Ninja Baking.
- Blueberry Coconut Mini Cupcakes, Rainbow Chocolate Bark, and Vegan Gingersnaps — Judy Weintraub of Bumbleberry Breeze.
- Chocolate-Dipped Apricots with Pistachios — Adair Seldon of Lentil Breakdown.
- Spumoni Shortbread — Nancy Rose Eisman of Adventures with Nancy Rose.
- Crispy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies and Cardamom Gingersnap Cookies — Alison Ashton of Nourish Network .
- Gluten-Free Pumpkin Oat Bars — Alanna Waldron of Eats Real Food.
- Red Velvet Gooey Butter Cookies — Tanaya Ghosh of Tanaya’s Table. (Tanaya’s Table, the blog, will launch in 2014.)
- Black and White Cookies — Tina Kil. (Her blog isn’t up yet, but watch for her contributions in the future!)
Non-Cookie Items
- Chiang Mai Chicken in Endive Spears — Cathy Arkle of She Paused 4 Thought.
- Seasonal salad — Nancy Rose Eisman of Adventures with Nancy Rose.
- Barrel-Aged Sazerac — Jennifer Richmond of Kitchy Cooking.
There’s a lot of carrying-on (in a good way) that Thanksgiving and Chanukah overlap this year. There’s even a coined term being tossed all over the Internet regarding it that I won’t repeat because I don’t like the way it sounds. So I’m not going to say it and you can’t make me.
But the interplay of the two festivals made me think about all things orange and traditional foods used for Jewish Shabbat dinners and festivals. Tzimmes is a common side dish that is prepared a gazillion ways with carrots and sweetness always included. There might be honey or sugar or raisins or prunes or some other type of dried fruit. Tori, AKA The Shiksa in the Kitchen, offers a good recipe for tzimmes . Check it out on her food blog.
Carrot coins are lovely. The circles look great on a plate. Why not pair them with a similarly-colored veggie. Aha! Thanksgiving! Yams! Of course!
Thought I would give them a Moroccan influence. Ever since Novio and I returned from Israel, I’m even fonder of incorporating Middle Eastern flavors. Cinnamon and cumin added to a bit of brown sugar creates a wonderful and warm boost to the vegetables.
Reducing the cooking liquid by half intensifies the flavors. It’s a like a booster shot. Between the seasonings and the liquid reduction, your veggies will be happening!
Morrocan Carrots & Yams
Ingredients:
1 lb. carrots (or about 10 medium), peeled and cut 1/2 inch rounds 2 medium yams, peeled and cut into bite-size chunks 1 1/2 c. water 1 T. canola or grapeseed oil 1 T. light brown sugar 1/2 t. cinnamon 1/4 t. cumin salt & pepperDirections:
Combine carrots, yams, water and salt & pepper in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer, partially covered, for about 10 minutes.
Add sugar, cinnamon, cumin and oil and cook uncovered, for 10 more minutes, or until soft. This is most definitely not one of those crisp-tender dishes.
Remove carrots and yams with slotted spoon to serving dish. Cook remaining liquid until reduced by half. Pour over carrots and toss gently.
Serve hot or at room temperature. Serves 4-6.
Recipe can easily be multiplied. Do yourself a favor. Get help with all the peeling if you need it.
Happy Chanukah!
Happy Thanksgiving!
bumbleberry breeze 