Sunday, March 24, 2013

Zaide's Special Chrayn


One year ago, on Vav Sivan, my world turned upside down.  While cleaning for Pesach, my seemingly healthy and vibrant father, Tuvia Ben Nachum – Dr. Theodore Saltzberg (z”l) suddenly passed away.  It was incomprehensible to us.  My father was a visionary and energetic leader of our family and community. It wasn’t possible that he was gone.

Here I am, one year later reflecting on the time that has passed.  It has been a difficult year.  My father did so much, it’s incredible how much he accomplished.  His shoes were so big, and he is missed so much – not just by me and my family but the entire community.  It’s not uncommon for someone to come up to me, even a year later, and tell me how much they miss my Dad.  

With Pesach right around the corner his presence is even more strongly missed.  My father was world renown for his killer chrayn (horseradish).  It was so hot that once the kids dared one of my sons to take a big sniff of the chrayn.  He did, turned red, and literally couldn’t breathe for a minute or two!  Wanting to be completely prepared to make his famous chrayn, six weeks before Pesach Dad would put up his russel, beets to ferment for the fermented beet juice he would add to the ground horseradish. The engineer in him came up with the process improvement to use a “Sun Tea” pitcher with a spigot on the bottom so he didn’t have to remember to foam off the moldy part on the top of the beets.  Then he would be on a mission to find the dirtiest horseradish roots he could possibly find.  He always said that the dirtier ones were the strongest.  When he found them he would call up with such excitement “I found the best dirty horseradish today!”  If he found it too far in advance to have the horseradish roots be fresh, he would fill a vase with water and stick the bottom of the horseradish in it.  Eventually it would grow roots and a green top which we would use at the seder.  My father was an early riser, and every time I wanted to help him prepare the chrayn (otherwise how would I learn?), he told me he had already gotten up at 4 AM and finished it!  My father never put off doing a mitzvah, especially one that gave him so much joy – we really enjoyed that  super hot chrayn on Pesach!   Last year while we were sitting shiva, my husband found the russel and horseradish that my father had prepared for Pesach. One of the hardest things I have ever done was finishing the chrayn that my father had started last year.  I couldn’t conceive of letting the mitzvah that my father had started remain uncompleted. Baruch Hashem my mother (KIH) helped with the recipe (it had been her mothers original recipe).    During Chol Hamoed I pulled out the blender, and with the support of my dear husband and kids we finished what my father had started with tears rolling down all our faces the entire time.  We savored every bite of that horseradish last year – it was my father’s legacy and tradition passed down to us.

This year I went out and bought my own “Sun Tea” pitcher and put up russel before Purim.  I too went in search of “dirty” horseradish and ended up with nine roots – I kept finding ones that were dirtier than the ones I had already bought!  I bought a few glass vases at the dollar store and lined up the horseradish roots just like Dad did. This past week I once again pulled out my blender, my gorgeous russel, and my son’s safety goggles, and proceeded to make Zaide’s Chrayn.  Let me tell you, nine horseradish roots make a lot of chrayn!!!  Wanting to give hakoras hatov to some of our very special friends who have been incredibly kind, supportive, and loving this past year, I bought some Mason canning jars to fill with some of the chrayn that I was making to give as Pesach gifts to these special friends.   In the end I had nineteen jars!!!  Dear Husband and Dear Niece (who is vising from NY – HOORAY!) helped to add a finishing touch of some special labels and Zaide’s Special Chrayn was complete. The labels even had a “Caution HOT” emblem on them – no one can say they weren’t warned.


I have written in past articles about the impact that my father had on my cooking style.  “My Dad is the “by the book” cook and baker in the family.  He will follow a recipe exactly and the engineer in him always comes through in the “whys and how’s” when he is in the kitchen.”  I really miss his guidance in the kitchen and out.  There is a hole in my heart, and I am so sad that he’s not here physically with me now.  I know that this Pesach will be especially hard without him here, but I also know that we will try to continue to teach our children about his legacy and all that he stood for. He will always be here with us in spirit, and in the traditions he taught us.

Have a Chag Kasher V’sameach!!

For more of my Pesach articles check out:
  1. Passover Meat Thing
  2. Sharon Matten’s Famous Matzoh Ball Recipe
  3. Nutty Passover Recipes on aish.com 2013 (because I’m such a nut!)
  4. Mainly Meringues on aish.com 2012
Starting early...February 10th...
Cut up beets in my pitcher
 Add the water...and wait...
 Two days later...
Check out the foam on top!
 This foam is so gorgeous it needed a close-up!
March 18th...
The horseradishes are waiting...
 The beets are fermenting!
March 21st...
It is time.
Beets are done.
Amazingly dirty horseradish!!
Dad would have loved these!!
 Peeled, cut up, and into the blender...
 Prettiest Russel I've ever seen!
 I kind of made a mess...
 Yes...it took me a while to clean up...
All 19 jars!!
 But it was all worth it in the end!!
 Ready to go...
 We love our friends and
want to give you hakoras hatov for
all your love and support!!



Kosher Everyday is dedicated to the memory of my father
Dr. Theodore Saltzberg - Tuvia Ben Nachum Z”L
May his memory be for a blessing - Yihi zichro baruch.

Look for additional information about Edible Experience Kosher Everyday at www.koshereveryday.com,
aish.com, Mishpacha Magazine’s Kosher Inspired Magazine,
The Chicago Tribune Syndication,
 or on Facebook at Edible Experience by Sharon Matten.

These recipes are for sole, personal use of visitors to Sharon Matten -Edible Experience Kosher Everyday. Edible Experience Kosher Everyday recipes are for your enjoyment but are not to be posted or reprinted without express permission from Sharon Matten. Thank you!!


Sunday, March 10, 2013

Cajun Carrot Fries & a review of The No-Potato Passover Cookbook


It’s wonderful to open a brand-spankin’ new cookbook and be greeted by an explosion of color!  The “No-Potato Passover Cookbook” by Aviva Kanoff takes the “no potato” concept to a whole new level.  Not only are there no potatoes in this book, but there isn’t even potato color!   It makes the “No-Potato Passover Cookbook” inviting and appealing!  Each recipe is accompanied with a gorgeous full color photo.  Some of the recipes even have beautiful regional photos associated with them.  Aviva is a visual artist – “I am drawn to vibrant colors, so you will find many colorful recipes in this book....Generally, the more naturally colorful the food, the more nutrients and vitamins it contains.”  With this book Aviva wants to “change the way we think about Passover food, and to put an end to the cooking rut”.  This book is packed with colorful salads, soups, sides and more.  I especially loved the recipes for Mushroom Spinach Quinoa (we love mushrooms!), Rosemary Butternut Squash, Strawberry Glazed Chicken, Lavender Mint Roasted Chicken, Country Rustic Apple Pie, and Blueberry Crumble, just to name a few. 
Watch out...these are yummy with
an added kick!!  Make sure you have
enough - they go fast!!!

I decided to try the Cajun Carrot Fries for this review, and bought a 5 pound bag of large carrots (these fries looked really good)!  The recipe was simple and it gave me an opportunity to use my cool Jumbo Potato Cutter tool, which I only get to use when making fries. After peeling all five pounds of carrots (which turned out to only double the recipe) and trimming the edges, I cut the carrots into thirds (or halves if they were smaller) and used my cutter tool to make perfectly shaped Carrot Fries.  I followed the directions and into the oven the Cajun Carrot Fries went.  SO exciting!  After the allotted time, I pulled the fries out, but they still weren’t crispy so I put them in for a while longer.  In the end, they ended up a little crispy, but never ended up “French-fry crispy”, which was fine – they were still awesomely delicious and super spicy!!  I suppose if I really wanted them to be super crispy I could have actually fried them, but then I wouldn’t have been able to eat (nearly all of) them guilt free. 

The Jumbo Potato Cutter

It occurred to me that you could really make this recipe with other vegetables with a similar result – parsnips, turnips, or sweet potatoes for example.  I’m looking forward to trying out some of the other No-Potato Passover Cookbook recipes for Pesach…now I just have to get the kitchen and house ready! 

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!

For more information about The No-Potato Cookbook go to http://nopotatopassover.com/.

Cajun Carrot Fries
8-10 large carrots, peeled and cut into thin slices, like “fries”
1 tablespoon olive oil
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Salt and black pepper to taste

Preheat your oven to 450° F.
Grease and/or line a large cookie sheet.
Toss the sliced carrots with olive oil, cayenne pepper, salt and black pepper.
Arrange the fries in a single layer on your baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes, then flip the fries over and bake for another 10-15 minutes, until crisp.  Serve warm.
You'd think 5 pounds of carrots would be more....
wouldn't you???
 The rest of the ingredients...
(not including salt and pepper)
 Check out the cool Jumbo Potato Cutter Tool!!!
Awesome carrot fries...right??!!
Super fast...five pounds of carrot fries...
CAN'T WAIT!!!
 Toss with the oil and seasonings....
 Too many fries for one tray!
Tray #1
 Tray #2
 Out of the oven and toss...
 GOING TO EAT THEM RIGHT NOW!!!
 (Ok, so I waited to eat them until after I took the picture)
SUPER delicious!!
KOSHER FOR PASSOVER!!!
DISCLAIMER: No potatoes were harmed in the
preparation of this recipe.
(and they're good for you too!!!)


Kosher Everyday is dedicated to the memory of my father
Dr. Theodore Saltzberg - Tuvia Ben Nachum Z”L
May his memory be for a blessing - Yihi zichro baruch.

Look for additional information about Edible Experience Kosher Everyday at www.koshereveryday.com,
aish.com, Mishpacha Magazine’s Kosher Inspired Magazine,
The Chicago Tribune Syndication,
 or on Facebook at Edible Experience by Sharon Matten.

These recipes are for sole, personal use of visitors to Sharon Matten -Edible Experience Kosher Everyday. Edible Experience Kosher Everyday recipes are for your enjoyment but are not to be posted or reprinted without express permission from Sharon Matten. Thank you!!

Sunday, March 3, 2013

Brisket Egg Rolls & A review of Passover Made Easy


GET THIS BOOK!!
I am a huge fan of cookkosher.com and Leah Schapira!  I loved Leah’s recent cookbook Fresh & Easy, which received rave reviews (especially from me!).  Leah is fun, vivacious, friendly, and great to know – and her recipes are fabulous.  I was incredibly psyched when I saw that she had come out with a new Passover cookbook with Victoria Dwek – Passover Made Easy.  I eagerly sat down with my handy-dandy multi-colored sticker tabs, and began to read.  I LOVE THIS BOOK!  Recipes aside (we’ll get to those in a minute) this cookbook is fun to read!  The “cartoon” like info bites – “tidbits” are very informative and easy to read.  Each section and recipe is supplemented with “dialog-bubble” stories and incredibly useful tips and recipe variations.    Did you know that “The largest Seder in the world is celebrated in Katmandu, Nepal whose 1,800 participants collectively consume 1,100 lbs of matzah?”  Thanks to Leah and Victoria, now you do!   There’s also a great tutorial on wine pairings and suggestions. Many of the recipes come with additional sauce recipes and suggestions which make the dishes go from awesome to super-awesome!  My only problem with this book was that using my handy-dandy, multi-colored sticker tabs ended up being a waste of time…it’s not so helpful if every page has a sticker tab on it – is it?

It was tough to decide which recipe to try from the book for this review.  I was tempted by the Crispy Crackers, Butternut Squash Salad, Seder Night Chicken, Shnitzel Nuggets (with apricot dipping sauce), Onion Rings, Cauliflower Gratin (pareve!), and Frozen Lemon Wafer Cake.  I finally settled on the Brisket Egg Rolls, which required making the versatile Basic Passover Crepes.      It was a good thing I doubled the recipe because my family went crazy for these egg rolls.  They were delicious!  The recipe calls for Brisket, but I ended up using a chuck steak - which I chopped instead of shredding, with great results.  I also wound up egging the edge of the egg rolls before sealing them after a few from the first batch sort of exploded.  No worries - even though they weren't as pretty as the others they were still inhaled like the rest of them.  The Basic Passover Crepes were easy to make, and I stacked them between pieces of waxed deli paper as I made them.  According to Leah, the crepes can be made in advance and frozen until ready to use.  Considering the many suggestions that Leah and Victoria have for them it’s a good thing they can be made in advance.  I can easily see them becoming a staple in my Pesach preparations. 

Awesome Brisket Eggrolls!!
What struck me as I was going through the Passover Made Easy cookbook was that it could easily be named “Gluten-Free” Made Easy.  With the exception of a few “Gebrokts” recipes in the book, most of the recipes are terrific for the GFE (Gluten Free Eater) year round.  I know that I’ll be keeping this book close by not only during Pesach but year round for healthy, easy to make recipes.  Thanks Leah and Victoria – nice job!!



For more information about Passover Made Easy go to artscoll.com or cookkosher.com.

Basic Passover Crepe
12 large eggs
¾ cup potato starch
1 cup water
1 teaspoon salt

In a blender (or using an immersion blender), beat eggs.  Add potato starch, water, and salt.  Blend until smooth.

Lightly grease a crepe pan or skillet.  Heat over medium-high heat.  Add 3-4 tablespoons batter and swirl the pan to coat the bottom with a thin layer.  Let cook until crepe is firm and edges appear golden, about 1 minute.  Flip crepe, using a slotted spatula.  Cook for 15 seconds and flip over onto plate.  Repat with remaining batter, re-greasing pan as necessary.  Stack crepes as they are completed.

Brisket Eggrolls
These awesome eggrolls can be paired with your own Passover teriyaki sauce on p. 23
½ pound brisket ( 2 ½ cups cooked shredded meat)
Salt, to taste
Coarse black pepper to taste
¼ cup oil, divided, plus more for frying
1 medium onion, diced
1 medium red onion, diced
1 ½ tablespoons sugar
1 ½ tablespoons lemon juice
¼ teaspoon salt
Pinch coarse black pepper
3 tablespoons orange juice
10 (6-inch) Basic Passover Crepes (see above)

You may skip the first step if you are using leftover meat.  Season brisket with salt and pepper.  Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Sear brisket for 3 minutes on each side.  Lower heat, cover, and cook brisket for 1-1 ½ hours, checking periodically.  If meat seems to be burning, lower heat further.

Shred meat.  Set aside.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a sauté pan over medium heat.  Add onions and sauté 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add sugar, lemon juice, salt, and black pepper.  Sauté 5 additional minutes.  Stir in orange juice; taste to adjust seasoning.  Remove from heat and stir in shredded meat.

Place 2 tablespoons onion-meat filling towards the bottom-center of each crepe.  Roll, egroll-style: fold up bottom to cover filing.  Fold in sides, then roll-upward to close.

Heat 1 inch oil in a sauté pan over medium-high heat.  When hot (eggrolls should sizzle when slipped into the pan), fry eggrolls until golden, about 3-4 minutes per side.

For the Basic Passover Crepes
 A dozen eggs in the bowl...
 Blended with the immersion blender...
 Add the starch and other ingredients
then blend again!
4 tablespoons = 1/4 cup...
Batter into the pan!
 Crepe!
 The first one was a little bunchy but the
rest came out great!!
Now for the meat...
Check out this gorgeous chuck steak!
Coarse black pepper...searing on one side...
Flipped...
Cover and cook until soft...
 An episode of "Chopped"...
 All the onions finely chopped with the
Hindy Chopper...
 Saute' with some oil...
Add the juice and other ingredients...mmmmm....
 Add the meat... 
 Now stuff the crepe's...
 Rock & Roll
(don't forget to egg the edge so they don't explode)
 So pretty I almost want to weep...
 A squadron of egg rolls...
 Into the hot oil...
 AHHHHHH!!! They're exploding...
Note to self: Next batch - egg to seal.
 Second batch - perfect!
 Love!!
\


Kosher Everyday is dedicated to the memory of my father
Dr. Theodore Saltzberg - Tuvia Ben Nachum Z”L
May his memory be for a blessing - Yihi zichro baruch.

Look for additional information about Edible Experience Kosher Everyday at www.koshereveryday.com,
aish.com, Mishpacha Magazine’s Kosher Inspired Magazine,
The Chicago Tribune Syndication,
 or on Facebook at Edible Experience by Sharon Matten.

These recipes are for sole, personal use of visitors to Sharon Matten -Edible Experience Kosher Everyday. Edible Experience Kosher Everyday recipes are for your enjoyment but are not to be posted or reprinted without express permission from Sharon Matten. Thank you!!