♦ ◊ Rosh Hashana Special

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Dear readers,

Mother and daughter reunited in the kitchen to prep for Rosh Hashana meals.

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Together, we prepared beautiful food for our intergenerational family and friends ranging from the classics (chicken soup and matzoh balls, Kasha with Mushrooms and Onions, noodle kugel and brisket) to the new (lemon scented quinoa with pesto and kale and sweet new year ladoo). We tried to design most of our menu to apply to The Cleanse so that we’d have some leftovers for Esrei Yamim.

This is how my ___ turns out better than yours…

We threw around the above sentence freely throughout our work together in the kitchen, teaching one another new lessons. Our cooking styles are different (fo sho) but it worked.

The major consensus: no matter how much counter space you have, it’s never enough.

3 things daughter learned:

1. When roasting veggies in the oven, heat olive oil on the cookie sheet before placing the veggies on them. The hot oil will scorch the skins of the veggies adding an extra crunch. And you need a really hot oven to get good roasted veggies. With convection, the heat gets blown evenly throughout the oven with a fan, typically from the back, for more even and quick distribution of heat. If you have a convection-bake setting, you have the convection component as well as the normal heat coming from the bottom of the oven, which crisps the veggies with high heat.

2. I learned that the shapes I cut vegetables in makes a difference. Usually, I just cut vegetables into lopsided chunks or whatever’s easiest… that’s why they come out ugly.  Cutting veggies with sharp edges allows them to crisp better on the outside… and consistent sizes are important for timing.

3. You can wash sneakers in a washing machine and dry them in a dryer and they’ll come out like new… what?

3 things mother learned:

1. Turn off the overhead lights to minimize glare when photographing.  And white balance is important – when pictures are taken indoors, the colors in the artificial lights are captured, rendering the natural colors of what is photographed. The things that are actually white should look white in the photograph… not yellow or blue. This is best achieved when photographing in natural light or using flash. Take away: photographs should be taken outdoors or near a window with plenty of natural light.

2. I learned to be a little more experimental in mixing sweet and savory herbs.. like cinnamon and parsley. And sea salt! I learned about celtic sea salt, and that all the salts really do taste different.

3. If you let dried fruits and nuts run long enough in a food processor, eventually it will become a paste – the oil in the nuts will bind it together. And nuts have loads of oil, so be careful!

Kasha with Mushrooms and Onions

  • Kasha (whole buckwheat groats)
  • olive oil
  • mushrooms
  • onion
  • garlic
  • salt
  • pepper

This is an all time Jewish favorite!

First toast kasha on stove. Then, cook in water and salt according to instructions on box.

Meanwhile, cook onions in oil over low heat until deep brown – this will take a long time. Add garlic and mushrooms and cook til browned and tender. Stir into kasha. Add salt and lots and lots of pepper.

If you get bored of eating it like this, stuff the leftovers into pepper, add tomato and bake in the oven!

Kasha is also great as a garnish to any salad or veggie. Just toast the kasha and throw it on any dish for extra crunch!

Lemon Scented Quinoa with Pesto and Kale
Inspired this 101cookbooks.com recipe

  • 1tbs  extra-virgin olive oil
  • sea salt
  • 3 shallots diced
  • 3 cups cooked quinoa (here I used a combo of red, black and regular quinoa)
  • 1 cup corn, fresh or frozen
  • 2 cups kale, chopped and massaged with lemon and salt
  • 1/3 cup basil pesto
  • 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds, toasted
  • Juice and zest of 1 1/2 lemon
  • 1 cup roasted cherry tomatoes
  • 1/2 cup currents
  • 1/2 cup shopped scallions for garnish

Roasted tomatoes

Lay 1 pint of cherry tomatoes (seasoned with salt and pepper) flat on pan and roast in 350 degrees until shriveled and brown on the outside. This may take up to 1.5 hours.

In the meantime, cook the quinoa according to the box (I like to toast the quinoa in a pan before cooking – it brings out a nuttier flavor and always makes the quinoa more fluffy and chewy rather than mushy).

Heat 1 tbs of olive oil in pan. Add diced shallots and cook until brown. Add corn, salt and pepper and cook for 10 minutes. Add currants last, leaving them in heat for 2 minutes – just enough to plump them.

Remove corn, shallots and currents from stove and stir in pesto.

In a separate bowl, add chopped kale, sea salt, lemon juice and lemon zest. “Massage” this marinade into the kale, gently rubbing the leaves until they become bright green and tender. This should only take 5 minutes.

When above components are complete, mix together. Add pumpkin seeds and chopped right before serving so that they stay crunchy.  The best part of this dish is the variety of texture – chewy quinoa, gummy roasted tomatoes, and crunchy pumpkin seeds. And look at all the beautiful colors!!

Honey Cake

  • 3 C unbleached baking flour
  • 1 TBLSP cinnamon
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp ground cloves
  • 1/2 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/4 tsp

Mix all dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl

  • 1 heaping TBLSP of instant coffee or espresso dissolved in 3/4 C of boiling water (allow to cool to lukewarm)
  • 3 eggs
  • 3/4 C oil
  • 1 C honey
  • 3/4 C white sugar
  • 3/4 C brown sugar

Mix liquids and sugars together

Mix sugar mixture into flour mixture.

  • Juice and zest of 1 lemon
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 1 C raisins

Add to combined mixture and mix thoroughly.

Preheat oven to 350°.
Grease 2 standard sized loaf pans.
Divide batter into the loaf pans.
Bake about 45 minutes til toothpick comes out clean. Start checking at 35 minutes and do not overbake.

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Sweet New Year Ladoo Balls on The Cleanse

  • 2 cups walnuts
  • 1 cup cashews
  • 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
  • 1 cup dried figs
  • 1 cup pitted dates
  • sea salt
  • cardamom (best if fresh out of pods)
  • cinnamon
  • raisins
  • unsweetened coconut shreds

Dump all ingredients except for raisins and coconut shreds into food processor, and run processor until a smooth oily paste develops.

This may take a while depending on the food processor. If it gets warm, turn it off for a bit so that you don’t overheat the engine. Remove from food processor and mix raisins into paste. Roll into balls, and then roll in coconut shreds. Put in fridge to allow the balls to harden before serving.

cardamom pods

This version of the balls tasted a bit earthier than the original. I used only pumpkin seeds in the original version, which produced a creamier, smoother taste. Really, any nuts will work (any combo of fruity sweet and nutty fat is delish) – use whatever you have in the house.

Bubbe’s Potato Knishes

 Potato Filling

  • 5 lb potatoes
  • 3 lb onions
  • 1 tbs Mazola corn oil
  • sea salt
  • black pepper

Boil 5 pounds of good potatoes (I like the thin skinned red ones) in salted water until done

Chop up 3 pounds of onions (more if you like onions) and sauté them in a little Mazola oil until golden or as brown as you like.

Peel and mash potatoes, add cooked onions, a little oil and salt and pepper to taste.

 Dough

  • 1 c boiling water
  • 1 c Mazola corn oil
  • Gold Medal unbleached flour

Mix equal parts of boiling water and Mazola Corn Oil (1 cup each)

Add enough Gold Medal Unbleached flour to make it doughy and elastic. It should be soft, pliable, shiny and greasy to the touch.

 Putting it all Together

Take a small handful of dough and roll out on a floured surface until very thin and almost translucent in an oval shape that is longer than it is wide.   (12 -14” horizontally by 5-6 inches wide)

 

Place a tube-like amount (1 – 1 ½ “ diameter) of  the potato mixture filling about a ½ inch from the edge of the rolled dough closest to you along the length of the dough. Just plop the potato mixture along the edge of the dough and shape it as you roll it.  Imagine the potato mixture as a long thick hot dog that you will wrap dough around.  Use more potato mixture if you like really thick knishes.

 Start at the long edge of the dough closest to you and roll/wrap the dough around the potato mixture tightly to shape your roll (like a long horizontal tube) and continue rolling the dough around itself until you have wrapped it a few times. Because the dough is thin, wrapping it a few times will cover any holes that may have popped up. The dough is very stretchy and is actually pretty forgiving.  Close the ends by pinching the dough together or folding ends under.

 Lift the Knish “tube” and place seam side down on a cookie sheet sprayed with PAM or use parchment paper. Lightly score (cut) the top of the tube with horizontal angled cuts about an inch apart across the length of the tube to define each bite size piece that you will cut after the knish is baked. Do not cut all the way through.

Bake at 350º

Brush the top lightly with oil and bake at 350º until golden and crisp.  Cut along scored lines and place knish pieces on platter to serve immediately, if you can get them out of the kitchen before they disappear.  You will get several tube-like rolls of knishes from this recipe. You can cut 10 to 15 knish pieces from each roll depending on how big you make them. Bubbe’s knishes are generally no bigger than 1 ½ inches in diameter and cut into pieces about that long.  Whole lightly baked knish rolls can be frozen and re-baked at a later date when needed. Before rebaking, brush with a little oil and add a little salt n the top if you like them on the saltier side.  Pop the frozen knish in the oven at 350 and bake until crisp and golden.

 Options

If you run out of dough before you run out of filling, make another batch of dough, or just serve mashed potatoes with onions at your next meal. If you have too many fried onions, save them in a glass jar and use them next time you make something with fried onions, which in our house, was almost every meal.  If you run out of filling before the dough, just freeze the leftover dough and use it when you have some extra apples or peaches or blueberries and make a strudel.

 This dough is very versatile and can be used with any filling, sweet or savory, using the same method.  Some of my mother’s specialties were cheese knishes (farmers cheese with onions and dill, mixed with a little egg to hold the mixture together) and raisin strudel (finely chopped raisins and nuts held together with a little strawberry or apricot jam, with the dough topped with a mixture of cinnamon and sugar), all of them tightly rolled in the same dough and cut into those perfect bite-sized pieces

♦ Misunderstood

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Dear Shaina,

Just got your out of order blog post and loved the recipes and the message.  I am moved by your depth and commitment and willingness to experience life in all of its dimensions.  I was just getting around to sending my response to your last post.


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I have to say I am relieved to get the Shabbat letter, not only because it is “nicer”, but really because it feels more like the authentic Shaina. I know you have many dimensions and I don’t begrudge you any of them, including your anger, even when its directed at me. But it is a relief to hear your more familiar self. In the meantime, I still need to respond to your Sept 7 letter.

I have read and reread my last letter to you, and yours to me, trying to understand your response which felt angry and unfair.  Perhaps I am not communicating well, or maybe you are reading more into my comments than I intend. I did not use angst as a label, but as a short hand description of what you most vividly described as your feelings these days. And I have no intent or need to try to throw any fixes at you.  In fact, I feel proud of your self-awareness and your ability to articulate your feelings… which is what I thought I was trying to communicate. But I obviously missed the boat on that one.

Of course you could have predicted my questioning of my life in Birmingham, as I could have predicted your questioning.  It’s a life process, something I’ve done most of my life… and something I expect you will also do throughout your life.

You think I had a clear vision in my 20’s? Hell no! I had dreams and hopes and yearnings and frustrations and lots and lots of uncertainties.  I was way more clueless than you.  I ultimately “fell into” this life, which wasn’t exactly the one I had in my “plans,” and I am continually amazed at how well it has all turned out despite the unexpected twists and turns. I was lucky to find love in my life, but not always sure I would, especially when I was your age.

What has become more clear over the years is the value of experiencing the moments….the good, the bad and the boring…while continuing to pursue those experiences that provide meaning, fulfillment and wholeness to your life…and always wrapping yourself in the love of family and friends.  Do I think we’re on the same page? Sort of…just very different stages of life, very different pursuits.  Am I concerned? Not at all. This is part of the experience of life, and I am glad you are having it.

So, just to be clear – this is not a pep talk.

I am not in the least trying to fix you. Nor am I the least bit concerned about where your life is going.  I actually think you do a pretty good job of balancing your “suffering” with pleasure and your stability and productiveness with risk-taking and adventure, with a little partying thrown in for fun.  So, go be angry at someone else.

Coming home from Oregon was a bit of a let down…heat, humidity, laundry and lots of bills and junk mail.  I am looking forward to relaxing at the beach and having some real-time conversations with you.  This little “just for fun” letter writing experiment is not so easy and not always so much fun either, so I am looking forward to some plain old talking it out.

I am also trying to get a little prepared for the holidays and starting to think about menus.  Since we’re going on the “cleanse” right after Rosh Hashana, I want to make some things that we can eat after our holiday meal.  I am thinking veggie chop liver (are eggs okay on the cleanse?), kasha with mushrooms and onions and a new Indian cucumber salad recipe.  Of course, I am going to make some of the traditional stuff also…Bubbe’s potato knishes, and maybe a kugel or two, and some apple crisp, of course.  Any requests? I’ ll send holiday recipes next time, when I figure out what I am doing.

Even the veggies are art in Portland

In the meantime, I got inspired to cook something delicious for dinner tonight.  We had so many creative, beautiful, unusual meals in Portland. So I tried something new tonight and it didn’t turn out quite how I wanted it to. But I am prepared to share a recipe with some modifications that I hope will produce better results.  It did look sort of pretty…even though my photos aren’t nearly as nice as yours.

I know we’ll be doing lots of shopping and cooking while you’re here and I am looking forward to cooking with you and watching you trash my kitchen.

Love,

Mom xoxoxooxoxoxooxoxoxooxox

Thai Cucumber Salad (modified with roasted eggplant)

Original Cucumber Salad

Dressing

  • 1/2 c brown rice vinegar
  • 2 stalks lemongrass ( white part only) sliced
  • 2 tsp sugar or agave or splenda
  • 1 tsp curry powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 cloves garlic

Finely chop and blend in a blender or food processor

  • 4-5 small Persian cucumbers sliced
  • 3 scallions thinly sliced diagonally
  • 1/4 cup cilantro
  • 1 jalapeño seeded and minced (optional)
  • I added a little sweet red pepper sliced

Marinate sliced veggies in dressing 15 minutes

Final Outcome

before serving

  • 1/4 cup chopped cilantro … More can be added to taste after eggplant is added
  • 3/4 cup chopped peanuts for garnish

I made this recipe and the dressing was a little strong. I really was disappointed in the flavor and overall taste. I recommend using less jalapeño.  I happened to have an eggplant that I was planning on roasting.  I cut it up in cubes, mixed it up with a little oil and salt and pepper and roasted it in the oven on the convection bake setting at 375 degrees until the edges were browned and the eggplant was soft.  I ended up mixing the eggplant with the dressed cucumber salad and added a little fresh basil. I topped it all with chopped roasted peanuts. Adding the eggplant to this salad saved the day and made a very substantial and tasty veggie side dish.

Let me know what you think if you try it.

◊ Shabbat and Prep

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Dear mom,

As promised, here’s my out-of-turn post about our Shabbat dinner.

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Shabbat was a blast and first I want to show off our fancy menu:

Challah

*Chilled herby zucchini soup

*Massaged Kale with grilled orange peppers

*Porridge with grilled peaches in tahini herb sauce

Roasted tomato and corn chesapeake

*Curried quinoa with peas and cashews

*Gujarati eggplant

Bean salad with feta

Spinach and cheese frittata

Brownies

Followed by wine and vodka, I’d say the most popular dishes were the challah and frittata. I think when people are drinking and socializing, they veer from weird dishes heavy on the veggies. It’s too much effort to crunch, chew, swallow… and get drunk.

Arielle and I tried to stick with recipes suitable for the cleanse in preparation for our Esrei Yamim Clean experiment. Starred menu items above are “Cleanse” appropriate.

I know you know this, but for our readers…

Esrei Yamim is Hebrew for 10 days – it’s the term representing the ten days in between Rosh Hashana (the Jewish New Year) and Yom Kippur (the day of repentance).

Here’s what I remember from Jewish Day School: Esrei Yamim is the time in which God chooses who will live and who will die in the upcoming year – God opens the book on Rosh Hashana, and for the next ten days scribes the names of who will live. On Yom Kippur, the last of the ten days, God closes the book to seal the deal. That’s why we’re so desperate to pray during those last few hours before the sun goes down on Yom Kippur. We get down on our knees and beg God for forgiveness.

It’s tradition to repent, reflect and purify during Esrei Yamim. It’s also tradition to ask people for forgiveness.

Esrei Yamim has always been a time for me to think about the previous year – my accomplishments, successes, failures; the big questions I’ve pondered; the relationships I’ve built, maintained and broken; the holidays I’ve celebrated with friends and family; the states and countries I’ve visited; the milestones – and to consider goals for the upcoming year – identify my needs for improvement; think of where I have room to grow; figure out how I can be a better person than I was last year; apologize to people I’ve hurt; write a list of my top ten most offensive sins.

I make resolutions during secular New Year too, but always draw a line between the types of resolutions I make on Jan 1 and Rosh Hashana.  My resolutions for the secular New Year are typically material resolutions:  I want to stop using the word “like” in my speech. I try to keep my resolutions for Rosh Hashasha on a more spiritual plane: I want to rely more on my gut than my brain.

I think of Esrei Yamim as a time to recharge and reset, so I can start the new year on a fresh slate.

This year, Arielle and I are teaming to inspire Jews from all over to participate in an Esrei Yamim Cleanse. We are posing the cleanse as an effort to integrate mind/body/spirit connection with our Jewish traditions. We’ve done “the cleanse” several times  (there’s even a category for it under the recipe index here!). I like the cleanse because it forces me to slow down and think about what I put into my body, to appreciate food that isn’t tainted by chemicals and synthetic additives, to taste the goodness of purity. Eating on the cleanse makes me feel clean.

The rules are:

  • No gluten
  • No processed soy
  • Vegan (plain organic yogurt is ok)
  • No alcohol
  • No added sweeteners (no sugar, no honey, no agave, no aspartame, no stevia, etc)
  • Nothing that comes from a package with more than 3 ingredients
  • No wheat

It sounds scary, but I promise that there’s still so so so much to eat. Visit 10yamimclean.wordpress.com for recipes, meditations, reflections and a virtual support group.

For some inspiration I want feature a few recipes on The Cleanse.

Curried Quinoa with Peas and Cashews

      • 2 tbs olive oil
      • 1 onion chopped
      • 2 c quinoa (I like using red quinoa.. I think less mush/chewier than white quinoa)
      • 2 tsp curry powder
      • salt and pepper
      • 3 yellow squash (recipe calls for zucchini)
      • 1 c carrot juice
      • 2 c peas
      • 1/4 cup sliced scallions
      • 1/2 c cashews
      • 1/2 cup golden raisins (or chopped apricots)
      • 1 bunch cilantro

Heat oil in a soup pot and add onions until brown. Then add quinoa, half of the curry powder and salt for two minutes to toast the quinoa (this will make it chewier and nuttier). Add 2 cups of boiling water and simmer for 20 min or until done.

Meanwhile, cook zucchini (or squash) and peas in oil and remainder of curry powder (add chilis or cayenne if you like spicy). Then, add carrot juice and salt and simmer for 10 minutes. Chop cilantro and scallions.

When veggies and quinoa are ready, mix together and add cilantro, scallions and raisins. Another option is to add peas separately (if you want to maintain their pure green freshness like I did in the above photo).

Grilled Peaches with Tahini and Herbs

      • 4 summer peaches
      • 2 tbs tahini
      • juice of 1 lemon
      • 1 c arugula
      • bunch of fresh sage, thyme, basil, and/or tarragon
      • salt
      • pepper

I have to give credit to Arielle for this one. It’s amazing. When she grilled the peaches, it smelled EXACTLY like cotton candy. Foreal. I think it was the burnt sugar of the peaches.

So.. cut peaches in half and lay face down on flaming grill. Grill until slightly charred. Let cool.

Chop arugula and herbs into small pieces and mix into tahini and lemon sauce. Cut peaches into chunks and mix into sauce.

Serve over greens or grains (I prefer greens).

Chick Pea and Raw Squash India Inspiration

      • 3 cups chick peas (cooked and drained or from a can)
      • 5 medium squash
      • Juice from 2 lemons
      • 1 tsp lemon zest
      • 1/2 c sliced almonds
      • 1/3 c apple cider vinegar
      • 1 tsp whole cumin seed
      • 1/3 c golden raisins
      • 1 bunch flat leaf parsley
      • dash of cayenne
      • 2 tsp curry powder
      • 2 tsp turmeric
      • salt

This is a great recipe to throw together if you’re in a rush. If you’ve got a can of chick peas in the cabinet, it requires no cooking! Just mix spices with apple cider vinegar, spices, lemon zest and lemon, and mix with cut raw squash (cut into thin slivers), chick peas, raisins, and almonds. Add grated carrots for a treat!

◊ Feel Good

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Dear mom,

I don’t like your labels. You think what I’m going through is angst?

Newsflash: this is my life. It doesn’t need fixing. Sure, it needs perspective every now and then. But I’m not some angsty 15 year old in need of a pep talk and a Prozac.

Jump To Recipe

I’m not depressed. I have fleeting in and outs with the overwhelming nothingsness of my life. I think that’s how it’s supposed to be. I’m not on any sort of career path, I’m cluessless about love, I don’t know what makes me happy, I don’t understand the value of most of my efforts… but am I really supposed to? What’s the point?

Panic. Calm. Nothing. Happy. Full. Nothing. Calm. Whatever.

Sure it’s frustrating, but I’m over the angst. It just is what it is.

I even feel like we’re on the same page, just communicating it differently. You and dad re don’t know what you’ll do next. You have another chance to think about what you want to be when you grow up. So you go to Oregon to experience the present moments in order to figure out what makes you feel good. I get that.

But…

  1. Is questioning your “fit” with Birmingham something new? Because I could’ve predicted that uncertainty years ago.
  2. You wrote that you had a clear vision for your life when you were in your 20s (friends, family, community), but do you have a clear vision of what you want now? I’m curious because I’m without one.

I do understand that Birmingham is comfortable and familiar. Nostalgia has a strong grip on my heart, and it pulls my desire to return to Birmingham all the time.

But right now, familiarity is boring and comfort is painful. I’m itching for a new adventure… one thousand bites from Indian monster mosquitos itching.

India. I’ve been thinking about it too much lately. Two years ago, I celebrated Rosh Hashana in an Ashram in Ahmedabad. It was a time where I felt that my life was so full (of who knows what). There seemed to be so much.

I think that you and dad are doing it right… Taking off on grand explorations to experience the present moment.

I need more practice. I do indulge in present moments, one by one… but I want to get lost in them. I want to get lost in and feel satisfied with my moments. How can I practice?

Yoga? I get too ancy.

Vegas? Dancing my pants off with thousands of half naked bodies in a murky day club pool is my zen.

Dani’s bachelorette party last weekend was out of control. We were 13 girls in 2 hotel rooms with 1 goal to party hard for Dani. And nearly a week later, my body is still in recovery from the debauchery.

First of all, can you believe it? Baby Dani’s getting married?! I don’t understand!! I’ve never seen someone so genuinely happy with his or her life. It makes me so happy to see her so happy. A glimmer of hope for all of us.

It was also refreshing to be with a group of girls just like me, 24 and clueless about goals and dreams. But the difference is that they’re ok. In my DC circle, it seems that everyone makes up some random goal/dream in his/her head, and works day in and day out to pursue the freaking dream for the sake of pursing a dream.

Just dance your pants off.

Maybe I’m looking for the wrong things. I’m sad because I don’t know what “dream” to pursue. But maybe the dream is to be motivated, feel good, explore new things always, grow spiritually and emotionally and learn continuously. Can I leave it at that? Can I be ok with it?

Are those the dreams that I can sacrifice everything for?

I’ll think about it…

Rosh Hashana is creeping up and I want to take a pause for some serious resolution making. I want to find what makes me feel good.

I want to do what makes me feel good in the moment.

In the spirit of Rosh Hashana and and indulging in the moments, I created two ridiculously indulgent, luxurious India-inspired recipes. They’re perfect for ringing in a sweet new year… and both gluten free!

They are rich. They are full. They are an adventure. They are even sort of healthy. And I made them up all by myself!

These two are a great success.

Love ya and Shabbat Shalom!

Shaina

PS. Arielle and I are throwing one of our Shabbat shindig/party/disasters tonight. Here’s a preview of the menu: grilled peach/avocado salad, succotash with roasted tomatoes and grilled corn, herbed zucchini soup and Gujarati eggplant. I may have to post out of turn to share the most successful recipes.

Sweet New Year Ladoo Balls

  • 4 C Raw Pepitas (Pumpkin Seeds)
  • 1/2 C Raisins
  • 2 Tbs honey or agave
  • Fresh cardamom to taste
  • Clove Powder
  • Sea salt
  • 1 tsp coconut oil
  • 2/3 C Unsweetened Coconut shreds

Put pepitas, salt, coconut oil (just a drop!), honey/agave, and spices into food processor and blend until it becomes a dark green butter. Stir in raisins. Store in fridge for half an hour or until butter becomes firm. Remove from fridge and roll into balls.

Then, drop them in a bowl of coconut shreds until the balls become covered in coconut. Serve chilled or at room temperature (they become mushy in heat).

Stick to a gluten free diet? I don’t recommend trying to pretend this is Rosh Hashana raisin Challah… but I do believe the two serve the same symbolic purpose: round, sweet and indulgent.

Curry Cashew Butter

  • 2 C Raw Cashews
  • 2 tbs Curry Powder
  • 1 dash cayenne pepper
  • 1 dash sea salt
  • 1 tsp turmeric

Put all ingredients into food processor and blend until consistency of creamy butter is reached. It helps if you have a vitamix (it takes about half a minute), but I’ve done it in a cuisinarte and it works fine. If you use a cuisinarte, be careful of the engine/blades overheating. If they get to hot they’ll “cook” the raw cashews, and some of the sweetness of their rawness will be diluted.

Spread over apples and drizzle with honey… or raisin challah for a real treat!

Above: My tricolor tub of nut butters  – pepitas (pumpkin seeds, cashews and pistachios). Thank you, vitamix.

♦ Looking from Oregon

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Dear Shaina,

If I didn’t know you, I’d be worried about the depth of your angst and be calling in the white coats…or at least making a parental comfort visit so I could actually touch, taste and experience the texture of this particular life crisis in order to “fix” it … Or more accurately, comfort myself.

Jump To Recipe

But I do know you, as much as a mother can know her 24 year old daughter, and I know you come by your angst honestly (it’s in the genes) and studiously.  Although, I hate to see you struggle in any kind of way, I know that you are living your life consciously.  Questioning your path doesn’t always make for an easy road, but you are much more likely to find and pursue your personal “hits” if you go through life  looking.

As Dad and I enjoy the Oregon sunsets on this beautiful coast and explore our own next steps, it is with no small amount of empathy that I feel your pain …and possibilities.  Birmingham has been my home for the past 30 years, the longest I have ever lived anywhere.  The life I sought in my 20’s became my reality in Birmingham… rich with family, friends, career and community. But there are still those moments when I wonder, is there yet a new dream for me to pursue?

Dad and I try on new places and examine the “fit”.  There are so many different styles out there and I’ll admit that a more urban, diverse, liberal and walking-friendly environment is calling.

It is hard to let go of the comfort, beauty and familiarity of Birmingham and I don’t know if I have the guts to just walk away from my life to start a new one.  I do know that all any of us have is the present moment and Dad and I are living that cliche to the hilt.

In the meantime, the owners of the beach cottage we are renting in Oregon live next door in the “big house.” In addition to getting some great design ideas from them, we have shared some extended evenings enjoying wine and food. It’s refreshing to know that we are still capable of making new friends (we hope they’ll visit B’ham and maybe even make it down to our beaches) …and I learned a couple new cooking tips.

David, the owner, happened to be marinating a piece of flat iron steak in our refrigerator (so he had to invite us to share dinner with him and Doug). After poking holes in it with a fork and rubbing it with a variety of herbs, spices and marinades, he left it uncovered in the refrigerator for two days and only had me turn it once.

I’m used to soaking my meat in lots of liquid marinade in a tightly covered container and having it slosh around for a few hours or overnight.  This meat was amazing…tender, tasty and moist!  I don’t know what the trick is, but I am never soaking my meat again.  He said it works great with chicken, too.

Don’t despair, Shaina. I wont go on and on about the meat.  Most of the meal was veggie anyway and just the best!

I went to Sunday Market in Astoria and couldn’t control myself… Every color of heirloom tomato, green zucchini, right from-the-dirt bright orange baby carrots, purple peppers, red beets, yellow beets, fresh cut basil, all different colored fingerling potatoes, long thin purple Asian eggplants, sweet walla walla onions, biting fresh arugula, yellow lemon cucumbers and fresh green pickling ones, too…

We managed to do it all…grilling the zucchini, eggplant, pepper and onions and roasting the potatoes, beets and carrots. All were tossed lightly in some olive oil and seasoned with kosher salt and pepper and a little fresh garlic and basil. By the way, my roasting expertise has to do with having a really good oven that has a convection bake setting and gets really hot (you need at least a true 400 degrees in a regular bake setting).  You probably don’t have either in your not-quite-yet-gourmet kitchen.

On to Portland today for the urban leg of our trip.  Ten more days of city life!  I can’t wait to try your green potato salad when we get home.  I never thought of making all that fresh mint we have growing everywhere into a pesto.  It sounds delicious.  In the meantime, we sure are enjoying the wine in Oregon!

Love,

Mom xoxoxoxooxoxoxox

David wanted to try a new recipe (I think he made it up) and I know that not only will you love it… It will bring back some fond childhood food memories!

David’s Burnt Butter Tomatoes:

  • 5 tomatoes
  • 4 tbs butter
  • Sea salt
  • Cracked pepper

Slice fresh tomatoes (any varieties) about a 1/4 inch thick and arrange on a platter. Sprinkle with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper.

Meanwhile, put 4 tablespoons of butter in a frying pan over medium heat (adjust amount of butter based on how many tomatoes you have and how much you love browned butter).Heat until butter just turns brown and starts to smoke a little. Take off the heat immediately before it turns black. Pour hot browned butter over fresh salted tomatoes and enjoy immediately.

They were GOOD!

David’s Spicy Salad Dressing:

  • Olive Oil
  • Orange Champagne Vinegar
  • Yellow mustard
  • Diced jalapeno
  • Lemon grass paste
  • Finely diced fresh basil
  • Fresh Lemon juice
  • Garlic

Combine equal parts of oil and vinegar. Blend in remaining ingredients to taste.

Dressing is great over arugula salad:

  • Fresh arugula
  • Lemon cucumbers sliced
  • Pickling cucumbers sliced
  • Fresh basil chopped
  • Parmesan Cheese grated

David’s Flat Iron Beef Rub:

  • Fresh garlic paste
  • Sweet chili paste
  • Hot paprika
  • Smoked chili flakes
  • Kosher Salt
  • Tomato paste
  • Ginger finely diced
  • Cracked pepper
  • Diced thyme, rosemary, and sage

Rub all ingredients on both sides, fork to tenderize, and dry uncovered in fridge for 24 hours with a flip mid way. Grill til desired doneness.

Leftovers folded into an omelet were great the morning after

◊ Where am I going?

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Dear mom,

My original plan was to write you a feisty letter entitled “Pesto Wars,” and ask our readers to name the winner. Then I had a bad day and now I don’t even want to win the pesto wars. I’m feeling like a nothing. A little nothing going no where.

Everything is just… nothing.

Jump To Recipe

I had always seen this period of my life as a time where I’d risk everything to chase my dream. I’d work like a dog and reach for the stars. And it wouldn’t matter whether or not I won because I’d be happy doing something that I love.

But here I am, without a clue as to what my dream is, probably not able to peg love if I brushed up against it. So instead of a river gushing forward, I’ve become a whirlpool – moving and moving and telling myself that if I’m working this hard, I must be moving somewhere.

That’s how I came up with this recipe. You gave me basil pesto –  so I’d give you mint pesto. We’d take a vote and I’d win. Gold star for pesto champion Shaina; time to move on to the next win.

I tried to muster my champion energy after work today as I plucked the mint leaves for this recipe from my garden in the front.

A few weeks ago, our garden was wild with mint, parsley and mystery plant overgrowth. In the winter, Arielle planted mystery bulbs that a friend of hers smuggled here from Europe. Summer transformed them into leaves that span the length of my torso.  Walking up our stoop and into our front door was a trek through the jungle… It made me feel like a character on fern gully, where all the plants have voices.

But a neighbor complained. All that fostering of life for nothing?

Nothing. I resented her. I fought her (in my head). And I trimmed the plants.

Now the plants are back and we’ll have to cut them again soon. It’s a cycle of nothing. The plants grow, we harvest them, they come back. They grow, we harvest them, they come back.

All I do in my life is fill jars and empty jars and fill jars and empty jars.

How can one thought be so calming and panic-inducing all the same time?

I fill jars and empty jars and I fill jars and I’m lucky to have jars to fill, jars to empty, jars to share, jars that hold black beans and split peas and mung dal and wheat berries and steel cut oats. So many jars that I get to fill and empty day in and day out!

As for my mint pesto … it’s yummy, but as for winning… I’m over it.

Maybe tomorrow I’ll be back in the game, but for now, I’ll admit that there are a few things that aren’t winning in this recipe. First, the potatoes in the mint pesto potato salad. Somehow, your potatoes are always the perfect balance of brown crispy on the outside and butter smooth on the inside. I don’t know how you do it. Second, I’m ambivalent about the use of garlic in this pesto. Garlic typically enhances savory flavors, but I’m unsure about the mint/garlic combo. Send tips!

I want to be a veggie roasting pro when I grow up. Get ready, get set, and I’m going…

love ya,

Shaina

Mint Pesto

  • 6 handfuls of fresh mint (About 4 cups)
  • 3/4 cup raw walnuts
  • two cloves garlic
  • Juice of two fresh lemons
  • salt
  • lots and lots of black pepper

Combine all ingredients in food processor until pureed. Use immediately or store in freezer til you need it.

Green Potato Salad

This green potato salad is a healthy, vegan (and much more flavorful!) alternative to plain old potato salad. It’s minty and fresh, and best served cold. The organization I work for often refers to our members as “deep green.” Well… this is what this dish is. The pesto is dark green, and the green beans make it even greener (I will walk you through the process of blanching them so that they’re perfectly crispy and bright bright bright green!). So switch things up and some color to your next summer picnic!

  • Red Skin Potatoes
  • Green Beans
  • Mint Pesto!
  • olive oil
  • salt
  • pepper

Cut potatoes into wedges and toss in olive oil, salt and pepper. place the potatoes on a baking sheet and bake until brown and crisp at 500 degrees. Meanwhile, wash and trim fresh green beans.  Bring water to a boil. Add green beans to boiling water for no longer than one minute, and immedietly transfer to bowl of ice water to pause the cooking process. You will be left with bright, crunchy green beans. One potatoes are done, mix with green beans and pesto for a delish potato salad in several hues of green.

♦ For the Soul

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Dear Shaina,

It’s not actually homesickness that you are experiencing…it’s “child/youth sickness.”   Saying goodbye to unscheduled days, no weighty responsibilities and endless hours of possibilities, adventures and “whatever-you-want-to-dos” is a real world adult reality check that doesn’t go down easy. I feel your pain.   I don’t think I even realized the depth of my “youth sickness” until I retired and reclaimed the pleasures of empty days. But working has its rewards too, which are probably difficult for you to appreciate right now.  It’s actually those stresses and responsibilities that lead us in search of those carefree summer days and allow us to embrace them.

Jump To Recipe

So, enjoy your misery and indulge in all the “summer days” that come your way!  And, of course, you can always come home and Dad will make you a tomato sandwich and I will make you okra.

Not that you need us or Alabama to reclaim your youth. You do have an absolute gift for creating  “home” wherever you are.  Food and friends are pretty darned good ways of doing it and I absolutely love hearing about how you bring all the elements of your life together.

In the meantime, Dad and I are living the permanent summer vacation life (I don’t mean to rub it in).  I even got Dad to take a yoga class on our New England trip and now he’s hooked.  It’s gentle yoga, of course, but yoga nevertheless.

Dad and I are so happy that you are coming home for the holidays and especially looking forward to the few days we’ll spend together living in our bathing suits at the beach right before. Since I will only be home for two days before Rosh Ha Shana, I decided that I better start cooking now before we leave for Portland (the next leg on our permanent vacation) or I will be a crazy person trying to get everything done in a day.

So I have been making chicken soup … Lots of Chicken Soup… enough to feed family, friends and family of friends…and anyone else who ends up at our house after temple. It really freezes well and I have the messiest part of the preparation done.  I know my Chicken Soup recipe is not as exotic as some of your veggie creations, but it is a basic and even a die-hard vegetarian ought to know how to make a good Chicken Soup. This is Bubbe’s method. She was very meticulous about her Chicken Soup and it was the best…so once again, I continue to try and perfect it.

Don’t worry, I’ll prepare the veggie version for you…with matzoh balls, of course!
Love and see you soon,
Mom

Xoxoxoxoxoox

Bubbe’s Chicken Soup

  • 1 Whole Roasting Chicken
  • 1 Large Onion, peeled and cut in quarters
  • 3 Large Carrots, peeled and cut in 2 inch chunks
  • 2 Large Stalks of Celery cut to fit in pot
  • 1 Tablespoon Salt
  • Pepper to taste
  • Dill, optional

Wash chicken thoroughly in cold water.  Leave skin and fat on the chicken.  Place whole chicken in a soup pot and fill with just enough water to barely cover the chicken.*  Bring water with chicken to a full boil.  A foamy residue will form on the surface. Skim the foam off the water and discard.  Once all foamy residue has been removed, turn heat down and add cut vegetables and salt to pot.  Cook covered at a low heat until chicken begins to separate from bone.

Remove chicken from soup and debone. Put chicken in a separate dish to be added back to soup when serving or it can be made into delicious chicken salad or just eaten for dinner.

Remove carrots from soup and place in a separate bowl to be added back to soup when serving. Refrigerate.

Strain the remainder of the soup. Cooked onions and celery may be eaten if you like them or discarded.  Put strained soup in a pot or storage container and cool overnight in the refrigerator.  When completely cooled, you can skim the fat off the top of soup or you can leave it if you want a richer soup.  I always skim the fat and it is still delicious.  This skimmed chicken fat (schmaltz) may be used in cooking or discarded.  At this point, soup can be heated and served as a clear soup or with carrots and chicken pieces added.  Taste and adjust salt and pepper and add dill if you like.

If you plan on freezing the soup, it freezes well as a clear soup, skimmed or unskimmed (can be skimmed when defrosted) or with the carrots and some chicken pieces.

This easy traditional soup has been enjoyed by generations of families throughout the world. In our home, it is generally served with matzah balls and part of many holiday celebrations.  It is the highlight of the meal and slurped with equal enthusiasm by everyone from the one-year-olds to the ninety-year-olds.

*The key to making a rich chicken broth is to not use too much water.  If you need more soup, buy another chicken and make another pot.

◊ There are two things that money can’t buy

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… And that’s true love and homegrown tomatoes. Homegrown tomatoes.

Dear Mom,

I’m feeling homesick.  This whole summer has really put me in a funk. It’s been averaging a sticky 100 degrees in DC, and I still have to put work clothes on and spend my days in an office. It throws me off when my life activities don’t change with the seasons.

Jump To Recipe

Summer is eating tomatoes and peach ice cream and never changing out of my bathing suit. But I’ve been doing the same things since December and I can’t wrap my head around how time moves so freakin fast. Wahh.

I just miss home. I miss our front deck and Alabama tomatoes and squash and okra.   All I want to do is go blackberry picking at the farm and then come home and watch dad make tomato sandwiches. Remember last summer when you and dad had your okra battles? He came home with bushels of okra every week – you roasted most of it and he’d boil whatever you allowed.  Then I’d have to judge the winner. I ate your roasted okra like peanuts – dozens at a time. The slime dried out and they were crispy and salty. Dad’s were super slimy, but so watery sweet. The flavors were incredibly different, but both delicious. A few days ago I explained okra to a friend who had never tasted it. I told her it’s like eating a sweet, seedy loogie.  Okra…

Anyway. Yesterday I attempted to live summer.  In sandals and a tank, I biked with Arielle and Adam from DC to Arielle’s family friend’s house in Potomac. It was a 15 mile ride on major roads and it poured rain the entire ride– miserable. At one point, we biked around a dead deer on the side of the road. I screamed the whole time. Traumatizing. The point of going to the family friend’s house was to swim in their pool, but the rain and thunderstorms made that impossible.

The upside to the trip was that the family gave us a huge bag of yellow squash from their garden – alas, summer! And this morning I came back from the farmers market with okra and baby tomatoes. While I’m pining for a big, juicy Alabama tomatoes, the baby tomatoes from the mid-atlantic region are about as phenomenal. My favorites are sungolds – they are teeny and yellow and pop in my mouth. They are acidic candy. And next to the other tomatoes – maroon and green and red – they are gorgeous.

I made an okra, squash and tomato salad and it is SO summer.

It’s so summer that it almost fulfills my longing for lazy Alabama heat. It doesn’t really, but it’s time for me to face summer as an adult.  I can’t lounge around in swimwear eating tomato sandwiches and popsicles my whole life (I resent this). So I’ll suck it up and go into my office everyday in my professional attire – as long as I can come home to summer in a salad bowl.

Love,
Shaina

 

Ultimate Summer Salad

  • Okra
  • Yellow squash
  • Best tomatoes of your region
  • Fresh basil
  • Arugula
  • Salt and pepper
  • Balsamic vinegar and olive oil


Toss squash and okra in olive oil, salt and pepper and broil for 30 minutes. When it comes out of the oven, chop it up with tomatoes and basil. Toss all ingredients with arugula. If you want some protein, add goat cheese. Live summer.