My father’s retirement plans included cooking his way through Irma Rombauer’s classic cookbook, the Joy of Cooking. However, his culinary journey became waylaid and began and ended with cabbage borscht. With every iteration of this hearty soup, my father would wait expectantly as we sampled a spoonful. In spite of our reassurances that his soupe du jour met Cordon Bleu standards, he continued to perfect his art, pot after pot…
Until very recently, miso was an ingredient that I avoided. Miso paste, similar in texture to peanut butter, is typically a cultured mixture of soybeans, a grain (like rice or barley), salt, and koji (a mold). Really? Recently I began to notice that miso, with its deep umami flavor, was being embraced by chefs everywhere and was popping up in dishes as diverse as salmon filets, corn-on-the-cob, and even as…
With a quiet tap on the front door, my son sails into the house on Friday afternoons, sometimes with a grandchild or two in tow, and we settle around the kitchen table to catch up on the events of the week and share a piece of fresh, hot potato kugel. It’s a no-frills event; disposable plates and cutlery are used to serve up portions of kugel that are crispy on…
Searching for a fresh head of cauliflower, I was disappointed at what was available in my local grocery store and had to go a little further afield. I stopped in at a small, independent fruit and vegetable store and caught my breath at the heaped pyramids of fresh, snowy white, deep amethyst purple, and cheddar orange, locally grown cauliflowers. This recipe for roasted cauliflower steaks with chickpeas, by the inspired…
My ability to predict the gender of a baby is exceptional. After making a careful study of the expectant mother’s tummy and other anecdotal evidence, I make my pronouncement with great confidence and certainty. I have never guessed correctly. My consistency is unmatched. Whenever I have an inexplicable urge to cook up a big pot of arbes, the seasoned chickpea snack traditionally served at a shalom zachar, the party celebrating…
August is a dream month for anyone who enjoys freshly picked local produce. In Toronto, where winter begins early and ends late, the selection of locally grown produce is limited during the colder months. However, with the arrival of summer, open-air markets and corner supermarkets abound with produce grown by nearby farmers, including both green and yellow zucchini, juicy, ripe tomatoes and slender, purple eggplant. This recipe for a tian,…
I lingered proudly over my son’s picture of his babies – plump, healthy and green. I’m referring to his tomato babies. My father was a virtuoso vegetable gardener. Every August, our backyard vegetable patch produced a bumper crop of juicy, red, sun-ripened tomatoes. I did not inherit his green thumb but I’m thrilled that his talent has been passed down to the next generation. However, growing your own tomatoes is…
Having a son-in-law who grew up in Mexico has added an element of piquancy to our family. Although he is descended from grandparents who hailed from the same neck of the Transylvanian woods as my grandparents, nevertheless, his food preferences are Mexican. Chilaquiles always trump brisket. Elote (eh-LOH-teh), also known as Mexican street corn, is savory, sweet, crunchy, and creamy in every bite. Made with corn on the cob that…
Summer is just around the corner and we’re all looking forward to spending more time outdoors. This recipe for roasted sesame green beans, adapted from Cook’s Illustrated magazine, is the perfect side dish for anyone who is looking to minimize time spent in the kitchen. With just a few minutes of prep work that can be done in advance, these honey-sweet, garlicy beans require only fifteen minutes of oven time.…
Traditionally, after the Passover dishes are packed away and the countertop covers scoured and stored for the next year, I happily relinquish my apron and my son cooks up a large pot of creamy, cheesy macaroni that family members eagerly anticipate. This year, wiser counsel prevailed and the over-forty crowd contentedly spooned up heaping bowls of crunchy Raisin Bran, while my teenage grandsons inhaled a large pizza. The times they…