Friends + Food…all this girl needs (& some truly DELISH Dairy Shavout Recipes)
Friends + Food…all this girl needs (and some great Dairy Shavout Recipes)
I love….NO LOVE..Did I say LOVE?……my House on the Lake.
Or at least I did for the last 28 years.
Now…after my impending divorce…and a very complicated situation… it is MY house NO more.
But ….
this past weekend, I decided to spend my last Shabbos that I will ever spend in that beloved house….. PAR-T-YING!
No tears for this girl…just loads of fun and great food with close friends….who are really -my family.
A Celebration…. Home. Family. Friends. Kids
So…. I cooked.
and I baked.
And Hashem was in on the fun…and some truly GLORIOUS weather he gave.
Alfresco dining…if only I could have captured the perfect-straight-out-of-Martha-Stewart/Homes & Garden Scene that it was.
Sunshine. Green Grass. Dressed in our Shabbos Best. Huge table filled with Friends. Delicious Food..more food. Eating. Laughing. Gaggles of Kids running & playing.
Friends + Food… is all this girl really needs…to remember that life is gonna be good…that life is good…despite these temporary (hopefully) heartbreaking moments.
the PERFECT last meals to remember in this house…my home…
Now Shavout…and a New Home…New Memories…
and It will be hard…but…
Friends + Food….all this girl needs.
So…after the unpacking …(at this point I can not find my kitchen….it is covered in boxes and unbelievably…there is still more to bring…UGG!!.)
this friday…..I plan on cooking.
and baking.
at least for one or two meals…… or ….as Shavout gifts.
(I am not super women – this moving business….wipes you out)
PS. to all of you who have reached out to me after hearing my news….THANK YOU….from the bottom of my heart.
i have read and heard all your comments, emails and messages. they mean a lot. I am truly in awe… because the generosity of good will and good thoughts …it is over whelming…it is healing.
and to those friends who are…literally….. keeping me standing… (old & new ones)… and you know who you are…. i have no words…..so instead.. I give you food.
Sour Cream Coffee Cupcakes
originally published in my book The Dairy Gourmet
yields 24 regular cupcakes or 2 x 8 inch round cakes.
One of my friends who actually slept by me last weekend, was Margalit Lankry & family…and it seems I unintentionally….or at least that is what I tell her…go out of my way to make her foods that challenge her willpower of steel…and cause her to break her diet. Margalit & I have the same tastebuds…so I know what will get her. And these sour cream coffee cupcakes…shabbos morning with a cup of real coffee…well there is just nothing like it.
And for Shavout and your dairy breakfast kiddush….you will love them.
Ingredients:
3 cups cake flour ( or you can use 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour + 1/2 cup cornstarch)
1 tbsp. baking powder
pinch of salt
1 1/2 cups plus 3 tbsp. sugar
1 tbsp. cinnamon
4 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
1 tbsp. vanilla
1 cup apple juice
1 1/4 cup sour cream
FOR THE STREUSEL:
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar, packed
1 cup all purpose flour
3 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 stick cold unsalted butter,
cut into piece
3/4 cups chopped walnuts
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
prepare your muffin trays with liners
FOR THE BATTER:
Sift & mix together the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl and set aside.Mix the 3 tbsp. sugar and the cinnamon in a small bowl and set aside.
In the bowl of a food processor, combine the 1 1/2 cups sugar with the eggs and process until light and fluffy. Add the oil, vanilla and sour cream and process until just combined.
Beginning and ending with the dry ingredients, add the flour mixture in thirds, alternating with the juice. Pulse a few times after each addition, just to incorporate. Set aside in separate bowl and prepare streusel.
FOR THE STREUSEL TOPPING:
In the food processor, pulse together all the ingredients. Combine until it forms a crumble.
Pour the batter into the cupcake liners about 1/4 way full. Add about 1 tbsp. of the streusel mixture on top. Pour in more batter to fill the cupcakes almost to the top. Top off with another 1 tbsp. of streusel topping and sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture on top of that.
Bake in oven for about 35-40 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.
And here are some more things I am planning to cook this Shavout…..
Mushroom Onion Quiche
I love this quiche and make it with all sorts of different vegetables -the choice is unlimited – just substitute at will.
for the recipe go to
Fettuchini Alfredo
Original recipe from my cookbook The Dairy Gourmet – get recipe here (look on kosher street also for the Fettuchini Alfredo Light Version)
How can you have a Dairy Shavout meal without this staple? This year I am adding my handmade pasta to up this recipes delicious factor.
Eggplant & Goat Cheese Appetizer (a great light start to any dairy meal)
This salad/appetizer is so addictive that I literally can not wait to eat this Shavout night – it is THAT good.
Salmon Leek Pot Pie
A fantastic dish that really works well when made in advance!
Finally this is one of my favorite fish dishes to make… I discovered the recipe (Cooks Illustrated Magazine) a few years back and it has been a Shavout staple ever since.
I have tweaked the recipe to make it kosher.
Ingredients:
Puff Pastry Topping
Flour for dusting work surface
1 sheet (91/2 by 9 inches) frozen commercial thawed at room temperature for at least 30 minutes- I like to use prepridge farm brand
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Pot Pie Filling
6 tbsp. unsalted butter
3 medium leeks, only white part, halved lengthwise, and sliced into 1/4 inch thick pieces, rinsed well.
table salt
2 medium garlic cloves, minced (about 2 tsp.)
7 tbsp. unbleached flour
3 cups whole milk
1 cups vegetable broth
2 tbsp. lemon juice
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill leaves
pinch ground nutmeg
pinch cayenne pepper
ground white pepper
2 lbs salmon fillet, pinbones and skin removed, cut into 1/2 inch peices
1 cup frozen peas
Directions:
For the puff pastry topping:
pre-heat oven to 425F
Dust work surface lightly with flour and unfold puff pastry sheet.
Use pizza cutter to cut dough into 2 pieces along the seams, then crosswise in froths to make 12 equal size pieces.
Chill dough on baking sheet in freezer for 10 minutes. Remove pan from freezer and place it directly into oven. Bake 10 minutes or until pieces are slightly puffed and lightly browned. Remove from oven and place on wire rack to cool.
For the filling:
melt 2 tbsp. of butter in a hot skillet over medium heat. Add the leeks and 1/2 tsp. of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened – about 6-8 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds. Remove from heat and set aside on paper plate.
Now melt remaining butter in medium saucepan. Add the flour and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 1 minute. Gradually disk in the vegetable broth and then the milk, bring to simmer and cook until sauce thickens, about 1-3 minutes.
Remove from the heat, stir in the leek micutre, lemon juice, dill, nutmeg, cayenne, and season with salt, white pepper to taste.
If you are making this in advance
to store: place cooled filling in airtight container and store in refrigerator for up to 1 day. Wrap puff baked puff pastry pieces well in plastic and store at room temperature up to 5 days.
to serve: heat oven to 400 F.
Season salmon with salt and white pepper and place in a 9 x 13 inch baking dish.
Reheat filling in medium saucepan over med-high heat. Pour the sauce over the salmon and stir gently with wooden spoon to evenly distribute. Sprinkle peas over filling, then arrange baked puff pastry pieces on top. Bake until puff pastry is golden brown, sauce is bubbling, and salmon is fully cooked, 13 -15 minutes. Cool for 5-10 minutes before serving. Serve with lemon wedges.
