In elementary school, we had a custom of giving a gift to the class on our birthdays (in third grade I brought a pencil sharpener for the class – awesome, no?), because, you know, kids get enough presents on that day, why not give something, too?

A few weeks ago, I received an email from a representative from Hanabi Creative letting us know about their new book, the Bais Yaakov Cookbook, a book with recipes, shopping guides, and halachot (laws) regarding the kosher kitchen. It’s a beautiful book with traditional and modern recipes and lots of pictures!

I bookmarked many recipes while going through the book – and the first one I made (the day after I got it!!) was this potato roast recipe. It was simple, but beautiful. Pareve, but easily adapted to dairy (and easily adaptable with some different flavors!), and something that could complete an “eh” meal.

Now, I know you may be thinking “you got a cookbook full of meat, poultry, fish, and dessert recipes and you made POTATOES? but really, these are delicious. They’re soft on the inside, but crispy on the edges…and they’re not fried!

Swap out the shallots for regular onions or even garlic. Use rosemary instead of thyme, top with parmesan, use butter and a splash of milk if making dairy, add chives, parsley, and parmesan cheese at the end…the variations to this amazing recipe are endless.

So, enter the giveaway to win the cookbook, and stay tuned for more recipes! To enter, just leave a comment below. The winner will be chosen at random next Monday.

Stay tuned for another recipe from the book next week!

Crispy Potato Roast, adapted from the Bais Yaakov Cookbook:

Ingredients:

•  6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
• Kosher salt
• Freshly cracked black pepper
• 1/2 – 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
• 4 pounds yukon gold potatoes (I didn’t peel them, even though the original recipe said to)
• 4 shallots, peeled
• 8 sprigs thyme

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. With a sharp knife or a mandolin, slice potatoes very thinly.

3. Place about a tablespoon of olive oil on the bottom of a 9-inch oven-to-table dish and spread it out evenly. Sprinkle with salt and black pepper (and red, if you’re using).

4. Arrange your potato slices vertically on the dish (so the edges, not the flat sides, are up).

5. Thinly slice the shallots with a sharp knife or a mandolin. Place a slice of shallots between each slice of potato.

6. Brush the remaining 5 tablespoons oil.

7. Generously season with salt and peppers.

8. Arrange the thyme around the potatoes.

9. Bake for 1 1/2 hours, covered with foil. The recipe does not say to cover it, but I think the potatoes get a little *too crispy if not covered.

10. Cover with foil and bake another 30-35 minutes, until tops are crispy.

11. Serve hot, and enjoy!

What time? You ask…well, the time when people serve Passover Food, including those gross rainbow cakes and macaroons from cans, thinking that this is food. Well, have no fear! We at the Kosher Foodies have posted many recipes that are Passover-friendly. They’re mostly savory, but we have some good ones for dessert, too. No need to make what’s considered Passover food, and eat only charoset (not that I would mind) and gefilte fish (ick) for eight days. And though I DO love matzah, sometimes you need to serve it with a side.

So here we present to you Volume 2 of our Passover Recipe Roundup (here’s last year’s)! These are just a bunch of links to recently posted recipes that are entirely kosher for Passover in a Sephardic kitchen. If your custom does not allow for rice/legumes, skip ‘em!

Engagement Chicken
Harissa Chicken
Brussel Sprouts
Keftes – matzah meal is a regular ingredient!
Potato and Mushroom Gratin (or just the regular potato kind)
Butternut Squash Soup
Spanech Jibben
Roasted Corn Salad
Mushroom Rice
Red Hot Roasted Asparagus
Orange Sherbet
Meringues Chantilly with Roasted Berries

What are your favorite Pesach recipes?

Have a Chag Kasher VeSameach, everyone! We hope you enjoy your K for P treats and meals.

- Stephanie and Jessica

Biltong is marinated, seasoned and cured beef, similar to beef jerky, and a staple in South Africa.

It makes a great snack, especially for a long car ride or a before dinner’s ready snack, but I can also see using them in salads or as appetizers for patient dinner guest. David absolutely loved the peppery taste, so if you like beef jerky, give this a try!

(Actually, they sent us some boerewors, too, but our timing was off and by the time we got the package, they had thawed and were unsafe to eat, so we’ll have to give those South African sausages a try some other time.)

Not only did I get to try some great new wines from over 30 wineries, but many of the wine pourers were able to help out and educate me and my fellow attendees about what we were drinking. I was also very excited to see familiar faces and meet some new friends (or finally meet some virtual friends in person!).

Who knew kosher wine could be so good? It sure has a bad reputation, but judging from the many sips of delicious wines I had tonight, things are only getting better (which you already know from my visit to the Herzog Winery in Oxnard and Jessica’s visit to Hagafen Cellars in Napa).

I can’t wait to use my new KFWE wine glass that I took home from the event!

Now, since this is The Kosher Foodies, I tried taking some photos of the food selection for all of you guys stuck at home (also, wine doesn’t photograph as well/is really hard to differentiate between in my glass!):

Glatt ala Carte’s display of spice blends and sauces that they sell online and in their restaurant.

Beautiful presentation by Gemstone Catering

Dakshin Indian Shami Kebab

Lamb Meatball at Pardes

Smoked Duck Breast at Le Marais

Steak Salad at Clubhouse Cafe

Lamb Riblet at Pomegranate

Assortment from Carlos N Gabby

Sausages from Jack’s Gourmet

Chicken Biryani and Chicken Tikka Marsala at Shalom Bombay

Crispy Rice with Spicy Tuna at Prime KO

Pomegranate from Pomegranate!! Kudos to whomever de-seeded all of these!

Mini Meyer Lemon Meringue Pie from Pardes

Now before I go to sleep, here is everyone who was there, in case you were wondering:

Vendors:

Food:

• Joan Nathan
• Jamie Geller
• Susie Fishbein
• Levana Kirshenbaum
• The Reserve Sushi & Steakhouse
• Jack’s Kosher Gourmet Sausage
• Glatt ala Carte
• Fumio
• Bistro 1310
• Subsational
• My Brother Bobby’s Salsa
• Dakshin
• Abigael’s & Jeff Nathan
• Solo
• The Prime Grill
• Prime KO
• Pomegranate
• Le Marais/Clubhouse Cafe
• Pardes
• Shalom Bombay
• Got Cholent
• Gemstone Catering
• Teverre
• Basil
• Noi Due
• Walder’s
• Wissotzky
• My Most Favorite Food
• The ChoSen Group
• Carlos & Gabby

Wine & Spirits

• Schmerling
• Binyamina Liqueurs
• Binyamina Winery
• Baron Herzog
• Herzog Reserve
• Weinstock
• Jeunesse
• Bartenura
• Elgazi
• Rothschild
• Ramon Cardova
• Terra di Seta
• Tzuba
• Shilo
• Gamla
• Laurent Perrier
• Harkham
• Carmel
• Yatir
• Bokobsa
• Goose Bay
• Alfasi
• Castel
• Elvi
• French Wines
• Alexander
• Netofa
• Capcanes
• Covenant
• Teal Lake
• Psagot
• Barkan
• Segal’s
• Rashi
• Ovadia Estates
• Zion
• Flam
• Hagafen
• Blama Venitia
• Aruardiente
• Ron Medellin
• El Capo
• Ruskova
• Glengoyne
• Ron Viejo de Caldas
• Arran
• Cristall
• Tomintou
• Los Arango
• Distillery No. 209
• Louis Royer
• Ron Abuelo
• Ron Cotzes
• Rum Jimbie
• Kellan’s McIvor
• Zachlawi
• Walder’s

Thanks to Royal/Herzog wines for inviting me to this awesome event! I’m already looking forward to KFWE2012!

Can you tell we like wine tasting? Jessica went to Hagafen Cellars on her trip to Napa earlier this year.

Looking at the wine-making process in these vats and barrels (though glass; sorry for the reflections). The winery here is not a vineyard, so Herzog sources its grapes from all over California.

We made it to the wine tasting room and sampled a bottle of wine that hasn’t been released yet. See, the label is just a piece of tape; the real labels haven’t been printed yet. David had to open and pour the wine! Can you guess why?

This was one of my favorite parts: bottled smells of wine characteristics. This is the “good” box, which (luckily) is much bigger than the “bad” one. We smelled things like moldy and horsey before moving on to dark chocolate and caramel. I had no idea something like this existed, and still don’t know how they perfectly bottled those scents.

And now, time for brunch at Tierra Sur, the restaurant at Herzog Wine Cellars, where Chef Todd Aaron uses local California produce! Lucky for me, there was a special buffet for the harvest festival, so I got to taste everything. I think those mini barbecued beef sandwiches were my favorite part! David really liked the juicy capon; he asked me to replicate it! When the manager told us what was in this quiche, we thought we misheard him: it’s bacon; lamb bacon! I couldn’t have fit more food on my plate if I tried:

And now, time for dessert. Apple pie, a mini pumpkin bundt and a rich chocolatey cupcake. I can’t decide which was my favorite, they were all amazing. I had to share my plate with David, though. I was too stuffed from the buffet to finish everything!

After our meal, it was time for more wine tasting! We tasted wines that were still in the barrel and that will only be released in the tasting room (become a member of one of their wine clubs to get a bottle!). The Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley was especially delicious, and its undecided what will become of it in the future.

I had to refrain from buying any of the beautiful condiments, marinades, olives and, of course, wines in the gift shop since I didn’t want to check my luggage at the airport. Then I was forced to check my suitcase when boarding, since the overhead bins were full. I could have brought home so many goodies! Ugh! I don’t want to talk about it, I’m still kinda mad…

A special thanks to Monica and Joe for inviting us out and showing us around! What a great way to end my short trip to California!

p.s. I thought that we New Yorkers had it all when it came to kosher food, but that was before I visited LA! What’s your favorite city for kosher eating?

p.p.s. Don’t forget to enter our giveaway!

We just got a copy of Susie Fishbein’s new cookbook Kosher by Design Teens and 20somethings, a great resource for just-starting-out chefs and a great addition to the Kosher by Design series! This book is obviously targeting a younger generation of cooks, but don’t let that (or the spaghetti squash wearing sunglasses) turn you off.

Whether you’re heading to college, you’re a newlywed in a new kitchen or maybe you are just sick of takeout, this is a great cookbook for you. Not only does it have simple and delicious recipes (David made fun of the number of them I bookmarked for future dinners), but it has great tips and suggestions for a young cook. Hey, we Kosher Foodies are not exactly beginners, but we are 20somethings with full-time jobs who like to sit down to a home-cooked meal after a long day, so these are great recipes for long days like that. The book even guides readers, helping them plan ahead, and use the same ingredients in one week. Thanks, Susie!

But enough of this talk, you can see for yourself! One lucky reader can get a free copy of the book. How’s that, you ask? There are four ways, and you can enter up to four times:

1. Leave a comment on this post and share with us your favorite weeknight recipe (we’re always looking for new ideas; meat, dairy, pareve, whatever!).
2. Follow us on Twitter (@kosherfoodies)
3. Like us on Facebook (facebook.com/kosherfoodies)
4. Email 5 of your friends and tell them to check us out (and CC kosherfoodies@gmail.com)

And if you don’t win, don’t fret; here’s a message from ArtScroll:

Preorder your copy today at ArtScroll.com – enter the coupon code KBDBLOG at checkout to save 10% and receive free shipping in the continental U.S. Join us online to find more reviews and giveaway contests! Kosher by Design Teens & 20-Somethings: cooking for the next generation is aimed at the young and digital-savvy fast-food generation and those who cook for them. Susie Fishbein is an everyday cook who loves to share her passion for cooking and entertaining with friends and family. Her enthusiasm for food and entertaining led to the creation of her best-selling cookbook, Kosher by Design, published in 2003 by ArtScroll Shaar Press. For more recipes and updates, visit our blog or connect with us on Facebook and Twitter.

I’ve eaten in many Indian restaurants before, but only vegetarian meals, this was my first experience with meat Indian. Dakshin is the only Glatt kosher Indian restaurant among the dozens here in the city.

We ordered the chicken tikka masala and the lamb vindaloo. These entrees did not come with rice; we ordered lemon rice on the side.

The food was delicious, authentic and spicy! The lamb was so tender and delicious and both of the sauces were nice and flavorful. Unfortunately, the portions were so generous that we could barely finish them and didn’t leave any room for dessert. We appreciated the complimentary rice pudding anyway.

The service was excellent, and not just for a kosher restaurant on a Saturday night. Our waiter was very attentive, he helped us choose from the menu and constantly made sure we had enough water.

Have you been to Dakshin? What did you think?

Chag Sameach everyone! We hope everyone has a sweet and healthy new year.

Everyone knows the custom of dipping apples in honey for Rosh HaShanah…actually, our family has different customs (and we don’t even have honey at the table, we use sugar instead). The Sephardic custom is to make many brachot on simanim, the symbolic foods we eat during the seder, before the meal. Before sharing the Leek Ejjeh recipe with you, I thought I might explain what our holiday meal with consist of tonight, and share the simanim that we will eat in order to celebrate the new year. Some more information on a (somewhat different) Rosh HaShanah seder can be found here.

The first siman is apples dipped in sugar (or honey). We eat this so that we will have a good and sweet new year. Cut the apples and serve with a bowl of sugar. Done.

The mext is tamarim, or dates. We eat this so that our enemies may be destroyed. No need to prepare these, we just buy dried dates – medjool dates are quite tasty on their own.

The third siman is leeks. We eat these so that our enemies will be destroyed (again). The recipe for leeks is at the bottom of this post – thanks for your patience!

The fourth siman, swiss chard, is eaten in hopes of removing our enemies (yet again).

The fifth siman is gourd. We make a bracha asking God to tear up any oppressive decrees in areas where Jews live and to proclaim our merits before Him.

The next siman is black eyed peas, or Lubiyeh. We eat this in order to increase our merits. These small beans are eaten stewed with meat – our family uses kibbe (the same little meatballs I made with mushrooms the other day) – and served as part of the regular meal and the seder during the holiday meal.

We eat the next siman, pomegranates (or rimon), asking God to grant us bountiful merits and goodwill, as many as the fruit’s seeds. Cut the fruit in half and immerse in a bowl of water while scraping the seeds away from the flesh with your fingers. The white flesh will float to the top, and the seeds will sink to the bottom. Scrape the flesh from top of the bowl and drain the seeds, it’s as easy as that. This method also stops your kitchen and clothing from getting all red.

Lastly, we eat tongue as the next siman. Tongue is eaten to symbolize a lamb’s head (I think some families eat fish, as well). This is to symbolize that we will be leaders (at the head) rather than followers at the trail. The meat is also a reminder of the ram that Avraham sacrificed instead of his son, Yitzchak. We buy tongue from the deli. Most people at the table don’t want to eat it.

The last thing we eat, after the simanim, is a new fruit. This should be a fruit that has just come into season, and therefore we were unable to eat for an entire year. We say Shehechianu on this fruit and thank God for keeping us alive and bringing us to this season. Our family usually eats starfruit or dragon fruit.

And without further ado, the leek ejjeh we will be enjoying for the next two nights:

We actually make our leeks into small latkes, quite similar to the tasty Chanukah treat. They’re delicious this way – crispy, tasty, and small. Not breaded like onion rings, but with the same flavor. They taste somewhat similar, actually.

Ingredients:

• 2-3 large leeks, or 4-5 small leeks, washed well and chopped (don’t try to grate them on a box grater. They will get stringy)
• 1/2 cup breadcrumbs or matzah meal
• 2 eggs
• Egg white from one egg
• Salt and pepper
• Vegetable oil, for frying

Directions:

1. Prepare oil for frying: pour about 1/2 inch of oil into a high-walled pan. Place on burner over medium heat.

2. Combine leeks, eggs, and breadcrumbs. Mix to combine. Check consistency. If it’s too dry, add the egg white. If too wet, add more bread crumbs. The batter should be loose but be able to come together into a ball if squeezed. Add salt and pepper.

3. Using a tablespoon measure, scoop out batter into balls.

4. Test the frying oil with a tiny amount of batter. Make sure it sizzles but doesn’t burn. Prepare a plate or tray to drain the patties after frying. I used a paper towel-lined plate. My grandmother used to use brown paper bags (yes, the ones from the grocery store). Alton brown uses a cooling rack on top of a towel-lined cookie sheet. That’s probably the best idea if you can do it.

5. Using a slotted spoon, drop the batter, one at a time, into the oil, flattening into patties as you drop them. Only put 5-4 in the oil at a time, because you don’t want the temperature to drop too much and the patties to get soggy.

6. After one minute, they should be brown. Flip the patties. Fry on the other side for a minute. Remove from oil with slotted spoon and place on draining plate. Repeat until all are fried.

7. Sprinkle with salt when still warm.

8. Serve along with the bracha: “that those who hate us be cut away”

Shana tova!

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