5 Pounds of Challah

November 7, 2013January 25, 2014 by Jessica | 10 Comments

I love baking challah. When I taught 3-year-olds, I baked it with them every week. That made me an expert on kneading the dough by hand and knowing what it should feel like before setting it aside to rise. I still occasionally baked challah, in big batches and small ones, and always by hand.

Last year I got one of the greatest presents ever for my birthday: a Bosch Universal Plus mixer! It is THE ultimate kitchen toy for bread making. Just throw the wet ingredients in the bowl, top with flour, and mix. There was a bit of a learning curve using a machine vs. my hands to make the dough. I never knew how long to mix and stopped the mixer every few seconds till I thought it felt right. I actually still do that sometimes, since bread baking is different based on the weather, your mood, and just about anything. Continue reading …

Dinner Rolls

November 27, 2012 by Jessica | 6 Comments

This is one of the most beautiful dishes I’ve ever made. And they were really easy! I know a lot of people are scared of yeasted breads, but this one is so impressive when served to guests, especially if you’re making a dinner party, that you should really just try.

Plus, I adapted this hand-kneading recipe to use with a mixer so there’s hardly anything you need to do. I also made it pareve, since I ate it with a meaty stew. I’m sure it would be even more amazing with some melted butter on top, though I love the flavor of a good olive oil. Or, you can dress it up with some herbed oil.

Cinnamon Raisin Bread

September 28, 2012 by Jessica | 3 Comments

This is no ordinary bread. Forget the fact that it’s filled with raisins, cinnamon, and brown sugar. It’s also made with a rich, buttery “breakfast” dough. That’s right, I used the same dough for this that I used to make cinnamon buns. So you know it must be good.

Thinking of something different to make for the break-fast? Well, you can’t go wrong with this! People don’t want to eat TOO much (well, I don’t, at least) an this will be a perfect post-fast meal along with a big cup of tea. Continue reading …

Spicy Tuna Burgers – August Kosher Linkup

August 20, 2012 by Jessica | 13 Comments

A few years ago, I bought a meat grinder. I was excited to grind my own meat and make burgers and meatballs all the time. Turns out, I didn’t use it much. I don’t really eat that much meat, though I did make these amazing brisket burgers. Then I realized that I can use it for things other than just ground meat. Tuna! Since I’d be grilling these anyway, who cares if I meatify them? So off to the store to buy some amazing tuna. Continue reading …

Almond Milk

May 17, 2012 by Jessica | Leave a comment

I’m not sure if it’s just because I have a baby who will be turning one soon or because it’s just a fad, but there’s something about nut milks that I just can’t stop hearing and reading about them wherever I go. Now, nut milk is exactly what it sounds like. A drink made out of nuts. In this case, almonds. It’s not milk in the traditional comes from a mammal who just had a baby way, but it’s a nice dairy-free alternative for baking, drinking, cooking, and definitely marinating meats that you can’t use cow’s milk for (think fried chicken). Continue reading …

Parathas

February 16, 2012 by Stephanie | 1 Comment

So you thought I was finished with sharing Indian recipes with you? Think again! I was only taking a break. This Indian flatbread is easy to make and hard to ruin, because it’s a yeast-less bread! So if you’re scared of yeast, this is the bread for you.

Did I mention it’s “fried” in ghee?

Cinnamon Babka

December 26, 2011 by Jessica | 4 Comments

Way back when this blog was just a baby (and before this baby was around), we shared a recipe for chocolate babka with you. We love this babka recipe. We double it to freeze some. We make it with chocolate, cinnamon, white chocolate, and just eat it up. We impress dinner guests and impress hosts with it. We make it all the time. And we love it all the time. And hope you do to. If you don’t, this is just a friendly reminder that you should. Continue reading …

Hamburger Buns

December 8, 2011 by Jessica | 8 Comments

So you invited people over for barbecue only to realize you have no hamburger buns in the freezer. Fine, you’ll just run to the store down the block to get some. Uh oh, they’re out, too! Well, now you’re in luck. While usually burger buns and other breads are something you’d think about making in advance, this recipe takes 40 minute. That’s right, in under an hour you can have fresh homemade burger buns. With or without sesame seeds. Without HFCS.

Rachel’s Challah

June 10, 2011 by Stephanie | 4 Comments

Our friend Rachel makes such delicious challah and is always generous enough to share with us! The first time she brought me a loaf was when we went out to dinner on a Thursday night. She said she made six, so she could spare one. She brought another one when I invited her for a fish taco dinner at our apartment. I told her how much we loved it, so she shared the recipe with me, and now I can have Rachel Challah whenever I want (not that there’s a shortage of challah recipes out there)!

Syrian Bread, aka Pita

February 18, 2011 by Stephanie | 3 Comments

Pita bread isn’t hard, and it’s much better that the kind you can get at the supermarket (but not better than Shore Pita. What’s their secret!?). The photo below is my Syrian bread grilled cheese for dinner Monday, but before that I also used it for hamotzi on Friday night and with eggs for Sunday’s breakfast.