My first memory of Schmaltz is of Annie Mae stirring the fat and skin on top of the stove and then pouring it into a jar to keep for my Great Uncle Bob.He came for dinner every Friday night and exclaimed:” Gloria, bring me some Schmaltz.”. I would scamper off […]
Eastern European
Chicken Soup
There is probably no recipe more iconic than Chicken Soup aka Jewish penicillin. Every family in every culture has their own special formula. My Chicken Soup is the same one that was made in my Great Grandmother’s home, my Grandmother’s home, in my home as a child and now in […]
Ricotta and Cream Cheese Blintzes
Am I the last one to make her own blintzes? Probably not, but I felt it was something I had to do. A rite of passage-if you will. Blueberry blintzes are my favorite so I started on a quest to make ones I really enjoyed. First comes the crêpe batter. […]
Sour Plum Sauce (Tkemali)
Tkemali is Georgian (Russian) in origin and is easily found ready made in Russian neighborhoods. It is the Georgian equivalent to catsup- although it has a much more complex flavor. Both catsup and Tkemali have a fruit as their base-tomatoes for catsup and sour plums for Tkemali. As sour plums […]
Armenian Meatballs
Combine cinnamon, allspice, mint, cilantro, garlic, raisins and pine nuts with chopped meat. Shape this mixture into small meatballs, brown and simmer and you will have the most amazingly delicious hors d’oeuvre you have ever had. Dip the meatballs into Sour Plum Sauce (Tkemali) and you’ll be hooked!
Khrustiki Cookies
Many years ago, we went to Russia. I made a cocktail party before our trip for which I only made Russian recipes. As half of me is from Russian descent, it was a lot of fun to do. One of the books I bought to work with is […]
Cream of Cucumber Soup with Dill
Cucumbers and dill have a natural affinity for each other. Blend them together with potatoes and cream and you have a velvety soup oozing with flavor. This soup is most delicious when served cold. Whether used as a proper first course or served as shooters at a cocktail party, everyone […]
Vegetarian Cabbage Soup
I created this recipe when I had some leftover par-cooked cabbage. It was so good, that I started making it on its own! Prep time: 15 minutes
Chremsels
My Mother made chremsels for Passover every year that I can remember. When my husband and I started taking our family away for Passover, she used to freeze a few for me to eat when we got back. My Mother hates to cook; but for some reason, this was a […]
Vegetarian Tzimmis
Growing up, I ate Tzimmis filled with flanken and bones. We ate it for Rosh Hashana and for the meal before the Fast of Yom Kippur. I continued to make it that way until my daughter became a vegetarian. Now I make two kinds of Tzimmis. One for the carnivores […]