Brioche

I have baked the more humble cousin, the challah, on multitudes of occasions over the years, but never the more aristocratic Brioche. Although there are some idiosyncrasies to brioche making, I found the process much easier than I've imagined.  I made a couple of batches but even within one batch I experimented with different shaping techniques my research came up with. I am really in awe at how different proportions of flour, water, eggs, yeast and butter will produce such a different depth of flavor and texture in bread.

Daily Catch: Red Drum Fish Fillet on Green Basil & Spinach Risotto

Note to the kosher crowd: Sheila is a seafood restaurant but the dish could be replicated at home without the shellfish and be completely kosher.

As many of you know, Sheila is one of my favorite restaurants in Israel. If you haven't caught the article at The Washington Post, you can read it here. In addition to the recipes that appeared in The Washington Post, I was fortunate enough that Sharon, Chef Cohen that is, shared with me, one of my all time favorite restaurant dishes, his green risotto recipe. Here, I am happy to share it with you. It's absolutely phenomenal.

Wordless Wednesday - Black Beans

By the time I got home I couldn't tell whether I got black (turtle?) beans or black Adzuki (Azuki) beans.  Can you tell the difference? Thanks for your help.

Apple Bourbon Bundt Cake

A last minute search came up with an Apple Bourbon Bundt Cake by Melissa Clark published by The New York Times in 2011. I wished to change things around a tad from my favorite apple cake I bake every year. For 5773 I upped the stakes and went all boozy and I like it!

Artichoke Bottoms Filled With Carp 'Meatballs' In Ouzo & Fennel Sauce & A Gefilte Fish Rant

I am unapologetic for my distaste of Gefilte Fish. I shudder at the thought of the jello-y cellulite like jiggle of these Eastern European anemic carp 'meatballs'. One of my guests a few years past had the blasphemy to bring the canned version, it was his mom's tradition while he was a budding young boy. Sacrilegious to taint my holiday table. I was mortified!

Lamb Biryani - Rosh HaShana 5773 Indian Style

Every year as Rosh HaShana, The Jewish New Year, rolled in, my mom used to make this lamb biryani as a celebratory dish. The lamb was fork tender and still gorgeous pinkish inside, even after cooking for an hour and a half. Traditionally my mom adds potatoes into the dish, but I did not include them. The dish ages well over time, but potatoes are best when freshly cooked, not the next day or two. My mom also uses 4-5 chiles in this recipes but I toned it down. This particular version is super authentic even with the minor tweaks, directly from my mom's kitchen.