Cauliflower Steaks with Capers, Anchovy and Raisins

Just wanted to share a quick post of a side dish I made for Passover midweek dinner. I found the recipe at Bon Appetit. Crispy Cauliflower with Capers, Raisins and Breadcrumbs was the original title. I cut the cauliflower as steaks as you see above and roasted at 400F for a few minutes longer. I also used Matza breadcrumbs instead of regular. It was a pretty elegant presentation though not on the plate shown above. I couldn't resist re-purposing the plate for this shoot, my recent prop purchase.

Check out the nutritional value and some fascinating health benefits of cauliflower on Whole Foods site.

Related posts:

Potatoes, Cauliflower and Celeriac Soup with Crispy Shallots

Aloo Gobi - Indian Potato and Cauliflower Curry

Romanesco Floret Fritters in Beer and HoneyBatter (Not for Passover. Can be made with cauliflower)

Red Hazeret - A Horseradish & Red Beets Relish

Biblical stories and heroes and heroines' tales from mythology trigger young kids' healthy imaginations and nightmares alike. Maybe worrisome little kids with an overactive imagination, such as I was. I still am. When I read Russian literature, I felt the heroine's agony and yearnings. When we went over the Egyptians' afflictions every year in class, around Passover, I worried about rain of frogs and locust. My shoulders cringed, sitting still in the small, wooden chair in class, my jaw tense. I kept my mouth tightly shut though I had much to voice. I wriggled as a contortionist to shimmy away the itchiness at the thought of lice. Ten plagues, oh the possibilities of plights to be distraught about, even though I am an Israelite. I was the protagonist in my very own tragic post biblical drama.

Majority of my years growing up I went to a secular school. The teachers were true educators. They gave us, so to speak, the creationism vs. evolution point of views. We always had healthy debates and discussions and the teachers usually didn't, speaking of afflictions, inflict their own beliefs and opinions on us. Sometimes they did, especially in Literature class, but never in Bible Studies hour. Still, the ten plagues, whether by hand of g-d or simply a course of nature, were all too real. The what-ifs were vivid daydreaming and nightmare episodes.

No wonder then, to add insult to injury, I love Hazeret so much. A horseradish relish, typically made on Passover, to remind us of the bitterness and hardship of the Israelites' lives in Egypt. The pleasure I take in relishing this condiment even when all my senses, if only for a few seconds, numb, and I feel like a dragon, or Mount Vesuvius, moments before it erupts and explodes in all his or hers fiery wrath. Simultaneously, the heightened fumigation sensation is so cleansing and rejuvenating. It's spring.

For those of you who aren't familiar with the story of Passover, you can read about it here. When I was seeking out fresh horseradish recipes on Twitter, Facebook and Food Wanderings FB page it was educational. Not only did my Facebook friend Patti gave me her Horseradish with Beets Relish recipe but I also learned through her that Christians of Polish or Eastern European decent make it for Easter. Who would have thought?! I thought it was a super curious tid bit.

I can't believe it was the first year I made a horseradish relish from scratch. Trust me I won't ever go back to buying the ready made jars. It is so poignant and fresh. Beware though, the fumes can be overwhelmingly tear jerking while you prep it. I labored a bit, grating it, but you can process it all in the food processor. I cooked the beets about 20-30 minutes to an al dente consistency. I dislike raw beets. I find that the cooking, or roasting, if that's your method of choice, draws out the sugars in the beets. I saw recipes calling for balsamic or other fancy vinegars. They alter the flavor and take away from the purity of the horseradish, but if you are prepared to take the risk, by all means take a leap. I used plain ole' vinegar.

In all honesty I would probably be happiest just mixing the grated horseradish and beets, nothing more. That explains the 'touch of' in the ingredients list below. If you wish, you can follow Patti's recipe above or the one I saw on Leite's Culinaria's site.

I wish you all who celebrate a Happy and plight-less Passover and Easter, too. Let your imaginations run with happy thoughts! Happy spring to you all!

Horseradish and Red Beets Relish

1 lb horseradish root, peeled and cut up to small pieces
1/2 lb red beets (4 small), peeled
A touch of salt
A touch of sugar
A touch of vinegar
Water

Cover the beets 1-2 inches above the tops with water, bring to a boil and reduce to a low medium bubble, for about 20-30 minutes, until fork tender. Drain and let cool. While beets are cooking process the horseradish in a food processor. Scoop into a large bowl. Half or quarter the beets and add to the food processor. Whiz until a desired consistency is reached. Add to the horseradish. Add sugar, salt and vinegar according to taste.

Process in a food processor to a desired consistency. Store in a sealed jar in the refrigerator for up to 1 week, or can to prolong shelf life.

Cook's note:
1. I suggest to process the beets and horseradish in the food process separately because of the different consistency. You don't want the beets to be mush while the horseradish is still in chunks if you process together.
2. You can change the proportion of beets:horseradish according to your taste.

Great served with Haroset on a matza.

DC Eats & Food: My Lunches with Jeanne: DGS Delicatessen

As you probably read in the first installment, Mark's Duck House, of my newly launched series, "DC Eats and Food: My Lunches with Jeanne," she might or might not be a figment of my imagination. In this series, I cover some of my DC area favorite eats.

I know most restaurants do not like to be a one-trick pony, but more often than not, we are enchanted with only one or two dishes on a restaurant's menu. We blindly order the same dish every single time like a familiar, comfy blanket to snuggle up with.  Rarely do we love (almost) everything on the menu, and that is why DGS Delicatessen is such a refreshing addition to the DC food landscape.

The chicken matzo ball soup, deep golden, clear broth, rivals, if not surpasses, mine, on my best days. On my worst, it's leaps and bounds ahead of mine. Did I just admit to that?! Duck fat matzo balls, oh gosh, divine. No hint of duck flavor, which is a check in my book. I don't want a hint of duck in my classic Jewish soup, but if that is the secret to these matza balls?! It did a magical number on them. They are perfectly airy and shape all intact. Visually, I love the diced al dente carrots sunken to the very bottom, seen through the translucent consommé filled soup bowl. Waiting transfixed, suspended, to be fished by the diving spoon.

Jeanne, who didn't accompany me to DGS, but went there, not once, but twice, with her family, for Sunday brunch, was cooing over it. "We LOVED this place, Shulie. Thank you so much for the recommendation. The matzo ball soup and latkes were absolutely the best I've ever had, and I am as Jewish as a Chinese girl gets!!"

As die hard NYC's Katz's Deli fans, it was risky to take a chance on DGS' pastrami on rye. Boy did they reinvent the pastrami and put their own spin on it. As long as it is equally as good, even if different, I can live with that. I thought the atypical thicker slices would turn me off, but nothing about the way I was inhaling the peppery crusted cuts, gave any indication of that. It's a gigantic sandwich so I shared the other half with Jonathan. He ordered pastrami hash. It was brunch time. The fresh rye bread is toasted at the edges. Really brilliant flavor and texture.

The next time we went, I asked for the leaner pastrami cut. Jonathan ordered the corned beef which was equally as good. The pickles aren't overpowering. Great, mild accompaniment to any of the main dishes. On that second venture out to DGS, it was dinner time. Jonathan ordered a charred Ras El Hanout cauliflower side. We both loved the smokiness from the North African, Ras El Hanout, spices, according to the waitress, mixed in house.

The one item on the dessert menu that everyone is ogling, and Jonathan couldn't put the dessert fork down, is the chocolate babka bread pudding. I could do without. Go figure! I can see you shaking your head in complete disapproval.:)

Meanwhile, I haven't even touched the sleek exterior and casual chic interior. In all honesty, I can't wait to go back.

DGS Delicatessen
1317 Connecticut Avenue, NW
(one block south of Dupont Circle)
Washington, DC
202-293-4400

DC Eats and Food: My Lunches with Jeanne series:
Mark's Duck House

Disclaimer: I do not get comped by restaurants or their PR agencies to write these posts. I foot the bill myself. I share only places I love.

This series is snapped with my iPhone.

Basic Gluten Free Potato Starch Crepes - Passover Made Easy Cookbook

While I am way behind with the Passover program, I wished to introduce you to a fun, user friendly Passover Made Easy cookbook, courtesy of Leah Schapira, one of the co-authors of the cookbook. We are yet to decide where we will having the Seder dinner. S is away on a volunteer spring break program, arriving back in the US, a week prior to Passover which falls later this March, at which time we will probably decide how we are spending it. I am also still indulging in leavened bread postings, but for those of you that are well ahead with your Passover preparation to eradicate any 'chametz', here is a great kosher for Passover morning, basic gluten free crepes recipe.

Breads, morning pastries, pancakes and desserts are the most challenging for me when I am planning my Passover holiday meal. That explains my past postings of Ricotta Meyer Lemon Coin Pancakes, Flourless Fudgy Chocolate Coconut Cookies, Coconut Panna Cotta and Minneola Tangelo Gelee and Peanut Apple Passover Cake, among other Passover breakfast and dessert recipes. Luckily, unlike Ashkenazi Jews, we do eat rice, legumes and beans during the holiday, which makes planning a menu that much more flexible.

Banana Bread & Red Star Yeast Platinum Giveaway

I had never baked a yeast bread with mashed bananas before, so the prospect of this being a first was exciting to me. The texture and aromas of ripe bananas, yeast and vanilla, while kneading, were curious and exhilarating. The aromas from the oven were laced with intoxicating sweetness. This bread is a welcome addition to the collection of sweet breads, perfect for breakfast, brunch or my occasional breakfast for dinner routine. As you can tell, I was so intoxicated that I couldn't let the loaf completely cool prior to slicing it.

In the last few months I have interchangeably been using Red Star Yeast's active dry yeast and its newly launched magical Platinum yeast. I think I couldn't explain the traits of this new Platinum yeast better than explained in this video clip, here, by Gesine Bullock-Prado, a professional baker. The How to Use Platinum Superior Yeast is also a great guide to baking with Platinum. I know when I use Platinum that my bread will rise in the oven. It seems like Platinum has that extra oomph.

Silent Sundays: Avocados

DC Eats & Food: My Lunches with Jeanne: Mark's Duck House

I am launching a new series of DC Eats and Food.  I am also inaugurating with it, My Lunches with Jeanne, who might or might not be a figment of my imagination. My treiff, unkosher, alter ego, with a direct quote "we eat a lot of pork. I looooove pork." Preaching to the choir, NOT. She might or might not have gone to graduate school with Jonathan. If she is real, Jeanne might not be her real name but a pseudonym. She might or might not chime in here. Maybe by a lucky chance she will even write an entire post, as long as the muse strikes her and it is not too much work, and that too is a direct quote.

We ended up completely out of my comfort zone at an authentic Chinese restaurant, in an indistinct tiny strip mall. A place called Mark's Duck House. They greeted Jeanne warmly. The trolleys, as I called the carts, were rolled to our table by the servers as soon as we were seated. I believe dinner is a la carte. Jeanne quickly conversed with them, in Mandarin, and pointed to the desired dishes. They immediately unburdened the carts and our table quickly became crowded. One trolley was ladened with an array of dumplings of all shapes, pleated to perfection. The other with duck and other non dumpling offerings, like baked sweet pork buns. Jeanne mentioned how each particular type of dumpling has its own corresponding shape and pleating. It's an art.

The on the bone Cantonese duck was superb. Moist, flavorful and roasted to mahogany perfection. There were rice noodles that reminded me of Vietnamese food. More subtle, sophisticated flavors than the greasy, sweet and sour sauces in dishes I had in other Chinese establishments. Of course I was taken by that one dumpling that had some cilantro in it, or I though it did. Loved the Chinese broccoli, beautifully piled up in a rectangular brick presentation with some sauce. Honestly, if you eat anything seafood and pork, this is your Chinese heaven on earth. Here, you can't go wrong. I warmly recommend it; to me it was a culinary adventure.

Disclaimer: I do not get comped by restaurants or their PR agencies to write these posts. I foot the bill myself. I will share only places I love.

This series will be snapped with my iPhone.

Mark's Duck House
6184-A Arlington Blvd
Willston Center I
Falls Church, VA 22044
703-532-2125

Chocolate Yeast Cake & Roulade

This past January when I was in Israel, my newly wed nephew's wife baked this cake. Four roulades to be exact. See top left photo in the collage below. A bubbly and intelligent gal, I think barely twenty, if that. I was beside myself, taken by her, I had no clue what to expect. We briefly spoke to her at her and my nephew's wedding over the summer, but didn't know her at all.

She brought one chocolate roulade over to my sister's home, where I was staying part of the time. We devoured it. One roulade she gave to her neighbor and two she froze for my nephew. I begged her the next day to bring another one over, but she wouldn't relent, it was saved for her sweetheart. When I pointed at her. and told her that she is frugal, she threatened to withhold the recipe from me. All in good fun.

Come to think if it, this roulade is a staple at many Israeli homes, baked usually as a Shabbat (Sabbath) dessert. Some would say it is identical to a chocolate babka. Either way, I have been daydreaming about it since I came back to the US, but just got around to baking it. 

The first two loaves I baked were filled with the cocoa, coffee filling. I cut them lengthwise the way the collage shows, braided and scooped and squished them into two cake loaf pans. They looked like babkas. You might have caught the slice I Instagrammed earlier. The third loaf was the one featured in this post with the semi sweet chocolate filling, it went to my neighbors. The last was a roulade, shown in the top left photo of the collage, filled with the cocoa, coffee filling and sprinkled with sesame seeds. I love that yeast, chocolate and sesame combination.

Deeper depth of field than top photo

My further research was turning up identical recipes one after the other. I guess the recipe is full proof! After kneading the dough it comes out a tad sticky, but after proofing for two hours, boy it's gorgeous! If you do not wish to bake all four loaves in one day, you can keep half of the dough covered with saran wrap to proof overnight in the refrigerator.

Check out my Breads and Anything Yeast board on Pinterest to see the posts that inspired me to shape this loaf in an Estonian Kringle fashion.

Chocolate Yeast Cake and Roulade
makes 4 cakes/roulades

Yeast starter
25gr active dry yeast (about little more than 3 1/2 packets. Each packet is 1/4oz)
1/2 cup lukewarm milk

Dough
1kg (2.2lbs) all purpose flour
150gr sugar (3/4 cup)
4 eggs, room temperature
180ml lukewarm milk (3/4 cup)
1/2 teaspoon salt
200gr (7.05oz/14 tablespoons plus a tad) butter, cut into pieces, room temperature

Egg Wash
1 egg, whisked
1 tablespoon milk

Mix the milk and egg together.

Garnish
Sesame seeds

Fillings below

Add the yeast to the 1/2 cup of milk and let rest for 10-20 minutes until the yeast bubbles. Meanwhile, add the flour, sugar and salt into the mixer bowl and incorporate with a rubber spatula. With a dough hook attachment mix into the flour mixture, the milk and eggs, incorporate and shortly after add the bubbled yeast. While the dough is kneading add the pieces of butter one by one. Knead for about 5-7 minutes until all the ingredients are incorporated. Place the dough in a large glass, ceramic or porcelain bowl, cover with saran wrap and let proof in a warm place for up to 2 hours.

Divide the dough to 4 equal parts. Keep 3 parts covered with saran wrap while rolling out the first part. Roll out the dough into a super thin 40cmX45cm  (a tad larger than 15X17inches) rectangle. Spread with a rubber spatula the semi sweet chocolate filling or brush with melted butter and sprinkle the cocoa, coffee filing and roll tightly from the narrow part into a roulade.

Place the roulade on a greased parchment paper lined cookie sheet, with the seam side facing the bottom, cover with a kitchen towel and let proof in a warm place for up to an hour. Brush with the egg wash, sprinkle with sesame seeds if desired and bake in a preheated  180C (356F) oven for 25 minutes.

You can slice the roulade lengthwise and keep the sliced parts facing up. Braid while all the while keeping the sliced parts facing up. Pinch ends and turn into a ring. Place on a greased parchment paper lined cookie sheet, cover with a kitchen towel and proof in a warm place for up to an hour. Brush with an egg wash and bake in a preheated  180C (356F) oven for 25 minutes.

Instead of rolling the braid into a ring you can lift it and squish it like an accordion into a greased parchment paper lined cake loaf pan. Cover with a kitchen towel and let proof in a warm place for up to an hour. Brush with an egg wash and bake in a preheated  180C (356F) oven for 25 minutes.

It is easier to squish the loaf with the cocoa and coffee filling into an accordion than it is with the semi sweet spread.

Cocoa, Coffee Filling
50gr butter, melted and brought to room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoon cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon instant coffee or cinnamon

Mix the sugar cocoa and coffee.

Semi Sweet Chocolate Filling
150gr (5 1/2oz) semi sweet chocolate
70gr (about 5 tablespoons) butter

Melt the chocolate and butter in a bain-marie while occasionally stirring with a rubber spatula, until smooth and glossy. Let cool at room temperature.

You can use a ready made spread of your choice.

Israeli Couscous & Kale

Recent outings to a few restaurants catapulted me into a renewed enthusiasm for vegetables, if that is at all possible, considering I cook a lot with veggies, daily. Intensely charred Brussels sprouts with maple syrup, balsamic and a touch of yogurt in one place, charred cauliflower with a smokey ras el hanout, a Northern African spice mix in another, jolted my taste buds.

Baking with Heritage: An Argentinian Tortitas Negras - Little Black Cakes by Vintage Kitchen Notes

So happy to have Paula of Vintage Kitchen Notes as my second guest in the monthly Baking with Heritage series. I hadn't the slightest clue about Argentinian baking, even though one of my best friends growing up was half Argentinian, the other half, Brazilian. I thought Asado and empanadas pretty much sum up Argentinian food. My son swears by the empanadas in Buenos Aires to be the best in the world. He was there on a soccer tournament in his freshman year in high school and got a hefty dose. Trust me I tried to replicate.

Moving fast forward to Paula, who is the gentlest, sweetest person and a super talented baker. Her writing below is romantic. I can imagine sepia toned old world charms through her words. I salivate over her Caramelized Monkey Bread and Soft Pretzels. For those of you who are fluent in Spanish, I am embarrassed to say I am not, Paula also has a food blog in Spanish called Jengibre Azul, Blue Ginger. In our brief brainstorming session Paula threw some ideas around. The little I knew that there are many classic Argentinian breads baked with lard, but for the purposes of this blog, I couldn't. I shot Paula a quick email explaining the entire kosher thing on one foot, though I should put a disclaimer attached here, I am by no mean kosher in the traditional way. When Paula mentioned these Tortitas Negras cakes, I think we both knew instantly that this is it. Aren't these Little Black Cakes deliciously intriguing? I was hooked!

Hop below to Paula, but before you do so, I encourage you to follow her on twitter and like Vintage Kitchen Notes on Facebook. I can't help myself but share with you her native country's Marinated Steak and Chimichurri Sliders  and Empanadas. For those of you who keep kosher, the lard and butter can easily be substituted with oil and margarine. If you wish to be a part of these series, drop me a note.

TORTITAS NEGRAS

When I read that Shulie was interested in heritage baking I thought I heard her call my name. Baking is my favorite thing to do in the kitchen, and having a chance to make at home something that reminds me of my childhood, of the times when old fashioned bakeries where still modern, is definitely on top of my list. As in sharing a prized recipe with someone as talented as her, and that includes not only her food, but also her tales of the world and amazing photography. I hope you, her readers, enjoy these simple and very traditional little breads.

Jerusalem Artichokes (Sunchokes), Potatoes, Garlic Soup

These knobby tubers, the Jerusalem Artichokes, otherwise known as sunchokes, aren't related to artichokes but rather to the sunflower/daisy family. This root vegetable is surprisingly not from Jerusalem but rather native to North America. Italian settlers in the US called the plant girasole, sunflower in Italian, which might explain how the name evolved overtime to Jerusalem. Jerusalem artichoke's flavor resembles the taste of a heart of an artichoke, only sweeter.