Jewish - - Page 9

by BS

T.G.I. Super Tuesday

The former foodie frontrunner wonders what he failed to eat.

The presidential campaign is heading into its biggest day yet, and across the board, the candidates are still ignoring the food vote. We’ve said goodbye to Rudy Giuliani, whose brave attempts to eat his way into power were thwarted when his ill-conceived strategy to bring out the Florida Jews ended in a miserable failure. At least one foodophile is ready to speak the hard truth: he should have gone more Ashkenazi.

Yet the remaining candidates have left this blog’s editorial board uninspired. Seriously people, Thailand has already made history by placing the “Thai Emeril” at the seat of government, is it so much to ask for some statements on your caviar policy? If this keeps up, we may have to start a Draft Bourdain campaign. Or at least Carol Mosely Braun.

While these shortcomings are depressing, we feel compelled to give you a few more updates on the field, given the enormity of today’s contests:

Phreaky Photo of the Day

Waiter, there’s an eyeball in my cheesecake…

Now there are two…

Setting: Junior’s, Brooklyn, NY.

No reported sightings of p. diddy minons or the mythical brisket-on-latke sandwich.

in Celebs / Desserts / Photos 2 comments

by gansie

It’s Raining Meat, Hallelujah!

Editors Note: I love matzah ball soup, I love begals and cream cheese and lox, and I love latkes. One thing I don’t love: brisket. Now I know my Oma made a killer beef dish at all of our Holiday feasts, but I stuck with the chicken and mashers. Who knew that it might take a Brit to convince me to retry this particular cut of cow. Here is Britannia’s take on Brisket with Gorgonzola Cream Sauce (though not a Kosher combo.)

My house mate, 30MinuteAbs, was having a birthday and he wanted a party (nothing new there). I’ve never really cooked for more than twelve to fifteen people before, but on this occasion I was set a challenge–a party for fifty people.

Usually my vegetarian friend from Brooklyn would take on the duties, but this time the guest of honor wanted meat and he wouldn’t cook with meat…So, I was set to task. I considered the variables: oven space, cost, time, quality of product. The best option that I could come up with was brisket: it’s easy, it’s reliable and it’s not steak.

4 x 5lbs of brisket is what was cooked, yes my math got that to 20lbs too! I was unsure on how this was going to turn out. Using the logic that cheese makes everything better (and so the meat wouldn’t dry out,) I made a Gorgonzola cream gravy to go with it. I had gone to a friend’s party two nights before the event and there was a filet topped with blue cheese, this was my inspiration for the gravy. I have to say this was one of my finer culinary moments, catering company anyone?!?!

The recipe is for forty servings; maybe divide everything by 4 or 8 depending on people, for normal usage. Recipe post jump.

Hott Links: Crooklyn Style

– Best Thief Ever: A Brooklyn man is arrested after slipping seven salamis into his pants. Tragic, because six would have been believable but seven is just pushing it. [Gothamist]

– I don’t know if it’s because of subprime mortgages or what, but suddenly, everything in New York is served out of trucks. Waffles, pizza, even creme brulee. And now, bringing back one of the original truck foods is the much-hyped Endless Summer Taco Truck in Williamsburg*. Being Wiliamsburg, the food is served by aspiring rock stars: the lead singers of Bad Wizard and The Jewish (Still everywhere! See previous comment thread). [Grub Street]

– NYT does a write-up of the restaurants in my neighborhood, Fort Greene. ES staff members, feel free to start researching what you wanna eat when you come visit me.

– Bonus hott link, because this one is a hott ingredient trend alert: The Times lets us know it’s OK to start using Nori (seaweed paper) or much more than just sushi.

*No affiliation with Endless Simmer.

Photo: Similepedia

in Trends 1 comments

by BS

Christmas Balls

Being a Half-Jew , Half-Catholic (just like Robert DeNiro and Christopher Columbus!), I’ve always taken a rather cavalier attitude towards both Christmas and the High Holidays. Of course, the high point of both revolves around food, whether it’s pink ham or challah bread.

My fellow half-Jew friend Bethany and I recently attended the Beloit College Alumni Matzo Ball Eating Contest at Ben’s Deli in NY. We were both shocked be the yellow-yellow color of their balls – much more colorful than my aunt’s bullion instructions could possibly account for. When pressed, the chef admitted they added yellow food coloring for the extra effect. Why, I don’t know – I personally don’t like my Hanukkah feast to look like urine, but to each his own I guess.

Anyway, it gave us the great idea pictured above and below. Since Hanukkah is already over, we made our matzo balls Christmas-y, with red and green food coloring. I have to admit, Beth was the chef, I was mostly just creative director, and we followed my aunt’s recipe, which worked superbly. Full disclosure: we bypassed the chicken fat, and everything seemed to still work OK. Obviously, ES officially endorses the chicken fat version.

I also made some tasty latkes, following the recipe from the Notorious K.O.D.

Below, the super-colorful balls, cut open, for full effect.

in Fowl / Holiday 4 comments

by gansie

Fry, Baby, Fry

Chanukah is mostly about presents. Every kid and wanna-be kid knows that. But it started as a celebration about finding enough oil to light candles. Or something like that.

And like most Jewish holidays, this translates into food. So, we celebrate and cook with oil for eight days. Well, not that every other day I don’t cook in oil , but still, I usually don’t go to the trouble of grating onions and potatoes.

Yes, those lovely potato pancakes – latkes.

Okay, switching stories now, bear with me.

(KOD and me!)

So a few weeks back, I took El with me to see Kim O’Donnel at her book signing for: A Mighty Appetite for the Holidays: Kitchen Tricks for the Feasting Season.

I love me some KOD: I read her blog daily and her chat weekly, so naturally, I had to support her first book. It’s a great, pint-sized, book that takes the reader from Thanksgiving to New Years, ensuring delicious food for the entire holiday season.

And, this collection of recipes receives the first “Seal of Simmer” from the Endless Simmer Book List. Congrats, Kim!

Okay, back to cooking. The first recipe I tried from A Mighty Appetite for the Holidays was latkes. Now, if you’ve followed ES for a bit, you’ll remember my previous potato disaster. Clearly, I was nervous. But, I trusted that KOD could guide me to perfect potato pancakes.

Chanukah Hammy

Photo: Sideways Pony [via Accordion Guy; tip belmontmedina]

in Photos / Trends 3 comments