FainaAgain

What is everybody talking about? I didn't even bake my hamentashen yet! Just wait till March, we'll all be baking, I have the easiest recipe!

The last latke night is tonight, sigh... Everybody: ready to go on diet? Purim is coming, get ready!

LoveItaly

Oh sigh, receipe is on the box of the matzo meal. Oh, sometimes the most obvious solution just does not hit my brain quot;>

Nina, a handful of this and a pinch of that, yes thats I how I cook Italian. And so my dear daughter does not know how. At least I was smart enough when I was a teenager to hang around the kitchen of Italian cooks so learned early in life how to do this. But still cannot make a decent brown gravy (for roast) or bake a pie etc.

I will keep my eye on this thread for receipes. You all our wonderful. Thank you.

And by the way, I sure can make a mess in the kitchen when I cook. Never have learned to "clean up as I cook" but think that would take the fun away.

A good day to all of you.

bellairegirl

Here's my mondel bread recipe. (It's very similar to biscotti - a "twice-baked" cookie).

1 c. vegetable oil (or canola or Crisco)
1 c. sugar
3 eggs (added one at a time)
1 t. vanilla
3 c. sifted flour
1 t. baking powder
1/4 t. salt
3/4 c. almonds (optional)
chocolate chips (my addition)
cinnamon-sugar

Mix all ingredients well and divide dough into thirds or fourths. Flour hands and board (or countertop). Shape sections into somewhat flattened, oblong shapes. Sprinkle lightly with cinnamon-sugar and place on greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes. Take out of oven and cut each section across into strips about 1 inch wide. Separate a little and put back into oven until lightly browned. Enjoy!

My non-Jewish friends love this recipe too, although they think it's biscotti!

Susan

PamSF

Long ago someone told me a tip for light matzo balls. Instead of placing the mix in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before making the balls, place the mix in the freezer. They are especially light.
BTW, I do use the matzo ball mix from time to time (Manichevitz) with canned chicken stock. It does in a pinch.

JJ5

Thanks so much, bellairegirl. I'm printing it out and going to try that for sure this weekend. My mom can taste at Christmas, she is mid-eighties and doesn't bake anymore but loves this kind of treat from her childhood.

And I will call it mondel bread, it's correct name. And almonds are tops for this type of baking. Sounds delicious.

Nina66

I'm not at home now and won't be for a few more days, so I don't have my mother's mondel broit recipe. I do remember that she put in a spoon or so of strawberry jam for flavor.

Her parents were from Russia and Poland. My grandmother passed away when I was two years old, and they still talk about what a marvelous baker she was. I bet that she would have taught me! My mother was a good cook and an excellent baker. My father was born in Lithuania, but I didn't know any of his family.

My mother's cousin (by marriage) was the absolute best all around cook and baker that I have ever met. When she would give my mother a recipe, it never tasted the same. My mother used to joke that her cousin would leave out an ingredient so that it wouldn't be as good as her's. Not true, I'm sure.

LoveItaly, I too am a messy cook. What doesn't cling to my clothes, hits the floor, counters, walls etc... I am the exact opposite of my mother. That's why I froze the latkes when my in-laws came over. I can only imagine the look of horror on my mother-in-law's face, if I had made the entire dinner while they were there! I also wanted to sit down and eat as my mother would say 'like a human being' with the family, something my mother was always able to accomplish.

I am good about cleaning up afterwards, but when I cook, I cook. Clean up comes later.

LoveItaly - this Christmas Eve we will be having an Italian dinner at Babbo in Manhattan.

FainaAgain

My way of cooking Mandelbrot is to go to a store on Polk Street it's a block after Lombardi's toward the bay, on the same side of Polk. They sell lots of yummies, including canned fish "sprats" from Lithuania or Latvia. The best canned fish!

FainaAgain

Oopss for you you San Franciscans: forgot to post the name of the store. Actually I forgot the name of the store Something like "specialty cheeses" or something with the word "cheese" in it.

LoveItaly

Nina, you make me feel better!!! The kids always would come into the kitchen and say "gads what a mess!". They sure didn't mind eating all the food though.

I always wondered why I cleaned floors before cooking, what a waste of time!

Your Christmas eve dinner sounds wonderful. Our Christmas eve dinner is always sort of confusing because Rome born & raised SIL likes fish dishes, daughter won't eat them. So I usually do a southern Italian pasta with shrimp. Finally even 13 year old grandson has discovered shrimp and loves them. An easy dish to do (well except for the sauce splattered everwhere but you know how that goes).

bellairegirls mondelbreak receipe sounds very good. I am not much of a baker but think I could manage these. And it does seem like biscotti. Bet my SIL would love them!!

Good grief, we are all going to have to go on a diet after New Years. And I am already living with clothes to tight thanks to Thanksgiving and daughters birthday.

Take good care!

bellairegirl

Okay, here's my Mom's matzoh ball recipe. The recipe came from her grandmother -- one of those cooks who never measured anything. To write the recipe down, my Mom followed behind her and measured everything.

Matzoh Balls (makes 7 or 8 -can double recipe)

1 egg
2 tablespoons of oil
2 tablespoons of water
1/2 cup matzoh meal
little salt [very little as soup is salty]
dash of pepper,garlic powder,cinnamon

In bowl, beat egg and add the oil, matzoh meal,water, and seasoning. Mix. Put in refrigerator, covered for 20 minutes. [You can start boiling a half pot of water now.]

When you take out of refrigerator,form balls loosely. Can wet hands if sticking. Fill insides with filling (recipe below) if you want.

Drop balls in 1/2 pot of boiling water. (You can boil in soup if you want.)

Reduce heat, cover and cook 30 minutes. Do not lift cover.

Filling:
1/2 half of an egg yolk
some matzoh meal, cinnamon

These are dense and flavorful. They are very different than the light and fluffy type typically served in restaurants. I think they are far superior; however, if you make them be prepared to having them compared to cannon balls!

Susan

Dick

lRE: Matzo balls ( Kneidel)

I'm a believer that most people like "the kind their mother made".

I grew up on the light, fluffy kind and prefer those. My wife uses my mother's recipe....which had been passed down to my mother from her mother..

LoveItaly

bellairegirl, thank you!! Sincerely. Now just a question or rather two.

What type of oil?

Second question, if there are any leftovers can they be refrigerated and heated up the next day?

Again, thank you for taking the time to give this receipe.

bellairegirl

I just checked with my Mom, and she uses canola oil. Also, she frequently makes them in advance, refrigerates them (up to a few days), and reheats them in the soup.

Hope they turn out well for you. I'll have to try them myself! When I asked my Mom for the recipe, she offered to make some for me and bring them over. Aren't Jewish mothers great!!!

LoveItaly

Wow bellairegirl, thank you so much. All of you are terrific! Do not know how to thank you, everyone, for all your help and assistance.

Now, if I could just have your Mom arrive here to cook I would be in seventh heaven

Again, thank you sincerely. Best wishes to all.

abram

The recipe on the matzoh meal box:

2 T oil (I use chicken fat)
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1/2 c matzoh meal
1 t salt
2T chicken stock
I add chopped parsley

Nina66

The last Chanukah candles have been lit for this year. The warmth and comraderie from this thread, both Jewish and non-Jewish will last for quite a while.

My mother used to put newspaper over the kitchen floor, after she scrubbed it on her hands and knees with a scrub brush. No one was allowed in the kitchen when the floor was drying. For any reason whatsoever. AND if you did sneak in, you had better walk on the newspaper.

When I wash the floor, with a mop, I insist that my husband and I snack over the sink for the first few hours - sick huh? ;-)

LoveItaly ...I actually cook more in the Italian style, homemade tomato sauce, chicken dishes, pastas, veal, eggplant parmesean (sp), always always freshly grated Reggiano Parm., never that canned sawdust! I know that you sent Limoncello to Younville. Did you make it? I make one helluva batch at least once a year. Am willing to share recipe. I usually make it in the spring when lemons are faily cheap, as you use the skins of 15 lemons. I'll copy to this thread.

My husband has Italian mistresses - our Alfa Romeos. ;-) - his absolute passion.

Faina .... we were just at Lombardi's last week stocking up on some warmer things for NY. We'll definitely try your store.

Purim, already? My how time flies when you are having a good time.

A Chanukah thread is one thing, but a Purim thread?

How can we keep this thread going, no not just Chanukah or matzoh balls, but ethnic recipes and family customs? Any suggestions?

Cheers,

Queen Esther

Her identity and what the heck is Purim ... will be answered upon request ;-)

Nina66

LIMONCELLO RECIPE

**** Limoncello should taste like fresh lemons, not poor quality vodka, so use only good quality 100 proof vodka. After trying Absolute and others, I prefer STOLI. The higher alcohol level will ensure that the limoncello won't turn to ice in the freezer.
-------------------------------------

- 15 medium to large lemons (I prefer Meyer Lemons)
- two 750ml bottles of 100 proof vodka
(save the two vodka bottles and refill them with the finished limoncello for storage )
- 4 cups of sugar
- 5 cups of water

One large glass jar, at least 4 quarts, with a lid

-------------

Wash the lemons well with a vegetable brush and hot water to remove wax or residue. Pat the lemons dry and remove the zest. A vegetable peeler does the job best, it gives you long, wide strips of zest with very little of the bitter white pith. Carefully scrape the pith off with the tip of a knife. Put one bottle of the vodka in the jar and as you remove the zest, drop the lemon peels into the vodka.

MIX THE INGREDIENTS AND WAIT:

After combining the vodka and the lemon zest, cover the jar and store it at room temperature in a dark cabinet or cupboard. There is no need to stir - all you have to do is wait. As the limoncello sits, the vodka slowly takes on the flavor and rich yellow hue of the lemon zest.

After about 40 days, combine the sugar and water in a saucepan, bring it to a boil, and cook about 10 minutes over high heat until thickened. Let the syrup cool before adding it to the Limoncello mixture, along with the other bottle of vodka. Cover the jar and return it to the cabinet for another 40 days. Then strain the limoncello into bottles and discard the lemon zest. You can store the bottles in a cupboard, but always keep at least one in the freezer, so it's icy cold when you want to drink it. ( I strain it through cheesecloth, into a pitcher or something, before pouring it into the bottles, so the liquid is as clear as possible.)

Notes:

The hardest part is peeling and taking the white pitch off. It takes about an hour to do them, but I sit at the kitchen table and watch TV while I'm doing it.

It takes 80 days from start to finish.

When done, we keep it all in the freezer, until we serve it, in aperitif glasses. Drink immediately, and repeat as needed.

seetheworld

I was just at a party the other night (and had a Lemoncello covered chocolate - yum) and a friend mentioned how she made her own Lemoncello using 100 proof alcohol at home after a trip to Italy. Now I get what *everyone* has been talking about. It certainly sounds delicious but potent!

Nina66

Oooooops - typo in Limoncello recipe.

It should have been pith, not pitch - unless you are making it while watching a baseball game ;-)

LoveItaly

Oh my goodness, groan. I feel so stupid. All this time I have been drinking Limoncello I did NOT know it was made with vodka. Honest!!! How embarrasing.

No wonder a friend of mine a few years ago got sick after having 2 small servings (she cannot drink hard liquor).
She sure loved the Limoncello while she sipped it though. #-o

No wonder I love it! I hardly ever drink hard liquor only wine and once in awhile in summer a Pacifico beer. But I do love vodka. Too funny!

I have the perfect jar. Real big. Given to me by the owner at an Italian deli years ago.

I think I will be in the kitchen all of January with all the wonderful receipes.
Cooking and Fodors. Well that is a good way to spend cold and rainy January. Sure beats getting tax info ready for the accountant.