What's for Friday?

As some of my friends know, our household, at least the adult part, decided to trim some of our perimeter or in other words, go on a diet.

So this Friday, I would like to honor this decision with lots of vegetables, and use my old trick: If you can't do carb, do colorful.

I am talking about a crazy, rustic medley of vegetables: red peppers, eggplants, butternut squash and more that are sauteed and then roasted to sweetness. To accompany, salmon in an easy!!! red sauce that will never dry on you. Since salad is our friend,why not change it's texture just for fun? Instead of dicing, we are peeling the veggies with a vegetable peeler and creating beautiful stripes. I believe that the way we cut a vegetable changes it's taste a bit. Check out, and let me know if you agree with me.

Crazy vegetable medley:

You will need a big roasting pan, such as the one you use for your turkey, saute pan

Tip: Try to cut all the vegetables into about the same size. Think rustic.

2-3 onions diced into large cubes

2 red peppers cut into large pieces

½ butter squash, large dice

2 zucchini, quartered and then cut into half.

½ eggplant, large dice

½ jalapeno, chopped

4 cloves of garlic, sliced

2 tomatoes, peeled, and diced

3 teaspoons salt

black pepper

1 tablespoon tomato paste

11/2 cups of boiled water

¼ cup canola oil

To peel the tomatoes: make a cross with the tip of your knife on the bottom of the tomato (not on the stem side); Dunk in boiling water to cover for 10 seconds. Take out and pull the peel off. It should peel

quite easily and still keep it's integrity as an uncooked tomato.

1. Arrange your cut veggies in separate piles. Heat the oven to 400F/190C.
2. Lightly saute each vegetable about 4 minutes each by the order that was mentioned. Remember to salt each vegetable. After you're done with one vegetable, move it to the roasting pan.
3. Mix in the tomato paste and the remaining of the salt into the boiling water. Pour over the vegetables in the roasting pan. Bake for 40 minutes until the vegetables are starting to brown.

Salmon in an easy red sauce:

You will need a big, flat pot.

3/4Lb salmon fillet, cut into 3 ounce pieces, and skinned(not a must)

1 red pepper diced 1”x1” cubes

2 cloves garlic, sliced

2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped

3 whole sprigs of cilantro

2 tablespoons olive oil

about 3/4 cup water

1. Put the olive oil and the garlic in the pan on medium heat. Saute the garlic until you can smell it. Add the pepper, salt, and saute until tender. Add the cilantro sprigs and saute for another 30 seconds.
2. Sprinkle salt and pepper all over the fish. Arrange the fish on top of the vegetables and keep sauteing for another minute. Sprinkle over the fish the chopped cilantro.
3. Add the water to come up to ½ of the height of the fish. Bring to boil and immediately lower the heat to simmer. Cover the pan and cook for another 15 minutes.

Salad just for fun:

1 yellow squash

1 green squash

1 big carrot

½ red hot pepper, chopped thinly

1 Tablespoon parsley, thinly chopped

A few leafs of bib lettuce

2tbs canola oil

1 tbs white wine vinegar

½ tsp salt

1. Arrange the lettuce on a plate
2. Peel the squashes and the carrot with a vegetable peeler, into stripes, add the pepper, and mix.
3. Mix the oil, vinegar and salt pour over the salad, and sprinkle the parsley over.

Make Your Own Wine- The Urban Solution

I have to admit, although I am a one to two glasses of wine type of person, I love wine. I especially love to drink it paired with food, from a heavy meal to cheese or desert. The combination of the food and wine and how they compliment each other makes me happy in more than the obvious way.

As a culinary adventurous person, what could make me happier than the opportunity to make my own wine? The first time I heard about this delightful possibility was at my kids karate dojo. After six years with two boys and a husband who are training there, I feel like part of the Sensei's family. His wife mentioned something about going to bottle their wine. It turns out that you can make your wine from grape to bottle with help from professional wine makers. Since it's not cheap, it's about $10 per bottle, and you get 240 bottles from one barrel, it's done usually in groups. So a group of food and wine lovers formed last fall. (You can also get ½ or ¼ a barrel).

So off we went to The Wine Makers Cellar in Hawthorne, New Jersey. http://www.thewinemakerscellar.com/

First, we chose the type of wine we wanted to make. We decided on a mix of Zinfandel and Barbera grapes. The way you choose it is full of fun: You come to the wine-making place and drink as many samples as you can. We brought cheese and baguette and made a small party out of this cheerful assembly, sitting around tables and chairs that were intended for that exact kind of feast.

After we chose, we came a week later to crush the grapes. I was very romantic and imagined either stepping on them or crushing with my hands, but apparently, there is a machine that does it faster and better. The pulp that came out had no extra juice in it. Since I was in a group with Eco-conscious people who are also avid cooks, part of this pulp was taken for compost and another part was taken to prepare Grappa, which is a North Italian brandy. http://www.ehow.com/how_5200368_make-grappa-home.html

The grape juice's acidity was later measured, and the wine makers decided if it needs to be balanced with yeast.

After that there is a period of fermentation for about 4 months, and then the liquid is moved to the barrel. As you see, my friends, it's not a fast food route. The wine will rest and absorb the oak flavor of the barrel for a few more months until it's ready to drink.

Ours will be ready this summer, and when it will, this will be the beginning of a pleasurable and very anticipated series of meals that will be either made with this wine or be accompanied by it. We are still working on the concept,and I will tell you about it when summer comes.

Judging by the experience of the karate master and his wife, who made it before us, the wine is great. It changes and gets better with time, but needs a lot of time to breathe- sometimes hours. My friend loves her wine so much that she made another batch, this time of Pinot Noir, and she never again wants to drink a store-bought wine.

What's for Friday?

I am lying with a broken leg but yet, I really want Friday to be special for my family.

So I need something really simple but yummy, that I can tell my lovely right hand, Nancy, to prepare.

It's also supposed to be a lovely day with temperatures in the 60F, so I'd like the dinner to show our collective hope for spring. I am playing with sweet and sour flavors to match the changes in weather.

I'll start with sweet potato soup with pumpkin seed, chicken pilaf with roasted cauliflower, and a simple strawberry and romaine lettuce salad.

Sweet potato soup:

1 medium onion, chopped

3 medium sweet potatoes, cubed                         

½ butternut squash, cubed

2 tablespoons of cilantro, chopped finely

6 cups of chicken broth

2 Tablespoons of pumpkin seeds for garnish

2 tablespoons canola oil

½ teaspoon cumin

Salt, Pepper, to taste

1. Bring a large pot of water with 1 tablespoon of salt to boil. Put in the sweet potato and the butternut squash, and boil for about 20 minutes until the vegetables are completely soft.
2. Saute the onion in the oil until soft but not burned. Turn off the heat, add the cumin.
3. Drain the vegetables, leaving a cup of the cooking water aside. Mix the onions with them and blend, adding from the water to make it easy. Add a cup of the broth and blend, and then move to a pot,adding broth gradually while mixing to have the right consistency of a soup.
4. Add salt & pepper to taste, and bring to boil. Turn the heat of and add the cilantro.
5. Roast the pumpkin seeds lightly in a dry pan. They start to pop when they are ready. I like to sprinkle salt on them. Use as garnish just before serving.
   Chicken Pilaf:

3 chicken breasts cut into tiny cubes

3 cups of long grain rice.

1 small onion chopped finely

1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon of grated lemon

1 bunch of cilantro, chopped coarsely

5 cups of chicken broth

cumin, salt, pepper

2 Tablespoons canola oil

1. In a large pot, saute the chicken until it changes color to white. Salt the chicken before sauteing.
2. Take out the chicken and put aside. Saute the onions in the same oil. Salt the onions before sauteing.
3. Put the chicken back to the pot and add the rice. Add salt for the rice, and completely coat in the oil. Add the cumin and the broth, bring to boil and simmer for 20 minutes, covered. Taste the liquid when it boils to check if it tastes salty and cuminy. If not, add the missing spice.
4. After 20 minutes, add the cilantro and the grated lemon, mixing lightly. Cover again and let stand for another 15 minutes.

Roasted cauliflower:

1 large cauliflower, cut into florets

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon herbs de provence
2 tablespoons lemon juice

salt, to taste

1. Bring a large pot with water to boil. Warm the oven to 400F
2. Add a tablespoon of salt and add the cauliflower
3. boil for 8 minutes, drain
4. In the meanwhile pour the oil on a sheet pan, sprinkle salt & herbs de provence all over it. Lay the cauliflower flat and wiggle around so it's covered with the oil and the spices.
5. Bake for 20 minutes until brown in the edges.Pour the lemon juice and mix well.

Strawberry romaine salad:

1 head of lettuce, sliced

2 cups of strawberry, sliced

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

salt, black pepper to taste

chives- thinly chopped- 1 tablespoon

prepare the vinaigrette: Mix the oil, spices & vinegar.

Pour half on the sliced strawberries. Let stand for 10 minutes, and half on the lettuce right before you are serving. Lay the lettuce first, strawberries on top, and the chives sprinkled above.

VALENTINE'S SPECIAL: How to Choose Your Life Time Companion, aka Your Chef's Knife

A life time ago, in the Israeli boot camp, our sergeant used to tell us at least twice a day: “The Uzi gun is like your husband: you have to take care of it, and never leave it alone.”

In a different life and a different decade, I came to have an even closer relationship with my chef's knife: I regard it as an extension of my own body, or to be more accurate, my left hand. When you work in the kitchen, you have a special relationship with your knife. After all, this is the tool that enables you to do almost anything that you need.

In the restaurant kitchen I met quite a number of rough guys with rough talk, but when it came time to spread out their knife set, their whole demeanor changed: a gentle touch, a softer voice and a kind of respect that you wouldn't be able to get from them as easily if they were reffering to a human being.

I love chef knives. Every time I read about a new one or I see a great one at the store, I would really like to hold it and feel: Could that knife be part of me? Does it have that sense of balance that is almost inexplicable, heavy but not too heavy, smooth and sharp, all at the same time?

The reason for these somewhat esoteric questions, is that a good chef's knife is built very different than its cheap look- alike. The materials are very particular and it's specially engineered to be useful next to the stove. Here's a link to a quick explanation about the different parts and utilities of a chef's knife: http://www.cookswares.com/articles/chefknifeanat.asp

If you would like to see a craftsman making a knife, there is one in Brooklyn.

His name is Joel Bukiewicz, and in his shop, Cut Brooklyn, you will be able to learn the amazing thought put into this craft. http://cutbrooklyn.com/home.html

Many times I jump in to help out with a prep for a dinner or party at friend's kitchens.

Usually I find that even the most avid cooks settle with dull, cheap knives.

A good knife and very little care can save a lot of time in the kitchen. It's also safer although it looks scarier.

For all my friends out there who would like to get on board and join the knife lovers train, here are a few tips and facts that are off the radar.

First of all, the knives ARE heavy. Don't expect the light feel in your hand that you have with a regular knife. One of the reasons is that a heavy knife can be stable, and that same heaviness that scares so many people, actually helps for safe cutting. It can also cut steadily through tough objects such as a sweet potato or a butternut squash. Its weight is actually part of the cutting itself. So if you felt that the knife is heavy- good for you. Now try that 10” instead of the 8”...

I don't think it really matters which of these sizes you take but I think that it's better to get used to the big kahuna, the 10”. The kitchen is not intended for the dainty.

Buying one of the machine- made knives, known for years for their quality, such as Wusthof, Henckels or Global will give you the edge you need in the kitchen. When choosing, hold the knife in your hand, weigh it, and try to imagine it as part of you.

When you come home with the knife you chose, take a cutting board, a potato, and hold the knife from the top of the blade next to the handle, but not from the handle itself. Holding the knife from there will give you a steady feel, and you will be able to control the knife better. Because the blade is heavier and balanced, if you won't hold it straight, your cuts will not be straight.

If you will be able to re-learn how to hold the knife, you will improve your cutting technique and be less afraid from the different feel of the knife and it's size.

If you bought an expensive knife take the time to buy a honing steel too. I hone my knife every time I use it for about 20 seconds. Every serious store will show you how to do it, but here is a link: http://www.cookingenthusiast.com/pop_article.asp?ai=175

Once in 4 months I also take it to sharpen at a good knife store. It seems like a lot but after 4 months I expect you to be so attached to your new friend, that you will do it just to make “knifey” happy. Think about it as taking your new BFF  to a knife spa.

And of course, never forget to curl those fingers!

What’s for Friday?

Friday for me is a slow- down day. I begin to change my pace to prepare for the
weekend ahead.
On Friday nights I love to invite friends over for dinner. I feel that it sets the right
mood for the days ahead: laughter, sharing good food, the warmth we feel when all is
right and we are surrounded with people we love.
I like to take my time on Fridays to prepare for this special dinner. I plan a menu,
shop and prepare the food very leisurely. All week I make food as part of my daily
routine between my afternoon obligations. My pace is quick, and my dinners are planned
carefully to be tasty but very easy to prepare.
On Friday I want to cook differently. I want to put a special touch on my food,
to try at least one new dish just because, or to make something that is to me the absolute
dish that will say: this is the weekend!

So what’s for Friday?

It’s very cold today, so I thought of heavy, hearty food as the center of the meal.
Since we need to balance that heavy food, I am going to make some vegetable dishes to
lighten it up.

The menu plan is:

A boneless leg of lamb, roasted slowly on low heat in the oven, after being
marinated and pampered in a bath of wine, orange peel and rosemary.
Sauté spinach with raisins and white wine. We get a touch of sweetness, some
acidity and, of course, green color.
(I suggest white rice to accompany the spinach but you can go also with
mashed potatoes.)
Cold and warm salad with sautéed onions, and sunflower seeds
.
And what’s for desert? Well, my friends will surprise me with that!

Boneless leg of lamb:
Equipment: Sauté pan, roasting pan, aluminum foil, paper towels
For the marinade: (At least 2 hours and up to a night in the fridge)
1 (2- pound) boneless leg of lamb
2 sprigs of rosemary crumbled a bit to release the oils
1 clove garlic, sliced and peeled
1 cup of red wine that you like to drink, dry if you can
½ grated orange peel
2 Tablespoons olive oil
For the roasting:
1 sprig of rosemary
1 head of garlic, sliced into 2 halves
1 cup of dry red wine
3 Tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper (preferably kosher salt and fresh ground pepper)
Preheat your oven to 300F.
Dry your lamb very well with paper towels. Rub the lamb with half the olive oil and
sprinkle generously salt and pepper all over the lamb.
Sauté the lamb until brown from all sides, using the remaining olive oil.
Take it out and put it in a roasting pan with rosemary sprigs around it.
Add the wine and garlic to the sauté pan and deglaze, which means boil the wine until it
is reduced and thickened a bit.
Cover the pan with aluminum foil tightly, and roast for 3 hours.

Sauté spinach with raisins and white wine
Equipment: 10”-12” sauté pan.
16oz baby spinach or 3 bunches of spinach, rinsed well and dried.
½ cup of golden raisins
1 cup of white wine
2 Tablespoons olive oil
¼ teaspoon red chili flakes
Salt
Warm the olive oil in the pan. Put the spinach, chili flakes and the raisins in, and toss so
the leaves will wilt.
It takes about 2 minutes. Add the wine, and let boil until the liquids evaporated.
Add salt to taste.
Cold and hot salad
Equipment: 10” sauté pan, small pan for the seeds.
1/2 onion, sliced
1 oregano sprig, leaves chopped coarsely
3 Tablespoons Sunflower seeds
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 head of romaine lettuce, rinsed well, dried and thinly sliced
1 cup of mixed greens
2 heads of radishes, sliced thinly
For the vinaigrette: ¼ cup olive oil, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ½ lemon juice, ½ lemon peel,
grated, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard. Mix all the ingredients other than the oil well, then add
the oil while whisking or just put everything in your favorite jar and shake.
In a salad bowl, arrange the greens and the romaine.
Warm the olive oil and the oregano leaves. Add the onion, plus salt and sauté on medium
heat until it softens, add the radishes and sauté for another minute or two until it softens a
bit. Pour it over the greens so that some of them will wilt a bit as a result.
Add the lemon vinaigrette, and toss lightly.
Sauté the seeds in a dry pan until they release a smell.
Sprinkle over the salad.

Alessi's beautiful kitchen gadgets in Philadelphia Museum of Art

I love museums because they were a fun part of my life as a student of History of Art, (escape from every day life to beauty and serenity); and because they display human beings at their best- inspired and creative.

I also am a huge fan of kitchen gadgets. I usually can't buy most of them, because I have no room in my tiny kitchen, but I still enjoy that they are out there,especially if they are also beautifully made. In my dream kitchen, I promise I'll have a whole section of gadgets on an ever changing display...

So Imagine how happy I was when I found out that the Philadelphia Museum of Art has a new exhibit

that combines the both.

“Alessi: Ethical and Radical” follows the evolution of this wonderful family- owned Italian design shop.

They designed everyday household objects, from a juicer to a toilet brush into sleek beauty conversation pieces, that are functional too.

The exhibit is showcasing the Alessi designs, some of them by famous architects, since 1921.

Among many others, you'll be able to see: the signature whistle kettle by Richard Sapper (1983), and Philip Starck's

citrus juicer (1990).

Through April 10; http://www.philamuseum.org/