Labels

"Погребок"- заготовки на зиму(canning) (82) Afternoon Tea-recipes and tradtions (41) All about Sushi rolls and more (2) appetizers (61) Baby Shower (2) Barbecue (45) Beauty (29) Bread and pizza (67) Breakfast Sunday Brunch (18) Bridal Shower and Wedding (8) burgers sandviches and toasts (22) Cake decorating and gum paste flowers (144) Cake pops and balls (35) cakes (197) canning (31) cheesecakes (31) Chocolate (38) Christmas (102) Coffee and Latte Art (22) Coffee cakes pies sweet breads (74) cookies (226) Cupcake Muffin Пирожное (62) Decorated cookies tutorials (48) Decorating Easter Eggs (19) Dessert (46) Easter (52) Easter and Spring (29) eggplants (3) eggs (11) Father's Day (4) Fish and seafood (30) French cooking (14) fresh fruits (6) gingerbread (68) Healthy Eating (32) Homemade gifts (3) Hапитки (30) Italian food (39) jams and jellies (33) Jello salads and desserts (17) Kашки (4) Kонфеты и другие сладости (42) Kремы-Buttercream-Frosting (4) Kрымские блюда (14) Main course (36) Main Dish (53) meringues зефир marshmallow pastilage (40) Mexican-Spanish food (34) Mothers Day (7) Mяско (59) Nutella (5) Olive Garden recipes (3) oranges (3) Oriental food (8) Oформление салатов (41) Pasta (16) plums (2) Potluck (6) Poultry (31) pumpkin (19) Pецепты Джейми Оливера (5) Pецепты Сталика Ханкишиева (37) Quinoa (5) Risotto Jambalaya Плов Paella (27) salads (123) Sauces Dips and Spreads (38) Saving money in the kitchen (4) Side Dish- гарнир (15) Slow-Cooker (9) soups (105) Summer recipes (12) Table setting etiquette(Сервировка стола) (67) Tagine-cuisine of Morocco (13) Thanksgiving and Fall (46) Tатарская кухня (6) Tесто (17) Valentines Day (36) Video-рецепты (20) Блины блинчики и оладушки (44) блюда в горшочках (23) Блюда из курицы (60) Блюда из теста (56) булочки (103) Вкусности из детства (63) Вкусные местечки-Sweet places (7) Детский праздник (29) Заготовки-полуфабрикаты (44) заливное и холодец (13) Запеканки и омлеты (11) история блюд и кулинарные истории (24) Котлеты Тефтели Голубцы и Перчики (58) Мороженое-Ice Cream (15) овощные заготовки (18) пирожки чебуреки беляши и т.д. (42) Пляцок (2) рулеты мясные и овощные (36) Сосиски и домашние колбаски (26) Старинные русские рецепты (38) Творожная выпечка (13) Узбекская кухня и Среднеазиатская (66) Хворост Крепли вергуны Пончики (25)

Sunday, May 8, 2011

The Best Candied Citrus

Post image for The Best Candied CitrusI generally shy away from calling recipes the best of something. Everyone has different tastes so what I might think is the best chocolate chip cookie or brownie might look very different than someone else’s favorite. But with these candied fruits I am willing to go out on a limb and say these are truly the best. They are bursting with fruit flavor and have the perfect texture, not too firm but not too soft either. I am really glad they turned out so well, because they are a bit of a project to make. I am always up for tackling new cooking challenges, but nothing is more disappointing than making a recipe that is a lot of trouble only to find out that the results are only marginally better than the simpler version. That is not the case with these, they are outstanding and totally worth the effort.

These are made in the traditional french style of candying fruit. Over a period of time the concentration of the sugar syrup the fruit is in is gradually increased so that the liquid in the fruit gradually is replaced by the sugar syrup thereby preserving the fruit. With this method the fruit is never really cooked so it maintains its fresh flavor. There is nothing difficult about the process, it just takes time. Every day for two weeks the syrup is drained off the fruit and heated with additional sugar to increase the concentration. Once this is done the candy will last almost indefinitely.

It is perhaps indicative of my own special brand of craziness that I though it was a good idea to embark on a cooking project that required daily tending when I had a new six week old baby, but I couldn’t help myself. The assortment of citrus in the store was so beautiful I just had to preserve it. Somehow I found myself with a cart full of different citrus fruits, a 25 pound bag of sugar, and I was on my way candied citrus heaven. By far our favorites were the blood oranges and meyer lemons, but they were all good. I can’t wait until next winter to make even more varieties.

On another topic, congratulations to Rivers, the winner of the CSN giveaway. Email me and I will pass along the certificate code.

Print This Post

The Best Candied Citrus

recipe based on the method from Brownie Bites Blog
4 oranges, preferably organic (or the equivalent amount of other citrus)
1 kg (2.2 lbs) sugar, plus additional sugar for each day. (you will need a total of 2.4 kg or 5.3 lbs of sugar)
600 g (21.5 oz or approximately 2.75 cups) water
Slice the oranges into thin rounds, no more than 1/4 inch thick. Fill a bowl with ice water and set aside.
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the sliced oranges to the boiling water (may need to be done in batches depending on the size of your pot). Scoop from the boiling water when the slices float to the top and place into ice water to cool. (They should cook no more than one minute) When cool, drain and remove the slices from the ice water and transfer to a container large enough to hold all of the slices.
Place the sugar and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. This step is to just dissolve the sugar (not to cook the syrup). Pour the hot syrup over the orange slices. If the orange slices float, weigh them down to keep them fully submerged. (The easiest way is to place a plate on top of the orange slices and a glass jar of water on top of the plate)
Store the submerged orange slices in a dark cool place, like a cupboard or closet for the duration of the candying. They do not need to be refrigerated.
Each day increase the sugar content of the orange slice sugar solution. Do this by draining off the sugar solution the slices are submerged in, add 100g of sugar, heat the solution to just dissolve the sugar, and pour back over the orange slices. Complete this increase-sugar step daily for two weeks.
Once finished with this process the candied oranges will keep in the solution for a very long time. When ready to use them they can be finished in the following ways.
Remove the orange slices from the sugar solution. Arrange in a single layer on a drying rack out at room temperature and let stand until less tacky, 1-2 days (longer if it is very humid). Turn them after one day to make sure they dry evenly. Once dry they can be finished by rolling them in sugar or dipping them in tempered chocolate.
Store finished candies in an air tight container to keep out humidity. They should last at least a month if kept well sealed (and away from nibblers like we have in my house.)   http://www.couldntbeparve.com/2011/03/the-best-candied-citrus/

Irish Potatoes and a Giveaway

 


Post image for Irish Potatoes and a GiveawayWhile I learned a lot in the classrooms at college, almost ten years later what I remember the most are the things I learned from my classmates and friends. We all came from different backgrounds and college was an opportunity for us to share and learn from each other. My wonderful roommate was from just outside of Philadelphia and thought that my education could not be complete if I was not exposed to all kinds of the Philadelphia specialties she grew up with. While I didn’t get to try all of them (it is not really possible to find Kosher scrapple) I did enjoy the Tasty Cakes and Yuengling beer she would bring back with her when she went home. But by far my favorite were the Irish Potatoes, a creamy coconut candy coated in cinnamon to make them resemble potatoes. I had never heard of them before, but I fell in love with them immediately. I looked forward to the annual St Patrick’s Day box her parents would send, that she was generous enough to share with me. It wasn’t until years later that it occurred to me to that I could probably make Irish Potatoes myself and looked up a recipe, only to discover they are one of the quickest easiest candies to make. I have tried dressing them up by dipping them in chocolate, but the original version, rolled in cinnamon, is by far the best. While the original recipe for Irish Potatoes calls for cream cheese (Philadelphia brand of course) this non-dairy (parve) versions leaves nothing to be desired. They are luscious, creamy and spicy, just they way they should be.
Now for the giveaway. The wonderful people at CSN stores are offering one reader a $50 gift certificate to use on one of their online sites. The sites carry all kinds of different products from kitchen wares to office desks, so I’m sure the gift certificate can be put to good use. Here is how you enter.

Leave a comment here with your favorite regional food. If you have a recipe feel free to include the link. For a second chance to win become a facebook fan and leave a comment here on this post telling me that you are a fan. (If you already are a fan just leave the comment) For a third chance follow me on twitter @couldntbeparve and leave a comment here telling me you are following. The winner will be chosen at random on Sunday, March 20th at 10:00 pm PST so feel free to leave comments until then.
Print This Post

Irish Potatoes

Yield: approximately 90
Ingredients
2 tablespoons margarine, softened
4 oz tofutti cream cheese
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups confectioners’ sugar
2 cups ground unsweetened coconut
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
In the bowl of a mixer beat the margarine and cream cheese together until smooth. Add the vanilla and confectioners’ sugar. Beat until smooth. Add the coconut and mix until well blended. Using a teaspoon at a time roll the mixture into balls or potato shapes. Place the balls in the cinnamon and toss to coat. Chill until set. If desired, roll potatoes in cinnamon again for darker color.   http://www.couldntbeparve.com/2011/03/irish-potatoes-and-a-giveaway/

Green Garlic Caesar Salad with Anchovy Croutons


This week, the New York Times featured a brand new Caesar salad recipe and I can’t wait to try it. You see, I’m planning on making a Shabbat family lunch this summer in honor of my niece’s Sheva Berachot (the seven celebratory meals that happen after many Jewish weddings), and I would like to taste-test it this week. Anyone out there willing to beat me to it??? Please comment below!!
This recipe sounds like a winner!
read the article written by Melissa Clark, June 4, 2010
Ingredients:

1/2 cup of olive oil

7 anchovy fillets, finely chopped
1 large head green garlic (outer layer, stalk and root end removed) or substitute 3 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 ounces crusty day-old bread in 3/4-inch cubes (about 2 cups)
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt, more to taste
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 large eggs
2 large or 3 small heads romaine lettuce, separated into leaves and torn into pieces, if desired (about 10 cups)
*3/4 cup Kosher Parmesan cheese, grated.

1. Make croutons: Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add half the anchovies and cook, stirring, until they melt into oil, about 2 minutes. Stir in half the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about one minute. Add bread cubes, salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Toast, tossing frequently, until croutons are golden and crisp, 3 to 5 minutes.
2. Make dressing: In medium bowl, whisk together remaining garlic and anchovies, plus lemon juice, mustard, Worcestershire and remaining pepper. Slowly whisk in remaining olive oil.
3. Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil. Lower eggs into pan. For nearly raw eggs cook for 90 seconds; for soft boiled, cook for 4 minutes. Rinse eggs under cold water until cool enough to handle.
4. Combine lettuce, cheese and croutons in a large bowl. Add vinaigrette and toss well. Crack eggs into salad, scooping out any whites clinging to shell and toss once more. Add salt to taste.
Yield: 2 to 4 servings  http://thejewishhostess.com/2010/06/green-garlic-caesar-salad-with-anchovy-croutons/

Easy Lemon, Cumin, and Dijon Salad Dressing

“I like to make this in the beginning of the week. My kids love to take salad for lunch, so to have homeade dressing accessible at all times is must.” Sara (Steve) Mamiye
  • equal parts fresh lemon juice and olive oil
  • kosher salt
  • cumin
  • dash black pepper
  • squeeze of dijon mustard
  • 2 fresh garlic
  1. Put all in blender and blend for two minutes. Can be refrigerated in small take away containers.  http://thejewishhostess.com/2010/10/easy-lemon-cumin-and-dijon-salad-dressing/

Walnut Lemon Dressing Over Grilled Vegetables


Vinaigrettes come and go, but this walnut dressing is a tasty and healthy addition to a grilled vegetable platter. Walnuts contain polyphenols and other anti-oxidants and essential fatty acids. These help in boosting memory, behavioral skills and even support and keep the nervous system healthy. Research on mice that were kept on a walnut mixed feed, that is equivalent to a human consuming 7-9 walnuts daily has shown remarkable results in age-related motor skills and improved cognitive shortfalls and improved memory.
Lets start adding walnuts to our family recipes. This walnut-lemon dressing is a great place to start!
    • 2 zucchini, sliced diagonally 1/3 inch thick
    • 1/2 pound shiitake mushrooms, stemmed
    • 1/2 pound thick asparagus, peeled
    • 1 red onion, sliced 1/3 inch thick
    • 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
    • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
    • 1 cup walnuts
    • 1 small shallot, very finely chopped
    • 1 teaspoon thyme leaves
    • 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
    • 1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Light a grill. Brush the zucchini, mushrooms, asparagus and onion with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill the vegetables over high heat, turning occasionally, until lightly charred in spots and tender, 15 to 18 minutes. Transfer the grilled vegetables to a serving platter.
  2. Meanwhile, spread the walnuts in a pie plate and toast for about 12 minutes, until fragrant. Let cool completely.
  3. Transfer the toasted walnuts to a food processor. Add the shallot, thyme, lemon juice, lemon zest and the 1/2 cup of olive oil and pulse until the nuts are coarsely chopped. Season the dressing with salt and pepper and drizzle over the grilled vegetables. Serve.