April-June2009

At last, we cooked the food of Palestine - the other half of my trip to the Middle East at the beginning of May. It was fantastic!

Palestine Pesto
2 bunches cilantro
1 bunch parsley (preferably Italian)
4-5 cloves garlic, peeled
2 serrano peppers or 4 Thai red chili peppers, stemmed
1/2 cup olive oil, plus extra if needed
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt or 1 teaspoon table salt
1/2 lemon, juice of
Cut and discard the visible, leafless stems from the cilantro and parsley.
Wash and pat dry.
Place the cilantro and parsley in a blender with the remaining ingredients.
Blend at low speed, stoppng often to smash down the ingredients as they combine.
Turn up speed and blend thoroughly.
Place in a storage container, taste and adjust salt, and top with a little oil as you would pesto. Serve in hollowed-out avacadoes.

Bathinjan Maqlee Falasteeni (Palestinian Fried Eggplant)
o 1 large eggplant, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch / 13 mm slices
o Salt to taste
o 1/2 cup olive oil
o 2 cloves garlic, crushed
o 1 hot green pepper, very finely chopped
o 3 T lemon juice
o 6 T finely chopped parsley
Sprinkle both sides of eggplant slices with salt; then place in a bowl and cover with water. Allow to soak for 15 minutes; then remove slices from water and allow to dry on paper towels. This method of salting is common to some parts of Palestine and Jordan. The fried eggplant that has been salted in this manner tends to be crispier on the outside and moist inside.

Heat oil in a frying pan and fry eggplant slices over high heat, turning them over until they brown on both sides; add more oil if necessary. Remove with a slotted spoon, place on a serving platter and set aside.

Prepare a sauce by mixing remaining ingredients, except parsley. Spread sauce evenly over eggplant slices. Garnish with parsley and serve.

Fattoush
* 2 cucumbers
* 2 spring onions
* Lettuce
* 1 Radish
* Parsley
* Green mint
* 1 loaf of pita bread
* Dressing: Lemon, salt, and olive oil
Cut the vegetables into small - medium size pieces. The lettuce, parsley and green mint should be cut in small
pieces. Cut the pita bread into squares of 1 square cm each and either fry them until golden brown or roast
them under the grill. Add the bread to the vegetable mixture. Add lemon, salt, and olive oil to taste.

Lentils
o 1 cup lentils (adas baladi, if available)
o 1/2 cup rice
o 1 1/2 t salt
o 3/4 t pepper
o 1 1/2 t cumin
o 1 onion
o 1/4 cup olive oil
Wash the lentils under the running tap. Put them in a cooking pan with just one cup of water and bring them to a boil on high heat, it takes 5-7 minutes. Lower the heat and cook them covered for another 15-20 minutes or until all the water is absorbed. Add the washed rice, the salt, pepper, and cumin, add another cup of water, stir gently and leave to boil, then lower heat. At this stage of the cooking you can put a grid under the pot in order to make sure that the rice and lentils will not stick to the bottom of the pan.

While the lentils are cooking, peel and wash the onion and chop it into rings. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and fry the onion rings until they turn golden. By this time, the cooking water of the lentil and rice mixture will have been almost absorbed: add the hot oil from the pan to the lentils, but do not add the onion rings, and stir gently with a wooden spatula. Leave to simmer for a few minutes until the liquid is totally absorbed, then remove from the stove and leave to rest for a few minutes before serving.

Use the onion rings to decorate the top of the serving plate and prepare a tomato salad to serve on the side.

Mutabbal (Eggplant salad)
# 2 Large eggplants
# 2 garlic cloves
# 2 table spoons of "Tehina"
# 4 table spoons of lemon juice
# 1/2 green chili pepper
# salt and olive oil to taste
Remove the head of the eggplants, and make two horizontal incisions with the knife on each side of the eggplant. Place the eggplants under the grill for 30 minutes, until the skin is almost burnt. In the meantime, mix the two tablespoons of Tehina with the lemon juice until it becomes a smooth light beige uniform paste. Remove the eggplants, and place them on a plate. Bring a deep dish and open up the eggplants. Start removing the inside of the eggplants and placing it in the deep dish. Make sure you don't take any of the skin. The insides of the eggplant will be slightly watery, so mix it with a fork which would at the same time cut it into smaller pieces, almost a paste though not uniform in any way. Add the Tehina paste and mix well with the fork. Crush the garlic cloves with the chili pepper and add to the mixture. Mix well. Add salt and olive oil to taste. Saha u hannieh!!

Hab el hal (Cardamom Cookies)
* 1 cup softened butter
* 2 eggs
* 1 cup sugar
* 3 1/2 cups flour
* 2 teaspoons baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1 teaspoon cardamom
* 1/4 cup milk
Preheat oven to 375. Cream together eggs, sugar and butter in a medium mixing bowl.

Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cardamom. Slowly add to egg/butter mixture and mix well. Add milk to form dough.

Roll out dough on lightly floured surface. You want the dough to be about 1/8 inch thick. Use cookie cutters to make shapes.

Words of the week:
task
humiliating
coat hanger
pale
stingy
public servant
employer/employee
spiral
floor / storey
bath mat
to be upset
to wipe
to wag (“wag the dog”)
to pardon someone
bobcat
paws
prank

In honor of Ralph's birthday, we BBQ'ed on the beach. Unfortunately, it was very windy, but we ate well nevertheless (once we eventually got the fire started). As a birthday treat, Ralph's skewers got some vegetarian lamb slid in between the veggies. Special thanks to Daniel for taking tonight's photos (hence the higher-quality photography than usual).

Veggie skewers
Ingredients: Zucchini, onions, cherry tomatoes, mushrooms, eggplants,
Olive oil, vinegar, fresh rosemary salt, pepper, thyme
Directions: Cut veggies into kebab-sized cubes. Marinate in olive oil and vinegar (mixed approximately 3:1) with herbs for several hours. Skewer veggies and roast on grill, turning frequently.

Grilled Provolone and Mozzarella
Ingredients: large beefsteak tomatoes, provolone cheese, oregano
Lay aluminum foil over grill. Place slices of provolone cheese on foil until melted. With a spatula, gently remove cheese slice and lay atop a large slice of tomato. Sprinkle with oregano, eat and enjoy.

S’mores
Ingredients: marshmallows, graham crackers/Liebnitz cookies, chocolate.
Roast marshmallow on a stick until warm and slightly browned and the sugar caramelizes. Lay a piece of chocolate on a cookie, put the marshmallow atop the chocolate and lay another cookie atop the marshmallow to for a sandwich. Allow the chocolate to melt slightly, enjoy.

Over May Day weekend I travelled to Israel. (You can read about my trip and see photos here.) I collected a lot of yummy recipes, which I brought back to share. We cooked enough for a small army, and all of it was very, very good : ) Tonight's meal was dairy kosher.

Savory Noodle Kugel
-One and a half packages of broad egg noodles
-6 eggs
-two sticks of butter
-one cup of half & half
-8 oz. of cream cheese
1) Boil noodles like you normally would
2) Melt butter (but only slightly) and mix in with half & half, eggs, and cottage cheese
3) After noodles are ready, mix in butter/half&half/eggs/cottage cheese batter
4) Pour into casserole dish
5) Cook for roughly 50 minutes. You can tell when it’s done because the top will be crispy.

Shakshuka
2 pounds fresh tomatoes, cut in quarters, or one 28-ounce can tomatoes
6 cloves garlic, roughly diced
2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
2 teaspoons tomato paste
1/4 cup vegetable oil
optional: 1 eggplant, diced and fried
6 large eggs
1. Place the tomatoes, garlic, salt, paprika, tomato paste, and vegetable oil in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer and cook, uncovered, over low heat until thick, for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Ladle the tomato sauce into a greased 12-inch frying pan. Bring to a simmer and break the eggs over the tomatoes. Gently break the yolks with a fork. Cover and continue to cook for about 3 to 4 minutes, until the eggs are set. Bring the frying pan directly to the table. Set it on a trivet and spoon out the shakshuka.

Challah Bread
Note: This recipe is not nearly as complicated as it looks - it breaks it down into small, easy steps, and produces a fantastic challah bread!
* 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus
* 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
* 2 (1/4 ounce) packages dry yeast
* 1 egg, beaten
* 1/2 cup vegetable oil
* 1 tablespoon salt
* 1/2 cup sugar
* 2 cups warm water (80 -90)
Glaze: * 1 egg, beaten
1. First measure out all your ingredients.
2. Now from the 1/2 of cup sugar take 1 tablespoon of the sugar & combine it with the yeast& warm water (you know you have the right temperature of warm water when it's the same temperature as the inside of your wrist).
3. I let my mixer bowl which is metal (kitchen aid) sit in a hot water bath while the yeast dissolves, 10 minutes.
4. After the yeast has dissolved (it's nice & foamy) add to it the rest of the sugar, salt & 3 1/2 cups flour.
5. Mix well (I use the bread hook).
6. Add egg (already beaten) & oil.
7. Slowly start mixing in most of the remaining 3 1/2 cups of flour.
8. The dough will become quite thick.
9. When the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl, turn it onto a floured surface& knead for approximately 10 minute.
10. Add only enough additional flour to make dough manageable.
11. Knead until dough has acquired a "life of its own"; it should be smooth & elastic, springing back when pressed lightly with your fingertip.
12. Place dough into a large oiled bowl turning the dough once so its oiled on all sides.
13. Cover with a damp towel & let rise in a warm place for 2 hours, punching down in 4-5 places every 20 minutes.
14. Now, I always write down what time I started so I don't forget when the 2 hours are up & set a timer every 20 minutes. (In the summer I let the dough rise on my balcony & in the winter in front of my oven where something is always baking, turning it every time I punch down the dough).
15. After the 2 hours, turn your dough onto your working surface.
16. Now comes the forming part.
17. For Shabbos I always make a 2 level braided challah which looks great & is really easy.
18. Prepare your baking sheet lining it with parchment paper.
19. Preheat oven to 375°F.
20. First, take a large knife & cut the dough in half.
21. Next, from each 1/2 now cut off a third & place the 2 thirds on the side.
22. Now, from the first half (where you've removed a third) divide the remaining dough into approximately equal thirds.
23. Roll each third out till its about 10-12 inches (I'm guessing I never measured it) & braid all 3 roll together pinching the top & bottom half together& turning them slightly under.
24. Place on baking sheet.
25. Repeat the same for other half.
26. Now take the first third you removed earlier& divide in 3, braid just like you did before& place on top of the already braided challah.
27. Repeat same for other third.
28. Now let the challah rise for 1/2 an hour.
29. After the challah has risen glaze with beaten egg & add mohn or sesame if you wish.
30. Put in preheated oven & let bake for exactly 25 minutes!
31.Turn off oven & leave Challahs in for exactly another 10 minutes!
Remove from oven.

Israeli Za'atar Salad
* 1 T sesame seeds
* 1 c cucumber, peeled, seeded, and cubed
* 2 c tomato, cubed
* 1½ c bell pepper, chopped
* ½ c red onion, diced
* 1 T fresh or 1 t dried thyme
* 1-2 t powdered sumac (a green spice powder, also known a Za'atar or Zahatar, available in Middle Eastern markets)
* 1 T olive oil
* 2 T lemon juice
* ½ t salt
* pepper
* ¼ c parsley, minced
Directions: Place the sesame seeds on unoiled baking dish and toast at 350 until golden brown, 2-3 minutes.
Combine the vegetables, then toss with remaining ingredients.
Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Sabich - Iraqi Jewish Eggplant Sandwich
(This recipe was brought to Israel by Jewish Iraqis, and is available in most falafel shops in Tel Aviv)
* 4 pieces good pita bread
* 4 hard boiled eggs, peeled and sliced
* 1-2 large eggplants, peeled and sliced 1/4" or so thick
* vegetable oil for frying
* 2 roma tomatoes, finely diced
* 1/2 English cucumber, finely diced
* juice of 1 lemon
* hummus
* prepared tahina (bought or make your own)
* 1/2 flat leaf parsley
* 1/2 small white onion minced
* 1/2 c. pickle, cut into small slices or cubes
* amba - mango pickle (it makes all the difference, you can also buy it in Indian shops)
1. Make a simple salad of the tomatoes, cucumber, and lemon juice, with salt to taste (we used the Za'atar salad from above).
2. Fry the eggplant in batches until thoroughly tender and browned; drain on paper towels and sprinkle with salt.
3. While the eggplant is frying, put each of the other ingredients in bowls so everyone can build a sandwich to their own specifications.
4. Toast or grill the pita bread.
5. Serve it forth, make yourself a gigantic sandwich, and enjoy.

Israeli Hummus
# 1/2 pound dried chickpeas
# 1 tablespoon baking soda
# 7 large garlic cloves, unpeeled
# 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
# 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin, plus more for garnish
# 1/2 cup tahini, at room temperature (see Note)
# 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
# Salt
# Paprika, for garnish
# 1/4 cup chopped parsley

1. In a medium bowl, cover the dried chickpeas with 2 inches of water and stir in the baking soda. Refrigerate the chickpeas overnight. Drain the chickpeas and rinse them under cold water.
2. In a medium saucepan, cover the chickpeas with 2 inches of fresh water. Add the garlic cloves and bring to a boil. Simmer over moderately low heat until the chickpeas are tender, about 40 minutes. Drain, reserving 10 tablespoons of the cooking water and 2 tablespoons of the chickpeas. Rinse the chickpeas under cold water. Peel the garlic cloves.
3. In a food processor, puree the chickpeas with 1/2 cup of the reserved cooking water, 1/4 cup of the olive oil and 6 of the garlic cloves. Add the cumin along with 1/4 cup each of the tahini and lemon juice and process until creamy. Season the hummus with salt and transfer to a serving bowl.
4. Wipe out the food processor. Add the remaining 1/4 cup of tahini, 1/4 cup of olive oil, 2 tablespoons of reserved cooking water, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and garlic clove and puree.
5. Using a ladle, make an indent in the center of the hummus. Spoon in the tahini-lemon mixture. Sprinkle the hummus with the cumin and paprika. Garnish with the reserved whole chickpeas and the parsley, and serve with pita bread.

Apple Crumble
* 8 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, cut into 8 slices
* 1/4 cup of orange juice
* 1 small packet of vanilla sugar
* 1–2 tablespoons of cinnamon (depending on how much you like cinnamon!)
* 1 cup (9 ounces) all-purpose flour
* 1/3 cup oats
* 3/4 cup white sugar
* 3/4 cup brown sugar
* 1 cup (8 ounces or 200 grams) butter or parve margarine, melted
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius).
2. Spray a shallow baking pan with cooking spray.
3. Place the apples in one layer at the bottom of the baking pan, making sure to cover the whole pan.
4. Sprinkle the vanilla sugar, orange juice and cinnamon over the apples in that order.
5. Mix together all the crumble ingredients with a wooden spoon. A bit more flour and oats can be added if you prefer a more crumbly topping.
6. Cover the apples with the crumble and press down lightly with your hand.
7. Cook the crumble in the oven for about 45 minutes. Check that the dish is ready by inserting a tooth pick in the middle. If the apples are still hard then continue cooking 5 minutes at a time until the apples are soft.

We also listened to a variety of music and talk with online radio - http://www.jewishbroadcast.com/index.php

dish towel (usa) / tea towel (uk)
pickle
aged (cheese)
dairy
bathtub
sink
flowing
swine
chop
amber
incense
the week after next
narration
prosecuted
persecuted
mailing list

Somehow we missed asparagus season last year - I guess we were so busy cooking other good things, we never got to it. This year, I am once again courted by displays in the supermarket with stacks of stalks and cartons of ready-made Hollandaise (if you're gonna consume that many calories, make it from scratch!) I love Hollandaise sauce, but let's face it, newspaper or cardboard would taste good doused in all that butter and Hollandaise sauce...

But walking through the farmer's market, ogling all that cheap white asparagus, reminded me of how yummy our first asparagus night was, long ago. And my mind started roaming through new ideas of what to do with asparagus - sometimes some very strange ideas, like the papaya soup which was inspired by the gorgeous ripe papayas at one of the neighboring stands. I guarantee you - nobody's grandmother ever made that soup. Think outside the Hollandaise. Try it, it's good.

Asparagus Papaya Soup
4 papayas
200g white asparagus
350 ml fruity white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc
salt
8 branches fresh mint
2 Tbsp garam masala or other hot spice mix
1 small hot pepper, deseeded (or 1 tsp hot Indian paprika powder)
optional: Hard goat cheese or crème fraiche (for topping)

Peel papayas, cut in half and remove seeds (save a few seeds for garnish). Remove seeds from hot pepper. Cut fruit into small cubes and puree in mixer with hot pepper. Place puree in pot, stir in white wine and gently heat.

Peel asparagus and cut into small chunks. In a separate pot, steam over boiling water until softened. Add asparagus to soup, add spice powder and salt to taste, simmer over low heat for 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat.

Wash mint, remove stems and cut into small pieces. Place mint in the bottom of soup bowls, pour soup over mint. Optional: Sprinkle goat cheese or crème fraiche over soup, add a few papaya seeds as garnish.

Asparagus Sesame Noodles
500g asparagus, peeled and cut into 1 ½ inch pieces
1/2 pound Chinese egg noodles
6 tablespoons dark sesame oil
4 tablespoons peanut oil
2 green onions, thinly sliced on the diagonal
1 1/2 inch piece fresh ginger, minced
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons red chili paste, such as sambal oelek
4 tablespoons brown sugar
1 cup creamy peanut butter
6 tablespoons rice vinegar
6 tablespoons soy sauce
12 tablespoons hot water
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
Cucumber slices, for garnish
Fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish

Directions
Cook the noodles in large pot of boiling unsalted water over medium heat until barely tender and still firm. Drain immediately and rinse with cold water until cool. Drain the noodles really well and transfer to a wide bowl; toss with the sesame oil so they don't stick together.

Peel asparagus and cut into pieces. Steam in a steamer basket until soft but not limp. Blanche in cold water to stop cooking and set aside.

In a pan, heat the peanut oil over medium-low flame. Add the green onions, ginger, garlic, and chili paste. Cook and stir for a minute until soft and fragrant. Mix in the brown sugar, peanut butter, vinegar, soy sauce, and hot water. Stir until the sugar is dissolved and the peanut butter has smoothed out. Add the asparagus to the peanut sauce and simmer on low heat for 2-3 minutes.

Toss the noodles with the asparagus and peanut sauce until well coated. Serve at room temperature or chilled. Garnish with the sesame seeds, cucumber slices, and cilantro.

Thai Asparagus Green Curry
* 400 grams asparagus (a little less then 1lb.)
* 3 tbsp green curry paste (see green curry paste recipe or use prepared curry paste)
* 2 1/2 cups coconut milk (1 1/2 cans coconut milk or squeezed out from 400 grams grated fresh coconut)
* 5 small fresh Thai eggplants, quartered
* 2-3 fresh red spur chilies, sliced diagonally
* 2 kaffir lime leaves, torn
* 1/4 cup sweet basil leaf (optional)
* 1 1/2 tbsp fish sauce
* 1 1/2 tsp palm sugar
* 1 tbsp cooking oil (not olive oil, but corn, safflower or peanut oil)
* Sweet basil leaves and red chili slices for garnish
1. Peel the asparagus.
2. Saute the green curry paste in oil over medium heat until fragrant, reduce the heat, gradually add 1 1/2 cups of the coconut milk a little at a time, stir until a film of green oil surfaces.
3. Add the eggplant and kaffir lime leaves, continue cooking for until the eggplant begins to soften. Transfer to a pot, place over medium heat and cook until boiling. Add the remaining coconut milk, season with palm sugar and fish sauce. When the mixture returns to the boil add the asparagus. Cook until the eggplants ans asparagus are done, sprinkle sweet basil leaves and red chilies over, then turn off the heat.
4. Arrange on a serving dish and garnish with sweet basil leaves and red chilies before serving.

Thai Green Curry Paste
* 15 large fresh green hot chilies
* 3 shallots, sliced
* 9 cloves garlic
* 1 tsp finely sliced fresh galangal
* 1 tbsp sliced fresh lemon grass
* 9 tsp finely sliced kaffir lime rind
* 1 tsp chopped coriander root
* 5 white peppercorns
* 1 tbsp roasted coriander seeds*
* 1 tsp roasted cumin seeds*
* 1 tsp sea salt
* 1 tsp shrimp paste
# Combine coriander seeds, cumin and peppercorn in a mortar, pound well. Transfer to a bowl and put aside.
# Pound hot chilies and salt together well. Add the remaining ingredients except shrimp paste, pound until mixed well.
# Add the cumin mixture and shrimp paste, continue pounding until smooth and fine.

Asparagus Puffs with Goat Cheese
Note: this recipe would have been improved by the addition of some spices – perhaps thyme? – in the goat cheese with asparagus filling
200g asparagus, peeled
fresh goat cheese
1 package puff pastry dough
Directions: Peel asparagus and steam gently 3-5 minutes over boiling water. Blanche in cold water to stop cooking, drain and dry thoroughly. Cut each stalk into 2-3 pieces.
Unroll pastry dough and cut into 2-3 inch squares (a sheet should make approximately 8 pieces, depending on the package size). In the center of each square, add 2-3 pieces asparagus, a teaspoon of goat cheese (resist the urge to overfill, they’ll leak) and some seasoning. Crimp edges together into a pocket, place on baking paper. Bake pockets in oven 15-30 minutes (see packaging on dough) until golden brown.

icons
gel
apron
trinket
wicker chair
sepulcher
to talk someone into something
beard
protein powder
coincidentally
hooters
routine
sneaky

We haven't cooked Indian food for a long time. This time, I searched out some unusual recipes - notably, the pumpkin - that you don't get at a typical Indian restaurant. While the cake is not in any way authentically Indian, it fit quite beautifully with the rest of dinner, thanks to cardamom, yogurt and cinnamon.

Many of these recipes came from the fantastic Indian recipes database at http://www.syvum.com/recipes/ivrindex.html - check it out.

Jhatpat Bhindi (Okra)
300 grams (about 12 oz.) okra cut into small (1/4") pieces
1 cup(s) onion sliced finely
3 tablespoon(s) oil
1 teaspoon(s) each of red chili powder, coriander powder and cumin powder
½ teaspoon(s) each of turmeric powder and hot spice mix (garam masala) powder
2 green chili(es) slit
a squeeze of lemon and salt to taste

1. Heat oil on medium level in a pan for about 2 minute(s).
2. Add onions, and stir fry on medium level for about 4 minutes or till they are very lightly browned. Add red chili powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, cumin powder and garam masala. Fry again for a few seconds.
3. Add the okra and the slit green chili(es). Add a dash of lemon and sprinkle salt to taste. Mix well. Cover and cook on low heat for about 5 minutes or till the okra is cooked but firm.

Rajma Chawal (Red Kidney Beans Curry)
2 cans red kidney beans
2 medium onion(s) finely chopped
2 bay leaves (if possible, use Indian bay leaves)
1 Tbsp chopped ginger
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
½ teaspoon(s) each of asafoetida and turmeric powders
1 teaspoon(s) cumin seeds
4 dried red chilis, cut small
2 small green hot chilis
2 big tomato(es) finely chopped
1 teaspoon of hot spice mix (garam masala)
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 tablespoon(s) coriander powder
1 cinnamon stick
3 tablespoons ghee
salt to taste
finely chopped coriander leaves for garnishing
1 teaspoon lime juice, freshly squeezed
Method:
1. Heat the ghee in a heavy-bottomed pan on medium level and crackle the cumin seeds. Add the bay leaves, asafoetida and chopped ginger-garlic. Fry briefly. Add the chopped onions and fry till they are golden brown. Add the rest of the spices except garam masala (hot spice mix). Add the chopped tomatoes. Fry till the oil separates. Add the drained red kidney beans, sprinkle salt, mix well and cook on medium level for about 15 minutes.
3. Add the hot spice mix. Cover and cook on medium level for about 5-10 minutes.
4. Remove from heat, add lime juice. Garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves.

Mangai Anna (Raw Mango Rice)
2 cup(s) uncooked rice
½ cup(s) peeled and chopped raw mango
1 cup(s) grated coconut
½ teaspoon(s) mustard seeds
½ teaspoon(s) each of asafoetida and turmeric powder
4 whole dry red chilli(es)
½ teaspoon(s) each of split black gram and split bengal gram (optional)
1 tablespoon(s) peanuts
1 sprig curry leaves
2 tablespoons ghee (clarified butter) / butter / oil
salt to taste

1. Cook the rice as usual for about 15 minute(s) or till it is cooked but firm. Spread it on a plate to cool.
2. Grind together, the raw mango, coconut, mustard seeds, half the red chillies, asafoetida and turmeric powders to a fine paste with water (as required).
3. Heat the ghee / butter / oil on medium level in a pan till hot. Fry the split grams, peanuts and remaining red chilies for about two minutes or till the grams are lightly browned and aromatic. Drop in the curry leaves. Mix in the raw mango paste and put off the heat. Add the cooked rice, salt and mix well.

Sweet and Sour Indian Pumpkin
2 tablespoon(s) oil
½ teaspoon(s) cumin seeds
2 teaspoon(s) fennel seeds (saunf)
4 dry red chillies broken, deseeded
500 grams pumpkin diced
2 tablespoon(s) sugar
2 teaspoon(s) lemon juice
salt to taste

Heat the oil in a wok or a pan. Add the cumin and fennel seeds. Fry till brown. Add the broken chilies and fry till aromatic. Add the diced pumpkin, salt and sugar. Mix well. Cover and cook on low heat for about 5 minutes or till the pumpkin is cooked very soft and mushy. Mash a little if required. Sprinkle the lemon juice and mix well.

Naan Bread (Makes 6)
* 2 cups of All Purpose flour (Plain flour or maida)
* 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1 teaspoon sugar
* Pinch of baking soda
* 2 tablespoons of oil
* 2 1/2 tablespoons yogurt (curd or dahi)
* 3/4 cup lukewarm water
Also needed:
* 1 teaspoon of clear butter or ghee to butter the Naan
* 1/4 cup All Purpose flour for rolling
Method:
1. Dissolve active dry yeast in lukewarm water and let it sit for 10 minutes or until the mixture becomes frothy.
2. Add sugar, salt and baking soda to the flour and mix well.
3. Add the oil and yogurt mix, this will become crumbly dough.
4. Add the water/yeast mixture and make into soft dough.Note: after dough rise will become little softer.
5. Knead until the dough is smooth. Cover the dough and keep in a warm place for 3-4 hours. The dough should almost be double in volume.
6. Heat the oven to 500 degrees with pizza stone for at least thirty minutes so stone is hot. Using a pizza stone will help to give naan close to same kind of heat as clay tandoor. (Note: a cheap alternative to a pizza stone is one of the terra cotta dishes you set under a flowerpot. Make sure you use an unglazed one. Ideally, it should be clean, too. ; )
7. Next turn the oven to high broil.
8. Knead the dough for about two to three minutes and divide the dough into six equal parts.
9. Take each piece of dough, one at a time, and roll into 8-inch oval shape. Dust lightly with dry flour to help with the rolling.
10. Before putting the Naan in oven, lightly wet your hands and take the rolled Naan, and flipp them between your palms and place onto your baking/pizza stone into the oven.
11. You can place about 2 Naan on the baking/pizza stone at a time. The Naan will take about 2 to 3 minutes to cook, depending upon your oven. After the Naan is baked(Naan should be golden brown color on top).
12. Take naan out of the oven and brush lightly with clear butter or ghee.
13. wait 2 to 3 minutes before baking the next batch of naan. It gives oven the chance to get heated again to max.
14.
Serve Naan with Daal, Chola, Palak Paneer or any vegetable. Enjoy!

Plum Chutney
1/2 pound peaches, peeled
1/2 pound plums, halved
1/4 pound seedless grapes, stems removed
1 yellow onion, chopped
3/4 cups brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 cup currants or raisins
1/8 cup ginger, fresh, finely chopped (peeled)
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3/4 cups apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 (2 to 3-inch) cinnamon sticks
1/2 tablespoon peppercorns
1/2 tablespoon whole cloves
1/8 teaspoon salt
To make the chutney, pit and coarsely chop the peaches and plums, and combine in a heavy non-aluminum saucepan with the grapes, onions, brown sugar, currants or raisins, ginger, garlic, cayenne pepper, and vinegar. On a square of cheesecloth, place the cinnamon sticks, peppercorns, and cloves and tie edges together with kitchen string. Add to the saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring often. Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the chutney develops the consistency of a loose jam (about 50 to 60 minutes). When the chutney begins to thicken during the last 10 or so minutes of cooking, stir often with a wooden spoon to prevent burning. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. Discard the cheesecloth bundle. Set aside 1/2 cup chutney for the squash and refrigerate the rest for future use in a tightly covered container.

Orange Yogurt Cake
2-3 medium oranges
250g creamy yogurt
125g butter, room temperature
240 g sugar
2 eggs
300 flour
2 tablespoons baking powder
1 vanilla bean
3 cardamom pods
1 cinnamon stick
powdered sugar for decoration

Preheat oven to 180 C. Grease 24cm baking springform pan with butter and dust with flour.

Completely peel both oranges, slice white pith away from flesh. Cut into thin slices and remove all seeds. Lay slices of orange along bottom and ½ slices around sides of baking pan.

Mix butter and 220g sugar in bowl. Beat by hand for approximately 8 minutes until creamy. Add baking powder. Add eggs and stir in completely. Add yogurt-orange mixture, then flour until all ingredients are completely mixed. Pour batter over orange slices into baking pan. Bake for 50 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare a syrup with 120 ml water, 20 sugar, vanilla bean, cardamom pods (lightly crushed) and cinnamon stick. Cook until sugar is thoroughly dissolved. Remove from heat and allow to sit for 30 minutes.

When cake is removed from oven, immediately pour sugar syrup over the cake. Allow to sit for 10 minutes, then remove from springform. Shortly before serving, dust with powdered sugar. (The original recipe stated, “Serve with whipped cream or yogurt,” but sometimes less is more. We loved it just like it was.)

Words of the Week:
leaky
cutting board
superfluous
construction
dough
trivet / coaster
lukewarm
mean / nasty
custard
to bother [someone]
attentive
expectations
stag party / bachelor party
hen party
vomit
to chew
pronounce

Full disclaimer: apart from dessert, Serbian night was not one of the most inspiring culinary evenings we've had. But we had fun, talked a lot, listened to silly music, and learned a few new recipes.

	<Cookers: Cyrus, Marthe, Ralph, Tina, Alexandra and Daniel (behind the camera) >Cyrus gets busy melting chocolate
	<Peppers packed in the pot, ready to simmer >Ginger realizes she forgot to add the almonds to the cake, requring a bit of emergency rescue
	<Dinner is served >A flatter-than-flat flatbread: I don't think this is how it should be...
	<The broccoli bake was quite good - nice and cheesy >A plate full of pepper
	Serbian bean soup.
	The amazing Serbian Torte.

Lepinja
Here is one of the many traditional recipes. (Note, however, this is not a very good version of the recipe. We think it needed more flour and less oil.)
* 500 g brašna (500gr flour)
* 1 dl ulja (100ml oil)
* 1 dl mleka (100ml milk)
* so, voda (salt, water – in case the dough is too firm, max. 100ml water)
* 20 g kvasca (20gr yeast)
* 1 kocka šecera (1 cube of sugar – about one teaspoon)
Warm milk gently, but do no boil. Dissolve yeast in milk. Add salt, sugar and flour, knead together. Add some oil or water as necessary. Roll the dough out very thin and bake until golden.

Serbian Bean Stew
SOUP
1 pound / 500 g Cranberry beans (borlotti beans)
2 carrots, chopped
2 onions, coarsely chopped
a few cloves of garlic, minced
vegetable stock / broth, or water (and a bouillon cube, to taste) - approx 2 liter / 8 cups, adjust
(300 g / 10 oz slab bacon, optional)
salt and pepper

ROUX
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon hot Hungarian paprika

Start by quick-soaking the beans. Once drained. fill them into your soup pot (I use a heavy cast-iron dutch oven with a heavy lid) and add carrots, onion, garlic, stock and bacon. Let simmer slowly until beans are soft, but not mushy - depending on choice and age of your beans this may take between two and four hours. (This is where I let everything sit on the kitchen counter overnight and proceed the next day).

(If using bacon, remove the bacon and dice. Return to the pot.) In a small saucepan, melt the butter, add the flour and stir until you have a roux, add the paprika, stir again, and stir in a ladlefull of the soup liquid. Transfer the paprika paste to the soup pot, stir, bring to a boil and let simmer for 10 minutes. Taste for salt and pepper. If you like it, add chopped parsley when serving the soup.

Prysnac Serbia (Broccoli Casserole)
10 oz broccoli, crowns chopped small (frozen may be used)
6 x eggs, unbeaten
24 oz cottage cheese, small curd, or cream cheese
6 tbl flour
8 oz feta cheese, diced
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 x scallion, chopped
Salt, to taste
* Steam broccoli florets until slightly softened (not mushy), or, if using frozen broccoli, quickly thaw frozen broccoli by placing in a colander ar holding under hot running water. Separate the pieces with fork; drain well. Combine broccoli with all remaining ingredients in a large bowl and beat until well blended.
Bake in a greased dish at 350 degrees until all eggs in the middle are firm and the top is golden brown
OR: Pour into greased crockpot. Cover and cook on High 1 hour, then on Low 2 to 3 hours.

Serbian Stuffed Peppers
6-8 red peppers
1 large block tofu, diced
300g mushrooms (oyster or button), sliced
1 cup of rice
2 carrots
2 onions
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
2 teaspoons salt
½ cup of olive oil
2-3 potatoes
2 tablespoons plain flour
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1 teaspoon vegetable or dehydrated green herb stock
(optional: ¼ cup pine nuts and/or 100g black olives)
# Cut tops off peppers and remove seeds. Wash peppers to prepare for filling.
# Fry chopped onions and grated carrots in olive oil at medium to high temperature. Stir constantly.
# After 2-3 minutes add tofu and salt and continue to fry it for another 4-5 minutes. Add mushrooms and fry until browned.
# Take it off heat and add rice, plain flour, sweet paprika and dehydrated vegetable or green herb stock.
# Stir the mixture. Spoon filling into the peppers. Cover the top of each pepper with a slice of potato. Place peppers in a large pot.
# Place remaining potatoes put between peppers.
# Pour water or vegetable broth until peppers are covered. Boil at low temperature for 40-45 minutes.
# Sprinkle chopped parsley on the top. Serve hot.

Serbian Torte
10 x eggs, separated
1 3/4 cup sugar (divided use)
1/4 cup zwieback crumbs or dry bread crumbs
1 tsp grated lemon rind
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 lb blanched almonds, very finely ground
3 oz unsweetened chocolate, melted
1/2 lb soft butter
1/4 cup sliced toasted almonds
* Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Beat the egg whites until stiff and gradually beat in one cup of the sugar. Fold in the crumbs, lemon rind, and lemon juice.
* Fold in the ground almonds and divide the mixture among four greased nine inch
layer pans, lined on the bottom with parchment paper or unglazed brown paper.
* Bake fifteen to twenty minutes, or until layers are faintly browned. Cool on a rack.
* Beat the egg yolks lightly. Place the yolks and the remaining sugar in the top of a double boiler and cook over hot water until sugar dissolves and mixture thickens. Do not allow mixture to boil; it will curdle.
Remove from the hot water, beat in the chocolate and gradually beat in the butter. Refrigerate until mixture is spreading consistency. Use to fill and frost the layers. Garnish with the sliced almonds. Refrigerate until firm.

Words of the Week:
vegetable peeler
sense of humor / humour
recommend
suggestion
egg yolks
to grind / ground
convenient
pint
grapes
wasteland
wafer
to knead
ladle
to whine / whimper
constipated

	<Kerstin, Christiane, Ralph, Gerd, Cyrus and Daniel >Parsley gets cut for the fatoush salad
	<Fatoush salad, with lots of mint >Eggplant salad
	<Eggplants >Lentils (somewhere under all those onions)
	<Everything must be sprinkled with Za'atar spice: here, goat cheese with Za'atar >Palestinian Pesto
	<A full plate >Kneading the cookie dough
	<The only cookie cutters I own are the little feet Andrea gave me for Christmas... >Foot cookies
	>My father's Father's Day present, to be brought to the USA <The proud creators of the gnome's glasses (lest you think it doesn't resemble my father)

	Sun, sand and wind: Alexandra, Gerd, Tina, Ralph, Christiane and Daniel >The view from our BBQ pit
	<Trying to get the fires to burn >Waiting for coal
	<The provolone melts >And the impatient put it atop the tomatoes, not thoroughly melted...
	<Following tradition, Max gets to eat everthing that falls into the sand >Veggie and non-veggie grills
	<Caught in the act of fishing marshmallows from the bag
	Marshmallow goodness

	<Cookers: Sibylle, Kerstin, Cyrus, Christina, Marthe, Annette, and Tina >Eggplants for the Sabich sandwiches look like they belong in a cookbook
	<The Sabich Sandwich - somewhere under there is eggplant >Hummus, with lots of parsley in there
	Challah bread, before and after baking. It's really not as difficult as it looks (I used half whole-wheat flour)
	<Noodle kugel >A full plate
	"Shakshuka" is a Hebrew word that roughly translates as "all mixed up" >I don't know if Apple Crumble is Israeli, but it is kosher...

	<Happy and well fed (this time we took the photo after dinner): Kerstin, Alex, Christiane, Ralph, Gerd, Tina, Cyrus >Noodles
	<Asparagus simmers in homemade green curru >Alex tucks asparagus into pastry pockets
	<The soup (with papaya seeds on top) >Puffs
	<Noodles with Asparagus >Finished curry
	Fully plated

	<Daniel, Marthe, Kerstin, Alexandra, Ralph, Mareike, Cyrus, Annette >Manning (and womaning) the pots
	<Mango Rice was the perfect antidote to lots of fire >"The King of all the Lentils" - Rajmah Chawal
	<Sweet and Sour Indian Pumpkin was more sour than most of our western palates are accustomed to >Okra
	<Handmade Naan bread, coated with ghee >Ralph butters us up
	<Chutney always does well with naan bread >A full plate
	Orange Yogurt Cake, <pre and >post sugar dusting