FoodbyDoug: Please find additions, corrections, and comments f...

FoodbyDoug: Please find additions, corrections, and comments f...: Hi Doug, Mom travelled with us alone, in 1968 it was several months after the 6-day war. Dad went alone shortly after the war but r...

Please find additions, corrections, and comments from my brother Joe on the Ultimate Comfort Food

Hi Doug,

Mom travelled with us alone, in 1968 it was several months after the 6-day war. Dad went alone shortly after the war but returned home before our trip. He was not with us in Israel, until our 2nd visit in 1977. The story about the boullion is pretty accurate, except that it was our Grandfather who was so surprised and pleased by how great the soup tasted. 

Mom used the cookbook "Love and Knishes for a lot of her recipes. It was a wedding gift she received. It was first published in 1956 by Sara Kasdan, Publisher was The Vanguard Press. I have her book and still use it. I know which recipes were her favorites because the pages are stained with food.

The matzo ball recipe she used (and may have altered) and doubled/tripled as needed was:

1 egg

2 tablespoons schmaltz (not melted)

1/2 teaspoon salt

Cream together until smooth and add 1/2 cup matzo meal and one tablespoon of minced parsley (I think she did sometimes, not always)

Refrigerate for 1 hour

Make into tablespoon balls and drop into boiling salted water (or chicken broth), cover tightly and return to boil. Reduce heat and continue to boil for 1/2 hour.  

I think she may have added a couple of tablespoons club soda, but I do not remember exactly.

Modern Version, 

Andi (Andi is my sister-in-law)and I have been making Matzo Balls for Passover for years, we have used this recipe and a few others and to be honest the Manichevitz or Striet's brand mix works just as good. 

Chicken Soup, I have combined my memory of Mom making with a few tips over the years from Gigi and Joni (my brothers mother and grandmother in-law).

The first is I put everything in a couple of cheesecloth packages, makes it much easier, once it is done to lift out of the broth, and separate what is going back in and what can be discarded. 

I also use mostly canned broth, the commercialized chicken available today has so little flavor, unless you are going to a butcher to get a stewing chicken or older hen it never gets enough flavor without the broth. You may have better sources for flavorful chicken.  Joni's secret is to add one small can of beef broth it really gives it a deeper flavor. Gigi used to go to the farmer's market to get chicken feet; I did it once but could not notice the difference. Also, make at least one day before serving. 

I take a whole chicken, wash and dry inside and out. Sprinkle salt and pepper inside and out, put it in cheesecloth. Take 2 onions, garlic cloves, some dill, a bunch of parsley, and the celery tops tie it up in another cheesecloth. Take the carrots, parsnips (Roberta and I used to fight over the "white") and celery stalks tie up in another cheesecloth. Put them all in the pot and cover with the canned broth, usually 1/3 regular and 1/3 low sodium and 1/3 water and the small can of beef broth. Add some mixed herbs and boil for at least 2 hours. Stir and skim off any foam occasionally as it cooks. Let it cool for a while and then remove the cheesecloth packages. Discard the one with the onions and parsley. Cut up and debone...  the chicken, and cut up the carrots, celery and parsnip. I usually keep all of this in a separate container with a few cups of the broth to keep it moist. Refrigerate the broth several hours or overnight. Once cold enough scrape off any fat that has congealed on the top. When you are getting ready to serve add all the goodies back and reheat, you can add noodles at this time or make matzo balls. We usually make the matzo balls in a separate pot, with boiling water and a few boullion cubes for flavor instead of salt. 

You are right this is therapeutic. I hope this is helpful.

Joe

Chicken Soup: The Ultimate Comfort Food!

Chicken Soup: The Ultimate Comfort Food!

After a week of travel on the Rhine River sampling the culinary offerings of four countries - Netherlands, Germany, France, and Switzerland - I decided that our first dinner at home was going to be chicken soup.  Chicken soup has to be the ultimate comfort food, frequently referred to as “Jewish Penicillin”. And the name suits it; chicken soup done right cures what ails you. It was the perfect dish for two weary travelers, recently returned from distant lands, after breathing who knows what on airplanes, and both suffering from a serious case of jet lag.

I have fond memories of my Mother making chicken soup around the holidays, especially Passover, where Matzo Balls were always added.  I have never made matzo balls myself, nor have I ever looked at a recipe for chicken soup until today - even though I have made it probably three or four dozen times.

But I do remember a few family secrets regarding the making of matzo balls, and maybe, if you are lucky, I might entice my brother Joe into writing a guest blog about the art of making perfect matzo balls.  Joe is sort of a foodie too, and spends a fair amount of time in the kitchen.  (I actually called him today to consult on what herbs he adds to his soup.)

What I know for sure about chicken soup with matzo balls:

·      Never open the lid on the pot they are cooking in

·      I think soda water comes in somewhere

·      Don’t actually cook them in the soup

Chicken soup is incredibly simple to make. You start off with one large whole chicken – discard organs but throw the neck in the pot too.  Use the largest pot you have.  Add two cut up yellow onions, and four chopped up stalks of celery.  I add thyme, about a teaspoon or more, at least a tablespoon of basil, and about a tablespoon of dill.  Fill the pot with water just above the chicken.  Some folks add salt and pepper at this time; I might add just a little pepper, but for the most part I leave salt and pepper to be added at the table to individual taste.

·      1 large chicken

·      2 yellow onions

·      4 large celery stalks

·      3 medium to large carrots

·      2 medium parsnips

·      thyme

·      basil

·      dill

·      1 bunch parsley

·      1 tablespoon minced garlic

·      chicken bouillon

Set to boil and add one whole bunch of parsley roughly chopped and a tablespoon of minced garlic.  Bring pot to boil, then cover, reduce to medium heat, and go do something else for at least an hour and a half to two hours.  Did I mention that if you are going to make chicken soup, while it is very easy, it is an all-afternoon ordeal? So, don’t try to make this comfort meal in a rush!

When you return to your pot after a couple of hours, your chicken should be falling apart.  Fish out the chicken, the bones, the skin, and then set aside to cool. 

Now here is where the Sklar family secret comes in – add bouillon.  I actually use about 1½ tablespoon of the low sodium “Better than Bouillon” brand that comes in a jar. 

There is a story behind this Sklar family secret. Caveat: I was only about 2 or 3 years old, but as I remember it, here is how the story goes:  Shortly after the “Six-Day War” that took place in 1967, my Mom traveled by herself with me, my brother Joe, and my sister Roberta to Israel to meet up with my Dad who is an Israeli.  Dad had gone in advance to his parents to make sure it was safe for us to follow.  So here is a mid-thirty-year-old lady traveling half way around the world with three children by herself in the late 1960s to Israel which had just completed a war. 

Not knowing what she might be facing, my Mom packed chicken bouillon cubes, thinking she could always find hot water.  She arrives in Israel and we fast forward to her first Sabbath dinner at her in-laws little apartment in Haifa.  Times are tough in Israel, and people have to be resourceful.  My Grandmother, who was so pleased to have not only her daughter-in-law there with her but also her three grandchildren, poured love into making a special Sabbath dinner that included, of course, chicken soup and roasted chicken. 

She soaked the chicken in the hot water, before removing it and roasting it as the main course.   My Mom who had peeked in the kitchen and sampled the evening dishes, noticed something greatly lacking from my Grandmother’s soup – flavor.  So my resourceful mother added just a few of her bouillon cubes without my Grandmother knowing.  I wish I had been old enough to have seen and to remember the look on my Grandmother’s face when she tasted her soup for the first time. It was a miracle of flavor that she could never figure out or duplicate!

With the chicken now removed, I now let the soup rest during this period at simmer.  Add in two medium parsnips and three medium to large carrots that have been chopped, not diced.  Cutting them too small might produce mushy veggies – yuck!  I like my root vegetables to have some texture to them. 

When the chicken has cooled, pick out the bones, cartledge, and skin.  Everything else gets put back in the soup after you have hand shred.  I don’t chop it up; you will have enough smaller pieces and I like to see actual chicken in my soupspoon!  Return the chicken with all of its “goodness” back into the bowl, and bring the heat up to medium – don’t bring to a boil - and let it cook for another half hour to hour.  About twenty minutes before you serve, add in one package of egg noodles. 

You have just made enough soup to not only have dinner tonight, but leftovers for days to come.  You can also give away some to any friends who might be sick or in the need of some comfort food.  I also always reserve enough to freeze at least one or two dinners’ worth.  As we prepare for the coming of winter, this is one you’ll want to try.

The Bounty of the Hunt: A New Year's Celebration (posted a couple of weeks late)

Please note the following blog was originally written a couple of weeks ago, but its posting got interrupted by a trip up the Rhine River - which you will hear more about in coming blogs.

Tonight’s dinner was grilled pheasant in a honey garlic glaze, with grilled apples, and spinach salad with acorn squash and pomegranate.

                 

So where do you find pheasant, you might wonder. Well, the answer is you don’t; you depend on a really good bird dog to find them for you!  In my case the bird dogs belonged to the Flying B Ranch (www.flyingbhunting.com) in Kamiah, Idaho, where Jacque and I were guests a couple of weeks ago. We had joined our friends, Dr. David Bradford and his wife Susan, for my first real bird hunt.  David is a frequent guest of the Flying B, and I am destined to follow in his footsteps.

The Flying B Ranch is the 2014 Orvis Wing Shooting Lodge of the Year.  David and I enjoyed two and a half fun filled days of great bird hunting and shooting sports, thanks to Chad, our guide.  (I really can’t say enough about Chad as a guide; I know all the guides at the Flying B are great, but I am requesting Chad on all my future hunts!) Meanwhile, Jacque and Susan enjoyed relaxing in the main lodge, massages, and tours of the several thousand acre ranch. 

Additionally, any mention of the Flying B would be incomplete without a mention of Ryan the Chef.  (This is a FOOD BLOG, after all.) Ryan prepared one phenomenal meal after the next. His signature dishes  included venison loin, pheasant enchiladas for lunch one day, crusted halibut, and a trio of game bird appetizers featuring the three different types of birds David and I had killed that day: Hungarian partridge, chukers, and of course, pheasant.

With the Jewish High Holidays just concluding, I found myself craving apples and honey. These are traditional foods enjoyed during the Jewish New Year to remind us of the sweetness of the coming year. 

I found it only appropriate, therefore, to start the meal off with a pre-dinner Apple Martini with a base whiskey of Eve’s Apple - hmmm!

(Attention Local Followers:  5 O'clock Somewhere will be offering tastings of their spirits at the Okanogan Omak Rotary Wine and Cheese Acution, November 8th, 2014.  If you have not bought your tickets for this great benefit, email me, call me,find a rotarian, or follow the link below for information.  http://www.clubrunner.ca/portal/Events/EVPEventDetails.aspx?accountid=1496&eid=bdb8d033-6764-42a1-8b67-00704a544d25&tid=1)

 “Doug’s Wicked” Appletini!

           

2 parts Eve’s Apple Pie – Washington Moonshine whiskey from its 5 O’clock Somewhere Distillery (www.its5distillery.com)

1 part Grey Goose Vodka

Apple wedge and pomegranate seeds for garnish

Just a few drops of Pomegranate Liqueur to finish        

Our main course was pheasant breast - (pre-picked for gunshot pellets)- soaked in apple cider and olive oil.  I grilled the pheasant with just a little bit of salt and pepper. The glaze was inspired by www.allrecipes.com Honey Glazed Chicken (http://allrecipes.com/recipe/honey-grilled-chicken/).

I changed the glaze recipe to the following:

            2 tablespoons butter

            2 cloves minced garlic

            ½ cup honey

            1 ½ tablespoons apple cider vinegar

I melted the butter in a saucepan, added in the other ingredients, and cooked together on medium heat for a few minutes.  I then let it cool to room temperature before using it as a glaze on the grilled pheasant.   I did not add glaze until I flipped the breast on the grill, and then when the birds were done, I flipped it again and added more to the other side.  I have learned the hard way that you can burn glazes and sauces very easily on the BBQ – don’t add them too early!

As a side dish, I prepared grilled apples with Parmesan cheese, walnuts, and drizzled honey over the top.  I sliced the apples and cut the cores out.  I then tossed them in a little grape seed oil and just a little sugar and cinnamon before grilling them over medium to high heat.  Depending on the thickness of your slices, you only need to grill them about three to four minutes on each side.   Here is the link that served as inspiration for this dish: http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/grilled_apples_with_cheese_honey.html. 

Again, I modified the recipe by using grape seed oil and walnuts.  I will try it again one day soon with cheddar cheese and a scoop of vanilla ice cream as a dessert.

Our salad tonight was baby spinach with roasted acorn squash and pomegranate seeds in an Apple Vinaigrette dressing.  Since I was keeping a biblical theme, I thought the pomegranate was a nice touch.  There are mentions of pomegranate in the Bible: Exodus 28:33-3 and 1 Kings 7:13-22. The fruit is depicted on the capitals of the two pillars which stood in front of the temple, and King Solomon is said to have designed his crown based on the “crown” of the pomegranate. The significance of the Jewish pomegranate is further exemplified by its appearance on ancient coins of Judea, one of only a few images that appear as a holy symbol. http://www.jewishgiftplace.com/Symbolism-Of-Pomegranate.html Seems that such a worthy fruit merited inclusion in our holiday meal!

I cut the acorn squash into small bite size pieces, and roasted them in the oven after first tossing in a little olive oil, apple cider, and adding salt and pepper to taste.  I roasted the squash at 400 degrees for only about 25 minutes.  Then I cut the skin away before adding to the salad.

The Apple Vinaigrette dressing was made in my Blendtec. As an aside, I just have to say that I love the Blendtec (www.blendtec.com) blender; it is definitely the Ferrari of blenders!  Jacque and I use it at least once a day for either making a breakfast smoothie, soup for lunch, (it actually heats soup while you blend it), or while making dinner.  If you don’t already have one, go out and buy one!  I added the following to my Blendtec for my salad dressing:

          1 cup apple cider – in the future I might only go ½ cup

1 whole apple cut in half (seeds, stem, and all – remember Blendtec in use here, so why lose the nutrition by discarding essential parts of the fruit?)

          3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

          ½ cup olive oil

          salt and pepper

                       

Our wine with dinner was a recent find from a “date”.  After 27 years of marriage, I still love going on dates with my wife! Our find: a CSR Sabrina, 2013, an unusual and unforgettable white. (www.crsandidgewines.com/wines).  Here’s how we found it:

We had decided to head to Lake Chelan for a drive in hopes of finding some fall colors, but ended up going wine tasting in Manson instead.  The first winery we wandered into was CR Sandidge, commonly referred to as CSR.  Ray the winemaker is the winemaker at Lake Chelan Winery, and this is his private label. He puts out some incredible wines that I am sure will become some of our favorites from that region.   The tasting experience was heightened by the pairing of each wine with food, and we really enjoyed and appreciated the detailed explanations by Ray’s wife who expertly walked us through our tasting. 

Jacque and I are not big white wine drinkers, but the Sabrina 2013 was full bodied in a way you would think reds should be, had complexity, yet a smoothness that got two red drinkers to buy a white.  In hindsight, we should have bought more than just one bottle, and we should have saved the wine for a meal with more spice than the sweetness of honey-glazed pheasant.  Note to self:  buy more Sandidge Sabrina.

We enjoyed tonight’s dinner outside on our deck, wondering how many more nights we will be able to do this before the weather starts to turn.

I welcome your comments, and don’t forget to like me on Facebook, and to add your email to follow my blog - FoodByDoug.  So many more unique dishes to come as we enter the fall season. Stay tuned!