Recipe Archives

by Java Nooryani, Brooklyn dweller, vegan explorer.

I try not to judge restaurants by their websites but it’s exciting when a place lives up to its own online design and hype. This was the case with M.O.B or Maimonides Of Brooklyn, a vegan restaurant in Brooklyn’s Boerum Hill neighborhood. On M.O.B’s website, interested foodies can read all about their origin and food philosophy, as well as look through their detailed, pictured menu.

After repeatedly scanning their site, I finally went to eat at M.O.B. I immediately loved their décor and layout; it’s a very well-lit, open space that’s inviting and stylish. There’s a bar and garden but the front room is where you want to be for a winter meal—with its exposed brick, high ceilings, and communal tables (with drawers full of napkins and utensils!) you’ll feel comfy and only faintly trendy.

M.O.B hits all the aesthetics of Brooklyn restaurants without the pretention; the wait staff is friendly and ready to answer all your inquisitive questions about their seasonal, vegan menu.

The health-conscious, Brooklyn-loving Cyril Aouizerate is the creator behind M.O.B. Aouizerate was influenced by the Jewish philosopher and Rabbi Maimonides and his writings on healthy eating, as well as the revolutionary roots of old-school hip hop. As stated on M.O.B’s website, Aouizerate hopes to popularize healthy and delicious foods with the city’s masses by keeping the food affordable.

While the restaurant offers numerous scrumptiously innovative seasonal plates, I fell hard for their signature dish: the M.O.B. The self-titled offering is a unique flatbread, shaped like the arches of the Brooklyn Bridge. M.O.Bs come in 5 different concoctions, each wonderful with their various veggie toppings. All M.O.Bs come on a secret, house baked dough (with a gluten-free option) that’s soft and slightly sweet with a thin and crispy crust.

I decided to order one seemingly traditional pizza-like M.O.B and one more adventurous M.O.B: the Smiley and Warming Glow, respectively. The Smiley comes with a light cherry tomato marinara sauce topped with arugula and tofu marinated with picholine olives and oregano. The tofu reminded me of a soft, mild cheese, blending well with the saltiness from the olives and slight sweetness of the marinara sauce. As flatbreads, M.O.Bs don’t try hard to mimic traditional pizzas by using any fake vegan cheese.

The Smiley succeeds in utilizing non-meat and non-dairy produce so effectively that it didn’t make me miss conventional, non-veg pizza or flatbreads. As much as I enjoyed the light and complimentary fusion of The Smiley, I absolutely loved the combination of flavors on the Warming Glow.

Topped with fresh, oven-warmed guacamole, squash roasted with chocolate and chilies, and pickled radishes, the Warming Glow is one of the most inventive and surprisingly delicious flatbread I’ve ever eaten. Both the guacamole and squash have a perfectly soft texture and freshness that never makes the dough soggy (I had cold leftovers the next day and it was still amazing).

The chocolate and chilies on the squash are subtle, while the pickled radishes give the dish a great sour and crunchy kick. The Warming Glow, like the Smiley, filled me up while leaving me with a craving to try the other M.O.Bs. Each M.O.B makes for a solid meal for one person or an appetizer for two.

With its tasty and healthy food, great service, and cool ambiance, M.O.B is a dining experience I highly recommend to all New Yorkers.

Although they’re secretive about their flatbread dough recipe, M.O.B is very open to sharing its ingredients. On their website, you can find all the ingredients and allergy warnings of their menu items (some dishes change based on season).

All photos courtesy of M.O. B.  Thank you!

Below, you’ll find an easy recipe for thin-crust pizza from Leah Schapira, Fresh and Easy Kosher Cooking . I included the toppings list found on the Warming Glow, from M.O.B’s current menu,  to help you invent your own unique and healthy flatbread.

M.O.B. Brooklyn is at 525 Atlantic Avenue – Brooklyn, NY 11217
718-797-2555

M.O.B. Paris is at 32, rue Charlot
75 003 Paris
01 42 77 51 05

Print
Thin Crust Pizza Dough

4- 8 inch individual pizzas

Thin Crust Pizza Dough

From Leah Schapira's Fresh and Easy Kosher Cooking: "This is my quick version of pizza dough, for days when you're not about to make dough in bulk and there's none left in your freezer. The trick to a good pizza is leaving the dough slightly sticky. If the dough is too heavy with flour, the crust will be dense, distracting from the flavor and texture of the final product. If you find the dough hard to handle, coat it with a light dusting of flour instead of incorporating more flour into the dough. You may also prepare this dough by hand, using a wooden spoon."

Ingredients

  • 3 cups flour, packed
  • 1 cup water
  • 2 1/4 t dry yeast
  • 1 t salt
  • 1 t sugar
  • 1 T oil
  • cornmeal for dusting

Instructions

  1. combine the flour, water, dry yeast, salt and sugar in a mixing bowl.
  2. mix on medium speed for 1-2 minutes. You may need to add 1-2 T of water or flour if the dough is too wet or too dry, but don't add more than that.
  3. Add the oil and incorporate well into the dough.
  4. Dust dough with flour and place into a bowl. Cover and allow to rise for 30 minutes.
  5. While the dough is rising, combine ingredients for your topping.
  6. Pre-heat oven to 500 degrees F.
  7. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Dust each sheet with cornmeal.
  8. Divide dough into 4 parts. Using a rolling pin, roll out each part to an 8-inch circle, as thin as possible.
  9. Transfer 2 circles of dough onto each prepared baking sheet. Ladle with sauce and toppings of choice.
  10. Bake for 10-11 minutes or until ready.

Notes

Use your favorite tomato sauce (or not) and top with good quality cheese (or not) and seasonal veggies.

Or consider M.O.B.'s toppings used on their Warming Glow flatbread:

Guacamole: avocado which has been mashed with basil, mint, lime, scallion, and sea salt. Delicata squash roasted in chocolate and chili powders. Red radishes that have been pickled in lime juice, prickly pear juice. Top with cilantro.

http://kosherlikeme.com/on-the-road/maimonides-of-brooklyn-or-m-o-b-worthy-of-a-mob

 


Originally Posted in “Maimonides of Brooklyn (M.O.B): Seasonal, Vegan and Affordable”

I’m still abuzz from all of the new experiences I had last weekend at the Hazon Food Conference.

Over the course of four jampacked days, I met  passionate, articulate and inspiring food, social and environmental activists, Rabbis, educators and students, chefs and home cooks, gardeners, farmers and food producers, writers and filmmakers.

We ate meals together, prayed and learned together, and shared perspectives on all things pertaining to “building Jewish identity and community, renewing ancient Jewish ecological, agricultural and spiritual wisdom, and producing healthy organic kosher food products.”

Hazon is best explained in last weekend’s programming catalogue as “ standing at the forefront of a new Jewish Food Movement, leading Jews to think more broadly and deeply about our own food choices. We’re using food as a platform to create innovative Jewish educational programs to touch people’s lives directly, to strengthen Jewish institutions, and, in the broadest sense, to create healthier, richer and more sustainable Jewish communities.”

A lofty and inspiring mission, for sure.

With 260 participants attending, we bonded over shared experiences, like gathering after dinner on the first night to braid 144 loaves of challah for Shabbat the next evening. How to divide up the  deep vat of organic and whole wheat dough that had been mixed in the kitchen?

We pressed olives to extract their oils in order to experience the labor and miracle of oil production as we were about to celebrate Chanukah the next evening.

We headed down to the goats’ pasture each morning to watch the Adamah fellows milking the females. We brought along steaming mugs of black coffee to lighten with fresh, hot milk.

The path from goat to goatgurt is a direct one. Feta and “Holy Chevre” are made on site with milk from the farm’s goats.

“Goatgurt”, the farm’s nutritious and bright yogurt, was served with breakfast each morning. It  tasted clean, a tad tart and grassy.

Talk about farm to table!

The Adamah farm created a value- added program to help support their farming and educational efforts by growing all of the ingredients for their line of kosher, organic, lacto-fermented and preserved products.

Season-extending methods are employed by using greenhouses and hoop-house growing. The pickling, freezing, canning and drying efforts have brought kimchi, crunchy pickles, and snappy sauerkraut to the table.

Over the course of sharing nine meals and numerous snacks with other participants, I eagerly read the informative and inspiring labels placed by each dish on the buffet tables. Ingredients were listed for those with restrictions. Farm sources was noted.

With many ingredients coming from the on-site farm or other neighboring farms, we enjoyed lots of frost -sweetened sauteed kale and collards, braises with plenty of onions, and loads of reddish yellow kabocha, and naturally sweet butternut and delicata squash.

We were welcomed to the opening night dinner by a vegetarian, Indian themed feast. The collard greens had been picked early that week and feta from the farm’s goats combined to make a spicy and nutrient packed Sag Paneer.

Golden, folded samosas included spuds from a neighboring farm and desserts throughout the weekend were simple, homestyle trays of moist honey cake , pumpkin bread and apple crisp.

And because we arrived before Chanukah and celebrated the beginning of our eight day holiday as a new community, there was a hands-on cooking session taught by Leah Koenig, author of the fascinating and user friendly cookbook, The Hadassah Everyday Cookbook.

Koenig’s collection of recipes span the culinary globe including Mexican, Asian, French, Middle Eastern and Italian inspired dishes.

In honor of Chanukah, when we get creative with all things fried, Koenig taught us how to make Bukharian potato turnovers.

My favorite new dish is the  Italian Rice Fritters (Frittelle de Riso per Hanukkah). Enjoy this sweet and citrusy twist on more familiar American fried treats. Scroll down to check out this easy recipe.

And a HUGE  thank you to Chef Adam SaNogueira who masterfully cooked 2250 servings for our appreciative and passionate group of Kosher foodies over the course of nine meals, multiple and much appreciated late afternoon snacks and Chanukah treats.

I gained deeper insight into the process of growing, planning, sourcing and preparing farm to table meals as a result of sharing some precious quiet moments with him as he was winding down towards the end of the conference.


To learn more about where you can buy Adamah’s cheeses, pickled veggies and sweet jams, click here.

Print
Italian Rice Fritters (Frittelle de Riso per Hanukkah)

about 2 dozen fritters

Italian Rice Fritters (Frittelle de Riso per Hanukkah)

Thank you to Leah Koenig, author of The Hadassah Everyday Cookbook, for providing this recipe. It is slightly adapted from Gil Marks' Encyclopedia of Jewish Food.

Ingredients

  • 3 cups water
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
  • 3/4 cups raisins
  • vegetable oil for deep frying
  • 6 large eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1/2 cup pine nuts
  • 2 teaspoons grated lemon or orange zest
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon orange blossom water (optional)
  • sugar or honey for topping

Instructions

  1. In a medium saucepan, bring the water and salt to a boil.
  2. Add the rice, cover, reduce heat to low and simmer until rice is tender and has absorbed the water, about 25 minutes.
  3. Let cool.
  4. While the rice cools, soak the raisins in warm water to cover. Drain well.
  5. In a deep, heavy skillet or saucepan, heat at least 1 inch of oil over mediumheat until it reaches 350 degrees.
  6. While the oil is heating, transfer the rice to a medium bowl and stir in the eggs, nuts, zest, vanilla and orange blossom water.
  7. Working in batches, carefully drop the batter by heaping tablespoonfuls into the oil.
  8. Press lightly with the back of the spoon to flatten slightly.
  9. Fry, turning once, until golden brown on all sides, about 2 minutes per side.
  10. Using a slotted spoon or tongs, remove the fritter, drain on paper towels.
  11. Serve sprinkled with sugar or drizzled with honey.

Notes

The fritters can be kept warm in a 250 degree oven while preparing the remainder.

http://kosherlikeme.com/on-the-road/following-the-path-from-goat-to-goatgurt

Originally Posted in “Farm to Table from Goat to Goatgurt”

Giveaway is now CLOSED. BUT please keep on reading and find the scrumptious recipe at the end of this post.

Sometimes the mere suggestion of a twist on tradition is enough to get me going in the kitchen.  And I wasn’t even thinking about Chanukah yet.

On the last day of the  outdoor Westport Farmers’ Market in November, organic farmer, Patti Popp of Sport Hill Farm, beckoned me to come check out her pile of brussel sprouts still firmly attached to their stalks.

My focus shifted as I noticed the generous, fan shaped LEAVES fanning out at the tip of these nobby supportive stalks.

THE LEAVES?  I had never given them a moment’s notice, and likely had never even seen them before.  They were both  dusty and vibrant and Patti encouraged me to experiment with these lovelies as wrappers for whatever filling I saw fit.

So I turned to a traditional Eastern European Jewish recipe for stuffed cabbage and adapted it to my liking, which is to say just a hint of traditional sweet and sour with a more assertive Middle Eastern kick.  These leaves were much easier to handle than cabbage. Their deep dusty green suggests that they are  more nutritious and they don’t need to be pre-cooked the way cabbage does.

Best of all, there is none of that weird, cabbage shtink permeating the kitchen. The reward was a more toothsome, deeper vegetal taste and a brighter, easier to handle wrap encasing this simple filling. I kept the filling  for the stuffed leaves at a ratio of 2:1, meat to brown rice, so you can leave room in your (ahem) carb allocation for more latkes to enjoy with this rich tomatoey broth.

M’s family is big on serving saucy dishes for Chanukah and I’ve come around to their  thinking. Deeply flavorful sauces provide crispy latkes (potato pancakes) with  glistening richness: the perfect match for your perfectly browned latkes.

Adjust the proportion of sweet: sour: spicy  in this sauce so it pleases you.  Once it all bubbles for a bit and comes together, it will only get better as it sits in your fridge. Definately make enough for leftovers. Make your favorite latke recipe, and serve alongside these stuffed and rolled treasures.

Notes: I use Grow and Behold’s 90 % lean ground beef. All of their beef, chicken, lamb is certified OU Kosher, pasture raised and free of hormones and antibiotics. Check their site to learn more about ordering and read what I had to say about them in a previous post.

The Westport Farmers’ Market has moved indoors for the winter. Dates: Dec. 8-March 16 on Saturdays, 10-2 at Gilbertie’s, Westport, CT. Click here for more information and directions.

Print
Stuffed Brussel Sprout Leaves

8-10 servings

Stuffed Brussel Sprout Leaves

This is a fun and flavorful twist on classic Jewish stuffed cabbage. The brussel sprout leaves are easier to manage and do not need to be pre-cooked. Feel free to play with the seasoning, making it more Middle Eastern by adding additional Ras El Hanout or cumin.

Ingredients

    Filling
  • 1 lb. ground beef
  • 1/2 c. cooked brown rice
  • 3/4 t. salt
  • freshly ground pepper
  • 1 egg
  • 2 T. bread crumbs
  • 2 T. ras el hanout (Middle Eastern seasoning)
  • 1 finely chopped leek (not the dark green part) or 1 small onion, grated
    • Sauce
  • 3 T. olive oil
  • 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
  • 5 1/2 oz. can tomato paste
  • 8 oz. can tomato sauce
  • 4-5 cloves chopped garlic
  • 1 chopped onion or 1 stalk chopped leeks (all but the dark green)
  • 2 T fresh lemon juice
  • 1/4-1/2 c. brown sugar (to taste)
  • salt and pepper to taste
    • wrappers
  • 15-20 leaves from the top of a stalk of brussel sprouts

Instructions

    Sauce
  1. Warm olive oil in a broad bottom sauce pan.
  2. sauté onion or leeks until softened. Add chopped garlic and cook until softened but not brown.
  3. Combine 3 cans of tomato sauce, lemon juice, brown sugar, salt and pepper. Stir and simmer until combined.
  4. Add 1/2-3/4 c. water if sauce thickens too much. There should be enough sauce for all stuffed leaves to fit into bottom of wide bottomed pot. A second layer is ok but be sure there is enough sauce to dot on top.
    5. Meat mixture
  5. Mix all ingredients in a bowl. The mixture should be well integrated and chunky.
    6. Assemble
  6. wash and pat dry each leaf. Lay leaves out on a flat surface or plate. Put a small amount of rice/meat filling towards the end of each leaf and roll, tucking in the sides, if possible.
  7. Place each rolled leaf, seam side down, in simmering sauce. Arrange all rolled leaves neatly in the bottom of pan.
  8. Cover and simmer gently for 45 minutes.
http://kosherlikeme.com/recipes/ready-stuff-roll

And because everyone loves a party, I joined this super big one, with a long list of contributing bloggers. Together, we have created an array of recipes to help you celebrate. This first ever Chanukah Blog Party is hosted by Leah of Cook Kosher and Miriam of Overtime Cook. Check out these Chanukah themed recipes, treats and crafts from Jewish bloggers all over the world.

 

To help get everyone into party mode, we have a bunch of fabulous new cookbooks to giveaway! Leave a comment on this post for your chance to win one of:

2 copies of Susie Fishbein’s new Kosher By Design Cooking Coach (sponsored by Artscroll)

2 copies of Leah Schapira’s  Fresh and Easy Kosher Cooking (sponsored by Artscroll)

2 copies of Esther Deutch’s CHIC Made Simple (sponsored by the author)

 

Giveaway ends at 11:59 PM on Sunday, December 16th. Limit one entry per person per blog, so visit the other blogs for extra chances to win!

Prizes can only be shipped within the US. Entries must be accompanied by a valid email address in order to qualify.

 

How to enter: Leave a comment on this post and tell me what your favorite Chanukah treat or tradition is.

 

This is the second of many fabulous Holiday Blog Parties. If you would like to be added to the mailing list to participate in future parties, please email holidayblogparties@gmail.com

 

Stop by the other blogs and check out these Chanukah Themed Recipes:

 

Latkes:

Jamie from Joy of Kosher made Zucchini Latkes with Tzatziki

Daniel from Peikes Cookbook made Potato and Fennel Latkes Fried in Duck Fat With Chinese Five Spice Apple Sauce

Susan from The Girl in the Little Red Kitchen made Squash and Potato Latkes

Samantha from The Little Ferraro Kitchen made Ruby Red Beet Latkes with Cumin

Nechamah from TIforOA Food Ideas made Healthy Oatmeal Latkes

Liz from The Lemon Bowl made Traditional Potato Latkes

Yosef from This American Bite made Latkes & Brisket on Rye

Melanie from From Fast Food to Fresh Food made (I Can’t Believe They’re Crispy!) Baked Latkes

Laura from Mother Would Know made Three Variations of Sweet and Savory Latkes

Sarah from Crispy Bits and Burnt Ends made Kimchee Latkes

Shulie from Food Wanderings made Baked Panko Sweet Potato Leek Latkes

 

Donuts and Desserts: 

Miriam from Overtime Cook made Shortcut Cannoli with Chocolate Mousse Filling

Leah from Cook Kosher made 5 Minute Donuts

Estee from The Kosher Scoop made Tropical Fruit Fritters

Melinda from Kitchen-Tested made Sweet Steamed Buns

Amy from What Jew Wanna Eat made Homemade Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Gelt

Avidan from Baking It Up As I Go Along made Orange Olive Oil Cake

Tali from More Quiche Please made Glazed Chocolate Donut Holes

Amital from Organized Jewish Home made Mom’s Sour Cream Sugar Cookies

Princess Lea from The Frumanista made Túrógombóc

Stephanie and Jessica from The Kosher Foodies made Beignets

Gigi from Gigi’s Kitchen made Bunuelos: Mini Powdered Cheese Donuts 

Esther from Esther O Designs made Edible Menorahs

Patti from No Bacon Here made Hanukkah Oreo Balls

Shoshana from Couldn’t Be Parve made Churros con Chocolate

Shaindy from My Happily Hectic Life made Inside Out Apple Crisp

Eve from Gluten Free Nosh made Gluten-Free Hanukkah Sugar Cookies

The Gluten Free maven made Gluten Free Vegan Cake Donuts

Amy from Baking and Mistaking made Mini Cream-Filled French Beignets

Sarah from Food, Words, Photos made Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies

Victoria from Itsy Bitsy Balebusta made Pure Vanilla Donuts

Vicky and Ruth from May I Have That Recipe made Dulce de Leche and Eggnog cream filled mini sufganiot

Dena from Oh You Cook made Poached Pears in Pomegranate Sauce

Michele from Kosher Treif Cooking made Tiramisu Cheessecake

Sharon from FashionIsha made Sparkly Chanukah Cookies

 

Appetizers, Soups, Sauces, Drinks and other Hanukkah Food:

Laura from Pragmatic Attic made Caramel Spice Applesauce

Jessie from Bread and Butter made Honey Spiced Hanukkah Martini

G6 from Guess Who’s Coming 2 Dinner made Sweet Potato Leek Soup

Claire from I Love Soup made Sweet Potato, Coconut & Lemongrass Soup

Jennifer from Juanita’s Cocina made Kugel

Liz from Kosher Like Me made Ready, Stuff Roll!

Shelley from The Kosher Home made Hanukkah Crafts and Printables

 

Originally Posted in “Ready, Stuff, Roll for Chanukah”

Pumpkin Fritters Recipe and photo: Alessandra Rovati

“Man tracht un Got lacht”.

Man plans and G-d laughs. Sometimes stuff just happens.

After weeks of planning the perfectly timed Chanukah cooking demo and tasting, we needed to postpone it due to unforeseeable circumstances.

I love to share my experiences at compelling culinary events, so you might guess that I had a cool post sketched out. I was just waiting to perk it up with action shots of charming Alessandra barely breaking a sweat while she fried up 50 fritters,  tempting close-ups of perfectly crisped, celebratory Italian treats, along with captivating descriptions of the Holy Pumpkin Fritters on the menu.

If the irristable aromas of traditional potato latkes (pancakes) or sufganiyot (doughnuts)  reduces your will power to nil,  you’ll love these novel and unfamiliar fritters from my blogging buddy,  Alessandra Rovati.

 

These are not your Bubbie’s latkes. 

These puffed pastries are mildly sweet and fruity, with fresh steamed pumpkin, orange zest, cinnamon and raisins. They are airy and addictively delicious with unexpected texture from the pine nuts and candied lemon bits (optional) nestled into the tender, warm center.

Try these for a novel twist on a fried classic at your Chanukah celebration.

 I can smell their warm, spicy scent and tantalizing savory undertones even before I heat the oil to the correct temperature!!

Alessandra Rovati blogs at Dinner in Venice, where she shares the rich and ancient culinary history of the Italian Jewish communities. Her articles and recipes have been published in several magazines, websites and newspapers including the NY TIMES, The Huffington Post, and the Jewish Daily Forward.

 

And if you are hankering for more traditional potato latkes or a vegetable variation on the latke theme, check out Levana Kirshenbaum’s latke post. She’ll tell you everything you need to know in“Fear of Frying”.

Happy Chanukah (no matter how you spell it)!

Thank you to Paula Koffsky for her photo of Venice.

Print
Holy Pumpkin Fritters

6 servings

Frittole di Zucca Barucca (Holy Pumpkin Fritters)

From Alessandra Rovati:

"Pumpkin arrived in Italy after the discovery of the Americas, and was such a hit with Northern Italian Jews that in Venice we call it "Zucca Barucca" ("Holy Pumpkin," from the Hebrew "Baruch," "blessed"). Besides being one of the symbols on our Rosh Hashana table, pumpkin is also the protagonist of this delicious fried treat for Hanukkah."

Ingredients

  • 1 lb pumpkin or butternut squash, cleaned and diced small
  • 2 eggs
  • grated zest of 2 oranges
  • ¾ cup of sugar and a pinch of salt
  • 1 and ½ cups flour
  • ½ package (8 gr) baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/3 cup Raisins or Sultanas (optional)
  • 1/3 cup pine nuts (optional)
  • 1/3 cup candied etrog or lemon (optional)
  • Olive oil or peanut oil for deep-frying, at least 3 cups or more
  • Confectioner’s sugar for decorating

Instructions

  1. Plump the raisins in a cup of warm water.
  2. Chop the candied etrog or lime or lemon.
  3. Place the diced squash in a large platter and cover almost completely, leaving a small opening for the steam to come out, and microwave on high for 10 minutes or until very tender.
  4. Beat the eggs in a food processor with the sugar, salt, cinnamon, orange zest; add the cooked squash and process until smooth.
  5. Drain and dry the raisins, and add them to the mix.
  6. Transfer to a large bowl and gradually add the flour (sifted with the baking powder), using an electric or manual whisk.
  7. In a frying pan, heat the olive oil to frying temperature (you can test it by dropping a small piece of bread in the oil: if bubbles form around the bread, the temperature is right).
  8. Take the batter with a tablespoon, filling it to about ½, and push the batter into the oil with your index finger or a second spoon.
  9. Fry in small batches until golden all over, turning to cook evenly. Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer onto a platter lined with several layers of paper towels.
  10. Sprinkle with confectioner’s sugar and serve warm.

Notes

Recipe by Alessandra Rovati, www.dinnerinvenice.com

http://kosherlikeme.com/recipes/chanukah-in-venice-with-holy-pumpkin-fritters

 

Originally Posted in “Chanukah in Venice with Holy Pumpkin Fritters”

Highlighting a bakery so soon after over-indulging last week may seem counterintuitive (hopefully not cruel) but Green Leaf Organic Bakery and Cafe is the perfect little cafe at any time of year. And there are plenty of savory items to quell your guilt before you succumb by diving into their magnificent French inspired treats.

Healthy eats with plenty of greens and fruit? Check. Organic and fair trade coffee? Check. Plenty of vegetarian choices among the soup, salad, tartine selections? Check.  Once you’ve eaten a light meal here you’ll feel no remorse about moving on to sweets.

The only conflict you may have here is choosing between Pear Chocolate Tart with juicy fruit nestled beneath the highest quality Belgian chocolate and pastry cream atop densely flavored marzipan (WHEW!) or savoring the richest chocolate ambrosia in Pastry Chef Paul Osakwe’s Fallen Chocolate Souffle (recipe below).

Did I lapse into a momentary fixation on chocolate?

There is plenty more including puffed French donuts dusted in powdered sugar and piped full of cream, mixed fresh berry tarts (apple or pear during the winter) or an array of perfectly golden, flaky croissant, including peach filled, chocolate, or my most discerning friend R’s favorite, almond.

The space is simple, with light woods, plenty of hard surfaces (maybe too many) on unadorned tables, chairs and walls.  There is nothing to distract you from making a beeline to the display cases, brimming with tempting treats of all sorts. Enjoy it all inside or on the simply set patio in pleasant weather.

Co-owner Robin Marvin was assembling salads in the back when she burst forth from the kitchen, all smiles, clearly jazzed to be working in her new cafe. Of the seven salads offered, I appreciated that five were meatless.

I opted for the Organic Fruit and Nut Salad, a  bright composition of  roasted walnuts, pecans, slivered strawberries and blackberries, sun dried tomatoes and goat cheese over organic greens and moistened by house made pear and gorgonzola vinaigrette. If you love your salads with plenty of texture and variety, you’ll be happy here.

Paul Osakwe, co-owner and pastry chef, opens up between 2-3 each morning and gets to work on baking the treasures I have ogled in the cases. He and Martin, both Wilton residents, opened Green Leaf in July and hit their stride quickly.

Osakwe knows the rigors of owning a bakery as he has owned and baked in three shops over the last few years. Robin hails from the Pacific Northwest where she honed her passion and discriminating palate for coffee. Be assured that it is organic, fair trade and brewed properly.

Osakwe and Marvin are shooting for 100 % organic ingredients and are proud to be at about 85% for now. They source as much as possible from Wilton’s farms and state that their most frequently used ingredients are already organic, including flour, milk, butter, sugar and eggs.

Breakfast is served until 3 PM on Saturdays and Sundays, so no need to rush the day along. We explored the savories first, enjoying a simple salad of mesclun greens topped with grilled wild salmon, roasted red peppers, dates and roasted sweet potatoes. All dressings are homemade and the garlic/tomato vinaigrette added the balance to the sweetness.

Tartine selections are lovely, with five of the ten being meat free. They tend to be simple, a wise move so the palate is not overwhelmed prior to the inevitable indulging in Green Leaf’s decadent desserts.

Favorites sandwiches were mozzarella and tomato and ahi tuna with caper mayo. All are served with a mound of greens and toothsome slices of whole grain bread.

I opted for the quiche, a pretty individual portion of  creamy spinach, onion, tomato and red peppers nestled into a buttery golden crust. I imagine ordering these for a home brunch and building the menu around them.

There are plenty of other tempting items at Green Leaf and the kids are not left out. Cookies of various types and sizes, cupcakes, muffins and larger cakes ( I am now pining for Double Chocolate Dried Sour Cherry Cake with a strong cup of coffee), fruit and citrus pies are all available but call ahead if you are determined to find a particular item.

Expect new creations from this talented pastry chef and make it a habit to visit here often. On one of the days I dropped in, there were newly launched individual bundt cakes being offered for the first time. With toppings and fillings like dulce de leche, freshly whipped cream and raspberries, I don’t see why I would bake my own.

But just in case YOU would like to, Chef Paul Osakwe generously shared this recipe for Fallen Chocolate Souffle. Let me know what you think.

Print
Fallen Chocolate Souffle

5-7 servings

Fallen Chocolate Souffle

Recipe and this photo courtesy of Pastry Chef Paul Osakwe of Green Leaf Organic Bakery and Cafe, Wilton, CT.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup organic belgian chocolate (Pistols 70% bitter)
  • 1 cup organic pure cane sugar
  • 7 eggs, beaten
  • 3/4 cup butter
  • extra butter for greasing the ramekins

Instructions

  1. butter 5-7 individual ramekins with extra butter.
  2. Melt butter for souffle.
  3. Mix melted butter in with sugar.
  4. Melt butter until smooth.
  5. Fold in melted chocolate.
  6. Stir in eggs.
  7. Gently pour mixture into ramekins. Fill 3/4 full.
  8. Bake at 350 F for 15 min or until the tops have cracked and the souffle is at its highest point.
  9. Souffles will fall and settle within 5 minutes of removing from oven.
http://kosherlikeme.com/on-the-road/from-savory-to-sweet-at-green-leaf-organic-bakery-and-cafe

 

Originally Posted in “From Savory to Sweet at Green Leaf Organic Bakery and Cafe”

With Thanksgiving one week away, there is still plenty of time to deliberate over the menu.  One thing is for sure, though, and that is that I’ll be serving soup as a warming and tantalizing opener at our Autumnal Feast.

I turned to my good friend, food writer and cookbook author, Ronnie Fein, for inspiration here. Together we deliberated between a parsnip and carrot soup and Pumpkin Bisque. While I find the subtle sweetness of parsnips alluring, it occurred to me that I had never integrated pears into soup before, so the Pumpkin Bisque won out.

The contrast of the curry against the sweetness of ripe pears, the velvety texture after blending, and the happy burst of orange brightness come together to make an unusual soup course. Consider making it a couple of day’s ahead so the flavors have time to meld.

Check Fein’s Hip Kosher for more easy and tempting recipes and follow her cooking adventures at Kitchen Vignettes.

Thank you to Bobbie Bernstein, for her photo of Parsnip Man. I love the way her  sense of humor and keen eye come together as she peers through her lens.

Print
Pumpkin Bisque with Curry and Pear

4-6 servings

Pumpkin Bisque with Curry and Pear

Recipe courtesy of Ronnie Fein, HIP KOSHER.

Ingredients

  • 2 T butter or vegetable oil
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 2 ripe pears, peeled, cored and cut into chunks
  • 1 (15 oz) can pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie mix)
  • 1 1/2 t curry powder
  • 1/8 t cayenne pepper
  • pinch of ground cinnamon
  • 4 cups vegetable or chicken stock
  • 1 cup coconut milk or soy milk (plain and unsweetened)
  • salt, to taste
  • 2 T minced fresh chives or 1/4 cup toasted coconut

Instructions

  1. Heat the butter in large saucepan over medium heat.
  2. When the butter has melted and looks foamy, add the onion and cook for 2-3 minutes or until slightly softened.
  3. Add the pear chunks, pumpkin puree, curry powder, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, stock and coconut milk.
  4. Mix ingredients thoroughly.
  5. Bring to a simmer and cook for 25 minutes.
  6. Puree the soup and return it to the pan to heat (or use a hand blender)
  7. Season to taste with salt.
  8. Serve with chives or toasted coconut

Notes

From Ronnie: This is one of my favorite soups. The coconut milk makes it rich, thick and sweet, and tempers the spicy curry and cayenne. I've made this soup using soy milk, and it's tasty that way, too. For a meat meal, use vegetable oil and chicken stock; for a dairy meal use butter and vegetable stock.

http://kosherlikeme.com/celebrations/launching-thanksgiving-feast

Originally Posted in “Launching Your Thanksgiving Feast”

Welcome to Java Nooryani, vegan enthusiast in Brooklyn. Java moved to NYC from LA to study literature at NYU. After being a vegetarian for 10 years, she shifted to adopt veganism. She shops NYC farmers’ markets for the freshest local ingredients and celebrates the many veg-friendly offerings in her new borough. Like many Kosher Like Me followers, Java is on the lookout for veg based dishes wherever she goes.

Here’s Java’s take on The V-Spot in Park Slope, Brooklyn.

Park Slope is considered one of Brooklyn’s best residential neighborhoods to live in but it’s also just a great place to dine out. Its bustling 5th Ave block, just south of the Atlantic-Barclays Center and terminal, offers diners a large variety of eating options. Amidst this non-residential/business heavy block, I discovered The V-Spot—an all vegan Latin American restaurant. V-Spot provides healthy and animal-friendly alternatives to many dishes that traditionally contain meat and diary.

My roommate K and I went into V-Spot Thursday night for an early dinner. The vibe inside was friendly and relaxed; the staff was accommodating and attentive and the ambience was casual and cozy. K has a few food allergies and was happy to be in a restaurant with helpful servers and gluten-free options. Scanning the menu, we were excited to find so many items that catered not only to our respective diets but also our individual tastes.

Having grown up in Los Angeles, I have a taste for fresh Latin food—specifically vegetarian burritos—so I was eager to see if V-Spot’s burrito would meet my veggie Angeleno standards.

Short answer: it did.

Before totally devouring my burrito, I also enjoyed some of the kale tostadas and tofu scramble empanadas. The tostadas were light and crunchy, with fresh kale, ripe avocados, black beans, and just a touch of salsa and vegan parmesan (Daiya brand cheese).

The empanadas were a heartier affair, filled with scrambled tofu, assorted veggies, tempeh bacon, and Daiya cheddar cheese. Everything inside the empanadas were seasoned well and evenly cooked but the best part of the dish was the flour pastry itself. Golden brown and striking a flaky-soft balance, V-Spot’s empanadas are deliciously filling without being too heavy or greasy.

But the V-Spot burrito was definitely my favorite dish of the night. I love a basic burrito and V-Spot offered that and a little bit more. The burrito was filled with black beans, brown rice, fresh guacamole & salsa, vegan sour cream, and something I had never eaten before: vegan carne molida.

Although I’m not a huge fan of mock meat, I decided to try V-Spot’s homemade seiten ground beef. I was happy that I didn’t take the option to substitute it out; it was a softly-chewy and salty surprise! The burrito was reminiscent of the non-vegan burritos of my Southern California childhood but without the heaviness.

My favorite ingredients in the burrito were the brown rice and black beans, which K also ordered as a side. It may sound simple, but good rice and beans goes a long way with Latin food lovers like me. With a savory aroma of spices and herbs, V-Spot’s version of the Latin staple is sure to win you over too.

Print
Caribbean Brown Rice

2 generous servings

Caribbean Brown Rice

Ingredients

  • 2 cups brown rice
  • ¼ cup canola oil
  • ½ cup chopped red pepers
  • ½ cup chopped green peppers
  • ½ cup chopped red onions
  • ¼ cup chopped carrots
  • ¼ cup green peas
  • ¾ cup of corn
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • ¼ cup tomato paste
  • ¼ cup of cilantro
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1 t of store-bought sofrito*
  • salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. In one pot, combine tomato paste, cumin, paprika, corn, carrots, and peas with 4 cups of water and boil at low to medium heat
  2. In large saucepan on medium heat, sauté peppers, garlic, and onions in canola oil, with salt and pepper until onions are soft.
  3. Add the rice and sofrito to the sauted vegetables and stir for about 5 minutes
  4. Combine everything in one pot, add cilantro, and cook till all water is absorbed
  5. Turn stove off and keep lid on pot for about 15 minutes to let everything meld together before serving

Notes

*Sofrito is at the heart of many Latin dishes. It is super easy to make and I haven't found a kosher product yet. Try this easy recipe:

Seed 1 each green and red pepper and pulse to chop with 1 tomato, 1 onion, 4 cloves garlic, 1 c. cilantro leaves and 1/2 c. flat leaf parsley. Adjust flavors to your liking.

Rice recipe courtesy of V-Spot, Brooklyn

http://kosherlikeme.com/on-the-road/landing-on-latin-american-vegan-in-park-slope

Originally Posted in “Landing on Latin American/ Vegan in Park Slope”


Sunset along Orange County’s coastline is an event worth celebrating. After the sun dips below the horizon, casting its glorious technicolored drama on the crashing waves of the Pacific Ocean, you’ll start looking for places to eat dinner.  Check out some of these veg  friendly spots for your evening meal between Laguna Beach and Newport Beach, CA.

Highlights for your apres- sunset meal range from vegan to veg friendly. I avoided the fish themed places, as I was already teetering on the brink of OD’ing on my daily dose of fish tacos.

Lots o’ sun!

The fast food (horror!) cafe in Fashion Island Mall (gasp) called Native Foods kept coming up every time I shmoozed with locals who looked like they cared about what they eat (read: farmers’ markets, more on that later). So, with a double dose of skepticism we drove to the gigundo and utterly pleasant (shocker) Fashion Island Mall to check out the vegan eats. Now I am simply green with envy that Native Foods has five locations in CA. and a smattering of others but none further east than Chicago.

“Scuse me!  What about us in the Northeast?!

While Native Foods is nothing much to look at, there are tables in the open air, beautifully landscaped, wide passages that lead to and fro in this mostly outdoor, high end mall.  I couldn’t turn down the “bacon cheeseburger” with sweet potato fries.  So, if bacon is not real, and neither is the cheese or the burger, ahem, what was I eating?

 Seitan was thinly sliced and topped with melted “cheese”, a gooey and satisfying nut butter stand-in. Seitan is made from scratch daily here. It added the requisite bulk if not slightly rubbery texture. But slathered in BBQ sauce and non-dairy ranch dressing with caramelized onions and crispy shredded carrots, I was humming along happily before we slipped into the movie theatre.

 

Groovy  names like Rockin’ Moroccan (Bowl) beckoned on another eve when the early fall temps fell to a chilly (yup, Californians complain about THIS) mid-60’s and even WE wanted something warming. So I opted for seared tofu “steak” on a pile of steamed greens over brown rice bathed in lemongrass and ginger-infused coconut milk curry. It was familiar and comforting (kinda like a juicy burger used to be…)

Freshly made-from-scratch drinks like watermelon fresca and lavender lemonade, garnished with fresh lemon or mint leaves and with free refills, are a good deal. We opted for different local and organic beer each time we visited, and enjoyed sipping the local brews. Each location highlights their own local small breweries and they even offer New Planet Off the Grid Pale Ale, a gluten-free ale.

At Nirvana Grille, Lyndsey Smith Rosales and her husband are the owner/chefs where vegan and vegetarian options account for about 50% of the menu. Small plates of wild mushroom ravioli and roasted poblano chiles relied too heavily on cream and cheese for flavor, but kudos to the chef for sourcing local and organic ingredients whenever possible.

courtesy of Nirvana Grille

Large plates options for veg or kosher keepers like me included a delicate and properly prepared Loup de Mer with crispy exterior and herb infused french lentils alongside lightly sauteed baby bok choy.

Blackened seitan “Napoleon” was a stacked calorie laden dish with parmesan risotto, goat cheese, pesto and juicy portobellos with slightly bitter but not unpleasant rainbow chard. Again, less cheese would have been my preference.

I did appreciate the many veg choices, though, and had it been a weekend, I would have  grabbed a seat in their rooftop dining area and bar. Unfortunately, it was closed mid-week during this off-season.

Tamarind of London brought us back to a strip shopping center in Newport Beach. I had read that Chef Alfred Prasad was now splitting his time between this CA. location and his Michelin starred (12 years running!), original location in London (Mayfair).

I was invited into the open kitchen and peered into the tandoori oven as the chef plunged our marinated salmon skewers into the cylindrical deep. Generous chunks of salmon marinated with lime leaf, cilantro, green chili and cumin were perfectly moist and boldly flavored.

Like the sea bass, which was pan fried with curry leaves and coconut, both dishes awakened my palate and had me yearning for more of these complex flavor adventures. The chef didn’t disappoint.

Mango salad was pleasantly sweet and moistened with a honey pepper dressing, combining local rainbow carrots, toasted walnuts and coconut in this soothing contrast to some of the spicier dishes.

There are plenty of veg choices here, including a dense and crisp spinach potato cake which we ate with tamarind chutney and avocado raita. I prefer the tang of traditional raita to the too thick subtle nuttiness of this California version but all told, Tamarind was nearly a perfect meal, with attentive, kind service and fair prices.

A quick mention about farmers’ markets: The Saturday market in the college town of Irvine was large and interesting with enough exotic, unfamiliar fruits to keep me asking questions. It is worth the short drive from the coast if you can pull yourself away from the beach.

Asking shoppers about JUJUBE fruit was a conversation starter

Another but much smaller market in Laguna Beach had plenty of organic veggies and fruit (strawberries in October are thrilling for this Northeastern locavore), some crazy looking mushrooms and more locally prepared bread and salsas.

If you are heading to these parts and are kosher like me or veg,  you may want to check out these spots too.  Each of these  were mentioned to me numerous times, and although I didn’t get to them, you may want to. Be sure to let me know.

The Stand

True Foods

118 Degrees

Mother’s

Three photos of dishes from Tamarind of London in Newport Beach are courtesy of Allen Taylor and Tamarind Restaurant.

Print
Early Bird Quiche (vegan)

6-8 servings

This non-dairy quiche is a great breakfast option... or try it for dinner with a healthy green salad.

Ingredients

    Crust
  • 3/4 c whole wheat flour
  • 1/3 c barley flour
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt
  • 1/4 c olive oil
  • 1/4 c cold water
    • Filling
  • 1 lb. broccoli, chopped
  • 1/2 lb. cauliflower, chopped
  • 3 red peppers, diced
  • 1 T olive oil
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 lb. firm tofu drained
  • 1/2 c non-dairy milk
  • 1/4 tsp dijon mustard
  • 3/4 tsp sea salt
  • 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 1 T parsley, chopped
  • 2 T nutritional yeast
  • cracked black pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
    2. Crust
  2. lightly grease bottom of pie pan.
  3. combine both flours and salt in a bowl, add oil and mix until combined.
  4. slowly add water and mix.
  5. Press into pie shell forming a crust and bake for 10-15 mins. until lightly browned. Let cool.
    6. Filling
  6. Heat oil in large skillet over med-high heat. Saute onion and garlic until golden.
  7. Stir in broccoli, cauliflower,and red peppers and saute until cooked.
  8. In a blender, combine tofu, milk, mustard,salt,nutmeg,red peppers,black pepper,parsley and nutritional yeast.
  9. Blend until smooth.
  10. Combine tofu mixture with broccoli mixture in a large bowl and pour into pie crust.
  11. Bake at 350 F for 35-40 minutes or until quiche is set. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before cutting.

Notes

Recipe: Native Foods Cafe, Newport Beach, CA.

http://kosherlikeme.com/on-the-road/dining-after-sunset-in-orange-county-ca

Originally Posted in “Dining after Sunset in Orange County, CA.”

 

The oh-so true adage that it’s all about location, location, location was as clear as the impossibly azure sky as we pulled off PCH (Pacific Coast Highway) between Laguna Beach and Newport Beach soon after landing at LAX. We headed straight for the beach, hankering for that quintessentially California view of the  sunny southern coast.

Too many sporty convertibles passed us while we ogled the Pacific, so we pulled off the road for a good long gaze at the very California view. Below the 80 foot drop, descending through dense shrub and lush patches of thick grasses, was a wide open view of sandy beach stretching 3.2 miles and protected by the CA. state parks, known as Crystal Cove State Park.

It was the perfect introduction to what would be our favorite place in the sand, aptly named  The Beachcomber.

 

The next morning, with jet lag on our side, we scrambled out of bed early enough to see the sunrise, parked across PCH and walked down to the beach before the Beachcomber opened at 7 AM.

The cafe is elevated  just a few steps up from the sand and is the ideal spot to ease into the day, take a midday break for lunch or retreat under the heat lamps for dinner. Twelve tables are squeezed onto the deck  (umbrellas, fleece blankets and heaters are thoughtfully provided) and another few along a wraparound porch where spillover from lunch and happy hour lands.

My favorite breakfast dish was Smoked Salmon Flatbread, a deconstructed twist on bagels and lox. Green chile cream cheese is the foundation for thinly sliced smoked salmon, capers, pickled red onions, hard  cooked eggs dotted with micro greens and capers.

With music of the 20’s and 30’s and the crashing waves keeping time, the day was starting out just fine.

Try the Blueberry Lemon Ricotta Pancakes as a carbo loading alternative. The slightly tangy, light batter oozes with fresh berries and is worth the calories.

Just across the street from the beach is a shopping center where Bear Flag Fish Co. became our go-to lunch spot for super fresh, quick, casual lunches. Beach wear is expected and acceptable.

Bear Flag is fish market, taco joint, and great salad place all at once. Seating on the sidewalk alongside the parking lot? We got over it quickly as panko grilled fish tacos bursting with freshly chopped cabbage and house made pico de gallo beckoned us day after day when we tired of the beach.

Hastily handwritten boards list the freshest fish choices of the day and surfing videos are entrancing. Sides of avocado, black beans, brown rice and sauteed veggies all cost $1-2 so we had ourselves a fiesta.

We quickly integrated Zinc Cafe and Market into our rhythm as it is vegetarian, making it all fair game for breakfast and lunch. While table service is provided, it’s fine with them if you order from the market side and bring it to a table yourself.

Deviled eggs, house baked scones dotted with berries,  and breakfast burritos were highlights early in the day. Freshly baked fruit cakes and tartes are irresistible.

Lunches of personal sized chipotle sauced pizzette, easy sandwiches with runny brie and seasonal arugula or vegetable packed lasagna had us feeling happy to have landed in this veggie heaven.

Ready to whip up something special for breakfast?  Check out Susie Fishbein’s recipe for light and fluffy blueberry pancakes, below. Thanks, Susie, for sharing this treat from KOSHER BY DESIGN LIGHTENS UP.

Watch for part 2 of Newport Coast,CA. fave spots next week!  We found some great choices!

Print
Blueberry Pancakes

makes 8 pancakes

Blueberry Pancakes

From Susie Fishbein: "Feel good in knowing that these pancakes are healthier than most. Most pancakes do not contain as much protein (milk, eggs, cottage cheese) or antioxidents from blueberries."

Susie suggests finding your own preferred balance of flour combinations, considering whole wheat pastry flour, white whole wheat, wheat or all purpose.

If using straight whole wheat, you may need to stir in a little milk to thin the batter.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 c. fat free milk
  • 1 large egg
  • 3 T sugar
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 3 T canola oil, divided
  • 2 T water
  • 1 c flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
  • 1/2 c fat free cottage cheese
  • heaping 1/2 c blueberries
  • fat-free sour cream
  • light pancake syrup

Instructions

  1. In a medium bowl, whisk the milk, egg, sugar, vanilla, 2 tablespoons oil, and 2 tablespoons water.
  2. In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt.
  3. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet.
  4. With a spatula, mix in the cottage cheese and fold in the blueberries.
  5. Heat remaining tablespoon of oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat.
  6. When the skillet is hot, drop the batter by 1/4 cup measures. An ice cream scoop works well.
  7. Cook for 3 minutes until golden: flip and cook another 2 minutes.
  8. Serve with fat free sour cream or light pancake syrup.

Notes

Recipe and photo courtesy of Susie Fishbein, KOSHER BY DESIGN LIGHTENS UP, 2008.

http://kosherlikeme.com/on-the-road/waking-up-to-vegetariankosher-friendly-cafes-in-newport-beach-ca-part-1

Originally Posted in “Waking Up to Vegetarian/Kosher Friendly Cafes in Newport Beach, CA.- Part 1”

There’s something about the changing seasons that makes me want to shout out ROAD TRIP.

So I was game when my bestie from Boston suggested that we find a scenic spot with rural, winding roads and some really great eats, midway between Boston and coastal CT.

We landed in THE perfect spot called The Inn at Sweet Water Farm in Great Barrington, MA, just down the road a piece from Tanglewood,  the Berkshires Botanical Gardens, and Chesterwood (the country home, studio, gardens and deep woods that were a retreat for Daniel Chester French, sculptor of the statue of Abraham Lincoln for the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC). Kripalu and Canyon Ranch are in that neck of the woods, too.

Ever the culinary researcher and planner, I began by checking out innkeeper Lynda Fisher’s site to see what she had to say about her lovingly restored inn, built in 1804.

It was two thumbs up as I quickly discovered that she and husband, Andrei Vankov, are super eco-conscious, source ingredients from local farmers whenever possible,  pluck fresh eggs from the chickens wandering freely outside of their backyard coop and dry bedsheets on the backyard clothesline. They even give a discount to guests who drive hybrid cars. Lists of local farmers, restaurants that support them, and favorite hikes are all on the site for guests to peruse before arriving.

Fisher’s background is an interesting one and between rolling the fragrant dough for freshly baked croissants (served warm with chocolate oozing), greeting guests, receiving local product delivered to the back door and hanging those sheets out to dry, she shared her story with me.

But the best part of staying two nights at the Inn at Sweet Water was the creative and ample breakfasts served with attention, joy and pride by Fisher herself. We had arrived on the weekend of the Autumnal Equinox,  a marker that reminds Fisher to honor the rhythm of the seasons and the ingredients that are available.

We  dug into Buckwheat Crepes (new on the fall menu and meant to replace the French toast with fresh fruit) folded over smoked gouda and  topped with apples.  We hung out with Fisher by her old black stove as she ladled the batter into her sizzling pan, alternating raw, prettily sliced apples with others that had been gently sautéed and lightly seasoned with warming spices like cinnamon and ginger.

The mildly smoky gouda (from just up the road in Grafton, VT), hearty buckwheat and snap of fresh apples was just what we needed after having climbed Baldwin Hill and taking our time enjoying the wide open, 360 degrees views at the top. I even had my first walk through a corn field, where the stalks were as “high as an elephant’s eye” and surprisingly dense and fragrant of soil.

After our 3.5 mile walk we didn’t hesitate to order more.

Two soft cooked eggs, just plucked from the coop out back, were sunny yellow and richly flavored.  We mopped up every bit with toast “soldiers”.

The next morning we opted for the Plain and Simple Ruski, a deconstructed peasant omelet gently folded into steamed potatoes, moistened with sour cream and mixed with just snipped dill and garlic chive blossoms from the herb bed out back. Russian salmon caviar was a great bonus.

Lemon Ginger muffins, glazed in tangy freshly squeezed  lemon juice, warm, perfectly flaky croissants,  buttery vegetable tarts with the last of the summer squash, were all offered on the sideboard for early risers, along with freshly brewed coffee and a healthy hunk o’ camembert with local honey.

Pre-breakfast or breakfast number one before the post-hike sit-down? Yes, please and thank you very much.

For vegetarians, or those loving local, veg centric eats, check out this lovely six bedroom inn with the passionate, energetic and attentive Lynda Fisher at the helm.  And don’t forget to spend some time perusing her enormous cookbook collection, spanning 10 feet of  floor to ceiling shelves.  Her collection covers every subject imaginable.

It lines an entire wall of the cozy sitting room where the fireplace crackles and removes the chill along with some help from  Andrei’s selection of ports and nips.

Interestingly, Fisher told me that she learned to bake bread from Andrei’s Mom. “Bread is the boss of you” she explained to me. “It is a mystical, living thing. You wait for it to rise, and never try to rush it. Oh, I hear something calling from the kitchen…..”

And off she skipped, to punch it down and give it a turn for the lucky guests who would eat it the next morning.

Lynda gladly shared her most requested recipe with me. These  perfectly textured and not too sweet scones are truly out of this world. Look at how creative you can get by adding morsels of dried fruit and maybe even chocolate, if you’re that kind of breakfast eater, ahem.

Print
"THE" Scones a.k.a. Peg's Scones

12 scones

Tips from Lynda: "I love dried currents and fresh currents too when I can get them. Dried cherries and white chocolate are another favorite. I have been playing around with dried cranberries and pecans and the zest of an orange in with the flour at the beginning of the recipe. Sometimes I add walnuts with the apricots. And dates would rock...."

"Here's a happy surprise. You can FREEZE them right now on a baking sheet!!! Stash them in a ziplock bag when they are frozen and bake them right from the freezer whenever you want scones for breakfast! Domestic Gods and Goddesses one and all!"

Ingredients

  • 2 cups flour
  • ½ cup sugar
  • ¾ teaspoon baking powder
  • ¾ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 stick unsalted butter
  • 1/4 c. plain full fat yogurt
  • 1/4 c. heavy cream
  • 1 c. dried apricots, snipped to bits, or any mix in of choice

Instructions

  1. Pre-heat oven to 425F.
  2. Mix together in a magical bowl or in a food processor. (I gave up the processor years ago in the morning out of respect for Room #5 above the kitchen. Now I love making them by hand and I know I can do it in my sleep because I have!)
  3. Cut in 1 stick of unsalted butter (that's 8 tablespoons).
  4. You can blitz in the food processor until it looks like coarse corn meal or cut the butter small and then rub the flour mixture and butter between your thumb and your other four fingers until you get the same results.
  5. Cut in 1/4 cup of plain full fat yogurt and ¼ cup of heavy cream.
  6. I use a small sharp pairing knife to cut it in. Sometimes it's too dry, as is the way of flour on any given day. If that's the case, add cream or yogurt by the tablespoon until the dough stays together but is not too wet. Tricky, yes I know.
  7. If you're going food processor, give it the old pulse ... 10 times? If it's too dry, add cream or yogurt by the tablespoon until the dough forms a ball in the processor.
  8. Add the goodies ... here at the Inn you love dried apricots. I cut them up with scissors, about a cup full.
    9. Shaping the Scones
  9. Pat the dough out on a floured surface until it is about 8 or 9 inches in diameter. I fold it over a few times along the way. Go old school and cut into 12 wedges or use a biscuit cutter and cut them into what ever shape you like, ovals, rounds....
  10. If you are carrying on with the baking, place them on a baking sheet. They don't often stick but I use a silpat (awww ... save it) or parchment paper (thank you).
  11. Brush only the tops of the scones with a beaten egg and into the oven they go ... 12 minutes? Sometimes 14 ... You'll figure it out.

Notes

This recipe was provided by Lynda Fisher, owner of The Inn at Sweet Water Farm, Great Barrington, MA.

She says it is BY FAR, the most requested recipe at the Inn.

http://kosherlikeme.com/on-the-road/breakfast-delights-at-the-inn-at-sweet-water-farm-great-barrington-ma

 

Originally Posted in “Breakfast Delights at the Inn at Sweet Water Farm, Great Barrington, MA.”