Zucchini Patties

My grandmother makes these at least a couple times a week if not more. My grandmother is a huge fan of bisquick, especially those impossible pie recipes that they have. These are also great made with
Those canned artichokes. My poor grandmother tries to have these as an extra side dish at the dinner table but by the time we’re all done munching they’re just about gone. These taste great hot or cold.

5 tbsp Bisquick
1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese
1/4 tsp Salt
1/8 tsp Pepper
2 Eggs, Beaten
2 tbsp Butter
2 cups Zucchini, Grated

Blend the bisquick, parmesan, salt, pepper. Add eggs. Mix zucchini into batter. Grease hot pan or griddle with butter. Pour batter into pan and fry 3 minutes on each side. Serve warm, a delicious way of serving zucchini. Makes 8 to 10 fritters.

Russian Tea Cakes

Russian tea cakes are like little bites of butter. They are light and not terribly sweet considering that they are rolled in powdered sugar. I know not to make these if I am trying to count calories. This is a splurge recipe because they are totally addictive.
You will put one of these heavenly little gems in your mouth and moan…..they just melt.

1 cup softened butter or margarine

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour

3/4 cup finely chopped walnuts

In a large bowl combine ingredients on low speed of mixer about 1 minute. Blend well. Gradually add flour at low speed until just combined; stir in nuts. Roll dough into 1 inch balls; place about 1 inch apart on non greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 F for 8-10 minutes until firm to the touch but not brown. Do not over bake. While warm, roll in powdered sugar. Cool; re-roll in powdered sugar before serving.

Noodle Kugel

This is a really easy and inexpensive dessert to prepare. If you are fortunate enough to have a kosher deli in your area you can buy Noodle Kugel already made. It will cost a great deal more but worth it if you just don’t have the time to make it yourself.
There are many variations to this recipe; different fruits or spices etc…but this is the one I grew up with and to this day is my favorite. My second choice would be one I had with canned pineapple chunks in it instead of raisins.

Ingredients:

8 ounces medium noodles
8 ounces cottage cheese
3/4 cup sour cream or yogurt, or half of each
1 cup milk
1/4 cup honey (or to taste)
4 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons wheat germ (optional)
1/2 cup raisins
Dash cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract

1. Cook the noodles according to package directions.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
3. Grease an 11 x 14-inch baking dish well.
4. In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients, including the drained noodles. In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients, including the drained noodles.
5. Bake for 1 hour or until the top is golden and crusty.

The Daily Grind

Plain old salt and pepper, think again. Salt and Pepper are as varied in colors and aromas
as are fine wines. They tease our senses and lift our palates to new heights.
This isn’t the salt and pepper that was on our family dinner table growing up.
The big decision use to be whether to serve red wine with meats or white wine with fish.
Now it could be red salt with meat or white pepper with fish. Do I want a smokier flavor or a more earthy taste. It’s not only flavor any more it is also texture. Certain salts don’t dissolve as quickly and leave a crunch others are flaked and melt instantly.
I like to put a little bit of coarse salt around the edges of my focaccia before baking. The soft dough and the crunchy salt are a nice combination.
Have fun, experiment the choices and combinations are endless.
Here are a few resources for your salt and pepper pleasure:

Pepper-Passion

Penzey Spices

Salt and Pepper Grinders

SaltWorks

Unicorn Peppermills

Creepy Susan's

My Great Aunt Mimi on occasion would take me to a very fancy restaurant to experience the etiquette and the culture. All those different forks and knives were a bit overwhelming to say the least. But she was patient and step by step helped me navigate a seven course meal.
I remember that I was fascinated by something one of the waiters was doing at the next table. He had a little cart with a fry pan that had flames shooting out of it. The people at that table were oohing and aahing. I asked my aunt about it, she said it is considered very elegant to get your dessert done table side, like cherries jubilee or in this case she thinks they were making Crepe Suzettes. I had never heard of Crepe Suzettes but I sure was curious to know more. As we made our way through our meal my aunt asked me if I would still have room for dessert. I said yes.
When the waiter came to our table he asked; “would you ladies be interested in some dessert”? Before my aunt could utter a word, I said quite assertively; “I will have some of your Creepy Susan’s”. My aunt howled as did the waiter once she explained.
My aunt decided that we would both have the “Creepy Susan’s” the waiter put on quite a show for us while he explained each step of what he was doing. We oohed and aahed, I was so wide eyed with anticipation. When he put the plate in front of me he said; “Bon Appetit`”. The Crepe Suzettes were so good; they just melted in your mouth.

Crepe Suzettes:

¼ cup (1/2 stick) butter

peel of 2 oranges,thinly slivered

peel of 1 lemon, thinly slivered

¼ cup sugar

juice of ½ orange

juice of ½ lemon

1 tablespoon Cointreau

1 tablespoon Grand Marnier

2 tablespoons brandy
12 crepes

Melt the butter in a chafing dish or skillet. Add the orange and lemon peel to the pan and cook briefly until tender. Stir in the sugar, orange juice, and lemon juice; cook the sauce, stirring, until syrupy. Place the crepes in the sauce, three at a time. When the crepes are coated with the sauce, fold each crepe in half and then into quarters. When all 12 crepes have been added to the pan, pour the Cointreau, Grand Marnier, and brandy over them, and then tip the pan slightly to ignite the brandy. When the flames subside, place 3 crepes on each plate, and top with some of the sauce and citrus peel.
Serves 4

I Love Almond Paste

I have loved almond paste for as long as I can remember. Whenever their was a wedding I’d wait for them to put out the Italian cookie tray and pick out all the almond paste ones. There were usually four different types of almond paste cookies on the tray; Pignoli (pine nuts), Slivered almond, crushed cashew or the ones with the halved maraschino cherry pressed in the middle. If my grandmother and Aunt went to a wedding or a function that had almond paste cookies they would wrap some up in a napkin, put it in their purse and bring them home as a surprise for me.

These cookies do not store that well, so if you need to keep them longer than a couple of days, store them in the freezer and remove them as needed. If you bake the cookies a little less, you will have a soft cookie, bake them longer and you will have a chewy cookie. There really is no need to add flour to these cookies they will still turn out fine but by adding the flour it prevents the cookies from spreading leaving you with a more uniform cookie. When done these cookies should have a light golden color.
You may completely omit the flour if you so choose.

Pignoli Cookies

1 (8 oz) Can Almond Paste

1/2 Cup Granulated Sugar

1/2 Cup Powdered Sugar

1/4 Cup All-purpose Flour

2 to 3 Medium Egg Whites, Lightly Beaten

8 Ounces Pine Nuts

Extra Powdered Sugar To Finish

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Prepare two baking sheets with parchment paper, or use silicone linings. Place the pine nuts in a bowl.In a food processor, break up the almond paste into small pieces, and pulse with the two sugars and the flour. Once the mixture is finely ground, begin to add the egg whites a little at a time, just until the dough comes together. Depending on the humidity or the size of your egg whites, sometimes you may need all of the egg whites, while other times you won’t.Using a spoon and slightly wet hands, scoop a small spoonful of the dough, and place this into the bowl of pignoli. Roll the cookie around until it is lightly coated, and then place it on the prepared baking sheet. Continue forming the cookies in this manner, placing them 2 inches apart on the baking pan. Bake the cookies 20 to 25 minutes, and then cool. Dust lightly with powdered sugar before serving.

Egg Creams, no eggs and thats no yolk !

It isn't made with eggs, or cream it is actually a mixture of milk, syrup and seltzer water. If done properly the mixture is very creamy and frothy. The stories vary on how egg creams actually came to be but a lot of people are glad that they did. Egg Creams were something you always associated with New York City. I believe they originated in Manhattan. Over the years soda fountains started to dwindle along with those wonderful soda jerks who would whip up those egg cream masterpieces. Little by little soda fountains and egg creams are making a come back.
But if they are hard to find in your area, I found a place that makes a bottled version that might just ease your egg cream craving until a soda fountain comes to town.

EGG CREAM AMERICA, INC. - MANUFACTURER OF JEFF'S SODAS
In 1990's the founders of Egg Cream America developed their initial corporate mission - in simpler terms, to put the delicious fountain egg cream in a bottle for mass consumption.