Etrog Marmalade

It's the last day of sukkot. Your lulav is on the table getting brown, and your etrog is still in the fridge, getting dry. Same story, every year: what on earth are you going to do with a palm branch, some willow and myrtle leaves, and a fruit that really doesn't have all that much fruit inside? My answer is usually...uh...throw them away? I know, you're not supposed to. If you have a better suggestion...

Leave it to my mother to be creative; that's really her forte. She's been using the etrog in her Thanksgiving cranberry sauce for years now, and a few years back she started making marmalade. Now she doesn't go to all the trouble of soaking jars in a hot water bath, sealing them professionally and destroying any possibilities that bacteria will sneak in and give all of us botulism -- but hey, these marmalades aren't around for long enough that we really have to worry about it. Her no-nonsense packaging solution is mini tupperware containers. They stay just fine in the fridge until Passover, and by then my dad makes sure to finish them off.


While it may sound like a complicated project, it's really not: the ratio of sugar:liquid:fruit is one:one:one, and once it's on the stove top you just stir until it drips off the spoon in a particular way. The catch is that it's incredibly time-consuming. Pick up a paper, 'cause between the measuring, the waiting, the stirring, the checking, the packaging and (finally) the tasting, this is an all-day affair. Actually, make that an all-day-and-the-night-before affair, since if you don't like your marmalade to taste horridly bitter, you have to soak the peels overnight.

But it sure it worth the trouble.

So as I've already mentioned, when my mom told me she was doing this, I literally dropped everything and went on over. The smell of citrus and sweet sticky stuff assaulted me as I walked in the door -- not that that's a bad thing. My mom was slaving away over the stove, and I did what any good daughter would do: popped my camera out of its case and started snapping away! There's no recipe for marmalade; there are proportions, and there are steps, and then there are steps that you can't skip. At least, that's how I see it. Every recipe always has skippable steps. I've skipped a lot of steps that recipe authors claim are crucial -- is my food bad? you tell me. But in this recipe, there are a couple things you really should do, like soaking the peels and checking marmalade regularly. Don't skip 'em. :)

Etrog Marmalade

Ratio of fruit:sugar:water/juice is one:one:one.
fruit: we use etrog, apricot, orange, kiwi, pomegranate, cranberry...you name it.
equal amount of sugar
equal amount of water.
**My mom substituted some lime syrup she had lying around for a bit of water in one batch, and some juice she had for some water in another. If you sub juice or fruit syrup or other sweet liquid for any of the water, cut the sugar accordingly. By "accordingly" I mean if you use, say, 1/2 a cup of juice, cut the sugar by about 1/8-1/4 of a cup, say.

Begin the night before you plan to make the marmalade.
Wash and scrub the peels of any citrus fruits you plan to use. Then peel the fruit, pick out any pith (that's the white stuff between peel and fruit) (optional), and grind peels in the food processor until they're in small bits. I warn you -- this stuff is fragrant!

Soak the peels in water overnight. You'll drain them the next morning. This should help remove some of the bitterness that the peels would have imparted to your marmalade.

The next morning, drain the peels.
If you plan on using apricots or any other dried fruit, you have to reconstitute them before using them. Reconstituting dried fruit involves letting them soak in boiling water until they puff up a bit and get juicy. I enjoy some reconstituted dried fruit more than their fresh versions, and apricots are no exception: they're juicy like fresh apricots, but softer, and their flavor is greatly intensified. If you do reconstitute any dried fruit (and I recommend apricots), save the liquid and use it instead of some of the water in your recipe.

Here's a cheat sheet of how we used each fruit in our marmalade. This can serve as inspiration for you when you make yours, but it is in now way exhaustive.

• Apricots: reconstituted, then pureed, and saved the liquid
• Etrog: no real "fruit" in etrog, just peels -- so ground and soaked peels
• Orange/Lemon: ground and soaked peels, chopped segments of fruit
• Lime: lime syrup (can also use fruit and peels)
• Pomegranate: syrup, juice
• Cranberries: these cook very quickly and have a lot of natural pectin in them, so they firm up easily. Add them to your marmalade about 5-7 minutes before it's finished.
• Kiwi: mushed up fruit/pulp

Now you're ready to make marmalade.

Into a heavy saucepan, put equal parts of fruit, sugar, and liquid. Turn the heat on high until it reaches a boil, then lower the heat to low-med and let the mixture simmer. This will take between 15-20 minutes. The idea is to check for doneness with a wooden spoon. Every so often, stick your spoon deep into the marmalade, remove, and hold it horizontally over the pot, letting everything drip off of it.

• At first, the marmalade will be liquidy and will dip easily, in a steady stream.
• As marmalade reduces, it will start to coat the spoon and drip a bit more slowly.
• When marmalade is nearing doneness, it will form two points on the spoon from which it drips.
• When it's done, the two points will merge into one, and it will sort of dribble off the spoon in one slow motion.

Basically, you'll stop cooking it when it's thick to your liking. There's no real rule about this -- it's a matter of taste.

As for cranberries, I mentioned about that they should go in about 5 minutes before your citrus fruit are finished, if you choose to use them. They'll gel much more quickly than the rest.

When your marmalade is finished cooking, transfer it to a pyrex or coated glass bowl and allow it lots of time to cool. It will thicken further as it comes down to room temperature. When it's gone down to warm, you can start putting it in your tupperware containers. (If you want to do this the professional way, see here for canning instructions.)

You can eat your marmalade on toast, as a sauce on chicken or meat, as a condiment on most anything, or out of the tupperware with a spoon. And can I tell you? It's pretty darn great.

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What to do with leftover challah, if you're that lucky

Indulgence doesn't always need an occasion. Leftover challah and a good appetite are reason enough to enjoy this "special" breakfast. I guarantee you, though -- it's a real treat.

It was Sunday morning; I had a big mug full of Peet's coffee and two newspapers to read. I had a book full of coupons to clip, Meet the Press to watch, and four slices of leftover challah just getting stale.

me: "There's all this challah...would it be alright if I made french toast tomorrow?"
(I don't know why I bothered to ask.)
D: "umm, well....fine. Twist my arm."


It doesn't take much to get me into the kitchen. Just say the magic words and I'll happily drop everything to cook. (a case in point: Sunday afternoon, my mom made etrog marmalade. That's a once-a-year event, people! Everything else just had to wait. I'll post pictures and recipes another day.) Within moments, I was at the kitchen counter, my second home. My french toast recipe is relatively unfussy, but it being Sunday, I cranked the fuss up a notch with some strawberry sauce and whipped cream. Now I know strawberries and whipped cream and french toast don't sound like an everyday thing -- and they're not, in my world -- but that doesn't mean that they're not the perfect breakfast for a random Sunday morning. If you make 'em, I'm confident that you'll agree.

Challah French Toast with Whipped Cream and Strawberry Sauce
serves 3.

6 3/4-inch-wide slices of challah, slightly stale
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
a dash of cinnamon
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp sugar, optional

1. Let the challah slices stale a bit on both sides; this will give your french toast a custardy texture, since the challah will be dryer and have more capacity to soak up the egg mixture.

2. Mix all the other ingredients in a shallow pan or bowl. Start by whisking the eggs a bit, then add the milk, and then add everything else.

3. It's time to soak your bread. The idea is to soak them for just long enough that they sop up all the delicious liquid, but not long enough that they get soggy. Sop, not sog. I leave each side in the mixture for 30 seconds, and then let the slices drain a bit over the bowl before putting them in the frying pan.

4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Put a heavy saucepan or omelet pan (I use my trusty castiron pan) on low-medium heat. Drop a pad of butter into the pan. (Yes, that's right, I said butter!! this recipe doesn't tolerate any of that smart balance or Pam stuff you have lying around.) Watch that wonderful fat sizzle away.

5. Lay your french toast slices down into the butter without crowding them -- one or two per cycle maximum. Let them fry until each side is golden, about 2 minutes each on my stove. Transfer the fried slices to the oven to cook the rest of the way through.

6. By the time all your slices are fried and in the oven, the first slices should be ready to plate.

Meanwhile...

12 Strawberries, stems removed and sliced
1/8 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup brandy

Toss all the ingredients into a saucepan over medium heat, and let them boil down about 10 minutes, until syrupy.

Whip 1/2 cup whipping cream with an electric or stand mixer until stiff.

Plate two pieces of french toast, a hefty dollop of whipped cream, and a ladleful of strawberry sauce....

...indulge.




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Ima's Challah (now with whole wheat instructions!)

Growing up, there was one option for challah in town: that was Shalom's, the kosher supermarket in Wheaton, MD. Every Friday my mom would swing by Brookville supermarket and pick up two challot, which were delivered from Shalom's that morning. The challah was truly uneventful: it was never dense enough, far too airy, not sweet or eggy, and usually even a bit crumbly. A lame excuse for challah, if you ask me.

My mother started making her own around the time I left the house, and she's never gone back. Before she had the kitchenaid, she did it all by hand, which is actually less time-consuming and labor intensive than one might think. Now that she has the kitchenaid, challah is a snap to make.
Over the years, I've collected three fantastic recipes for challah. I make each with some regularity, but my mother's recipe is a standout. First off, the basic recipe makes 2 very small challot, or 1 very large one, which is perfect for me, since I often cook for two and don't need all that extra bread lying around. (Not that D or I would object to Sunday morning french toast....) Second, it's just sweet enough without being cloying. Third, it's very easy to substitute some whole wheat flour and wheat gluten for white flour, which makes for a healthier, more rustic loaf of bread. And finally, she's my mom. Moms' recipes are best.

A warning about this challah. Once, I was bringing challah to a meal for 17 people, and I made three loaves; traditionally, the challah is served at the beginning of the meal, while everyone's still hungry, so it tends to go quickly. Sure enough, we sat down to dinner and within an instant, both loaves were entirely devoured. I offered to bring out the third, but everyone said they had had enough and didn't want more. They continued to resist at my urging, so I left well enough alone. After dinner, people had moved toward the couch to schmooze, and I went into the kitchen to help clean up....and found three girls holding the third challah between them, ripping off big pieces and devouring the loaf as though dinner had never happened.

Yep, this stuff is pretty addictive. It ain't no subwayeatfresh, but it's close.

Ima's Challah
makes 2 small challot; double if you're having company
directions for a kitchenaid are in italics
see end of post for whole-wheat substitution instructions.

1/2 cup warm water
tsp. sugar
1 packet (2-1/2 tsp.) yeast

3 c. flour
tsp. salt
1/4 cup plus a few Tbsp sugar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup water
2 eggs

1. Put 1/2 cup warm water in a small bowl. Add the tsp. of sugar, sprinkle the yeast overtop, and leave it to proof for five minutes (just to make sure the yeast is alive).

2. Mix flour, salt, and 1/4 cup plus few Tbsp. sugar in a large bowl (or in a kitchenaid bowl fitted with the dough hook.) Stir to incorporate or blend on low speed.

3. While yeast is proofing, mix wet ingredients together.

4. Add yeast mixture to the flour; add wet ingredients to the bowl, and mix or blend on low-medium.

5. Knead the dough for about ten minutes, until everything is well incorporated. Add flour by the Tbsp, with a light hand, until dough is stretchy but not sticky. Blend on low-medium until dough comes together. Make sure flour at the very bottom of the bowl gets incorporated as well; this usually entails some incorporation by hand.)

6. Cover the dough, in its original bowl, with a moist towel. If you have to, use plastic wrap and cover loosely.

7. You have two choices for the rise: either leave the dough to rise for one hour, or (as I do) let it rise twice, for 45 minutes each, with a punch-down between rises.

8. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

9. After the rise(s), the dough should be soft and more flexible than before. Separate dough into three (six if using a double recipe). Roll each ball into a log almost 1-foot long. Braid the logs together to create your loaf. Trick: I start in the middle and do not pinch the top ends together before starting. After I've braided from halfway down to the bottom of the loaf, I turn the loaf over and upside down, and braid the other half. This way, both ends look identical. Tuck the ends beneath the loaf when braiding is finished.

10. Put each loaf on its own baking sheet; brush with egg wash, if desired.

11. Bake at 375 degrees for 20-22 minutes, until challot are golden and baked through.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

**For whole wheat flour, use the same amount as white, but add one Tbsp. wheat gluten for every cup of flour. This ensures that the bread will have that same chewy but soft texture as with white flour. You can find wheat gluten at wholefoods or Trader Joes -- and perhaps at your local supermarket as well. As for which whole wheat flour, my mom recommends King Arthur organic white whole wheat flour: in her words, "it gives the white bread consistency with whole wheat nutrition."

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When time is of the essence

Take this.

In ten minutes flat, you can have these cookies made. Including prep time.

Why?

Because they're from the box.

I might love to bake, but I sure as hell can't make cookies with cute pumpkins in the middle like this. Leave that to Nestle.

I don't need to point out that they're perfect for halloween...just go buy these guys. People will think you're really talented, and best of all, the cookies actually taste great.

In your grocer's freezer section!

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Lemon curd raspberry tartlets

It is super-duper chilly this morning and fall is finally setting in. Crisp air in my face and the crunch of leaves beneath my feet give me a serious hankering for some pumpkin soup!


But this post is about tartlets.


Everyone makes muffins; nobody makes tartlets. Yes, they're not as quick and easy to make as muffins are, but they're so much cuter and (IMHO) more delicious. Can't compare muffins and tartlets? Yes, yes I can. I just did! Tartlets > Muffins. Make some tartlets!


Here's the good thing about the tartlets I make: they're delicious. Ok, just kidding -- they're also not as time-consuming because the steps overlap with each other, as follows:


make the dough (about 5 minutes in a food processor)
make the filling while you refrigerate the dough
make and bake the tartlet crusts while you refrigerate the filling
let the tartlet crusts cool while you get the filling ready to pipe
fill tartlets and serve


See? Not so bad.

And the lemon curd filling is really not too hard to make. It does involve some pot-watching and some vigorous whisking, but it's worth the effort; whatever extra filling you have after finishing the tartlets is wonderful eaten out of the bowl, just so.

Today's post is about the lemon tartlet in the background of the picture above; the tartlet in the front of the picture is a posting for another day.


Lemon Curd-raspberry tartlets
makes about 25 tartlets.

Tart Crust: taken from Tartelette
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 stick plus 1 Tbsp unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
1 egg yolk

Blend dry ingredients with a hand or stand mixer. Add butter and blend until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add egg yolk; blend until dough comes together. Wrap in plastic, and refrigerate while preparing ingredients for the tart.

While the dough refrigerates, prepare the curd:


zest of 2 lemons
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs


1. Bring the zest, lemon juice and sugar to a simmer in a small saucepan.
2. Meanwhile, beat the 2 eggs until light.
3. When all the sugar has dissolved, add some of the hot lemon juice mixture to the eggs by the spoonful while beating the eggs, to temper them (in order to ensure that they don’t get scrambled.)
4. After you’ve added about 10-15 spoonfuls of the hot liquid and successfully incorporated it, pour the egg mixture into the saucepan with the rest of the lemon juice mixture, and bring to a simmer (not a boil) over medium heat until it thickens, about 5 minutes.
5. Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate until cooled completely, at least 1 – 1.5 hrs.

Back to the tarts…

After about half and hour, the tart dough should be just chilled enough that it can be worked with, but will not disintigrate. Take a walnut-sized piece of the dough in your hand, roll it gently into a ball, and, using your thumb, press it into a tartlet mold (in my case, I have a tartlet pan wth 24 molds). Try to ensure that the dough is spread evenly throughout the mold. This will make for even baking.
“Dock” the dough by spearing each tartlet a couple times with a fork – this ensures that they’ll keep their shape as they cook. Bake the empty tarts in a 350 degree oven for 10-15 minutes, until golden.

Assembly:

Scoop cooled lemon curd into a plastic bag, and cut off the very tip of the bag. Hold the bag just above the inside center of a tartlet, and squeeze, raising the bag as the tartlet fills. Repeat for each tartlet.

Top with either fresh raspberries or (as I did) frozen raspberries that I cooked down with a bit of sugar.

Enjoy!



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Yellow Squash with basil and pine nuts

On last week's episode of The Splendid Table podcast, actor and writer Michael Tucker spoke of his experience living as an American in Italy. Aside from the obvious challenges adapting to a foreign language and culture, he has learned an entirely different way of cooking since moving to the small town of Umbria. Something he said about cooking really struck me: he said that his cooking trajectory has been much like a bell curve. As he learned more about food and cooking and discovered his love for all things culinary, he acquainted himself with new, often obscure ingredients. He bought many a kitchen gadget. Basically, his cooking became more and more complicated. But being in Italy changed that. In Italy, Tucker and his wife eat mostly at home and in family-owned restaurants, where food is composed entirely of local, fresh ingredients, preparations are dead simple, and nothing is more delicious. He's learned to focus less on how many ingredients go into a dish or how labor intensive the process is, and focus instead on using few but quality ingredients and precise but simple methods. The locals of Umbria, he says, consider these "rules" of good cooking nothing less than homage to long-time traditions.

I'm trying to go with the simple theme these days. It may not be evident from some of the recipes I've posted lately, which I admit are often more intricate and work-intensive than I intend. But I do usually find that simple is best; it allows me to have maximum control over what I put into my food and what it looks like when I serve it.

This was one of the dishes we served on Sunday. As I was rummaging through my vegetable drawer to make Ina Garten's vegetable torte, I saw four cute baby yellow squash from last week's CSA that I'd totally forgotten about. Never sure about how much food it takes to feed an army of guests, I figured I might as well use what I had. This squash antipasto is super quick to throw together, and as you can see, it looks really pretty.

Yellow Squash with Basil and Pine Nuts

four small yellow squash
good olive oil
good balsamic vinegar*
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
a handful of pine nuts
a few sprigs of fresh basil

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Slice squash lengthwise into 1/4-inch slices.
3. Spread squash in a single layer on a non-stick or sprayed baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle salt and pepper overtop.
4. Roast squash for about 20 minutes, until soft and golden but not burnt.
5. Fan out squash decoratively on a small plate. Top with pine nuts and basil, another drizzle of olive oil, and several spoonfuls or balsamic vinegar.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

*a note about balsamic vinegar: I don't have the real stuff, which can cost 50 bucks for a teeny little bottle. Instead, I buy good regular balsamic from the grocery store, several bottles at a time, and then reduce it to about a third of its original volume. Real balsamic has a syrupy texture that's much less liquidy than what's sold here in grocery stores, and a balsamic reduction like the one described here mimics that thickness well. Danielle from Habeas Brulee will be the first to warn you, though -- when you do this, it makes your whole house smoky and vinegar-smelling, so do it when you're home alone!

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