Maple Cake , a recipe by the Bard of Bat Yam (#BardOfBatYam) , Poet Laureate of Zion (#PoetLaureateOfZion) and Stephen Darori

MAPLE CAKE Makes 2 loaf pans.
3 large or 4 small eggs 1¼ cups demerara or regular sugar 2 packets vanilla sugar or 2 to 3 drops of vanilla extract ½ cup oil 2 cups fresh orange juice (can mix with cream or yogurt if the cake doesn’t need to be parve) 2½ cups white or spelt flour, sifted 1 tsp. baking powder Pinch of salt Topping: ½ cup chopped walnuts, sesame seeds, almonds or hazelnuts Syrup topping: ½ cup maple syrup In a large bowl put eggs, sugar, vanilla sugar, oil, and orange juice. Mix well until smooth. While mixing, gradually add flour, baking powder and salt. Mix until all the lumps have disappeared.

Grease two loaf pans or use baking paper. Pour in batter in both pans and flatten. Sprinkle nuts on top.

Bake in an oven preheated to 180° for 35 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out dry.

Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack. Poke holes with a toothpick and separate cake from the sides of the pan using a knife. Pour maple syrup on top of cake. The syrup will absorb into cake and make it nice and moist.

Lentil Burgers , a recipe by the Bard of Bat Yam ( #BardOfBatYam) , Poet Laureate Of ion ( #PoetLaureateOfion ) and Stephen Darori (#StephenDarori), @StephenDarori)

LENTIL BURGERS Makes 12 burgers.

¼ cup olive oil 2 large onions, chopped 2 cloves garlic, chopped 1 heaping Tbsp. cumin 1 tsp. sweet paprika ½ tsp. harisa Salt and pepper, to taste 1 handful of parsley, chopped 1 handful of coriander, chopped 1 bunch of mangold leaves, chopped finely 1½ cups orange lentils or cooked organic quinoa 1 cup green lentils, soaked overnight and cooked ½ cup chickpea or whole-wheat flour 1 Tbsp. olive oil 1 to 2 Tbsp. raw tehina For frying: Oil (use the same amount you’d use to fry schnitzel) Heat the oil in a large pan. Add the onion and the garlic and fry until golden brown. Add the spices and the parsley, coriander and mangold. Stir and cook until mangold is reduced in volume. Turn off the flame and cover. Let sit for 10 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl. Add the two types of lentils, chickpea flour, olive oil and tehina. Knead mixture with your hands until it’s a bit sticky, but comes off your fingers. You can add more tehina or chickpea flour if needed. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Wet your hands in the bowl of water and form balls with a diameter of 4 to 5 cm. Heat oil in a large pot and fry balls on both sides until golden brown. Alternatively, you could bake in oven. Place them evenly spaced on baking paper and spray them with canola oil.

Bake in an oven preheated to 180° for 25 minutes.

The burgers will be ready when they lift off the baking paper easily. Serve warm. Can be served with sauces for dipping if desired.

TIPascale You can make an endless number of variations of this cake.

For example, you can add dried dates or cranberries, hazelnuts, raisins or fresh fruit slices.

You can also add different spices, such as ginger, cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg.

Instead of two cups of orange juice, you can replace this with one cup of orange juice and one cup of yogurt or cream.

Chocolate Rolls , a recipe by the Bard of Bat Yam (#BardOfBatYam) , Poet Laureate Of Zion (#PoetLaureateOfZion) and Stephen Darori (#stephendaror, @stephendarori))

CHOCOLATE ROLLS Makes 28 to 32 rolls.

1 kg. flour, sifted 2 Tbsp. dry yeast ½ cup sugar 3 Tbsp. cocoa powder 200 gr. chocolate chips ½ cup oil 2½ to 3 cups water 1 Tbsp. salt Wash: Bowl of water For sprinkling on top: 3 Tbsp. flour, sifted In the bowl of an electric mixer with a dough attachment, add flour, yeast, sugar, cocoa powder and chocolate chips. Mix for a minute or two.

While mixing, gradually add the oil and water. Mix until smooth. Add salt and continue mixing for seven more minutes.

Spray oil onto dough and let rise in a warm place for 90 to 120 minutes.

Separate the dough into 28 to 32 equally large round balls. If you choose to make rolls a different shape, the number of rolls will change accordingly.

Arrange rolls on a tray that’s covered with baking paper or is greased. Brush rolls with a little water and then sprinkle with flour. Using a pair of scissors, make two indentations in the form of an X in the middle of each roll.

Bake in an oven preheated to 190° to 200° for 20 to 25 minutes.

Kachka: A Return to Russian Cooking Kindle Edition by Bonnie Frumkin Morales and , Deena Prichep (Flatiron Books) (IBRCookBooks)

Since I have bought this cookbook I have made many recipes from it. The book is written with considerate clarity and the recipes though simple always yield deliciously comforting results. My favorites from Kachka are the pelmeni recipes. If you are like me, the idea of making your own dough for dumplings sounds awfully overwhelming. However, Morales promises so convincingly that a homemade dough is far better than anything you can find at the store and her instructions on how to roll out your own dough are straightforward and foolproof.

The ingredients lists are often short and simple. At times the recipes may recommend a trip to a Russian grocery store to find items, although clear instruction is usually given on how to select more obscure products or find substitutions.

There are many more recipes I can't wait to try. I've sampled a little of every chapter and can say that from appetizers to the sweets, everything was easy to understand and could be whipped up without too much stress even in my small apartment kitchen. The recipes feel like the kind that I will turn to again and again for any occasion whether you are entertaining, or looking to stockpile your freezer with homemade goods which can be made in an instant later. I highly recommend Kachka to cooks of all skill levels wanting to explore Russian cooking!

I was not paid for this review and have no affiliation with the author. I love cookbooks and review and write about them. Check out my instagram @theReadingCook for more photos and information about my experiences with Kachka.

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Flavor Bombs: The Umami Ingredients That Make Taste Explode Hardcover – May 15, 2018 by Adam Fleischman (Author), Tien Nguyen (Author), Wendy Sue Lamm (Photographer) (Rux Martin/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt ) (IBRCookBooks), a review by the Bard of Bat Yam ( #BardOf BatYa) , Poet Laureate of Zion (#PoetLaureateOfZion) and Stephen Darori ( #stephendarori, @stephendarori)

The founder of the national empires Umami Burger and 800 Degrees Pizza shows how to detonate flavor in beloved dishes using ordinary ingredients high in umami

Why does everyone love burgers and pizza? When Adam Fleischman investigated, he discovered what they—and many other ultra-flavorful dishes have in common: umami. A renegade self-taught cook, Fleischman deployed this savory “fifth dimension of taste” to ratchet up flavor using ingredients naturally rich in umami, such as Parmesan, tomatoes, caramelized onions, and anchovy paste. In so doing, he created ultimate versions of icons, including Umami Burger with Port and Stilton, Sweet and Savory Brisket, and Parmesan Fondue. All the recipes are made from the same “umami pantry” ably explicated in the front of the book.

What are Flavor Bombs?

Looking for a great way to save time, money, and food? The answer is Flavor Bombs. They’ll make your meals easier, and much more delicious. But what are they and how do you make them? Cooking with Flavor Bombs gives you the lowdown.

What are Flavor Bombs?

Flavor Bombs are combinations of savory, sautéed aromatics, fresh herbs, or sauce reductions blended together and frozen in ice cube trays, small containers, small bowls, or even just spooned onto a tray lined with wax paper. They are also a great way to reuse plastic containers, such as small sauce containers with lids and egg cartons. Once they’re frozen, you transfer them to an airtight container or resealable freezer bag and they’re ready to add a flavor explosion to your meals.

The ingredients are chopped by hand, in a food processor, or even pounded with a mortar and pestle, depending on how rustic or refined you want your Flavor Bomb blends to be. Fresh ingredients may be preferable but using pre-prepped, chopped vegetables in containers or even frozen vegetables will produce very similar results. The herbs, however, should always be fresh.

Making Flavor Bombs is an excellent way to take advantage of specials in your market’s produce department. Stock up, chop up, and free up time and money! Go that extra mile when you buy that pricey batch of herbs or exotic vegetable, make enough for leftovers, and then make a Bomb out of it.


Components of a Successful Flavor Bomb

A successful flavor bomb includes the five basic tastes: sweetness, sourness, bitterness, saltiness, and umami. Along with the other ingredients in your dish, you may detect these flavors now more than ever since you are creating the background or building block of the dish with Flavor Bombs. By the way, spicy is not a taste, it hits the pain receptors, not the taste buds—so go as spicy as you dare!

Sweetness: Found in “sweet” vegetables, such as onions and carrots, sugars are drawn out when these vegetables are caramelized.

Sourness: Found in vinegar and lemon, sourness brings a brightness to the tongue, which contrasts nicely with rich, savory flavors and can help cut through fattiness.

Bitterness: Different than sourness, bitterness can be considered unpleasant but yet rounds out richness and adds another dimension of taste to dishes. It is found in citrus peel, herbs, and leafy greens.

Saltiness: Identified with foods containing sodium, such as soy sauce, miso paste, and even celery, salt harmonizes and brings out the flavors of foods when used in moderation. It shares some characteristics with umami.

Umami: This Japanese word means “yummy” or “delicious” (and it is). Umami has a meaty, savory taste that is found in miso paste, soy sauce, tomato paste, and dried mushrooms.

From the Publisher


Fettunta from Flavor Bombs

Fettunta is grilled garlicked and oiled bread, the Italian version of the French tartine.

The type of bread you’ll want for your fettunta depends on the toppings. The toppings I have here, a bagna cauda and a raclette, are hearty, so I like to use bread that’s equally sturdy, like a rustic boule. Of course you can use sourdough in a pinch.

In addition to preparing these to order, you can make the fettunta for a party. Instead of assembling each slice of bread individually, prepare a big batch of each topping and set them out on the table, along with the grilled bread. Your guests can pick and choose and build their own fettunta.
Bagna Cauda Fettunta | Serves 4

Bagna cauda is usually translated as 'hot bath,' and it’s a classic dish from the Piedmont region of Italy where anchovies and garlic are bathed in warm olive oil until the flavors meld into a beautiful dip. My version turns it into a topping; with the anchovies and blistered cherry tomatoes, this is a very umami-intense fettunta.

Ingredients :

7 garlic cloves, peeled
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing the bread
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
¼ cup anchovy fillets, rinsed
Freshly ground black pepper
4 slices boule or other hearty loaf
½ cup whole-milk ricotta
1½ cups Blistered Tomatoes (recipe follows)

1. Preheat a grill to high heat.

2. To make the sauce, slice 6 of the garlic cloves paper-thin.

3. Heat the oil and butter in a small saucepan over low heat until they’ve warmed and the butter foams. Add the garlic, anchovy fillets, and a crack of pepper and cook for 5 minutes. Transfer to a food processor or blender and puree.

4. Now, assemble the fettunta. Cut the remaining garlic clove in half. Brush each side of the bread slices with olive oil. Toast the bread on the cool part of your grill or in a skillet set on your stove over medium heat, then rub the halved garlic clove on each side. Place the bread on a cutting board.

5. Spread as much of the bagna cauda on each slice of bread as you’d like, then top each with 2 tablespoons of the ricotta. Pile the blistered tomatoes on top. Serve.

6. If you have leftovers, the remaining bagna cauda can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. It also can be used as a dip for raw vegetables.


Blistered Tomatoes | Makes about ½ cup

Tomatoes naturally have a lot of glutamates and if you blister them to trigger the Maillard reaction, you’ll bring out even more of their natural umami. Using oil from the Garlic Confit is not mandatory, but if you have it, it adds a nice garlicky flavor to the tomatoes. I use cherry tomatoes in this recipe, but the method works using whole tomatoes, too.

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F.

2. Halve the tomatoes and place them in a large ovenproof skillet, preferably cast-iron. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then spoon in enough oil to coat the tomatoes generously. Arrange them in the skillet, cut side down, and roast for 30 to 45 minutes, until their skins shrivel and char slightly and the tomatoes collapse slightly upon themselves.

3. Store the blistered tomatoes in a covered container in the fridge for up to a day.

The Classical Belguin Waffle Recipe by the Bard of Bat Yam (#BardOfBatYam), Poet Laureate of Zion (#PoetLaureateOfZion) and Stephen Darori (#Stephendarori,@stephendarori)

MAKES:5 servings
TOTAL TIME:Prep/Total Time: 20 min.


INGREDIENTS
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
3-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2 large eggs, separated
1-1/2 cups milk
1 cup butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Sliced fresh strawberries or syrup
DIRECTIONSIn a bowl, combine flour, sugar and baking powder. In another bowl, lightly beat egg yolks. Add milk, butter and vanilla; mix well. Stir into dry ingredients just until combined. Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form; fold into batter.Bake in a preheated waffle iron according to manufacturer's directions until golden brown. Serve with strawberries,choclate syrup, blueberries or just about anything sweet  that you can think of .. 

Yield: 10 waffles (about 4-1/2 inches).

NUTRITIONAL FACTS

KITCHEN MATTERS More than 100 Recipes and Tips to Transform the Way You Cook and Eat– Wholesome, Nourishing, Unforgettable by Pamela Salzman Publisher: Da Capo Publication Date: June 13, 2017 (IBRCookBooks)

Pamela, her husband and family attend Congregation Tikvat Jacob Beth Torah in Manhattan Beach, CA. A graduate of Penn, with an MBA from UCLA, Salzman pursued a love and skill for cooking. In this new cookbook, Salzman shares a simple but powerful mantra with the students who attend her cooking classes: Eat well, live well, be well.

In “Kitchen Matters,” she shares the veggie-forward, anti-inflammatory and nutrient-dense recipes that have won the praise of her fans, both celebrities and regular folk. See her salad recipe below.

Saturday Chopped Salad
By:Pamela Salzman of Kitchen Matters

Servings: Serves 6

Ingredients
For the Salad:
1 head romaine lettuce finely chopped (about 6 cups)
3 cups diced red cabbage
3 radishes
1/2 pint cherry tomatoes quartered (optional)
1/3 cup pickled shallots diced (or 5 pepperoncini seeded and finely chopped)
1/2 bunch chives finely chopped
2 persian cucumbers finely diced
2 carrots finely diced or julienned and finely chopped
1 avocado peeted, pitted, and diced
3 ounces feta (preferably goat’s milk feta, crumbled) (omit for vegan or DairyFree)
optional: quinoa, diced cooked chicken, tuna in olive oil, canned salmon, chopped hard-boiled egg, chickpeas

For the Dressing:
1 small shallot minced (about 2 teaspoons)
3/4 to 1 teaspoon sea salt
1 pinch black pepper
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons raw honey (omit for vegan) or pure maple syrup
2 tablespoons unpasteurized cider vinegar or red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
3/4 cup unrefined, cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil or 1/2 cup olive oil + 1/2 cup flax oil

Instructions

For the Salad:
Combine the lettuce and cabbage in a large bowl. Add the radishes, cherry tomatoes, pickled onions, chives, cucumber, and carrots. Toss with enough dressing to coat lightly. Add the avocado and feta and drizzle with a small amount of dressing. Toss very gently with your hands to incorporate into the salad without smearing avocado and feta everywhere.

For the Dressing:
Either whisk together all the ingredients, including black pepper to taste, in a small bowl or place them in a glass jar with a lid and shake until emulsified.
The dressing can be made ahead and kept in a glass jar in the refrigerator for 5 to 7 days. Because olive oil solidifies when chilled, you will need to remove it from the refrigerator well before you want to use it, for it to become pourable. Or you can leave the dressing at room temperature in a cool, dark place for a few days. If you use flax oil in the dressing, it must stay refrigerated.