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For those who have eaten at our home on Friday night, you most likely have tasted Davida’s delicious no-knead ciabatta.   Since Davida will be spending the next few weeks in Israel, I decided that it was high time to take the ciabatta preparation back and make it my own.

Making something my own usually means taking some shortcuts and simplifying the whole process.  It also means using fewer bowls and utensils because I hate the clean-up. Cleaning sticky dough off of counters, bowls, spoons and towels can really be a nightmare.  And, truth be told, I do not have Davida’s baking precision or patience, anyway.

This ciabatta is almost as good as Davida’s with a lot less fuss.  It can be made on the same day, although it requires a minimum of six hours of rising time.  It still has the trademark thick crust and dough full of air bubbles inside.

INGREDIENTS

3 cups of high-gluten or bread flour
1 1/2 teaspoons dry yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons of kosher salt
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 3/4- cups of warm water
olive oil

a sprinkling of additional bench flour or cornmeal

DIRECTIONS

In a large bowl,  toss flour, yeast, salt, and sugar.  Slowly pour in warm water, and knead with your hands or a large spoon until a soft sticky dough has formed without any spots or noticeable lumps.

Line a heavy loaf pan or narrow casserole dish with parchment paper and sprinkle a bit of bench flour or cornmeal.  Stretch dough out a few times to create air bubbles and place dough in parchment-lined loaf pan.  Drizzle a bit of olive oil on top of the dough and allow the dough to rise in a warm spot for at least six hours.

Lift dough with the parchment paper out of  the loaf pan and carefully leave on the counter or on a baking sheet.  Preheat the empty loaf pan in a 425 degree F oven for fifteen minutes.

Carefully remove preheated pan from oven (it will be very hot) and lift the waiting dough in its parchment paper back into loaf pan.   Bake uncovered for 30-40 minutes or until top is a light golden brown.

Remove ciabatta from pan and allow to cool before slicing.

Enjoy!

Last week, Michelle’s friend, Daniella, gave birth to an adorable baby boy.  To welcome the baby to the world,  the family hosted a Shalom Zachor (lit: Peaceful welcome male).  Michelle prepared these adorable cookies for the Shalom Zachor, held this past Shabbos.

I was sitting next to my friend, Carol, at the Shalom Zachor.  She recommended that I try these delicious and adorable cookies, not knowing that Michelle had prepared them in my kitchen right before Shabbos!

The Shalom Zachor is such a beautiful tradition.  It is a wonderful opportunity to gather friends, family and community for desserts and drinks at the home of the new baby.  There are many reasons given for this delightful Jewish tradition:

1. We simply welcome the baby to the first Shabbos of life outside the womb.
2. We thank G-d on the first Shabbos for the baby surviving the birth.
3. Since we know that all blessings for the upcoming week emanate from the preceding Shabbos, we open our home to the blessing of family and friends before the upcoming bris (circumcision).  
4. While in the womb, an angel teaches the baby the entire Torah.   At birth, the teaching angel touches the baby near the mouth and the baby forgets all that he has learned.  The baby’s lifetime duty is to relearn his Torah and family and friends gather to console the baby on having lost his Torah knowledge and study partner.
5. Shabbos and the birth of a baby boy are auspicious times for peace and we invite our community to our homes in the hope of the creation and continuity of peace between family and community

INGREDIENTS

Hadar-Tirosh chocolate  half-moon biscuits

Paskesz mini oreo cookies

frosting

blue/pink piping or frosting

DIRECTIONS

Using a small spatula coated with frosting, adhere two half-moon cookies together at right angles to create base of carriage.  Since these cookies are double-sided,  use the vanilla side for the base of the carriage and the chocolate-side for the carriage hood.

With a dab of frosting, adhere two wheels to front of cookie carriage.  Pipe lines on hood of carriage for additional decoration.

Who knew that a gown could benefit from a few shots of vodka?

Leah was asked to be a bridesmaid recently and she asked my opinion if she should accept.  Personally,  I am not a fan of bridesmaids for so many reasons.  I don’t like the stress, drama, cost and showiness inherent in having bridesmaids at weddings.  So, I expressed my rather strong opinions on the matter to Leah.

And, Leah countered my negative bridesmaids views with arguments like, “it’s important for the bride”, “this one is an easy color to find and useful for future weddings” and “it should not create any stress at all.”

To which I conceded and told her that the final decision was hers.  And, that I would stand by whatever decision she made.

But, I knew from the beginning that was not going to be as easy as she led me (and herself) to believe.

The color scheme was metallic.  Leah already had a gorgeous gold dress given to her one of her friends.  The gown was expensive and heavily beaded with classic styling.  She asked me what I thought.  “Beautiful,” “classic”  and “free” were some of the adjectives that I used to describe the gown.  I thought the gold gown fit Leah beautifully and that we were done.

Leah disagreed.  And, I knew we were in trouble.

Leah asked her cohorts to advise her on the gold gown.  They all agreed with Leah that the gold gown was just not right for her.

So, Leah found two more gowns to try.  The first gown was an Amazon special in just the right color.  The second gown was a rose gold beaded bridesmaid gown in her size being sold by a former bridesmaid in the Midwest.  She worked out a price and shipping and a few days later both the Midwest gown and the Amazon gown arrived.

The Amazon gown was constructed of slinky cheap material and the Midwest gown was perfect except that it was a tad short for Leah’s 5’9″ height.  After some more consultation with friends and co-workers,  Leah decided to keep the Midwest gown and chose the perfect shoes to wear with the dress.  Everything seemed right in the world of bridesmaid gowns.

Often, there is the calm before the storm.  And, sure enough, the winds started up again on the morning of the wedding.  I woke up and Leah was right there with an offer.  “If you can help me with this challenge, I’ll let you write it up on your blog.”

Now, that was an offer I couldn’t refuse.

It seemed that Leah hadn’t noticed that the Midwest gown arrived with a stench that was unbearable.  Somehow, with all the try-ons and consultations, no one had noticed that the gown had an odor.  Overnight, Leah had already tried everything she knew to remove the odor unsuccessfully.

So, I did some research.  And, the research came up with the following diluted suggestions: lemon juice, baking soda and vodka.  I tried them incrementally.  First, I tried a solution of lemon juice and water.  That helped a bit.  Then, I added some baking soda to the solution.  That helped a bit more.  Finally, I soaked the armpits of the lining in a  solution of vodka.  I pinned a few dryer sheets on the armpits and put the dress outside to dry.

And, thankfully, the tale of the Smelly Drunken Bridesmaid Dress was over after a few shots of diluted vodka.

INSTRUCTIONS:

To remove smell from clothing without washing, try any combination of the following steps.  Test a small unnoticeable area first to ascertain how it will affect the color of the garment.

(1) Create a solution of equal parts of lemon juice and water.  Use a brush to apply to smelly area or dip the garment in the lemon juice solution.

(2) Add a teaspoon of baking soda to the lemon juice solution created in #1.  Use a brush to apply to smelly area or dip the garment in the solution.

(3) Combine 3 parts of vodka and  2 parts of water.  Use a brush to apply to smelly area or dip the garment in the solution.

(4) Pin dryer sheets to the affected area.

When I was a little girl visiting my grandparents in Willamsburg, Brooklyn, I remember my Oma and Opa bringing home blood oranges as a special treat for Yom Tov (Jewish holiday). I was traumatized by these small oranges tinged with bloodish red coloration throughout.  I really believed that there was blood inside these oranges and no matter how much my grandparents tried to convince me that there was no blood inside these oranges, I was still horrified by the thought of blood oranges.  Of course, I refused to eat them and was repulsed by the mere sight of these oranges with the red-tinged flesh.

I had forgotten about this aversion to blood oranges.  Until a few years ago.

I cannot even remember exactly when Trader Joe’s began stocking blood oranges regularly.  And, blood-orange became a flavor sensation in sorbet and drinks.

And, I decided that it was time to give blood oranges another chance.  Thankfully, my adult self became fascinated with the tropical flavor and tye-dye whimsy of these oranges.

This simple salmon dish highlights the unique flavor and beautiful coloration of these oranges.

INGREDIENTS

salmon fillets
⅓ cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2-3 tablespoons orange juice
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 blood orange, sliced thin for garnish
Scallions, sliced thin for garnish

DIRECTIONS

Line cooking sheet with parchment paper or foil.

Brush salmon fillets with just enough Worcestershire sauce and orange juice to be absorbed by the salmon fillets. Sprinkle with brown sugar. Drizzle a bit more Worcestershire sauce and orange juice over brown sugar. Sprinkle minced garlic and sliced scallions over salmon.

Bake at 375 degrees F for 40-50 minutes, until fish flakes easily with fork. Serve with sliced scallions and thin blood orange slices.

This appetizer is one of the most beautiful, delicious and versatile ones that I have up my sleeve.  It is simply a stack of roasted vegetables secured with an interesting pick.  As you already know, I roast vegetables almost every Erev Shabbos (Friday afternoon) in preparation for our Shabbos.  Everyone enjoys the vegetables before Shabbos and I try to make enough that we still have enough to enjoy at our Shabbos meals.

This appetizer can be dressed up with an herb garnish on top.  It can be served with a dollop of Jalapeño  Dip, or even topped with some melted cheese  for a dairy meal.

TIP

If roasting squashes or sweet potatoes, scrub peel and leave on before roasting.  This will help the roasted vegetable hold together so that it can be stacked.

Tomorrow night, Davida will be hosting a Shavuos bake sale at our home  from 8:00 PM to 10:30 PM.  These Shavuos cupcakes will be offered for sale.

It comes just in time for the Jewish holiday of Shavuos, the holiday where we celebrate the giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai.  There is a beautiful midrash (story-like commentary) explaining how G-d chose Har Sinai (Mount Sinai),  the humblest mountain of all,  to be the place where the Torah was received by the Jewish nation.

This past Shabbos, my grandchildren, Avigail and Yehuda,  visited.  On Shabbos, they sang this song that they both learned in their respective preschools.  It is based upon this very Midrash.  It explains in song how many mountains vied for the opportunity to be the venue for Matan Torah (the giving of the Torah).  Each mountain highlighted its own virtue.  Some were tall; others were strong or beautifully adorned.   Har Sinai was chosen for it epitomized the lessons of humility and simplicity.

Here are the lyrics:

I am a mountain so very high
I can reach way up to the sky
The Torah should be given on me
For I am as tall as can be, you see

Oh No! I am much greater than you
There are so many things I can do
The Torah should be given on me
For I am as strong as can be, you see

But little Har Sinai just stood there and sighed,
“I know I’m not tall; I know I’m not wide
The Torah cannot be given on me
For I am as small as can be, you see

From all the mountains, Hashem chose Sinai
Because he did not hold himself high
He had such simple and humble ways
And from here we learn humility pays

This song and midrash became the basis for these mountain cupcakes.  I frosted a dozen green cupcakes using different techniques, sprinkles and embellishments.  I chose the simplest cupcake to represent Har Sinai.    In the center of that cupcake,  I placed white chocolate luchos (tablets).

SUPPLIES

cupcakes
green frosting
shredded coconut
green food coloring
assorted sprinkles and edible pearls.
white chocolate

1 large zipper bag
1 small zipper bag

DIRECTIONS

Place 1 cup of shredded coconut in a zipper bag. Add a few drops of green food coloring and knead or shake until color is distributed throughout.

Frost seven cupcakes with green icing. Add green coconut,  sprinkles and embellishments.  Keep one cupcake simple.

Melt white chocolate by placing on a microwave-safe plate and using the timed-defrost feature for 5-9 minutes, checking every minute after 5 minutes.

Spread a piece of waxed or parchment paper and carefully fill a small zipper bag with the melted chocolate.  Pipe out the shape of the luchos (tablets) and allow to harden.

Place the luchos in the center of the plainest cupcake.

TIPS

For a smooth frosting, microwave the green frosting on high for 10-30 seconds, checking after every ten seconds.  When frosting is smooth and warm, pour over cupcakes.  This will yield a shiny smooth frosted cupcake that can be easily dipped into sprinkles.

This week, a challah braiding hack by Seth Brandes took the challah-baking public by storm.  This hack was shared with me by many of my Whatsapp groups.  It seems that Seth shared this terrific shortcut on his Facebook account and it went viral.  He showed that simply slicing a lump of challah dough on the diagonal with a dough scraper in both directions can produce a beautiful challah loaf in minimal time with very little effort.  After all, the time-honored challah braiding takes time and effort and Seth brought challah-braiding into 2018.

My friends and family challenged me to check out this hack and see if it really is as simple as Seth claimed and if it really produces the type of challah wow that challah bakers want.

And, it does.  The initial result looks quilted rather than braided.

But, as you can see, the final baked result looks great.  And it really saves braiding time and effort.

Thanks, Seth!

Please Note: This post contains affiliate links from Amazon, which means I earn a small commission if you click and make a purchase.

Yehuda a.k.a Ju-Ju just turned three!

Yehuda was born on Shabbos Hagadol (Shabbos before Pesach) three years ago and arrived several weeks early to the great surprise of us all.  For me, his arrival was especially eventful and complicated.

I had already arrived in Israel and had just finished preparing everything for Pesach when Kaitlyn called to tell me the exciting news of her baby boy’s early arrival into the world.

It was 3 AM and I had just fallen asleep after a full night of cleaning and Pesach preparations.

“Are you aware that it is in middle of the night here in Israel?, ” I asked Kaitlyn that night.

“Yep” responded Kaitlyn.

“Oh!”  I exclaimed and sat up quickly in my bed.  “Did you have a baby?”

“Yep” responded Kaitlyn.

I sat up a bit straighter in my bed.   “Did you have a baby boy?”

“Yep” responded Kaitlyn.  And, she added, “And I guess you’ll be missing the bris!”

“Never challenge your mother!, ” I retorted and immediately began making arrangements to return to the United States to meet my first grandson.

That was three years ago and it has been my children’s proof that my mantra of “you cannot be too organized” has some exceptions to the rule.  They claim that if I had only started my Pesach preparations a bit later, I would have saved myself a whole lot of work.

They may be right, but it has made for some great memories!

Now, Yehuda has turned three, is finally toilet trained and has begun wearing a kippa and tzitzis.  To celebrate his third birthday, I designed these tzitzis plates for our small family celebration.

SUPPLIES

white square plates
scissors
white twine
black electrical tape

INSTRUCTIONS

Cut a v-shape out of the top of each plate.  Tape parallel lengths of black electrical tape to form black stripes on each white plate.  Cut several lengths of white twine and tape to the back of each plate.  Voila!

A simple way to change up your Shabbos table setting is to play with the napkins.  For this Shabbos, I used a simple ivory, clear glass and silver color palate.  I folded the cloth napkins into fourths and then folded them accordion style.  I then stood them up in sturdy napkin rings.

Shabbat Shalom!