Thursday, September 6, 2012

Letting you in on a secret or two

When we first made aliyah, there was a transition period wherein I went from woman who knew how to run a kitchen, to a sad lady who could not make anything come out right.  The food I served on our first Rosh Hashana continues to haunt me.... For whatever reason, the ingredients, the climate, the oven, the water, the air - WHO KNOWS?! - nothing came out the way it did in the US.  It took nearly a year until my chocolate chip cookies came out the same every time.  Part of the solution was learning not to fight against the ingredients, but to work with them.  I could not expect everything to be the same as it was in the US.  Once I mastered that, it was smooth(er) sailing in the kitchen.

Recently, cookbook author and kosher food guru Jamie "The Bride Who Knew Nothing" Geller made aliyah with her husband and children.  My article this month on her Joy of Kosher website is about making baking work in Israel, and I hope you will all enjoy it, either because it is useful to you or because someday it will be ;-).

Also included, a brand new Apple Oatmeal Cookie, adapted from Joy the Baker, and my challah recipe, adapted from Carine Goren with tweaks for the American-Israeli palate, which has appeared here before, but is worth looking at if you haven't previously.  It's the ideal recipe for Israel, as it includes a great ingredient available here, granulated fresh yeast, but it is also a simply delicious, simple-to-make sweet challah.  US/dry yeast substitutions are included.  These recipes will be wonderful on your holiday table!
So head on over to Joy of Kosher, and I'll let you in on a few of the secrets I've learned the hard way, so it will be a little easier on you.  I hope these recipes and tips will be helpful to you no matter where you live, and will be a welcome addition to your yom tov tables.
 

With wishes for a happy, healthy, and SWEET New Year,

Dvora

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