Friday, January 31, 2014

Foodiscovery Presents Batya Medad's Kosher Cooking Carnival, Adar 1 Edition


First of all: Shoutout to Batya for running such an awesome food blog carnival for the kosher crowd! :) I'm so proud to be a part of this project! :) Thanks for letting me host! :) Check out her blog at http://me-ander.blogspot.com/ where you can find all the previous editions of the Kosher Cooking Carnival at http://me-ander.blogspot.com/p/kosher-cooking-carnival.html. You can also find out about submitting posts for, or hosting, a future edition of this carnival (and Batya's other blog carnivals) here: http://me-ander.blogspot.com/p/jblog-carnival-news.html

Batya says:

     I started the Kosher Cooking Carnival a number of years ago in response to a post of mine being        rejected from a recipe carnival whose host had decided on a pork only theme.  It was clear that          the best and only suitable reaction should be a blog carnival based on one theme, the kosher              food.  We accept all posts about kosher food, recipes, cookbook reviews, restaurant reviews,              halachik (Jewish Law) kashrut issues etc.  KCC is organized on our facebook page; links can be        sent via blog carnival.  TheKosher Cooking Carnival includes blog posts submitted by bloggers            and other chosen by the host.  If you'd like to host an edition, please let me knowshilohmuse at            gmail dot com.

Please bear with me as this is the first blog carnival I've ever hosted. Feedback is welcome, both positive feedback and constructive criticism if there's something I can do better next time.

Anyway, here goes:

I'm calling this edition:

Tips and Recipes for the Dairy-Free Kosher Crowd

(A couple of the posts are also applicable to people who do eat dairy, but the point is that people who don't eat dairy could potentially find all of them useful. This is also useful stuff for kosher people who do eat dairy sometimes but want to keep things parve/meat due to the prohibition against eating dairy and meat together.)

Please note: I have not tried any of the recipes/tips/the cookbook so inclusion in this blog carnival does not constitute an endorsement from me.

Submissions (all one category due to there being only two!)

The first submission I received is from Batya herself.

1. Cook in Israel, Another Cookbook

http://me-ander.blogspot.co.il/2014/01/cook-in-israel-another-cookbook.html

She reviewed a kosher cookbook which seems to be vegetarian and include a lot of surprise dairy. The website doesn't mention "vegetarian" specifically but does point out that it includes recipes that you could use for "Meatless Monday." I cannot pass judgment on the cookbook itself because I haven't seen it, but I appreciate Batya's review warning about the "surprise dairy" as I'm lactose intolerant myself and don't eat dairy.

Next up is "...a traditional Indian-Konkani cuisine. Specially famous in south India. The shevai or the rice noodles  can be used for a breakfast , lunch or as a dessert (when accompanied with Rosu- sweetened coconut milk). I have listed all versions of  using the rice noodles.Hope you find it interesting !!" This vegan recipe is by Konkani Foodies Diary.
2. Ghatti Phova Usli(Ghatti Avalakki Usli)


That's all I received. A big thank you to the authors of the above posts! But I can't have a blog carnival with just two posts! I chose the rest myself, with Batya's help. I hope the authors don't mind....As I said above, this is my first time hosting a blog carnival and I didn't realize until the last minute that I was allowed to choose posts myself if I didn't get enough submissions. So I didn't have time to contact the individual authors about inclusion in the carnival. I hope that the reason they didn't submit articles themselves was not that they didn't want to be in my blog....Please note: Some of these sites are not totally kosher, though of course the recipes from them that I include are.


Posts I chose myself, with Batya's help
(Please note, I'm not including pictures for the rest because I don't know if I have permission. Authors, please let me know if I can include a picture. Thanks!)


Kosher food topics -- not a specific recipe

What should we do when we eat all the yummy kosher food we're cooking? Rebbetzin Chana Bracha SiegelbaumDirector of Midreshet B’erot Bat Ayin in Gush Etzion, explains the importance of the proper recitation of blessings before and after eating in
3. Blessing Hashem for our Food
http://www.breslev.co.il/articles/judaism/practical_halacha/blessing_hashem_for_our_food.aspx?id=8951&language=english

In
4. My Delicious Experiment
http://guesswhoscoming2dinner.blogspot.com/2014/01/my-delicious-experiment.html
G6 shares a fun, educational video that clearly explains how to make braided bread with various #s of strands. Then she shares her results of following this video's instructions. Very impressive! So far I've only braided challah with three strands but it might be nice to get fancier one day.


Kosher Recipes


Vegan Soup and Stew -- Perfect for winter! :) (Great anytime, I'm sure.)

5. Shorba Addis (Ethiopian Lentil Soup) 
(I can't find an author name for this one.) This also includes a recipe to make your own Berbere Spice mixture, if you so choose, but don't worry- You can use a store-bought Berbere Spice or curry powder instead.

6. Very Healthy Zucchini Soup
http://www.chabad.org/blogs/blog_cdo/aid/2421925/jewish/Very-Healthy-Zucchini-Soup.htm
Miriam Szokovski wrote this for Chabad.org. It looks like a simple and flexible soup. Note, however, that this soup requires over an hour of cooking time so make sure you have enough time for it to be done by the time you want to serve it. Don't be intimidated, though, because most of that time the ingredients are just sitting and cooking by themselves without you having to do anything.

7. COMFORT ME WITH WHITE BEAN STEW *LINK UP*
http://www.joyofkosher.com/2013/12/comfort-me-with-white-bean-stew-link-up/
This is Tamar Genger's "happy accident" story behind her recipe which is located here:

SWISS CHARD AND WHITE BEAN STEW



Vegan Salad -- Great anytime! :)

8. Asian Rice Noodle Salad Recipe- Vegan, Cheap, and Easy- With Grain Free Alternative
The author of this blog (whom I know personally from a long time ago) goes by the pseudonym Penny Penniless. She very resourcefully used what she had available to make this salad to serve a guest.

9. Dorit’s Cabbage Salad from the Balaboosta Cookbook
http://blogs.forward.com/the-jew-and-the-carrot/191813/dorit-s-cabbage-salad-from-the-balaboosta-cookbo/
This was posted by Einat Admony, the author of said cookbook. Mmmm, I love chips in my salad, especially Terra Chips! The recipe says Terra Stix but really, you could just get your favorite variety of Terra Chips and break them up, if you'd prefer.

10. Recipe: Eggplant and Bell Pepper Salad
http://greatist.com/health/eggplant-pepper-salad-healthy-recipe
Aylin Erman of Glow Kitchen wrote this one. This is one of the sites that are not entirely kosher, but the word "Israeli" caught my eye. FYI, it says to serve with Greek yogurt. If you want to keep it nondairy/vegan/parve, either skip the Greek yogurt or use a vegan, non-dairy, parve Greek yogurt. I just Googled vegan Greek yogurt, and apparently it's made with cultured coconut milk. (I didn't know this before because yogurt -- especially Greek yogurt -- was never one of my favorite dairy foods before I gave up dairy.)


Vegan Main Dishes -- Also great anytime! :)

11. SUPER BOWL NO MEAT TACOS
http://www.joyofkosher.com/2014/01/super-bowl-no-meat-tacos/
Tamar Genger does not like sports. Me neither. In my family, it's my mom who likes football. Sometimes when she watches, I have to cover my ears to protect them from the sound of her cheering. But anyway, Tamar does like to serve Portobello Mushroom Tacos. Mmmm, portobello mushrooms are delicious! They're also great for vegan burgers. Note the post says to serve with or without cheese. To keep it nondairy/vegan/parve, serve without cheese, or use a vegan, nondairy, parve cheese. These are usually made with soy or sometimes rice. Honestly I'm not a big fan; to me they're not at all like the real thing. But they are available.

12. Baked Curried Cauliflower and Quinoa
http://www.wellnesstoday.com/nutrition-recipes/baked-curried-cauliflower-and-quinoa
Mmmm, I gotta try Lauren Caster's quinoa recipe sometime! I love quinoa! :) Her idea to make big batches is awesome. I must confess that for me, when I make good recipes the big batches don't last as long as they should....Actually, when I used to make quinoa often, it was usually a one-dish meal. After all, it's a starch and a complete protein by itself, and I would always put lots of veggies in it.

13. Recipe: Pasta with Hearty Mushroom Sauce
http://greatist.com/health/pasta-mushroom-sauce-healthy-recipe
This is another great recipe by Aylin Erman of Glow Kitchen. Mmmm, mushroom sauce....Can you tell yet that I like mushrooms? :) Don't worry that this recipe calls for butter. It can still be nondairy/vegan/parve by substituting the butter with a vegan, nondairy, parve alternative such as coconut oil (my favorite healthy choice) or (less healthy) margarine. If you must use margarine, Earth Balance is probably the healthiest choice. If you want to use a different brand, please note that some brands like Fleishmans actually still have a bit of dairy in them! This shouldn't be a hard problem for the kosher crowd, though, because you know to look for a D next to the hechsher (kosher symbol).


Other Vegan Recipes -- Also great anytime! :)

14. Multi-Grain Spinach Balls
http://pragmaticattic.wordpress.com/2014/01/20/multi-grain-spinach-balls/
(Again no author that I can see.) Ooo, I gotta try these sometime! I remember making cheesy spinach balls before going off dairy and they were awesome! :) All substitutions are in the original post so no need to worry! :)

15. Homemade Tomato Juice Recipe From Tomato Paste
http://www.pennilessparenting.com/2014/01/homemade-tomato-juice-recipe-from.html
Another great post from "Penny Penniless." I didn't know you could make tomato juice from tomato paste! This is probably much cheaper than V8!



In case you got the crazy notion that I'm vegan (which I'm not, though I'm currently trying to reduce my intake of animal products for health and environmental reasons): 
Meat and Fish -- Also great anytime! :)
(I personally would make recipes like these for Shabbat but probably not weekdays. But that's my personal preference. If you're on a diet such as paleo or traditional foods, you would probably need to eat meat and/or fish more often.)

16. Sweet Potato Shepherd's Pie Recipe- Gluten Free, Nightshade Free, Dairy Free
http://www.pennilessparenting.com/2014/01/sweet-potato-shepherds-pie-recipe.html
Yet another one from "Penny Penniless." Really, this is one of my favorite blogs and this woman is really inspiring! I had to google nightshades as I had no idea what those are. Apparently some people are sensitive to such things as potatoes and tomatoes, and even spices such as paprika! Learn something new everyday, huh? This is useful info for me to collect, as I still seem to be eating things that mess up my digestive system though I've been off dairy for many months already....I like the idea of a dish combining meat and sweet potatoes. It sounds like it would make a good balance between sweet and salty. I would love to try this for Shabbat one day.

17. Un-Stuffed Cabbage Recipe
http://www.levanacooks.com/un-stuffed-cabbage-recipe/
I heard of Lévana Kirschenbaum from her son, the rabbi at a synagogue I attended occasionally when I lived in New York. This is totally up my alley! I'm definitely into shortcuts like this that taste just as good without the extra fuss. I used to do the same thing with stuffed peppers, sometimes- Instead of going to the trouble to stuff whole peppers, I would chop up the peppers and add them to the mixture that was supposed to go inside them. This sounds like another great recipe for Shabbat one day.

18. Lemon Garlic Salmon
http://www.chabad.org/blogs/blog_cdo/aid/2442634/jewish/Lemon-Garlic-Salmon.htm
Here's another post by Miriam Szokovski for Chabad.org. You can't go wrong with salmon and garlic! I used to make a garlic tilapia for Shabbat. Tilapia is a cheaper fish than salmon. G-d willing I'll be able to make salmon for Shabbat sometime.


And finally, everyone's favorite part....
Dessert -- Best before your meal, right? ;) lol 

I think godairyfree.org is my new favorite website....Both of these desserts are by .

19. Decadently Dairy-Free Chocolate Pecan Pie
http://www.godairyfree.org/recipes/dairy-free-chocolate-pecan-pie

20. Vegan Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
http://www.godairyfree.org/recipes/vegan-gluten-free-chocolate-chip-cookies-2

Thanks for reading! :)

PS I got a request to include a couple of my own recipes so I'll give you two that cover subjects not included in any of the previous posts.

First, a restaurant review: http://foodiscoveryblog.blogspot.com/2010/01/im-loving-my-new-job-its-my-second-day.html Surprise On-the-Job Lunch is about the only kosher meat Indian restaurant in the US, Shalom Bombay. http://www.shalombombay.com/ (It now has two locations- The one I reviewed here is in Teaneck, NJ, and the other is in Manhattan.)

Second, a breakfast recipe: http://foodiscoveryblog.blogspot.com/2013/06/scrumptious-spelt-pancakes-parve-dairy.html Scrumptious spelt pancakes -- parve, dairy-free, egg-free, vegan I didn't actually eat these for breakfast, but I labeled them breakfast because pancakes are typically a breakfast food.

Thursday, January 9, 2014

Announcement: Foodiscovery is Now Accepting Blog Carnival Submissions from Kosher Food Writers!!!!!



Carnival name: Kosher Cooking Carnival

Carnival organizer: Batya Medad

Edition to be hosted here: Adar 1

Submission deadline: January 29, 2014


How to submit a post: Fill out the form here: http://blogcarnival.com/bc/submit_208.html (Permalink URL means the address of the specific post you want to submit, not the homepage of the blog.)

More information: http://blogcarnival.com/bc/cprof_208.html

C'mon, show me what you got!!!!!

Friday, December 27, 2013

Apology for any confusion....

...If you get a feed of my blog sent by email, you might have noticed some old posts were labeled as having been posted recently....Apparently it does that if I make any changes to an old post. Anyway, sorry for any confusion that might have caused. I also ended up deleting one post entirely because it was mislabeled as having been posted recently but it was an old petition that no longer exists. Oops! Please bear with me as I work out the kinks. Thanks!


Thursday, December 26, 2013

Please excuse my "cyber-dust"....

...I'm working on fixing up this blog to make it more up-to-date, user-friendly and informative for YOU!

Some examples of what I've been working on:

Removing widgets that no longer work and/or are irrelevant.
Adding more relevant, working widgets.
Rearranging widgets in a more sensible order.
Adding labels to all my posts, and a cloud at the top to indicate how many posts have each label.
Adding pictures to all my posts.

Feedback is much welcome! Please tell me what you like about the new Foodiscovery, as well as what you see that you think should be changed. Don't worry about hurting my feelings, as long as the criticism is constructive, because this blog is for YOU and I want you to get the most out of it possible.

Thanks! :)


Sunday, December 15, 2013

Announcement: Calling All Kosher Food Writers!!!!!

Foodiscovery will be hosting a blog carnival for the first time ever!!!!! :) :) :) :) :)


Carnival name: Kosher Cooking Carnival

Carnival organizer: Batya Medad

Edition to be hosted here: Adar 1

Submission deadline: January 29, 2014

How to submit a post: Check this page http://blogcarnival.com/bc/eprof_52812.html at the beginning of January (or check back here on Foodiscovery for the announcement that submissions are open for this edition).

More information: http://blogcarnival.com/bc/cprof_208.html

C'mon, show me what you got!!!!!

Tuesday, December 10, 2013

Meatless Monday? Almost....

If you follow my blog or other food blogs, you've probably heard of Meatless Monday. Quite simply, that just means eating vegetarian one day a week. I don't follow it as a rule; it's just a concept I have in the back of my mind. I wasn't even thinking about it yesterday but there didn't seem to be any meat in any of the food I ate yesterday! Then I realized it was Monday and I was thinking, Hey, I'm actually doing Meatless Monday without realizing it! And then, as I was eating my leftover spaghetti and sauce, the next two forkfuls I picked up had two tiny pieces of leftover meatball in them....Oh well. Lol! :)


Sunday, December 8, 2013

The Ultimate Guide to Eating Paleo

Sorry, folks- I'm not posting often anymore due to certain matters going on in my life but I found this great infographic and just had to share. (No, I'm not doing paleo but I have finally gone off dairy for good. I'm not currently on any diet. I'm just so grateful that thank G-d I have food to eat at all....)

The Ultimate Guide to Eating Paleo
Get health and fitness tips at Greatist.com

Thursday, June 13, 2013

Scrumptious spelt pancakes -- parve, dairy-free, egg-free, vegan

This evening I woke up from a looong nap (really needed it), saw a container of syrup on the counter (left out from my parents' dinner), and got the urge to make pancakes. This is what I made:  

2 C spelt flour
4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 bag chai tea (only because we didn't have cinnamon and the original recipe I used calls for cinnamon; an experiment but it worked well)
2 Tbsp oil
2 Tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 c apple juice
chocolate sprinkles (optional) (the only tiny dairy-free chocolate I had available; next time maybe I'll try it with dairy-free chocolate chips or something)
olive oil (for frying), just enough to coat the bottom of the pan (unless you want it really oily)
more maple syrup for topping (optional; these are delicious even without; I like to drench mine in maple syrup but even so there were a few bites it didn't touch.)

They're very filling. According to the original recipe, there's enough for four people. (Or you can save the rest for another meal if no one else wants them....I made myself one medium-sized pancake and left the rest in its mixing bowl -- covered with two plastic bags -- in the fridge.)

Here's the original recipe I used: