Vietnamese Spring Rolls

I made these for a June shabbat when we were all together in Chestertown when Noa was a wee one. Big hit, and Zach asked for them a few weeks later. I happily obliged.

Once you assemble all the ingredients, which is a bit of a scavenger hunt, these are fun to roll. They make a delicious and beautiful presentation. This is based on https://cookieandkate.com/fresh-spring-rolls-recipe/ , this guy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pUO2PuGu9DQ&ab_channel=AGlobalKitchen, and https://natashaskitchen.com/fresh-spring-rolls/ but watch a few videos to get different ideas of the basic techniques.

You'll need about a 12-16 rice paper wrappers, found in the Asian section of big supermarkets. The sauces keep, so you don't have to make the whole package. 

Cook the rice noodles -  just submerge them in boiling water for a few minutes, and drain. While they are cooling, prep your fillings. You can lay them in piles on a tray.

• Herb leaves: basil, mint, or other herbs of choice. Be generous.
• lettuce leaves. I found mini-romaine, which was perfect. Spinach would be good.
• grated carrot, either a bag, or use a cool tool. I actually have one, called a julienne peeler. You can also just slice thin.
• purple cabbage, sliced very thin
• English cucumber, seeded and sliced thin
• avocado, sliced thin, if you have a ripe one
• thin sliced daikon or red radish
• slivered jalapeno if you like more heat
• rice vermicelli or plain rice
• strips of spiced tofu are a good addition to amp up the protein.

We liked having two dipping sauces. Be sure to put dips out in a few smaller bowls.

Peanut Hoisin Sauce:

In a big jar, add

100g or 1/3c hoisin sauce (vegetarian)

30g -  2 T peanut butter

3-5g/1 small clove grated garlic 

3-5g about1/2 T grated ginger

30g or 2 T rice vinegar

5g or 1 t sesame oil

30g or 2 T water

Whisk to combine.

Traditional Fish Sauce from Natasha.

• 1/3 cup water
• 1/4 cup fish sauce
• 1/4 cup sugar, or to taste
• 2 Tbsp lime juice
• 2 tsp rice wine vinegar
• 1 to 2 tsp chili garlic sauce
• 1 garlic clove, grated or minced
• 2 tsp sesame oil
• 1 Tbsp shredded carrot

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. For serving, pour into a few smaller bowls. This makes a lot.

Assembling:

Rice Paper needs just a quick dip in a curved plate of water. Then move it to a tray, and add the rice noodles and the other ingredients. Try to get some of the pretty herb leaves on what will be the bottom so when you roll each one, you can see them. Best to watch a video.

Do not stack them. They stick to each other! You can leave them at room temperature for an hour or two.

 Figure on folks eating 2 or 3, or even 4, depending on what else you are serving.

Naomi Klayman's Layered Fruit Salad

I often suggest to people, when they ask what to bring to a meal, to bring fruit salad. It's a lot of work to make!

Naomi brought this, and it was ingenious. The colors and contrast obviously make it beautiful, but the stripes are extra pretty.

She came up with the technique of holding the bowl horizontally, and layering it that way.

If you use a flat or slightly curved bowl/platter, you can do it directly. But her technique is a lot of fun.

I like "pretty food". This presentation qualifies! 

Ricette Fresche's Potato Spinach Cheese Omelette

Stuffed Potato Cheese Thing!

For vegetarian meals, I miss the dinner entrée being a focal point. This one is beautiful. It requires many steps, but not hard ones, and is an elegant presentation. I haven't come up with the right word in English. Ricette Fresche is an Italian YouTube channel; she calls it an omelet, along the lines of a Spanish Tortilla, also made in a fry pan on the stovetop. This one doesn't have onions, but you could add them. It's pretty flexible.

She doesn't have a website with the recipes, so you need to watch her videos and follow the steps. Not very efficient, so I've narrated the process here.

2+ pounds potatoes (a kilo, basically)
1 lb fresh, washed spinach

fried onions (optional) - to be layered in with the spinach, or caramelized and added on top
clove garlic
2 eggs
1 oz parmesan, grated
4 oz grated hard cheese (I used Gouda, but can be most any kind.)
* ~1 c breadcrumbs (can be less, it's to taste - stale challah is good!) Note that you spread the  breadcrumbs at three different times, so don't put it all in the mixture at the first step
olive oil
salt, pepper, nutmeg

hot sauce for eating

Boil the potatoes very thoroughly. When they're cool, hand peel them - the peels slip off.

Meanwhile, chop the spinach. Add oil to a large frying pan, and add the spinach and garlic, stirring until it wilts. Remove the garlic and put it in a strainer and push out the excess liquid.

In a large bowl, mash the boiled potatoes. Add two eggs, pepper, salt, and nutmeg. Stir, add parmesan and and about half the breadcrumbs.

In the large fry pan that the spinach was in, place a parchment paper disk, spread it with olive oil, and sprinkle with bread crumbs. Spread half the potato mixture on it, using your hands to smooth it down. Layer the spinach on top, with the grated cheese [and fried onions]. Spread the second half of the potato mixture, evening with wet hands. Add oil on top, and the rest of the breadcrumbs.

Cover and cook on low for 15 minutes. On the induction, I used 4.

Uncover, set a plate in, and invert. This is tricky! Pull the parchment off the top, set it in the pan, and slip the omelet on it, cover, and cook for another 10 minutes.

Get a nice round tray ready! This is Shabbat dinner material.

Goose Foot Cookies

From 2025 New Years: Steinrichs, TeutschRosens,

and WeisbEnnens

We do have a lot of geese in Chestertown, but not sure I know what their feet look like.

This recipe calls for 8 oz of farmers cheese (1/2 package) and egg yolks, some things that pop up occasionally and need to be used. No need for a mixer. They are kind of a cross between kichel and rugelach. 

Perfect with coffee. 

Found it at Olga's Flavor Factory. 

1 c butter (chilled) - that's 2 sticks!
7.5 – 8 oz farmer’s cheese (ricotta or cottage cheese can be substituted)
2 c all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 egg yolks

Lemon zest to taste
2 T(cold or chilled)
1/2 c granulated sugar

Over a large bowl, grate the chilled butter on a box grater.
Add the farmer’s cheese and mix to combine. Add the flour and salt.
Whisk the eggs yolks and water slightly, then add to the dough. Use your hands to quickly knead the ingredients together. 
Form the dough into a disc, cover, and refrigerate for at least an hour.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. No need to grease, with all that butter.

Let the dough sit for 10-15 minutes and cut the dough into quarters, then, working with one portion at a time, roll it out thinly on a well floured surface. Take the time to roll it thin as you can.

Use a biscuit cutter (about 3 inches), or an overturned cup or glass (preferably with thin edge) to cut through the dough and press out as much circles from the dough as possible.

Put the sugar into a saucer and press one side of the circle of dough into the sugar.

Fold it in half to form a half moon shape. Press one side into the sugar again, fold it in half and press one of the sides in the sugar. Also dip the folded edges into the sugar.

Place the cookies sugar side up on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 20 – 25 minutes. Check 2/3 of the time
and flip, if the bottoms are burning. Bake the cookies till they are puffed up and golden brown. 

Oven-Baked Latkes

These were decent latkes, and had some unique features.

The first is they were made with potatoes that Micah dug up, literally, from his garden here.

Second, you don't need to peel the potatoes. That's a great hack.

These are oven baked, and tasty, but much lighter than pan-fried. A plus or a minus, depending on your tastes.

And, the parchment paper is brilliant. There is a similar version up at King Arthur. It preheats the oil on the baking sheet, with no parchment paper. Worth trying heating the oiled parchment paper, I think. I doubt it would burn.

Heat oven to 350.

3 large potatoes (you could make one a sweet potato)
1 onion
3 T. flour
1 t. baking powder
1 t. salt
1 egg

Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper. Pour some olive oil on it, and spread with a brush.

Wash but don't peel the potatoes. Grate with a box grater, into a strainer colander. Do the same with the onion. Squeeze as much liquid as possible, pushing it through the mesh. (You can do this in a regular bowl, but the mesh is much easier!)

In a large bowl, mix flour, baking powder, and salt. Drop the potato mixture in with an egg, and stir till well mixed.

Drop by flattened large spoonfuls onto the baking sheet. This made 12. Bake at 350 for fifteen minutes. Turn up to 425. Flip and bake another 15 minutes. They do brown and crisp.

They definitely smell like latkes!

Pramila Jayapul's Tofu Satay

This fall during Kamala Harris and Tim Walz's fabulous campaign (which sadly did not result in their getting into office) Washington Rep Pramila Jayapal had a fun fundraiser - if you contributed, she'd send you her recipe, which I couldn't resist doing. It's the best tofu recipe I've tried. 

"I spent 10 years growing up in Indonesia and one of my favorite things was the peanut satay.

Recently, I found a super easy recipe for peanut tofu satay – and I have been obsessed with it since! This peanut satay is great served with brown rice or even a quick fried rice that you can make with day old rice and frozen veggies.

This recipe reminds me of growing up and has been some quick comfort food after long days – which are getting more and more common in this heated election year."

It's not easy - searing the tofu is a lot of effort, but once you have all the oddball ingredients in hand, the sauces are fast.

 

Peanut Tofu Satay

 

3 heaping T peanut butter

 

2/3 c coconut milk (you can freeze the remainder)

 

2 T maple syrup

 

1-2 T sriracha

 

1 T sesame oil

 

3 T soy sauce

 

1 to 2 T grated garlic

 

1 T grated ginger

 

1 lime, juiced - or use lime juice.

 

2 blocks extra firm tofu, drained, dried and cut into 16 evenly sized cubes

 

Oil, salt and pepper as needed

 

1 handful chopped cilantro

 

1/2 c crushed peanuts

 

1 t white and black sesame seeds

 

1 T chili crisp oil

 

Rice for serving

 

In large bowl, whisk together first nine ingredients (peanut butter, coconut milk, maple syrup, sriracha, sesame oil, soy sauce, garlic, ginger and lime) along with large pinch of salt and black pepper to taste. Set aside.

Put 3-4 T neutral cooking oil in a cast iron pan on medium high heat and sear the tofu. Season tofu in the pan with large pinch of salt and black pepper to taste. Sear on all four sides about 1-2 minutes per side or until each side is golden brown. (They don't need to be deep brown, as you pour sauce on them and it colors them nicely.)

Pour half the peanut sauce over tofu and continue to flip tofu for another 1-2 minutes per side or until desired texture and color.

 

Serve over rice, finish with remaining peanut sauce, cilantro, sesame seeds and chili crisp oil as well as salt and pepper to taste.

 

 

This campaign would not be possible without supporters like you — together we are building a stronger future.

Thanks again,

 

Pramila

Blueberry Sour Ceam Lemon Bundt

This is similar to the cake I baked for Sender's bris. It is richer, and easier - no weird ingredients. I bake this in two cake pans, and it's a showstopper. So delicious. It's straight from the internet, by Nellie Bellie. You will need lots of lemons!

1 3/4 c flour

1 c whole wheat flour
1 1/2 t baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 c butter
2 c sugar
4 large eggs
3  T lemon juice (about 2 large lemons)
2 T lemon zest (about 2 large lemons)
1 t vanilla
1 c sour cream (8 oz)
3 c blueberries, mixed with T flour. (1 and 1/2 pints) 

Icing

1 1/2 T butter, melted
2 c powdered sugar
1/3 c lemon juice
pinch salt

1 T lemon zest

Thin sliced almonds (thin, oval shape, not matchsticks)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Grease and flour two cake pans, bundt and/or tube pans.

In sufficient size bowl, mix together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. (You will add this to the bigger bowl.)
In a large bowl, or stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar on medium-high for about 3 minutes.
Add your eggs 1 at a time, beating after each addition.
Continue beating, adding a bit of the flour mixture to the egg mixture in intervals, a little at a time.
Add the lemon juice, zest, vanilla, and sour cream. Gently stir these into the batter with a spatula or wooden spoon.
Gently fold in the blueberries.
Spread the batter into the prepared bundt/tube pans.

 
Bake for 55 minutes, check for doneness. If a toothpick in the center doesn't come back clean, put the cake back in for another 10-15 minutes.

Icing

Beat the powdered sugar, lemon juice, salt, and zest together.
Slowly beat in the melted butter into the sugar and lemon combo. Beat until combined well. If it's too thin, add more powdered sugar.
Let cool a bit until the desired consistency for pouring.
Pour over your cake, sprinkle the almond slices, and let cool.