Zosia's Reviews
8 recipe(s) reviewed. Showing 1 to 8Sort by: Title 
| Date | Rating
Jewish Cooking in America: Expanded Edition (Knopf Cooks American)
By Joan Nathan
Knopf - 1998
Bukharan Salad : page 274
Who knew that the chopped tomato, cucumber and herb salad dressed with lemon juice and oil that I’ve been making for years actually has a name!
I’ve always used whatever fresh leafy herbs I’ve had on hand and garlic – this version calls for cilantro and scallions. I did deviate slightly from the recipe by leaving the cucumbers unpeeled and by seeding both the tomatoes and cucumbers to avoid a watery salad, but otherwise stayed true to it.
All variations of this salad including this one are delicious and are among my family’s favourites. It’s very easy to put together and brightens the plate every time with its colours and fresh flavours. It's a staple for us during the summer. I served this with the Spinach and 3-Cheese Kugel.
useful (1)
This dish far exceeded my expectations…….
Fish (halved or filleted) is baked sandwiched between sautéed vegetables and fresh tomato slices. Because of the quick cooking time, (10 minutes or so depending on the thickness of the fish) the tomatoes are just warmed through and remain very fresh tasting – a great contrast to the richness of the bed of caramelized onions, celery and carrots. Though no sauce is produced during baking, it isn’t required as the tomatoes remain juicy and the fish is beautifully moist. A sprinkle of parsley and a squeeze of lemon finish the dish.
Very simple, very delicious.
useful (2)
Fluffy Matzah Balls : page 110
I haven’t eaten that many matzah balls and unfortunately, most of them have been of the leaden variety that I’ve made myself. This recipe produces the fluffy, airy little dumpling that I’ve tasted and have been trying to replicate.
Apparently, the key to producing a “floater” is using seltzter/club soda and allowing the batter to chill for several hours. I followed this advice and was rewarded. I like them on the smaller side so used a cookie scoop to portion the batter. I ended up with 22 instead of the 12 if made as per the recipe; the walnut-sized balls expanded to the size of golf balls and cooked in ~17 minutes.
They’re quite flavourful for something that has so few ingredients, and fairly bland ones at that, especially as I opted for club soda and vegetable oil instead of chicken stock and chicken fat respectively but they were “eggier” than some. Next time I may follow the author’s suggestion to replace 2 eggs with 2 egg whites.
They were really delicious served in the New Orleans Chicken broth, page 101.
useful (1)
Healthy Whole Wheat Challah : page 76
This is a beautiful challah, made with half whole wheat flour, that’s very light and airy and just a little bit sweet.
The dough is enriched with eggs, oil and honey and is very easy to shape – it’s soft but not sticky. The recipe directions are quite clear up until the shaping of the dough – though I chose to bake in 2 loaf pans, the directions are actually to form a long rope of dough and coil it around itself in a baking pan. The pan size is not specified nor is pan preparation mentioned…should it be oiled? Oiled and floured? The directions are then to put this pan on a greased (why?) cookie sheet. I made a half recipe that yielded 2 – 500g loaves that baked (in oiled pans) in 30 min.
A very tasty same-day bread that’s delicious on its own but one I can see myself using in recipes that call for egg bread, brioche or challah.
useful (0)
Mandelbrot : page 353
“Mandelbrot” means “almond bread “, so it’s no surprise that these crunchy, not-too-sweet cookies, which most would recognize as biscotti, are bursting with almond flavour, with just a hint of lemon and cinnamon.
The oil based dough is easily mixed in a bowl with a spoon, but does require refrigeration as it’s very soft and sticky. The chilled dough is formed into logs and baked; sliced and baked a second time with a sprinkling of cinnamon-sugar.
I’ve made biscotti before that have been baked at low heat for a long time. This recipe calls for a moderate heat initially and then a short stint in the oven for the sliced cookies at a considerably higher temp. I was skeptical but they dried out nicely and became brown and crispy.
This wonderful recipe, which hails from Poland, brings back fond memories of eating mandelbrot with my mother and aunt while visiting that country years ago. As they were then, they’re delicious with an afternoon cup of tea.
useful (1)
New Orleans Chicken Soup : page 101
Very tasty broth that relies on standard chicken broth ingredients (onion, celery, carrots, bay leaves) for flavour as well as whole cloves, cayenne pepper and a little curry powder for added punch. These few extra ingredients are subtle but add a complexity that sets it apart from my usual chicken broth - it's quite rich and makes an excellent base for simple soups.
I made it overnight in a slow cooker to avoid heating up the kitchen and that worked very well. Most went into the freezer for future use but the rest was served with fluffy matzah balls (page110), reviewed separately.
useful (1)
Spinach and Three-Cheese Kugel : page 285
Apparently, this savoury kugel won 1st prize in a kugel contest and I can see why; it’s a delicious baked pasta dish with a nice balance of spinach and cheese whose flavour is reminiscent of spanakopita, except the creaminess and tang is derived not from feta cheese, but from cottage cheese and sour cream.
The dish comes together quickly once the pasta and some onions are cooked and bakes for ~1 hour. Though it was very tasty, it was a little dry…..I had expected it to be creamier based on how loose the mixture was before baking but it may have been entirely my fault as I used whole wheat egg noodles instead of regular, which may have absorbed more liquid during baking, and reduced fat cottage cheese and sour cream. I also omitted the butter that was to go on the noodles before the other ingredients were added.
Although this is intended to be a side dish, I served it as a vegetarian entree with Bukharan Salad, page 274, for dinner.
useful (0)
Zucchini Parmesan Latkes : page 261
Crispy and tender with Mediterranean flavours, this is a great version of the traditional all-potato pancake.
After squeezing the excess water out, grated zucchini and potato are mixed with parmesan cheese, onion, garlic etc. to make the batter. I made sure to use young zucchini and their sweet flavour really came through.
Delicious with a squeeze of lemon.
useful (0)