January 24, 2002

from: Spike's and Jamie's Recipe Collection

http://www.spike-jamie.com/

Many of these recipes have not yet been added to the recipe web site -
so you are getting a "sneak peek" of future additions. We hope you
enjoy these recipes!!!

Shalom, from Spike the Grate and Jamie the Webmistress


[]These next two recipes are from a site from which I receive weekly
newsletters. They are almost never about food, so this is special. I
will give you the site, so you can see what else they have to offer. I
study Torah via this site (among other sources). Please visit
www.aish.com and review the list of newsletters you can receive at no
cost to you. Here is the url for the recipes presented on
this newsletter:
http://www.aish.com/family/cooking/Debbys_Sausage_Recipes.asp


JED'S INVENTION
(serves 8-12 as a main course or 18 as part of a buffet)
1 4-pound turkey breast, deboned and butterflied to a uniform thickness
of 1"(have your butcher do this for you)
1/4 cup Dijon mustard, or so
3/4 pound sliced pastrami
1-pound spicy sausages (such as South African sausages, measuring about
12" in length)

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Lay out the turkey breast, skin side
down. On the meat side, spread a thick, even coat of mustard. Cover the
mustard with a layer of all the pastrami. To serve 8-12 as a main
course, make one roll of the entire butterflied breast: The breast
itself should measure about 24" by 12". About one third of the way in
from one of the 12" edges, arrange the sausages in a little pyramid, on
top of the pastrami layer. Pick up this 12" edge and fold it over the
pyramid of sausages and continue to roll the breast tightly,
jelly-style. Place this roll (seam-side down) in a Pyrex pan just bigger
than the roll itself (9" by 12").

For buffet servings, cut the butterflied breast in half so that it
measures about 12" by 12". On the meat side of each half of the breast,
spread a thick, even coat of mustard. Cover each half with half of the
pastrami. In the center of the breast, on top of the pastrami layer,
place two sausages. Fold one end of the breast over the sausages and
continue to roll the breast tightly, jelly-roll style. Place these two
rolls (seam side down) in a Pyrex Pan (10" by 15"), side by side.

Coat the top of the breast(s) with more Dijon mustard and cook in the
middle of the pre-heated oven until golden, about 45 minutes. Lower the
temperature to 350 degrees and continue cooking 30 minutes more. Remove
from the oven and allow to cool to room temperature before carving with
an electric knife.

Cut the roll into ½" slices, fanning slightly to show off that
jelly-roll cross section when serving. May be reheated or served at room
temperature with your favorite mustard.

Needless to say, JED'S INVENTION was a wild success and led to many
variations. The best of the second generation of these variations was a
cross between a recipe of my friend Freda Small's and the original. This
is how it went:

JEDLESS BIRDS
(serves 8-12)
8 chicken breasts, deboned, skinned, cut in half and pounded to a
uniform thickness of 1/4"
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
3/4 pound sliced pastrami
8 pepperoni sticks, cut in half
1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water
1 cup seasoned matzah meal (matzah meal with 1 t. salt, ½ t. each of
ground black pepper, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, dried basil
and dried oregano)
tooth picks
canola oil

Cut each breast half in half again to form a 6" squarish fillet. Spread
it with mustard, place the pastrami on top, and then-you guessed
it---place the pepperoni stick at the end of the fillet and roll it up,
securing the loose end with a tooth pick. Dip each roll in the beaten
egg mixture and then dredge in the matzah meal mixture.

In a large, heavy skillet heat ½" of canola oil at medium-low heat.
Without crowding the rolls, fry until golden brown on all sides. This is
the way we like it. On the other hand, if you'd rather bake these, spray
a large cookie sheet with cooking spray. Arrange the rolls on the pan
without crowding them. Spray them with an olive oil mister or with
cooking spray until damp looking. Bake in a 425 degree preheated oven
for 30 minutes or until golden brown.

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[] As you know, January 28, 2002 is the New Year's Day for trees. The
custom on Tu B'Shvat is to eat fruits from the seven species for which
the Land of Israel is praised: "...a land of wheat and barley and
(grape) vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive trees and
(date) honey" (Deut. 8:8).

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[] We can make a lovely sauce of pomegranate, honey, and a paste of cold
water and cornstarch to thicken it - simmer gently for a few minutes.
Poured over baked chicken, or served as a dipping sauce, it is
wonderful. []


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[] Here's a real treat!: sourdough bread. I saw the instructions in the
San Jose Mercury News, and just knew that our readers had to have this
recipe. There is an article that accompanies the recipe, that is four
pages in length. If you want it, please send me ( Spike -
spike@spike-jamie.com )an e-mail with SOURDOUGH INFORMATION in the
subject line. I live in an area with quick access to San Francisco, and
our local super-markets always have this lovely stuff on the shelves.
San Francisco sourdough bread is different from most because of the
bacteria that is in the air in that place on the planet. It apparently
is not everywhere. Now, on to the recipe. []

HOMEMADE SOURDOUGH FRENCH BREAD

To make sourdough at home, you'll need to start three days ahead to let
your starter develop and allow time for your dough to rise and rest.

Makes 3-4 loaves

Starter
2-1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast OR 1-1/2 teaspoons SAF instant yeast
1-1/2 cups cool water
1 tablespoon plain yogurt (without added gelatin, if possible)
2 cups bread flour

Dough
5-1/2 to 6 cups bread flour
1 tablespoon salt ([] I always use kosher salt in my bread - and
everything[])
2 cups ice water
Yellow cornmeal, for sprinkling

To prepare starter: In bowl of a heavy-duty electric mixer fitted with
the paddle attachment, sprinkle yeast over cool water. Add yogurt and
flour. Beat on low speed until a smooth, thick batter is formed, about 2
minutes. Scrape into a large deep ceramic bowl or plastic bucket and
cover with plastic wrap. Poke some holes in the plastic with tip of a
knife. Set aside at room temperature 24 hours. Starter will be very
bubbly in the first 12 hours. It's OK to stir it down once or twice. It
will slow down the last 12. The starter will smell yeasty and develop a
distinctive sour, tangy aroma.

To prepare bread: Place all the starter, 2 cups flour, salt and water in
mixer bowl fitted with paddle attachment. Beat on low 1 minute. Add
remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time. Dough will be smooth and soft, yet
slightly sticky, and will pull away from sides of bowl.

Remove paddle attachment and replace with dough hook. Knead on
medium-low speed 6 minutes. Sprinkle in a bit of flour to keep dough
from being too sticky and, as it works its way up the hook, scrape it
down with a rubber spatula. Keep dough a bit moist and sticky.


Scrape sides of bowl, then cover bowl with plastic wrap, or a plastic
bowl cover to prevent surface of dough from drying out. Let dough rise
4-6 hours at room temperature. Punch or scrape it down a few times. Then
refrigerate overnight, 12-16 hours. The dough will smell sour and tangy
and will be very moist.

It is best to bake this bread on doubled baking sheets to prevent the
bottom from burning. Stack two baking sheets of the same size on top of
the other. Line top sheet with parchment paper and sprinkle with
cornmeal.

Turn dough out onto a floured surface and divide into 3 or 4 portions.
Sprinkle with flour if it is too sticky. Form into round loaves and set
a few inches apart on baking sheet or sheets. Let rise, loosely covered
with plastic wrap, at room temperature until soft, springy and double to
triple in bulk, 3-6 hours.

Fifteen minutes before baking, preheat oven to 450 degrees. If using a
baking stone, preheat oven 25 to 30 minutes.

Using a sharp or serrated knife, gently cut a slash no deeper than 1/4
inch across the top of each loaf. Bake until very dark and crusty, 30 to
35 minutes; dark crusts taste a bit better than pale ones. If using a La
Cloche French Bread Baker, remove lid for last 15 minutes of baking to
brown crust. Cool on pan or rack.

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PRESERVED LEMONS
Makes 6 lemons

FOODday often gets questions about preserved lemons, classically used in
traditional Moroccan dishes such as tagine chicken and other dishes,
like vegetable salads or tossed with hot buttered pasta. Since the
salty, tangy preserved fruit is difficult to find, you might want to
make your own. Just make sure you plan ahead -- they'll need to
refrigerate at least two weeks.

About 2 cups coarse sea salt
6 medium-sized lemons
Granulated sugar

Wash and dry a 1-quart glass jar with a tightly fitting lid. Pour a
layer of sea salt over the bottom and set aside. Trim off 1 inch from 1
end of each lemon. Quarter each lemon lengthwise but not all the way;
leave each intact at its uncut end. Hold 1 of the lemons over a mixing
bowl, spread it open, and fill it up with sea salt. Place in the jar and
repeat with another lemon. Press firmly on the lemons as you add them to
the jar.

Pour salt into the jar to fill the spaces between the lemons. Repeat,
making 3 layers of lemons and salt (using the salt collected in the
bowl), sprinkling each layer with about 1 teaspoon of salt. Seal the
jar. Refrigerate at least 2 weeks before using. The lemons are best
after 3 months and will keep up to a year.

To use a preserved lemon, cut through the attached end. Use a paring
knife to cut away all lemon flesh and pith from the yellow portion of
the peel. Discard all but the yellow peel. Use as directed in the
recipes or blanch the peel briefly, dice or julienne, and add to salads,
stews or grain dishes.
From "Le Bernardin" By Maguy Le Coze and Eric Ripert

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BYALDI
Makes 8 servings

When preparing Byaldi, the zucchini, eggplant and yellow squash should
be sliced paper-thin. If you use a mandoline, place it on a towel to
prevent it from slipping.

1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup sliced onion
1 red bell pepper, cut in 1/4-inch strips
1 yellow bell pepper, cut in 1/4-inch strips
1 green bell pepper, cut in 1/4-inch strips
Herb sachet (2 sprigs thyme, 2 sprigs parsley and 1 bay leaf, tied
together in a
cheesecloth bundle)
Coarse salt
Freshly ground pepper
1 to 1-1/2 cups thinly sliced zucchini rounds
1 to 1-1/2 cups thinly sliced Japanese eggplant rounds
1 to 1-1/2 cups thinly sliced yellow squash rounds
6 small tomatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon minced fresh thyme

Preheat oven to 275 degrees.

Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-low to medium
heat. Add the onion, red, yellow and green peppers and the herb sachet,
season with salt and pepper, and cook until the vegetables are softened
but not browned, about 15 minutes. Remove the sachet and spread the
mixture in an even layer in a 12-inch ovenproof skillet or round baking
dish.

Arrange the sliced zucchini, eggplant, squash and tomatoes over the
onion and peppers, beginning at the outside of the pan and working
toward the center, alternating and overlapping them.

Mix the garlic, olive oil, thyme and salt and pepper to taste and
sprinkle over the vegetables. Cover with foil, crimping the edges to
seal, or with a tight-fitting lid, and bake for 2-1/2 hours.

Remove the lid and check the vegetables (the eggplant will take the
longest to cook): They should have softened and be almost cooked. Return
to the oven, uncovered, and cook until very tender, an additional 30
minutes. The dish can be served immediately or cooled to room
temperature and then refrigerated until ready to use, preferably within
a day or two.

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[] This is a nice dessert. []

TOMATO SOUP SPICE CAKE
10 servings

Cake:
2 cups flour
1-1/3 cups sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1-1/2 teaspoons ground allspice
1 teaspoon each baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 can (10 3/4 ounces) condensed tomato soup
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
2 eggs
2/3 cup water

Frosting:
2 sticks (1 cup) butter, softened
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 package (16 ounces) confectioners sugar

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, allspice, baking soda, cinnamon and
cloves together in large bowl for electric mixer. Mix in soup,
shortening, eggs and water on low speed until well combined. Increase
mixer speed to high; beat 4 minutes.

Pour batter into two 8-inch round greased and floured cake pans.

Bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 35
minutes.

Cool in pans on wire rack 10 minutes. Remove from pans. Cool completely
before frosting.

For frosting: Beat butter, cream cheese, milk and vanilla in bowl of
electric mixer until light and fluffy. Slowly beat in sugar until smooth
and of spreading consistency. Add more milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, if
needed.

See ya next time! Have a wonderful day!

Shalom, from Spike the Grate

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