Passing the Torch!!!

I never set out to write a cookbook when I wrote Cooking with Love. I love to cook, and came from a family of great cooks, my grandmothers, my mother, my aunts, my cousins, I don't think I ever had a bad meal in any of my relatives houses. It was my nephew Phil and my son Jeff who actually put the seed in my head to write a family cookbook. At the time, my mother was getting on in years and she was wonderful about writing down her recipes and encouraging my creativity in the kitchen. She was a teacher by profession and she taught both in and out of the classroom, her patience was legendary, and of course, that also was an escape on the gene pool journey, because it certainly missed me! They were afraid that once my mother was gone, no one would have any of the family recipes.

At the time, I don't think I fully realized what a legacy a history of family recipes was to the surviving generations, how important aroma - therapy was and is, and how a single food memory can evoke so many other memories, some of them long buried, yet the sight of a particular food, or the smell of meatballs frying can take you on a trip home, or back to the past.

While my mother was the cook, my father was the philosopher. 

He felt that if you cooked with love, nothing else mattered, 

not the look of the food, and not the taste of the food, 

love of what you were cooking and how you cooked it 

was enough to secure a place at the table. 

In fact, we all keep an imaginary bottle of love in our kitchens, 

labeled Sam's Bottle of Love, to sprinkle over our food when we cook

(I even commissioned to have these bottles made in honor of my father)

Who ever thought that my cookbook would become my childrens, my nieces and nephews, my friends, go to cookbook, but I am so happy it has. My parents would be so proud to know that the next generation will still be following the recipes and traditions they set out for them.

I never knew what it was that kept my mother going when she was teaching someone something and they finally "got It." I never knew that you really could feel all the love coming through until just recently when the following occurred...

In the past two months alone, I can't begin to tell you the number of phone calls and e-mails I have received from family and friends asking for help with some cooking problems, or showing off their creations to let me know they succeeded.

It started with my daughter Lauren

calling for help so she could make a pizza. My boys love to cook, but Lauren is just starting to get her feet wet in the kitchen. We walked through the making of a pizza, and a few hours later
this picture arrived on my phone... Success!!!!!!

In November as Thanksgiving was approaching the calls picked up.
My cell phone rang and my niece Jennifer was on the other end

"What's up Jen?", I asked.
She said, "Aunt Elise, I'm have everybody here
for Thanksgiving and I don't know where to start."

"Not a problem, sit down and get a paper and
pencil and I'll walk you through this", I answered.
My poor niece is a very busy veterinarian,
without a lot of time to cook. I told her how to do
everything in advance and she would have no problems.
She called me on Thanksgiving to tell me how
wonderful everything went, that she couldn't
believe she could get almost everything done
in advance and actually enjoy the day and her company.

Now, Hanukkah was coming and my friend Abbe's daughter Lisa
(shown here with her husband John and her children)

called and needed help with some chicken soup and
latkes for Hanukkah.

Here are some of the comments she e-mailed to me

hi elise...i am so excited! thank you so much for these recipes!
i need to buy your book!!! don't know why i haven't yet!
i can not wait to make the soup! may have to make\ some tomorrow or monday for the week, and then again next week! thankfully both kenz and ian
love matzoh balls!!! as for the latkes,
i could sit and eat them all myself!
which i won't, but oh i so could!!!
talk soon!!!
...lisa

my house smells like heaven! my soup has been
simmering for about 3 hours!
i can't believe how yummy it smells!!!

oh my goodness elise...the latkes were amazing!!!
so easy to make, and super yummy! mackenzie
couldn't get enough of them, and wants me to make more already!!!
i did add a little more here and there,
as we love onions and garlic! so delicious! thank you! thank you! thank you!!!
...lisa

another success story!!!!

That same week I opened an

e-mail from my friend Rae's

daughter-in-law Lindsey

(shown here with her husband

Josh (my other son)

this is how it read

Dear Elise,

I wanted to share with you that I just made the biggest challah I have

ever seen!!!! I followed your recipe in the cookbook and was

shocked when I went to take it out of the oven. I am uses to the

small challah that I buy at Price Chopper.  I haven't

tried it yet because we are going to save it for Chanukah

tomorrow night.  Rae and Steve are coming

down for dinner and I'm making your brisket as well.

Happy Chanukah!

Love,

Lin

Steve and Rae said the brisket was delicious as well...again, success!

Then it was my son David called to say he was
spending Christmas Eve with his girlfriend Laura's

family and wanted to make Buffalo Chicken Wing Dip to bring to the house

Here is the picture that came across my cell phone
(note that he has the cookbook in the background)

and yet another success, ready to be baked

I check my e-mails and I have an e-mail from
my niece Sharon (pictured with Philly and Lauren,
and me with Phil, Sharon, and their two boys Adrian and Kaden
at Kaden's Christening)




sending me a video
of my nephew Phil making
his pepperoni rolls on Christmas Eve
(the link is at the top of the blog
but I put it here again for convenience)

and yet another success...

and I can't forget my sons Steven and Jeffrey who
helped prepare all of Christmas Eve dinner
here at home (I know some of
you have already seen this picture, but
they are part of the success story that is
this post, so forgive me)
enjoying the fruits of their labor


another success...

Christmas was over and it was my son David on the
phone again,


"Ma, I'm in Wegman's and I'm making
chili from Mrs. Trociuk's recipe
but I'm making some changes...
Okay, I said, "You have to like what you cook."
I received the following pictures on my I-phone
later that evening



Now our dear friends Haris and Jasminka's


son Edin's first birthday came and Jasminka
sent me an e-mail that she baked his
birthday cake herself, and
"Haris even put the sprinkles on the side."
another successful joint effort...


Marc and I were walking through Home Depot
and my cell phone rang
It was our dear friend Stuart


the husband of my late cherished and

 missed friend Barbara
trying to recreate her Chicken Soup
with a question or two

Questions answered, chicken soup
successful!!!!

Another memory preserved...

 Stuart also tells me he's used the book to make

his mother's cookies, and
Barbara's Cheesecake

and the final chapter of this blog came
in an e-mail from my dear niece Nicole
(who by the way did all the illustrations
for my cookbook divider pages)
about 1:00 this morning


Dear Aunt Elise,

Here are a few pictures from baking the cookies tonight. Also, there
are a few different variations of the recipe. I've used a couple and
both came out good. If you were to search it on the web, you'd find a
few different ways of doing them. I suppose it's preference!

Nicole's Cookies:

1 box of cake mix (your choice)
2 eggs
1/2 cup veggie oil

OR

1 box cake mix
1 egg
1/2 stick butter

Add any kind of "extras" like chocolate chips, sprinkles, etc. and
frosting is optional. Oven at 350, bake cookies ungreased cookie sheet
for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown around edges (if it's a light
cake mix like yellow). Tonight I made yellow cake mix cookies with
mini m&ms and chocolate cake mix cookies with reeses pieces. Both came
out delish! I just think this recipe is great because it's different;
if you're in the mood for something sweet but are tired of plain old
chocolate chip cookies, these are a great alternative and are fast!
Reminds me of that show Semi Homemade with that lady on Food Network,
Sandra Lee. Ever seen it?

Well enjoy! :)



the final success story of the day!!!!!!

If you have a recipe or a success story, please, please, please,
share it me...send me an e-mail, a picture, the recipe,
all of the above, and I'll put it here

Let's celebrate our successes and not
our failures, life is so much better that way!

and now, I'm signing off to go make
some of my niece Nicole's cookies
Thanks Nic!

...and thanks to all of you
I'm so glad I may have had a hand in
Passing the Torch for the
Love of Cooking
to another generation
my Father and Mother would be so proud!!!!!

Happy Chanukah - Potato Latkes and Brisket Recipes

As I look out my window and see the mounds of snow, I don't know about a white Christmas, but tonight is the first night of Chanukah and it certainly will be a white Chanukah (or if you prefer Hanukkah) in upstate New York. Chanukah for those of you who don't know what the holiday is celebrates the miracle of the oil burning in the Temple for eight days when there was only enough oil for one day. King Antiochus ruled over the Jews in Syria. He ordered them to stop worshipping in the Temple of Jersulem and to worship only Greek Gods, if you refused to worship the Greek Gods, you were ordered to be killed. Judah Maccabee and his five sons let a revolt against the Syrians to win back their Temple. When they were able to return to the Temple, they found that it was filled with symbols of the Greek Gods. They labored intensively to get the Temple ready for Shabbat (Sabbath) services only to find that they had enough oil to light The Eternal Light for one day. They went on to light the Eternal Light and for some reason it burned for eight days, and it was said to be a miracle.

In celebration, we light a candle for each night of Chanukah plus the Shamos candle which is used to light the other candles. You add one more candle each day, starting from left to right until the last night, when all eight burn.

The foods associated with Chanukah have to do with the miracle of oil, and they are traditionally fried foods, the most common of which are potato latkes and fried doughnuts. Traditionally, you receive 8 gifts, one for each night of Chanukah and Chanukah "gelt" (money) in the form of chocolate gold wrapped coins. You spin a top called a dreidel, and depending on where the top stops, it determines your action of play. The top has four Hebrew letters on Gimmel which means you take all the money, Heh which means you take half, Nun which means you take nothing, and Shin which means you put in a coin. The game is like put and take, you ante up and then begin playing. You can play with "gelt" or money (pennies) or with candies such as M & M's.

Here are pictures of the Hebrew Symbols for the Letters as they appear on the sides of the dreidel (or top):

Heh




Shin




Nun




Gimmel




A picture of a glass dreidel so you can picture how it looks



















However, since we are a food blog, let's talk about food. The Chanukah meal is usually a brisket of beef which has been cooked the day before and then reheated to give it maximum flavor, accompanied by vegetables and of course some type of Latke, usually potato. The latkes are generally severed with either sour cream or applesauce on the side. Generally, jelly doughnuts are served for dessert. Whew, all this from an Italian Catholic, now converted to Judiasm...

Here is a recipe for my husband's grandmother, Nanny Nellie's Brisket. She was a fabulous cook, and was one of the few from her generation who could actually give you precise directions for her recipes. I apologize that there are no pictures to accompany the brisket, but I haven't started to cook it yet.

BEEF BRISKET - REINISCH
Nellie Reinisch


1 large beef brisket
4 onions, peeled and sliced
McCormick® Season All Seasoned salt
6 cloves of garlic, peeled and cut in half
2-3 cloves of garlic, peeled and cut in ⅓’s
3 carrots, peeled and cut into 3-inch pieces
2 stalks celery, cut into 3-inch pieces
1 can mushrooms
5-6 potatoes, peeled and quartered
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
Black pepper
Paprika
4-5 tablespoons vegetable oil


Preheat the oven to 350°. In a large skillet, heat the oil. Sprinkle the brisket with black pepper, seasoned salt and paprika. With a small knife make little holes in the fat side of the brisket and insert the garlic pieces that have been cut into thirds throughout the brisket. Sear the brisket until brown about 10 minutes. Remove. In a large enamel roasting pan, place the onions; sprinkle with seasoned salt. Mix the garlic cloves that were halved in with the onions. Place the carrots and celery on top of the onions. Add the tomato sauce, seasoned salt, pepper, and paprika to taste. Place the brisket on top of the vegetables. Cover with foil and bake at for 2 hours. Parboil the potatoes and add them to the brisket after it cooks two hours. (I usually just peel and cube them and put them in raw at the beginning. Add the mushrooms. Cover again and let cook another 1 to 2 hours.


Here is a hint for you: If you slice the brisket after the first two hour period and place it back in the pan, it will continue to cook beautifully in the juices and will not break apart as it would if you sliced it after it was completely cooked. Remember to always slice the brisket against the grain.



This is one of my favorite Latke recipes. Latkes are like hash browns for those of you who have never had them.

POTATO LATKES

6 large white potatoes
2 large onions
2 - 3 eggs
2 egg whites
⅔ cup of matzoh meal or flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon white pepper
Oil for frying


Peel potatoes and onions. (If not using immediately, place in cold water.) Grate the potatoes and onions with a shredding blade of a food processor or by hand. I prefer to do it by hand for a small quantity. Put grated potatoes and onions in a fine strainer and press out as much liquid as you can. Transfer to a large mixing bowl. Beat eggs and egg whites until thick. Add to potatoes and onions. Add flour or matzoh meal (I like Matzoh meal), baking powder and seasonings. Mix well. Heat oil in a frying pan (about 1-1½-inches of oil ). When ready drop by large soup spoonfuls or shape with your hands to form oval shapes. Fry over moderate to high heat until brown on one side, turn to brown the other side. Remove from frying pan and drain on paper towels. Serve with sour cream or applesauce.


What you will need to make the latkes:
















Peel your potatoes and leave them whole and place in a pot of cold water. Remove the skin from your onions and leave them whole as well.

With a fine side of a grater, grate your onions first. The reason you grate the onions first is that once you grate your potatoes, they begin to turn brown quickly. If you mix them with the onions as soon as you grate them, it slows this process down considerably.




















Please be careful not to grate your fingers into the onions, lol. Perhaps, I should have added a box of Band-aids to the list of ingredients.


















The onions will looks very fine and you will see a lot of liquid.



















Now, using the large holes of the grater...























start to grate your potatoes.



















Grate them on top of your onions, and toss occasionally, as you grate. Work quickly when you are grating your potatoes, as I said, they turn brown quickly! If you look carefully, you can see them already getting a pinkish hue.



















After you toss the grated potatoes and onions well, place them in a fine hole strainer, and press down several times (I do this over a paper plate, or bowl, to extract as much liquid as you can from the mixture.



















I only did half of the recipe for demonstration purposes and look at the amount of liquid that came out from three potatoes!



















Place your egg (s) and egg white in a bowl




















Whisk them together



















Add the potato-onion mix to the eggs
















Measure your matzoh meal or flour (I use matzoh meal, it is Chanukah after all :) ) Add your baking powder, garlic salt, salt and pepper to the matzoh meal.















Add the matzoh meal mix to the bowl. This is the point where you will determine if you need the extra egg or not. If the mixture is too dry, add the egg (beat the egg first before adding it). The mixture should not be too loose as it needs to hold together to maintain its shape.















Place about 1/2 to 1-inch of vegetable oil in a frying pan and let the oil heat

You can test the oil by dropping bit of the mix into the pan. When the oil starts to bubble, it is ready to begin frying the latkes.















You can either drop the latkes by tablespoonful or shape them in your hands which is what I prefer to do















Start frying your latkes, and smell the aroma...

Try to turn them only once and use a spatula not a fork if possible. If you avoid piercing them, they won't be greasy.

Drain on paper towels after they are nicely browned















Serve with either applesauce or sour cream and enjoy

















My favorite person, my husband Marc getting the Menorah ready for tonight before heading to the hospital to do a delivery!