Pancakes with Lemon and Sugar

Ingredients

For the pancake mixture:
110g/4oz plain flour, sifted
pinch of salt
2 eggs
200ml/7fl oz milk mixed with 75ml/3fl oz water
50g/2oz butter
To serve:
caster sugar
lemon juice
lemon wedges
Method

Sift the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl with a sieve held high above the bowl so the flour gets a airing. Now make a well in the centre of the flour and break the eggs into it. Then begin whisking the eggs - any sort of whisk or even a fork will do - incorporating any bits of flour from around the edge of the bowl as you do so.

Next gradually add small quantities of the milk and water mixture, still whisking (don't worry about any lumps as they will eventually disappear as you whisk). When all the liquid has been added, use a rubber spatula to scrape any elusive bits of flour from around the edge into the centre, then whisk once more until the batter is smooth, with the consistency of thin cream. Now melt the 50g/2oz of butter in a pan. Spoon 2 tbsp of it into the batter and whisk it in, then pour the rest into a bowl anduse it to lubricate the pan, using a wodge of kitchen paper to smear it round before you make each pancake.

Now get the pan really hot, then turn the heat down to medium and, to start with, do a test pancake to see if you're using the correct amount of batter. I find 2 tbsp is about right for an 18cm/7in pan. It's also helpful if you spoon the batter into a ladle so it can be poured into the hot pan in one go. As soon as the batter hits the hot pan, tip it around from side to side to get the base evenly coated with batter. It should take only half a minute or so to cook; you can lift the edge with a palette knife to see if it's tinged gold as it should be. Flip the pancake over with a pan slice or palette knife - the other side will need a few seconds only - then simply slide it out of the pan onto a plate.
Stack the pancakes as you make them between sheets of greaseproof paper on a plate fitted over simmering water, to keep them warm while you make the rest.

To serve, spinkle each pancake with freshly squeezed lemon juice and caster sugar, fold in half, then in half again to form triangles, or else simply roll them up. Serve sprinkled with a little more sugar and lemon juice and extra sections of lemon.

Matjes-Kartoffelsalat mit Eiern

Matjes-Kartoffelsalat mit Eiern


Zutaten für 4 Pers.: 300 Kartoffeln, 4 Eier, 1 rote Zwiebel, 150 g junge Matjesfilet, 75 ml Milch, 150 g Brunch-Kräuter, 50 g Forellenkaviar.

So geht's:
1. Kartoffeln kochen, pellen, in 2 cm große Würfel schneiden. Eier hart kochen. 2 Eier fein würfeln, 2 Eier achteln.

2. Zwiebel fein würfeln, Vom Matjes den Schwanz abschneiden, Filets in Stücke schneiden. Alles mischen.

3. Brunch und Milch verrühren, salzen und pfeffern, unter den Salat heben. Mit Eier-Achteln und Forellenkaviar zu Brot servieren.

Green Tahini (a.k.a. T'hina)

This is the way an Israeli taught me how to make it. And it's delicious.

Ingredients:

tahini / t'hina
juice of a quarter of a lemon
garlic
cilantro
salt
pepper

Directions:

1. Put a few spoonfuls of tahini in a small mixing bowl. Add lemon juice and stir.
2. Very slowly add cold water to the tahini, stirring madly while doing so. Stop when the tahini is creamy and still somewhat stiff. You don't want it to get too watery.
3. Add garlic and chopped cilantro.
4. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
5. Eat with flatbread baked with Za'atar!

Ways to use Za'atar (Thyme seasoning)

"Za'atar," as I learned in the fall, is the Arabic word for "thyme," but it denotes a specific kind of wild thyme found in the general region of Palestine, perhaps Lebanon and Jordan. It's dried and mixed with salt and something else, and Palestinian mamas have their own secret recipes for it. The Israelis claim that it is endangered due to overharvesting and have banned its import/export from the West Bank; the Palestinians, however, argue that they have thousands of years of experience in sustaining its growth and harvesting carefully. Needless to say, this green stuff has become a political issue of its own. (And it's not the only food item that serves as a microcosm of Israel's conflicts with its neighbors; Israel and Lebanon bitterly compete over who produces the best hummus. Here's a little background to the controversy.)

Anyway, luckily this green stuff CAN be found in Berlin, and hopefully at Middle Eastern stores in North America as well. Here's how to use it:

A. Dip some flatbread into olive oil. Drag the bread over the Za'atar. Put in mouth.

B. Drizzle olive oil over some flatbread. Top with Za'atar. Put in the over for 5 minutes. Put in mouth! (Goes fabulously with freshly made "tahini," "tahina" in Arabic or "t'hina" in Hebrew, that has lemon juice and cilantro in it.)

C. Drizzle olive oil over fresh soft white cheese--"labneh" (Arabic) or Greek yogurt--and sprinkle Za'atar over it. Eat with bread.

Honey-roasted Sweet Potato, Petersilienwurzel and Brussels Sprouts

Ingredients:

3-4 TBS butter
2-3 TBS honey
juice of 1/2 a lemon
cayenne pepper

1 sweet potato
2 petersilienwurzel (= parsnip?)
bunch of brussels sprouts

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 F [= 5 on gas oven]

1. Melt and mix the butter, honey and lemon juice in a large saucepan. Add cayenne pepper to taste.
2. Meanwhile, cut the brussels sprouts in half, and the sweet potato and petersilienwurzel into 1 cm squares.
3. Add the vegetables to the saucepan and make sure they are covered in the honey sauce.
4. Put in a roasting pan, and roast in the oven for about 20 minutes or until the sweet potato is easily poked through.
5. Serve on a bed of couscous! Or as a side dish.

Arugula Pesto

Substitute with any herb / nut for another pesto altogether.

EXAMPLES

Tunisian: cilantro, parsley and spices, called "chermoula," traditionally served with fish
Republic of Georgia: ground walnuts, dried apricots (in the form of apricot leather), garlic, cilantro, parsley and other herbs, and walnut oil. It’s served with chicken, meats, fish and vegetables, and stirred into cooked red beans.

INGREDIENTS

2 garlic cloves, cut in half, green shoots removed

2 heaped tablespoons shelled walnuts

4 ounces arugula, stemmed, washed and dried (2 cups leaves, tightly packed)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/3 to 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, as needed

1/3 to 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan, to taste

1. Turn on a food processor fitted with the steel blade, and drop in the garlic cloves. When they are chopped and adhering to the sides, stop the machine, scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the walnuts. Turn on the machine, and process until they are finely ground. Scrape down the bowl again, and add the arugula and the salt. Pulse until the arugula is finely chopped, then turn on the machine and run while you slowly drizzle in the olive oil. When the mixture is smooth, stop the machine, scrape down the sides and process for another 30 seconds or so. Scrape out into the bowl of a mortar and pestle. Grind the mixture with the pestle for a smoother texture. Work in the cheese and combine well.

Yield: Makes about 2/3 cup.

Cabbage Rolls

Who knows whether this is the recipe my mom used in Canada: all I know is that this dish is so good it's been claimed by Sweden, Hungary, the Ukraine, Poland and the Sub-Continent of Swabia as its national dish.

**NOTE TO SELF: replace "ketchup" with tomato paste and seasoning.

1 head of cabbage

3/4 pound ground beef

2 tablespoons uncooked rice

2 onions, 1 grated and 1 sliced

1 1/2 teaspoons ketchup

1 egg

Salt and pepper to taste

1 large can tomatoes

1 large can tomato soup (or sauce)

1/2 cup brown sugar

Lemon juice to taste

About 6 ginger snaps

Noodles

Butter.

1. Boil cabbage in water about 15 to 20 minutes. Drain and cool.

2. In a bowl, mix the ground beef, rice, grated onion, ketchup and egg, and season with salt and pepper.

3. In another bowl, combine canned tomatoes, tomato soup, brown sugar and lemon juice.

4. Separate cabbage leaves and roll about 2 to 3 tablespoons of the beef mixture into each leaf, tucking in the sides. If you have leftover beef, roll it into tiny meatballs.

5. Pour some of the tomato mixture into a deep pot. Crumble a handful of ginger snaps into it, then cover with a layer of rolled cabbage leaves (and tiny meatballs, if you have any), then one layer of sliced onion rings. Repeat until all cabbage rolls are used.

6. Cook on low heat, covered, about 2 1/2 hours. When nearly finished, prepare buttered noodles, and serve with stuffed cabbage.

Yield: 8 to 10 servings.

Note: To get a second meal out of this, put a piece of chuck roast in the bottom of the pot, on top of the first layer of sauce and below the first layer of rolled cabbage.

Celery Root Risotto with Pesto

* 2 medium celery roots (celeriac) with leafy tops
* 1/4 cup olive oil


* 3 tablespoons butter
* 1 1/2 cups chopped leek (white and pale green parts only)
* 3/4 cup arborio or medium-grain white rice
* 3 cups (about) low-salt chicken broth
* 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided

Place 1 1/2 cups (packed) celery root leaves and oil in mini-processor. Blend until leaves are minced. Season pesto to taste with salt and pepper.

Peel celery roots. Cut into 1/3-inch-thick slices. Cut slices into enough 1/3-inch cubes to measure 2 cups. Melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir in celery root cubes and leek. Cover; cook until celery root is tender but not brown, stirring often, about 10 minutes. Mix in rice; stir 1 minute. Add broth; increase heat and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer until rice is tender and risotto is creamy, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Mix in 3/4 cup cheese. Season risotto to taste with salt and pepper.

Divide risotto between bowls; swirl some pesto on top. Serve with remaining cheese and pesto.

Lemon Risotto With Brussels Sprouts

1 pound Brussels sprouts, ends trimmed

Salt to taste

2 quarts well seasoned chicken or vegetable stock, as needed

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup minced onion

1 1/2 cups arborio or carnaroli rice

1 to 2 garlic cloves (to taste), green shoots removed, minced

Freshly ground pepper to taste

1/2 cup dry white wine, such as pinot grigio or sauvignon blanc

2 teaspoons finely chopped lemon zest

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Fill a bowl with ice water. When the water comes to the boil, salt generously and add the Brussels sprouts. Boil two minutes, then transfer to the ice water. Drain, dry on paper towels and cut in quarters.

2. Put your stock or broth into a saucepan, and bring it to a simmer over low heat, with a ladle nearby or in the pot. Make sure that it is well seasoned.

3. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium-high heat in a wide, heavy nonstick skillet. Sear the Brussels sprouts just until beginning to brown, about three minutes, stirring and shaking the pan. Remove from the heat, and transfer to a plate or bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

4. Heat the remaining olive oil over medium heat in the same skillet, or in a large, wide saucepan. Add the onion and a generous pinch of salt, and cook gently until it is just tender, about three minutes. Do not brown. Add the rice and the garlic, and stir until the grains separate and begin to crackle. Add the wine, and stir until it has been absorbed. Begin adding the simmering stock, a couple of ladlefuls (about 1/2 cup) at a time. The stock should just cover the rice and should be bubbling, not too slowly but not too quickly. Cook, stirring often, until it is just about absorbed. Add another ladleful or two of the stock, and continue to cook in this fashion, stirring in more stock when the rice is almost dry. You do not have to stir constantly, but stir often. After 10 minutes, stir in the Brussels sprouts. Continue adding stock and stirring. When the rice is tender all the way through but still chewy, in about 25 minutes, it is done. Taste now and adjust seasoning, adding salt and pepper to taste. Add another ladleful of stock to the rice. Stir in the lemon zest, lemon juice and Parmesan, and remove from the heat. The mixture should be creamy (add more stock if it isn’t). Serve right away in wide soup bowls or on plates, spreading the risotto in a thin layer rather than a mound.

Yield: Serves four to six.

Crusty Macaroni and Cheese

Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

3 tablespoons butter
12 ounces extra-sharp cheddar cheese, coarsely grated
12 ounces American cheese or cheddar cheese, coarsely grated
1 pound elbow pasta, boiled in salted water until just tender, drained, and rinsed under cold water
1/8 teaspoon cayenne (optional)
Salt
2/3 cup whole milk.

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Use one tablespoon butter to thickly grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Combine grated cheeses and set aside two heaping cups for topping.

2. In a large bowl, toss together the pasta, cheeses, cayenne (if using) and salt to taste. Place in prepared pan and evenly pour milk over surface. Sprinkle reserved cheese on top, dot with remaining butter and bake, uncovered, 45 minutes. Raise heat to 400 degrees and bake 15 to 20 minutes more, until crusty on top and bottom.

Yield: 8 to 12 servings.