Not really. Not anymore at least. See, I’ve been making French toast for years, in many different variations and styles, each one is delicious, but today I will share a classic recipe of mine, with a little twist of Dadi.

There is no better way to spend a weekend morning with your loved ones eating good and simple food you’ve just cooked from scratch. A good French toast with a great cup of coffee is the way to go, at least for me and my friends.

I use a fresh soft bread for my French toast, like a good sweet challah bread, or maybe even brioche. I don’t like to use a day old bread like most recipes calls for, leave that old bread to make croutons with. This French toast will be million times better when using a good fresh bread, cut into thick slices and then soaked in a mixture of milk, eggs, cream and your own twist on the flavor (a splash of vanilla, some cinnamon and nutmeg, a hint of cocoa, etc), then fried with butter until a nice and thin crust forms on each side.

I like to serve it with lots of different condiments and let my guests choose their own toppings, like maple syrup that I infuse with lavender, rosemary or other herbs, hot chocolate fudge sauce, dulce de leche, fresh fruits, soft butter, and more.

To make this French toast a little more interesting, I create a little ”pocket” and fill this pocket with interesting ingredients like grated fresh apples with brown sugar and cinnamon, goat cheese and fresh figs, slices of a very ripe bananas and more. I cut the bread into 1 1/4 inches thick slices and then I cut each into half, but I leave the the 2 pieces attached in one end. I fill the pocket with some interesting fillings. Check below to find some of my cool sweet and savory filling recipes.

You thought all that the ingredients like the fresh bread (preferably challah), or delicious fillings, but there are a few more things you need to keep in mind if you want to have the best looking and tasting results. The pan you are using should be with a perfect thick and flat bottom to ensure an even cooking. For the same reason, you will need to cut the bread straight because if you don’t, the toast won’t be cooked evenly. Also, even though you are using butter, try to use a nonstick pan, just to be safe.

Dip the bread in the egg-milk mixture right before you are about to fry it. It’s important not to let the bread soak for too long, the bread needs to soak the liquid through but not too be long, otherwise it will turn soggy and mushy like bad oatmeal. I also recommend to use clarified butter (see recipe below), it won’t burn as fast as regular butter and you will have a nice, even color on the bread.

You should also preheat the oven to 175º F, this way you can transfer all the finished pieces of French toast to a baking sheet and keep them warm so everyone gets to eat warm French toast at the same time, together.

Clarified Butter:

It’s super easy! take 2 sticks of butter and cook in a small pot over medium-high heat. During the cooking, milk solids in the butter are separated and floats on top, and these are the ones that normally burns fast during the frying. Skim those white pieces with a spoon until all you have left is a clear yellow liquid and that is a clarified butter.

Basic French toast:

Makes about 4 to 5 French toasts

Note: for the savory filling recipes, follow the same basic recipe but do not add vanilla, orange peel, lemon peel and cinnamon stick. You also don’t need to boil the milk ahead of time as the boiling in this recipe is only used to infuse the milk with the vanilla etc.

3/4 cup whole milk
1/2 vanilla bean or 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
2 strips fresh orange peel
1 strip fresh lemon peel
1 cinnamon stick
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large whole eggs
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 loaf fresh challah or white bread, not sliced

In a medium pot, combine together the milk, vanilla bean or extract, orange and lemon peel, cinnamon stick and salt. Cook over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and cover pot and let steep for about 30 minutes.

While milk cools down, cut bread into 1 1/4 inch slices and then create a pocket with each slice: cut each each slice in the middle, as if you were cutting in into 2 slices but leave the end attached.

When the milk is cool, strain and discard solids and then mix together with the eggs and heavy cream until well combined. This step can be done a few hours earlier or even a day before. Keep it covered and chilled until ready to use.

Fill each pocket with your desired filling (recipes for fillings bellow).

Heat clarify butter in a large non stick pan and then dip the bread in the egg-milk mixture, making sure all sides of the bread are dipped.

Fry in the hot butter, for a few minutes on each side, or until the toast is nicely browned.

Please fight the urge to press the toast, or rotate it while it’s cooking. Just let it cook on its own for a few minutes on each side, until a nice crust has formed. Fry all toast in the same manner and keep the ready toasts in the warm oven. See serving options bellow.

Apple-cinnamon filing:

2 grany smith apples, grated
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 cup raisins

Mix together all the ingredients and let stand at room temperature for about 5 minutes, mixing occasionally. Just before ready to assemble the toasts, squeeze out most of the liquid in the apple mixture, fill the French toast pockets and follow the instructions of the basic recipe above.

Goat cheese and fresh figs filling:

4 oz goat cheese, crumbled
3 ripe black mission figs (when figs are not in season, you could use pears, pineapple or any other fruit instead)
2 tablespoons brown sugar

Divided goat cheese between toast pockets. Cut figs (or other fruits) into thin slices and spread them on top of the cheese. Sprinkle top of figs with some of the brown sugar and follow the instructions of the basic recipe above.

Wild mushroom – goat cheese filling:

1 tablespoon butter
1 1/2 cups shitakii mushroom, sliced
1 1/2 cups crimini mushrooms, sliced
1 small fresh thyme bunch
5 large fresh safe leaves
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
4 oz goat cheese, crumbled

Heat a large pan over a medium-high heat. Add butter and cook until hot but not smoky. Add mushrooms and herbs and cook until mushrooms are softened and slightly browned, about 5 minutes.

Season with salt and pepper and cool completely. Discard thyme and sage. Just before ready to assemble the toasts, fill each pocket with some of the mushrooms and then top with the goat cheese. Follow the instructions of the basic recipe above.

Sundried tomatoes – fresh mozzarella:

5 oz fresh mozzarella, cut into very thin slices
1/4 cup sundried tomatoes, finely chopped
5 basil leaves, thinly sliced
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Arrange slices of fresh mozzarella inside the pockets and sprinkle with some of the sundried tomatoes and basil leaves. Season with a little salt and black pepper and follow the instructions of the basic recipe above.

More fillings ideas:

Peanut butter and jelly, bananas, caramelized pineapple, caramelized onions, smoked salmon and finely sliced red onion, avocado, turkey breast, kalamata olives and lots more.

Serving idea:

Maple syrup or honey, Whipped cream, sliced strawberries and fresh fruits, blueberries, marmalade, cocoa powder, powdered sugar that is mixed with a little cinnamon (sprinkle the toasts right before serving).

Throughout the years, I have come up with endless recipes and techniques for making meals vegetarian and/or vegan friendly. I’ve developed many amazing mousses, cakes, and meat replacements, some of which you lucky readers will get to see because I’ll be sharing them here in this blog.

You all know by now that I appreciate simple and home cooked meals, but I also appreciate sophisticated food. Food with layers of many complex flavors. A common complaint for vegan food among the non-vegans is that it lacks the vibrant flavors of non-vegan food. For example, when using a soy based cream more flavoring is needed, because with all honesty soy based cream by itself is kind of bland. I like to add things, like maple syrup, vanilla beans, rum and fruits, to give it an extra kick and to remove the so-called “bland” flavor that so many fear from vegan food.

The recipes I chose to share do not necessarily follow a certain style of cuisine, but together they definitely make a wonderful and delicious meal for your family and friends to enjoy.

You will see that the roasted pumpkin, corn, tomatoes and tortilla soup is still so rich and delicious, without the use of butter, cream or beef stock. The pasta with the tomato-wild mushroom sauce and chickpeas balls is spectacular even though there is no parmesan cheese sprinkled over it. The flavor comes from the chickpeas and cilantro used in making the chickpea balls. The apple and banana hot parfait has no milk products, but its still so rich and delicious.

Use these recipes as a guideline for a future dinner party or a relaxed meal with the family or friends. Replace the vegetables of the soup with other vegetables or add any of your favorites in addition to the ones that I’ve listed. You could add lightly steamed fresh broccoli, asparagus, carrots, zucchini and/or any of your other favorite vegetables and add them to the pasta. You could use different fruits for the hot parfait, like pears, pineapple or peaches, apricots and plums (when they are in season).

Have fun and don’t think about it too much. It always turns out better when you just let your taste buds lead you to the best dishes.

Peace and love and vegan flavor explosions.

This dinner recipes serve about 6, more or less. You may have some left over…

Roasted pumpkin and corn tortilla soup

2 corn ears, cleaned, and each one cut into half
2 cups fresh pumpkin cubes
1 medium potato, peeled and cut into big pieces
2 medium onions, cut into big pieces
10 garlic cloves
5 bay leaves
1 bunch fresh sage
1 small bunch of fresh thyme, tied in a kitchen twine
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 medium tomatoes, cut into halves
4 cups vegetable stock (preferably homemade), or water
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon cumin
5 small corn tortillas
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
cilantro and crushed corn chips for garnishing

Preheat the oven to 450º F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large mixing bowl, mix together corn, pumpkin, potatoes, onions, garlic, bay leaves, sage, thyme and ¼ cup oil and mix well. Transfer vegetables to the prepared sheet pan. Arrange tomato pieces, cut side up, around the pan, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Roast for about 20 – 30 minutes, or until vegetables are browned, mixing the vegetables at least twice during roasting.

Transfer vegetables to a large pot and add remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Cook over medium – high heat, mixing occasionally, for about 5 minutes, then add stock (or water) and spices and bring to a boil. Remove from heat.

Fry tortillas, separately, in a large pan with a little oil, until crispy. Break into small pieces and add to the pot. Cook soup until vegetables are soft.

Discard bay leaves, sage and thyme (Don’t forget the kitchen twine), and transfer to a blender (you could also use a hand blender instead). Puree mixture until smooth and creamy.

Transfer soup back to the pot and season with salt and black pepper (if soup is too thick, add some more stock or water). Check seasoning and garnish with cilantro and crushed corn chips.

Tomato-wild mushrooms sauce

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large onion, diced
1 medium carrot, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
10 garlic cloves
4 bay leaves
1 small bunch fresh thyme, tied in kitchen twine
1 small container wild mushrooms, such as crimini or shitake, sliced
1/2 cup red wine
8 medium tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup parsley, finely chopped
5 large basil leaves, finely sliced
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat oil in a large pan over medium heat until hot but not smoky. Add onion, carrots, celery, garlic, bay leaves, and thyme and cook until vegetables are soft and begins to brown. Add mushroom and season with a little salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are soft and most liquid released by mushrooms is evaporated.

Add red wine and cook for a few minutes more, then add tomatoes and parsley and cook over a medium – low heat until tomatoes break apart and sauce is thick, about 1 1/2 hours. Remove from the heat and discard bay leaves and thyme. Add basil and more salt and pepper if needed and mix well.

If you want your sauce more chunky, cut the tomatoes into bigger pieces. If the sauce is too watery, cook over a medium-low heat for a longer time until sauce reaches the right consistency.

Chickpeas balls

2 cups dried chickpeas
1 medium onion, cut into big pieces
2 cloves garlic, smashed with a back of a knife
2 scallions, coarsely chopped
1 1/4 cups parsley, chopped
6 large basil leaves, sliced
4 large sage leaves, sliced
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
juice of 1/2 lemon
oil for frying

Put beans in a bowl and cover with water. Soak for about 24 hours, adding water when needed, to keep the beans covered with water at all times.

Drain the beans, reserving the soaking water, and transfer to a food processor. Add remaining ingredients and pulse until coarsely chopped. Scrape sides and bottom of the bowl and pulse a little more until mixture come together, adding up to a 1/4 cup soaking liquid (not more) throughout the process. Check season and add more salt and spices if needed.

Heat about 2 inches of oil to 350° F in a deep pan and fry about balls at once for a few minutes on each side, or until golden brown.

Using a small ice cream scooper or a tablespoon, scoop the batter into meatballs size balls and gently add to the hot oil, making sure to leave enough space between each ball. Fry balls for, in small batches, for about 2 minutes on each side, or until golden brown and then transfer to a paper towel lined platter. Scoop and fry remaining batter in the same manner.

Instead of frying the balls, u can place them on a parchment lined sheet pan that is lightly brushed with oil and then bake them at 375° F (make sure to preheat the oven) for about 8 – 10 minutes, or until balls are golden brown.

If you like, you could substitute the parsley with cilantro, for a more “Middle eastern” flavor. If you do so, you don’t need to add the basil and sage, replace those with 1 teaspoon of ground cumin.

Penne pasta with tomato-wild mushroom sauce and chickpeas balls

2 lbs penne pasta (you could use a little more if you want some left over)
1 recipe tomato-wild mushroom sauce
1 recipe chickpeas balls
fresh basil or mint leaves for garnishing

Bring about 3 quarts water to a boil with 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon sea salt in a large pot and cook rigatoni, stirring occasionally, until just al dente, and then drain.

Mix tomato-wild mushroom sauce (about 1 cup to each person) with the chickpeas balls and then add the pasta and mix well.

Divide between plates and garnish with basil or mint leaves.

Warm banana and maple parfait

4 ripe bananas, cut into thick slices
juice of 1 lemon
3/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons rum
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
dairy free vanilla ice cream
1/2 cup toasted pistachios, coarsely chopped
3 oz dark chocolate, chopped, for garnishing
4 basil leaves (yes, basil)

Mix bananas with lemon juice in a small bowl.

In a medium pan, heat maple syrup until very hot and begins to bubble. Add banana and gently stir to make sure bananas are fully covered with maple. Add brown sugar and stir well again. Add vanilla, rum, salt and cinnamon and cardamom and continue cooking until syrup is thick.

Put 1 scoop of vanilla ice cream into each of the serving glasses.

Divide bananas between glasses, (making sure each glass gets enough bananas and maple syrup), then sprinkle each glass with some of the pistachios and the chocolate.

Finely slice the basil leaves and divide between the glasses. Serve immediately.

These cookies are very crispy after being baked and cooled, but once you spread them with the jam and store them in a cookie jar they become super soft and take on a whole different character.

Here’s the recipe:

2 sticks butter
1/2 cup sugar
zest of 1 lemon
zest of 1 orange
1 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground fennel seeds
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground clove
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup toasted almonds, chopped
2 large eggs, at room temperature
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
good quality raspberry jam

Cook the butter in a medium pan over a medium heat until butter is light brown. Transfer to a heat proof measuring glass. Chill in the refrigerator until butter is solid.

Mix the sugar and the orange and lemon zest, rubbing it with the palms of your hands until sugar is fragrant.

Once butter is solid, remove from refrigerator and transfer to a bowl of a stand mixture. Add sugar and zests mixture, brown sugar, spices, salt, vanilla and almonds. Beat until smooth, about 2 minutes.

Add the eggs, one at a time, then scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl.

Mix together flour, baking powder and baking soda and then add to the bow. Beat just until well combined.

Shape dough into a disc and wrap well with plastic. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350º F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Roll the dough on a well floured counter to a little less than a quarter inch thick sheet.

Using a 2 1/2 inch diameter cookie cutter, cut out as many circles (or squares, depending on the cookies cutter you are using) and transfer them to the prepared baking sheet. Make sure to keep some space between each cookie. Wrap scarps in plastic. Using a smaller cookie cutter (about 1 inch diameter), cut out circle (or squares, depending on the cookies cutter you are using) from the middle of half of the cookies. You should have an even amount of flat cookies and cookies with holes in the middle.

Re-roll scraps and cut out more cookies in the same manner.

Bake cookies until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Rotate pan during baking for even browning. Once ready, transfer to a cooling rack and let stand at room temperature until completely cooled.

Spread the flat part of cookies without the holes with the raspberry jam and cover each with the cookie with the hole in the middle.

Sprinkle with powdered sugar and store in an airtight container. You could also freeze the cookies in a zip lock bag.

Peace and love and toasted almonds.

Dadi

Thank you Joscha!

Jeder der mich kennt weiß, dass ich mich mit Deutschland, der deutschen Kultur und vor allem den Menschen verbunden fühle. Auch wenn sich mein deutscher Wortschatz auf ungefähr 10 Wörter beschränkt, naja vielleicht sind es ein paar mehr, wenn man die Schimpfwörter dazu zählt, gefällt mir die Sprache besonders. Einige meiner engsten Freunde sind Deutsche und ich weiß ihre Freundschaft sehr zu schätzen.
Ich kann nicht gerade behaupten, dass sich die deutsche Küche unter den Top 10 meiner Liste mit den gesündesten Gerichte befindet -man denke nur an Schnitzel mit Pommes Frites oder Schweinshaxe mit Klößen- jedoch bin ich von einigen deutschen Rezepten, insbesonderen Nachspeisen, begeistert. Natürlich habe ich mich dafür entschieden einige dieser Rezepte auszuprobieren und sie mit meiner ganz  persönlichen Note zu versehen.

Obwohl kein deutsches Blut durch meine Adern fließt, haben mich das Land und die Leute schon immer fasziniert.
Ich kam das erste mal mit einem deutschen Essen in Berührung, als mich ein Freund aus Deutschland besuchte. Er brachte einige Kekse und Backwaren aus einem heimischen Supermarkt mit. Dabei waren zum einen deutsche Weihnachtskekse, die Spekulatius heißen. Diese Kekse sind besonders würzig im Geschmack und mit Mandelsplittern versehen. In den anderen 2 Tüten befanden sich Lebkuchen und Christ-Stollen. Lebkuchen sind so ähnlich wie unsere Honigkuchenkekse, ebenfalls weich, würzig, jedoch anstatt mit Zuckerguss mit Schokoladensoße überzogen. Der Christ-Stollen hat normalerweise die Form eines Brotlaibs. Der Teig besteht aus Hefe und Marzipan. Anschließend gibt man Rosinen, Zitronat und Orangenat hinzu und überzieht den Stollen zum Schluss mit Puderzucker. Der erste Biss war ein Genuss.

Nachdem ich diese deutschen Leckerbissen probiert hatte, fand ich mich schon kurze Zeit danach in meiner Küche wieder und versuchte das deutsche Weihnachtsgebäck nachzumachen. Von dem Ergebnis war ich so begeistert, dass ich erpicht darauf war, andere deutsche Rezepte auszuprobieren. Ich wagte mich an einen traditionellen, klassischen Apfelstrudel .heran. Meine Schwester hat zwar schon einmal so etwas Ähnliches gebacken, aber es war in keinster Weise mit einem deutschen Apfelstrudel zu vergleichen. Am Apfelstrudel gefällt mir besonders, dass es so einfach ist, verschiedensten geschmacklichen Varianten daraus zu machen, man jedoch die Grundstruktur des Teiges beibehalten kann.
Der Vater meines Freundes Manuel hat in Deutschland eine Bäckerei und ich bin mir sicher, dass er die Hände über dem Kopf zusammenschlagen würde, wenn er wüsste, wie ich traditionelle Rezepte verändert habe. Würde ich dies aber nicht tun, wäre ich nicht Dadi und meine Freunde würden sich fragen, was mit dem echten Dadi geschehen ist.

Ich backe normalerweise mit fertigen Blätterteigplatten, weil ich nicht ganz bei Null anfangen muss. Außerdem nehme ich nicht ausschließlich Äpfel – ich nehme einen Mix aus Äpfeln und Birnen, nachdem ich sie im Ofen geröstet habe. Dies verleiht dem Strudel einen besonders intensiven Geschmack. Außerdem füge ich getrocknete Früchte und Nüsse hinzu (z. B. Aprikosen, Feigen, Datteln, Rosinen, Mandeln, Walnüsse, etc.) Statt fünf Blätterteigplatten, wie in den meisten Rezepten, nehme ich 20 damit es besonders knusprig wird. Ich streiche jede Schicht mit geschmolzener Butter ein und streue braunen Zucker und kleine Nussstücken darüber. Letztes Jahr habe ich sogar einen Kürbisstrudel für eine Essens-Zeitschrift gemacht, deren Motto Herbst-Gemüse war. Ich habe den Kürbis separat geröstet, das Mark einer Vanilleschote und braunen Zucker dazu getan und zum Schluss alles zu dem gerösteten Äpfel-Birnen-Mix hinzugetan.

Ich darf nicht vergessen zu erwähnen, dass es nächste Woche in meinem Blog um Spekulatius geht. Ich werde aber die klassischen Weihnachtskekse machen und nichts variieren. Ich weiß, ihr werdet mich fragen: “ Aber Dadi, Weihnachten ist erst im nächsten Monat, warum fängst du so früh mit der Weihnachtsbäckerei an?!” Und ich werde euch antworten, dass ich jedem empfehle so früh wie möglich zu beginnen, Weihnachtskekse zu backen, für den Fall, dass ihr sie verschenken wollt.

Hier ist mein Rezept-viel Spaß!!!

Apfel-Birnen strudel

2 große Grany Smith Äpfel
2 große Birnen
Abrieb und Saft einer Zitrone
Abrieb einer Orange
1/3 Becher (40 g) braunen Zucker
1 Teelöffel Vanillemark
1 1/2 Teelöffel Zimt
1Teelöffel Ingwer
1/2 Teelöffel Piment
1/2 Teelöffel Gewürznelken
1/2 Teelöffel Kardamom
1/2 Teelöffel Salz
2 Esslöffel Rosinen
2 Esslöffel getrocknete, entkernte und grob zerkleinerte Datteln
2 Esslöffel getrockente und grob zerkleinerte Feigen
2 Esslöffel getrocknete, entkernte und grob zerkleinerte Pflaumen
2 Esslöffel getrockente und grob zerkleinerte Aprikosen
1/3 Becher (40 g) grob zerkleinerte Wallnüsse
20 Blätterteig Platten
Ca. 125g geschmolzene Butter, nach Bedarf auch etwas mehr
1 Becher (120 g) braunen Zucker
1 Becher (120 g) geröstete Pistazien
Puderzucker

Heizen Sie den Ofen auf 180° C Umluft oder 200° C Backstufe vor

Schelen und entkernen Sie die Äpfel und Birnen und schneiden Sie das Obst jeweils in 1 cm kleine Würfel. Schütten Sie die geschnittenen Würfel in eine große Schüssel und fügen sie den Zitronensaft, den Zitronen- und Orangenabrieb, den braunen Zucker und das Vanillemark und die Gewürze, einschließlich des Salz hinzu. Verrühren Sie die Masse gut und lassen Sie das Gemisch bei Raumtemperatur gut zehn Minuten ruhen.

Legen Sie 2 große Backbleche mit Backpapier aus (das zweite brauchen Sie später für den Strudel) und gießen Sie anschließend den Äpfel-Birnen-Mix auf ein Blech und glätten Sie die Schicht. Lassen Sie den Mix so lange im Ofen rösten, bis die Früchte anfangen braun zu werden und zu karamelisieren, ca. 15 – 20 Minuten. Während dieser Zeit versichern Sie sich, dass das Obst von allen Seiten gleich gart. Anschließend muss der Mix komplett auskühlen

Schalten Sie nun den Ofen auf 160° C runter.

Geben Sie nun die getrockneten Früchte und die Nüsse zu dem Obst-Mix hinzu und vermischen Sie alles ordentlich.

In einer Küchenmaschine zerkleinern Sie den braunen Zucker und die Pistazien bis sie sehr fein sind.

Legen Sie nun eine Blätterteigplatte auf die Küchenarbeitsfläche und bedecken Sie die restlichen Blätterteigplatten mit einem feuchten Handtuch. Bestreichen Sie die Blätterteigplatte mit der geschmolzenen Butter und bestreuen Sie sie gleichmäßig mit dem braunen Zucker-Pistazien-Mix. Legen Sie eine zweite Blätterteigplatte auf die Bestrichene. Wiederholen Sie die Prozedur mit den anderen 18 Platten. Die letzte Schicht müssen Sie nur mit geschmolzener Butter einstreichen.

Verteilen Sie nun die Apfel-Birnen Mischung auf den Blätterteigstapel und lassen Sie einen Rand von ca. 5cm an jeder Seite. Heben Sie nun vorsichtig die untere Seite des Blätterteigs an und legen Sie diese über die Apfel-Birnen Mischung. Dann falten Sie die Seiten ebenfalls ein und rollen den Blätterteig bis die Füllung komplett vom Blätterteig umschlossen ist.

Legen sie den Strudel nun auf das vorbereitete Backblech und bestreichen den Strudel leicht mit Eigelb ein. Bestreuen Sie den Strudel mit Puderzucker.

Backen Sie den Strudel ca. 30 Minuten, bis er leicht braun ist. Wenn er fertig gebacken ist holen Sie ihn aus dem Ofen und lassen ihn etwas abkühlen.

Sie können ihn warm mit Vanillie Eis, Crème Fraiche oder Schlagsahne servieren.
Es ist ein großartiges warmes Dessert für  die kalte Winterzeit.

Frieden, Liebe und Strudel für alle!!!

Dadi

Although there is no German blood running through my body, I’ve always been fascinated by the country and its people. The first time I was introduced to a German dessert was when a friend came to visit. My friend brought some store bought cookies and other baked goods with him when he came to visit one day. It was a bag of German cookies called Spekulatious, They are spiced cookies with slivered almonds on the bottom. These cookies are normally sold around Christmas time. The 2 other bags I had were Lebkuchen and the Christmas Stollen cake. Lebkuchen are soft, chewy, round cookies similar to gingerbread cookies, made with honey and spices and glazed with sugar icing. The Stollen, another traditional German staple, is a very dense cake. Stollen is usually in the shape of a loaf of bread. It’s made with yeast (some use marzipan too), has tons of dried fruits, and glazed with sugar icing. It was intrigue at first sight and love at first bite.

Needless to say, not too long after trying these treats, I found myself in my kitchen making these cookies and cake from scratch. I was so happy with the results, I set myself to explore other German recipes. It was time to experiment with, truly, one of my favorites – the apple strudel. I don’t think I’ve ever had a traditional strudel before making it myself. My sister used to make something similar, but it wasn’t a traditional strudel. What I love about strudel though, is that it is so easy to add variety and new flavors to it while keeping the same traditional recipe for the dough. My friend Manuel’s father owns a bakery in Germany and there are parts of my recipe that I am sure he would disagree with, but if I did everything the way it is “supposed” to be done then I wouldn’t be Dadi and all my friends would wonder what happened to the real me.

For mine, I used phyllo dough, because I did not want to make the dough from scratch. I also didn’t use just apples – I used a mix of apples and pears and I even roasted them in the oven to give the strudel a more complex flavor. To the mix of roasted apples and pears, I added a mix of dried fruits and nuts (like apricots, figs, dates, raisins, almonds, walnuts, and more).  Instead of using around 5 sheets of phyllo dough like most recipes, I used about 20, to make it even extra crispy. I brushed each layer with melted butter and sprinkled it with a mixture of brown sugar and nuts. Last year I even made a pumpkin strudel for a food magazine, who did an article about fall vegetables. I roasted the pumpkin separately, with vanilla beans and brown sugar and later added it to the roasted apples and pears.

I should mention here that next week’s blog will be about the German spekulatius cookies. They’ll be my take on the classic Christmas cookies. I know you’re all saying “But Dadi Christmas is a month away, why start so early with Christmas recipes?” I wanted to give everyone a head start to practice making perfect Christmas cookies, in case you want to give them as gifts.

Here’s my strudel recipe. Have fun.

Apple – pear strudel

2 large grany smith apples
2 large bosc pears
zest and juice of 1 lemon
zest of 1 orange
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground clove
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons raisins
2 tablespoons dried dates, pitted and coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons dried figs, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons prunes, pitted and coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons dried apricots, coarsely chopped
1/3 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped, optional
20 phyllo dough sheets
1 stick butter, melted (you may need more than 1 stick)
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup pistachios, toasted and cooled
powdered sugar

Preheat the oven to 400º F.

Peel and core the apples and pears and cut each into 1/2 inch cubes. Transfer the cubes into a big bowl and add the lemon juice, lemon zest, orange zest, brown sugar, vanilla and spices (including salt). Mix well and then let stand at room temperature for about 10 minutes.

Line 2 large sheet pans with parchment paper (1 would be used later for the strudel) and then pour apple-pear mixture onto the pan, spreading it in a single layer. Roast in the oven until fruit begins to brown and caramelized, about 15 – 20 minutes. During this time, make sure to rotate the pan and mix the fruit so they are evenly cooked. Cool completely.

Reduce oven’s temperature to 350º F.

Add dried fruits and walnuts (if using) to the apple mixture and mix until well combined.

In a food processor, pulse together the brown sugar and the pistachios until very fine.

Place 1 sheet of phyllo on a work surface, keeping remaining sheets cover with a damp towel. Brush phyllo sheet with butter and sprinkle evenly with the brown sugar-pistachio mixture. Repeat with remaining 18 sheets, brushing each with melted butter and sprinkling with the brown sugar-pistachio mixture. The last layer should be brushed with butter but not sprinkled with the brown sugar-pistachio mixture.

Place the apple-pear mixture on the phyllo stack, (if mixture has lots of liquid in it, squeeze some out) leaving about 2 inch border. Gently lift the bottom edge of the phyllo stack to cover the apple-pear mixture and fold the side edges over. Continue to roll the stack away from you until the filling is completely sealed in, and the seam is on the bottom.

Gently transfer the strudel to the prepared sheet pan and lightly brush with more melted butter. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Bake strudel until light brown, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool completely. Serve hot, warm or at room temperature with vanilla ice cream, crème fraîche or whipped cream. It’s a great warm dessert for cold winter evenings.

Peace and love and roasted apples.

Dadi

My mom used turkey in the slow cooked stew she made every Friday. The stew was cooked on a hot plate overnight and was ready the next day. She cooked it with potatoes, barley, wheat, beans, onions and whole garlic cloves that would almost melt in your mouth.

When I left my home in Israel and moved to New York, I was reintroduced to this massive bird, but this time it was a whole bird. Every time I’d ever had turkey before, the meat was taken off and added to other dishes. Naturally I decided that it was time I really tried to understand this bird. It was time for me to experiment with cooking a whole turkey. I borrowed a big roasting pan from a friend and went straight to work, hoping I wouldn’t end up making a turkey out of myself.

I’m sharing two of my favorite spectacularly delicious recipes with you. I think there is nothing worse than dry turkey. I let the turkey cook for about an hour and then I baste the turkey every 30 minutes, more or less. I take a big spoon and take juices and some of the fruit and vegetables pieces from the bottom of the pan and pour in on top of the turkey. Doing so, will ensure the turkey stays moist and will also allow the flavors and the juices to get to the top part of the turkey and be distributed evenly. I’ve tasted some really dry and tasteless turkey before so I make sure to season it well and to baste it more often than I think is necessary. Nothing is worse than having to smother your turkey with gravy just to be able to eat it. Gravy is nice, but it shouldn’t be a substitute for moist delicious turkey.

Cooking time may vary, depending on the size of the turkey, the oven’s temperature and amount of love you put into making it. The recipes may look complicated, but trust me, it worth the time.

Roasted turkey with herbs, vegetables and fruit

1 stick butter, softened
2 tablespoons rosemary, chopped
2 tablespoons sage, chopped
2 tablespoons thyme, chopped
30 garlic cloves, divided
2 fresh lemons, thinly sliced
16 – 18 lbs turkey, rinsed and patted dry
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 medium onions, cut into medium cubes
6 celery stalks, sliced
2 fennel bulbs, slices
2 large carrots, peeled and sliced
2 parsnips, peeled and sliced
8 bay leaves
1 medium bunch fresh thyme, tied in a kitchen twine
2 oranges, unpeeled, cut into large wedges
3 apples, cored and cut into large wedges
1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries
1 cup fresh apple cider

Mix together butter, rosemary, sage and thyme until well combined. Cut 10 garlic cloves into thin slices.

Carefully separate the skin of the turkey from the meat, in the breast and legs area. spread half of the butter-herbs mixture under the skin. Arrange sliced garlic and lemon slices under the skin.

Spread remaining butter-herb mixture insides the turkey’s cavity and sprinkle the outside and the cavity with salt and pepper.

Preheat oven to 375º F.

Spread the onions, celery, fennel, carrots, parsnips, bay leaves, fresh thyme and 10 of the remaining 20 garlic cloves in a large roasting pan. Place turkey, breast side up, on vegetables and tie legs together with a kitchen twine.

Stuff turkey’s cavity with remaining 10 garlic cloves and some of the oranges and apples (as many as you could fit). Place any remaining wedges of oranges and apples on top of the vegetables in the pan and then top with the cranberries and season with a little more salt and pepper. Pour apple cider over vegetables and then cover

Roast in preheated oven for 1 hour and then, using a large spoon, baste with any pan juices, cover and continue to roast turkey until a thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 165º F, about 2 – 3 hours. During this time, baste turkey with the pan juices, every 20 minutes, making sure all areas are evenly basted. In the last roasting hour, remove the cover and baste more frequently.

Roasted turkey with balsamic vinegar, honey and citrus

1 stick butter, melted
3 lemons, zest is grated and the thinly sliced
16-18 lbs turkey, rinsed and patted dry
1 cup balsamic vinegar
1 cup honey
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 medium onions, cut into medium cubes
5 celery stalks, sliced
2 large carrots, sliced
10 garlic cloves
10 bay leaves
1 medium bunch fresh thyme, tied in a kitchen twine
3 apples, cored and cut into large wedges
3 oranges, cut into large wedges
1 cup dried dates
1/2 cup good quality orange marmalade

Mix together melted butter and grated zest from the 3 lemons.

Carefully separate the skin of the turkey from the meat, in the breast and legs area. Generously spread butter-lemon zest mixture under the skin and then arrange lemon slices under the skin, reserving any left over slices for later.

Mix together balsamic vinegar, honey and lemon juice. Set aside.

Sprinkle the outside and the cavity of the turkey with salt and pepper. Generously brush balsamic-honey mixture all over the turkey, including the cavity. Reserve remaining balsamic mixture.

Preheat oven to 375º F.

Spread the onions, celery, carrots, garlic, bay leaves and thyme in a large roasting pan. Place turkey, breast side up, on vegetables and tie legs together with a kitchen twine.

Stuff turkey’s cavity with apples, oranges and half of the dried dates. Arrange remaining dried dates and any left over apples, oranges and the lemon slices over vegetables. Drizzle remaining balsamic mixture over vegetables.

Spread the orange marmalade on top and sides of the turkey and then cover.

Roast in preheated oven for 1 hour and then, using a large spoon, baste with any pan juices, cover and continue to roast turkey until a thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 165º F, about 2 – 3 hours. During this time, baste turkey with the pan juices, every 20 minutes, making sure all areas are evenly basted. In the last roasting hour, remove the cover and baste more frequently.

I love the mix of flavors in these recipes (sweet, sour, salty, savory) and the combinations of these million flavors bursting in your mouth when you take the first bite. Every bite will send your taste buds into a frenzy.

So now you have no excuse for smothering your turkey in gravy. Leave that for the mashed potatoes and stuffing…

Peace and love and gobble gobble

Dadi

For the Jewish Sabbath my sisters would make cakes. Susan would make this great chocolate cake with a rich chocolate frosting and a cake made from layers of soft meringue and nuts with a dense chocolate ganache that she cut into squares and kept frozen. They were like little ice cream sandwiches. I wanted to share with you this one simple, yet filled with sophisticated flavors, cake my sister Susan makes. It may look like cinnamon buns to some of you, but this one is more dense and less airy. She would fill this cake with chocolate but you could use anything from cinnamon, apples, pumpkin, cream cheese, dulce de leche or any other fillings your heart desires. This was my sister’s recipe, but if you’re going to make it, make it your own.

Here’s the recipe:

Dough:
6 envelopes of active dry yeast (15 teaspoons)
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup warm water (between 105º – 115º F)
1/2 cup white sugar
zest of 1 orange
zest of 1 lemon
6 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 sticks cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces, plus more for brushing
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
4 large egg yolks
1 cup whole milk

Filling:
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup good quality cocoa powder
2 cups finely chopped good quality dark chocolate

Glaze:
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Sprinkle yeast and sugar over warm water and mix well. Let stand for a few minutes until foamy, about 5 minutes. If mixture does not foam, start over with new yeast.

Rub white sugar and the zests of lemon and orange with the palms of your hands until sugar is fragrant. Transfer flour mixture to a bowl of a stand mixer and add flour, salt, brown sugar and white sugar mixture and whisk until well combined.

With mixer at low speed, add the butter and mix just until mixture resembles a coarse meal with some small size butter pieces. Add vanilla, milk and yeast mixture and mix just until combined.

Add yolks, one at a time and mix until soft dough forms. Dough may be a little sticky at this point, this is ok. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until doubled, about an hour.

Line a 10 inch springform cake pan with parchment paper and brush the sides and bottom with soft butter.

Transfer dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead a few times to form a smooth ball. Roll dough with a lightly floured rolling pin into approximately 12 by 18 inch rectangle. Brush off excess flour, then spread evenly with butter.

Mix together brown sugar and cocoa powder and sprinkle evenly over dough. Repeat with dark chocolate.

Beginning with the side nearest you, roll up dough into a log, then pinch seam to seal. Cut log crosswise into 8 even slices. Arrange slices, cut sides visible, in the prepared cake pan. Place 1 slice in the center of the pan, then arrange remaining slices around it. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until doubled, about 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350º F while cake is rising.

Bake the cake in middle rack for about 30 – 40 minutes, or until top is brown and puffed. Let cool while preparing the glaze.

Whisk together glaze ingredients until smooth and drizzle over cake while still hot.

Notes: instead of cutting the log into pieces, you could just bake the log the way it is. Just brush the log with egg wash before letting it rise again.

For an apple – cinnamon filling, peal, core and coarsely grate 6 apples (use a mix of different apples such as Granny Smith, Pink Lady, Fuji etc.), squeeze some of the juice out and then mix in 1 tablespoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, 3/4 cup dark brown sugar, 1 tablespoon vanilla, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 cup each walnuts and raisins (optional). Mix just until combined and sprinkle over rolled dough.

Peace and love and chocolate.

Dadi

Plus, sometimes you can’t get too complicated and you just got to let the ingredients speak for themselves. My insanely delicious tomato salsa would satisfy everyone who wants to make salsa at home but was scared that it would be too complicated.

This is not an ordinary salsa though. This recipe involves roasting the tomatoes, along with the onions, garlic and jalapenos. The roasting brings out the flavors in the ingredients and gives this salsa a new dimension. Of course, fresh tomatoes salsa is great and refreshing, but roasting them gives them that fiery taste that most people love.

Feel free to experiment and add whatever you feel like to this recipe. You could replace the tomatoes with tomatillos, add green onion, add lime juice, add corn, fresh mint and even eggplants – the options are endless. Or, you could simply follow my recipe…

So here we go.

10 extra ripe fresh tomatoes (about 3 lbs), cut out the stem end and then cut into halves
1 large onion, cut into large cubes
2 green jalapenos cut into halves – you could use more or less, depending on how hot you want your salsa to be
10 (yes, 10) garlic cloves
1/4 cup oil
10 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon cumin (use more if you like)
1 bunch of cilantro, chopped

Preheat the oven to 500º F.

Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

Arrange tomatoes, onions, jalapenos, garlic and bay leaves on sheet pan, drizzle with the oil and sprinkle with the salt and pepper.

Roast in the oven until tomatoes, onions, jalapenos and garlic begin to brown (brown, not burn!), checking on them every few minutes and rotating/mixing as needed.

This should take about 30 minutes depending on your oven.

Remove from oven and let cool completely. Once cooled, discard bay leaves and transfer to a food processor or a blender and add cumin. Pulse a few times until salsa reaches the right consistency. I like the salsa more chunky so I don’t pulse it too much. If you like your salsa more runny, almost like a dip, then you can puree it more until it’s smooth.

Transfer to a bowl, add the cilantro and mix well. Check the seasoning and add more cumin, salt and black pepper if needed. Serve with your favorite chips.

This salsa is better served at room temperature. It keeps chilled for about 4 days, bring to room temperature before serving. My favorite thing about this recipe is that it is easy to experiment with. When you make it, be creative and make the recipe your own.

Peace and love and chunky salsa.

Dadi

Everytime I go to Tanya’s house, we end up cooking something. She always has such fun and interesting foods to work with: fresh organic soft butter kept on the counter, all different types of cool and rustic breads in her bread box, and her refrigerator is always packed with fresh fruits, vegetables and assorted cheeses. Simple is the best ingredient for meals with friends.

I love how spontaneous Tanya is. She likes to hosts unexpected BBQ dinners or fun filled nights with good food, wine, champagne and lots of dancing. Tanya is an amazing dancer and I love to dance, so every dinner party turns into a dance party by the end of the evening. Whether its salsa dancing, belly dancing, or hip hop make sure to bring comfortable dancing shoes when she invites you to her house for dinner. Tanya and my cooking adventures don’t stop with dinner though. Sometimes we make breakfast. She makes this simple and delicious frittata with random vegetables and herbs.We would roast fingerling potatoes with Dijon mustard, butter, white wine and sea salt until they are super crispy and finish them before we even sit around the table. Tanya brews fresh mint or Jasmine tea, and serve it with agave syrup to go with our breakfast. Sometimes meals as simple as that can be made all the better with the care being put into the process of making the meal.

Tanya’s house is practically a must see for all of my friends and family members that comes to town. She has a way of making every visit a unique experience for the people that stop by her place. When my friend from Austria and I stopped by her house after spending the day at the beach, there was a wooden platter with different cheeses, sliced apples, crackers and fresh raspberries waiting for us. In another evening, I brought another friend along and she made us these simple, yet oh so delicious, sandwiches using one of the many types of bread she keeps in her bread box.

Tanya has a large garden with a big BBQ pit surrounded my chairs, so everyone can be part of the cooking. This is where she hosts her events (birthday parties, goodbye parties, weddings and more). I even dressed up as a belly dancer for one of her parties. Whenever there is a BBQ or a party going on in her backyard we grill, homemade sausages, fresh vegetables (like peppers, eggplants, asparagus, zucchini and yellow squash) on her grill and enjoy the open space. Our friend Stu usually takes care of the food, because he is a master when it comes to grilling (and many other things). She also serve steamed broccoli with an amazing dip to munch on while the food cooks and as always wine and lots of it.

I think one of my favorite things about Tanya is that she is not afraid to make food for me. Many people I know are afraid to invite me over for dinner because I am a chef, but the truth is that I really enjoy home cooked meals made with love and prepared with care. Simple is not the same as cheap or bad or lazy. I love when a few good things come together to make something great. Simplicity is beautiful.

Peace and love and roasted pineapple.

Dadi

We heated up 3 gallons of water to 170º F
Then added 10 lbs of malted grains – 5 lbs malted barley and 5 lbs malted wheat. We also added a few cups of oatmeal to give some extra body.
After mixing the room temperature grains with the hot water, the mixture hit a strike temperature of 152º F.
At this temperature the enzymes in the malted grains are quite active, and they start breaking down the starches in the grains into a simpler sugar – maltose – which can be used by yeast.
After an hour at this temperature saccharification was complete and we moved the grains to a straining device (since our pot – or “mash ton” if we had proper equipment – didn’t have a screen or spigot).
We used hot water – about 180º F – to sparge the sugars from the grains.
This sweet water – or “wort” – was collected and brought to a boil.
1. Hops were then added to the boil (cascade and saaz varieties).
Some of the boil was used to steep our spices. We used real vanilla beans, fresh and dried orange peel and coriander seeds that we toasted.
After an hour of boiling, we chilled the wort to room temperature and transferred the liquid to a sterilized fermentation vessel, known as a “carboy.”
The yeast culture was then added to the cooled wort.
After a week or two, primary fermentation was complete.
Then we transferred the “green beer” to sanitized bottles, added about a teaspoon of dextrose (simple sugar) to each bottle, and capped them.
The fermentation of the sugar inside the sealed bottles creates the carbonation, as the CO2 produced by the yeast cannot leave the bottle as it did in the carboy.
Another week and it was good to drink.

Peace, love, and beer bellies.

Dadi