SHARING CULTURES THROUGH HOLIDAYS & FOOD – MARCH HOLIDAYS
There is a Holiday in every month some place in the world and March is no exception. During the month of March we have Peanut Butter Lovers Day, which is not actually a Holiday but is a day of recognition. In addition we have Purim and St. Patrick’s Day. Holidays always provide us with a food reason to prepare special foods. Read the following paragraphs and try the recipes in our recipe section to share with your family and friends.
March 1st – Peanut Butter Lovers Day – Almost every American child has gone to school with Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwiches packed in their lunch boxes. Almost everybody loves Peanut Butter but what most people don’t know is that Peanut Butter has many uses other than as a sandwich filling. It can be used in baked goods (not just for cookies), as a sauce http://www.sylveeeskitchen.com/recipes/appetizers/chicken-satay-with-peanut-butter-sauce/or in snacks such as Peanut Butter Rice Krispies Treats http://www.sylveeeskitchen.com/recipes/snacks/peanut-butter-rice-krispy-candies/. Peanut Butter muffins, Peanut Butter frosting and on and on. You can buy Peanut Butter and Chocolate Candies and Peanut Butter filled Pretzels. Peanut Butter can be purchased in jars in homogenized form or from a Heath Food Store where you can grind your own, fresh to order. Peanut Butter comes in creamy smooth form or crunchy. Crunchy is great for cookies if you like to have texture and crunch in your treats. The Peanut Butter /Rice Cereal Treats below are made with creamy peanut butter and chocoalte chips were put into half the batch. Chocolate and Peanut Butter go very well together.
Peanut Butter Rice Krispy Snacks
Purim is a Holiday celebrated by Jews the world over. Like Chanukah, it is a time for rejoicing and fun rather than serious religious observance. Purim celebrates the deliverance of the Jews from the death decree issued by Haman as orchestrated by Mordecai. During the Purim Service, the Megillah from the Book of Esther is usually read.
Purim is also sometimes celebrated with carnivals, costume wearing and a general good time. Sweets in the form of little cakes or cookies are made and eaten. Hamentaschen (Haman’s Hat) are three cornered pastries, either made from cookie dough/and or yeast dough are filled with apricot, prune or almond filling. The reason they are called Hamentaschen, is because the Hat that Haman wore was a 3 cornered hat and Hamentaschen are made to be 3 cornered. Another sweet that is sometimes made during Purim is called Haman’s ear. These are pastry that is fried and sprinkled with sugar. Hamaentaschen are more commonly made though.
Baked Hamentaschen (Cookie Dough)
Hamentaschen in the oven - just before removal
It is also common to give parcels of food to the poor and give charity in general. Purim always falls during the Hebrew Month of Adar which is usually in March on the Western or Gregorian Calendar.
This year, Purim begins at sundown on March 8th. Try your hand at making some Hamentaschen. They have always been a favorite treat of mine and my family. I especially like an apricot filling and yeast dough, but most Hamentaschen are usually made with the cookie dough. Follow the Hamantaschen recipe in our recipe section http://www.sylveeeskitchen.com/recipes/baked-goods/cookies/hamantaschen/ and give us your opinion as to which filling you like best. Canned fillings which are quite good can be purchased in the Kosher section of most markets.
Apricot Jam and Poppy Seed Filling for Hamantaschen
St. Patrick’s Day is another March Holiday and always falls on March 17th. It is sometimes known as the ‘Wearing of the Green’ and is celebrated the world over, even though it is really an Irish Holiday. It commemorates Saint Patrick (c. AD 387–461), the most commonly recognized of the patron saints of Ireland, and the arrival of Christianity in Ireland. The day is generally characterized by the attendance of church services, wearing of green attire (especially shamrocks). The Shamrock has become a symbol of St. Patrick’s Day because it is said that St. Patrick used the Shamrock (3 leaf clover) to explain the Holy Trinity to his converts.
Foods that you can make for or with your children for St. Patrick’s Day are Shamrock Sugar Cookies, Green Pizza Bagels (our local Bagel Bakery makes green bagels for St. Patrick’s Day). With the Pizza Bagels you are sharing the Day with Italian and Jewish Cultures. A Cheesy Broccoli Casserole http://www.sylveeeskitchen.com/recipes/vegetables/cheesy-broccoli-casserole/ is also a good dish to go with your St. Patrick’s Day meal. It is green, has great nutritional value and contains cheese which is loved by most everyone. You can also serve Vanilla Milkshakes which have had a drop or two of green food color added to fit the Holiday.
Shamrock Sugar Cookie
A VALENTINE’S DINNER
Valentine’s Day, named after the Martyred St. Valentine is known as a day for lovers. Flowers & candy are sold and given in abundance and restaurants are booked weeks in advance for this special day. My husband Ev, loves to take me out for dinner and I in turn love to cook for this day. This year we came up with a compromise. Ev will take me out for dinner on Valentine’s and tonight, the night before Valentine’s Day, I made a special dinner for us. So in the end we both get and give what we want.
For our dinner tonight I made Lobster Alfredo served with Penne Pasta and a salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette. Dessert was the Heart Shaped Decorated Cake that I made as a sample for my Parent/Child Cake Decorating Class last Saturday.
To make this dinner for two you will need:
1 half pound lobster tail
2 cloves Garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. Saffron
1 lemon
1 tbsp. minced Basil
Half Cup Marsala Wine
1 Tbsp. Butter
Half Pint of Heavy Cream
Salt & Pepper
½ shredded Parmesan Cheese
2 cups (uncooked) Penne Pasta
Minced Parsley
Minced Parsley
Greens for Salad
1 Tomato
1 Cucumber
1 Avocado
¼ cup Balsamic Vinegar
1 Tbsp. minced Basil
1 tsp. Dijon Mustard
½ cup Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper
To Make The Dinner:
Use a Sharp knife or cleaver to cut the back of the lobster Shell in half.
Remove the meat from the shell and cut into bite-sized pieces. Place in a shallow dish.
Combine the Lemon Juice, Saffron, minced Garlic and minced Basil and add to the lobster meat in the dish. Toss to completely cover the Lobster with the marinade. Allow to marinate for 15 minutes.
Looking at the photo below, you will see that I put the wine in with the marinade. You can do it either way, either in the marinade or add it as in the directions below after you saute the lobster.
Marinating Lobster Tail
Fill a 4 qt. saucepan with water and 1 tsp. Salt. Place over high heat and bring to a boil.
While the Lobster is marinating, wash, dry and tear up the greens for the salad and place in a salad bowl. Peel and slice the cucumber and cut up the tomato and add to the lettuce in the bowl.
Slice and remove the pit from the avocado. This is best done with a spoon.
Avocado - 2 dark spots
Avocado - dark spots removed
If there are any dark spots on the avocado, remove them also with a spoon. Cut the avocado up and add to the salad bowl.
Mixed Green Salad with Tomatoes, Avocadoes & Cucmbers
When the water in the saucepan begins to boil, add the pasta and cook for 11 minutes or per the package directions. (Leave the lid off) When the pasta is cooked (remove a piece first to taste for doneness) pour into a colander or strainer and set aside.
Cooked & Drained Penne Pasta
Add 1-2 Tbsps. Olive Oil to a sauté pan; when it is hot, add the Lobster and cook just until the outside of each piece has turned white. Remove and place in a covered bowl while you cook the sauce.
Sauteing the Lobster
Add the Wine to the Saucepan and cook over high heat until it is nearly evaporated. Stir a tablespoon of Butter into the sauce; when it is melted add the Cream and Cook until it is reduced about ¼.
Add Salt and Pepper to taste.
Reducing the Cream
Return the Lobster to the Sauce and cook for about 2-3 minutes. Add the Pasta and shredded Parmesan to the Sauce.
Lobster readded to the Sauce
Toss the Salad with the dressing and plate it.
Transfer the Lobster/Pasta mixture to a serving dish (unless your cooking vessel can serve as one). Garnish with the minced Parsley and serve immediately along with the Salad and Hot French or Italian Bread and a beverage of your choice. We had Pinot Grigio with ours.
Lobster Alfredo with Penne Pasta
As mentioned earlier our dessert was the sample Heart Shaped Cake I had made for my Parent/Child Valentine Class on Saturday at Let’s Get Cookin’.
Decorated Valentine Cake
A chocolate dessert would also be good with this dinner. Try Chocolate Mousse or Cream Puffs filled with Chocolate Ice Cream or even a Lemon Meringue Pie. Hurry, Valentine’s is almost here. If you miss out on a Valentine’s dinner, this is a good meal for any special event. Enjoy!
Categories: Dinner Ideas, Holiday Ideas, Holiday Meals, Main, Pasta, Salads Tags: Alfredo Sauce, Gourmet Foods, Holiday Ideas, holiday recipes, lobster, Pasta, Valentines Day, Valentines Dinner
LET’S GET COOKIN’ PARENT/CHILD VALENTINE CLASS
On Saturday, February 11th Let’s Get Cookin’ in Westlake Village, I taught our annual Parent/Child Valentine Class. This year the theme was Decorated Valentine Cakes. Each Parent/Child Team decorated their own cake and cupcakes. In addition, each team made Heart-shaped candy Lollipops to take home. Here are some photos from the classes which were held at 10:30 AM and 2:00 PM. Each class took about 21/2 hours and everyone went home with a cake. Everyone had a very good time including the Instructor and Teaching Assistants, namely Elizabeth, Tina, Mia and Mary.
Mother & Daughter with their decorated cake
Cassie & Father Michael with their Cake
Mother & Daughter with their decorated cake
Riley & her Mother
Riley, making roses
Sophia decorating her cake
Sophia's Cake
More Valentine Cakes
Colorful Cake
Colorful Cake
Holding Colorful Cake
Jade and Mother
Contemplating eating a piece of cake
Mother & Daughter with their Cake
Jackie & Jamie with their Cake
Made with Brotherly Love
Avalon's Cake
Mother & Daughter with their cake
Jamie's Lovely Cake
Categories: Cooking for Kids, Holiday Ideas, Main, Parent Child Classes Tags: Cake Decorating, Parent/Child Classes, Valentines
STRAWBERRIES – HOMEMADE JAM
Filled Jars turned upside down to seal - dish of jam
If you are lucky enough to live in Southern California, you are probably aware that Strawberry Season lasts all year. I used to look forward to late January & February when the first Strawberries began to ripen. We don’t have to do that anymore as there is always one type of strawberry or another that is in season at any time of the year.
One of the largest growing areas is Oxnard which is just north of the San Fernando and Conejo Valleys. Growing up in the San Fernando Valley there were always plenty of places where you could purchase fresh strawberries, but unfortunately most of the fields are gone and replaced with buildings. Fortunately, Oxnard and surrounding countryside still have a reasonable amount of farmland.For fresh strawberries, you usually don’t have to go out to the fields to purchase them. You can still find a truck sitting on a street corner or in front of a busy place such as the post office from which you can purchase them. Also, fortunately, there are many farmers markets at which strawberries can also be purchased. While wandering through one of these markets, I came across a grower who was selling his berries for only $2.00 a basket. I couldn’t resist (and they were sweet too!), so I purchased a 3 pack. I love strawberry jam and I figured why not make some from the berries that I had purchased.
Jam can be made in two ways. One, you can purchase pectin and follow the directions in the package (using pectin requires double the sugar but produces more jam) or you make it the traditional way. Pectin is a starch found in fruit before it fully ripens. The starch turns to sugar as the fruit ripens. When making jams and jellies without pectin, it is best to use fruit that is not fully ripened as the pectin content will be higher and the jam or jelly will be more likely to set up.
The advantage of using commercial pectin products is that you can use fully ripened fruit thus getting more fruit flavor. The disadvantage is that you use twice the sugar, so the advantage of having more fruit flavor is offset by the fact that you have more sugar than fruit in your product.My preference is making jams and jellies the old-fashioned way without the use of commercial pectin. It does take longer and can be trickier to know when to stop cooking so that you have jam or jelly and not syrup or fruit leather. A thermometer helps in this case, although there are tests that you can do if you don’t have a thermometer. If you do have a jelly thermometer, the temperature for properly set jelly is 218 degrees if you are at or about 1000 feet above sea level. If you are at sea level the temperature would be 2 degrees higher. The higher you go above sea level, the lower the temperature would be. This is because air pressure is different at different altitudes. The higher the altitude the lower the air pressure. The lower the altitude, the greater the air pressure.
Another method for determining the gelling point of jam or jelly is called the sheeting test. Dip a clean metal spoon in the cooking jelly and hold it about 12 inches from the surface. If the jam or jelly runs off easily, it is not done. If two drops form, it is not done. If two drops form and then pull together before dripping off the spoon, then the jam or jelly is of the right consistency.
To make Strawberry Jam the rule of thumb directions follow. The first thing is to make sure you have clean containers to ladle the jam or jelly into. Wash your jars, lids and seals in hot soapy water and rinse thoroughly or run through the dishwasher. Place the jars in a kettle of water that covers them completely. Place a lid on the kettle and bring to a boil; boil for 10 minutes. Drain the jars, one at a time just before ladling the finished product into it. Place the rings and seals in a saucepan, cover with water, bring to a boil and boil for 3 minutes. Remove from the hot water with tongs, being sure to drip off all the excess water. (If the water is boiling as it should be, the water will actually evaporate off of the lids and seals). Place on the filled jar, making sure the top is clean and seal tightly. Turn the jar over until cool; tighten the lid, label and store in a cool, dry place. Refrigerate after opening. Filled Jars turned upside down to seal – dish of jam
When making jam, you usually want to have equal amounts of fruit and sugar. I didn’t quite follow this rule though when making my jam. After cleaning the fruit (berries should never be washed, just wiped clean with a paper towel – however, I always wash them.) If you do feel like you have to wash them, be sure to blot them dry with a paper towel. I used 4 cups of sliced berries, the theory being that there are gaps between the slices of berries and unless you crush them, you are not going to have a full 3 cups if you only measure 3 cups. I used 3 cups of granulated sugar and the juice of half a lemon.
3 cups Granulated Sugar - 2 cup measure + 1 cup measure
(Its always good to have some acid) To avoid having the jam foam ( which you would have to skim off), once the fruit mixture starts bubbling, put a teaspoon of butter into the pan with the berries and sugar.
Sliced Strawberries in Kettle
Combine your fruit, sugar, lemon juice in a large saucepan, or copper jam pot, if you have one.
Copper Kettle
Place over high heat and bring to a boil. You can crush the berries once they start cooking, using a potato masher or you can chop them in your food processor before you start cooking. If you like to have visible pieces of fruit in your jam, do it the first way.
Strawberries combined with Sugar
Once the mixture starts boiling, turn the heat down just enough to keep the mixture bubbling, but not burning and add the Butter.
Berries and Sugar liquefy as they cook.
Cook, stirring constantly until the jam tests properly or your thermometer reads the correct temperature. (See the fourth and fifth paragraphs above), you can ladle the jam into the sterilized container and seal with the sterilized lids and rings. Turn upside down (the hot jam will ensure that the lids seal) until cool. Tighten the lids, label and store in a cool, dry place. Once a jar of jam is opened, store any unused portions in the refrigerator. Sugar is a common preservative and the jam will last indefinitely in the refrigerator. If it starts crystallizing, though, it is best to throw it out as it will not taste good. (You can tell if it is Crystallized by the formation of sugar crystals on the sides of the jar)
Other fruit jams can be made in the same way as the Strawberry Jam.
It is always best to make your jams and jellies in small amounts – it takes less time and is easier to handle.Try it some time and enjoy the flavor of homemade jam, jellies or preserves. Filled Jars turned upside down to seal – dish of jam
Jellies are made using the juice of fruit. The fruit first has to be crushed or pureed in the food processor and then strained through cheesecloth. You definitely get more fruit flavor by making jam rather than jelly.
Categories: Condiments, Food as Gifts, Fruit, Main Tags: Fruit, Gift Giving, Jam, Jelly, Strawberries
