Category Archives: Pareve

Foods made without meat or dairy products, but may contain eggs or fish products.

Master Recipe: Parve Yellow Cake

Posted on by
Reply

This basic yellow cake recipe can be modified to suit your needs.

For better or for worse, I’ve begun dabbling in some more advanced chemistry…the chemistry which pertains to cakes and pastries. This parve yellow cake is my first attempt, and pleasantly surprised me with a tender crumb, pleasant flavor, and mild sweetness There will probably be subsequent attmepts, but for now, I’m using this one as my springboard. For a good parve AND vegan chocolate cake recipe, check out “Not So Depressing Cake” (http://www.allaya.com/2011/11/07/not-so-depressing-cake/), which never seems to fail me. Continue reading →

Fast and Furious Friday Post: Challah Monkey Bread

Posted on by
2

This delicious pull-apart snack can be made with your very own challah dough! It also occupies your children for about 30 minutes...

Want a way to occupy your children AND end up with a fun Shabbat snack? Monkey bread is the answer! To make it, take a batch of your challah dough, and divide it in half. Divide each half into quarters, and each quarter into quarters – then each of those quarters into yet more quarters. Essentially, you should have 64 bits per half, which your children will have loads of fun balling up. Continue reading →

Tom Yum Potatoes, Latkes The Thai Way

Posted on by
Reply

These latkes sing with lemongrass, chilis, and kefir lime leaves.

After Rosh Hashanah, when we shoe-horned close to 20 people into our apartment (maybe more), my husband sat me down and had a talk with me. “You know, you’re pregnant…there’s no reason for you to have to work this hard. It’s fine to have a small party. Nobody will think any less of you for it.”

While it’s true I love having people over for the holidays, I need to set the record straight. I was NOT intending on having 20 people over for Rosh Hashanah. I mean, we have a 450 square foot studio apartment. What business do I have cramming 20 people inside? The problem was that, in that particular case, the rule of no shows didn’t apply. Continue reading →

Pad See Ew, The Kosher Way

Posted on by
5

Generally a hodgepodge of treif ingredients, this version of Pad See Ew is completely kosher, and, as pictured here, completely vegetarian.

The problem many people face when adapting a recipe for a kosher home, especially with Thai food, is finding acceptably kosher ingredients. The biggest problem I face, especially with recipes I grew up with, is quantifying the ingredients, as these recipes were never written down! So, when I received a request for a kosher version of Pad See Ew, I had to think for a moment. I haven’t had this dish in ages, mostly because it was never one of my favorites; my mom always overcooked the noodles, and it made them mushy. It was interesting to rediscover this popular noodle dish. Turns out it really is pretty good! :) Continue reading →

The Case For Chow Mein: An Asian Perspective on Chanukah

Posted on by
1

This veggie chow mein incorporates salty, pungent, sweet, bitter and sour tastes. Almost a balanced meal!

It’s pretty common in Eastern cultures to have food rules, some as in depth (and astoundingly similar in some ways) as the laws of kashrut. Many favor a mostly vegetarian diet, as did Rabbi De Sola Pool, while others championed moderation in all foods. Although no longer religious in nature for most people, the way one presents and serves food in Asia remains deeply rooted in custom, and has influenced menus and recipes for centuries. Continue reading →

Stormy’s New Take on Tortilla Soup

Posted on by
1

This non-traditional version of tortilla soup is thickened with lentils and vegetables and flavored with a corn tortilla.

I’m pregnant. Very pregnant. And like many other pregnant women in the world, I’ve simply accepted the fact that my body has effectively been hijacked, and my will is not entirely my own. Although not possible 100% of the time, I’ve decided to at least try and form a cooperative relationship (I am, after all, the Mommy here). Don’t get me wrong, I’m under no illusion; this kid (working title: “Stormageddon, dark lord of all,” or “Stormy” for short) usually calls the shots. I merely impose physical limitations. For instance, I explained to Stormy one day that it simply was not possible for mommy to eat a full pound of carrots in one sitting, and that ranch dressing was not a beverage. He begrudgingly acquiesced. Continue reading →

Japanese Curry, Kosher At Last!

Posted on by
1

This flavorful Japanese curry can be made with chicken, but also with vegetarian and vegan options.

Japanese cuisine is a unique taste experience; it seems to run from elegantly simplistic with subtle, earthy flavors to highly processed with international influences. To be sure, there’s definitely something for everybody, but navigating Japanese cuisine within kosher dietary laws can be a little tricky, particularly when sampling the complex flavors of Japanese fusion. Continue reading →

All-American Tribute

Posted on by
Reply

These crispy Chinese Scallion Pancakes were a nod to Native American Fry-Breads on my Thanksgiving table.

In my quest to create an “All American” dinner for Thanksgiving this year, I ended up making “traditional” Thanksgiving foods with my own little twist. Yes, my turkey was seasoned and steamed like a Chinese Roast duck; my stuffing was actually Lo Mein (albeit, lo mein with pecans and maple syrup!); my cranberry sauce actually had plums and ginger in it. But what better way to call this country “home,” than to make it your own with your own little embellishments? The best part is sharing it with your friends. I’m definitely thankful for that. Continue reading →

A Twist on Scrambles: Chinese Tomato Eggs

Posted on by
Reply

This quick and easy dish features a sweet and sour sauce that works equally well with eggs or chicken.

Humans have been consuming eggs since the dawn of time, and theres no wonder; eggs are an easily attainable source of protein and nutrients that cook quickly and easily. In China, much like here in the United States, a child’s first meal he or she learns to prepare is generally an egg dish. Yes, we do fry, hard boil and poach our eggs similarly to how the rest of the world does, we just eat them a little differently. Continue reading →

Arresting Arépas

Posted on by
Reply

Arépas, hot off the skillet, awaiting any number of delicious toppings.

Speaking from experience, there comes a point during a long trip to a place ones never experienced, of familiarity. Its an instantaneous realization that theres one thing in a situation that you know intimately, like meeting an old friend on the sidewalk, purely by chance. This experience is often times followed by the realization that the familiarity was only superficial; that the thing in question deviated a bit from what you knew in odd or quirky ways. French Fries served with mayonnaise, pizza with a fried egg inexplicably placed on top, a soccer ball made entirely of wicker. Im sure youve had experiences of your own. I wonder, sometimes, what it was like for early explorers and settlers to experience so much at once. I often have a guide book, a rudimentary understanding of the language, and maybe even a friend to help me. These people had nothing. Continue reading →