Weekend Hospitality

What was I going to do with the horseradish root that I used for the pesach seder?  5 inches of spicy goodness.  Then I found this recipe for Zupa Chrzanowa,  Horseradish soup. I tried to keep close to the version in the link.  I made my vegetable stock from kitchen leftovers, carrot peels, onion skins, the green parts of leeks, celery and artichoke trimmings.  All parts that I would usually just throw in the trash.  They too contributed to my cooking today. Ingredients 1 carrot diced 1 stalk celery diced 1 onion diced 5 inches of horseradish (2 in diameter) grated 1 large potato diced 8+ cups of Vegetable stock 2 Tbsp olive oil Instructions Saute the carrot, celery and onion in hot olive oil until soft Add the diced potato, grated horseradish and vegetable stock (or water) simmer for 1-2 hours puree using an immersion blender or food processor Serve hot Update: Major failure.  The soup came out very very bitter and I'm pretty su...

It is Pesach during the Covid-19 lockdown.  I have stage V kidney chronic kidney failure, so I'm on a very low protein diet.  In practice, I'm close to a vegan but my doctor says to each two eggs a day to avoid malnutrition. But, I still love to cook, so here are a few posts about unusual recipes that I've dug up and modified for pesach and for my diet. Let's start with Colcannon .  This is a traditional Irish dish of potatoes, cabbage and leaks.  Usually, this is made with milk and butter.  My version is totally vegan and low protein. Ingredients 5 large potatoes diced 1 small head of cabbage, diced 2 leeks, cleaned and chopped 1 can coconut milk (not cream) salt and coarse ground pepper Instructions boil the potatoes in salt water until soft and mash. I put them through a sieve, but any method will work.  DO NOT USE A FOOD PROCESSOR.  My first attempt was a dismal failure as a food processor turns the potato starch gummy. boil the ca...

I'm back in Israel with an apartment, appliances, dishes and a plan.  I am now living in Raanana.  If you are in the area, and/or just want to come for a shabbat, let me know. This weekend, I have two of my boys and their families.  It should be a nice start to my new place.  I am very much looking forward to hosting them and to bringing out my new board games. Dinner: Wine Challot Garlic Soup w/ croutons Roast Chicken Pasta and Sauce +Meatballs Salad Rice Dessert Lunch: Challot Jumbalaya Salad Slow Roast Tomatoes Potatoes Sweet Potatoes Pargiot w/ Ras Al Hanut rub Tchina Dessert Seudat Shishit: (because it feels like we never stop eating) Salad Avacado Egg Salad Tuna Salad Pita

I'm moving back to Israel next week.  To celebrate, my brother and his family will be spending Shabbat with me.  We are 8 people for the weekend.  I'm trying to empty my freezer since I can't take any food stuffs with me on the plane or shipment. Dinner: Chicken soup w/ Ginger and Garlic and Matza balls Spaghetti and Meatballs two ways (beef and chicken/turkey) Pastrami Pickles Salad Brussels Sprouts Lunch: Salt Cod fritters Roast Chicken Thighs Vegetarian Cholent and Kishka Salad Broccoli Kugel Sauteed Kale and Garlic

I'm moving back to Israel in a few weeks.  Its been 4.5 years since I left and I'm ready to come home again.  I don't know yet where I will re-settle, but I am sure that wherever it is, I will be hosting Shabbat dinners and lunches. As a taste of things to come, here is a recipe that I have been making in the USA.  My current diet is a bit on the strange side, low protein and low carbs, so finding interesting recipies has been a challenge.  This one is a winner. Cauliflower soup with Kale 2 Tbsp canola oil 2 Tbsp flour 6 cups vegetable broth 4 cups water 3 stalks celery - chopped 1 large onion - chopped 1 head cauliflower - chopped 4-6 cups chopped Kale 3-4 cloves garlic - finely choppped 1 tbsp olive oil 1 tsp salt Heat the canola oil in a soup pot.  Add the flour and cook for a couple of minutes to make a roux.  Add the water, broth, celery, onion and cauliflower.  Simmer for 20 minutes until the cauliflower is soft.   U...

My travels continue and I now find myself living in the Bronx and working in Manhattan.  For the purposes of this blog, I'm once again working on inviting guests and building on weekend hospitality. This past weekend, I hosted four relatives.  I only cooked one meal, as we were invited out for the second meal. We had lots of fun and the food and conversation were great. Friday night dinner for 5 Challah Chumus Green Salad Chicken soup (plain, with vegetables) Roast Chicken  - best roast chicken thighs I've made in some time Bibimbap (Korean Rice Bowl)  in a Dutch oven Roast Asparagus Fun food.  The bibimbap was very nice.  Fun to make and to eat.  I didn't use the suggested hot sauce because by guests were not interested in spicy food.  Next time, I'll try to find some kosher alternative to gochujang. The roast chicken took a total of 40 minutes from start to finish.  I could make this any day, assuming that I had people a...

Long time, no post. I'm sitting here in Dublin, Ireland thinking about having my first family over for dinner since I arrived. I'm planning on making Chicken Soup , Tas Kebab , Snitzel and rice.  They are going to bring a vegetable side dish and desert. Its better to start small than to overreach from day one. Here is to more regular posts.