Spiced Apple and Honey Ice Cream

This year we are hosting our first Rosh Hashanah dinner.  Instead of the traditional brisket or roastchicken, we are serving chicken fesenjan, a Persian dish that contains pomegranates, a fruit often associated with the Jewish New Year.

For dessert I made this ice cream which includes apples and honey, which symbolize a sweet new year.  The Ashkenazi community first linked these ingredients with Rosh Hashanah in late medieval times; now the association is widespread throughout the Jewish community.

The apple has particular significance for several reasons: Rosh Hashanah is believed to be the day when God created Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden and the garden is believed to have had the scent of an apple orchard; ancient Jews believed apples had healing properties; the apple is also considered by some to represent the feminine aspect of God and eating apples represents our hope of being well-judged by him.

This ice cream can be served alone or as an accompaniment to honey or apple cake.  Other dishes that can be served at Rosh Hashanah include pomegranate couscous, noodle kugel, and honey cake.  Each of them contain some of the ingredients associated with this holiday.

Serves 10

Ingredients

Spiced apples

3 large apples, cored, peeled, sliced, and cut into 1/2 inch pieces (about 2 cups)

1/2 cup honey

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon allspice

1/2 teaspoon lemon zest

pinch of salt

Ice cream

3 cups heavy cream
9 large egg yolks

3 cups whole milk
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

pinch of salt

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 tablespoon vodka or other neutral alcohol (optional, to lower freezing temperature)

1/2 cup apple sauce (ideally one with a strong, spicy flavor)

Directions

1.     In a medium saucepan, combine the spiced apples ingredients.  Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until the apples are tender and all the liquid has evaporated.  This should take about 10 minutes.  Let the apples cool and then place them in the fridge to chill.

2.     Pour 2 cups of heavy cream into a large bowl and set aside.  In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks until smooth.

3.     Combine the milk, sugar, salt, and remaining heavy cream in a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Once the mixture is warm and just begins to bubble, slowly pour about half of it into the bowl with the egg yolks, whisking constantly.  Return the mixture to the saucepan over medium high heat.

4.     Cook the mixture, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom, until it thickens and coats a spatula or spoon (about 170-175° F).  Pour the mixture through a strainer into the large bowl with cream (this will remove any egg that has cooked).

5.     Mix in the vanilla and vodka.  Thoroughly chill the mixture in the refrigerator for 8 hours or overnight.  Lay plastic wrap on the mixture so that a skin does not form.

6.     Pour the mixture into the bowl of an ice cream maker, and prepare according to the manufacturer’s instructions.  About 10 minutes before the end of the cycle, add apple sauce to the ice cream.

7.     In the final minute, add the cooled spiced apple mixture until well incorporated.

8.     Remove and store in an airtight container for up to three months.

Summer Eggplant Salad

This is a perfect starter or side dish for a hot summer day.

The eggplant is native to the Indian subcontinent and was brought to Europe by Arabs in the Middle Ages.  The first known written documentation comes from a Chinese agricultural text dating from 544; the first European reference is in an English botany text from 1597.

The eggplant is a member of the nightshade family and was domesticated from the wild nightshade, also known as the thorn apple or bitter apple.  It is closely related to the tomato and potato.  In most languages, the fruit is known by some variation of the words aubergine, brinjal, or melongene, all of which derive from a Dravidian word that was borrowed into Sanskrit and Pali, then into Persian, then into Arabic, and finally into European languages.

The 18^th century cultivars popular in Europe were spherical and light in color, hence the name ‘eggplant’ which is still used in American English.  Although most North Americans are now familiar with the dark purple cultivar, eggplants come in shades of white, yellow, green, and reddish-purple.  There is also great variation in size—ranging from that of a grape to a watermelon.

Eggplant has a firm skin and smooth, spongy flesh.  It can be stewed (as in French ratatouille), fried (as in Italian eggplant parmensan), stuffed (as in Turkish Imam bayildi), curried (as in Indian curries), mashed (as in Middle Eastern baba ghanoush or on pizza), pickled (as in Syrian makdous), and braised or steamed in various Chinese dishes.  Eggplant has become popular as a meat-substitute in vegetarian cuisine.

Five nations account for 90% of international eggplant production; China leads the way followed by India, Egypt, Iran, and Turkey.

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 lemon, juiced

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground

2 pounds eggplant, cut into 1-inch chunks

3 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tablespoon capers, chopped

2 green bell peppers, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

1/4 cup fresh mint leaves

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2. Whisk together the oil, lemon, salt, and pepper to create the dressing.

3. Toss eggplant with 1/3 cup dressing, and spread onto a baking sheet.  Bake for 30 minutes, tossing occasionally until tender and golden around edges.  Remove from the oven and let the eggplant cool so that it is warm (but not hot enough to melt the feta).

4. Mix feta, garlic, and capers into reserved dressing.

5. In a large bowl, combine baked eggplant, peppers, tomatoes, and mint leaves. Toss with reserved dressing and serve within 2 hours.

Shrimp Tacos

A taco is a traditional Mexican dish consisting of a corn or flour tortilla wrapped around a filling. Tacos are usually filled with a combination of meat, chicken, seafood, cheese and vegetables and served with various salsas and condiments. The word taco means ‘plug’ and is thought to have been coined by Mexican silver miners due to its resemblance to an explosive consisting of gunpowder wrapped in paper.

I grew up in Canada eating store-bought hard shell corn tacos. We used to buy perfectly formed Old El Paso plastic-wrapped shells. We would fill these with ground beef topped with thinly sliced iceberg lettuce, chopped tomatoes, grated cheddar cheese, and a little bit of salsa.

It has been years since I had one of these childhood treats, so Cinco de Mayo was a great opportunity to rediscover and re-imagine the taco.  This unconventional version has the perfect combination of spicy, sweet, and salty flavors.


Serves 4

Ingredients

3 tablespoons mayonnaise (reduced or whole fat)
2 limes
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 jalapeno pepper, finely diced (optional)
1 bunch of cilantro, leaves only, roughly chopped
3/4 pound cooked and peeled shrimp (sliced in half) or other seafood such as crabmeat, lobster, or salmon
12-ounce package coleslaw mix (including green cabbage, red cabbage, and carrots)
1 mango, peeled, cut into thin strips
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced (optional)
salt (to taste)
12 small tortillas or hard taco shells
Red Rooster chili sauce for serving (optional)

Directions

1. In a small bowl, make dressing by mixing mayonnaise, juice of 1 lime, 1 tablespoon water, sugar, jalapeno pepper, and 1/3 cilantro leaves.
2. Toss shrimp or seafood with 2 tablespoons of dressing until just coated. Set aside.
3. Combine remaining cilantro, coleslaw, mango, red onion, remaining dressing, and salt in a large bowl.  Mix until thoroughly combined.
4. If making soft tacos, warm tortillas in skillet. To serve, spread tortilla or hard taco with chili sauce and fill with seafood and coleslaw mixture. Serve with lime wedges.

Quick Sopaipillas

Sopaipillas are a traditional dessert I discovered while living in the American Southwest.  I first tried them at the El Rialto Restaurant in Las Vegas, New Mexico, a few miles from where I lived.

These treats are sometimes referred to as little pillows, since they are puffed and hollow in the center.  The word means ‘little bread soaked in oil.’  This is a quick version made from tortillas; the original is made from fresh dough.

Fried dough is a treat in many cultures—including donuts in America, puri in India, mandazi in East Africa, and churros in Mexico.  Fried dough is sometimes dusted, dipped, or filled; other times it is served in its unadorned golden splendor.

For me, the hardest thing about frying is making sure the oil is at the correct temperature.  If you don’t have a thermometer, test the oil by dropping in a small amount of dough.  It should produce vigorous bubbles and reach a golden brown color in 60 seconds.  If it browns too quickly or slowly, adjust the temperature accordingly.

Ingredients

4 8-inch wheat tortillas

vegetable oil (preferably canola or corn), for frying

powdered sugar or cocoa (optional)

honey, for serving (optional)

Directions

1.     Heat 1/2 to 1-inch oil in a deep and small pot on medium-high heat.  Let the oil heat for 5-10 minutes before testing it.  The oil should be 350F.

2.     Cut tortillas into wedges or strips.

3.     Fry tortillas pieces in batches for 1 to 2 minutes on each side, flipping once.  Drain on a plate lined with paper towels. 

4.     Dust with powered sugar or cocoa.

5.     Drizzle or dip into honey to serve.