DIY Kosher: Fresh Fruit Topiary for Your Passover Seder Table

Posted in Passover

After all that cleaning and cooking, why leave your seder table looking  drab? Easy-to-make fresh fruit topiaries are perfect centerpieces.

By: FELISA BILLET

Topiaries are multi-dimensional “mini trees” fashioned from flowers, fruits and greenery. These gorgeous centerpieces herald spring in all its beauty while adding a unique touch of elegance to the Passover seder.

Topiary, the art of ornamental gardening, dates back to the 18th century. Often found in colonial and Victorian decor, it is easy to re-create with Styrofoam, real or dried greenery, fruit and flowers. Lemons, limes, oranges, apples and pomegranates work especially well, although use whatever you feel will look best on your table.

As the holiday progresses, keep your topiary alive by exchanging the fruit for flowers and other decorative touches.

Materials:

A large decorative vase with a round opening
2 floral moss blocks or Styrofoam balls, spray painted green
1 2-foot thin round wooden pole, spray painted green
Willow vine sprays
Spanish moss in the color of your choice
Box of U-pins
10-20 green hydrangeas, depending on the topiary’s size
Green floral wire
Green floral tape
Various pieces of fruit, such as 20 lemons or limes, 10 oranges or apples, and smaller accenting fruit and nuts such as purple grapes, cranberries, strawberries, chestnuts;
12 inch wooded sticks, such as shish kabob skewers
Box of toothpicks

How To:

1. Choose your decorative vase in proportion to the size of the floral moss blocks or Styrofoam balls. Cut the moss block or Styrofoam to fit the inside of the pot. If needed, tape it in.
2. Choose your wooden pole so that the height of the “tree” will be 2-1/2 times the height of the pot. Insert the stick into the foam in the pot to make a hole for the “trunk,” and remove the stick.
3. Tuck Spanish moss into the pot to cover the moss block or Styrofoam, and fasten it down with U-pins. Stick some of the hydrangea on the moss to add color and texture to the base of the “tree.”
4. Insert the stick in the original hole in the now-covered moss block or Styrofoam. Glue, if necessary. Place the second moss block or Styrofoam on top of the stick to make a hole and then remove.
5. Working in concentric circles from the top of the moss block or Styrofoam, attach pieces of willow vine sprays, using floral wire to secure the vine sprays in place.
6. After half the foam is covered with greenery, attach the foam on top of the stick and completely cover the rest of the ball. Stick in hydrangeas to enhance the topiary ball shape. Embellish the stick with vine sprays, moss, and using floral wire, secure the remaining hydrangea, if desired
7. Bring the topiary comes to life by adding the fruit. Cut all but four or five of the fruits in half and attach the whole and uncut fruit to wooden skewers. Arrange the cut fruits, cut side down, around the upper portion of the topiary by carefully pushing each stick into the moss. Place the uncut fruit around the perimeter of the base of the topiary by carefully pushing the sticks into the moss.
8. Attach the accenting fruit to toothpicks (strawberries work well with lemons, purple grapes with green apples, blue berries with limes) and arrange them all over the topiary by carefully pushing the toothpicks into the moss.

Note:

To increase the life of the fruit, choose slightly under ripe pieces and store the topiary in a dry place, as moisture will cause the fruit to decay faster. The fruit should stay fresh for 4-5 days, depending on the type (oranges will last longer than berries) and the quality at the time of purchase. When the fruit needs to be changed, gently twist the U-pins free and pull out the fruit. Replace with new fruit or change the look by adding flowers. The willow vine sprays do not need to be changed, as they will dry in place.

Go to the Kosher.com Ultimate Passover Guide

Go to Kosher.com for all your Passover Shopping

Author Bio:

- FELISA BILLET is a freelance journalist. Her work has appeared in newspapers and magazines, including USA Today, Jewish Action, American Jewish Spirit, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Pregnancy, and My Midwest. Felisa is at work on a cookbook, The DIY Kitchen, which explains how to make supermarket staples from the comfort of home. She is a mom of three kids and lives in South Florida. – Read more…

Passover on a Budget: 6 Tips for Stylish, Sophisticated Seders

Posted in Passover

Though many Passover hosts and hostesses feel enslaved by intense holiday preparations, here’s how you can create a stylish and sophisticated Passover seder with ease.

By: FELISA BILLET

The Centerpieces

When the Passover table is crammed with wine bottles, glasses, seder plates and boxes of matzo, finding the right centerpiece can be tricky.

Susie Fishbein, author of the Kosher By Design series, suggests using topiaries because they provide height without obstructing the view.

“Topiaries do not die so you can start with white roses in the arrangement for the seders and switch to lemons or strawberries for the end of the holiday,” says Fishbein.

For large tables, scattering clusters of flowers in bud vases add color without the bulkiness (or expense!) of a formal arrangement.

Budget Tip:

Opt for vibrant colored tablecloths with patterned textures and choose simple flowers within variations of two colors that contrast with the tablecloth. As long as the flowers are in the color scheme, inexpensive ones will do the trick.

The Setting

An extraordinary setting can have a dramatic effect. For those lucky to live in a warm climate consider setting the seder table outdoors. Hang Chinese lanterns and string lights for a dazzling effect. Play with the lighting by positioning standing lamps from your living room at the ends of the table to contrast with outdoors.

If the seder will take place inside, enhance the mood by using comfortable arm chairs, low couches or recliners imported from the living room.

Budget Tip:

Reuse illuminated sukkah decorations to enhance the backdrop of your Passover seder.

The Menu

Choosing the right food to serve at the seder is just as important as the beautiful table on which it is presented.  Determining appetizers, entrees and side dishes that meet your budget can be overwhelming.

Instead of making seven different courses, prepare simple dishes that show you put in time and effort. Don’t feel like you have to serve meat, fish and chicken.

Whatever budget-friendly dishes you choose, opt for ones that can be prepared in advance so you can enjoy the seder. Ideas include a Mediterranean Passover fattoush salad that just needs to be dressed before serving or horseradish-crusted salmon that can be plated ahead of time.

Budget Tip:

Appreciate the elegance of chicken bottoms. As long as this low-cost entrée is prepared well and tastes delicious, no one will notice that there isn’t an expensive cut of meat on the menu.

Personal Touches

When guests feel at home, an average seder is turned into a glorious one. By placing individual mini-seder plates at each setting, guests will have the essentials at their finger tips. Find out in advance if any of your guests are allergic to wheat; purchase oat or spelt  matzo for them. This thoughtful gesture goes a long way.

As you prepare for the holiday, shop with the seder in mind. Guests remember personal touches like decorating napkins with inexpensive stretchy plastic frogs or placing glass swizzle sticks with emblems of the Ten Plagues in each goblet.

Creative place cards that double as mementos will further enhance the seder. To make individual book marks with guests’ name, decorate felt strips with ribbon and beads and write each guest’s name with fabric paint. Place the bookmarks in a hagadah at every place setting in order for guests to know where they are sitting.

Budget Tip:

Besides dollar store finds, discount websites sell party knickknacks at low prices. Shop in advance so you qualify for “free shipping” deals from internet party sites like Oriental Trading.

Bringing it all Together

Most importantly, the hostess should feel relaxed on the night of the seder. Consider putting aside money in your Passover budget to spend on an important purchase that will help you enjoy the seder with a smile.

Think of it as a long-term Passover investment. Instead of spending on expensive ingredients, use the money saved to buy a food processor so your Passover cooking will be a breeze. Who can enjoy the seder after peeling 10 pounds of potatoes by hand?

Or, if you are expecting a large crowd, use the money to hire help with cleaning pre-holiday or during the seder and other food preparation.

Whatever you choose, remember, you deserve it!

Budget Tip:

Ditch paper tablecloths and plastic dishes and invest in reusable items like a gorgeous easy-to-wash tablecloth and real dishes.

Recipes:

Passover Fattoush Salad

Horseradish-Crusted Salmon Fillets

Go to the Kosher.com Ultimate Passover Guide

Go to Kosher.com for all your Passover Shopping

Author Bio:

- FELISA BILLET is a freelance journalist. Her work has appeared in newspapers and magazines, including USA Today, Jewish Action, American Jewish Spirit, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Pregnancy, and My Midwest. Felisa is at work on a cookbook, The DIY Kitchen, which explains how to make supermarket staples from the comfort of home. She is a mom of three kids and lives in South Florida. – Read more…

Everything you ever wanted to know about Shavuot cheesecake…

Posted in Shavuot

When it comes to Shavuot, I skip the blintzes and go straight to the cheesecake.   Sliced in wedges or cut into bars, if it has cream cheese, I’ll eat it.

While I love a generous slice baked on top of a classic graham cracker crust, many different ingredients and baking techniques reflect distinct styles of this delightful dessert.

Italians make cheesecake with sweetened ricotta cheese (some flavor it with honey and bay leaves) while the French favor a thin version lightened with Neufchâtel cheese and gelatin.  Greek-style features mascarpone or mizithra, a flavorful Greek cheese similar to ricotta, but drier.

Within America, the two most popular kinds of cheesecake are New York style, an extremely rich and smooth version made from cream cheese, heavy cream and egg yolks, usually baked in a graham cracker crust; and Chicago-style, which has a firm outside and light, creamy interior due to sour cream added to the cream cheese batter, and typically baked in a shortbread cookie crust.

If you love cheesecake but want to do something different for Shavuot, chuck the springform pan and try one of these contemporary takes, none of which resemble the traditional finished product but all which are just as delicious.

Kids will love rolling kosher cheesecake pops into colorful toppings while adults while be enchanted by kosher chocolate covered cheesecake-stuffed strawberries, made famous by the now-defunct Eminger Berries.  And if you are pressed for time, kosher no-bake mini cheesecakes will become your favorite Shavuot stand-by.

Enjoy this 2 part video cooking show on how to make kosher cheesecake for Shavuot:

The Flames of Lag BaOmer

Posted in Lag BaOmer

When preparing for this year’s Lag BaOmer picnic and bonfire, in between making the pasta salad and packing the paper goods, I wondered, “What does this have to do with Lag BaOmer?”

I live in south Florida, where dining al fresco is a year-round affair.  We don’t need the impetus of a holiday to bring out the wicker basket and checkered blanket.  Even so, gathering with friends and family around a bonfire (or at least firing up a grill) makes Lag BaOmer picnics extra-ordinarily special.

While there are many unusual customs for Lag BaOmer, most of which are rooted in Jewish mysticism, building a bonfire to commemorate the death of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai is probably the most widespread.

Rabbi Shimon, who lived in Israel in the second century CE, fled from the Romans who wanted to execute him for criticizing the Roman government.  Along with his son, Rabbi Elazar, the duo lived in a cave and learned Torah for 12 years, uncovering the secrets of the Zohar which became the landmark text of Jewish mysticism.  Upon emerging from the cave, whatever mundane activities their eyes beheld would be destroyed by a mystically fueled fire, causing the rabbis to return to their hideaway for an additional 12-month ‘cooling period’ before mainstreaming into the world.

Meiron - Rabbi Shimon's Burial Place

As Torah is compared to fire and light, the custom to build a bonfire honors the spiritual “light” Rabbi Shimon’s Torah teachings brought to the world.  Since he died on Lag BaOmer, there is a Jewish custom to light, not just one candle, but many, and to build bonfires as a tribute to the “light” of Torah he created.

While roasting hot dogs and s’mores are natural bonfire activities, I like to do things a little differently on Lag BaOmer.  Instead of marshmallows, I bring out the fruit.  Skewering chunks of nut-coated pineapple, bananas and oranges, which we toast over the fire, is a wonderful way to savor a delightful and healthy dessert.  Perfect for simple backyard meals all summer long (just grill the kabobs instead of roasting them), if you love the outdoors, this will be a recipe you’ll turn too again and again.

Click here to try kosher Honey Nut Fruit Kabobs

Enjoy these great videos from last years Lag BaOmer festivities in Meiron:

For Jewish Mothers on Mother’s Day

Posted in National Holidays

When it comes to honoring mom, some Jews view Mother’s Day as an occasion that  shouldn’t be limited to the second Sunday in May.  Since we are commanded to honor our parents every day, the Jewish attitude suggests that expressing gratitude to mom should be more than a once-a-year event.

But, I’m sure there isn’t a Jewish mother (me included) who does not appreciate the flowers, phone calls, cards – and most importantly, the hugs – that result from this special day.  And rightfully so.

Motherhood is a struggle.  In fact, the Bible, whether it talks about matriarchs like Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel and Leah, or lesser known figures like Hannah or Yocheved, depicts rearing kids as an all-encompassing struggle.  From bearing children, giving birth, to raising and mentoring them, motherhood is a bumpy ride with unpredictable turbulence no matter how smooth you think you have it.

So, when Mother’s Day comes around, I embrace the day as a mother, but even more as a daughter.  With lunches to pack, beds to make, and kids to carpool, my daily routine doesn’t offer an opportunity to tell my mom how much I appreciate everything she did – and still does-for me.

This Mother’s Day, I look forward to heading to the kitchen to celebrate my mom.  Sure I can easily take her out to dinner, but nothing says “I love you” like homemade goodies, especially when they are a tribute to the comfort food mom made me growing up.

Inspired by the idea of making an heirloom cookbook but daunted by the effort it takes to collect all of mom’s signature recipes?

Surprise her by making a special meal featuring some of the food she made when you were little.  Think of comfort foods like special soups and salads, casseroles and pasta.  Or, present her with a package of baked goods that stand out from all the desserts she made when you were a kid.

The most important part of this thoughtful gesture is to include a note describing the memories you have of the dish and why it stands out.

It’s kind of like making an heirloom cookbook, but much easier.  And instead of just collecting the recipes, you get to eat the food, too.

Click here to make Kosher Orange Sugar Cookies, a sensational dessert my mom made when I was growing up.

ln Honor of Israel’s Independence Day

Posted in Israel

If you can eat only one meal in Israel, choose breakfast. Preferably at a kibbutz.

If you can’t find a kibbutz, the morning spread at an Israeli hotel should do the trick. This lavish dairy buffet, an event everyone remembers even if the rest of their trip to the Holy Land is a blur, originates from the kibbutz.

Ravenous from waking up at dawn and working in the fields at daybreak, kibbutz workers gathered mid-morning in the communal dinning room where a table was unceremoniously laden with seasonal produce, dairy products, cooked eggs and fresh bread.

When Israel’s first luxury hotels opened in the 1950s and chefs were faced with the dilemma of serving breakfast to non-Jewish tourists accustomed to bacon and sausage, they compensated by turning kibbutz-style breakfasts into bountiful buffets showcasing the best local produce and dairy products.

So, when Yom Ha’atzmaut rolls around, I skip hummus and falafel altogether and concentrate my efforts on serving a glorious Israeli-style breakfast.  Herbed omelets, chopped Israeli salad, an array of hard and soft cheeses, yogurt and fruit, marinated fish, cracked olives, vegetable dips, orange juice, and hot pita and rugelach grace my table.

The beauty of this meal is that it’s so simple to prepare.  Besides chopping a quick salad and making omelets, everything else can be made (or purchased) in advance.  Whether you buy prepared Israeli dips, spreads or cheeses, the secret is not to skimp on the quality.

And always warm your pita before you eat it.

Enjoy this video from last year. Israel’s 60th Birthday:

Felisa Billet writes on Jewish food from her home in Hollywood, Florida. Participate in her interactive culinary dialogue at kosher.com by sending her questions to editor@kosher.com

Click here to make Israeli Salad, a must for Israeli breakfasts. When coupled with omelets and soft cheese, this triumvirate is the most typical fare on the Israeli breakfast table.

Matza 101: Eggrolls, Tacos, Anyone?

Posted in Passover

After the seder, do you look at matzo and wonder, “So now what?”

Well, Jenny Kdoshim and her friend, Debbie Bevans, had that exact thought.  Together, they came up with 101 matza-based recipes.  From egg rolls and tacos to tarts and pies, Matza 101 is the only cookbook dedicated solely to (you guessed it!) matza.

The secret to their success is how they make the matza pliable to create the most outrageous, kosher-for-Passover dishes.  By running matza under the faucet and nestling the wet sheets between soaked paper towels for about 10 minutes, the matzo becomes malleable and gains a similar texture to al dente lasagna noodles.

Then, the matza is cut into shapes (rounds for tarts and tacos, squares for egg rolls and pizza pockets) which they bake according to the specifics of each recipe.

Want tacos?  Use a small bowl or large cup to cut rounds from the wet matza.  Brush with softened margarine (to crisp the matza during the baking process), sprinkle with salt, and fold the round over two cannoli tubes (with one tube the “taco shell” may close during baking).  Bake in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes and viola! Crisp, kosher-for-Passover taco shells.

Want egg rolls?  Cut the wet matzo into four squares and brush with softened margarine (to crisp the matzo during the baking process).  Sautee shredded carrots, cabbage, garlic, onions, and celery until limp.  Place a dollop of the cooled vegetable filling in the lower center of each cut-matzo square and roll up firmly.  Place seam-side down on a cooking sheet and bake for about 30 minutes.

Want individual-size tarts?  Use a cup to cut into about 5 inch-size rounds.  Brush the rounds with softened margarine and sugar and press into tart pans.  Bake in a 450 degree oven for 12 minutes until lightly browned and crisp.  Fill with a fresh fruit filling and top with whipped cream.

Full of visual aids, color pictures, and a how-to guide of working with matzo in unordinary ways, Matza 101 starts where other traditional Passover cookbooks end.

Give your matzo skills a whirl.  Try these two dessert recipes our test-kitchen adapted from Matza 101. Chocoholics will adore the Passover Brownie Walnut Pie while lemon lovers must try the Passover Luscious Lemon Meringue Pie.

Check out this instructional video on how to cut matza in half without making a mess:

Felisa Billet writes on Jewish food from her home in Hollywood, Florida. Participate in her interactive culinary dialogue at kosher.com by sending her questions to editor@kosher.com

Haroset From Around the World

Posted in Passover, The Kosher Way

Of all the ritual foods that grace the Passover table, there is probably none that has as many variations as haroset.  This sweet concoction, symbolizing the mortar the Jewish people used to build pyramids while enslaved in Egypt, takes on different forms depending on the cook’s heritage.

While the ingredients making up Ashkenazi haroset rarely varies from the basics (apples, nuts, spices, and sweet wine), haroset made by Jews from Middle Eastern and Mediterranean origins tends to vary not only by country but sometimes even based on the cook’s town or family.

If one doubts that Jews are a wandering people, just look at the difference within the styles of this Passover superstar.  Egyptian haroset is made by soaking dates and raisins overnight, then boiling them into thick syrup.  Yemenite haroset features a pâté of dried fruit and piquant spices like cardamom, cloves or pepper.  Persian haroset is made from dates, and sometimes bananas and pears as well.  Venetians add chestnuts or pine nuts, while haroset from Milan is made with apples or pears, bananas, dates, almonds and oranges.

Even when sticking to traditional Ashkenazi ingredients, by including a variety of apples and nuts, the flavor becomes unbelievably complex.

To celebrate the rich heritage of our people and to add a nontraditional edge to a very traditional dish, make this Passover different by offering your guests a sampling of harosets from around the world.

Click here for haroset recipes to get you started.

Take a look at this great video on “How To Make A Seder Plate 101″

Felisa Billet is a journalist whose commentaries on food and lifestyles have been featured in regional and national publications including USA Today, The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, and My Midwest Magazine. Check out her interactive kosher cooking dialogue at usa.kosher.com

Do It Yourself Purim Cooking

Posted in Purim

Purim is all about being creative. Though it’s easy to buy candy and bakery hamantashen, go the extra mile by making unexpected treats your friends will relish.

Remember, just because you want to present mishloach manot gifts with a homemade touch, spending hours in the kitchen isn’t necessary.

Here are simple, no-fuss ideas to get you started. We hope you’ll enjoy them and take the opportunity to make this Purim extra special.

Go Homemade:

The trick of going homemade is to make food that is effortless to prepare in bulk.

Who doesn’t love Israeli salads and dip?  Use a food processor to efficiently make big batches of Israeli salads and spreads such as hummus, babaganoosh, flavored tehina, or Turkish salad.  Just divide the portions into small containers and present with a bag of pita.

Granola is one of the easiest things to make, especially if you prepare it in your, preferably pareve, slow cooker (it actually bakes more evenly in the crock pot than it does in the oven).  Assemble the ingredients and before you know it the granola will be done.  Divide the granola into plastic bags and present it with a small container of yogurt and a single serving-size carton of orange juice with best wishes for a happy Purim breakfast.  (For a cute container, look for the plastic straw cereal bowls at Wal-mart or Target).

(source)

DIY:

If you don’t like to cook but you have friends who do, honor their passion by giving them ingredients and a recipe for a simple ethnic meal they can prepare themselves.  This is a wonderful way to be creative without messing up your kitchen.

For an Italian-inspired dinner, arrange a bag of imported pasta, a bouquet of fresh basil, a handful of vine-ripened tomatoes, a jar of fresh sea salt, a small bottle of olive oil, and parmesan cheese, along with a recipe to make pasta with fresh tomato sauce.  Present the items in a pasta strainer.

If a Mediterranean-inspired gift is more your speed, arrange a can of chickpeas, a jar of sesame paste, a head of garlic, two lemons, a small shaker of cumin, and a bag of pita, along with a recipe for hummus.  You can present these items in a small ceramic bowl.

(source)

Mix it Up:

When you still want to make something from your kitchen but you don’t want to turn on your oven, prepare dry mixes for pancakes, cookies, soup and hot cocoa.  A trick to enhance the beauty of your gift is to layer the ingredients in a glass jar, resembling sand art.  Canning jars from your supermarket or glass jars from condiments like apple sauce, pasta sauce or pickles are ideal.

You can coordinate this all by presenting store-bought items with the mixes.  Offer pancake mix with a bottle of maple syrup and a bag of dried fruit.  Include a loaf of French bread or box of crackers with the soup mix.  For the hot cocoa, you can include cookies and a mug.

The links below are to recipes that can get you jump started:

Maple-Oat Granola with Dried Cranberries

Blueberry Pecan Pancake Mix

Classic Hot Chocolate Mix

Old Fashioned Oatmeal Cookie Mix

Speedy Alphabet Soup Mix

Felisa Billet is a journalist whose commentaries on food and lifestyles have been featured in regional and national publications including USA Today, The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, and My Midwest Magazine. Check out her interactive kosher cooking dialogue at usa.kosher.com