The day is short, and the work is great: Efficient Shabbat Preparations

It seems that just when Shabbat starts to "come in" (as my kids say) at a normal hour, the clocks get switched back. With candlelighting at around 4 PM, I have to be organized. Below I post techniques that I have used.


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More on microwaves

In a comment on my last post, Robin pointed out that not all ceramic tableware is microwave-safe. She's right, and plastic can also be a problem. If your utensils don't have a label, you can use the following test for microwave compatibility.

From The Great Microwave Dessert Book by Thelma Pressman, p. 2:

Place a glass measuring cup filled with water in your microwave. Place the dish you want to test next to it, but do not allow the two to touch. Heat on high (600-700 watts) for one minute. [Note: Many modern microwaves use 900-1000 watts or more, so adjust the time accordingly.] At the end of that time, the water will be warm and the utensil should be cold. If the dish becomes warm, it means it is absorbing microwave energy and is not microwave-safe.

Yael asked for soup and stir-fry. I generally don't make soup in the microwave because once you get above a certain quantity, it's not practical. But here is a recipe from The Well-Filled Microwave Coookbook by Victoria Wise and Sandra Pressman. It serves 3-4 people and you can add other vegetables if you like.

Granny's Basic Vegetable Soup (pp. 95-96)

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced
4 medium (1 pound) ripe tomatoes, chopped into 1/4-inch pieces
4 small carrots, peeled and cut into thin rounds
2 ribs celery, trimmed and cut into 1/4-inch-wide slices
1 large bay leaf
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
4 cups water

1. Place the oil and onion in a large bowl and microwave, uncovered, on HIGH for 3 minutes, or until wilted. Add the tomatoes, cover the bowl, and microwave on HIGH for 10 minutes, or until the tomatoes are soft and the mixture is soupy.
2. Add the remaining ingredients, cover, and microwave on HIGH for 20 minutes, or until the carrots and celery are tender. Remove the bay leaf. Serve right away.

I highly recommend this (non-kosher) cookbook, which includes basic instructions for cooking items like legumes and potatoes as well as exotic desserts, condiments, sandwiches, grains and more. I once used it to make a delicious pomegranate-quince relish. [If you buy it through the above link, you help to support this blogger.]

Mock Stir-Fried Rice (p. 193)
For two portions, cut about 1/2 cup fresh vegetables, including some bean sprouts and scallions, into small dice or matchsticks. Place the vegetables and a little oil in a bowl and wilt for two minutes, until soft, in the microwave. Stir in two cups cooked rice, sprinkle with water, and reheat until steaming, 3 minutes more. Lightly beat an egg and stir it into the rice to break it up. The steam cooks the egg right away without returning to the microwave. Serve hot.

My Sugat rice package had instructions for cooking rice in the microwave that worked for me, but I don't have the package anymore. Wise and Pressman say to use the same amount of liquid and time as for stove-top rice, but to expect it to boil over.

Introduction to Microwave Cooking

Follow-up post with recipes

Oleh Girl Yael has an electricity-challenged apartment, and her only reliable cooking appliance is her microwave. I dedicate this post to her.

Almost any food can be cooked in the microwave, once you learn the techniques.

I'm not an engineer so forgive me if my explanation of how the microwave works is not technically accurate. It's meant for the beginning home cook.

Microwaves work by radiating microwave energy into food. Microwave energy only heats up the moisture in the food, so dried foods may burn or explode. (I tried microwaving dried apricots once.) The waves pass through glass, ceramic, plastic and paper so these materials do not get hot, except via the food. Metal, however, deflects microwaves. You can keep one metal spoon in your food without causing damage, but not two, and I have read about a judicial use of foil.

Because microwaves only heat moisture they are more efficient than conventional ovens, which heat up everything in the vicinity. As the food cooks, the utensil and microwave get warm and even hot. But most of your precious energy dollars/shekalim go right into the food.

Microwaves heat food from the outside in, and it can take a while for the heat to penetrate. Food should be cooked in shallow utensils or stirred frequently. If there is no rotating turntable, food must be turned manually. Foods such as chicken parts must be turned from top to bottom and moved from the edge of the pan to the center and vice versa. Individual items like potatoes or cookies should be arranged in a circle.

Microwave power setting options are delineated in percents or High-Medium-Low. But the microwave really only has two settings, off and on. If you choose the highest power setting, High or 100%, the microwaves penetrate the food continuously. If your microwave has 1000 watts of power, you will be using all of those watts for the entire cooking time.

Microwaves using higher wattage cook food faster, but those with lower wattage work equally well. Whatever the wattage or setting, check to make sure food is cooked through. This applies to conventional methods of cooking as well.

If you choose the 80% setting, the microwave operates for 80% of the time and pauses for 20%. The food cooks more slowly and gently, because microwaved food continues to cook even when the microwaves have stopped waving. But I never use any setting other than High. If the food is delicate, like eggs, I check frequently and take the food out just before the egg is solid. In general food needs to be removed when it is slightly underdone, or it will overcook. Eggs will get rubbery.

I prefer a slow defrost in the refrigerator to the microwave, which warms up food as it defrosts. This attracts bacteria, so microwave-defrosted food must be cooked immediately. And why turn on an additional appliance? Defrosting the food in the fridge keeps the refrigerated food cold and saves on your electric bill.

Yael wanted some recipes, but they will have to wait until after Yom Tov (bli neder; I know I've been bad about promised posts). You can cook all manners of vegetables, meat, eggs, fish, legumes and grains in the microwave. You can even bake some items, especially if they are moist. You do need to acquire non-metal utensils that fit (and rotate) in your microwave. Chances are you already have glass bowls and tableware that are microwave-safe. When shopping, choose utensils that are safe for both microwave and conventional ovens.
Follow-up post with recipes

Cabbage shortage, excess RC

Religious junior and senior high schools start Sukkot vacation from Erev Yom Kippur. This year that means two extra days of vacation, today and Sunday. Sukkot vacation for the younger ones lasts ten days.

That means my 12- and 14-year-olds are busy cooking for Shabbat. The 14-year-old is baking "Chanukah Gelt Double Fudge Cake None Better," from Marcy Goldman's Jewish Holiday Cakes. It calls for flat soda. We happen to have two unopened bottles of RC from Pesach, but we'd have to make a lot of cake to use it up. (Please don't tell anyone I allowed this.) We are making it in a flat pan, with no layers and no frosting. Frosting around here is only for birthdays.

My son A, 12, is making burgul (what Americans called bulgur wheat), potatoes, chicken with vegetables, mayonnaise, and potato kugel. Some family members object if unadulterated potatoes do not appear on the table. A said that he like the feel of raw chicken, bless him. I have challah and soup from Erev Yom Kippur. And the sukkah is being built by my husband and various helpers, slowly but surely.

My sister-in-law invited us for the first day of Sukkot. I offered to bring challah and stuffed cabbage but we can't find cabbage and the stores are unlikely to be restocked on Sunday. That happens sometimes in a Jewish country. . .

My daughter and I just examined the RC supply. We found *four* bottles of the stuff, because I had bought a six-pack on sale. Until my daughter saw the bottles she didn't realize what they were (bilingual vocabulary issue). She belongs to an "anti-Coke" club in school; I hope she won't be expelled. She is also complaining that the RC is not really flat, but I think the recipe will come out fine. My teenage guests for Shabbat chol hamoed should be able to finish off the rest of the RC.

My mother z"l used to buy Coke on two occasions: For Pesach (along with chocolate), because she believed that people needed something sweet to make up for chametz deprivation; and for offering workers who came to the house. Now that I think about it, she kept a few bottles in the basement for that purpose. I guess she didn't worry about it getting flat.

Menu and cooking plan for Rosh Hashanah, meatball recipe

On Rosh Hashanah we eat four festive meals. Since this is my blog, I'm going to share how I organized the cooking.

I prefer not to cook in advance, as I like meat to be freshly cooked. Also, food that has been cooked and defrosted shouldn't be refrozen, so pre-freezing causes a problem with leftovers.

Last week I baked and froze the honey cake and challah. I found that wrapping frozen challah in foil ensures that it stays crisp during defrosting. Naturally, I reuse the foil. We also shopped. I used up the honey in the baking, and my friend offered me the extra jar she got as a gift from work.

Last night I asked my kids to peel a large quantity of carrots and onions -- I had already washed and dried parsley and celery. This morning I made meatballs (recipe below), matzah balls (we don't eat them on Pesach, but like them for Rosh Hashanah because of their shape), beet salad, and rice. This afternoon we'll polish the silver and make apple cake because my kids like those jobs, especially coring the apples. I'll make pancakes for supper, with some cooked nectarines that needed to be used up.

Tomorrow on erev Rosh Hashanah I plan to make fish, chicken, potatoes, chicken soup, carrot salad, coleslaw, and sweet potatoes. It sounds like a lot, but they are all simple recipes. If I get ambitious, I'll make a potato kugel. I decided to do the soup tomorrow afternoon so I won't have to worry about storing it until I have more room in the refrigerator. Since it's yom tov and not Shabbat, I have a later deadline. In the meantime the repairman says he'll come "batzaharayim," which means between 12 and 4 PM. Update #1: He arrived at 3PM.

My tentative menu is below. At each meal we also have wine, challah with honey, and cake.

We have guests on Monday evening, so I'll serve more items than usual:

• Apple dipped in honey
  
• Fish--whole fish baked in foil with rosemary and olive oil
• Soup with matzah balls
• Meat dishes, side dishes, and salads

Tuesday lunch:

• Melon as appetizer
  
• Meatballs
• Selection of salads and side dishes
  

Tuesday evening I would prefer to serve a dairy meal, but that means extra work and planning. Here is my compromise:

• New fruit: Pomegranates, oranges
  
• Apple with honey
• Salmon and salads. I'll take the salmon out of the freezer on Monday afternoon, and put it up to cook Tuesday night before washing the lunch dishes. We don't prepare for Tuesday evening until the first day of the holiday is officially over.
  
• Chicken soup
  
• For anyone who is still hungry (i.e. teenage boys), I put out chicken and potatoes.

Wednesday lunch:
If I still have soup and matzah balls, I'll serve it. If I see on Tuesday evening that the meat is dwindling, I can pull something out of the freezer to cook in the morning. This has never happened. I also serve out the foods that are running low in order to make room in the refrigerator.

My meatball recipe follows. It's flexible so feel free to experiment.

Ingredients:
2 tbsp. fresh parsley
1 kg ground beef or turkey, or a combination
2 eggs
1/4 cup bread crumbs or matza meal (I have a large quantity of failed challah for this purpose)
1 tbsp. prepared mustard
2 onions
1-2 carrots
Half a can tomato paste

Batter:
In a dry food processor, chop parsley using steel knife, add carrot and chop finely. Add ground meat, eggs, crumbs, and mustard. Mix well.

Sauce:
Chop onions in food processor. I made the batter in a separate bowl because my processor is pareve, so I didn't need to wash the processor bowl in between. Saute the onions for about five minutes, then add the tomato paste and whatever seasoning you like. I added some beet juice from the cooked beets--don't tell my kids. You will probably want to dilute the sauce some; it shouldn't be thick or sticky, nor should it be watery. I also added some cumin seeds and oregano.

When the sauce is boiling, form meatballs from the batter and drop them into the sauce. Don't worry if some balls are above the level of the sauce, as the sauce increases during cooking, and the meatballs will cook either way. Lower the flame and cook for 30-40 minutes. To check for doneness, cut a meatball in half and check that the juices run clear.

Update #2: The repairman said the motor needed to cool off, so he will return later. He left his gauge as an eravon (guarantee).

Four cooking days until Rosh Hashanah. . .

Israeli Kitchen has suggestions for Honey Challah and Honey Cake.

A visit with Abbi, and the bug in the challah dough

What I've been up to this week:

1. Met Commenter Abbi in the park. Her children are so sweet! (Sorry about the photo quality--I can't get through to Canon about repairing the camera.) I was glad for an excuse to get out of the house and socialize. On a related note, I don't understand how Israeli mothers manage to spend every afternoon in the park and still get their kids into bed at a reasonable hour.
2. Got a new closet installed, leading to a major reorganization of stuff. Anybody want lighting equipment the electrician had me buy when we moved in four years ago? The contractor had already bought the identical items. Thinking about that electrician still gives me palpitations. I once heard that Jews should never become politicians or electricians.
3. Baked challah with Mimi--I hope one of us will post more on this. While kneading the dough later in the afternoon my daughter (14) saw a bug jumping in, but we could not locate it. Whole bugs can't be nullified by 60 times the amount of kosher food, but since it's possible that the bug jumped out the rabbi said to go ahead and bake it.  Don't tell my Shabbat guests.
   
4. Held the first meeting of our new writing group, also with Mimi. Prepared the second.
   
5. Went chug-hopping with Y., my 7-year-old. (chugim = afterschool activities.) The pretentious science chug involved too much arts and crafts. I thought ju-jitsu would be the winner because of the climbing, crawling, and somersaulting, but Y pronounced it boring. Y chose basketball, the last chug we tried, and the cheapest. It's run by Elitzur, an organization that promotes sports in the religious community in Israel.
6. Took pictures at the shmitah store for an update. Fortunately, my camera decided to cooperate.I spoke to two farmers who happened to be visiting. Look for those post(s) next week.
7. Prepared a shiur on Ki Tavo, this week's Torah portion. I decided to examine previous mentions of maaser, tithing, in the Torah. There are three types of tithes: one for the Levites who guard the Temple, even though they are more famous for singing; one that the owners may consume but only in Jerusalem (they can also redeem it for cash to be spent on food in Jerusalem), and one for the poor including the stranger, widow and orphan.
8. Thought a lot about Rosh Hashana preparations. We don't go for pineapple kugel and honey chicken; spicy chicken and potatoes make my family happiest. We will also have sweet challah, honeycake, fish and matzah balls (because they are round).

Shabbat shalom.

My new toy + Chickpea patties

Of the three suitcases I brought home from my trip, one was heavy with my latest kitchen gadget--a cast-iron griddle. (The guitar didn't arrive on time; it's a long story.) After getting the griddle home it had to be toveled (immersed in the ritual bath), dried carefully, scrubbed and dried again, coated with oil, wrestled into the oven and seasoned for an hour. Letting it cool to room temperature took several hours, at which point I gave up on it for the lunch-time pancakes.

For supper I made patties out of chick-peas. My son asked if I planned to market them to the younger kids as felafel. How could he think such a thing? I put the patties on before the griddle heated completely, so the first batch stuck a bit. Shallow edges make flipping painless, and the large cooking surface means less time at the stove. The griddle takes a while to cool down, so you can turn of the gas well before you are finished. I added a bit of extra oil, although with cast-iron you supposedly need little or none. Non-stick properties increase with use.

Clean cast-iron cookware by wiping with a rag, or washing and reapplying a layer of oil. Occasionally the cookware must be reseasoned. Keep kids away from the stove while it cools.

I love it. I'm glad my sister advised me to shlep it despite the weight.

Chickpea Patties


Ingredients:

Handful of parsley or coriander (I didn't happen to have any, but would have made a big difference.)
1 onion
2 small stalks celery
3 cups cooked chickpeas
2 eggs
1/4 cup flour
1 tsp. salt
1-2 teaspoons cumin

Instructions:

Place dry parsley in dry food processor and chop until fine. Add vegetables and chop. Add remaining ingredients and grind until blended (be careful not to overprocess). Experiment by forming a patty; it should hold together. If too dry, add another egg or a bit of water. If too watery, add flour. I'm wondering if I shouldn't have made them with soaked, raw chickpeas instead of cooked. Form into patties and place on very hot griddle (or pan). Cook until brown on both sides.

Kosher Cooking Carnival #29: Pre-Passover Edition

Welcome to the April 7, 2008 edition of kosher cooking carnival.

Here are the previous editions:
#1,#2,#3,#4,#5,#6,#7,#8,#9,#10,#11,#12,#13,#14,#15,#16,#17,#18,
#19,#20,#21,KCCMetaCarnival,#22,#23,#24,#25,#26,#27.#28

Thanks to Batya for all of her hard work on the KCC. She will be hosting the May edition; WestBankMama in June. Contact Batya if you'd like to host. And thanks to all of the bloggers who contributed and submitted entries, including those who dragged out their Pesach cookbooks a little early.

Purim already seems like a long time ago, but you can save these for next year:

Learn about the traditional Purim food with The Origins of Hamentashen in Jewish Literature (Revisited) posted at the Seforim blog.

Yolanda Shoshana presents Cilantro Lime Rice posted at Kosher Soul Food. If you're sephardi you can make this for Pesach too.

Devo K presents Today's Photo posted at In the middle, on the right, about the challah she made for Purim.

Kreplach is another traditional food for Purim. The New York Times presents Missing Ingredient, Gone for Good - New York Times posted at NYT > Dining & Wine.

Keep this for the next time you're invited to a latke-hamantashen debate. Tip Diva presents Top Ten Tips - Winning The Debate posted at Tip Dude.

Getting rid of Chametz

Traditional Jews clear out their pantries to get rid of chametz (leavened foods) and make way for the Passover food.

If you still have flour you can try Ima shalom's Recipe Friday: Bread Machine Challah posted at Ima Shalom.

Sarah presents Sugar Snaps posted at ~ Sarah's View ~.

Got pita? Cosmic X presents Two Minute Pizza posted at ****** Cosmic X in Jerusalem ******.


Preparing for Pesach

This year Passover begins on Saturday evening, April 19 and continues through Saturday evening, April 26. Those outside of Israel observe an additional day, Sunday, April 27. This year the preparations for the festive Passover meal are more challenging because observant Jews must finish all of the preparations for Passover a day early because of the Sabbath.

The Rebbetzin's Husband presents Erev Pesach on Shabbat at
The Rebbetzin's Husband.

Dixie Yid presents Achieving Harmony at the Pesach Seder - Part 1 posted at Dixie Yid - Thoughts on life and Chassidus.

Tzipiyah presents Starting Pessah Cleaning posted at Tzipiyah.com.

Frumstepper presents Egypt and the 12 Steps posted at Frumstepper.

Here's something different: Skull-A-Day: 270. Matzo Skull A.K.A. The Skull of Affliction posted at Skull-A-Day.

If it's art you like check out Passover Postcards posted at DubiQuilts - Quilts and Fiber Arts.

Yolanda Shoshana presents Jewish Holiday Cooking posted at Kosher Soul Food.

Phyllis presents Ima on (and off) the Bima: It's That Time of Year Again... posted at Ima on (and off) the Bima.

Adena presents Passover is coming posted at MotherThoughts.

Toronto Pearl presents PPS*... posted at pearlies of wisdom.


Pesach—Kashrut and Customs

Batya presents Oy Gevalt, Kitniyot posted at Shiloh Musings.

Soccer Dad sent in Wall Street Journal tastes kosher (including Israeli) wines posted at HaKerem: The Israeli Wine Blog.

Frumhouse presents A Pesach Memory posted at Little Frumhouse on the Prairie. I think the alternative title should be "How to keep your kids from getting a shidduch."

ProfK presents To Brok or Not to Brok, That is The Question posted at Conversations in Klal.

David Linn presents Back to the Shmurah Matzah Bakery posted at Temunot.

Passover is a rough time for people with food allergies and sensitivities. Bythebay presents a New Source for Gluten-Free Oat Matzo posted at Gluten-Free Bay.


Pesach Recipes

If you are looking for something unusual check out Passover Preparations posted at Baroness Tapuzina.

Who would expect to find beef with kosher-for-Passover beer at a blog called Kosher Vegan Lasagna? You'll find that and more at Pesach Recipes.

Ilana-Davita presents Salmon in Curry Sauce posted at Ilana-Davita.

Yolanda Shoshana presents Kosher Soul Food: Passover the recipes... posted at Kosher Soul Food.

Ariella Brown presents Pesach recipes -- desserts, main, and sides all gebrokts posted at Kallah Magazine: the blog for the magazine.

Robin presents Turning up the heat - Passover Recipes posted at Around The Island.

triLcat presents Pesach Food posted at triLcat Talks about Writing, Literature, and Her Life..


Leora presents One Potato, Two Potato posted at Here in HP.

ProfK presents Where Pesach is, there Recipes Also Reside posted at Conversations in Klal.

frumhouse presents Bat Ami Yiffat Laila Yemenite Charoset Recipe For Passover - Pesach posted at Bat Ami Yiffat Laila...Means...Daughter of my People Beauty as the morning dawn

Schelly presents Carrot-Coconut Vichyssoise at Preparing for Passover posted at Tracing the Tribe: The Jewish Genealogy Blog.

sylvia_rachel presents Soup! posted at The Trailing Edge.

Raggedy Mom presents Two Pesach Recipes posted at Raggedy Mom.


Pesach Desserts

Leora presents Sponge Cake Recipe posted at Here in HP.

Jewish Blogmeister presents Kosher For Passover: Fancy Desserts: Easy Recipes posted at Jewish Blogmeister.

Steven presents Matzos that’s SOFT?!? posted at Renegade Kosher Cooking.

Ilana-Davita presents My Pesach Chocolate Cake posted at Ilana-Davita.

Tzvee presents Bernice's Favorite Pesach Recipe: Peach Kugel posted at Tzvee's Blog.

sylvia_rachel presents Two Pesachdik dessert recipes posted at The Trailing Edge.


Not about Passover:

I'll end with a few posts not connected to any holiday:

Saifuddin presents Turkish Red Lentil Soup (Mercimek Çorbasi) posted at Hakim Abdullah.

Jenny gives us a way to Share The Food You Love posted at the so called me.

Esther provides an alternative KCC at MY URBAN KVETCH: The Jewish Blogger Recipe Virtual Collective posted at MY URBAN KVETCH.

Going to Paris? Check out Food/ Kosher in Paris, 2008 posted at Michel Gurfinkiel.

Ibn mordechai talks about waiting between meat and dairy at Do We Have to Wait? posted at Da Kani Ma Chaser?.

Steven presents Kinda Renegade Coffee posted at Renegade Kosher Cooking.

Wishing you all a joyful, meaningful, kosher and delicious holiday.

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of
kosher cooking carnival
using our carnival submission form.

Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

Technorati tags: kosher cooking carnival, blog carnival.

Turning up the Heat--In the Kosher Kitchen

Update: I noted below who was already "yotzei." I received many fantastic contributions from a variety of blogs; if you got a receipt you can assume yours arrived. Please try to get it in by late Saturday night.

In my previous post I wrote about strengthening our local community. Now I am offering you a chance to strengthen your cyber-community.

On April 7 I will be hosting the next Kosher Cooking Carnival. Thanks to those who have submitted posts already, especially Frumhouse, who located a slew of interesting Pesach posts from a variety of blogs.

If recipes aren't your thing, you can submit a post on Pesach preparations, kashrut, Pesach memories, food traditions and more.

I'm naming names! We're looking forward to your contribution.

Ima Shalom (consider this a joint invitation)
Ill Call Baila
Therapy Doc
Juggling Frogs (Come back, please)
Hydrangeas are Pretty
Trilcat
Leora yotzei! (obligation fulfilled)
Frumhouse yotzei!
Sephardi Lady
Pesky Settler (who submitted a chametzdik post)
ProfK yotzei!
Raggedy Mom
Aidel Maidel
Around the Island
Mommy's Going Meshuggeneh
Ima on (and off) the Bima yotzei!
Sylvia-Rachel
Jameel
Rafi
Soccer Dad
Jack (There's your link and my request.)
Kallah yotzei!
West Bank Mama
Emahs
Safranit
Square Peg
Coffee and Chemo
My Shrapnel
Lion of Zion
Raanana Ramblings

It's Friday (despite the date of the post) so I'll stop here but please consider this a personal invitation, even if I didn't mention you.

If you like you can paste the following straight into your blog--see how easy I made it for you? I hope it works--Blogger wouldn't let me paste in the actual html.

A Mother in Israel will be hosting the next Kosher Cooking Carnival on April 7, so get cooking! Topics will include Pesach recipes, kashruth on Pesach, preparing for Pesach, Purim accomplishments and recipes for getting rid of hametz. And anything else relating to kosher cooking. You can submit your own posts here, as well as any other posts you would like to recommend. Check out the most recent one, KCC #28 over at Frumhouse. Special thanks to Batya, who organizes the whole thing.

28th Kosher Cooking Carnival

The 28th Kosher Cooking Carnival- Dayenu edition is up at Frumhouse. I'll be hosting the next one on April 7, so get cooking! Topics will include Pesach recipes, Purim accomplishments and recipes for getting rid of hametz. And anything else relating to kosher cooking. You can submit your own posts here, as well as any other posts you would like to recommend.

And I suggest checking out Haveil Havalim:The Almost Purim Edition over at Jack's Shack.

Is homemade food worth the effort?

Reading the ingredients on purchased food spoils my appetite. Even canned tomato paste now contains fructose, making it taste like catsup. (Luckily I can still find the "pure" variety.) And I don't like to think about what's in food from restaurants, bakeries, and caterers. When I see borekas I just think "transfat."

I also don't enjoy paying for extras like starches, sugars, artificial colors, preservatives, and more.

That's why I avoid a slew of Israeli staples, including soup mixes, catsup, breakfast cereals, soy shnitzel, soup nuts, soft drinks, flavored yogurts, puddings, and snack foods (yes, you can entertain without serving Bisli). Mayonnaise used to be on the list, until I gave in to one of my children who prefers the jarred stuff. I won't share the ingredients of this item, which does have that stand-up-by-itself texture mine lacks.

Some commenters mentioned that they find it cheaper to buy applesauce than to make it. I haven't priced store-bought applesauce in a while, since we don't eat it regularly. But five or ten extra shekel for a homemade Chanukah treat is worth it for me.

A lot of things I make from scratch may not be more economical, gram per gram. I use canola instead of cheaper soy or corn oil. Whole-grain flour is a lot more expensive than the subsidized pasty white stuff. But savings on whole grains, fruits and vegetables, all very cheap in Israel (when it's not shmitta), make up for those costs. Also, what's not "worth it" for a small family can make a significant difference for a large one.

What about the cost of my time? Well, I consider money saved by cooking from scratch as part of my income, tax- and childcare-free. And cooking healthy food doesn't have to mean hours and hours in the kitchen, as I mentioned in an earlier post. In fact, a recent study compared meal-prep times between two groups of two-career couples: those cooking from scratch and those relying on convenience foods.The ones who bought prepared foods didn't save time because they tended to make more elaborate meals.

One family made a simple meal of sandwiches and edamame, using bread, cheese, greens and salmon and tomatoes. That meal took about a half-hour to prepare. Another family had a six-dish convenience-food meal of microwave barbecued ribs, macaroni and cheese, prebagged salad, bagged dinner rolls and a cookies and ice cream dessert. That meal also took a half-hour.

I had to look up edemame, but not in my Webster's. (It's amazing how many ethnic food items, like quesadillas, have become mainstream in the seventeen years since I left the US.) It won't be on my table anytime soon. Then I read this bizarre statement:

The study authors noted that the biggest time savings of convenience foods may be at the grocery store, where it's faster to grab a frozen entree than to collect six separate ingredients to make the same dish from scratch.

Well, that might be true if you're shopping for only one meal at a time. It didn't occur to the clueless study authors that four or five of the six ingredients would be used for several meals. I imagine that those who rely on convenience foods make more trips to the store because (a) they don't have room to store all those bulky packages for more than a few days and (b) they are unable to improvise when they run out of a particular item.

I have another question about this study, which says that Americans spend 22 minutes on a grocery-shopping trip. Are American stores really so efficient? Twenty-two minutes doesn't leave much time for reading ingredients and comparing prices, either.

Some convenience foods don't save any time, like matza balls from a mix. I tease one of my friends about using it because matzah balls only contain eggs, matzah meal, salt and maybe a little oil--once you are getting the bowl dirty there's no advantage to the mix. Of course the mix contains all kinds of things that make the matzah balls fluffy.

Even so the mix is probably healthier than Robin's recipe containing six tablespoons of margarine. Try her recipe for ribollita, the ultimate winter stew, instead.

I can relax a bit now that our annual family Chanukah party is over. We used Carolyn's idea for Chanukah magnets, impressing my guests.

New blog posts can be found at A Mother in Israel.

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Microwave apple/pear sauce

My son called from yeshiva to make sure I would be serving latkes and applesauce when he comes home tomorrow. Homemade applesauce is easy to make, especially if you can find someone to peel the apples. My husband bought apples with brown spots in the shuk just for that purpose, and they waited in the fridge for a victim available child. A, my 11yo, peeled all 14 apples in two sittings.

An addition of a few ripe pears will keep people guessing; I didn't use any this time. We did use a gadget that cores and cuts the fruit into eight slices simultaneously. Put the slices in a bowl of (diluted) lemon juice to keep the apples from turning brown, in case you get interrupted or your peeling staff is slow.

Pour out the lemon juice and put the slices into a microwave-proof bowl; slices don't have to be even. The bowl should be big enough so that the juice doesn't boil over, even though this isn't generally a problem with apples (but could be with pears). Cook them on high for about a minute per apple, stirring every few minutes until the fruit is soft.

Run the fruit through a food processor, but not too much; I like the sauce to have some texture. You could also mash it with a fork. Add cinnamon and lemon juice to taste. We don't add sugar. The sauce freezes well, but I prefer to keep it for up to a week in a sealed container in the refrigerator.

Oh, and if you're looking for a latke recipe, I use the same batter as for potato kugel.

Enjoy and happy Chanukah.

What's for dinner?

My friend Shoshana once told me that she found women's conversations about food and recipes to be incredibly boring. "What's the big deal -- you buy food and you cook it. Don't women have anything else to talk about?" Only when she got married did she understand the challenge of planning menus from start to finish.

Comments to my last post on cooking indicate that even experienced homemakers have trouble coming up with ideas for daily meals. I'm opening the floor for suggestions. Here are my guidelines:

• Kosher, of course!
• The menu/dish should consist of mainly unprocessed, inexpensive ingredients readily available in Israel.
• Meat should not be the focus, i.e. chicken and potatoes is out but chili that includes ground turkey, or a casserole using leftover chicken are acceptable. In fact, anything incorporating leftovers gets extra virtual points!
  
• Baked, cooked or microwaved--not fried.
• Kid-friendly.
  
• Nutritious, preferably including whole grains, legumes, and/or vegetables.
  
• Limited amounts of oil and fatty cheese.
  
• Quick to prepare, or containing elements that can be prepared in advance.
  

Feel free to post ideas, recipes and links in the comments.