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Kallah Magazine is pleased to present this special feature presented by Levana Kirschenbaum of the famous Levana Restaurant in Manhattan and author of Levana's Table. To learn about her cooking lessons and her books, call 212-874-6100 or check out her website at http://www.levanakcooks.com for more information. You can access her blog at http://levanacooks.blogspot.com/
Think You Don't Have Time to Cook? Levana Has the Solution: In Short Order.
Being a kallah involves more than
picking out the patterns of dinnerware; the dinner doesn’t get on the plates by
itself. A central
In the DVD, Levana prepares over 30 recipes that include main dishes, soups, appetizers, sauces, dressings, drinks, and desserts on the spot, illustrating how many different delicious results can be produced by following the principles of In Short Order. When my daughters watched with me, they wished they had been part of the live audience at the demo because they got to taste so many fabulous dishes prepared right before their eyes. The recipes in this book and DVD are not the traditional single approach to preparing a specific dish but guiding principles of how adaptable a single recipe can be. For example, Levana shows how something quick and easy like crêpes can yield so many variations. She begins by presenting the very simple recipe for the basic crêpe batter. Then she proceeds to show how the basic can be transformed . The filling options show how amazingly versatile crêpes can be, from the basic jam, cheese, or fruit filling to a topping of caviar, as well as additions of savory herbs, delicious and nutrition-packed fillings of spinach, vegetables, or chicken. She are offers even more adaptations in the book with options to modify the crêpe batter for a dessert and for an eggs-free diet.
Levana shows the same versatility combined with utter simplicity in her 1-2-3 chicken dishes with fish variations. If you are tired of bland or dried out chicken and are looking for an easy, no-fail approach, this is just perfect. I’ve already made the garlic chicken and a potato version, both of which were prepared quickly and finished quickly by my family. She also includes the directions for making this dish with celery, mushroom, fennel, sweet potato, or Swiss chard. The chicken is made with no added fat at all, but produces a wonderfully flavorful gravy. Fish lovers just need to add a bit of olive oil and salt and reduce the cooking time.
.“Whenever there is an opportunity to save cooking or prepping time and still eat well with minimal or no loss of nutrition, I am the first to take it,” Levana declares. Everyone wants to save time, but the key here is to know what type of shortcuts work and what causes greater losses in taste, nutrition, or cost than saving. Levana’s methods show the right way do the minimum to maximize results in both nutrition and flavor. This book clearly explains what to avoid and what to do:
Don’t compromise on the quality of the ingredients; avoid imitation flavors and other foods altered from their natural state.
Don’t use mixes.
Don’t buy prepared foods, dressings, or sauces; you can make your own so easily.
Don’t buy individual packets marketed for your convenience.
Don’t buy grated cheese; you get added cost with diminished flavor.
Do keep your kitchen stocked with key ingredients you need to whip up a meal in no time.
Do use frozen fruits and vegetable to cut prep time when preparing soups and smoothies.
Do use quality frozen fish.
Do make sauces and dressing ahead of time to have on hand.
Do time your cooking to your advantage.
Do equip your kitchen with the right types of pots, pans, and other tools.
Do use a crock pot to have dinner ready and waiting for you.
Do use a food processor to cut down prep time for chopping, slicing, and grating.
For those who are concerned about their consumption of fats and unnecessary calories, there is comprehensive nutrition guide that covers not only the calories and total fat for each item but break up the information into saturated fat, mono –unsaturated fat, poly-unsaturated fat, as well as the cholesterol, carbohydrate, protein, fiber, and sodium content. Fish may be fish, but your first choice of fish may have ten time the fat as another variety. How you cook it makes a difference too, as you can see by comparing the numbers for the breaded and fried option with those of the broiled. Plus, Levana offer an approach to eating sensibly in her “own diet tools,” included in her chapter called “The Basics.” She sums it up as follows: “The single greatest diet and nutrition tool is behavior modification, and the single greatest behavior modification tool consists in acquiring a better knowledge of – and establishing a relationship with – what we are ingesting, for our sake, as well as that of everyone entrusted in our care.” This book is the first step toward acquiring that knowledge and establishing that relationship to make food that is both good to eat and good for us.
Want to know the secret to perfectly cooked, moist chicken? It’s all in the technique, as Levana explains in this excerpt that demonstrates the approach to virtually effortless cooking of In Short Order.
Make-ahead sauces for roast salmon or chicken No store bought condiment or dressing comes anywhere close to these homemade ones. Make the following preparations whenever you have just a few minutes at your disposal, they will last you days, even weeks—provided you never ever double-dip (shudder!)—and will enhance the plainest piece of fish, chicken or meat. Use a different condiment and get different results each time. This, by the way, is what I do every weekday at home.
I assure you that even if you don’t have on hand any of these condiments, you will still do very well serving the dish totally unadorned or with just a dollop of Dijon mustard, à la Française. Nothing added will beat adding the wrong thing each time. For example: throwing in a bouillon cube, bottled dressing, or garlic powder, my nemesis. Recently at a demo someone asked “If I run out of garlic powder, can I settle for fresh?” Need I say more?
Harissa: For hot food lovers only! It leaves store-bought versions in the dust. Makes about 3 cups. 3/4 cup red pepper flakes 2 cups very hot water 1 bunch cilantro, stems off. 1 cup tightly packed. 1 head garlic, cloves separated and peeled 1 cup olive oil 1 1/4 cups paprika 3 tablespoons cumin Salt and pepper to taste Soak the pepper flakes in the water and set aside while you get all other ingredients ready. Place all remaining ingredients in a food processor and grind fine. Add red pepper flake mixture and grind a few more seconds. Store in a glass jar.
Cocktail sauce: Low in calorie and very high in flavor, it goes beautifully with smoked turkey or poached chicken breasts. Makes about 2 cups. 1 cup ketchup 1/2 cup Dijon mustard 1/2 cup prepared white horseradish Mix all ingredients and store refrigerated in a glass jar.
Wasabi sauce: I love the clean taste of wasabi and all Asian ingredients, always so lean and so intensely flavored. Makes about 1 cup. 1/4 cup wasabi powder 2 tablespoons sugar or a non caloric dry equivalent (splenda, stevia, etc. ) 1 cup low fat mayonnaise (or 1/2 pound silken tofu plus 1/4 cup olive oil) Salt and pepper to taste Place all ingredients in a food processor, and process until smooth. Store refrigerated in a glass jar.
Olive sauce: How could you miss with such a great flavor lineup? Enjoy it even by itself on some good toasted bread. Good olives, please!
1/2 cup pitted Moroccan or other good black olives 1 cup basil leaves, packed 6 large cloves garlic 1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes, rinsed, packed 1/4 cup capers 1/2 cup olive oil 2 tablespoons wine vinegar Ground pepper to taste Cream all ingredients in a food processor. Store in a glass jar in refrigerator. Makes one pint.
You can use these sauces as dips to any cut up vegetables, raw or steamed or to add some zing to your regular sandwich fillings. These condiments also perfectly complement fish, London broil, and chicken. Try them out with the main dishes below:
Roast salmon: Preheat the oven at 500ºF. Roast a whole side of salmon, skin off, bones out, 20 minutes. For salmon slivers or steaks, roast 12 minutes at 450ºF. Alternatively, heat a few drops olive oil in a nonstick skillet, and when it is very hot, add the salmon slivers or steaks, and sauté 2-3 minutes on each side.
Seared tuna: Heat a few drops olive oil in a nonstick skillet and let it get really hot. Sprinkle sea salt and coarsely ground pepper on both sides of inch-thick tuna steaks, and sear 1-2 minutes on each side. Let the steaks cool briefly, then slice them thinly against the grain.
Roasted tilapia: I just love tilapia: delicious, economical, widely available, lean, nutritious. What more should we ask for? Preheat the oven to 375ºF, spray the fillets on each side with vegetable spray and place them in a pan just large enough to fit them snuggly. Bake about 20 minutes. Alternatively, heat a few drops olive oil in a skillet, and when it is very hot, add the fillets and sauté 1-2 minutes on each side.
London broil: About 1 1/2 pounds, 1 inch thick (butterflied minute roast will work perfectly too). Preheat the broiler. Place the meat in a pan just wide enough to fit it snuggly. Broil directly under the flame, 7 to 8 minutes on each side for medium rare, a little less for rare. If you like it well done, please don’t choose a steak dinner, it just comes out too tough and uninteresting!
Roast chicken: The “nothing” chicken, my kids still call it after all these years, their favorite. Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Place a 3 1/2 pound chicken breast side down, in a baking pan just large enough to fit it snuggly, and bake 1 hour. Turn the chicken over, breast side up, and roast another 15 minutes. If you are using chicken parts, keep it at the same temperature, 45 minutes skin side down, plus 15 minutes skin side up. Don’t worry if you can’t serve it hot. It is delicious at room temperature too.
Poached chicken breasts: The best ever, moist and plump. The secret is to 1. leave them thick, no flattening or pounding; 2. not bring them to boiling point but cook them in gently simmering water so they don’t toughen; and 3. not overcook them so they don’t toughen and dry out. Remember, the residual heat left in them will complete what little cooking is missing, so don’t worry if you can still see a drop of pink in the center, it will disappear and cook to perfection. Bring water to boil in a saucepan. Turn the flame to medium-low, add the chicken cutlets, and cook covered about 15 minutes.
One more way to get perfect chicken breasts: Preheat the oven to 375ºF, place the cutlets in a baking dish just wide enough to fit them snuggly, cover tightly with foil and bake 30 minutes, or a drop more, until most of the center is no longer pink.
In Short Order, as well as Levana’s other cookbooks can be ordered directly from Levana’s website: www.levanacooks.com. For orders of large quantities or for fundraisers, please email levana@levanacooks.com.
Levana Kirschenbaum is co-owner of the upscale Levana restaurant, located on the Upper West Side. She is a master chef and a cooking teacher, and gets countless devoted fans for her fearless, practical and nutritious approach to cooking. A native of Morocco, she draws on extensive international culinary influences to develop wonderful whole-foods dishes. She gives weekly cooking demos at her classroom at Lincoln Square Synagogue, and gets cooking demo engagements around the country. She has published "Levana's Table: kosher cooking for everyone," "Levana Cooks Dairy-Free!” and the book-DVD set based on her demo series, "In Short Order". Go onto her website to find out more about Levana, www.levanacooks.com , or e-mail her at levana@levanacooks.com
Delightful Summer Dishes
Dreading the heat generated by heating devices during the dog days of summer? Or dreading the heavy, cholesterol laden fare of the usual barbecue? Ah, this is when our creativity comes to the rescue, and rewards us with a feast. Cold foods, when properly and imaginatively composed, are so wonderful that I have no qualms whatsoever serving them a good part of the spring and all summer, even in the comfort of my own kitchen, to distinguished company. The feeling of settling for a cold meal is totally foreign to me and, it seems, to all my guests and students who clamor for more such menus. I just know I can’t miss with some guidelines foremost in mind when matching flavors - seasonal; colorful; vibrant; assertive; light; low maintenance. Fresh cold foods render pesky Shabbos heating pads totally superfluous, allowing room only for the unobtrusive crockpot for those who must have their cholent, and leaving the house and those dining there nice and cool.
Needless to say, as always when composing recipes and menus, I only have eyes for whole foods, so I end up with happy and grateful guests. I give demos on cold foods all the time, and the following dishes are some of my great favorites. The best part is they are so simple to prepare.
QUINOA WITH SUN-DRIED TOMATOES AND OLIVES
Where has quinoa been all our lives? It has been around for ever, and is a staple in many parts of the world like South America. Only recently has it gained a more dignified place in this country. Not a grain in the strict sense of the term, it is permissible on Pesach, an allowance I totally cash in on. There is nothing I don’t make with it, crepes, soup, salads, you name it, even cookies. Make sure you rinse it very well, to rid it of the saponin, a natural product farmers spray on it to keep the birds (who also appreciate the taste of quinoa) away. Please note I have not listed salt in my ingredients, as the dish has enough salty ingredients in it to amply season the dish.
2 cups quinoa (health food stores) 3 cups water 1 cup dry white wine 1/4 cup olive oil 1 large onion 4 large cloves garlic 1 bunch flat parsley 1/2 sun dried tomatoes, packed, rinsed, squeezed dry and cut into slivers 1/2 cup niçoise olives, or other very good quality olives, the smaller the better. 3 tablespoons capers 1/4 cup basil leaves, packed, cut into ribbons Ground pepper to taste
Place quinoa in fine-mesh strainer. Rinse under cold water thoroughly, mixing constantly with your fingers, until the water runs clear. Let drain. Bring the water and wine to boil in a heavy pot. Add the drained quinoa, reduce the flame to medium and cook, covered, about 15 minutes, or until all liquids are absorbed and each grain starts opening slightly, showing a little white “bud”. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a heavy pot. Coarsely grind the onion, garlic and parsley, and add to the oil. Sauté until translucent. Add the tomatoes, olives, capers, basil and pepper, and sauté 1-2 more minutes. Add this mixture to the quinoa and toss thoroughly. Serve hot.
ICED MINTED HONEYDEW AND KIWI SOUP.
I recently got no ends of compliments for a delightful bracelet I bought at some flea market, and the best part of the thrill is, I paid for it a price too ridiculously low to disclose. I feel very much the same way with this luxurious soup, which requires no cooking, gets whipped up in minutes, and tastes and looks as if you had slaved on it. If you think you won’t have time to chill the soup, then start with very cold ingredients, but do not add ice cubes, which will dilute the taste!
1 large honeydew melon, peeled, seeded and cubed 6 kiwis, peeled and halved 1/2 cup fresh lime juice 1/2 cup mint leaves, packed 1/4 cup maple syrup, or a little more to taste 3 cups white grape juice
Blend all ingredients in batches in a blender or food processor until smooth. Add a little more grape juice if it needs a little thinning. Chill. Serve topped with a slice of lime and a sprig of mint.
BLACKENED LONDON BROIL OVER MIXED GREENS
You will love this spice mixture on lots of other goodies: chicken breasts, salmon, tuna, tofu, Portobello, so go ahead and make a larger batch, and refrigerate the unused portion. You will be delighted to find it all ready for you when preparing your next meal. Only I beg you, do not put any salt in it, so you can use it freely on your meat dishes. You can always add salt where needed.
Blackened spice mixture: 6 large cloves garlic. 3 tablespoons paprika. 1/2 teaspoon cayenne, or more, to taste 1 tablespoon cumin. 1 tablespoon oregano. 3 bay leaves Ground pepper to taste. 3 tablespoons fine cornmeal 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 London broil, about 1” thick, 2 1/2 to 3 pounds
Grind all spices. Process ingredients in a food processor until a smooth paste forms. Coat the meat in the spice mixture, using it all up. Wrap the meat in plastic and marinate overnight, or at least 2 hours.
Preheat broiler. Broil close to the flame, about 7 minutes on each side. Meat will be medium rare. Let the meat rest 10 minutes, then slice thinly on a bias. Serve on top of your favorite mixed greens very lightly tossed with a little olive oil and cider vinegar. No need to do more with your greens; the meat is highly seasoned.
SALMON MOUSSE
This dish was born on the day I ruined the fish course for a large dinner by using a tiny and cute but treacherously hot pepper. (Habanero: I still shudder at the mere mention of the name!) Rather than sit and cry at the thought of the beautiful dish I had to discard, I carefully scanned my pantry and my refrigerator. This recipe is a real showcase for the wizardry of the food processor and is a rare case where I use canned foods, not to save money but to get something natural and fantastic in a pinch. I love the canned salmon. Just be certain that it is red salmon. And make sure the tuna is solid white. Don’t even say a word about the anchovies, and don’t cringe at the idea of using the skin and bones; they will disappear, leaving only the lovely smooth gelatinous texture we want for all molded dishes. Your ingredients must be bone-dry or you will end up with a runny mess.
1 1/2 cups all-natural potato flakes (health food stores) 3/4 cup hot water 1 15-ounce pound can red salmon, drained and squeezed thoroughly dry 1 6-ounce can solid white tuna packed in oil, undrained 1 2-ounce can flat anchovy filets, thoroughly rinsed and squeezed dry 1 8-ounce container Tofutti cream cheese 2 roasted red peppers, bottled ok, patted thoroughly dry 6 sprigs dill, fronds and stems 1/2 small red onion 2 tablespoons green peppercorns, drained and patted dry 1 tablespoon lemon zest 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1 tablespoon paprika Good pinch cayenne Good pinch nutmeg
Mix the flakes with the boiling water in a bowl. Quickly mix with a fork until the flakes lose their dry look; the mixture will resemble play dough. Transfer the potato mixture to a food processor with all other ingredients. Grind the mixture, in batches if necessary, to a perfectly smooth paste. Cream all ingredients in a food processor until very smooth. Pour into a greased mold lined with plastic, or simply pour directly into the bowl you will be serving the mousse in. Chill thoroughly. If you used a mold, lift the plastic gently by the sides, the loaf will come right out. Invert onto a platter and peel off the plastic. Slice or spread on bread or crackers, garnished with capers or gherkins
BLUEBERRY CAKE WITH ALMOND STREUSEL
All of you readers whom we used to summer with in the Catskills all those years, I can see your smile. How many batches of this delightful cake have we made? No, I don’t feel too old (yet!) to go blueberry-picking and running home with the loot for eating out of hand, or making soup, cake and vinegar. I am going yet again, with a straw hat on my head and a pail on my arm, one day this summer G-d willing with some other blueberry addicts: Yum! Please use a real, not disposable, cake pan, and enjoy the immense difference. My daughter just told me when I said I hope she used a real pan for a cake she recently made: “Come on, Mommy, I am your daughter, how can I possibly use a disposable pan?” Way to go!
3/4 cup oil 1 1/2 cups sugar 4 eggs 1 tablespoon baking powder 1 tablespoon grated orange zest 3 cups all purpose flour (whole wheat pastry or spelt OK) 2 tablespoons triple sec, kirsch or cassis (liquor stores) 3 cup blueberries, perfectly dry
Streusel almond topping: 1/2 cup almonds 1/4 cup oil 1/2 cup flour 1/4 cup brown sugar 2 teaspoons cinnamon.
Preheat oven to 350 ºF. Grease and flour a 10” tube pan, or an 11x14 pan. Cream oil, sugar and eggs in a food processor until light and fluffy. Add all ingredients except blueberries, and pulse 3-4 times, until just combined. Transfer to a mixing bowl. Very gently mix the blueberries in with a spoon. Pour into the prepared pan. Grind the streusel ingredients in a food processor until the mixture looks like coarse meal. Sprinkle over the cake, using it all up. Bake about one hour, or until a knife inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
Levana Kirschenbaum is co-owner of the upscale Levana restaurant, located on the Upper West Side. She is a master chef and a cooking teacher, and gets countless devoted fans for her fearless, practical and nutritious approach to cooking. A native of Morocco, she draws on extensive international culinary influences to develop wonderful whole-foods dishes. She gives weekly cooking demos at her classroom at Lincoln Square Synagogue, and gets cooking demo engagements around the country. She has published "Levana's Table: kosher cooking for everyone", "Levana Cooks Dairy-Free!” and a pamphlet-dvd set based on her demo series called "In Short Order". Go onto her website to find out more about Levana, www.levanacooks.com , or e-mail her at levana@levanacooks.com
Don't Skip Dessert.
I refuse to talk about diet desserts, or diet anything for that matter. Isn’t diet on my mind, just as it is on everyone’s? Yes, naturally. Constantly. As a food chemist of sorts, I constantly ask myself the same questions, and it is these questions - and the answers I come up with - that are my constant guide for developing healthy dishes.
The rewards of bringing such an “honest” mindset to bear when you set out to cook and bake are infinite, and will become second nature to you. We are satisfied after a reasonable helping of something genuine and wholesome and, having hit the spot, we stop searching: it is true of all things in life, and of course food is no exception. Naturally less addictive because they contain much less sugar, fat, and salt, homemade and healthy desserts are much superior in every way imaginable. Remember, a finished homemade product made from real ingredients is always much greater than the sum of its parts, however modest.
CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES
Best quality chocolate please! No heimish brands: I won’t name them out of some solidarity for my fellow merchants, but I trust you will recognize them, and ignore them. In a pinch, price club brands are ok. Shmerling, Poulain, Noblesse, Suchard, Callebaut are all excellent choices.
Makes about 3 dozen truffles.
1/2 cup natural margarine (no transfats, un-hydrogenated: health food stores) 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips or chopped chocolate. 1/4 cup cocoa powder 1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar1/2 cup soy milk powder, whisked with 1/2 cup soy milk until smooth1 egg yolk 1/3 cup brandy, rum or bourbon
Melt margarine, chocolate chips, cocoa powder, sugar and soy mixture on very low flame until just melted. (microwave o.k. 2 minutes). Add the egg yolk and brandy and mix until incorporated. Refrigerate the mixture until set, 2-3 hours. Shape into little balls and roll into cocoa powder.
Variations: · Flavor with crème de cassis, peppermint extract or instant coffee powder to taste instead of brandy or rum · Add coarsely chopped hazelnuts or pecans to the mixture · Add 1/2 cup all-fruit seedless raspberry jelly to the mixture · Replace the margarine with 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter · Place a toasted hazelnut in the center of each truffle · Roll the truffles in melted chocolate, or finely chopped toasted nuts instead of cocoa powder
APPLE APRICOT BREAD PUDDING
Comfort food revisited. Yum! Makes 16 ample servings.
1 sliced pound loaf wheat-free bread (health food stores) 2 1/2 cups soy milk, or other dairy-free milk (rice, oat, almond) 4 eggs 2 cups all-fruit apricot jam (such as Fior Di Frutta or Brad’s organic) 1/2 cup vegetable oil 1/4 cup rum or brandy 1 cup golden raisins 1 tablespoon vanilla extract (or a few drops maple or caramel extract) 4 granny smith apples, unpeeled, quartered, cored and grated in the food processor
Preheat the oven to 375*. Mix all ingredients except the apples in a mixing bowl thoroughly, mushing up the bread with your hands as you go to allow it to soak up all the flavors. Gently stir in the apples with a spoon, taking care not to extract their moisture. Transfer the batter into a greased 10 inch tube or spring form pan. Bake 1 hour, or a little more, until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Best served warm, alone, with a scoop of coconut sorbet, or with maple sauce (recipe follows)
Maple rum sauce: 1 cup maple syrup 1/4 cup soy milk powder, mixed with 1/2 cup cold water 1/4 cup rum
Bring all the ingredients to a boil in a small saucepan. Reduce the heat to medium, and cook for about 5 minutes. Let the sauce cool before storing in a glass jar. Makes about 1 cup.
INDIAN COCONUT ALMOND CUSTARD
Tapioca: I predict a great future – or comeback, to be exact- for tapioca in the US, just as other parts of the world have been enjoying its great versatility, emulsifying and gelling powers for centuries. Tapioca is the ground product of the Brazilian cassava root, so essential to cooking and baking in South American countries. Here too, it is very easy to find in every way, shape or form: flour, quick- cooking pearls, small pearls, large pearls, you name it. I use it quite often because it gives me the creamy texture I want without getting cloudy or gummy, and has no objectionable taste whatsoever. It is easily found in health food stores.
Makes 10 small servings
3 cups coconut milk 3 cups soy milk 1/4 cup tapioca flour, mixed with 1/2 cup water until smooth 1 cup ground almonds 1 cup sugar 1/4 teaspoon salt Good pinch saffron 1 tablespoon orange flower water 1 teaspoon cardamom or cinnamon Pinch ground cloves 1/2 cup golden raisins
Put the milks to heat in a deep saucepan. When it is very hot, reduce the heat to low. Add all remaining ingredients and whisk the mixture. Cover and cook 20 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature, in a serving bowl or in individual cups.
GRILLED FRUIT ON SKEWERS WITH RUM SAUCE
Of course feel free to substitute any fruit that appeals to you: mango, orange, papaya, pear. Choose all your fruit medium-ripe. Makes about 2 dozen skewers
1/2 pineapple, peeled, cored and cut in 2 inch cubes 2 cups strawberries, hulled 2 bananas, cut in inch cubes 6 stone fruit such as apricots, plums, peaches, cut into thick wedges 4 kiwis, cut into 2 inch cubes
Marinade: 1 cup pineapple juice Juice of 1 lemon 1 2 inch piece ginger, minced 1/2 cup coconut milk 3 tablespoons rum or brandy 1/4 cup honey Dash ground pepper
Soak 2 dozen wooden skewers in cold water while you prepare the dish. Preheat the grill or broiler. Arrange a selection of cut fruit on skewers. Place all skewers in a pan just large enough to contain them in one layer. Combine all marinade ingredients, and pour over the fruit. Marinate 30 minutes. Remove marinade and reserve. Grill the skewers 2-3 minutes on each side. Transfer to a serving platter. Meanwhile, bring the reserved marinade to a boil in a small saucepan. Reduce the heat and cook 5 minutes longer. Strain into a small bowl. Serve the skewered fruit with the warm sauce.
QUICK CHALVAH BARS
Everyone in my house loves the taste of chalva, but the amount of calories and sugar contained in chalva as we know it is simply prohibitive. So I played endlessly with flavors and textures, and ended up with these luscious chalva approximations. Check out Agave syrup, the nectar naturally found in cactus plants: its low glycemic index makes it much more acceptable to sugar-restricted diners, and because it is much sweeter than honey or sugar you need much less of it. Expensive, yes, but it goes a long way.
Makes 3 dozen bars or balls.
1 1/2 cups tehina paste
1 1/2 cups honey crunch wheat germ (Kretchmer
brand, in all supermarkets) 1 cup toasted sesame seeds (10 minute in a preheated 300*oven) 3/4 cup agave syrup (health food stores) Good pinch salt 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Mix all the ingredients by hand. You will get a smooth mixture, moist but firm. Press into a small loaf pan, or into a wide mouth jar. Or shape into small balls or logs, rolled into sesame seeds or grated coconut. ****************************************************
From Levana's new book Levana Cooks Dairy-free! coming out in November 2007 My favorite experience with dairy-free cooking came a couple years ago, when WB-11, the popular New York television station, invited me to appear on its morning show. The producers had heard of my wizardry with non-dairy dishes and wanted to do a blind tasting in which three of my dairy-free desserts would face off against their dairy counterparts. Talk about a triumph: The results of that little presentation were astounding. The tasters found that one of the desserts (an apricot mousse) tasted virtually identical made either way, while the other two (a cheesecake and a chocolate hazelnut mousse torte) were more delicious made without dairy products.
I believe that anyone, even the novice cook, can prepare virtually any dish without dairy products and come up with something delicious. I can, and I know that most other people can, too. But a lot of people don’t accept a sweeping statement like that. They believe that any meal that is traditionally prepared with milk or butter can never be as good if those ingredients are not present. This book proves just how wrong this assumption is – and the feeling of liberation it will give cooks no longer faced with major recipe restrictions will be wonderful to watch. How do I know this? Because over the past 29 years, as a cooking teacher, cookbook author and as owner of a bakery, a kosher catering business, and Levana Restaurant in Manhattan, I’ve learned a thing or two about dairy-free cooking. I had to because, like 50 million other Americans, I am mostly lactose-intolerant. And like my clients and an estimated 25 percent of American Jews, I observe the kosher dietary laws. This means that it is verbotten to mix meat and dairy in the same meal. Thus, in one fell swoop, I am recasting vast numbers of dishes and many delicious desserts which had been previously barred from many meals. Observing kosher requirements implicitly means I make sure not to use any of the products that purport to be dairy-free yet still contain traces of whey, butter and other banned ingredients, which suits the lactose-intolerant community as well. The truth is we all love dairy products, but that love is too often unrequited by our religion, our bodies, or both. My family, friends, customers and students are always clamoring for alternatives that are free of the offending ingredients. Although I give cooking demonstrations on every imaginable culinary topic, I get the most requests for dairy-free cooking. It is important to note that I do not use simple substitutions. For years, I have experimented and played with ingredients that most cooks have ignored, such as soy and all other non-dairy (rice, oat, grain, almond, coconut) milks, other soy products, nut butters, flours, and alternative sweeteners. For example, many kosher cooks feel they must use non-dairy creamer instead of milk products, or margarine instead of butter, and just accept the compromised flavor. I don’t think that’s tolerable at all, and so I have a different approach – one that uses only natural products. My number one theme is to demolish the notion that someone cooking with restrictions must rely on substitute ingredients that are “sort of” the same. No. Every ingredient I use stands on its own merits as a delicious, natural, wholesome addition to a recipe that a reader may not have thought possible. Lest you misconstrue the purpose of this book, I hasten to add that it doesn’t provide an excuse for having a field day emulating rich junk foods such as cheeseburgers, salami-and-cheese sandwiches, pepperoni-and-cheese pizza and Goodness knows what other calamity. I have no complicity whatsoever with the fast-food crowd. My repertoire is simple yet politically correct though and through, from a nutritional as well as a kosher standpoint. So, I invite you to enjoy my dairy-free renditions of your favorite treats without fear or guilt!
Sources: Rather than give you a long tedious list of sources for all non-dairy ingredients, I am referring you once for all to a wonderful book, Non-dairy Made Easy, just recently published, compiled by Alisa Fleming, who also started a major non-dairy site, www.GoDairyFree.com. As we share a passion for good and healthy non-dairy cuisine, it was only natural that our paths would cross. There is no consideration Alisa hasn’t addressed. Each item’s features are extensively itemized wherever applicable: whether it is organic, kosher, vegan, gluten-free, soy-free, dairy equipment, etc…, in short, everything you need to know: It’s all in!
Apple nut muffins his recipe gives you an unlimited opportunity to play with sweeteners, fruits, nuts, and flours (see below), making endless permutations and creating as large and nutritious a selection of muffins as you will ever need. See how it works? Eating this kind of muffin is actually a good kind of weakness, so don’t worry if your kids clamor for more! Makes 12 to 15 medium muffins
Vegetable spray 1 cup soy milk or any other non dairy milk (rice, oat, almond, grain) 2 large eggs 1/3 cup vegetable oil 1 cup dark brown sugar 2 Granny Smith apples, unpeeled, cored and grated coarse in a food processor 2 cup old-fashioned oats 3 cups all purpose flour 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup raisins 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Spray a 12-cup muffin tin with vegetable spray. Combine the milk, eggs, oil, brown sugar and apples, and mix thoroughly. In another bowl, combine the oats, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, raisins, and nuts. Add the dry mixture to the milk mixture. Combine gently but thoroughly with a spoon, taking care not to over mix, which would toughen the batter. Pour the batter into the prepared muffin pans. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
All substitutions in equal amounts:
To make a loaf: This batter will make a delicious bread loaf. Bake in a greased loaf pan in a preheated 350 ºF oven, 45 minutes to one hour, until a knife inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean.
Babka.
This yeasted pastry bears an affectionate name in every language (brioche, kugelhopf, kokosh, etc…) and varies only slightly in preparation from one culture to another, but whatever you call it, it is always fabulous, even without the butter and the milk. Do not hesitate to double, even triple the recipe, as it freezes very well.
Makes 8 servings
1 envelope dry yeast. 1/4 cup warm water 1/3 cup sugar or honey
2 3/4 cups flour, plus a little more if needed 1/4 cup oil, plus a little more for brushing 1/2 cup soy or other non-dairy milk (rice, oat, grain, almond) 1 egg 1/3 teaspoon salt
Topping (optional) 1 tablespoon oil 1/4 cup flour 3 tablespoons sugar
Mix the yeast, water and sugar in a cup and let the mixture come to a bubble, a minute or two. Put all the other ingredients in a mixing bowl. Add the yeast mixture and combine. Transfer to your dough maker and knead 10 minutes, or knead by hand. Let the dough rise, covered, in a warm draft-free place one hour. Preheat the oven to 350 ºF. On a very lightly floured board or counter, roll out the dough into a thin, 20- by 8-inch rectangle. Brush the whole surface very lightly with oil. Sprinkle or spread the filling on the whole surface (recipes follow). Roll very tightly. Transfer to a greased loaf pan. Mix the topping ingredients, and sprinkle over the babka (If not using the topping, simply brush with a mixture of egg and water). Bake 35 to 40 minutes, until golden.
Fillings: Chocolate: Melt 2/3 cup very good quality real chocolate chips with 1 tablespoon oil. Cinnamon-raisin: In a food processor, process until coarsely ground: 1/2 cup golden raisins, 1/3 cup walnuts, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1-2 teaspoons cinnamon. Jam: 1 cup good black currant, strawberry or raspberry preserves thinned with 2-3 tablespoons orange juice.
Red pepper and zucchini frittata.
Frittatas are nothing more than giant deep-dish omelets, cut into wedges. Although the principle is always the same – pour a mixture of milk and eggs over sautéed vegetables, start it on a stovetop and finish it in the oven- the variations are endless. Use any filling that appeals to you, combining 2-3 items: sautéed leeks, mushrooms, spinach, kale etc…; grated “Vegan-Rella” cheese; boiled cubed potatoes; cubed smoked turkey or cooked chicken; minced fresh herbs such as chives, dill, parsley, chervil. Frittatas are delicious hot or cold, and make a great main course as well as great hors d’oeuvres, cut in small squares.
Makes 6 main course servings.
1/4 cup olive oil 1 large onion, diced small 4 cloves garlic, minced 1 large red bell pepper, diced small 3 thin zucchini, diced small 3 tablespoons flour, any flour 1 cup soy or any non-dairy milk (rice, almond, grain, oat) 1/4 cup dry vermouth (liquor stores) or sake (health food stores) 1/4 cup basil leaves, packed, chopped Good pinch nutmeg Salt and pepper to taste 8 eggs, lightly beaten
Preheat the oven to 375 ºF. Heat the oil in an oven-proof skillet, about 10 inches in diameter. Add the onion, garlic, pepper and zucchini, and sauté until all liquids evaporate. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour and the milk until smooth. Add the remaining ingredients and whisk. Pour uniformly over the sautéed mixture in the skillet and cook on a medium-low flame about 5 minutes. Transfer to the oven and bake another 12 to 15 minutes, until puffy and barely set. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Corn and Salmon Chowder
Funky meets elegant. With a good baguette and a leafy salad, this chowder makes a different and delicious meal in itself. Try your best to use fresh corn. Scraping off the kernels couldn’t be easier. Stand each ear on a plate and use a sharp knife to scrape off the kernels, cutting as close to the cob as you can.
Box: Anchovies: Don’t tell your guests that this dish, or any dish for that matter, contains anchovies until after they polish it off. The anchovies disperse in the soup and leave no trace of their controversial heritage except for a deep, smoky flavor. I’m reminded of a wonderful headline from The Philadelphia Inquirer: “Anchovies: A blessing if disguised.”
Box: Saffron. Saffron threads are the stamen of the crocus flower, and can be harvested only by hand, hence their reputation for being so costly. The good news is, you can ignore all those tiny, exorbitantly priced vials, and get yourself an ounce box at any specialty food store, which will be about twenty times cheaper and will last you about a year!
Makes about 12 servings.
1/4 cup olive oil 3 leeks, white parts only, washed thoroughly and sliced
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Home Front: Kitchen Navigation 
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of your new home will be your kitchen. If you feel overwhelmed at the prospect
of managing daily meals and daunted by the recipes found in many cookbooks that
assume you have all day to prepare dinner, here is the solution. Levana
Kirschenbaum’s In Short Order is not a cookbook, but a practical
approach to food preparation for those who lack the time, inclination or
patience to put hours into cooking a elaborate dishes but want to eat well.
Levana’s guidelines and explanations concisely packed into 96 pages in the book
and illustrated by the DVD that accompanies it show the amazing possibilities
for good food made with little time and effort. This little book includes a
complete list of both perishable and nonperishable items essential to the
well-stocked kitchen, as well as the kitchen tools that enable the cook to work
efficiently. 