Koplowicz.comDaddy In The Kitchen
I like to cook. I like to blog. And now, the twain have met. Meet Daddy In The Kitchen (DITK).
This was a long time coming because I wanted to make sure it was executed properly. I'm still not sure it is. Web 2.0 is a fuzzy place. Some might say that is by design, but I think it's due to a lack of design. To put a finer point on it, I think our design sense--as a society, or at least as an industry--hasn't caught up with the technology. It's like handing a cave man a piece of canvas stretched on a wooden frame. Will he know what to do with it? Yes, eventually.
So, what is this? It's a collection of recipes I've tried lately. It's not exhaustive - it never could be. Also, a lot of these recipes are copyrighted, which I respect, so I'll often link to the original rather than repost. The good news: Most of the recipes I try these days are available for free online, mostly through the phenomenal site Punchfork.com. The one very large exception is The Kosher Palatte - recommended for everyone reading this. I don't care if you don't know from frume; get this book.
So, here it is: Daddy In The Kitchen.
Matza Brei
koppie — Sun, 04/15/2012 - 04:12
It's Passover (for another 5 hours). That means I've gone a week without eating bread or pretty much any grain-related products. (IE. no beer, no whiskey, and none of the doughnuts that were at work yesterday.) However, it's not a week of pure misery; there are a few things that make it totally worth it.
Orange-Ginger Chicken & Veggies
koppie — Tue, 02/21/2012 - 03:30
Another great recipe from our local organic box. I usually cheat and use store-bought sauces (mostly from Trader Joe's), but this time I decided to make the sauce from scratch. (It helps to have a well-stocked cupboard.)
Grandma Ethel's Brisket with Tzimmes
koppie — Mon, 02/20/2012 - 22:46
Best brisket I've ever made, and I've made a few.
Wine-Poached Pears with Ricotta Cream
koppie — Sun, 02/12/2012 - 10:19
Divine.
This is another dish you'd expect to find at a five-star restaurant. It takes a lot of time to (a) reduce the sauce and (b) poach the pears, but the payoff is worth it. The ricotta with pistachios is really just a garnish, but I can't imagine a better one. Definitely a recipe to bring out when you want to impress someone - either guests or your special someone.
Another hit from Farm Fresh To You - and they're still sending us pears. Just saying. ;-)
Kale and Potato Gratin
koppie — Sun, 02/12/2012 - 09:31
Big disappointment. We had some previous success with gratins, so we had high expectations. Gratin is French for "cover it with cheese," and how could you get that wrong? Well, they managed.
I think the real problem is they tried to be healthy, and when your raison d'etre is "cover it with cheese," it's hard to make that healthy while maintaining the integrity of the thing. And by 'hard" I mean "probably not going to happen." The bread crumbs didn't help either; just made the whole thing grainy.
Collard and Leeks
koppie — Sun, 02/12/2012 - 09:23
Farm Fresh To You is the name of our weekly local organic box. They have a newsletter they include with each box, telling us what's new on the farm. It's a deliciously old school way to blog (pun intended), and always includes at least a couple recipes. One was for collard & leeks (guess what was in the box that week). The collard greens are blanched and the leeks are pan fried, then combined at the very end with the veggie stock. The result is a rich flavor and smooth texture.
Roman Spiced Squash
koppie — Sun, 02/12/2012 - 07:16
This recipe is from another source that is unspeakably awesome: Inn at the Crossroads. These people make food based on the phenomenal fantasy series by George RR Martin, recently made into an HBO TV series. I don't know how I didn't notice this while I was reading the books, but they are redolent with descriptions of food. Turns out that all these foods are pretty authentic for the early medieval period. (Concidence?
Ginger Bok Choy
koppie — Sun, 02/12/2012 - 06:47
I love bok choy, dijon mustard, and ginger, so this ought to be a great combination right? The problem: Yelena doesn't like mustard or ginger. But guess what: she liked this recipe anyway. She called it "good not great," but considering the ingredients, I call this a win.
Bottom line: Great combination of flavors = another great way to prepare bok choy. I'll be making this again.
Swiss chard
koppie — Sun, 02/12/2012 - 05:46
I love swiss chard and our local organic box always sends us some in the winter. My standby is to steam it with butter and garlic, but that's what I do with all green leafy vegetables, and it does get boring after a while. Enter this recipe from Simply Recipes (courtesy of Punchfork). It's basically the same, but pan fried instead of steamed. Gives it a nicer texture. I kept the crushed peppers on the side because Yelena hates 'em but I love 'em.
Cauliflower, Leek & Garlic Soup
koppie — Sun, 02/12/2012 - 03:48
This one gets a split vote: I loved it but Yelena hated it. This is the kind of ultra-gourmet thing you'd see served at Gather (which is also a love/hate kind of place).
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