Christmas Baking

This last Saturday a friend came over and together we put our "wifely skills" to good use, making a variety of Christmas goodies:

Peppermint Bark
Chocolate covered pretzels
Sugar Cookies
Mints

My friend Katie did most of the work with chocolate,

while I spent most of my time on the cookies and mints.  

The recipe for sugar cookies is one that's sort of a family recipe.  Not really the norm, and maybe not the best for shapes and frosting.  Still, it worked.  At it's really quite tasty.

Sugar Cookies

1 c. butter

1 c. crisco
1 c. white sugar
1 c. powdered sugar
(cream together)
1 egg
(beat into butter mixture)
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. almond extract
4 c. flour
(add and mix all together)

Roll out into logs and cut into slices.  Dip in sugar and place on cookie tray.  OR, roll out flat and cut out desired shapes.  Bake at 350 for about 10 minutes. :)

We frosted ours with a basic cream cheese frosting, food coloring added.

The mints are also a Christmas tradition in my family.  The recipe is quite easy, but forming them is rather time consuming and requires the use of flexible rubber molds.

Mints
1 8oz package of cream cheese
1 1lb bag of powdered sugar
Desired flavors and colors

Kneed the sugar into the cream cheese until it is all incorporated and a smooth dough is formed.  I always do this by hand.  Not sure how well a mixer would work.  Divide the dough according to how many flavors and/or colors you want.
Some recommended flavors:
Mint (spearmint, wintergreen, or just a generic mint can all be used, depending on what you want and can find)
Almond
Cheesecake
I've also used:
Peach
Butterscotch
Cinnamon
Pretty much any flavor you want can be used.  And any color.  Put a few drops of each on the portion of dough you wish to flavor and color.  Kneed until it's all incorporated.  If you want a stronger taste or brighter color, add more and repeat.  When the dough is as you wish it, take a small bit, dip it in sugar, and press into a mold.  Bend the mold back to release.  Repeat until you run out of dough or decide to give up and go to bed. :)

When well done they are very pretty and tasty and can be used at weddings or showers, as well as for Christmas time. :)

Knitting

I've spent quite a bit of time this fall teaching myself to knit (better).  I had done a little before, but really not much.  I found crocheting quite a bit easier.  Apparently this fall, though, I wanted a challenge.  I still have a lot to learn, but I feel like I'm coming along nicely.  Nicely enough to attempt my sister-in-law some of the basics when she came to visit.

In her own words:

There once was a girl named Alana

Who hailed from the state of Montana.

    Once she did sit,

    And teach me to knit.

I think I will make a bandanna!

She's getting the hang of it.  I have no doubt that soon her skills will outstrip mine.  :)

Cheesy Garlic Knots

Once upon a time (in Israel) on of my friends mentioned that he had a longing for cheesy garlic bread (or something like that).  While his exact words have faded into the mists of memory, their result has not.  We were on a trip at the time, but when I got home I began thinking and looking up recipes and planning to try to create something that might satisfy that craving.  Eventually I put all my planning into practice.  The experiment was a success.  A rather raging success, to judge from the reviews I got every time the experiment was repeated (not to brag or anything).   So here's what you do:

1. Get some bread dough.  Don't really care what kind.  Just something generic.  You can buy it if you want, though I refuse to condone such action.  Other than that, you know, just some sort of bread dough.  Flour, salt, water, and yeast.  Maybe some sugar and oil.  That's all you need.  (Or knead?)  Usually I was in a hurry when making them, so I didn't even let it rise before shaping.

2. Roll out the dough into a rectangle, with the dough a few millimeters thick.  Doesn't have to be exact.  Your goal is to cut the bread into roughly uniform strips, about 4"x1" or so.  However that happens best for you.  Take each strip and tie it in a knot.  (Sorry about the lack of pictures...I'll have to remedy that someday.)  Place the knots on a greased sheet pan, fairly close together.

3. Let the rolls rise for a while and then bake them.  I do this differently every time.  If you want numbers...well...I guess let them rise for around 40 minutes and then cook them at about 350F for about 20 minutes.  They should be golden brown on top.

4. MEANWHILE, while the rolls are rising and baking, prepare the topping.
a. Take about a head of garlic...maybe a little less...to taste.  Mince well.
b. Put garlic in a frying pan with butter and/or olive oil.  This last time I used both.  Whatever you prefer.  You'll want quite a bit...probably around 1/2 c.  Maybe a little less.  Saute garlic.
c. When garlic is just starting to get brown in a couple places, mix in salt and italian-type seasonings.  Probably about a teaspoon of salt.  And then oregano, marjoram, sage, basil, thyme, rosemary... say...around 1/4tsp. of each.  To taste.  Remove from heat.
d. Grate parmesan.  I suppose you could use the powder stuff you buy at the store...but really...freshly grated is far better.  I use my handy-dandy microplane (pictured below).  It's great (grate?)!

5. As soon as you take the rolls out of the oven, using a pastry brush, spread the oil, garlic, and herbs over the rolls.  If needed, use a spoon to get chunks on top of the bread.  Spread it out evenly.  Then sprinkle the parmesan cheese all over the top.  Be generous.
6. Serve warm.  (The ones below are a day old...so not quite at the top of their game.  Still tasty, though!

Historic Afghan

I vaguely remember as a little girl learning to embroider with my mom and maternal grandma.  I remember watching my mom crochet things, and I still have an afghan that my paternal grandmother made for me from the purple yarn I picked out.  I come from a long line of women who were clever with their hands, whether in cooking, sewing, working with yarn, or other talents.  

I remember a time, not quite as long ago, when my grandma was no longer able to handle a crochet hook well enough.  She gave me most of her yarn.  I remember looking through what she had given and discovering a project that had already been started.  There was the pattern, a couple rows already completed, and four colors of yarn, several skeins of each, just waiting to be made into a finished project.  

So I finished it.  

 And then I gave it back to my grandmother.

I won't claim that it's become a treasured family heirloom or anything of the sort, but I did have fun making it, and she does still have it.  These pictures are from the last time I visited her.

Hat!

Before leaving for Israel I had managed to collect quite a surplus of yarn.  I sold much of it before I left, but there were bits and pieces I just couldn't bear to part with.  Since returning, I've decided that said yarn either needs to be made into something useful...or otherwise disposed of.  

With that goal in mind, I thought I would use some of the yarn to make a hat.  I like hats.  And I must say, I think it turned out rather adorable.  

Cute model too. ;)

Here's a view of the back with the "heart detail" visible.  

And the side: 

Obviously the model is quite delighted by it.  

Where did I put my towel?

Apparently, this has been a problem from the dawn of time, back when humans first started cooking.  You just get going and boom, you get something on your hand!  You go to wipe it off, only to discover that you've misplaced your towel.  Something like that anyway.  It took thousands of years for humans to figure out how to crochet before they could come up with a solution: cut a towel in half and crochet some contraption on it to attach it to some sort of handle in the kitchen!  Brilliant.

Ok, so, maybe it didn't quite happen like that.  All I know is that when I was growing up, my mom had similar items that she would attach to our oven.  They made for handy hand-drying towels - always there when you needed them.  When I got older, I figured out how to make them myself (both towels pictured in this blog were made by me for my mother).

Here's one in progress

I'm not going to give exact directions for how to replicate this wonder of creativity, because I'm pretty sure I do it differently every time.  I can, though, give a general idea, and I'm sure those of you with some crocheting experience will be able to figure it out, should you be interested.  (I'm telling you, they really are handy.)

Cut a towel in half.

Row 1: Single crochet along the cut edge of the towel.  Your crochet needle should be able to puncture the fabric - especially if you choose a smaller one, maybe D or F. 

Rows 2-?: Skipping every other stitch, double crochet back and forth until you have only about 7 or 8 stitches in a row.

Rows ?-??: This forms the neck of your towel and can vary in length, depending on what you plan to attach it to.  Double crochet back and forth until it is the desired length.  You may wish to chain over the middle stitch(es) in order to make a larger button hole.  If your button is not too large, though, this probably isn't necessary.  The row with the button hole should be your second to last in this series of rows.

Rows ??-???: These rows are not strictly necessary, but can make your towel more decorative.  I believe I single crocheted two stitches between every stitch on the last row, just for a little flair.  You can make yours more or less decorative, as you wish.

Attach a button in the desired location.  I didn't have much in the way of buttons when I made these, so, I sort of made yarn buttons.  Be creative. 

Completed towel, with both home-made button and button hole visible.

 No more wet hands!  Hooray!

But she's a young thing and cannot leave her mother

While other similarities to this famous lady of song may be lacking, it turns out that I can also bake a cherry pie.

I had found an intriguing recipe here earlier this summer.

When I found cherries on sale at the local grocery store, I had just the project in mind.

After sorting the good cherries from the bad (there was a reason they were on sale), I began the rather tedious and violent  task of disemboweling the cherries.

Ok, ok, I just took the pits out, but you have to admit, disemboweling is an apt description with all that red juice.

Here are the cherries (about 4 cups worth - I had enough to double the recipe) with a cup of water.

Here they are after I added a cup of sugar and 1/4 cup of cornstarch.  In retrospect, these cherries were pretty sweet and probably didn't need that much sugar.

Here's the pie crust on a sheet pan with the filling in the middle.  I also need to get better at making pie crusts. They never quite turn out as I would like.

All folded up, painted with egg, sprinkled with sugar, and ready to go!

Bubbling in the oven...

...and here's the finished product!

I wouldn't call it a screaming success, but for my first attempt at any sort of cherry pie, it wasn't too bad.

Chicken Enchiladas

Mexican food is unfortunately scarce in Israel.  Thus, every month or so my flatmates and I would attempt to reproduce some of those flavors on our own.  My first real experimentation with Chicken Enchiladas began with one of those flatmates (and the blog with that recipe can be found here) and it is at the prompting of a different flatmate that I post my current recipe (or at least a rough estimate of it) now.  It varies a little every time I make it, so I'll try to give the basic idea and put in a few options you can try.

To assemble these enchiladas you will want a number of ingredients on hand.  Most of these ingredients can be bought in the States, but often have to be made by hand in Israel.  Depending on which path you take, enchiladas can be an all-day undertaking or about an hour long task.  Either way, you will need:
Tortillas (about 10 per pan, depending on how many pans you want to make...  I usually use flour tortillas, but corn can be used too)
Black Beans (cooked or from a can...Or if you want you can use a different kind of bean or leave them out completely)
Salsa
Rice (cooked - this can probably be started at about the same time you start the sauce or done in advance)
Shredded Cheese (In Israel we used mostly emek, I think, sort of a white cheese, similar to Monterey Jack in texture.  A mixture of white and yellow (cheddar) cheeses is probably ideal, but whatever you prefer).  

Also, for toppings to have on hand I recommend:
Guacamole (optional, but tasty)
Sour Cream
Olives (in Israel we use the sliced green olives...surprisingly tasty)
Cilantro
Tomatoes
Lettuce
Extra Cheese

Ok, on to the actual recipe
Well, one more comment first.  I tend to like to make way more than I will need for one meal because if I'm going to do that much work, I might as well do just a little more work and eat twice as much.  They freeze well, so you can have a fast meal later.  I will try to estimate amounts I would use for one pan and encourage you to double it. :)

You will need:
1 medium onion, chopped
3-6 cloves of garlic (depending on your taste), minced
Olive oil or butter

1 bell pepper, chopped

1 Tbsp chili powder (or paprika if chili powder is unavailable)

1/2 Tbsp cumin

2 Tbsp flour
2 c. milk

1/2 c. sour cream
1-2 cans green chilies (depending on taste - we had to do without these in Israel, but they add some zing)

3 Chicken breasts (or other chicken parts...cooked and cut or shredded into bite sized pieces)
Salt
Pepper

*Please note that all of these ingredient amounts are approximate.  Feel free to vary depending on what you like and what feels good to you.

In a large frying pan, sauté the onions and garlic with the oil.  If you have raw chicken it can be thrown in and cooked with the onions at this time, though there are also good reasons for cooking it separately and throwing it into the sauce later.  Whatever.  When the onions and garlic have sauted for a while, add the chopped pepper and the spices..  When the pepper is starting to get tender stir in the flour until it is incorporated with the oil.  Add the milk and stir over medium heat until the sauce thickens.  If the sauce is too thick, add more milk.  If the sauce is too thin, you can sift in some flour, stirring quickly to try to avoid lumps.  Add the sour cream and green chilies at this time.

Before adding the chicken, set aside some of the sauce (about a cup) for later use.  (If the chicken is already in the sauce, you can  still reserve a cup or so, and try to take out most of the big chunks of chicken.)  Add the chicken to the rest of the sauce.  Taste the sauce and add salt, pepper, and other spices as needed and desired.

Time to assemble the enchiladas!*
1. Take a tortilla and put a couple spoonfuls of the chicken and sauce mixture in (more or less depending on the size of tortillas and how full you want them).
2. Place a spoonful or two of rice on top of the chicken mixture.
3. Place a spoonful or two of black beans on top of the rice.
4. Sprinkle with cheese.
5. Wrap up tortilla and place in a greased pan (probably the 13"x9" or 12"x8" size, or something similar)
6. Repeat until you run out of pan space or ingredients.  Hopefully that will occur at roughly the same time.
7. Spread your reserved sauce over the top of the assembled enchiladas in the pan.
8. Sprinkle the whole pan with cheese.
9.  Bake at about 400F until the cheese gets bubbly and brown on top...maybe about 20-30 minutes?

Serve with sour cream and salsa (and whatever other toppings you want).

*Other assembly methods can be used.  Ingredients can be layered in the pan, like lasagna, if desired.  (Layer of sauce, layer of tortillas, layer of rice and beans, layer of cheese, repeat...)

** If you are in a hurry and don't have time to make the sauce yourself, cream of chicken soup mixed with green chilies and sour cream works pretty well.

Pita Bread

In Israel, the challenge was to make "American" food (or "Mexican" food, as the case may be) with available ingredients and equipment.  Here, the challenge is to make Israeli or Mediterranean food with similar limitations.

In Israel, pita and hummus (and various veggies) quickly became a staple in my diet.  Here, both pita and  hummus can be purchased, but, like buying tortillas in Israel, the price is prohibitive and the product quality is usually lacking.  I did buy some hummus the other day (and it turned out to be decent, if not quite excellent) and I needed some pita to accompany it.  Store-bought pita here is simply not acceptable, so I made my own.

I have made pita quite a few times before, using a few different recipes, but generally with similar results.  They're not quite like the pitas that can be purchased all over Israel, but they're still tasty.  Basically, I think that just about any fairly generic bread recipe can be made into pita (instead of loaves).  For anyone out there who might want more specific directions, I'll try to reproduce what I did today.

1 c. warm water
2 Tbsp. yeast
1 Tbsp. sugar

Mix these together and let sit for a while for the yeast to start foaming.  Then add:
1 c. white flour

Mix in and let sit another 15 minutes or so.  Letting it sit a really long time (like over night) would probably improve the flavor, but it isn't necessary.

Add:
1.5 c. warm water
1/2 c. milk
2 eggs
1 Tbsp. salt
3 c. white flour
4 c. wheat flour

Mix together, adding more flour or more water, depending on what is needed to create a dough that is easy to handle - not too sticky.  Kneed.  Let it sit and rise until doubled.

Preheat oven to 450F and put a pizza stone or something similar in to warm up with the oven.  (I ended up using an aluminum cookie sheet turned upside down.  Not ideal, but it works.)

Punch down and divide into 16 roughly equal balls of dough.  Roll out into 6-8" diameter circles.  (If they aren't prefect circles, don't worry.  They'll still taste good, and you'll get better with practice.)  Let rise for a while, maybe 15-20 minutes or so. Some will have to rise longer as you'll only be able to cook a couple at a time.  You'll probably want to use flour or cornmeal to keep them from sticking as you'll want to be able to pick them up easily.

Open the oven and place as many pitas as will fit on your baking surface (I could fit 2 at a time).

Starting to poof up in the oven.

They will need to cook for about 4-5 minutes.  (Unless you make them bigger and fatter...then they need longer, maybe 10 minutes.)  They should poof up in the oven, forming the pocket.

Fully poofed pocket.

Remove the pockets from the oven (leaving the pan in there to be ready for the next batch).  Lean on each other as they cool.  Be careful if you try to deflate them - the steam inside is quite warm.  Once they were deflated and cooled, mine had a diameter of about 6 inches and were about half an inch thick.  

Finished product.

I ate them for lunch with my family - I put falafel balls in the pita with various veggies, hummus, and cheese.  My dad used similar ingredients but with roast beef instead of falafel.  My mom put peanut butter and bananas in hers. Tonight we used them to make individual portion pizzas.  They're very versatile.  

If you don't eat them all right away they can be frozen and re-heated in a toaster.