Adventures in Gefilte Fish

For Passover this year I made gefilte fish. From scratch. Why? First, our family follows the Chasidic custom of not eating wet matzoh (gebroks in Yiddush, Shruria in Hebrew). That means we don't eat matzoh balls or matzoh bri on Pesach. We also don't eat most processed/manufactured foods during Pesach for kosher and health reasons. Second, I like a little food adventure, especially in traditional food making techniques.

I started with a whole frozen carp. It came in an opaque bag, so I didn't exactly know what I was getting.  I had to start with frozen since my husband won't let me bring a live carp home and keep it in the bathtub.  You see, carp are bottom feeders and their taste is greatly improved when they are kept in clean water for a couple days.

Beans - Stop the music

I've been thinking about beans. Have you heard of the Paleo Diet or the Caveman Diet?  The idea is that our bodies were better off eating a pre-agricultural diet. I watched a little video intro to the diet and I remember an argument against eating beans something along the lines of, "since you have to soak them and boil them to make them edible, that's a sign our bodies weren't meant to eat them." That just isn't a good enough argument in my book.

I believe there are A LOT of problems with the diet of most people on earth. However, I also believe it is possible for humans to evolve and that different cultures may have evolved to eat and digest different regional menus.

I recently read a post from Whole New Mom about de-gasing your beans using Ajwain and Epazote. It really got me thinking about digestive aids different cultures have developed to accompany their regional cuisine.

I posted on the Israel-Food Yahoo! Group asking if anyone had tried Ajwain and Epazote when cooking beans, if it was available in Israel, and what it is called.  No one had found it in Israel, but I did get some interesting answers I would like to share.

What's In It?

I often use prepackaged spice mixes.  Since you might not be able to find exactly what I'm using, I thought I'd share what is commonly in these mixes.  Different families, stores, and villages have different recipes, but the list below is a good representation of the common make-up, and most closely resembles what I'm using and what you should be able to find.  This is in preparation for a Yemenite meatball recipe I will post on Friday.

Hawaig Yemenite Seasoning from Food.com
6 1/2 tablespoons black peppercorns
1/4 cup cumin seed
2 1/2 tablespoons coriander seeds
1 1/2 tablespoons green cardamom pods
1 1/2 teaspoons whole cloves
3 1/2 tablespoons ground turmeric

Za'atar Middle Eastern Seasoning Mix from About.com
1/4 cup sumac
2 tablespoons thyme
1 tablespoon roasted sesame seeds
2 tablespoons marjoram
2 tablespoons oregano
1 teaspoon coarse salt

7 Ways to Make Coffee at Home

Photo by Lotzman Katzman

Caffeine is a drug that often gets a bad wrap.  Hey, I give coffee a bad wrap!  But today I'd like to celebrate the benefits of coffee.

First, some fun facts I've heard recently:

I've been hiding the following gem of information from my caffeine addicted, instant coffee loving hubby. According to "Nutrition Diva", Monica Reinagel, M.S.,L.D./N...

It turns out that caffeine has a lot of positive health benefits and, despite what you may have heard, relatively few drawbacks.  People who drink coffee every day, for example, have a significantly lower risk of diabetes, Parkinson’s, colon cancer, gallstones, and Alzheimer’s disease. Now, that may not all be due to caffeine. Coffee contains a lot of volatile compounds and antioxidants that may have beneficial effects by themselves, or in combination with caffeine. Read or listen to the full article "Is Caffeine Bad for You? March 3, 2009"

In the November 26 episode of KCRW's Good Food (29 minutes in), Evan Kleiman interviews author Kevin Sinnott about the terms and implications of fair trade, direct trade, shade grown and organic coffees. Most of us have heard of "fair trade," but did you know "direct trade" benefits the farmers more? Did you know that coffee from many countries is organic for all practical purposes, but the farmers don't pay for certification?  Listen to the episode or check out the Kevin Sinnott's book to learn more.

Mike of Daily Shot of Coffee shares lovely pictures of coffee making devices and how they work in "10 Ways to Make Coffee."  The article "The 7 Ways to Brew Coffee" lists different grinds recommended for different methods - course to Extra fine.

In a celebration of coffee, I'd like to present a compilation of video tutorials of different coffee making techniques.  How do you like your coffee?

Knives: Choice, Care, Storage, PLUS Product Recommendations

I purchased some new knives at the beginning of the summer, and I have been dying to tell you all about it.

Purchasing or Registering for Knives 

When buying knives, I recommend two or three very good knives that will last your whole life, rather than a set that appears to have more value.  The knives in the set may be of lower quality and they are likely to take up valuable real estate in your kitchen.  Additionally, the knife blocks that come in sets tend to be very bulky, take up a lot of space on your counter, and only fit the knives with which they are sold.  However, if your family eats a lot of steak and you depend of a full set of quality steak knives, go for the set.

Restaurant discount stores can be a good place to find quality knives, but you may also see some of the top brands in mega-marts and grocery stores.  I did some price comparison and feel that I got a good deal on Amazon.com.  Stick to well known brands.  Knives made in Europe are generally higher quality.  Specifically, Germany has an excellent reputation for blades.  (I never buy a pencil sharpener without making sure the blade was made in Germany.)

Update on My Pots and Pans, PLUS Recommendations.

I started writing a little update to my post “To Stick or Not to Stick: Alternatives to Teflon” and I decided it was worthy of a separate post.  If you haven’t already read the first post, please do.

At the store, I couldn't lift any of the cast iron cookware I had been romanticizing.  I think I am finally over my craving for a cast iron pot or pan, unless I take up weight-lifting.

After writing the above article I decided that it was worth having a little non-stick pan just for cooking eggs.  I don't use oil or heat the pan above medium, and it heats in the time it takes me to crack and scramble two eggs.  They take about two minutes to cook.  When the pan cools, I just wipe it clean with a dry rag.  I never leave the pan in the sink where it could soak or someone might drop silverware in it.  I use a silicone spatula to scramble the eggs. 

Ordering Inside the Box

This meal was way too deliciously indulgent not to immortalize on my blog.  And to get all this kosher Asian food for only 100 NIS, approximately $28, is a real treat for our family.  

These two platters could easily serve three people.  But you could stretch it even further.

If you feel a need to indulge in take-out Chinese or Pizza, consider adding a green salad or Islaeli salad.  (Israeli salad is generally chopped tomato and cucumber with lemon, olive oil, and salt.)

I can't keep my family away from greasy convenience foods once in a while.  However, there's no reason the whole meal has to be completely devoid of nutritional value.  When did bread sticks become the appropriate side dish for pizza or pasta?  Order one pizza and make a salad while you're waiting for the delivery guy to show up.  Since a super-cheap and delicious pizza store opened up near our house, we order pizza almost once a month.  My kids each chow down on their first slice, but don't get to have another half slice until they finish their salad.  It gives kids, and grown-ups alike, a chance to realize maybe they're not hungry anymore.  You can even serve a salad or vegetable soup before the greasy main course arrives.  This is also a great tip if one spouse is picking up dinner on the way home from work.  Give your kids a head start on their veggies.  Then they'll be washed and sitting pretty at the table when dad or mom walks in the door.

 

Now that I've given you the health food speech, I can tell you our dirty little secret.  My husband and I ate the whole thing!  FYI, its true what they say about limiting your late evening meals to avoid sleep trouble.  We both had trouble falling asleep after our little gorge-fest.

Bulgur Pilaf: The Instant Whole Grain

By now we've all heard that whole grains are healthier.  However, one of the greatest barriers to eating whole grains is that they take longer to cook.  Both singles and families are often pressed for time and turn to instant foods.  I want to encourage you to engineer healthy snacks and meals you can prepare ahead of time that work for your tastes and lifestyle.  Here's an idea:

 1. Find an airtight container, like the kind you might use to store flour or cereal.  (You can also use a zip-top bag.)  Fill it half way with Bulgur Wheat, which you can find in spice stores, health food stores, and the bulk bins of many grocers.  You may find it in a box marketed as tabouli/tabbouleh, often with spices added.   (Pictured above is a side-by-side comparison of dry and prepared bulgur.)

 

To Stick or Not to Stick: Alternatives to Teflon

Yesterday my father sent me a link to a N.Y. Times article: How Not to Wreck a Nonstick Pan.  Excellent advice if you are using non-stick, but it touches on the dilemma of whether or not we should use non-stick cookware like Teflon.  The column by the same author, Teflon Is Great for Politicians, but Is It Safe for Regular People?  discusses the risks.

Non-stick coatings definitely release toxic chemicals when heated to high temperatures; that is undisputed.  These fumes are especially harmful to organisms with delicate respiratory systems, like birds.  Whether these pans leach harmful compounds into our foods during normal use is inconclusive.  In addition, if you really do use less oil with non-stick cookware, it is difficult to weigh the benefits of less fat against the possible effects of Teflon.

Pressured

Soltam Pressure Cooker 8L

The first time I was in Hannah K.'s kitchen, I saw a pressure cooker sitting on her stove.  Ever since I realized  normal, modern people use pressure cookers, I've been a little obsessed.  My husband saw me browsing pressure cookers online a couple weeks ago and said, "If you buy that, we won't be able to afford food to go in it."
After what seemed like a never-ending and downright abusive summer, winter stormed into town yesterday morning.  In the afternoon I was simmering black-eyed peas and thinking about broaching the pressure cooker subject again, when my husband came out and said, "You can buy a pressure cooker."

www.bookdepository.com

The pressure cookers made today are much safer and quieter than their predecessors.  I've been doing lots of research and many pressure cooker owners were recommending books by Lorna Sass.  I couldn't choose just one, so I am purchasing Pressure Perfect and Great Vegetarian Cooking Under Pressure.  I don't use many recipes, but I like cookbooks as reference and educational texts, and these seemed to fit my needs for a reliable pressure cooker tutorial.  In addition, with a pressure cooker, you can't stir, watch, taste, and feel your food as it cooks, so I thought that I could use some instruction to keep from ruining a lot of food or my cooker while I'm getting the hang of it.

I've determined I want an 8 qt pressure cooker, if I can afford it, but I'm not sure which one.  Do you have any experience with old fashion or modern pressure cookers?  Do you have any cookbooks you can't live without?

UPDATE:  I've done a lot of internet research and checked out some local pressure cookers.  I just determined that the Israeli brand, Soltam, may be the same as Fagor (but $50 more).  I'm currently waiting for my books to arrive before I commit to a purchase.  But my current leader is this Fagor set on Amazon:

Non-recipes: A Retrospective

When I get new commenters or followers on my blog, I excitedly check out who they are.  I was honored to have a "veteran" food bogger Miriyummy read my blog.  (Her blog is six months older than Cooking Outside the Box.)  I have seen her comment on other blogs I read, but the first time I read her blog was when she commented on some of my posts.  Her cookbook review got me thinking about my feelings on recipes and my history with food experimentation. 

Miriyummy LOVES cookbooks and celeb chefs.  I do like cookbooks.  I like new ideas and mouthwatering pictures of food (or "food porn" as Miriyummy puts it.)  But the idea that someone would plan my meal down to the bottle of wine doesn't turn me on.  I just don't enjoy trying to buy everything on a prescribed list.  I love being inspired and taught by recipes, but I eat what's in season and on sale.

Miriyummy looks at the author's background of not knowing anything about cooking.  Not only is that not me.  I can't even relate.  It's not that I have any culinary education, but I just don't see a huge leap from eating food to cooking food.  What is a meal?  You take raw ingredients, add heat and seasoning as appropriate, and put it with other foods to balance your nutrient intake.  This know-how is instinctual or based on skills you learned in elementary school.  If it smells good it might taste good.  If it's soft and looks like something you would want to take a bite out of, it's probably ready to eat.

This also got me thinking about my own history making up dishes and trying recipes.  When I was young, I thought I would surprise my parents with a special treat: American cheese melted on saltine crackers topped with little slices of Tootsie Rolls.  Their disgust is still evident when they retell the tale.  Another time I tried to bake a chocolate cake from the Joy of Cooking that looked just divine, in honor of my doll, Rachel's, second birthday.  (I chose the arbitrary date of August 2nd and waited for it to roll around.)

When my dense, flat cake came out of the oven, my mom inquired if the recipe said anything about separating eggs.  It did, but I didn't see the point, since it was all going in the same batter.  Now I generally avoid recipes that involve whipping whites and trying to keep them alive while "gently folding" anything into them.

My dad owned an Italian restaurant for a few years while I was in high school.  There, he picked up quite a bit of cooking knowledge.  I still call him when I have food-safety questions. (Picture to left: current image of my father in his home kitchen; above: picture I created of my kids to print on an apron for my dad a few birthdays ago.)

Now I see my preschool age son experimenting with his own culinary ideas.  If you ask him what he wants to be when he grows up, he's likely to answer, "a chef."  (If you ask my daughter, she'll tell you she's already an artist.)  Last week my son insisted I make him cottage cheese with chopped apples and sun-dried tomatoes.  If you're thinking, "hmm, I wouldn't have tried this on my own but it might be good," you're wrong.  I thought the tang and saltiness of the tomatoes clashed terribly with the cottage cheese.  But both my kids requested seconds.  As soon as he stops putting ketchup on everything his culinary instincts might really blossom.

I think I'm becoming more confident (maybe even cocky) about my culinary instincts as I experiment with dishes and people actually like them.  My style is also maturing as I read more about cooking and listen to podcasts like The Splendid Table.  I feel like a real grown up now that I own bay leaves.  One day I may even make sourdough or successfully fold a fat into whipped eggs!

For more of my reflecting and reminiscing read my interview with CookingManager.

The Miracle of the Oil

Tonight, Jews across the world will light their menorahs/hanukiot to celebrate the festival of lights - Chanukah/Hanukkah.  The holiday of Chanukah commemorates the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem after it was defiled by the Syrian-Greeks.   Besides lighting 9-branched menorahs, we partake in fried foods, specifically potato pancakes called latkes or levivot, and jelly donuts called sufganiot.  In this way our arteries and waist bands will remember that when the High Priest in the temple lit the 7-branched menorah with the only kosher oil that could be found - enough for only one night - a great miracle occurred and the oil lasted long enough for fresh olive oil to be processed... eight nights.  I've reviewed the laws of Chanukah, where it discusses when we light the menorah and what materials are appropriate of lighting (like olive oil and cotton wicks.)  However, I didn't see any mention of consuming enough fat during eight days to last us eight months.

Now, I like to think of myself as an optimist, but when it comes to the environment and junk food, I'm a real kill joy.  Thinking of having a balloon releasing event?  Don't forget about the sea turtles and other wildlife chocking on your balloons when they deflate and fall.  And a holiday is no excuse to bombard my kids with candy to rot their teeth.  So in the interest of our bodies, I'd like to share a few ways to showcase oil without the mess and detrimental health effects of deep fried food.  If you do want to enjoy the traditional Chanukah foods, I recommend getting frozen latkes that you put in the oven so the frying doesn't smell up your home for a week.  Enjoy them with natural (no sugar added) apple sauce by the glow of the candles.  For sufganiot, go to a bakery and buy no more than 1 donut per person for the week.  Enjoy!

Baked "Celery Root" (Celeric) Sweet Potato Pancakes

1. Peel and grate celery root(s) and sweet potatoes, then drain liquid.
2. Mix with egg(s), seasonings, and a little olive oil.  You could also add fresh parsley, green onions, etc.
3. Brush baking sheet or pan generously with oil.
4. Plop mounds of the mixture on the baking sheet. (If it is too loose add flour.)
5. Bake until they take on color.

Israeli Salad

No joke.  Why not let salad be the base for our oil?  Israeli salad is based on chopped cucumbers and tomatoes, generally lightly dressed with olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper.  You could also add chopped parsley, green or red onions, bell pepper, and other seasonings, like za'atar.

 "Sparslic"
This is a dip I used to enjoy at Chabad House of Pittsburgh.  A good garlic press is very helpful.  Press or smash and finely chop raw garlic.  Add fresh or dried chopped parsley, good olive oil and salt.  This is better if you do it ahead of time and let it sit a bit.  Then enjoy with good bread.

Za'atar and Olive Oil 
In Israel different spice shops and companies have their own mixes for za'atar. If you live outside Israel, you may be able to find it from one of the three or so Israeli spice companies that export.  Look near kosher or Middle Eastern foods.  You can make it yourself, I think the following ingredient ratios are for a Lebanese style za'atar  I think the Israeli version has more marjoram, less sumac, some dill, and olive oil.
1/4 cup sumac
2 tablespoons thyme
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
2 tablespoons marjoram
2 tablespoons oregano
1 teaspoon salt
You may roast or crush the sesame seeds.  I guess that's a personal preference.   Mix za'atar mix with good extra virgin olive oil and enjoy with bread.  I also like the make a valley in a mound of hummus to hold my olive oil and za'atar, which I then eat with fresh pita.

Pita Chips

I don't believe the previous paragraph was my first mention of "fresh pita" on this blog.  Since moving to Israel we've become pita snobs.  Once it's approaching 48 hours old, it's just not the same.  By day three, if it's still in our bread box I make pita chips.  Preferably whole wheat pita chips.

1. Cut each pita into 6 pieces like a pie and split the two layers of the "pocket" with a knife or your fingers.
2. Brush or spray both sides with olive oil and spread on a baking sheet.
3. Leave plain or sprinkle with salt, garlic powder, or my favorite, za'atar!
4. Toast on high for about 5 minutes.  Don't walk away.  Pull them out when a couple start to brown.

Happy Chanukah!

This post is featured in Real Food Digest | Real Food Holidays – Hanukkah.

Mortar and Pestle Pesto

I set out to make a traditional pesto, but I didn't have pine nuts, and my new mortar and pestle I was so excited about didn't work all that well.  Maybe I'm using it incorrectly.  Here is a video that shows some delicious pesto applications besides pasta.  I can't edit videos, but I recommend skipping to minute 4:00 of this video and just watching what I do with the pesto.



As the seasons are changing I'm noticing some new items and old favorites in the shuk.  I was thrilled to see strawberries back in season.  We also have pomelos, quinces, and we're starting to see turnips, which I just tried today.  You  can also see pictured the enormous squash they call "pumpkin," and some giant cabbage.

Thanksgiving: Crusts and Crumbles

In honor of Thanksgiving, the secular holiday of thanks being celebrated across America tomorrow, I'd like to talk about pies.  As I've mentioned, I'm no chicken expert, so I won't try to give you too much advice about your turkey.  Let me just say: turkey+brine overnight in a clean garbage bag.  Oil the skin, cook it hot, then let it rest.  Or try Eric Ripert's Roasted Chicken with Za'atar Stuffing.

But when it comes to pies, I have some experience.

Lets start with the filling.  On of my favorites is apple.  I like to take several varieties of apple, but at least half crispy green "granny smith" apples, and slice them thinly.  If you don't have an apple corer, you can use a melon-baller to remove the seeds, but preserve more of the fruit.  Then I put it all in a large zip-lock bag and add any of the following: brown sugar, cinnamon, all spice, nutmeg, a little ginger, a dash of salt, vanilla, sometimes orange zest, margarine, flour, or whatever you like, to taste.  If you are doing a large amount, you may want to dip the red apples in lemon juice and water to keep them from browning.

The main thing you need to consider with whatever filling you choose is water/juice content.  If you use fresh or frozen fruit, make sure that you have enough other ingredients (like flour) to soak up or congeal any liquid that comes out during cooking.  Otherwise you will have soup on a soggy crust.  Sometimes I add flour to my apple pie filling or sprinkle some between the layers of apple.  

If you are using sliced apples, layer the slices in the crust, choosing pieces to best fit together.  Have them stack up more in the middle of the pie.  Which brings us to... crusts!  You have several options, from the most simple crumble to a fancy lattice work crust.  Here is a sampling of some of my favorites, organized according to difficulty.

The first is a simple oatmeal crumble.  My friend Leor uses this as a topping for her apple cranberry crisp (8 apples, cinnamon, 1 can cranberry sauce, in a 9"x13" pan).  She notes that you may have to adjust the amounts of oatmeal and brown sugar a little so that it is solid.  This is a good option if you'd like to use a store-bought graham cracker crust or frozen crust.
- 1 stick of margarine, melted
- 1.5 cups of oatmeal
- 1/2 cup of brown sugar
- a little salt if your margarine is unsalted
- 2 Tbsp of sugar
- 1 teaspoon of cinnamon

Next is a walnut crumb topping I made at my in-law's two years ago.  My Mother-in-law found this recipe on http://www.epicurious.com/.  I must admit I was a little offended that she would think I needed a recipe to make apple pie; however, the crumble was outstanding.  You can find several variations if you search for apple pie with walnut streusel or walnut crumb.

- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

- 2 tablespoons firmly packed brown sugar

- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

- 1/4 cup chopped walnuts

As we move toward the traditional crust end of the spectrum, I'd like to pass along a recipe that I enjoyed this weekend.  It was a very tasty extra flaky crust that looked like it might be easy to make.  Here is the crust recipe:
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup and 2 tablespoons shortening
- 1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons cold water filling
In a bowl combine flour and salt, cut in shortening. Gradually add cold water tossing lightly with fork, until dough forms a ball. Chill for 30 minutes. On a floured surface roll half of dough to 10 inch circle. Place in 9 inch pie pan.  After you fill the pie, roll out remaining pastry to fit top of pie cut slits in top, place over filling . Seal and flute edges. Beat egg yolk with water, brush over pastry. Bake a t 420 degrees 'f'' for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees 'f'. Bake 40 to 45 minutes more or till crust is golden.

And finally we get to the traditional crust.  Tender, flaky, and impressive.  I used this recipe the first year I made apple pie (a long, long time ago, in a land far, far away.)  But the second year I tried several different awful recipes (including one from the Joy of Cooking), until I finally found the recipe again...on the back side of the instructions for my mom's pastry cloth and rolling pin cover!  If you'd like to start baking pie crusts, delicate cookies, and other pastries, I strongly recommend investing in a pastry cloth or silicone pastry mat, like this one with measurements.  I would put the pastry cloth and rolling pin cover in the freezer between crusts to help keep everything chilled.  Below is the recipe.  Thanks, Dad, for finding it and typing it up!

Mix with fork and set aside:
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
- ½ cup water
Mix together in large bowl:
- 4 cups flour – unsifted and lightly spooned into measuring cup

- 1 tbsp sugar
- 2 tsp salt
Add to dry using method below:
- 1 ¾ cups shortening
Add 1 cup of shortening to dry mix first, mixing to the size of corn meal. Add ¾ cup shortening mixing to the size of peas. This method produces flakier pastry.
Add the egg mixture over all, as you toss with a fork. Pour out on a sheet of waxed paper.
Draw four corners up and squeeze lightly to form a ball. Separate into 5 balls, cover and store in refrigerator 30 minutes or up to three days. Can be frozen. Makes 5 single crusts. Too much handling toughens dough.

I think the lattice work might be a good subject for a video.  Basically you slice one dough round into even strips and weave them together over the pie.  The wider you cut the strips, the less work you'll have, so even though the professionals say 1/2 inch strips, I'd go with about 1 inch strips.  Take ever other strip and put it on the pie leaving about 1/2 an inch in between strips.  Weave the other strips in just like an elementary school craft project: over, under, over, under.  Here is a good demonstration by 13 year old William in Dallas.  You can do it!

Thanks for sticking with me on this pie adventure!  I hope you'll eventually try all the techniques I've mentioned.  They are each unique and delicious!  I want to end by giving thanks to everyone in Israel who has fed us and taught us how to survive in our new land, like the native Americans supposedly helped the Europeans.  And thank you to my family in America for putting up with the distance and being supportive of our decision to move to the holy land.  I wish they would all hop on a plane and be settled in Israel by next Thanksgiving!

You might also like: Pumpkin Soup, Mini Cherry Pies (Reduced Fat), and Fig Marmalade Pie with Low-fat Crust and Lavender Sugar.

Cooking Outside the Box

I admit it.  I'm guilty of Googling my blog.  "Cooking Outside the Box" is now over one month old and I decided to see if it came up in Google.  As of this morning, it is #7 for the key words: cooking outside the box.  (Maybe it will be higher if I keep mentioning "Cooking Outside the Box.")  Fifth on the list was a post on Danilo's Culinary Arts Blog.  Reading his article gave me confidence that I chose the right name for my blog, because I agree completely.  Maybe he can say it better than I:

With its precise recipes, strict procedures and rigid formulas, cooking can sometimes seem more like a science than an art. But with time and a solid grounding in a few basic principles, you may find that you're increasingly able to put the recipes aside and cook by feel -- by instinct.

That means being willing to experiment -- and make mistakes! After all, it's one thing for me to warn you not to add the oil to your egg yolks too quickly when making mayonnaise. Until you experience a broken emulsion firsthand, my words of caution will remain an abstraction. Once it happens, though (and it will), you assimilate it. Mere information is replaced by knowledge.

He continues to suggest choosing a produce item you have never tried before and preparing it through "what you can discover through your own senses,"  without cook books or internet searches.  That is one place I deviate.  I love to "Google" even things I've already tried.  Why reinvent the wheel?  And why excitedly post my "new knowlege" if it's already been writen about ad nauseum?  But in the end, I do usually try something a little different through a mix of other's knowlege and my own senses.

His post really expressed what my blog is about.  It's me sharing my experiences of trial and error with you.  You can see me make a broken emulsion (and make an excuse why it doesn't matter).  And mention things you can try to improve on what I did. 

My recently posted "Salmon Chowder" is a good example of a dish I am still working on.  It has been delicious both times I have tried it, but I want to work on improving on the time it takes, dishes it uses, and economy/ecology of the ingredients used or wasted.

This week I've been considering aquiring a domain name.  Of course this means commiting to a domain name and blog title.  I think I have decided to keep the title of "Cooking Outside the Box," which will be found at nonrecipe.com.  The runner up so far is cookingoutsidebox.com, but it may be confusing to drop the "the."  What do you think?

New Accessories

Spices are like accessories to your food wardrobe.  Sometimes you want that blouse (or zucchini) to sing it's own song, unhindered by the most delicate necklace (or oregano).  And sometimes accessories bring out the best (or hide the worst) in your clothes.  When I moved to Israel I had to start from scratch with my edible wardrobe.  I've had the opportunity to try new things, but I've also shied away from things I  rarely used in America.  There were some spices I counted on to be there for me, even though they didn't often make it past my nose, into my food.

Orange Segments & Juice

Oranges are a great addition to green salads and fruit salad, and of course, they're a good snack.  It's a real treat to enjoy them in these ways with the tough membranes removed.  Here's a professional video I found after I made my own, but the kids and I are having fun making videos, so I'll post mine also.



Here are some tips:
- Zest the orange first.  You can freeze the zest for later cake baking (if you bake) or use it on salads, yogurt, Asian stir fry... yum, I'll have to try that.
- Use a sharp knife.  (I took my knife to be sharpened, but I'm not impressed.  Maybe if I get more followers, I can get a knife company to sponsor this blog.)
- Do as much as possible over a bowl, and even save the drippings from the cutting board to enjoy the fresh juice.
- Squeeze out the membrane skeleton and the rind into the bowl to get every last drop of juice.
- Try to cut faster than you or your audience eat.

Please comment with your own uses for oranges and zest!



If you don't want to go through all the trouble of cutting the orange into fancy segments, you can cut off the peel and the outer membrane, then slice the whole orange horizontally so you have pretty orange rounds.  Just use your fingers to pull out the bitter part in the middle.

My Modern Day Recipe Box

I don't use recipes.  I love recipe books, but for ideas only.  I put my creative energies into my food and it bores me to "paint by number" or create the same thing twice.  However, I've decided to start recording some of the things I cook in case I want to build off the idea in the future.  Why reinvent the wheel, right?  So if you are reading this and try any of my non-recipes, I hope you will comment with your own innovations, and I will do the same.

A little background: We moved to Israel in January 2010.  Most of the food we find in the market is locally grown and in season.  This summer's heat wave destroyed many crops, and the prices of things that used to be dirt cheap, like tomatoes, now make that summer gazpacho quite a luxury.  So instead of deciding what I want to cook and then shopping, I see what I can afford and try to put it together into some semblance of a balanced meal.  My goal for this blog is to post several non-recipes/food prep ideas every week and eventually you can search my blog according to what is in your fridge to get ideas for what to make.

I hope to inspire you to cook creatively, try new foods and mix uncommon elements.  You don't need to stick to dishes that have already been named.  In my opinion, if you can't cook it without looking at the recipe, it's probably too complicated for every day meals.  I try to make simple dishes full of flavor and nutrients.  Please comment and share some of your favorite dishes!