Emily's Kitchen in Seattle: A New Twist on Coconut Cream Pie

I feel bad having not contributed a blog entry in about a month. I started a "cleanse" that allowed me some fun foods, but nothing worth writing about. Then I sort of fell of the recipe wagon and made all sorts of things without recorded measurements, which I also didn't feel comfortable sharing with those less adventurous cooks, lest one of my beloved meals turn into someone else's disaster.

I think I can share this creation in good faith. It's a "creamy coconut pie" recipe from a vegan cookbook that I adapted. I was struggling between wanting to make a cheesecake for a lunch gathering and my values, which are intuitively opposed to the entire idea of cheesecake. But would a vegan tofu pie really impress the people I was invited to eat with? These are really good cooks. How could I risk possibly showing up with a bland, watery pie?

The solution: Replace one cup of tofu with one cup of cream cheese. Bonus: replace the graham cracker crust with a nut crust for the gluten-free people popping up all over the place. I have to say, the result is pretty darn divine.

No-heart-failure-and-even-less-guilt Coconut Cream Pie

1 cup soft tofu (I believe soft or firm tofu is best - silken can be too squishy)
1 cup cream cheese - or tofutti to keep it dairy free
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/4 c. sugar
2 c. plus 1/4 c. unsweetened shredded coconut

Pie crust:
Use a graham cracker crust
Or:
1 c. pecans or walnuts
1 c. pitted dates
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
a smattering of sugar for that graham cracker touch, optional

Preheat oven to 350

For the nut crust:
Combine all ingredients in the food processor and process until blended.
Press contents evenly into a spring form pan (or a pie pan).

For the pie:
Combine all ingredients, except for the 1/4 c. coconut, in the food processor. Mix until smooth.
Pour into the crust and bake for 15 minutes.
After 15 minutes, sprinkle remaining 1/4 c. coconut on top of the pie.
Bake for 10 more minutes.
Refrigerate until it's time to serve.

If you have leftover filling, you can use it like cream cheese frosting or just eat it with a spoon!

Emily's Kitchen in Seattle: A New Twist on Coconut Cream Pie

Emily's Kitchen in Seattle: Simply Amazing (Raw Vegan) Coconut Macaroons

Before you skip this post because it has "raw vegan" in the title, hear me out. Raw and vegan they are, yes, but only second to Simply Amazing. I generated this recipe over Passover, when Jews are not permitted to consume leavened products (thus two of my favorite food groups, homemade pizza and vegan baked goods, are taboo). I was also feeling a little bloated on bread and sugar in the days leading up to the holiday (I wonder why), and so I began searching for alternatives to the nutrient-free Passover cake meal and recipes that call for, like, 12 eggs. Passover tends to raise Jewish cholesterol levels with its own newfangled Angel of Death. Plus, being the gastronomic anarchist that I am, I try to avoid brands and products that we all think we need, especially the kosher-for-Passover products that are usually unhealthy, if not strange. See my gefilte fish post for more on this. With all the fruits and nuts available to Passover-observers, it's a wonder how underrepresented they are in Passover cooking.

And we can make most of these products ourselves, which is how I passed Passover without eating one macaroon out of a jar (incredible! I know!). The recipe is based on a macaroon tartlet crust in Ani Phyo's Ani's Raw Food Desserts. I highly recommend this book - the recipes are easy and it's not one of those "out there" raw food cookbooks. I did make the crust and fill it with homemade mixed berry vegan "ice cream" and on another occasion mango "ice cream." But just mushed into little balls, the crust recipe makes killer cookies, rich and buttery with the healthy fats and goodness of coconut and nuts. They don't leave you with that "I shouldn't have eaten that" feeling and they are satisfying. In case you're still worried about the raw vegan thing, know that I could hardly churn them out fast enough for the carnivore enthusiasts in my life. And another perk: you can eat them for breakfast without feeling guilty. At least I do.

Simply Amazing (Raw Vegan) Coconut Macaroons
Prep time: 10 minutes
Can make about a dozen macaroons

2 cups shredded unsweetened coconut
1/2 cup cashews or almonds
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup agave nectar or raw honey

Process the nuts in a food processor until powdery. Add the other ingredients and process for about 30 seconds, or until the ingredients are thoroughly blended. Make balls by scooping out a tablespoon of the mixture and rolling it between your palms. If desired, roll them in a little dried coconut to garnish. They are best served room temperature but can be stored in the refrigerator - if you happen to have any leftover!

Emily's Kitchen in Seattle: Simply Amazing (Raw Vegan) Coconut Macaroons

Emily's Kitchen in Seattle: Adventures in Gefilte Fish

Gefilte fish. Does anyone know what those gray lumps suspended in gelatinous brine even are? They hit the "kosher for Passover" shelves each spring, along with other strange Jewish foods - syrupy wine, dry matzah, potato starch - I cringe to walk around the supermarket with these embarrassing older relatives of mine. And yet, I love them. They are the key to my existence.

The funny thing is that all these old-world foods, which were probably fashioned out of few resources and convenience, are now dehydrated, salted, preserved and boxed to make our lives "easy." This is more than a story about how to make gefilte fish. It is a story about getting back to roots.

I got this idea into my head that I would make gefilte fish from scratch. My wonderful fiancé caved to my persistence and begrudgingly drove me in a rainstorm, 30 minutes before close, to the local fishmonger. The fishmongers are all Asian, so I didn't know how to broach the subject of gefilte. My attendant returned my skeptical gaze with a knowing smile: "I grew up in LA and was bussed to a mostly Jewish school. I spent the first few years of my life thinking I was Jewish," he confessed.

I asked for carp, pike and whitefish, but they were out of pike and ground whitefish was $18 per pound - and my recipe called for 7 pounds! My fiance shook his head at me and questioned my sense of adventure. I told him that at least this is adventurous as I get - making traditional Jewish fish balls at all costs.

In the end, my fishmonger, my kindred gefilte fish spirit, geared me toward some alternatives and even threw in some of the whitefish for free. Here is the recipe I ended up creating based on a recipe from the Atlantic and My Jewish Learning. After all was said and done, I reduced the recipe down to 4 pounds of fish, substituted snapper for pike, and paid a reasonable $40 (including $2 per pound to grind the fish). And it made at least two dozen fish balls - more than enough for our little seder.

You will need:
approx. 2 lb snapper
approx. 2 lb carp
approx .5 lb whitefish
2.5 medium sized onions
3 medium sized carrots
3 tsp. salt (or to taste)
2 tbs. sugar (or to taste)
2 eggs
1/3 c. matzah meal
1/4 c. cold water
pepper (to taste)
dill, fresh or dried (optional)

Any assortment of mild, white fish (carp, pike, white, even snapper or halibut) equaling about 4 pounds after grinding will do. Ask the fish people for advice and don't fear innovation. You will need at least a couple of whole fish, but it's cheaper to buy some fillets because they get priced by meat alone (I never considered that the poundage would drop once the fish was dismembered!). Ask the fishmonger to grind the fish and to reserve the heads, fins, tails and bones, or to let you take home whatever he's got lying around.

-If you have the time, add a couple teaspoons of salt the ground fish and let it stand refrigerated overnight to release water.

-To prepare broth, place fish heads, etc. into a large pot and add water to cover. A less-mess way to do this is to wrap up the fish carcasses in cheesecloth. Add 2 tsp. salt and the sugar and bring to a boil, scooping off foam.
-Slice one onion into rounds and add it to the stock.
-Peel two carrots and add them (whole) as well, along with the dill.
-Let the stock simmer for about an hour - the longer it simmers the more flavorful it will be.

-Meanwhile, pulverize the remaining 1.5 onions and 1 carrot in the food processor, or grate by hand.
-Add onion and carrot to the ground fish and mix.
-Add eggs and mix.
-Add 1 tsp. salt, pepper, matzah meal and water and mix.

-Remove the fish remains and the vegetables from the stock - reserve them.
-Make a small ball with a pinch of the ground fish mixture and drop it into the simmering stock. Once it turns white and floats to the surface, remove it and taste it. Adjust seasonings. If it's not sweet enough, add a tad more sugar to the broth.
-Once satisfied with the sample, wet hands and mold the ground fish mixture into lumps about three inches long and two inches wide. You are, of course, free to make them bigger or smaller according to your own desire.
-In order to avoid sticking, wait a moment after placing each fish lump in the simmering broth before adding another. Stack them in layers until the mixture is gone. You can do this in batches if they don't fit the first time around.
-Let the gefilte fish simmer for about 20 minutes. Check one to make sure it is cooked through before removing. Gently remove each "fish" with a slotted spoon and place on a plate. Slice the carrots that simmered in the stock and place a disc on each fish like a little orange halo. If you have the stomach for it, place a fish head in the center of the plate.
-Serve cold with horseradish.

Gefilte fish is labor intensive, but it is a labor of love. Don't let anyone nay say your efforts or try to convince you it's not worth it. It is. You'll never go back to the jar again. Even someone like me, who gets squeamish around fish heads, found a peaceful reverence for the cycle of life by making this "mystery meat" from scratch. Once I tasted that first cooked fish ball, I knew I had reached a new level in my cooking. It was transcendent.

For a complete meal, serve gefilte fish as a first course before matzo ball soup. Better yet, simmer your matzo balls in the leftover fish broth! Add a little of the fish stock and the matzo balls to a new veggie broth for super flavor. Stay tuned for some amazing Passover (and all-year-round) desserts - that happen to be vegan, raw, and incomprehensibly delicious.

Emily's Kitchen in Seattle: Adventures in Gefilte Fish

Emily's Kitchen in Seattle: Beer, Pizza and Meditations on Yeast

While living in Jerusalem I got into pizza making because there is not a good pizza to be found in that city. Now that a pizza stone has been introduced to my cookware family, I have been in a bit of a pizza frenzy. That, combined with an inherited bread machine, means I could make the stuff every night. Next project: making my own mozzarella. Stay tuned.

I have two pizza crust recipes that, so far, bring down the house. The first one is a winner because it doesn't need kneading or rising time - perfect for instant pizza gratification. The second one is my new favorite because it calls for beer. I swear, I am going to market it as a dating tool for women looking for husbands. What is closer to a man's heart than pizza and beer? And the two combined into one dish, topped with inches of melty cheese? Before you know it we'll all be saying, "E Harmony who...?" Top that baby with some fresh garlic and, voila, insta-aphrodisiac.

For another very delicious-looking version, check out Sasha's pizza and pizza commentary.

Instant Gratification Pizza Dough
Makes one thick crust or two thin crust pizzas

1 cup warm water, about 110 degrees
1 package yeast (about 2 1/4 teaspoons)
1 tsp. sugar/honey/agave

2 1/2 cups flour (I mix white and wheat, but do not use all wheat)
2 Tbs olive oil
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. of any or all of the following: garlic powder, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes...use your imaginative taste buds

Preheat the oven to 450.

Add yeast and sugar to the warm water, stir and let sit for 5 to 10 minutes.

If you get nervous, like I do, about getting your yeast water to be the perfect lukewarm temperature, mix 1/2 cup cold water with 1/2 cup boiled water. The yeast should proof, meaning that you should see the top layer of the mixture turning foamy and rising. If the mixture does not do this in 10 minutes, start over. It is important, when dealing with yeast, to maintain a positive attitude. I tell you, yeast knows when you're not in a mood to cook and it won't rise just to spite you. It's like a teenager: tend to it, care for it, and let it go its own way. When you turn back to it it will have met all your expectations and your heart will be warmed. If not, well, there was nothing you could have done anyway.

While ignoring the yeast, mix the flour, salt, olive oil and spices.
Add the proofed yeast mixture to the flour mixture and stir to combine. Add more flour if the dough is too wet.
For best results, let the dough sit for about 10 minutes. But if you have no patience at all, just go ahead and roll it out. Divide it into two for a thin crust result. Top with desired toppings. I like to make an improv sauce of tomato paste, crushed garlic, red wine, sugar, salt and spices and mozzarella rounds, or a white pizza topped with crushed garlic, spinach and feta.

Bake for about 12 minutes, or until the edges are crispy and the cheese is starting to brown.

***********

Beer-and-Pizza-Lovers' Beer Pizza Dough
Also known in my house as "What am I going to do with this case of Miller High Life? Pizza Dough"

This recipe is made for bread machines, but I propose directions for a manually made crust below. However, I have not made it yet, so please, someone try it and let me know. Based on this recipe on recipezaar.

1 cup flat beer (room temperature)
1 tbs. olive oil
1 tbs. sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 3/4 cup flour (all purpose or a white-wheat blend) + about a 1/4 cup
1 package yeast (or 2 1/4 tbs.)
Spices, as desired

Enter the ingredients into the bread machine mixing bowl according to the manufacturer's instructions (with the paddle already inserted - not like the time I thought I made a whole round of dough without remembering to put it in).
Set the machine to the pizza dough cycle and go on with your day.
When dough cycle is complete, set the oven to 450. The dough may be sticky, so knead a little flour into it until it is nice and flexible. Roll it out onto the pan, top with desired toppings and make for 10 to 12 minutes, or until crust is crispy and cheese is starting to brown.

Alternatively, mix instant dry yeast in with the flour, sugar, salt and spices. Add the beer and oil, stir to combine. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead for, say, 7 minutes or until the dough is pliable and not sticky. Add enough flour to sticky dough to make it smooth. Place dough in a bowl, cover and let rise for an hour in a warm, draft-free place. After an hour, or after dough has doubled in size, turn out onto the pan, top and bake. **Note: I have only tried the breadmaker version, not the manual version. Make pizza at your own risk.**

Emily's Kitchen in Seattle: Beer, Pizza and Meditations on Yeast

Emily's Kitchen in Seattle: The Fluffiest Matzo Balls West of the Mississippi

Everyone knows that not all matzo balls are created equal. I started experimenting with matzo balls in Jerusalem, and even though I use the exact same recipe, they are different in the US. In Jerusalem they were a little more dense and took a lot longer to lighten up, whereas they practically hit the water fluffy here. Maybe that is a metaphor for something.

On the other hand, one should not be intimidated by the matzo ball. I link the myth of the matzo ball to the myth of gardening and writer's block: Everyone can have a green thumb, and everyone can write, and likewise everyone can make a matzo ball. It may take a few tries, but plunging a spoon into that perfect, moist, melt-in-your-mouth matzo ball is worth the effort.

As part of the Matzo Ball Soup Off here in a Kitchen in Brooklyn, check out these matzo ball masters: Sasha's Matzo Ball Soup and Eric's Matzo Ball Soup.

Here is the recipe I use. I got it off of recipezaar.com and I have never looked back. I, as usual, have changed a few things. Perhaps I should keep them secret like a good old crafty Jewish cook. But for you, I tell the truth.

4 eggs
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup matzo meal
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
pinches, up to 1/2 tsp., of the following:
black pepper, cumin (optional - my addition), dill (optional - my addition), garlic powder

I know, you're thinking cumin AND dill? I am one of those people who puts cumin in everything. Just a little.

Mix up the dry and wet ingredients separately. Add the wet to the dry and combine - without over mixing! Over mixing is death to matzo balls.

Refrigerate the mixture for an hour.

This is a good time to get a broth going. I do not make a traditional chicken broth because I'm a vegetarian. You, however, may choose to make one, chicken neck and all. Alternatively, I like to make a vegetable broth with fresh vegetables, lots of salt, pepper and cumin (yes). I brew the stock veggies for a while, then strain them out and start adding spices until it tastes a little like chicken soup. I swear, people who eat my soup can't always tell it's vegetarian (salt is key).

Another option is to buy a soup mix - either a packaged broth or a "chicken flavored" powder mix, like the one by the brand Osem, which can be found in the kosher aisle. It is kind of toxic stuff, but it tastes, well, like chicken. Add chopped celery and carrot to your broth for the total experience.

What I do is once my balls are in the fridge for about half an hour, I get my broth ready to receive them. Bring the broth to a rolling boil. Add the chopped carrots and celery about now.

Remove your mixture from the refrigerator, and with the broth at a high simmer, form small balls (about 1 inch in diameter) and drop them into the broth.

Side note: I have a moment of panic right about now. The gates of heaven are open and my balls are undergoing judgment: who shall sink and who shall float. If you have faith, treat the balls with love and respect, and follow the recipe, they will float. I'm not joking.

The balls will, at first, hit the bottom of the pot, but in a few moments they will spring up to the surface and bob there, absorbing broth and getting bigger. Let them hang out there in the simmering broth for about 20 minutes.

If you have a few hours before dinner, I suggest boiling the balls in a separate pot of salted water so that they don't absorb all the broth first. It is sort of embarrassing to run out of broth when you have dinner guests, and these suckers will just keep on growing off the life force of broth like Audrey II. As my mother has been known to say, "this matzo ball is the size of a head of a small child!" On the other hand, letting the balls sit in the broth for a long time is a pretty good cure for dense sinker-types.

Matzo ball soup is somewhat labor and emotionally intensive, but once you have the hang of it it's very easy. I make it just about every other week for my shabbat table, and it's always a crowd-pleaser. It is warm, hearty, salty, a tribute to the old days and it just makes people feel good.

Emily's Kitchen in Seattle: The Fluffiest Matzo Balls West of the Mississippi

Emily's Parents' Kitchen in Connecticut: Impromptu Soup

This is my first post for A Kitchen in Brooklyn! My kitchen is officially in Seattle, but I am writing from the Keeler outpost in Groton, Connecticut.

So, I am all about "intuitive" cooking. I like to taste my way around the kitchen, scouting out ingredients like a culinary bloodhound. I go around like this: Aha, apples, yes, and sweet potato, okay, hmm carrots, yes, curry? Cheddar cheese? Perfect.

After my mother came home annoyed with my father and me for not thinking about dinner (my father is retired and I work from home), I decided the next day to actually think about things in advance, and by advance I mean about 10 minutes. Here is the result of my kitchen scouting: an impromptu soup of beta carotene-rich vegetables sweetened with apples, topped with shredded sharp cheddar cheese and homemade roasted chickpeas (croutons or pumpkin seeds would also be nice). If New England had a regional dish, this would be one of them. This version fills about four regular bowls. Just up the proportions if you want more.

Please note: I typically do not measure things. My teachers used to comment to my parents that I was a good student, but I never followed directions. So this is nothing new. I am putting down suggested measurements, but I recommend honing your intuitive cooking skills and trusting your own taste buds. (I sort of went overboard with the cayenne pepper in my version anyway.)

Impromptu Soup - Harvest Vegetable Soup Accented with Cheddar Cheese

Serves 4

1 tbs. olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1-2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 medium sweet potato, chopped into small pieces
4 or so carrots, chopped into small rounds
2 apples (I used Gala but I imagine Granny Smith would be splendid), peeled, cored and chopped
About 6 cups water
About 1 tsp. curry powder
About 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
About 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
About 2 tsp. salt, or to taste
Optional: about 1/2 cup of soy milk or cream to soften things up a bit, especially if you've added too much cayenne pepper
Shredded sharp cheddar cheese - as much as you like
Croutons, roasted chickpeas or pumpkin seeds for garnish

-Heat up the oil in a soup pot, then add the onions and garlic. Stir and let sit with the cover on for 5 minutes or until you're tired of waiting!
-Add the chopped sweet potato, carrots and apples.
-Stir everything together and add the desired spices.
-Now add the water. Add just enough so that the water level is about even with the ingredients in the pot. Too much water will yield super soupy soup. You can always add more water, but it doesn't work the other way.
-Put the lid on, let it boil, and go watch a half hour of television. After the soup is at a boil, bring it down to a high simmer. Check it periodically (like during the commercial breaks) and pierce the vegetables with a fork. The carrots are the last things to get soft. After about 30 or 40 minutes you should be in business, but rely on the fork-pierce test to determine the readiness of the vegetables.
-Take the soup off the burner and get your immersion blender ready. Alternatively, throw the soup, in batches, into the food processor or your Magic Bullet. A potato masher also works, but things won't turn out as creamy.
-Blend the soup.
-Taste it and adjust the seasonings. Choose to add cream, milk, or vegan milk if desired.
-When you're ready to serve, ladle soup into bowls. Top with cheddar cheese and/or desired toppings. Serve with hearty bread.

Emily's Parents' Kitchen in Connecticut: Impromptu Soup