Faux Dough

Everyone always has an opinion about the best type of pizza: Ray's famous pizza New York style, sicilian, thin crust, crust with cheese, the list can go on and on. But before you start drooling as you picture a sizzling hot slice of pizza with the gooey cheese dripping off the sides and a crispy crust that breaks apart in your hands, let me stop you there...I like alternative versions of pizza, i.e. pizza without the typical crust. And tonight for dinner was no exception...I was going to make cauliflower crusted pizza. I could hardly contain my excitement when I arrived home after a long, hot and sticky day in the city of Philadelphia. I started the process by splitting a head of cauliflower in half and cutting out the stems, only keeping the florets (flower shaped pieces) from the top and placing them in a large bowl. After microwaving the florets for about 8 minutes, I took them out to cool and began whisking an egg in a separate small bowl. As the cauliflower was cooling, I added the egg into the bowl, a quarter teaspoon of crushed garlic and half a cup of shredded Mozzarella cheese. Once the ingredients were stirred together, I poured the crust mixture into a pan and let it bake in the oven for 15 minutes. The timer beeped in impecable time, the 15 minutes flew by and it was time for the toppings - a layer of tomato paste mixed with basil, three handfuls of sprinkled cheese, thin slices of a juicy red tomato, some chopped scallions and pieces of spinach. The pie went back in the oven for 6 minutes, allowing the cheese to melt and the toppings to cook. It was hard to wait the short amount of 6 minutes, the aroma of the bubbling cheese and pungent garlic wafted through the house. When the timer went off, I raced into the kitchen and pulled the pizza out of the oven and could hardly contain my eyes and tastebuds, the cheese had melted into a white stringy bed as it peaked out through the luscious red color of the tomato, the bright kelly green scallions and the dark forest green spinach. Instead of a hard and heavy taste of breaded crust, the cauliflower was light and fluffy, the garlic flavor seeped through the vegetable toppings, the tomatos were soft, the scallions added a bit of a crunch. I had one slice, then another and then picked the toppings off the cheese, I could not stop myself, it was really good. In my opinion, it is safe to say this was the best type of pizza I have ever had. You can eat the pizza with anything, but mine went well with a glass of Rosé, bottoms up!

Thai This

There are certain types of ethnic foods that I believe should be eaten sporadically: Chinese, Japanese, Indian, just to name a few. However, there is one exception: Thai food! When you ask me what my favorite type of ethnic food is, I will 9 times out of 10 say: Thai. Tonight I invited a friend over for dinner and you will never believe what we decided to make...THAI FOOD (surprise)! After searching long and hard for a Pad Thai recipe, I stumbled upon an easy vegetarian Pad Thai dish and we got straight to work...well, the abbreviated version (with ingredients we had in the house). First, I boiled a heaping amount of white bean thread noodles, that turned to a translucent clear after they were cooked. Then, we got to work on the sauce. If you are an avid Thai eater like me, you know that Thai food has flavor and flair, with a robust spiciness. We took a 1/4 cup of soy sauce, 2 scoops of chunky peanut butter, two halves of one freshly squeezed lemon (the recipe called for lime), 4 individual packets of white sugar and 2 tablespoons of Siracha (a red tangy hot sauce). We whisked the mixture together and began to sauté half of a chopped white onion in the wok, carefully adding half a block of white spongey tofu. We cooked the ingredients down and added the bean thread noodles and peanut butter and soy sauce mixture with a small forkful of garlic and some chopped scallions for more flavor. I picked up my chopsticks (feeling in an authentic mood) and took my first bite, which was filled with a spicy kick from the Siracha and a creaminess from the peanut butter. The soft bites of tofu were light and fluffy. The flavors paired perfectly - both salty and sweet. I finished my first plate and went back for seconds, excited for the leftovers that will be waiting for me at lunch tomorrow. It was thai-tally delicious.

The Dairy Dream

On a recent trip to the supermarket I bought some beautiful ripe red strawberries. I wanted to make something cold, sweet, creamy, fresh and fruity and came up with a great combination for a light dessert or snack. I washed, hulled and halved some juicy strawberries. Then I opened a container of plain greek style yogurt and drizzled in some honey for sweetness. Next, I took a knife and spread the yogurt on top of the strawberries like icing until it covered the entire half. Then for a crunch, I sprinkled miniature chopped walnuts on top of the layer of yogurt. I placed the sliced yogurt covered strawberries into a container with a lid and put them in the freezer for about four hours. After returning home from a long walk, later in the day, I was hot and wanted something to cool me off. I pulled out the container to find the strawberries frozen solid. I plopped a frozen strawberry half into my mouth. The yogurt melted to a creamy liquid and a crunch from the nuts, the taste was soothing. The snack was a dairy dream, filled with delicious flavor.

MexiKosher

Salsa and guac for breakfast? Only with a side of pita chips. This morning I was doing a cooking demonstration with homemade salsa, guacamole and pita chips. To start, I gathered all the ingredients - 5 on-the-vine tomatoes, 1 sweet onion, 2 avocados, 2 cloves of garlic, 1 jalapeño pepper, 2 limes, salt, pepper, onion powder, and a handful of Cilantro.
I took a large blue cutting board and a serrated knife and got to work on the salsa. I sliced and seeded the tomatoes before cutting them into smaller pieces and placing them on a paper plate. I peeled the skin off the onion and chopped it up into tiny chunks. I took the dark green jalapeño, sliced it in half, seeded it, combined all the pieces together and carefully slid my knife back and forth through the chops of pepper. Once all the ingredients were cut, I combined them in a medium-sized glass bowl, sprinkled on some salt, squeezed on some lime juice and freshly chopped Cilantro as a garnish. I spooned together all the ingredients as the bowl sparkled from the bright colors of the vegetables. The fresh scents permeated the kitchen.
Next came the guacamole - I began with mashing the avocado together with a spoon, making it into a thick consistency. I added a splash of salt for flavor, fresh lime juice and again, freshly chopped Cilantro to add an authentic tangy Mexican flavor.
After a half hour of fresh ingredients preparation, it was time for the pita chips. I pulled the pita apart into halves and then cut them into triangle shaped chips. I placed the chips in a tin-foil dish and sprinkled on the flavors - garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper. I placed the tin in the oven on 400 degrees for about 12 minutes and waited for them to turn crispy.
And FINALLY, it was time to eat! There were four other women there for the demonstration and we were all anxious for the taste test. The crunch of the pita chip was an ideal combination with the creamy guacamole. And the salsa was a whole other story - the flavors were a blend of perfection. The pungent taste of the onion, the sweetness of the tomato, and the acidity of the lime mixed with the jalapeño, which added a kick of flavor, leaving a fiery sensation in our mouths.
A savory, flavory breakfast replacement with a Kosher twist.

Bowl-ing The Perfect Game

It was 50 degrees and sunny in downtown Boulder, Co and my friend and I were in need of a "rush". What type of rush, you may ask? A rush bowl. "Rush bowls" is the name, a bowl of blended fruit and granola is its game. Located "On the Hill" of University of Colorado Boulder's campus - where I am for the weekend visiting a friend at school. We walked into a little shop with sea blue colored walls and one large menu that covered the nature back walk of the store. My friend and I decided on a "yoga" bowl, blended mango, pineapple, banana, green tea, frozen yogurt and skim milk. Each bowl is freshly prepared and unique in its ingredients. The fruit mixed with the green tea colored the bowl a mint green that layered the bottom of the bowl, with a covering of homemade granola and a drizzle of honey. I dunked my spoon into the bowl of swirly goodness. The first bet was crunchy, creamy, delicious and nutritious. A wholesome bunch of ingredients, with a mellow, mild taste. Each bite of granola was covered in the sweetness of the honey, with the tropical flavor of the fruit. It was a yog-tastic bowl of healthy indulgence, leaving my sweet tooth satisfied and happy.

The Rainbow Connection

After 3 days of Passover leftovers of (chicken, brisket, potato kugel), we were over[the]lefts, it was time for a meal change-up.  In my cousins house with my surrogate family for the week, my aunt and I decided to clear out the refrigerator and make a large salad filled with colors of the rainbow. We started with a white salad dish and covered the plate with a bed of Kelly-green romaine lettuce. Then we moved that over to the side and began the chopping of the vegetables. First came the vibrant purple cabbage, which I sliced into chunks, circular cuts of carrots, "c" shaped cuts of celery and small chopped pieces of a sunshine yellow pepper. Since a balanced meal should have many different food groups - we added ripe avocado slices for the nutritious fats and lumps of crab meat for protein. To finish it off, we sprinkled some sesame seeds on top. Within a mere 10 minutes of preparation, a salad masterpiece was created. And then came the taste-test, the crisp bites of lettuce, the crunch of peppers, carrots, cabbage and celery mixed with the creamy bites of the avocado, the flavors were to die for. The crab added a soft, delicate sweet taste. This salad was the perfect diversion from my repetitive Passover meal choices.  Leaving me satisfied and excited to eat the left-overs the following day.

A Mindful Mediterranean Meal

All day long my timing was off because of daylight savings, even though we "sprang forward" an hour, I felt as if we really had "fallen back" one instead.  At 6:30 I arrived for my dinner reservation with my uncle at Aldar Bistro on Montgomery Ave in Bala Cynwyd.  I couldn't wait to eat, my stomach was grumbling.  The style of the restaurant is Mediterranean, so we chose a hummus platter for an appetizer.  About 10 minutes after we placed the order, out came a heaping bowl of hummus with fresh chickpeas, a bowl of char-grilled pita triangles and a handful of sliced cucumbers.  I dipped a crisp cucumber in the bowl of hummus.  The flavors tingled in my mouth, the crunch of the cucumber was complimented by the creaminess of the hummus.  I decided tonight at dinner I was going to practice the art of mindful eating, a skill I am learning about in this new book I am reading called Savor by world renown Buddhist, Thict Nhat Hanh.  I ate slowly, taking in every flavor, concentrating on every bite, letting myself enjoy the food I was eating, rather than being distracted by the surrounding tables and loud conversations.  For dinner, my entree came out bright with color.  The bright colors resembled the weather outside, the warmth from the yellow sun as the seasons change from winter to spring.  I ordered a dish with a simple name, "Chicken and Vegetables", but the dish was anything but simple.  A large deep-dish plate filled with a bed of couscous (a wheat grain, similar to rice or pasta) and other ingredients - grilled slices of chicken, flat orange carrot chunks, slices of thin white onion, "c" shaped cuts of yellow summer squash and green zucchini; as I dug further into the deep surface of the plate, I discovered more - sliced mangoes and pineapple chunks, with a couple raisins that were hidden throughout the dish.  The entire meal was drizzled in a light cinnamon curry sauce.  The cinnamon flavor came through in each bite.  The chicken was tender, the carrots were soft, the zucchini and squash were juicy, the onions provided an even balance from the pungent flavor.  The couscous was the perfect grain as it picked up all the flavors from the dish.  The meal was delicious and filled with flavor, I cannot wait to go back again.