Slashfood

Passover Recipes from a Book of Remembrance

by Jason Best, Posted Apr 18th 2011 4:00PM

Passover begins tonight, and before heading out to your first Seder, you might check out this article in the New Jersey Star-Ledger to get into the spirit of things (and to remind yourself of the rich traditions of Jewish cooking, way beyond matzo).

The Jewish festival, of course, commemorates the release of the ancient Israelites from slavery in Egypt. Everything that's served at a traditional Seder is steeped in symbolism -- which doesn't always make for the type of dish that you might dream about eating all year (celery with vinegar, anyone?).

But what about creamy noodle kugels, piquant cold borscht or the perfect marriage of warm potato dumplings topped with brisket? These and a host of other recipes culled from the memories of Holocaust survivors have been collected by June Feiss Hersh in a soon-to-be-released cookbook, Recipes Remembered: A Celebration of Survival.

The Star-Ledger profiled the work of Hersh and talked to some of the survivors she features in her book, which apparently also showcases some surprising recipes, like a tres leches cake and gnocchi alla romana, collected from Jews who fled the Nazis for places like the Dominican Republic or Italy.

Filed under: Holidays, Recipes

Italian Food, Jonathan Waxman's Way: Cookbook Spotlight

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by Nanette Maxim, Posted Apr 18th 2011 3:00PM

Photo: Amazon

When chef Jonathan Waxman throws open the glass garage doors at his restaurant Barbuto (in Manhattan's West Village) on a warm spring afternoon on the far side of lunch hour, and you've just eaten a forkful of pillowy gnocchi with spinach and almonds, you'd be inhuman if you didn't turn to your mates and say, "Ah, life is good." Waxman's wood-fired oven is throwing flames, and the silver-haired chef (and former "Top Chef Masters" contestant) might himself be delivering one of his signature roast chickens with salsa verde to another bunch of customers, all of whom seem to be smiling. Barbuto just does that to you.

Jonathan Waxman has always done things his way at Barbuto -- simple, delicious, playful, and very Italian. That he isn't Italian doesn't mean a thing. He cooks like a Roman grandmother, says his business partner Fabrizio Ferri. And in his new cookbook, Italian, My Way, he shows us how to play with the classic dishes he loves (such as linguine with wild mushrooms or pizza with pancetta, tomatoes, burrata, and scallions), and amp up others, spun from a good forage or a good day at the fish market (warm dandelion greens with scrambled eggs and chives; strozzapreti with octopus, red wine, and onions).

Filed under: Chefs, Cookbook Spotlight

World's Easiest Passover Seder Menu

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by Slashfood Editor, Posted Apr 18th 2011 2:00PM

Passover charoset recipe Photo: New Media Publishing / Flat Art Studios.com

Here's everything you need for a Seder dinner that is perfect for the occasion of gathering friends and family, and that's perfectly simple and delicious.

KitchenDaily contributor Ruth Cousineau has come up with a menu that includes charoset of apples, spices, and sweet red wine, light and fluffy matzo-ball soup, gefilte fish loaf, a spice-rubbed brisket with roasted vegetables, a parsley-fennel salad, and meringue nests with rhubarb and strawberry sauce.

Get the World's Easiest Seder Menu.

Filed under: Holidays, Recipes

Secret Vices of Food World Celebs

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by Slashfood Editor, Posted Apr 18th 2011 1:00PM

Photos: Rob Kim / Getty Images; Rachel Been, AOL

Ever wondered what chefs and food critics eat when they're behind closed doors? Guess what? It ain't foie gras. Our friends over at The Daily Meal asked a slew of tastemakers -- such as Alton Brown and Ruth Reichl, April Bloomfield and Mario Batali -- about their secret food indulgences, and got some surprising answers. GQ's food guru Alan Richman has a soft spot for garlicky sausage, and gets his fix with Katz's Deli's knoblewurst. We won't ask which party he's going to after he loads up on garlic.

And what does the doyenne of Italian food, Lidia Bastianich, snack on when she has a sweet tooth? Nope, not a tiramisù. Lidia joneses for Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. Frankly, so do we.

Who's the chef who loves to nosh on Popeye's fried chicken?
Discover all the food vices at The Daily Meal.

Filed under: On the Blogs, Celebrities, Chefs

New App Counts Calories with iPhone Camera

COMMENTS 3

by Jessie Cacciola, Posted Apr 18th 2011 12:00PM

MealSnap iphone app Photo: iTunes

Calorie counts can now be made with a flick of your iPhone. Meal Snap, by health and fitness brand DailyBurn ($2.99 on iTunes), allows users to calculate calories for any food item in the app's 500,000-item database, from an apple to a bag of chips, simply by snapping its picture. Users can then choose to log it into a food diary, to keep track of daily intake, or share findings on Twitter, if you're a lifestyle pusher.

But the counting isn't exact. A few minutes after snapping, a reading reveals a range of possible calories -- an apple could be anywhere between 64 and 96, while a container of yogurt registered between 135 and 204, notes the Daily Mail, who ran a test of their own. So nutrition sticklers, beware, these are mere estimates. The app will also estimate fat content, vitamins, carbohydrates, proteins and other breakdowns, notes chief executive at DailyBurn, Andy Smith, according to Daily Mail.

And it may do wonders for our appetite, says Smith. "The pure act of tracking something can cause a psychological change that can help people on their health and fitness journey," he tells the Mail. "Just the simple fact of logging it makes me more aware of what I'm eating." No lie. Weight Watchers members have been doing just that for decades -- without a camera.

Filed under: New Products, Gadgets

Recall Alert: Turmeric and Curry Seasoning

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by Slashfood Editor, Posted Apr 18th 2011 11:00AM

turmeric spice recall Photos: USDA.gov; Rachel Been, AOL

Before you shake a little dried turmeric into that curry you're preparing, read this. Food Safety News reports that the possibility of excessive lead in its ground turmeric has led Missouri company B&M, Inc. to voluntarily recall its Archer Farms brand turmeric, sold at Target in 2.6 oz. glass bottles, with UPC 0-85239-02612-0. The lot numbers included (numbers and dates can be found on the bottom of the bottle ) are 1740901A, best by 6/23/2011; 2180902A, best by 8/6/11; 2780906A, best by 10/5/2011; 2920903A, best by 10/19/11; 3060903A, best by 11/2/2011; 0071003A, best by1/7/2012. The turmeric is distributed nationwide. (No other Archer Farm spices are affected.)

Consumers can return the turmeric to the store where it was purchased. For more information, you can call B&M, Inc. at 1-877-321-5852 or Target Guest Relations at 800-316-6151.

Food Safety News also reports that another concern with lead in turmeric has caused Top Food & Drugs to voluntarily recall two Spice Hunter brand products: Spice Hunter Curry Seasoning in 1.8 oz. containers with a UPC number of 0-81057-01330, lots: 09 198 and 09 225, as well as its Spice Hunter Ground Turmeric in 2 oz. containers, UPC: 0-81057-01985, lots: 09 196, 09 201 and 09 264.

No illnesses have yet been reported because of the affected turmeric. The concern, though, is that when too much lead is consumed, it can create developmental problems, especially in children.

Filed under: Recalls

Slow-Roasted Lamb Shanks with Horseradish Jus: Recipe of the Day

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by Slashfood Editor, Posted Apr 18th 2011 10:00AM

Slow-Roasted Lamb Shanks with Horseradish Jus recipe Photo: Frances Janisch

Gail Simmons is a cook who likes to give a dish like roasted lamb a spike of flavor. And she finds that spike in grated fresh horseradish, which she adds to the sauce. Spring is the season for lamb, and when it's braised in beef stock and beer, this lovely meet takes on a depth that may surprise you. Served on a bed of rainbow chard, it's a rich portrait of early spring.

Get Gail's Slow-Roasted Lamb Shanks with Horseradish Jus recipe.

Filed under: Recipes

Blind Tasters Can't Tell Cheap Wines From Expensive

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by Slashfood Editor, Posted Apr 15th 2011 5:00PM

wine tasting Photo: weelibrarian, Flickr

People can't tell the difference between cheap and expensive wine, says psychologist Richard Wiseman after conducting a survey of 578 drinkers at the Edinburgh International Science Festival, reports The Guardian. The participants sampled a variety of red and white wines in a blind taste test with prices ranging from about $6 to $50. The results concluded that people could only tell the difference between cheap and expensive white wines 53% of the time, and 47% of the time for red wines.

In other words, it's about the same percentage as if they merely guessed. The Claret was the hardest to pinpoint, with only 39% getting it right, despite the price tag differences of about $5 for one bottle and $23 for the other. The Journal of Wine Economics backs up Wiseman's findings. Its 2008 study, "Do More Expensive Wines Taste Better?" reported that:

Individuals who are unaware of the price do not derive more enjoyment from more expensive wine. In a sample of more than 6,000 blind tastings, we ﬁnd that the correlation between price and overall rating is small and negative, suggesting that individuals on average enjoy more expensive wines slightly less.

Maybe it's time to add some swill wine to that expensive Bordeaux collection.

Filed under: Food News, Drinks