Sherbs and Pedant Have Foolishly Allowed Me Access to Their Blog

Muahahhaha.

Actually, despite the anonymous display name I'm the Pedant's sister, and almost as fond as he of trying new foods.

This weekend was my first foray into slow-cooked meat. I am not a huge fan of cholent, so instead I made Boston Baked Beans with Brisket. I made it in the oven (in a pot, although I would really have preferred to use stoneware. Sadly I could not find a 6qt baking dish that wasn't le creuset, and accordingly, $3 million), which I prefer to a slow cooker, as I don't trust slow cookers. If they turn off in the middle of the night, you, and your 8 guests are screwed.

Being my first foray, I also made chicken schnitzel (baked not fried) which was pretty good, as I made the bread crumb spice mixture myself (matzoh meal, rosemary, thyme, parsley, salt, pepper, and basil).

The Brisket recipe is as follows (courtesy of Joan Nathan and my mom):
1 lb navy or kidney beans
3 lbs brisket of beef (I used 2, as they were only selling in multiples of 2, and 4 sounded like overkill)
1 sliced onion
1 tbs mustard
1 tbs salt
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup molasses
2 cups boiling water to cover (I found this insufficient. If you are making this Shabbat-style, I'd use 4 cups, at least)

1. wash, pick over beans, put in a bowl, cover with cold water, soak overnight
2. drain beans, cook (slowly) in a saucepan, covered in water, for about 30 mins, or when the skins burst
3. drain beans, put in a 6-qt casserole with lid. Add brisket of beef and onion. (She doesn't say to mix it all up, but you probably should)
4. Mix up everything else and pour it on top.
5. Add 2 cups boiling water, or enough to cover-- if you are only cooking for 8-10 hours, if you are cooking it overnight, then add 4 cups.
6. Place into preheated 225 degree oven.
7. Leave alone.

I also added some eggs (wash the shell and then just toss them in there) because I love slow-cooked eggs. They are pretty good, and if you don't like them, you don't have to touch them. It was pretty darn good, especially with fresh baked challah.

Since I was feeling adventurous this weekend I also made broccoli, potato and goat cheese soup. It started with a trip to the farmers' market (which I adore) where I bought 1 lb broccoli, 1.5 lbs butter golden potatoes, some Brussels sprouts (for roasting, not for this recipe) and a cup of hot apple cider, which was pretty much awesome.

I made the broccoli soup by browning some garlic in oil (in the bottom of my 3qt pot), tossing in the cut up broccoli and sauteing briefly. Then I covered it with water, and used the immersion blender until it was pretty smooth. I added peeled, cut chunks of potato, salt, pepper, and a little mushroom soup mix, and left it to cook, covered. When the potatoes were almost done I blended them with the immersion blender. I served it hot with a dollop of goat cheese tossed in. It was sooo good, and actually not bad for you at all. I suggest it as an easy first course for winter.

Feelin' Hot Hot Hot

On Friday night, I was at The Pedant's ancestral home for dinner. (Well, I was there all weekend.) His mother made a spicy Chinese-themed ritual dinner, with hot and sour soup, ma-po tofu, beef and broccoli (fake beef for me!), etc., wit the requisite ritual foods as well. During the course of the meal, the members of the dinner party got to talking about spicy foods. Fast forward to last night, while "stranded" (over-dramatization) in a train station in The Headquarters of the Arsenal of Democracy, I enjoyed a fast-food dinner of Indian food. It was good and spicy, just the way I like it. Which got me thinking again about the value of spicy food.

Now, I LOVE spicy food. Mexican, Guatemalan, Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Middle Eastern, etc. (I can't say I love Cajun or Creole spicy foods since I tend to not like okra and I don't eat seafood and haven't eaten much of it.) At the ritual dinner on Friday, we had talked about spicy food being acculturated--kids egging each other on "ooo...I bet you can't eat [food x] with this much hot sauce...," or how in warmer climates people tend to have spicier cuisine because it helps them sweat (which cools them down). Spicy food also helps with digestion. And just plain tastes good.

Now, I come from a very good pale people (Eastern Europe ain't so warm!) and although my cultural food is relatively bland (salt and pepper kuggel anyone?) or sweet (mmm...rugulach and babka...); it may be very tasty (and salty!) but not spicy.

I attribute my love for spicy to my parents who LOVE spicy food too. In fact, I didn't always love stuff so hot; as a kid my mother had to buy me mild salsa for taco night. Now, I buy medium salsa (over hot) mostly because I like a lot of it, and hot will become overwhelming. And I am not a hot sauce lover. My uncle from Guatemala and his children (who are half-Latin American, half-Shtetl) and my aunt (full shtetl, but married to a Guatemalan and actually looks Guatemalan) LOVE hot sauce and try lots of them, from the moderately mild to the OHMYGODMYMOUTHISBURNING hot. I like when food is spicy, but still has a taste.

Many of my friends, however, don't like spicy foods. The Pedant and I have found a restaurant tray, I ate it all that we both enjoy that has very good and very spicy Indian food. I went there with my friends for my birthday last spring and when they brought out the medium-spicy appetizerloveingly, while they all ordered more mango lassies to cool their burning mouths. Wimps.

So although my pale, pale people don't generally eat spicy foods, I do. And love it. Mmm...