Time to Make the Sufganiyot - Easy Donuts, Part I

Hanukkah is in full swing right now.  It started at sundown on Tuesday, December 16, and will end at sundown on December 24, just in time for Christmas Eve.  Last year Hanukkah was so early it fell on Thanksgiving weekend, and we called that holiday season "Thanksgivukkah", and that would have been the perfect holiday for a Turducken.  Too bad I didn't think of it in time, but as you know, when it comes to me and Turducken, I am always a day late and a dollar short.

Hannukkah is the polar opposite of Tisha B'Av, which commemorates the destruction of the First and Second Temple in Jerusalem, and the expulsion of the Jews from the Land of Israel. It is the saddest day in the Jewish calendar, and it is a fast day.  If we're going to be sad, we may as well have a headache.  Hanukkah is a happy, snappy holiday, commemorating the rededication of the Second Temple.  It is most definitely not a fasting holiday.  It is a major eating holiday. Heartwarming foods filled with love and cholesterol.  It's all about the oil, like a lot of things in the Middle East, so with the symbolism worthy of Sigmund Freud, we eat foods that have been fried in oil.

If you're Ashkenazic like me, that means potato latkes - grated potato combined with onion, egg, and flour or matzo meal, formed into patties, and fried in oil, till GBD (according to Alton Brown, that's Golden Brown and Delicious).  If you're Sephardic, you are a fan of this gentleman:

Or as they are called in Hebrew, sufganiyot.  The fried kind, of course. Traditionally jelly doughnuts, but no one is seriously going to turn down an original glazed Krispy Kreme.

Now in addition to fried goodies, it is also something of a tradition to eat dairy during Hanukkah in commemoration of the Jewish heroine, Judith. Cheesecake, cheese blintzes, cheese latkes, that sort of thing.  If you can fry your cheese dish, so much the better!  Sour cream is also an important part of the cheese experience.  Breakstone sour cream, for instance.  Hanukkah cheese heads are crazy about this guy:

Twins!

(Of course the actor who played both Fred the Baker and Sam Breakstone at around the same time, back in the eighties, was Jewish.  I bet Hanukkah was his favorite holiday.)

I almost always make potato latkes around Hanukkah, and that's still my plan, but I wanted to try something totally new.  Time to make the sufganyiot, folks.

This recipe has been around a long time.  I first saw these biscuit doughnuts being prepared by Paula Deen years ago.  When I went looking for the recipe today, I came across a couple of glazing options that were even easier than the  doughnut, which is pretty darn easy.

2 tubes of Pillsbury's Grand Biscuits, Buttermilk
Canola oil for frying
1 tub prepared frosting (I used Pillsbury vanilla.  It was already colored a bright Hanukkah blue)
1/2 capful almond extract

Lay out the biscuits on aluminum foil or wax paper.  Cut out the center with a cookie cutter or a bottle cap.  Save the centers to make donut holes.

Preheat about a half-inch of oil to 350 degrees.  I used my electric fry pan, but you can do this on the stovetop.  Carefully place the cut biscuits into the hot oil.  Do not overcrowd the pan, because these are going to puff up.  When the first side is done, carefully turn each donut over.  I used Korean chopsticks to do this.  You can use tongs, two forks, even a spatula.

Remove the donuts to a wire rack set over foil and then paper towels.  Then add the almond extract to the frosting and stir well.  Microwave the frosting for 30 second, stir well, and pour into a bowl that is wide enough in which to dip the donuts.  Dip the tops, return to the rack, and sprinkle on any toppings like sprinkles, nuts, coconut, etc.  Let the icing set.

 

I brought these in for our Children's Legal Services Holiday Party.

Party animals, every last one of them.

TRAVELBLOG POST #5 - CURACAO: KNIT SO FAST, BUDDY

KNIT SO FAST, BUDDY ...

There you have a finished hand-sock with a perfectly grafted toe.  Not too shabby, if I say so myself.  I am relieved that I have finished with the dreaded Kitchener stitch yet again.

And there you have the tools of my downfall.  That's no innocent ball of yarn and that is definitely not an innocent set of size 1 double-pointed needles.  Those are the components of a terrible psychological condition called Second Sock Syndrome.

The Kitchener stitch always leaves me cranky.  My neck is sore and my eyes hurt, but I absolutely cannot finish the toe decrease without grafting it closed.  That would be even worse than Second Sock Syndrome, that's First Sock Sacrilege.  So it's done, and now I want to sit in bed, relax, eat a piece of chocolate, and read some more of my new Patricia Cornwell.  Knit so fast, buddy, you've got another sock to cast on first!

Oh crap.  Rule Number One, the Doctor always lies ... sorry, wrong Rule Number One.  Rule Number One of sock knitting is that upon finishing one sock, you have to immediately cast on the second sock, thus seriously reducing your chances of falling victim to Triple S.  It's not foolproof, but it helps.  So I gritted my teeth, so to speak, and cast on 64 ridiculously small stitches.

If I was really bound and determined to get this second sock underway, I would start the first row, which is a simple knit 2, purl 2 rib, and then move on to the second row, which would require me to divide the 64 stitches across 4 needles and then join them so I can knit in the round.  That's the part that brings out my clumsy side and makes the Kitchener stitch look like a walk in the park.  That's the part that's not getting done.  That's me, the rule-breaker.  The rebel.  The passive aggressive libertarian.  The rational anarchist.

Tomorrow is another day and anyway, I'm on vacation.  Which reminds me, we are underway again and headed to Curaçao.

Ahhhh, Curaçao - what an absolutely lovely island.  Our tour guide was even better than from yesterday's tour on Aruba, and he was pretty good.  I took a bunch of photos, a lot of them with my friend Chris A. (no relation to Cookie A) in mind.  She is crazy about Key West and the islands; deep blue water and white sand beaches make her smile.

Curacao is a beautiful island,  Most of the homes and properties are well-tended, and there is less visible poverty. I love how organized Curaçao is (at least according to our guide), and how the public schools require the study of at least 4 languages, including Dutch, English, Spanish, and the native language which is a composite language itself, with availability and encouragement to learn German and French.

I enjoyed learning more about the history of the Dutch presence in the islands.  And the Jewish presence as well; the oldest extant Sephardic congregation in the Western Hemisphere is on Curaçao.

My Dutch relatives, the Nathans (Natan?) arrived in the U.S. during the 1700's, way before my Sarif, Albert, Osherowitz, Teitelbaum or Galanter relatives made it here from Mother Russia.  Unfortunately, I have no information prior to their arrival in the States.  I don't know if they were Sephardic or Ashkenazic.

I do know that once I have access to the internet again, I am going to do some lengthy research on the family through Ancestry, on Dutch Jewry, the connection to the Inquisition, and most important, what kind of food did they eat?  Besides worstenbroodjes, I mean.  Sephardic Jewish cooking is quite different from what most Americans think of as traditional Jewish cooking, which follows Ashkenazic traditions.  Think Middle Eastern versus Eastern European.

And while you're thinking about that, I'm getting ready to do this thing - knitting that first row in the round (hereinafter, just round.  Although it should be called knitting in the square.)

Curacao in Curacao

Free tasting!

Knitting in the square: all you need is practice, young grasshopper.

The approach to the Curacao Museum.

Now crossing over the halfway point of the vacation, I am relaxed enough to admit I feel no guilt over leaving the office for an entire week.  It's the way the world should work - my colleagues are graciously covering for me, and I will (and always have) gladly return(ed) the favor at any time.  I really worked my tiny heiny off preparing each and every case.  I met with every case manager, took notes, asked questions, made suggestions.  I love working with social workers.  They never cease to amaze me with their level of devotion to the families they serve.

Looking through a doorway at the Curacao Museum

Early night.  Delicious sleep.
                                                                                             

Mise en Place - Absolutely Unauthentic Singapore Noodles

Mise en place (French pronunciation: ​[mi zɑ̃ ˈplas]) is a French phrase which means "putting in place", as in set up. It is used in professional kitchens to refer to organizing and arranging the ingredients (e.g., cuts of meat, relishes, sauces, par-cooked items, spices, freshly chopped vegetables, and other components) that a cook will require for the menu items that are expected to be prepared during a shift. The practice is also effective in home kitchens.

The cruise is already a memory, and we are Home.  Sitting on my couch with my furry kids, watching the news, searching the net for stir-fry recipes.  We've already been to Publix, put things away, moved right back into our comfortable routine.  I feel good.

We had stir-fry from the Mongolian grill one day for lunch onboard.  It was pretty good, but I felt it lacked that garlic-ginger punch to bring it up to another level.  I was sure I could do better, so of course I had to buy the ingredients in Publix and of course I had to work out a recipe right there and then, and of course I had to try the recipe right there and then.  Sometimes, my enthusiasm is only exceeded by my stupidity, and this was one of those times.  I was more tired than I realized and while stir-fry is simple to cook, it is exhausting to prepare.  Before you fire up your wok, it is critical that every single ingredient be prepped and ready to go.  That is mise en place, and never is it more important than when you are cooking stir-fry dishes.

Absolutely Unauthentic Singapore Noodles

The Meat:

6 oz. frozen extra small cooked shrimp, defrosted under cold water, patted dry, and sprinkled with the garlic pepper blend (next time I will try this with 8 oz. of medium shrimp)

12 oz. boneless pork (I used boneless butterflied chops, about 1/2 inch thick), marinated and cooked according to directions below

Pork Marinade:

1/2 cup hoisin sauce

2 tablespoons orange blossom honey

1 tablespoon soy sauce

2 tablespoons white wine

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 tablespoon Heinz ketchup

Place the pork into a ziploc bag.  Combine the marinade ingredients in a 1-cup glass measuring cup, then pour over the pork.  Seal the bag, turn it several times to insure all of the pork is coated, and then place into the refrigerator for 4 hours.

Pour a shallow layer of water in the bottom of a roasting pan. Place a wire cooling rack in the pan and put the pork on top, reserving 2/3 cup of the marinade. Roast the pork at 425 degrees for 15 minutes then turn the heat down to 350 degrees and continue cooking for 15 minutes more, carefully and generously brushing on the remaining marinade as you go.  Finish with not more than a minute under the broiler.  Let cool and cut into thin strips.  Do not discard any liquid left in the bottom of the pan; it's made up of water, juices from the pork, and any of the marinade that dripped down, and may be used to moisten the noodles at the end.

The Noodle:

1 - 8 oz. package Hokan Chinese Noodles (Mein), cooked according to package directions, rinsed in cold water, left to drain completely in colander

The Spice:

3 tablespoons curry powder (or more to taste)
2/3 cup reserved marinade
4 garlic cloves, crushed and chopped
2 tablespoons peeled and grated ginger root

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Garlic pepper blend

The Vegetation:

1 thinly sliced medium carrot, blanched in boiling water for 2 minutes, drained and set aside

1/2 very large onion (Vidalia or other sweet onion), slivered

1 small green bell pepper, thinly sliced

3 small stalks bok choy, white and some green parts, sliced (definitely using more of this next time)

1 -16 oz. bag Publix frozen Japanese Blend (broccoli, green beans, red peppers, mushrooms), defrosted under cold water, well-drained in colander  (the next time I prepare this, I plan on using more fresh vegetables instead of this frozen mix.  Probably broccoli florets, green beans, and cauliflower, blanched like the carrots, fresh shittake mushrooms, and a fresh red bell pepper.  Maybe some bean sprouts. I am also going to hit the Asian food aisle for canned sliced water chestnuts.)

1/2 cup frozen corn (also 1/2 cup frozen peas.  I just did not have any in the freezer.)

The Big Finish:

2 eggs, beaten with a pinch of salt and a splash of sesame oil
4 tablespoons peanut or canola oil

Preparation:

First, take a look at the photo at the beginning of the post.  That is my final mise en place of ingredients, lined up in the order they will be going into the wok (I use an electric wok, which was set up to the right at the time I shot this.)  It takes a lot of work to get to this point, but it is the only way to prepare stir-fry.  Right to left: the garlic-ginger-curry powder mixture; fresh vegetables; frozen vegetables; eggs beaten with sesame oil; cooked pork and defrosted, seasoned shrimp; and the noodles, which have been tossed with the remaining marinade and curry powder.  Most if not all of these components can be prepared hours ahead of time, even the day before.  Take everything out of the refrigerator about a half hour before you are ready to start cooking.

To the cooked noodles, add half the curry powder, and the 2/3 cup of reserved marinade. Toss together well until the noodles are well coated. Set aside.

In a small bowl, combine the garlic, ginger, red pepper flakes, and the remaining curry powder and set aside. 

Set up separate bowls of the following: the fresh vegetables; the frozen vegetables; the cooked pork and shrimp; and the beaten egg.

Heat the oil in a wok until smoking, then add the garlic and ginger mixture. Stir-fry for 30 seconds until fragrant, then add the fresh vegetables. Stir-fry for a couple of minutes, then push to the side of the wok and add the egg. Allow to cook undisturbed until almost set, then scramble into the other ingredients in the wok. Add the defrosted vegetables, the shrimp, and the pork; toss together and then cook covered for several minutes until the broccoli is soft but not mushy.  Remove the cover. Finally add the noodles and toss everything together for a couple of minutes until it's all well combined.  If the stir-fry seems dry, add some of the liquid from the pan in which the the pork was cooked (cook down first if a bit if too watery).

It turned out to be a darn fine stir-fry. Upon reflection, it was well worth the ill-timed effort on my part.

TRAVELBLOG POST #4 - KOKOMO

KOKOMO

Aruba, Jamaica, ooh I want to take you,
Bermuda, Bahama, come on pretty mama ...

This afternoon we will be arriving at Aruba, so it only makes sense that last night I dreamt I was in ... New Paltz.  Even stranger, it was a follow-up I had to a dream several years ago, in which I drove up to New Paltz, on the sly, looking for ... what? ... I can't remember.  But the sky was terribly overcast and so was my mood.  Anyway, in Episode 2, I had traveled to the SUNY campus there - my home-away-from-home for two very formative years - to see my old dormitory.  Apparently I was the producer of a TV show that was based on my years at the college.  Who knew my life was that interesting?  Only in my dreams, obviously.

Robert in front of the Alto Vista Chapel

The building had weirdly been stucco painted white, an anomaly in the Shawangunk Mountains where it just keeps snowing until the entire mid-Hudson Valley is filled to the top. College Hall was comprised of the oldest dorms on campus, built in the late forties or very early fifties.  Our basement was a bona fide bomb shelter, at least what passed for a bomb shelter back then.  Eerie, especially the cinder blocks piled up under every above-ground window, and the closets full of army surplus food.  I think the expiration dates are still out in the future.  Must be delicious.  My dream took place in a strange, reactionary world where the students were locked in at night, and had no freedom even during the day to leave campus.  How I was getting away with this TV show about life in the hippie dippy seventies was unknown to the me in the dream.  What was also unknown was why it was urgent that I drive home to my parent's house, because I was not allowed to take a hotel room and stay over the night.  The dream ended about then, right after one of the students showed me the window of a high rise dorm (nonexistent) through which a sniper had shot and killed two other students.  Now that I think about it, the dream was all about how the bucolic campus had turned into Fort Apache, The Bronx.  Let's hope there is no Episode 3.

Today is a very special day having nothing to do with the upcoming Best of Aruba Island Tour.  It is my parents-in-law's anniversary, and - are you sitting down? - it is number 71.  Yes, seventy-one.  Seven One. Big seven, Big one.  They were married on December 9, 1943.  It was World War II, a very different time and place.  They worked hard, raised three great sons and one daughter-in-law (I was only 19 when I started dating Rob), and have been blessed with six grandchildren, two great-grandchildren, and one great-grandchild-to be. I could not have asked for better, more loving, or more supportive in-laws.  Happy Anniversary, Mom and Dad!

Aruba is a very interesting island.  I enjoyed the history lesson, especially the connections to Holland (I'm one-eighth Dutch, you know) and New York (I'm 100% New York), the beautiful shots I got of water and white caps and natural bridges, a teeny tiny chapel, little lighthouse, and a chance to glance on homes belonging to Will Smith and the late Whitney Houston.

The California Lighthouse

Food winner of the day came from a visit to the Mongolian grill at Ji Ji Asian Kitchen.  I got smart and picked thin noodles, the type you get in a Singapore noodle dish.  Lots of veggies.  Pork, black bean sauce. Chopsticks.  Good lunch.

Above-ground mausoleums; reminded me of pictures from New Orleans

This has been a great cruise so far.  There are even other knitters onboard - well, one other knitter, one crocheter, and a cross-stitcher. I am catching up on sleep.  My Advil consumption has plummeted.  My anti-sea sickness wrist bands are working perfectly.  I feel good.  About damn tootin' time, too, after a year I am glad to say goodbye to.

 Had to snap this photo - this is the door of another tour bus!  Love it!

Aruba is a volcanic island, and those are volcanic rocks.  Apparently it is tradition in some culture there to place other rocks on top of the volcanic formations.  Reminds me in a way of a Jewish cemetery, except on Aruba it is done for the purpose of making wishes (I hope I'm remembering this correctly.)

The "Baby Bridge" at Arikok National Park

That reminds me - what are you all doing for Christmas and New Year's Eve?  And for my fellow MOTs (Members of the Tribe), what are you making to go with the all-important potato latkes?  All of these are important holidays for food planning, folks.  Now brisket goes naturally with the latkes, as does homemade applesauce.  And as soon as I get back to Florida, I'm going to arrange a bank loan so I can afford to purchase a nice big piece of brisket.

Rapidly approaching sunset, near the California Lighthouse 

Tropical paradise.   I stuck to my bottled water Arnold Palmer. 

Seriously, those are their license plates.  Truth in advertising!

Rabbit Tracks in the Snow - Happy Hanukkah

Oh the weather outside is frightful
But the fire is so delightful
And since we've no place to go
Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!

When I got into my car this morning, it was officially fifty-six degrees Fahrenheit. I say officially because the front of my house, like the front of the courthouse, faces north.  There is never ever EVER any sunlight there. So it always feels at least 10 degrees colder than the rest of the street. Practically freezing.  Throw in the wind tunnel that is trapped there, and you might even find yourself  searching for a pair of gloves.

And while I am worried about frostbite, my friend and fellow attorney Tony Richardson is dreaming about snow.  The man wants to SEE snow.  He wants to EXPERIENCE snow.  He wants a white Christmas.  In Central Florida.  Good luck, buddy.

It is scarf weather, my friends.  Not cold enough for a sweater (except in front of the courthouse), but a not-too-heavy scarf wards off the Florida chill, as well as an overworked air conditioner.  When it comes to scarves, I am set in my ways, and those ways are hand knit or hand crocheted.  Like socks, once you have worn a well-made hand knit scarf, there is no turning back.

I love lace knitting, so you will see lace patterns show up on most of my socks and many of my scarves.  I love the look, I love working the patterns.  Most of all, I love the results.

I have designed a number of scarves (and socks, and mittens) but this is one of my favorites because of the lace pattern, which I believe is called "Oriel" or sometimes "Cathedral Windows."  This is worked totally in acrylic baby yarn from Hobby Lobby.  So soft.

This is the scarf I wrapped around me today.  The pattern is from a very talented designer and prolific blogger, Alison Jeppson Hyde.  She calls the pattern "Rabbit Tracks" and provides the pattern on her blog at this link:

Rabbit Tracks Scarf Pattern

For my scarf, which I call "Cat's Paw", I added a fourth repeat of the pattern, so it looks like there are four paws moving across the fabric.  I also followed her suggestion for the lacy edging.

I purchased her book Wrapped in Comfort some years ago, and I completed one of her wonderful shawls.  I'm crazy about hand knit shawls.  Her patterns are gorgeous.  Gorgeous.  And there is a story behind each one.

I used Paton's "Lace" for this - if I remember correctly, I used two skeins.  Nice yarn to work with and very reasonably priced.

The year is streaking to the end, and tonight is the first night of Hanukkah.  Happy Hanukkah to my family and friends!  May your lives shine as brightly as the candles on the menorah.  And may your latkes never get soggy!