Sunday, September 17, 2006

Honey

Honey Color, Flavor and Form

Color, Flavor and Form Honeys differ in color and taste depending on the blossoms visited by the honey bees. In general, lighter-colored honeys are milder in flavor while darker-colored honeys are bolder. Honey is enjoyed in several forms – comb honey, liquid honey and whipped honey.

Storage Store honey at room temperature, never in the refrigerator. If honey crystallizes, simply place the honey container in warm water and stir until crystals dissolve. Or, microwave 1 cup of honey in a microwave-safe container, stirring every 30 seconds, until crystals dissolve. Be careful not to boil or scorch the honey.

Health Benefits Research has shown that unlike most other sweeteners, honey contains small amounts of a wide array of vitamins, minerals and amino acids as well as antioxidants. Honey's composition also makes it an effective antimicrobial agent. Research continues into the use of honey for treating minor burns and scrapes and for aiding the treatment of sore throats and other bacterial infections. Honey is also a great pre-workout energy source, aiding an athlete's endurance and helping the athlete's muscles recuperate following a race or workout.

Beauty Treatments Honey is a natural humectant, which means it has the ability to attract and retain moisture. Try using honey in facial masks, bath oils, hair conditioners and more.

Substitution and Cooking Tips For best results, select recipes developed for using honey. When you do substitute honey for granulated sugar in recipes, begin by substituting honey for up to half of the sugar called for in the recipe. With experimentation, honey can be substituted for all of the sugar in some recipes. When substituting honey for sugar in baked goods:

  • Reduce the liquid in the recipe by 1/4 cup for each cup of honey used.
  • Add about 1/2 teaspoon baking soda for each cup of honey used.
  • Reduce oven temperature by 25 degrees to prevent over-browning.

    Note: Honey should not be fed to infants under one year of age. Honey is a safe and wholesome food for older children and adults.

Why is Honey Kosher?

Friday, September 15, 2006

New Recipes

Baby Carrots in Hawaiian Cherry Sauce
Baked Cream Cheese
Baked Vegetable Casserole

BBQ Corn Wedges
Beef and Tomatoes over Rice
Bread Thins
Celery Salsa
Chicken Finger
Chick Pea Sev
Classic Honey Cake
Fancy Kreplach
Fish Fillets and Peppered Rice
Frog Eye Dessert Salad
Sweet Potato & Carrot Tzimmes
Traditional Challah

Special Foods for Rosh HaShana

On Rosh Hashanah, our table is a feast of optimism celebrating the sweet and abundant year to come. Instead of salt, we dip our challah in honey. On the first night Sept 22, 2006, we follow this by dipping an apple in honey. Some will place the head of a sheep or fish on the table. Pomegranates and sweetened carrots are also customary.

Monday, September 11, 2006

Chicken Creole (meat) serve with rice or noodles

Casserole

This term refers to both a baking dish and the ingredients it contains. Casserole cookery is convenient because the ingredients are cooked and served in the same dish. A "casserole dish" usually refers to a deep, round, ovenproof container with handles and a tight-fitting lid. It can be glass, metal, ceramic or any other heatproof material. A casserole's ingredients can include meat, vegetables, beans, rice and anything else the cook desires. Often a topping such as cheese or breadcrumbs is added for texture and flavor.

Creole Cooked with a spicy sauce containing tomatoes, onions, and peppers: chicken creole; creole cuisine.

Wednesday, September 06, 2006

Kosher Buffalo Wing Recipes

Buffalo wings (known simply as wings or "chicken wings" in much of the Northeastern United States, especially in areas around Buffalo, NY, where they are almost never referred to as Buffalo Wings by locals), are unbreaded chicken wing sections (called flats and drums), deep fried, and coated in a cayenne pepper-based sauce with other seasonings.

New Kosher Buffalo Wing Recipes added

Artichoke Recipes

Artichokes are three types of vegetables. When unqualified, the term "artichoke" nearly always refers to the globe artichoke, of which the aboveground part is eaten, in contrast to the other two, where a root part is eaten. The word artichoke is taken from the Arabic ارضي شوكي (ardi shauki) or ارضي شوك (ardi shauk), meaning literally, "ground-thorn."

New Artichoke recipes added

Sunday, September 03, 2006

Below are listed the top 10 fresh and some of the healthiest foods:

1. Asparagus: Rich in vitamins A and C, calcium, iron and folate (the world's most common vitamin deficiency), asparagus has been prized for its culinary and medicinal purposes since ancient times. Choose asparagus stalks that are rounded, with firm, thin stems and dark green or purplish
closed tips. Just one cup of cooked asparagus provides 67 percent of the daily requirement for folate, essential for heart health and prevention of birth defects.

2. Green Beans:
Harvested while still immature when the inner bean is just beginning to form, they are one of the few bean varieties that can be eaten fresh. With a healthy supply of beta-carotene and vitamins A and C, green beans help protect the body's water-soluble parts from oxygen-free radical damage.

3. Spring
Chinook Salmon:
The health benefits of eating fatty, cold-water fish are widely known, but salmon contains the highest volume of omega-3 fatty acids, essential for maintaining good heart health. Choose wild over farmed salmon whenever possible.

4.
Spinach: A Mediterranean favorite since the 16th century, spinach is a rich source of vitamin A (for cardiovascular health) and vitamin K (for bone health). Just one cup of cooked spinach provides 294 percent and over 1,000 percent, respectively, of the daily value for each. Spinach
contains at least 13 different flavonoid compounds that serve as powerful antioxidants and anti-cancer agents.

5.
Apricots: The true fruits of spring, apricots were first discovered in China and have been cultivated for more than 3,000 to 4,000 years. Not only do apricots help satisfy a sweet tooth, but the vibrant red, orange and yellow hues signal a plentiful supply of antioxidants. They are also rich with beta-carotene and lycopene, two carotenoids important in reducing the artery-clogging LDL cholesterol and maintain a healthy heart.

6. Spring
Onions: Also known as scallions or green onions, these tasty vegetables are available year-round but are at their peak when they make their debut in those first few weeks of spring. Onions have been the subject of new research linking them to lower incidence of certain cancers. They also provide vitamins A and C, calcium and iron.

7.Green
Peas: Although they date back to biblical times, it was not until the 17th century that green peas were made popular by France's King Louis XIV. Green peas are a rich source of folate and a wide range of B vitamins, essential for the proper metabolism of fats, proteins and carbohydrates. Green peas are also chock-full of lutein and zeaxanthin-both powerful antioxidants.

8. Basils: A popular herb that can enhance the flavors of your favorite pasta sauce or spring salad, basil is a wonderful source of vitamin A.

9.
Avocados: Previously avoided by dieters due to their high fat content, avocados have made a comeback as a great source of heart-healthy monounsaturated fats to help lower cholesterol. By volume, avocados are also 50 percent higher in potassium than bananas.

10. Spring Greens. Choose from arugula, romaine, mesclun, bok choy and watercress to mustard, collard and dandelion greens. All are rich in lutein, beta-carotene, vitamin C, folate, minerals and fiber and excellent for digestion.

Cooking Tips:

Vegetables and
Meat - Living Chai


When cooking cholent and stews with both vegetables and meat, reduce the amount of meat by 1/4 and increase the amount of vegetables by 1/3.