Monday, April 12, 2010

Matzo Chips מצא ביסקװיטן

אָט איז די סיבה פֿאַר װאָס מצא איז מיר נאָך נישט נמאס.

דאָס יאָר, כּדי איך זאָל קאָנען מאַכן דעם בעסטן פּסחדיקן װעגװײַזער אין תּ'שעא, הײב איך שױן אָן אױסצופּרוּװן די מצא רעצעפּטן, איך זאָל זיך נישט אָנעסן מיט מצא דװקא אין די װאָכן פֿאַר פּסח.

די־אָ זאַלציקע, ברעקעװדיקע ביסקװיטן האָבן גוט אונטערגעלענט דעם האַרצן אין די שפּעט נאָכמיטאָג שעהן װען עס גלוסט זיך עפּעס אַזױנס.

מצא ביסקװיטן

מצות

מאַסלינע בױמל (מיט אַ ברײטער האַנט)

גראָבע ים־זאַלץ, אָדער סתּם זאַלץ

פֿריש אָפּגעמאָלענע פֿעפֿער

זיסע און שאַרפע פּאַפּריקע

צעקרישלט'ץ די מצות אױף שטיקער און באַגיסט'ץ זײ מיט אַ ביסל װאַסער (װײקט'ץ זײ ניט אײַן אַזױ װי אױף מצא־ברײַ אָדער אַ קוגל, מאַכט'ץ נאָר אַ ביסל נאַס דעם איבערפֿלאַך עס זאָל זיך גוט צוקלעפּן דער בױמל). מישט'ץ גוט אױס מיט מאַסלינע־בױמל, און באַשיט'ץ מיט זאַץ, פֿעפֿער און פּאַפּריקע. װאַרעמט'ץ אָן דעם אױװן אױף 350 און בריט'ץ אָפּ די טשיפּלעך אַ 20-30 מיניט זײ זאָלן זיך גוט אױסברױנען.

Here’s the reason I am not yet tired of matzo.


This year I am already thinking about making the best possible peysekh survival guide for 2011 and I really have to start documenting the matzo recipes now, and not eleven months from now, when I will really not want to be filling up on matzo all day.

These salty, crunchy matzo chips were essential in tiding us over those afternoon-teatime cravings for something just like this.


Matzo Chips

Matzos (all kinds work well, try whole wheat, spelt, or rye matzos if you like)

Olive oil (be liberal)

Coarse sea salt (or regular kosher salt)

Freshly ground black pepper (optional)

Sweet and hot paprika (optional)

Break up the matzos into chip-size pieces. Place the matzo chips in a strainer or colander and wet them briefly under cold, running water (you do not want to be soaking them as you would for matzo braa or a kugl, just getting the surface a little wet so the oil will stick). Toss the matzo chips with olive oil so that they are liberally coated, and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and paprikas. Heat the oven to 350 and toast the matzo chips for 20-30 minutes to the desired degree of golden umami.

אונטערלענען דעם האַרצן

Unterlenen dem hartsn

Satisfy, hit the spot


עס גלוסט זיך

Es glust zikh

One desires


מיט אַ ברײטער האַנט

Mit a breyter hant

Liberally

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Friday, April 09, 2010

Not Yet Tired of Matzo מצה איז מיר נאָך נישט נמאס

You will never in a million years guess what I did yesterday afternoon, so I am just going to tell you. I went out and bought a box of matzo. I still have many matzo projects I was not able to complete during peysekh. In past years, my feeling about matzo on the ninth day of peysekh have best been summed up by this charming movie by the very winning Michele Citrin:



This year, however, I am happy to benefit from your post-peysekh matzo-gmakh. Will be having shlisl matzo for shabes.
More matzo recipes to follow shortly.


Saturday, April 03, 2010

The Lady's Chocolate Mousse


The Lady’s Chocolate Mousse
With the exception of years when I was utterly disabled, I have made this mousse for every seder since high school. It made its TCLVPSG debut in 2003.

6 bars (21 ounces) Schmerling Maestrani Noblesse chocolate, broken up
12 eggs, separated
6 ounces hot water
3 ounces slivovitz, Montaigne cognac, or very strong black tea
4 tablespoons sugar

Melt the chocolate over simmering water. Stir in the hot water. Beat the yolks with three tablespoons of the sugar and cognac over simmering water until quite hot and foamy. Next, stir the yolks into the chocolate. Dissolve the remaining tablespoon of sugar in the whites over simmering water stirring rapidly and beat the whites to snow. Stir one quarter of the whites into the chocolate mixture to lighten, and then gently fold in the remaining whites. Pour the mixture into a serving bowl or individual serving cups or glasses. Chill until set.
Makes about 15 servings

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