ibn gvirol street in tel-aviv has seen constant changes through the years, yet one place stays the same. it is a reminder of the colorful roots of the city and its settlers. "ketter ha'mizrach" which means “crown of the east” is a culinary staple of tel-aviv. it's been in the same spot for 56 years and run by the same family, currently by the three shamai brothers; abraham, haim and nissim. you would be hard pressed to find any true tel-aviv resident who does not know of Ketter and their seductive kobbe.
the restaurant opened in 1952 by the boys' mother, initially as a workers' restaurant, based on traditional syrian jewish cuisine. as kids, they used to come and help around by doing the dishes and serving the clients. this is where haim learned how to cook his mom's traditional dishes. after their military service, the boys officially joined the restaurant, enjoying their mother's cooking until her death at a young age of 56. haim became the main chef and with time added some modern and popular israeli food, including shawarma which he spices with his own secret receipt. do not let the modest look of the restaurant fool anyone, this has been a feeding place to jewish liberty warriors, politicians, hungry artists, celebrities. "... and most importantly, years of hapoel tel-aviv players, the workers sports club." says the head waiter with a comforting smile, only a dad can give. he is called "abba" (dad) by most of his clients.
haim, one of the three brothers
i was cordially invited by haim to "open a table," which means to sit down and eat from a table filled with food. haim, in his early 60's, a man with a kind hard face and mannerism only tel-aviv can produce. he spoke gently and did not make too much eye contact. maybe he was worried i would find some deep culinary secret there. such was the case until a plate of falafel was served to us. this was no ordinary israeli falafel, there was a kick to it. "it is the hot green peppers that you are tasting," he said with pride, a sneaky smile and perfect timing. this "old school" tel-aviv man lit up as he talked about the food. i got a glimpse of a tanned teenage tel-aviv boy, helping his mother. the falafel tasted wonderful.
these days the kitchen is being run by shukri, an Israeli-arab, who has been working there for 27 years. he started as a dishwasher during his teenage years. shukri has 3 important rules for a restaurant success; cleanness of the restaurant, good food and communication with the clients. the ketter has it all.
"all the food is fresh and prepared from scratch," says the ever smiling shukri. everything, from the main dishes to the salads is being prepared daily and usually runs out before the end of the day. the menu contains their famous shawarma, falafel, stuffed peppers, kobbe, schnitzels, shakshuka, all sorts of cooked vegetables such as okra and green peas, and of course fresh salads. the assortment of colors and smells that drift out of the small and efficient kitchen is so intoxicating it makes one forget the smoke and noise that tel-aviv bombards you with. this is a place where one can get warm home cooked food in the middle of the quick falafel fixes, thai noodle and pizza joints that have taken over the city.
shukri showing his love to the soccer team hapoel tel-aviv
by the time this interview was completed, i had enjoyed fresh falafel, meat balls, kobbe, rice, cabbage salad, hummus yemenite bean soup, tomato soup and shawarma. each of theses delicacies deserves it own blog entry, but all in good time. every time we eat here, it is like visiting an old aunt that makes this certain dish that only she knows. i just wanted to give you a taste of a small magical place in a small magical city in a small magical country that is changing yet always stays the same.
ketter ha'mizrach is located on 115 ibn gvirol street, tel aviv. tel: 03.522.7718
some of the great food that was served to us
*כתר המזרח
ketter ha'mizrach
isareli boutique wines
it is no secret that israeli wines have made great strides in the last several years. there are few famous larger brands such as yarden and Rothschild. yet, on our last several trips, we began to explore isareli boutique wines and were constantly amazed at their wonderful taste and complexity. some of the wines we most enjoyed are from vineyards such as dalton, tishbi and Tzora.
wine has been a product of israel since biblical times, as the wine industry was a major part of the economy. the modern Israeli wine industry was founded by the baron edmond benjamin james de rothschild in 1882. he had built two wineries, one in zikhron ya'akov and another in rishon lezion. during the 90’s, due to advances in technology, good climate and fertile land quality vineyards have sprung up all over israel. 
our favorite wine for this trip, was giv'at hachalukim 2005 by tzora. we had it first at friends house and could not get enough of it. from that moment on, every meal we had on that trip included this wine. giv'at hachalukim is made entirely from cabernet sauvignon grapes and is medium to full-bodied. tzora winery, which was founded in 1993, is located at the the judean hills that surrounds the city of jerusalem.
now that i am hooked, i want to try more israeli boutique wines and need to find a way to have more readily here in new york.
*יינות ישראלים
pita bread
like most baked goods, freshly baked breads are no comparison to store bought breads(or god forbid, deli breads), which have a large amount of preservatives in them to keep the bread fresh. pita is no different. Pita, is a delicacy when eaten fresh and hot out of the oven. pita goes great with almost anything for example hummus, toasted with cheese panini style, or just nutella (yummy).
It's hard to find good pita bread in new york, unless you go to a restaurant that has fresh pita breads made daily. growing up in a household where pita breads are an essential part of everyday meal, i have decided to take the plunge and make them at home. browsing online, i came across many recipes which were surprisingly easy to follow.
it took several attempts to get the pita just right; first they came out too thin to my taste and then they were missing some flavor. after more research, i have noticed that salt and sugar were a big variable from recipe to recipe. on my next attempt i have decided to add sugar and more salt. i also rolled my dough thicker, to about 1/4" (if you like your pita bread on the thinner side, roll them out to 1/8" thick). they came out perfect! so i made plenty more and froze them for future use.
tips:
1. good pita bread should be soft and pliable not brittle or dry so do not over bake them. they are ready as soon as they puff out not a second after.
2. as soon as you remove the baked pita from the oven, place in a container and cover with a dump towel.
3. do not leave pita breads uncovered they will dry quickly.
4. for storage, keep the pita breads in plastic bag as soon as they come out from the oven and then put in the freezer.
5. to defrost microwave for about 10 seconds and let it defrost, or leave it covered with kitchen towel at room temperature for about fifteen minutes.
INGREDIENTS
3 cups bread flour or all purpose flour
½ tsp instant yeast (or 1 tsp active dry yeast combined with a tbs sugar and ¼ cup warm water till foamy)
1 tsp salt
1 tbs sugar (if using instant yeast and you not active dry yeast)
1 cup warm water (reduce the water by ¼ cup if using active dry yeast)
---------------
PREPARATION
sift the flour and salt onto a clean work surface and make a well in the middle.
add yeast (or pour yeast/water mixture) and remaining water into the well.
using a fork, bring the flour in gradually from the sides and swirl it into the liquid. keep mixing, drawing larger amounts of flour in, and when it all starts to come together, work the rest of the flour in with your clean, flour-dusted hands. knead until you have a smooth, springy dough. about 10 minutes.
place the ball of dough in a large flour-dusted bowl and flour the top of it.
cover the bowl with a damp cloth and place in a warm spot for about 1 hour until the dough has doubled in size.
remove the dough to a flour-dusted surface and knead it around a bit to push the air out with your hands - this is called punching down the dough.
divide into 5 balls and keep them in the bowl and cover with a damp cloth.
take each ball at the time and roll it into a 6 inch circle and 1/4 inch thickness.
prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper.
place the circles on the baking sheets. cover with a damp cloth and place in a warm spot for another 30 min.
preheat your oven to 500F (270C). if you have a baking stone, place it in the oven to pre-heat thoroughly.
place the baking sheet straight on the baking stones and bake till the the pita bread puff up (about 3-5 minutes).
leave them in the oven no more than one minute after they puff up even though they might not have much color to them.
place the baked pita bread in a container and cover with a dump towel.
*פיתות
kebabs
the origin of the word kebab (also can be refer as kebap, kabob, kibob, kebhav,kephav) is in persian, it means fried meat, today we think of it as a variety of meats which are grilled or broiled. the most common kebabs meats are lamb and beef. it is very common food in cuisines such as turkish, romanian, middle eastern, african, central and south asian.
the israeli kebab is mostly ground beef, but even in a small country like israel you will find different kebabs from different regions. the differences can be from the ingredients, the spices and the blend of the ground meat. for example, the romanian kebab usually contains soda, the middle eastern has cinnamon and so on. after years of kebab eating i decided to make the ultimate kebab by mixing my favorite ingredients from different regions.
tips:
1. you do not have to use the most expensive meat. the secret is the fat. do not use a lean meat cause then your kebab will come out dry. there is no substitute for real fat when making ground meat. do not use tricks to make the meat stick, like eggs or bread crumbs. for the ground beef, use chuck instead of lean sirloin for example. if you can get your hands on some pure lamb fat for the mixture, that is a real plus.
2. no need to grill it outdoors on the bbq. i made mine in my small kitchen on a grilling pan. sure, the apartment was filled with smoke and smelled of kebab for 2 weeks, but it was worth it.
3. a metal skewer helps the kebab to cook from the inside. again, because i made mine at home i did not use any skews. if you make the rolls thin enough you wont need it.
4. while cooking, if your kebab sticks to the grill or pan, wait another minute while on the fire, it means the meat is not quite ready, the cooked meat will move more easily.
5. no need to oil the pan, the kebab’s fat will do the job. make sure the pan is extremely hot before you add your kebab meat.
* kebabs served with green tahini
INGREDIENTS
1 pound (500 grams) ground beef
14 ounce (400 grams) ground lamb
3 1/2 ounce (100 gram) lamb fat
1-2 onions finely chopped
1/4 cup parsley finely chopped
2 tsp coriander finely chopped
3 garlic cloves chopped
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp cinnamon
salt and pepper
---------------
PREPARATION
combine all the meat together with all the ingredients
with wet hands form the kebabs
grill 2-3 min on each side till ready
*קבב
chocolate balls
i would like to share with you my favorite dessert while growing up in israel. a desert my late mother used to make. no matter how many times she told me to stop, i would eat those chocolate balls one after another. to this day, the smell and taste of this dessert, is a sweet reminder of her. so for this mother’s day (yes i know i am really late) i have decided to make them in her memory.
glancing at the recipe it seemed like an easy dessert to make and it was till i had to form the actual balls and roll them in the coconut flakes. my mother, as was her nature, never mentioned how much time, work, and patience it took to roll and coat these balls properly. especially when you want them to be perfectly round and evenly white from the coconuts rather than smudged up and elliptical. i guess kids (me included) do not really care how they look, but at my old age it is important.
these particular chocolate balls are made with crushed tea biscuits called petit beurre which are crisp cookies made with butter. what i like to do, is put the biscuits inside a big sealed plastic bag and crush them with the help of a rolling pin. i crush them till they reach to the approximate size of a grain of rice. once i actually make the balls, i found it helpful to keep my hands wet. the wet hands prevent the mixture from sticking to my fingers making the chocolate balls smoother. after couple of hours i had my chocolate balls all lined up, pretty and ready to be eaten. they sure tasted as i remembered them.
INGREDIENTS
7 ounce (200 gram) petit beurre biscuits
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup cacao powder
2/3 cup milk
7 ounce (200 gram) butter at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup coconut flakes
---------------
PREPARATION
place biscuits inside a big sealed plastic bag and crush them with the help of a rolling pin. crush them till they reach to the approximate size of a grain of rice. transfer into a medium bowl.
mix together with the sugar and cacao powder. stir in milk, butter and vanilla extract until well blended.
in flat plate put coconut flakes.
form the mixture into 1 inch balls by rolling in your hands, or by using a cookie scoop. cover with coconut flakes and place on wax paper.
store in an airtight container in the fridge.
*כדורי שוקולד
green tahini - טחינה ירוקה
homemade tahini is easy to make, has not preservatives and very healthy. it contains tahini paste (ground sesame seeds), garlic, cumin, lemon juice, little bit of olive oil and water. tahini is a popular condiment for meat, salads, and even works wonderfully as a spread for bread. basically, anything you can think off. i usually make mine on the weekend, keep it in an old jar and use it with various foods throughout the week.
my favorite tahini is green tahini and that is usually what i make. the difference between regular tahini and green tahini is the addition of one simple ingredient, parsley. you can also make red tahini with the addition of red peppers. the parsley is a very dominant addition both in color and taste, as is the red pepper. besides being delicious, tahini is also very healthy containing lots of iron, vitamins and minerals.
INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup tahini paste
1 bunch of parsley chopped
4 garlic cloves chopped
juice from one lemon
1/4 tsp cumin
salt and pepper to taste
1 tbs olive oil
water
---------------
PREPARATION
in food processor combine the tahini paste parsley and garlic.
add lemon juice cumin, salt and pepper.
add olive oil.
add water while processing till desire thickness.
yemeni chicken with potatoes
yemeni cooking is fairly simple, usually a combination of cumin and turmeric, often with a mixture called hawaij, a melange of cardamom, black pepper, garlic, and coriander. hawaij is an often used ingredient in the cuisine of yemen. due to the large yemenite community in israel this spice and cooking style has become very popular. the curry like mixture is used liberally as a rub for grilled meat, poultry, seafood, vegetables, and also sprinkled into soups, stews, sauces, and rice. yemeni food has been influencing the israeli cuisine for years. i also posted a recipe for their skhug few months ago.
i found this chicken recipe in one of the israeli newspapers. it is very simple to make but does require the hawaij spice. which is not an easy find in the states. i bring some with me everytime i return from israel, you can get it in speciality indian stores such as foods of india located at 121 Lexington Avenue New York City, NY. if you can not get your hands on it, you can actually make it at home (recipe).
INGREDIENTS
4 chicken legs with thighs
5 potatoes pilled and cut into quarters
1 chopped onion
2 cardamon pods slightly pressed
1 tbs hawaij
1 tsp hungarian paprika
salt and pepper
1 cup chicken broth
---------------
PREPARATION
sauté onion for 2 minutes.
add all the spices and mix well for extra few minutes.
and the chickens and press slightly for 2 minutes on each side.
and the potatoes and mix and sautéed for few minutes.
add the chicken broth bring to boil and then simmer for 40 minutes.
cholent
Cholent, (צולנט) a food of ashkenazi Jews, is a type of stew (or stewing) that has simmered over a very low flame or inside a slow oven (set to a low-heat temperature) or crock pot for many hours (often up to 24 hours or more) before being served on plates or in bowls on shabbat (the jewish sabbath).
back in the days the uncooked cholent was brought to the local baker before sunset on fridays. he would put the mixture in his oven, which he always kept fired, and families would come by to pick up their baked cholent saturday mornings. today, cholent can be made either in the oven in low temperature or on hot plates.
according to judaism one is prohibited to cook or light any kind of fire on shabbat but can keep previously-cooked/baked and prepared food warm, if it is placed on a covered fire before dusk on friday. dishes were created in order to accommodate these rules and cholent was one of them. i found that making a successful cholent is not an easy task, due to the very long cooking time the dish has a tendency to dry. this was my third attempt, and i have to admit i finally got it right except for one thing, the meat was too lean. i have used a cut from the neck, but i think my butcher cleaned it from fat while he was cutting it into cubes. the cubes were very "red" and lacked the marble texture. the neck is a good cut for long cooked stews because it is fatty, breaks up nicely and does not become stringy as most cuts do. the advantage of fatty meat is to add flavor and juiciness. i have also used beef bone morrows cut into 3 pieces. these fatty bones help prevent the stew from sticking to the bottom, as well as enhance the flavor. unlike my previous attempts, this time i added boiling water every few hours. i even woke up at 5am to add water. honestly, i was already awake, the smell that spread in my apartment was amazing, i could not sleep even if i wanted too. there are different ways of organizing the ingredients inside the pot and they all work, but once the cholent is ready take everything out of the pot and serve it mixed together so it will all blend nicely.
this dish is so heavy serving it with a nice juicy salad is a must. oh, and prepare to go back to sleep once you are done. what a lovely way to spend one cold saturday.
INGREDIENTS
10 medium potatoes peeled and cut in half
1 pound dry white beans soaked in water for at least 12 hours
1/2 pound dry barley also soaked in water
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3 large onions cut into 4
2 pounds beef chunks profitably neck cut into 1 inch cubes
4 beef marrow bones 3 inch in hight
7 boiled eggs
1 tsp honey
salt and pepper
---------------
PREPARATION
comments:
use a big metal pot with no plastics handles, because it will melt in the oven.
soak dry beans and barley in water for at least 12 hours. keep adding water as needed.
use fresh beef. neck if possible, and not lean
preheat oven to 320 degrees.
stir fry meat cubes with some of the oil. set aside.
stir fry onions till golden with the rest of the oil and set aside.
organizing the pot:
put bone marrows at the bottom of the pot then onions, half the amount of the potatoes and the beans (without the water), and on top of that the meat. add the rest of the beans and the potatoes. that should cover 3/4 of the pot.
add water to cover half of the pot.
melt honey in a glass of boiling water and add to the pot.
organize the eggs on top of everything and fill the rest of the pot with water till it covers all the ingredients.
add salt and pepper and cover with lid.
on medium heat bring pot to a boil.
transfer pot to the oven. make sure it is fully closed.
after few hours (if you start cooking at 8pm your first check should be at midnight) boil water in a kettle take out the pot quickly and cover ingredients with water. cover pot and return to the oven.
lower heat to 265 degrees.
in the morning, wake up early (7am), boil water in a kettle and cover the ingredients. return to the oven covered.
raise heat to 340 degrees.
2 hours before you eat check the thickness of the sauce, and add water accordingly. you want a nice thick juicy sauce. i ended up covering the ingredients again, but it is a matter of preferences. it will come with practice.
the cholent should be ready at around noon. transfer to a large bowl and mix slowly, discard marrow bones and adjust seasoning. serve hot with a nice bowl of salad.
*the amount of the ingredients is not so important. add more of what you like better, if it beans potatoes or meat.
** cholent might not have an appealing look, but i promise you it tastes wonderful.
skhug
skhug, (סחוג) also spelled zhug, is a yemenite hot sauce popular in middle eastern cuisine. skhug is made from ground fresh hot peppers seasoned with coriander, garlic and various spices.
i never made skhug before, it always seemed like tricky thing to make. boy, was i wrong, its so easy i can not believe i never done it before. there are two kinds of skhug; red and green and the only difference between the two is the type of peppers you use. red skhug is made with red peppers and the green skhug made with green peppers. skhug these days is part of the israeli food culture and it is used in many dishes; from hummus, salads, sandwiches, to any dish you want to give an extra kick. you can find skhug in any grocery store in israel and in every israeli grocery store here in ny, but now i know there is nothing like a fresh one that is made at home. you start with the peppers, than the cilantro, the garlics, spices and at the end the olive oil. i read not to grind all the skhug ingredients at the same time. honestly, i do not know why. also, when applying the spices, put less during the grinding, and than add according to taste. watch out! its easy to make it too salty, and for those who do not know, its going to be very spicy! once the skhug is done, you can either put it in a jar and keep in the fridge, or the freezer, in a plastic jar, for longer storage. i divided it into several jars and gave to loved ones to also enjoy this amazing sauce.
INGREDIENTS
1 pound fresh green hot peppers
1 bundle of fresh cilantro
garlic cloves (I add 9 cloves - you can add more)
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp ground cardamom
1 tsp pepper
1 1/2 tsp salt
olive oil (1/4 cup or less )
---------------
PREPARATION
cut all the peppers to 3 or 4 parts , ground them in your blender. begin with few peppers, then gradually add more and more , until all peppers are ground.
cut cilantro bundle to 4 or 5 parts. add each part to your blender and grind.
add the garlic cloves and grind again.
add spices and grind.
add olive oil and grind one last time.
transfer to a bowl , add more seasoning as you like and keep in refrigerator or as mentioned above in the post.
rugelach
Rugelach (רוגלך) is a Jewish pastry of Ashkenazic origin. The name is a Yiddish diminutive form of the Hebrew, meaning "creeping vine," perhaps due to the rolled-up shape of the cookie.
living far away from home, makes you miss simple everyday treats. one of those is the rugelach, a regular treat for shabbat. now, i find myself eating them only when i go to israel. there are rugelachs in ny but i have to say, they are not the same as the israeli ones. when the rugelach is made correctly, the dough is soft and tender, it just melts in your mouth. the most common filling for rugelach is chocolate, my favorite, but you can also have different fillings such as raisins, walnuts, cinnamon, poppy seeds, or apricot preserves. the filling is rolled inside the dough.
i wanted to try and "relive" home, so i decided to make them myself. the beauty with that is that i can make a big amount of them, freeze them and than just reheat in the oven for 10 minutes. i would not keep them in the freezer for more than few weeks.
i was making rugelachs one friday night, wanting them to be ready for breakfast the next day. after the first rising of the dough, at 11 o'clock at night, i realized that i was out of butter. determined to complete the task i left the dough in the bowl all wrapped up, and put it in the fridge till the next morning. i woke up extra early saturday, and ran to the deli for some butter. i was worried that leaving the dough in the fridge all night will harm it, but it did not, the rugelachs came out amazing; bit crisp on the outside, and soft and tender on the inside. the recipe indicates to use dark chocolate for the filling, and it came out a bit bitter for my taste. i am more of a milk chocolate person, it still did not prevent me from eating 5.
INGREDIENTS
dough:
2 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp salt
1 (1/4-oz) package active dry yeast (2 1/2 teaspoons)
1/2 cup water
2oz butter - room temperature
1 egg
4oz butter - chilled
filling:
4oz butter
1 cup dark chocolate
1 cup cocoa
topping:
1 beaten egg
3/4 cup boiling water with 1 cup sugar
---------------
PREPARATION
filling:
melt butter and chocolate in a bowl over a pot with boiling water. add cocoa and continue stirring till everything is melted and smooth. set aside.
dough:
Stir together yeast and 1/4 cup warm water in a small bowl until yeast is dissolved. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. (If yeast doesn't foam, discard and start over with new yeast.)
in a mixer bowl mix the flour and salt. add the liquid ingredients; yeast mixture, rest of the water, butter and eggs at low speed until a soft dough forms. Increase speed to medium and beat 3 minutes more.
Scrape dough down side of bowl (all around) into center, cover with plastic wrap and place in room temperature for 1 hours.
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll out with a lightly floured rolling pin into a 20 inch by 10 inch rectangle and 1 inch thick.
wrap the chilled butter with backing sheet and roll it out into 1/2 inch thickness. remove the top backing sheet and turn on dough. remove the rest of the baking sheet, and fold the 4 sided of the dough to cover the butter.
flour surface and roll out dough again with a lightly floured rolling pin into a 20 inch by 10 inch rectangle and 1 inch thick. fold sides of the rectangle. cover with plastic wrap and put in the fridge for half an hour.
as before, flour surface and roll out the dough again with a lightly floured rolling pin into a 20 inch by 10 inch rectangle and 1 inch thick. fold sides of the rectangle. cover with plastic wrap and put in the fridge for one hour.
preheat oven to 350Fº.
divide dough into two and roll out each dough portion, one at a time, into an 1/8-inch thickness, rotating the dough often to be sure that it is not sticking.
poor filling and spread evenly on the dough. Using a sharp knife, cut the dough into 3 inch by 12 inch triangles. Use a thin knife, if necessary, to loosen the triangles from the board. Starting at the wide end, roll up the triangle and bend the ends around to form a slight crescent shape. Place the rugelach, point underneath, about 1 1/2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. brush the rugelach with the beaten egg.
Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until lightly browned. when rugelachs are ready, brush them with the sugar syrup. let them cool down for 30 minutes before eating.
Store: In an airtight container at room temperature or in the freezer.
Keeps: 5 days at room temperature, 3 months frozen.
*medium
*makes 20 rugelachs
potato latkes and sufganiyot (israeli doughnuts)
A sufganiyah (סופגניה) is a ball-shaped doughnut that is first fried, pierced and injected with jelly or custard, and then topped with powdered sugar, similar to the german Berliner. The Hebrew word sufganiyah derives from the hebrew word for sponge.
i was very excited when hanukkah came. i am not religious, but i love holiday cooking, and hanukkah means two things for me, latkes and sufganiyot. its really easy to make these two dishes, and everyone seem to love them.
there are so many variations for latkes, it looks like you can make them with almost any ingredient, from regular potatoes to chickpeas, herbs, sweet potatoes and so on. use your imagination. i have decided to make regular potato latkes this year. i have been craving them months before the holiday. i was about to serve them as main dish with some salad, wanting to eat as much as possible, but at the end i did not make enough, and people were demanding for more and i did not have any to give them. beware, they are so delicious make double the amount your planning to make. making latkes is easy, but they take some preparations, from peeling the potatoes, to grating and then frying them in batches. i always pile the ones that are ready in a big oven proof dish in the oven on a low temperature to keep them warm till they are all ready and its time to eat.
after we were done with the latkes i served my doughnuts. they are best served warm but not straight from the fryer, so what i usually do is make them prior to the latkes and than set them aside till its time for dessert. doughnuts, to me, always seemed as a hard thing to do, but its really not. all you need is patience with the dough, and the rest is a breeze. when it was time for frying i got a bit nervous. i am not comfortable with big pots filled with oil, always worried it will burst into flames. i have put a thermometer in the pot and had everything under control. the doughnuts came out just right, i served them with warm nutella and strawberry preserve and everyone seemed to love it. at least i had enough of those.
INGREDIENTS
4 1/2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled
3 large beaten eggs
6 tbs fresh bread crumbs
salt and pepper
olive oil
---------------
PREPARATION
finely grate potatoes by hand or in processor, with gratin disk.
transfer potatoes into a large bowl and add enough cold water to cover. let stand for 5 minutes.
drain potatoes. wrap in kitchen towel and twist ends to squeeze as much water as possible.
place potatoes in large bowl. mix in eggs, bread crumbs, salt and pepper.
heat olive oil in heavy large skillet over medium high heat. working in batches drop potatoes to the skillet. cook till crisp and golden brown. about 4 minutes per side.
*can be served with apple sauce
*easy
*makes around 20 pieces
INGREDIENTS
18oz all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp salt
1 (1/4-oz) package active dry yeast (2 1/2 teaspoons)
3 tbs sugar
1 cup warm milk
2 tbs melted butter
2 bitten eggs
strawberry preserve
powdered sugar
About 2 cups vegetable oil for deep frying
---------------
PREPARATION
dough:
Stir together yeast and warm milk in a small bowl until yeast is dissolved. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. (If yeast doesn't foam, discard and start over with new yeast.)
in a mixer bowl mix the dry ingredients, flour, sugar and salt. add the liquid ingredients; yeast mixture, milk, melted butter and eggs at low speed until a soft dough forms. Increase speed to medium and beat 3 minutes more till a smooth and not sticky dough is formed. if the dough is sticky add more flour as needed.
Scrape dough down side of bowl (all around) into center, then sprinkle lightly with flour. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and mix with your hands for few minutes.
transfer the dough into a greased bowl and cover with cling plastic wrap. place in room temperature for 2 hours.
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and mix with your hands for few seconds. roll out with a lightly floured rolling pin into 1/2 inch thick. Cut out as many rounds as possible with 2 inch cutter and transfer doughnuts to a lightly floured large baking sheet. Cover doughnuts with a clean kitchen towel and let rise in a draft-free place at warm room temperature until slightly puffed, about 30 minutes
Heat 2 1/2 inches vegetable oil in a deep heavy pot until it registers 350°F on thermometer. Fry doughnuts turning occasionally until puffed and golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to paper towels to drain. (Return oil to 350°F between batches.)
sprinkle doughnuts with powdered sugar, than make a hole on the side of each doughnut and fill with the strawberry preserve.
*easy
*makes around 12 pieces