Snails! The Dessert Kind (M'Hencha)

Years ago, when we were in Egypt, I tried this dessert, called m’hencha, because it looked so pretty.

It was like a Proustian moment because it tasted so similar to my Romanian Jewish grandma’s turte, which is like baklava only made with almonds instead of walnuts, and sweetened with sugar syrup, not honey.

Unlike my grandma’s version, m’hencha is shaped like a snail, which I think looks much lovelier and so I decided to make this for New Year’s, when the cousins come for a visit. (I’m using honey instead of the syrup my grandma used.)

I’ll be curious to see if my cousin also remembers this delicious pastry from back in the day.

M’Hencha

• 2-1/2 cups ground almonds

• 1/2 pound butter, melted

• 1/4 cup sugar

• 1-1/2 teaspoons grated fresh orange peel

• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1/2 pound phyllo dough

• 6-8 tablespoons honey

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Mix the almonds, 4 tablespoons melted butter, sugar, orange peel and cinnamon until well combined. Set aside. Using one phyllo sheet at a time, spread the dough out on a flat surface and brush lightly with melted butter. Top with the next phyllo sheet and repeat, using 4 sheets of phyllo. Spread about an inch of the almond mixture in a line about an inch from the edge on the long side. Roll the dough, jelly roll style, then coil it into a snake shape. Place the pastry on a cookie sheet. Brush with butter. Repeat 5 more times to make 6 pastries. Bake for about 25 minutes or until golden brown. While the pastries are baking, heat the honey until it is warm and liquefied. Pour the warm honey over the pastries and serve. NOTE: you can make smaller pastries: cut the phyllo sheets in half and proceed as above (makes 12).

Makes 6 servings

Osso Buco without Tomatoes

I love a cooking challenge. Whether it’s because a meal needs to be kosher or because someone is allergic to walnuts or doesn’t eat meat or hates potatoes, I am up for the task.

So, it was interesting for me to come up with this year’s new year’s menu when my cousins come. They will be houseguests for several days.

Our New Year’s eve day (which also includes my brother and sister-in-law) starts early and is all about hors d’oeuvres - groups of nibbles several hours apart. No actual “dinner.”

First up: almond crusted chicken nuggets, hot dog en croute, rumaki — maybe more.

Later: smoked salmon and avocado toasts, cheese gougeres, Romanian cheese turnovers, hummus.

and then dessert in the late evening. Probably Roasted Pears with Orange-Maple Sauce or Chocolate Pudding (in a pie crust). Or both.

There’s enough variety to assure everyone will be happy.

But in between days I need to consider food restrictions including: no tomatoes.

We all love Osso Buco, but classic recipes, including mine, are loaded with tomatoes. So I spent the last month making recipe after recipe — no tomatoes. All were absolutely delicious. I made versions with red wine or white, beef stock or chicken; some with a strip of lemon peel, some without, some with mushrooms.

This is the one I will be serving — note that I usually serve Osso Buco on top of mamaliga, but corn meal is also verboten, hence, the egg noodles.

Happy new year everyone.

Osso Buco (Sans tomatoes)

• 4 pieces veal shank

• 3-4 tablespoons all-purpose flour

• 6 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil, approximately

• 2 carrots, peeled and chopped

• 1-2 stalks celery, chopped

• 1 large onion, peeled and chopped

• 2 cloves garlic, chopped

• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme or rosemary

• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

• 1 strip lemon peel, about 2-inches long

• 1 cup red wine

• 1 cup beef stock

Coat each piece of veal with some flour. Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in an ovenproof saute pan or casserole over medium heat. Cook the coated veal shanks for 6-7 minutes, or until lightly browned on each side. Add 1-2 tablespoons more oil as needed to prevent sticking. Remove the shanks to a dish and set aside. Add 2 more tablespoons olive oil to the pan. Add the carrots, celery and onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3-4 minutes, or until lightly softened. Add the garlic and mix it in. Return the shanks to the pan and spoon the vegetables on top. Sprinkle with the parsley, thyme and salt and pepper to taste. Add the lemon peel. Pour in the wine and stock. Bring the liquid to a simmer. Cover the pan. Remove the casserole to the oven. Set the temperature to 325 degrees. Cook for about 1-1/2 to 2 hours or until the meat is soft. Serve the shanks with the pan fluids and vegetables.

Makes 4 servings

Dark Chocolate Cookies

Every cookie season —(meaning right now) — I make my usual stuff: Fannies (butter thumbprint cookies), Grand Finales, Peanut Butter, Jan Hagels. This year I’m also including Swiss Chocolate Almond cookies and Brownie cookies and this new addition to my cookie repertoire: Dark Chocolate cookies.

I got into the habit of baking cookies for Hanukkah and Christmas many years ago when newspaper columnists like me would deliver their articles by hand, typed on paper, to our editors. Back then we could actually develop a relationship with the editor and any other journalists sitting nearby.

That was back in the 1980s.

After some years the hard copy was replaced by a floppy disk and then a hard disk and then a thumb drive. But still, for most of us, whatever we wrote was delivered in person.

So I baked cookies and made up holiday baskets for everyone I knew in the various newsrooms of the various newspapers and magazines I wrote for.

Hundreds of cookies, every year.

The internet changed everything. No more deliveries. No more interactive relationships, although I do see (did see, before the pandemic) a few of the editors I submit work to, but of course, not everyone lives close enough.

And of course this means —- no more cookie baskets.

But that hasn’t stopped my baking habits. True, I don’t make as many cookies as I used to, but cookie season is cookie season, after all. So, thanks to a large freezer, I still bake plenty and cookie season baking means I will have a supply for a while.

I do give lots of cookies away to friends and neighbors and any people who might be stopping by like the plumber or UPS deliveryman. But mostly my family gets to eat them, plus my cousins who come for New Years and my brother and sister-in-law who live nearby.

Reason enough. And my house smells wonderful.

Dark Chocolate Cookies

• 1-1/3 cups all-purpose flour

• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

• 3/4 cup butter

• 2/3 cup brown sugar

• 1/4 cup sugar

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• Confectioners’ sugar 

Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking soda and cinnamon together until thoroughly combined. Set aside. Place the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat at medium speed for about 2 minutes or until soft and smooth. Add the brown sugar, sugar and vanilla extract and beat for 2-3 minutes or until the mixture is light and a uniform color. Add the dry ingredients and blend the ingredients to form a dough. Shape the dough into two logs with a diameter of about 1-1/2 inches. Wrap the logs and chill for at least one hour or until firm. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut the logs into disks about 1/2” thick. Pace the disks on the parchment leaving about 1” space between each disk. Bake for about 15 minutes or until set. Remove from the oven and let cool. Sprinkle confectioners’ sugar on top.

 Makes about 40

Funeral Pie (Custard and Raisin Pie)

I don’t mean to be a downer during the holiday season, but recently I wrote an article for for Kveller about how to help/what to bring to mourners when they’re sitting shiva and they’ve asked you not to bring food.

During my research I also did some reading about other cultures’ food/mourning customs and came across this fabulous “Funeral Pie,” which apparently is traditional at Amish and Old Mennonite wakes. Sometimes it has a lattice crust, sometimes it is non-dairy. I’ve made it a couple of ways and think this version is the most delicious.

Forget the name — just eat and enjoy.

Funeral Pie

• 1/2 cup sugar

• 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon cornstarch

• 1/8 teaspoon salt

• 1-1/2 cups milk

• 1-1/2 cups seedless raisins

• 3 large egg yolks, beaten

• 2 tablespoons lemon juice

• 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel

• 2 tablespoons butter

• 9” fully baked pie crust

• 3 large egg whites

• 6 tablespoons sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix the 1/2 cup sugar, cornstarch and salt in a bowl and set aside. Heat the milk and raisins in a saucepan over medium heat for 6-8 minutes or until the raisins start to plump. Turn the heat to low. Add the cornstarch mixture and cook, stirring until mixture has thickened. Add some of hot mixture to the egg yolks then pour yolk mixture into the pan. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until the mixture is very thick. Don’t let mixture come to boil. Remove the pan from heat. Add the lemon juice, lemon peel and butter and stir until the butter melts. Set aside in the refrigerator to cool. Pour the cold mixture into the baked pie crust. Beat the egg whites until they stand in soft peaks. Continue beating, gradually adding the 6 tablespoons sugar, until the whites stand in stiff, glossy peaks. Spread the beaten whites over pie, making sure to seal edges and cover the custard completely. Bake for 15 minutes or until meringue is lightly browned. Let cool and serve.

Makes 8 servings

Cranberry Orange Ice Cream

Summer, fall, winter, spring — as far as I’m concerned, ice cream is always in season.

But, because it is cranberry time of year and I love all things cranberry-and-orange, I offer: cranberry and orange ice cream. I have made it with both fresh and dried cranberries (prefer the dried because of the texture but both are really delicious).

Cranberry Orange Ice Cream

• 1/2 cup dried cranberries

• 1/2 cup orange juice

• 1/4 cup orange marmalade

• 2/3 cup brown sugar

• 4 large egg yolks

• 2-1/2 cups cream (any kind)

• 1 teaspoon finely grated fresh orange peel

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Place the cranberries, orange juice and orange marmalade in a saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook at a simmer for 3-4 minutes or until the mixture has thickened and most of the liquid is gone. Remove from the heat and set aside. Place the brown sugar and egg yolks in the bowl of an electric mixer (or use a bowl and hand mixer) and beat for 3-4 minutes, scraping the bowl occasionally, or until light, fluffy and well blended. Heat 2 cups of the cream until the liquid is warm and bubbles appear on the side of the pan. Gradually pour the warmed cream into the brown sugar-egg mixture, add the orange peel and salt and stir to blend the ingredients thoroughly. Pour the liquid into a saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, for about 8-10 minutes or until the mixture has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon. Do not let the liquid come to a boil. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the remaining cream and vanilla extract. Mix until well blended; refrigerate for at least 2 hours or until chilled. Place in an ice cream maker and churn according to manufacturer’s instructions. When the ice cream has thickened but is still soft, add the cranberry mixture and continue churning until the ice cream is thick. Spoon the soft ice cream into a container. Place in the freezer until very cold and firm.

Makes about 6 cups

Salmon and White Bean Salad

On Thanksgiving we ate a lot.

On Hanukkah we ate a lot (so far!).

And, of course, this year the two holidays were so close together that we ate a lot, a lot.

So, for us, now that the turkey-with-trimmings leftovers are gone and the latke and cheese fest is almost over, it’s soon going to be “reasonable eats” time for us.

Notice I don’t use the word “diet.” Good, healthy food doesn’t need negative words that make people feel stressed. Good healthy food can also be substantial and delicious.

Like this white bean and salmon salad.

Bonus: it takes just minutes to prepare.

Another bonus: I’ve made this with leftover cooked turkey instead of fish and have changed the herbs (you can use rosemary, dill, thyme, savory or oregano). All good. I’ve also used red kidney beans and added mango. Another option: add some crumbled blue or feta cheese. Or change the vegetable from peas to cooked carrots.

Salmon and White Bean Salad

• 1 15-ounce can white beans

• 1 to 1-1/2 cups crumbled leftover salmon (or other fish)

• 1/2 cup fresh cooked or thawed frozen peas

• 2-3 scallions, chopped

• 1/3 cup chopped toasted hazelnuts

• 3 tablespoons olive oil (or other vegetable oil)

• 2-3 tablespoons white wine vinegar

• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary

• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Rinse the beans (save the liquid for use as aquafaba) and place them in a mixing bowl. Add the salmon, peas, scallions and hazelnuts and toss the ingredients gently to distribute them evenly. Pour in the olive oil and toss gently. Pour in 2 tablespoons of the white vinegar, sprinkle with rosemary, salt and pepper, toss. Taste and add more white wine vinegar if needed. Let rest for at least 10 minutes before serving.

Makes 4 servings

Roasted Squash with Orange and Ginger

We like a lot of veggie side dishes for Thanksgiving dinner. That means I have to cook most of them in advance because there’s no way I can fuss with multiple recipes at the last minute.

Here are some of the make-ahead dishes that we’ve loved with traditional roasted turkey:

Baked beans

Baked cranberries

Brussels Sprouts with Tangerine and Hazelnuts

Roasted Parsnips

Cornbread Stuffing

Roasted Beet and Winter Squash Salad

This is one of the dishes I’ll be serving this year. It’s easy, make-ahead, colorful and delicious:

ORANGE-AND-GINGER ROASTED SWEET POTATOES

• 1 medium butternut squash

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil or a mixture of vegetable oil and coconut oil

• 2 teaspoons grated fresh orange peel

• 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh ginger

• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Place parchment paper on a large baking sheet. Cut the squash in half lengthwise, scoop the seeds and peel the outside. Slice the squash into 1/2-inch pieces. Place the vegetable oil, orange peel and ginger in a bowl. Add the squash slices and toss them around to coat all sides. Place the slices in a single layer on the parchment paper. Roast for 15 minutes. Turn the slices over. Roast for another 15 minutes or until tender and lightly crispy.

Makes 4 servings

Turkey Chili

Turkey Chili

When the weather starts to get cold I make hot, filling food. Like chili. I have lots of recipes because the basics are the same but the the recipe is so versatile that I can change it depending on my mood and on what ingredients I have.

For example:

1. the beans: red kidney, white cannelini, black beans are all fine — or any other. Dried and reconstituted or canned.

2. I usually choose ground turkey but you can use any ground meat (or chopped meat); best are: beef, veal or poultry. But you can make it meatless: try firm tofu or just use more beans, maybe two kinds.

3. make it spicier with chopped fresh chili pepper or less spicy with a mild chili powder

4. serve it with chips or mashed avocado (or sour cream for meatless)

Have it your way. It’s all good. Also — it lasts, so you can make it 2-3 days ahead and keep it in the fridge.

Note: a version of this recipe was originally published in The Jewish Week Food & Wine.

Turkey Chili

• 3 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 large onion, chopped

• 2 large cloves garlic, chopped

• 1 serrano (or other hot) pepper, deseeded and chopped, optional

• 16-20 ounces ground turkey

• 28 ounce can tomatoes, coarsely chopped, undrained

• 1/4 cup tomato paste

• 1/2 cup water or vegetable stock

• 2 teaspoons chili powder

• 2 teaspoons ground cumin

• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

• 15-19 ounce can white beans, drained

Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and serrano pepper and cook briefly. Add the turkey and cook, stirring to break up the pieces, for 3-5 minutes, until the meat has turned color. Add the tomatoes with their juices, tomato paste, water, chili powder, cumin, oregano and salt and pepper to taste. Cover the pan and simmer for 1-1/2 hours. Stir in the beans. Cook uncovered for 30 minutes.

Makes 4 servings

Pumpkin Bread with Raisins

With all these pumpkins, where’s the bread?

Fact is, I always buy a medium size “show pumpkin” and a couple of small sugar pumpkins before Hallowe’en, just as tokens to the season. I no longer carve the pumpkins (nor do I have Hallowe’en hot chocolate for after trick-or-treating) — my kids are grown up and in homes of their own. I just like having the pumpkins until it’s time to use them.

I do use those pumpkins.

I cut them, bake the pieces and use the flesh for all sorts of pumpkin items.

Muffins. Pie. Soup. Cake. Coffee Cake. Even Ice Cream.

This coming week will be pumpkin bread time. I have lots of recipes for pumpkin bread. The one here is just the latest version.

Pumpkin Bread with Raisins 

• 1/2 cup sugar

• 1/2 cup brown sugar

• 1/3 cup vegetable oil

• 1 cup mashed or pureed pumpkin

• 1/3 cup milk, dairy or nondairy

• 2 large eggs

• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

• 1/2 cup raisins (or use dried cranberries or cherries)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9”x5”x3”loaf pan. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the white and brown sugars, vegetable oil, pumpkin and milk until thoroughly blended. whisk in the eggs. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg and whisk until evenly blended. Stir in the pumpkin mixture until the batter is smooth and uniform. Fold in the raisins. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for about one hour or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes.

Makes one loaf

Sweet-Sour Short Ribs

When it came to recipes, my mother always said “why change a winner?!” And I agree with her — sometimes. There are some recipes that I never change: my mother’s apple pie, my grandma’s challah, almond chicken nugget hors d’oeuvres and a few others. They’re too good to mess with.

But most of the time I tinker with ingredients, change seasonings, patchke a little. Or a lot.

Most of the time it works out delightfully.

Like the other day, when I went to make short ribs. I thought I had the appropriate wine, but I didn’t. I wasn’t in the mood for beer. Stock — to me it’s just a so-so flavor for short ribs, especially when you want them sweet-and-sour.

I did have a large container of pineapple juice though, so I decided on that!

As it turns out, pineapple juice contributes both sweet AND sour.

The short ribs were perfect.

I had added fresh ginger to the dish to give it a flash of citrusy-heat. The second time I made the recipe I used chili pepper instead of ginger. The dish was equally good.

My husband said both versions, similar in taste (but one slightly spicier) were the best short ribs he ever tasted.

Sweet-Sour Short Ribs

• 4 pounds boneless short ribs

• all-purpose flour

• 5-6 tablespoons vegetable oil

• 2 large onions, peeled and sliced

• 2 large cloves garlic, chopped

• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger (or one teaspoon chopped fresh chili pepper)

• 1 cup bottled chili sauce

• 1 cup pineapple juice

• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

• 1/4 cup honey

• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Coat the meat with a film of flour. Heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a large pan or Dutch oven and cook the meat for 8-10 minutes, turning the pieces occasionally, or until they are lightly browned. Add 1-2 tablespoons more vegetable oil to the pan as needed to prevent sticking. Remove the meat and set it aside. Add 1-2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil to the pan. Add the onions, garlic and ginger and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5-6 minutes, or until the vegetables have softened slightly. Return the meat to the pan. Pour in the chili sauce, pineapple juice, apple cider vinegar and honey, stir to combine the ingredients, and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Turn the heat to low, cover the pan and cook for 3-1/2 to 4 hours or until the meat is very tender.

Makes 6-8 servings