One, Two, Three - Exhale...Happy Birthday Nonna!

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaah....finally time to exhale.  The major holidays are over for another year.  I know that the Yomim Tovim continue for a couple of more weeks, but the entertaining is over for another few months.  Phew!

It's been so chaotic...every time I thought my plate was full, something else was piled on.

First we decide to list our house and get on the merry-go-round of never-ending house showings.  Who knew that 3 weeks could feel like 9?  Bravo to the familia for keeping the house spotless, darting out to facilitate showings on an hour's notice (no small feat for my wonderful hubby, who has a home office), and trying to maintain some semblance of normalcy through it all.

Then we returned from summer vacation, started a new year of classes, and 1 day later, celebrated Rosh Hashanah with a dinner for 13 here.  It was so nice to be together, with family.  As I looked around the room I thought of Mom, and how she`d have shepped nachas (drawn pleasure) from it all.

But it did not end there.  We had my mother-in-law's birthday celebrations that weekend, and I offered to make the cake.  Why?  Because I love my mother-in-law...I really do.

Losing my mother to Alzheimer`s Disease has been a slow and agonizing process for all of us.  We are witnessing a tragedy unfold in slow motion, and there is nothing we can do to stop it or to ease the pain.  No-one can ever replace my mother - no-one will have her smile, her sense of humour, her passion or her unfaltering love for her family.  When I realized that this was all lost to me, to us, I felt so alone.  The grieving process began, and the pain was overwhelming and debilitating...I felt like I was drowning in sorrow.  At the same time, my father and brother were lost in their own grief, and we could not help each other through it.  I have learned that this is one road you travel alone...no-one can ease your suffering, only time can heal that wound.

During this time, I found myself wanting to go to Carlo's parents' home more often.  When I was there I felt more at peace.  For a few hours I was nurtured and mothered.  Carlo's mom is a soft-spoken, loving woman.  We always got along well, from the first time I met her (when I was 20) and she greeted me with open arms and a welcoming hug.  But now it was different.  She just seemed to understand what I was going through, and instinctively stepped into a mothering role without trying to replace my mother.  All the while she would honour my mother, always asking for her, remembering happy stories about mom.  She loved me unconditionally, listened to me patiently, and helped me through the healing process.  She did the same with our daughters, who were reeling from the loss of their Bubbie.  I will be forever grateful to her, and I know that my mother would too, knowing that her Mechutainista (mother of your child's spouse) was stepping in to care for her girls where she was no longer able.

And so, you see, when I say I love my mother-in-law, I am not being trite...I really do.  I think of her as my second mother, and I wanted to do something nice for her, from the heart.  I wanted to make a cake that was pretty and tasty, that said "I love you".  I was planning on baking in the morning, and then heading downtown to a meeting at the Alzheimer's Society to enrol Mom in the iPod project, then to Mama B's for her birthday celebration.  As always, I wakened early.  I baked the vanilla cakes and the chocolate cupcakes, made the vanilla butter cream icing and the chocolate fudge icing, and got ready.  As I was finishing my morning routine the phone rang.  It was our Realtor, calling to see what I was doing that day.  My heart sunk...there was no way I  could leave the house for a showing before the cakes were frosted.  But it was not a booking request, an offer was coming in.  Fast forward past all the boring stuff...SOLD!

And what did I do during the "boring stuff"?  Frosted my cakes...seriously, I did.

As Carlo pointed out to me, there are so many stories to come about the new house and more importantly, the new kitchen!  Oh, how Mama would have loved this adventure we're embarking on.  She would have loved the house - it has so many little reminders of her homes in it...from the swinging door connecting the kitchen and dining room, to the double ovens, to the decks...

So, I apologize for My Mother's Treasure halting to a virtual standstill, but life is even more hectic than usual, and it doesn't look like it will slow down any time soon.  I will try to be more consistent though, sharing some new recipes and keeping you up-to-date on all the exciting events to come over the next few months.

Until next time, I wish you a wonderful day filled with family, fun, friends and fantastic food.  B'Tayavon & Buon Appetito!

Plum Apple Kiggel and a 'Yontiff' message from Bubbie Lou

It's that time of year again...the hustle and bustle of back-to-school is upon us.  Believe me, we are ready to welcome routine structure back into our lives.  Usually, this one change keeps us on our toes.

This year, however, we have added additional pressures to the mix - Yom Tov (Jewish holy days, in this case Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year) falls very early - Erev Rosh Hashanah (eve of the holiday) fell on Wednesday September 4th!  And, if that weren't enough, we listed our home for sale, so it needs to be pristine and clean at all times (tough to do when flour is flying in the kitchen and I am preparing a dinner for 13!

So, I left my cooking to the very last minute, because there just hasn't been time to prepare the food - we've been out of the house to facilitate showings - a lot!

On Sunday, Becca and I went to Sobey's to pick up the brisket, chicken and fish for Wednesday night.  I am hopeless when it comes to choosing meat, and it is at these moments that I really wish I had paid more attention to Mama when she tried to teach me.  She loved her meat, and prepared it beautifully.  I, on the other hand, always preferred the veggies, and ignored her words of wisdom.  Today, I pay the price for my short-sightedness.   Thank goodness for my patient butcher Danny - who helps me choose the right meat every holiday.

Note to self:  remember that the brisket should always be boneless, and a single brisket is fattier and more flavourful than a double.

I look back on my holiday posts from earlier years, and recall the sadness that permeated the holidays...and I think to myself, in the words my Mom used to always say "we've come a long way baby".  The pain and profound sense of loss were so raw that I could not hold back the tears.  It's been 7 years since Mama was diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease, and more than a year since she stopped actively chatting and walking.  I miss her so much it hurts...but, life goes on.

As I have said before, I see now that Mom prepared me well for life without her, and I am now comfortable in, and accepting of my role as matriarch of this family.  I embrace the traditions, and recognize that it is only through me that the Matriarchs' legacy will continue.   This is my birthright, and I will happily assume the responsibility that comes with it, as my mother and grandmothers did before me.

I cooked up a smaller storm this year, given that I was limited in my time and couldn't have too many cooking smells wafting through the house should showings pop up before Yom Tov.  But we still had a variety of family favourites (click here for the link to my menu), and I was determined to add a new recipe or two to the mix.

I find that when I am lonely for Mom, I peruse her recipes, and find something to try, which invariably brings me comfort.  This time I made her Plum Apple Kiggel.  The recipe is written in Bubbie Lou's handwriting and, true to form, she writes a little note at the bottom - which I just discovered when writing this post: "Very simple and a terrific dessert for a Yontiff Dinner!!".

Sometimes I think that the Matriarchs really are watching over me, and bring me these signs when I need them most.  Oh Bubbie Lou - thank you for this one!

Whatever you are having and wherever you are celebrating, I wish everyone a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous 5774, filled with family, fun. friends and fantastic food.  B'Tayavon, Buon Appetito and Shana Tova u Metukah!


Bubbie Lou's Plum Apple Kiggel

Ingredients:

• 3 eggs
• ¾C sugar
• 3 tbsp oil
• 1C flour 
• 1½ tsp baking powder
• juice of ½ lemon
• 4 or 5 green apples (peeled and cut into smaller pieces (not too small)
• ½C to 1C of dark raisins (rinsed, patted dry and coated in a little flour so they don't sink)
• 3C plums (cut in half, make sure they are a drier plum (ie Italian plums), otherwise kiggel is too moist)
• 3 egg whites (beaten stiff)

Method:Preheat oven to 300˚.  Mix the ingredients in the order listed above, up to the lemon juice.  Make sure to combine the baking powder and flour before adding to the egg/sugar/oil mixture.  Add apple pieces, then raisins, then plums, then stiffly beaten egg whites.    Bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes to 1½ hours.  

Pasta a la Sara

My love affair with pasta is well-documented.  Everyone who knows me can attest that I will choose pasta over any other dish, and if I had my way I would serve a variation of pasta every night of the week.  Funny enough, my Italian husband  and kids tire of it...

One meal that Carlo first made for me in the early days of our marriage was pasta topped with a simple sauce made from sauteed onions, chopped fresh tomatoes and a little olive oil and garlic.  It is by far the most delicious pasta I have ever had...nothing can compare to the delicate, yet rich flavour of this dish.

Every summer Carlo grows a vegetable garden in our backyard, with tomatoes, (hot) peppers, cucumbers and herbs.  Unfortunately there is not a lot of room for more - he has worked his gardening magic and landscaped it into a mini oasis - but we still look forward to the dog days of summer so we can harvest our "crop" and indulge in the fruits of his labours.

One year when we first moved in to this house, and the girls were very young, he planted a lot of tomatoes.  I had no idea what to do with all of them - mind you, Sara and I both love eating fresh tomatoes, and as a little girl Sara would munch on them like they were apples until her little cheeks would be bright red like a doll's painted-on cheeks.

So, I decided to use up these tomatoes and make Carlo's sauteed tomato and onion pasta.  The girls devoured it!  Sara especially loved it, and would ask for it time and time again.  Soon enough this dish became known as Pasta a la Sara.  

As we approach the middle of August and fresh tomatoes are readily available and inexpensive, Pasta a la Sara has re-emerged as a staple dinner, appearing on our table at least once every other week, and always quickly devoured with appreciation.  

The best part about this dish?  There are so many - it is economical, healthy, delicious and can be prepared and on your table in less than 30 minutes! Oh, and it's pareve (neither dairy nor meat) too!

From my family to yours, I hope you enjoy this dish as much as we do.  

Until next time, I wish you a wonderful day filled with family, fun, friends and fantastic food.  B'Tayavon and Buon Appetito!

Dice your onions

Add diced onions and garlic to olive oil in large skillet

Dice your tomatoes

Add diced tomatoes to onion and garlic mixture in large skillet, saute

Keep cooking those tomatoes!

Toss and voila - pasta a la Sara!

Pasta a la Sara

Ingredients:

• 6 to 8 large tomatoes,cored and diced (12 if you're making a 950g bag of past
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 clove of garlic, peeled and whole (or 1 tsp minced will work fine)
• 2 to 3 tbsp olive oil
• sea salt, to taste
• 500g package of pasta (any shape you prefer, although the sauce clings better to smaller shapes)

Method:

Put a pot of water on the stove to boil.  Heat olive oil on low-medium heat.  Make sure to use a large skillet/saucepan, because your sauce will end up in this pan.  Add diced onions and garlic and saute until translucent.  Then add tomatoes and salt, stirring occasionally.  Allow sauce to simmer for at least 15 minutes (longer if you like), then add drained pasta, toss and serve.

Sweet and Sour Miami Ribs - An Anniversary Dinner

photo courtesy of www.michaelnoyes.com

Today we are celebrating our Chai (חי) anniversary. © Where did 18 years go?!?   It seems like just yesterday we were dancing to Horas and Tarantellas (each to the wrong music!).  This was the first inkling I had that our cultures and lives could be blended, relatively seamlessly.  No-one from either the Italian or Jewish guests noticed that they were dancing to the music of a different culture...everyone got up to dance together, laughing and celebrating. 

Mom was especially happy...the wedding she planned - which, at times proved a struggle, incorporating the many important traditions of 2 merging worlds and cultures - went off without a hitch.  I cannot stand party or event planning, and our wedding was no exception.  Carlo and I would have been happy with a destination wedding but, as the only daughter, there was no way my mother was having any of this mishigas (craziness, nonsense).  From the food, to the venue, to the ceremony, the entertainment and the cakes...she planned it all, patiently putting up with everyone else's impatience, ever the diplomat my mother was!

And, as a Bat Cohen (daughter of a Cohen, descendants of Aaron), she blessed our marriage with Cohen's blessing, and wished us a lifetime of happiness together.   I wish she were well enough to share in celebrating this milestone with us.

So, in our family's tradition, I asked Carlo what he wanted for our anniversary dinner...we settled on one of my family favourites - which everyone likes (but we rarely eat) - Miami Ribs!  Mom always made these beef short ribs for dinner, baked in a tangy sticky honey garlic sauce.  Served with plain white rice, a Baba Dora salad and green peas, this was one dish that everyone loved.  

From my family to yours, I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do.

Until next time, I wish you a wonderful day filled with family, fun, friends and fantastic food.  B'Tayavon and Buon Appetito!


Mom's Sweet & Sour Miami Ribs
Ingredients:

• Miami ribs (short ribs), rinsed and patted dry (at least 4 strips per person)
• 1 bottle VH Honey Garlic Sauce (2 if you're having lots of ribs, the sauce should cover the ribs completely)

Method:
Preheat oven to 300˚.  Placed rinsed ribs in foil-lined Pyrex dish (you can layer them on top of one another (not too many layers, though, maybe 3) and cover with VH Honey Garlic sauce.  Cover Pyrex tightly with foil and bake for 2 hours.  Remove, and serve!

Mamela's Meat Moussaka

Occasionally I fall into these annoying culinary ruts...everything in my recipe box is boring, and nothing tickles my fancy.

Mom used to have the same problem.  Back in her day, her choices were limited.  She was not computer-savvy and Facebook foodie groups were not readily available (did they even exist yet?!).  She loved watching Auntie Martha (Martha Stewart) and was a devoted subscriber to her monthly magazine.  She would also rely on me to print off recipes from Martha Stewart Living's website, which she kept in a big binder in her kitchen for easy reference.  But sometimes she wanted a change.  That's when she turned to her girlfriends for dinner ideas...Nora and Ethel are fabulous cooks with their own large arsenals of recipes...

That's how we came to discover Nora's Meat Moussaka, which we think of as Mamela's (Mom in Yiddish) Moussaka.  

Greek food has long been a favourite in our family, and my parents would often take us to the Danforth (aka Greek Town) for dinner at the Palace.  We always started with Saganaki (cheese flambe), Taramosalata (salmon roe dip) and Greek Village Salad (no lettuce, to my dismay).  Then onto main courses...while the boys restricted their dining to dairy and fish, Mom and I were the cheaters - she loved her calamari or veal chop and me...funny, I cannot remember what I would order, but it was likely the sole (my favourite fish ever).  

Come to think of it, we never tried moussaka.  I had no idea what it was...they described it as a Greek version of lasagna...but I already loved Italian lasagna and had no desire to try any other versions of it, thus it was never something I ordered.

When Mom made Nora's moussaka we were all pleasantly surprised.  It was delicious!  Bursting with flavour, and chock-full of so many ingredients, it was a meal all unto itself.  It reminded me of Shepherd's Pie, only more flavourful.  

Mom made it quite regularly, and we always devoured it.  Years later, as I was flipping through My Golden Recipes, I came across a small square piece of paper from a large pad (3 inches thick) in Mom's kitchen.  Every inch was covered in Mom's handwriting - it was entitled "MOUSSAKA - MEAT - NORA".  

I made it for my family, holding my breath as I served it - you never know which new recipe is going to get the global thumbs down and a night of heckling about my bland culinary roots - but it was a hit.  Carlo and the girls also loved this savoury version of Shepherd's pie.

The biggest "pro" with this dish is that it is a one-dish-dinner, but I don't make it too often, because it is time-consuming to prepare.  But it is perfect if you make it ahead (it will keep in the fridge for a day or two before you actually cook it) and pop it in the oven on a cold winter night.

From my family to yours, I hope you enjoy this dish as much as we do.  

Until next time, I wish you a wonderful day filled with family, fun, friends and fantastic food.  B'Tayavon & Buon Appetito!

Mamela's Moussaka
Ingredients

• 3 medium eggplants
• 5 tbsp salt 
• 2 medium onions
• ½ bunch flat-leaf parsley (or  1 tsp dried parsley)
• ½ bunch basil (or 1 tsp dried basil)
• 5 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1½ lbs lean ground lamb 
• 1¼ lbs lean ground veal (I just use 3 lbs of ground veal and omit the ground lamb)
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 to 3 tbsp soya sauce
• fresh ground black pepper (to taste)
• salt (to taste)
• ½C olive oil
• 3½C thick tomato sauce
• 6 potatoes, peeled , boiled and mashed 

Method:

Eggplant: Peel eggplant and cut in ½ inch thick slices.  Soak in combination of 5 tbsp salt ice water for 1 hour.  Drain and pat dry.  Set oven to broil, and place drained eggplant slices on a foil-lined cookie sheet.  Broil eggplant until browned.  

Potatoes: peel potatoes and cut into smaller pieces.  Boil potatoes, then mash (I use Osem chicken broth to mash mine).

Meat Filling: Peel onions and chop finely.  Saute onions in vegetable oil, then add ground meat and brown.  In a separate bowl, combine the tomato paste, soya sauce, parsley,basil, salt and pepper), then add mixture to ground meat and onions.  

Preheat oven 350˚.  Lightly grease a 9 x 13 Pyrex dish.  Starting with the tomato sauce, repeat layers in the following order: sauce, eggplant, meat mixture.  When all layers are finished, top with a layer a mashed potatoes.  Place Pyrex on a foil-lined cookie sheet (because it will likely bubble over) and bake for 25 to 40 minutes.  Then broil for 5 minutes or until top is golden brown.  

Going Gluten-Free - an (almost) adventure in cookie baking

Becca is off to a friend's cottage this week, and I want to send something with her as a token thank you hostess gift.  But she is a tween who thinks I go overboard...what's a gal to do?

I was planning on a gift basket, but Bex quickly nixed that as "too much Mom - I'm a kid and kids don't do gift baskets".  OK...why not something home-baked?  I pride myself on not doing "store bought" very often, and so buying cookies was out of the question.  We finally agreed that we'd find a unique vessel for our home-made cookies.  Off we went, to look for the perfect cookie jar.  Much like Goldilocks and the 3 Bears, some were to big and some were too small, and then, as we were about to throw our hands up in the air, give up and head out to a different store, Becca announced she'd found it!  It was a ceramic canister, with a vacuum sealed top in a nice, neutral colour.  It had a mini chalk board label on the side.  It was perfect!  Hurray Becca!

We bought the jar and off we went, back home for lunch.  And then the adventure began.  I needed to find the perfect, gluten-free cookie recipe, as they adhere to a gluten-free diet right now.  I must admit, I know little about gluten-free cooking, although I see recipes for it on Norene's Kitchen all the time and know people who follow gluten-free diets.

My girlfriend Dee, pointed out that I could buy ready-made cookie mixes that are gluten-free, then laughed as she acknowledged that I wasn't likely to do that.

After some searching, I found a cookie recipe that didn't look too complicated and the cookies in the photo look scrumptious!  Thank you Rachael Ray!

I take dietary restrictions very seriously.  While Kashruth is more of a choice over a medical need, it is something that my father and brother strictly observe and I respect that.  When they come over my meals are strictly kosher.  My mother is lactose intolerant with a white flour allergy.  My Sara is allergic to fish, and I suffer from migraine and have to avoid a multitude of migraine-inducing ingredients.  Becca and I both have friends who are allergic to nuts.  So, baking gluten-free is just another cobblestone on my culinary adventures.

I perused a few gluten-free websites and printed off lists of safe foods and taboo ingredients.  Off I went to the grocery store to pick up the ingredients for our "bakefest".  I soon discovered that going gluten-free is not so simple.  You need to ensure you don't cross-contaminate - which means gluten-free: flour (who knew there were so many kinds of flour!?!), baking soda, baking powder, vanilla, etc!

I repeatedly stopped in the aisles to Google all these different types of flour - white rice, brown rice, kamut - not one package that simply read  "gluten-free baking flour" like the recipe calls for! - and then a sinking feeling came over me as I realized that I was in way over my head.

Over the years I have learned from  numerous Passover baking disasters that adapting standard baking recipes with substitute flours and sugars does not guarantee that the recipe will turn out.  In fact, you can pretty well bet that the recipe will flop and you'll throw out the whole batch.

So, with Dee’s words ringing in my ears, I reluctantly picked up a box of ready-made gluten-free cookie mix and put it in my shopping cart.  I continued to shop, cringing at the prospect of baking a boxed cookie that wouldn't taste homemade...and then it hit me - MERINGUES!  They are gluten-free and always prove to be a hit at the bake sales and dance competitions.  The ingredients are all safe and they keep well, package well, and will travel to the cottage without mushing!

So tonight, after I get home from work, I will whip up a fresh batch of Mama's Meringues to fill the canister Becca and I picked up this weekend...phew!

In the meantime, I am still determined to learn how to bake gluten-free...just because.  So if you have a simple and easy recipe for gluten-free baking, please share it in the comments below!

Whatever you're having, I wish you a wonderful day filled with family, fun, friends and fantastic food.  B'Tayavon and Buon Appetito!

Update on Advocate (like no-one is watching, and until someone does!)

Last weekend I told you about the health challenges my parents were facing, and specifically the problems with Mom's fingers and pressure ulcers.

I am grateful to be able to report that Dad is on the mend, and while he is taking it easy - it takes weeks to recover fully from a bout of pneumonia, especially when your body is 80 years old! - and only working half-days right now, I am so relieved that he is healing, and should be back to normal in another week or two.

And then there is Mom...the Wound Clinic had prescribed topical and oral treatments for the paronychia (infected fingers) and the pressure ulcer (bedsore).  Cristy, her caregiver, continued to soak her fingers in Epsom salts, tilt her wheelchair every hour as directed, and keep her pressure ulcer wound clean and dry.

I kept calling and hounding Mom's unit clerk to find out when the follow up appointment was scheduled for, but nothing had been posted or sent to him.  On Wednesday he started to search the computer systems for me to see if he could find an appointment - in fairness, most patients do not have family members accompany them to these follow ups, so I guess advanced notice to the unit was not considered a priority.

He found that the appointment was set for the following day.  Perfect!  I let Cristy know, and made arrangements for Dad and Sara to keep the office going while I slipped out to the appointment.  (Remember, Dad can only comfortably manage about 4 hours before he is tuckered out and needs to rest, so we had to co-ordinate that he came in later that morning).

I made it to the clinic on time, and we met with the doctor.  Everything is healing!!!  Very slowly, but the redness is down in the fingers, and the infection is going away.  Her pressure ulcer is also healing, albeit slowly.  Some recommendations were made in terms of bandaging, etc., and the doctor graciously agreed to note even the simpler changes (bandages to be used, etc), on the report upstairs, because it is clear that Cristy and I have no voice there right now.

We went upstairs and I was all smiles, so relieved that things were improving.  As the porter wheeled Mom into the unit, the nurse passed us (remember, I was all smiles), and curtly nodded as she quickly walked by on her way to a patient's room, avoiding eye contact with me.  And it was then that I realized it just doesn't matter anymore.  I am modifying my approach, and ensuring that I am there for all appointments.  I will wait and see how things progress before I take this to the unit supervisor...there is no rush.  It is clear that she has been told of my concerns and unofficial complaint, and as long as quality care is provided, I can let the rest go...for now.

The important thing is that everyone is on the mend, and now life can slow down a bit, just in time for Becca's birthday, the girls' back to school preparations and Yom Tov menu planning (Rosh Hashana is the beginning of September this year!).  Better still, this means that I can get back to baking and discovering new recipes!

Whatever you're doing this lovely sunny summer Sunday, I wish you a wonderful day filled with family, friends, fun and fantastic food.  B'Tayavon and Buon Appetito!