Baking with George Greenstein

February 05, 2013
By Holly Jennings

Jewish Baker jacket

SECRETS OF A JEWISH BAKER
Recipes for 125 Breads from Around the World
by George Greenstein
Ten Speed Press
328 pp. $29.99

 

 

 

It has been my experience that many excellent cooks and bakers are intimated by the thought of making bread at home. Yet bread baking can be made simple to understand for the both the novice and the experienced baker.

—George Greenstein

 

Truer words were never said. And they are exactly the sentiments of Sam Heffernan, the member of this club who suggested we do a baking book. She wanted not only to share her love of bread, but also to encourage (more…)


The Peace Bagel with Za’atar and Labneh

January 31, 2013
By Holly Jennings

Peace Bagel

 

I once dated a Palestinian man. He taught me how to make a proper plate of hummus, and he introduced me to za’atar, which turned into a life-long love affair.

 

Za’atar is a Middle Eastern spice blend made with the herb za’atar, sumac, sesame seeds, and salt (and sometimes (more…)


Bhakti’s Chopped Liver

January 19, 2013
By Holly Jennings

Bhakti's chopped liver

Introducing Guest Blogger Bhakti Ziek

I’m very happy to be introducing Bhakti Ziek to you. If you read my previous posting about Jewish Corn Bread, her name will be familiar to you.

Bhakti has her own blog (click here to go to it) where she writes about textiles, life, food, and more. More importantly, to this blog anyway, Bhakti is a member of the Dowdy Corners Cookbook Club. To accompany the authentic sour rye breads she planned to make for the latest DCCC potluck (for Secrets of a Jewish Baker), she honed and re-honed a delicious recipe for chopped liver. I asked if she’d be willing to share the recipe with DCCC readers. She said yes, and here it is. Thank you Bhakti. HJ

A Recipe for Chopped Liver

By Bhakti Ziek

We all have foods that we detested as children and love as adults—avocados top the list for me. For many people, liver fits the bill, though (more…)


Jewish Corn Bread

January 13, 2013
By Holly Jennings

Jewish Corn Bread

 

Has a memory of a food ever made you crazy with longing for it? If yes, then you’re a living, breathing human. But what if a memory of a food, so real you can feel, taste, smell, and see it, cannot be substantiated on this planet Earth, making you feel like you might be crazy. Did you imagine that childhood food that no one other than your brothers and sisters, and I mean no one, has heard of? Did you dream it?

 

It took the current DCCC pick, Secrets of a Jewish Baker, to make Bhakti Ziek, a DCCC club member, realize that in fact her adolescent memory of an unusual rye bread known to her family as (more…)


Baking in Boston

December 18, 2012
By Holly Jennings

My friend Debra Samuels is a food writer, cookbook author, world traveler, and a member of this cookbook club. I was thrilled when she told me that she planned to pick up a copy of our current club pick—Secrets of a Jewish Baker.

In fact, Deb helped me get a jump-start on the book when I visited her in Boston early last month. We started the sour rye starter and made bagels together. Bagels are great fun to make and surprisingly easy! Deb did have one advantage over me, I realized, as we wrapped the ropes of bagel dough around the palms of our hands: she has petite hands, matching her petite frame, compared to my large hands, matching my 5’10” height. It took extra work for this beginner to (more…)



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