I was exchanging food websites with a friend today and realized: I should start a food blog! I used to want to start a blog and make it about my opinion concerning politics. I realized this was a bad idea when I went to blogspot to try and figure it out and got so angry planning out my first post I couldn't see the screen clearly enough to navigate my way through it. Now that I got the idea to make a food blog, I have gotten this far, so that must be a good thing.
A few things about me and my blog:
My name is Ilana.
I observe the laws of Kashrut in pretty much their strictest possible interpretation - pretty badass, no?
I live in Brooklyn.
I hail from Texas.
I love to cook, especially from scratch and especially healthy stuff.
The pareve-er the food, the better (the reasons for which I hope to espouse in later posts) (pareve means no dairy, meat, or poultry in kosher-speak)
On this blog I would love to talk about:
-How awesome it is to keep kosher.
-How Judaism and Chassidut address issues of health and well being.
-How awesome pareve food can be.
-How living in New York is really great, particularly food-wise.
-How to keep kosher creatively when you're in places like rural Germany, a hotel room in Tel Aviv, on a plane to San Francisco, or in a family member's house who does not observe the laws of Kashrut. (all of which, actually, I have experience with)
-How cooking can be a calming experience. A creative experience. A bonding experience. In some cases, a holy experience.
-Issues of money when trying to keep kosher and eat healthfully.
-How sweet potatoes are probably the best thing, like, ever.
-Anything else I feel like talking about. If I talk about politics, feel free to laugh me out of town.
So without further ado, I'll start with my first recipe!
Physics Fry-Fest
The idea for this recipe came to me when I was taking a physics course this summer. A six-week long, hellishly fast-paced and cerebral physics class. My hippocampus had had about enough of its boot camp and demanded I abandon it in search of something creative, tactile, and dinner-like. I had salmon that was not fully thawed, some veggies, and a pantry with my usuals. The result was the Physics Fry-Fest (unnamed until this moment). It didn't take terribly long to make and it gives you a whole lotta energy and nutritious stuff.
What you'll need:
Stir fry-stuff:
-Fresh garlic, chopped super small
-Fresh onions, diced
-Red peppers, diced
-Shittake mushrooms, clumsily chopped because you're thinking about simple harmonic oscillations)
-Salmon - I love fresh salmon, but any will do - at least mostly thawed. Cut it up into small, bite-sized pieces: it will cook!
-If you want - zucchini is good in this. Cut up into cute little pieces.
Stir fry sauce:
-Olive oil (enough to cover bottom of pan, and then in addition, I use about a fourth of a cup or so, depending on how many veggies there are)
-Honey (about half as much honey as olive oil)
-Soy sauce
-A teaspoon each of cumin and ginger (if you have fresh ginger, I'm sure that would make it even tastier)
-Pepper to taste (the soy sause should have enough salt)
And fry it!
My mother always has a specific order to her stir-fries, putting the things that will take longer to cook in first. I don't do this, and it usually serves me just fine. My advice would be to do what your mother tells you.
You don't have to mix the sauce before you add it to the stir-fry - as long as you're continually stirring as you add the ingredients of the sauce it should end up fabulous.
I serve this over organic mixed greens with chunks of fresh tomato and some fresh lemon or lime juice. Rice would also be a great thing to heap this beautiful creation atop.
The brocha you say on this can be tricky - if you are eating it mainly for the salmon, say a "shehakol" (http://www.chabad.org/library/howto/wizard_cdo/aid/699748/jewish/Shehakol-Blessing-audio.htm). If you're eating it for the veggies and the salmon just happened to be in there, say a "ha-adama" on the veggies (http://www.chabad.org/library/howto/wizard_cdo/aid/699747/jewish/Vegetables-Blessing-audio.htm). If you really like both equally, like me, say the veggie brocha first and then shehakol on the salmon.
ENJOY!!! Spread the word about this glorious blog, and come back tomorrow for a new recipe and post!
Betayavon -
Ilana
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
16 comments:
Looks like the dawn of a great new blog! Good idea to write the correct brocha at the end. (Just make sure not to post any recipes that include rice!:)
P.S. You so have it coming for all those spelling mistakes! Do not think I have forgotten all the time you made fun of mine!
I hate the word "sauce".
hey! Fixing the spelling after I already pointed it out is no fair at all!
btw, check out the time of posting on my first comment. I think it's quite appropriate for the first comment on you blog.:)
also-btw is that word verification in order to post new? I don't remember doing that before. It a real pain
Why did you point out spelling mistakes if I wasn't to change them?
Yeah, nice timing Rivki, for once in your life.
I don't know! It doesn't make me verify nothing. How do I change that?
Yum Yum Yum
I was drooling so hard, I couldn't see the screen
(Hey, now that I've left a comment on your site, come check out mine)
I'd like to echo "End of world"; even though I didn't drool, and was able to see the screen, I would still like people to come to my blog, because, well, why not?
Well, there you have it folks! Comments just for the publicity. *bangs chest in repentance*
Salachti Kidvarecha
This is horrible. This was supposed to be all about me. And about food.
I'm sorry. Tell me about you. On second thought, don't. But tell me about food. I'm a big fan of food. I eat some nearly every day.
I just wanted to say, "Real Shliach", "cheerio" showed me some posts you wrote about Rabbi Boteach. Haven't read your other stuff but was extremely disappointed - you seem pretty misguided.
Oh my, have I finally encountered Cheerio's roommate who interned for Shmuley? I weep in pleasure! But seriously, why don't you tell me what my problem is, instead of just saying that I'm misguided? I know that I'm misguided, though probably not the way you think I am. So please, enlighten me!
I'll have to re-read your posts, which I definitely would like to do if you're up for a discussion about it...feel free to email me if you seriously would like to know the "problem" (ilanarauch at gmail dot com)
well well well.
I wanted to comment about that delicious recipe and this fabulous new blog, but it seems that the conversation here is going elsewhere. This is getting exciting!
I think I should still steer the discussion back to the post on the blog: Ilanica, I LOVE your new blog! I love your food and your cooking, and just reading about that delicious Physics stir fry made my mouth water and my stomach rumble, and my olfactory sensors perk up and already smell that ginger and soy sauce and honey. YUM!
Looking forward to reading more posts.
ilana! yay! this is so cool! also, i'm beginning to think i start buying your leftovers off you.
can you even begin to imagine the fun we're going to have this year??? it's gonna be insane... an insane year accompanied by VERY good food ;)
(also - you can take off the word verification if you go into the setting section for comments)
Ilana, I am making the physics fry-fest right now!! Just thought I'd let you know. I am making some minor alterations, like I added baby carrots and I don't think I will use bell peppers.
I will tell you how it comes out...
Post a Comment