Recipes and Restaurants with Cindy’s Corners Everything Food — Yom Tov Lessons

Thanks to my amazing followers, I am now going to have exclusive articles through The Times of Israel featuring a column on The Blogs called Recipes and Restaurants with Cindy’s Corners. The blog will include “everything food and more.” Join me in sharing tips on planning meals at home or away on vacation, tips on which restaurants to dine at, order from and exclusives from the chefs. I will adapt food trends, diets and health tips from nutrition specialists. I will introduce to you party planners and decor specialists to help take your food presentations up a notch, especially before holidays. I will promote Israeli and kosher products, and adapt non-kosher recipes to fit our dining needs.

Finally, I will share my original recipes and entertaining ideas that many of you requested while answering your questions about how to plan, what to shop for and what to eat and drink everyday.

Yom Tov Mistakes Become Shabbos Retakes

Lucky for us, we get to prepare family holiday meals every week. Any hostess who is honest will tell you that they have had an over cooked roast or ran out of soup at a meal. Bad weather in New York during both Rosh Hashanah and Sukkot caused last-minute cancelations. We had so much extra fruit in my house. I found out that we can actually freeze most fruit successfully. Take your berries, your figs and grapes and line them up on a cookie sheet on parchment paper. Cover them tightly with aluminum foil and place in freezer ziplock bags. Not only will they defrost well, but over Simchat Torah, I made a sangria and added frozen berries as an ice cube. I added sliced apples, they worked well.

Another lesson I learned was how to take care of my Nordic ware cake molds. Many of you comment on my molds used for cakes, challahs, meatloaf and gefilte fish dishes. I had a problem cleaning my harvest mold. This mold has many detailed curves. I sprayed some coconut oil in the pan before pouring the batter in. Some of it stuck. I called the manufacturer and was told by customer service many bakers make the same mistake I do. A word to all bakers, use either a shortening or a baker’s spray.

New Recipes

Since many of us prepared at least one brisket, we are seeking some different ideas to serve brisket during the next few weeks. I actually used the recipe of Sticky Silan Short Ribs from Chanie Apfelbaum’s Millennial Kosher on my brisket. It worked well.
www.busyinbrooklyn.com

Here is my version of a fall brisket, and I make it in a crockpot:

Cindy’s Corners Harvest Brisket

Ingredients
Brisket
Beef Stock
Apple Whiskey
Pinches of
Pumpkin Spices
Burger Mixed Spices
Salt
Pepper
A Couple of Cinnamon Sticks

Cook
Combine all ingredients in the crock pot on high for 4 hours, 2 on low or check it depending on your pot and size of brisket

Carry the flavors into your side dishes. Serve with toasted root vegetables sprinkled with salt, pepper and a hint of pumpkin spice. I would also serve with a parve kale salad, perhaps a Caesar dressing and homemade croutons with the same spices.

Take that “Pumpkin Spice” theme into your parve fancy coffee. If I am in a rush, I buy one of the vegan, non dairy readymade coffees. I put it in a freezer-friendly pitcher, add in some stevia, some expresso vodka, a pinch of pumpkin spice, some pumpkin spice sugar free flavor syrup and freeze overnight in a tightly-sealed pitcher. Defrost several hours before serving. Serve with whipped cream and chocolate-covered espresso beans.

Adapting Cookbooks

While there are so many great kosher cookbooks and personal chefs around the world, I am going to preview many food trends with exclusives for Cindy’s Corners.

Upcoming Events

October 21st, Brooklyn, New York
I am receiving the Rachel Imeinu Chesed Award from the Rachel’s Children Reclamation Foundation on behalf the work I do to promote Israel. We will have a special Wine Tasting from Hakerem Wines, featuring wines from Judea and Samaria.

For tickets and information: rachelschildren@gmail.com

November 13th, Roslyn, New York
The JCRC hosts Long Island’s largest sampling of kosher food, wine and beer. Last year, it was sold out. The event is unique as it is represented by all religious backgrounds and affiliations.

For tickets and information: jcrcli@jcrcli.org

From Recipes to Restaurants and Everything Food, it’s easy and tasty with Cindy’s Corners.

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Cindy Grosz can be reached at cindyscorners@gmail.com