Bacon-Filled Cinnamon Rolls + Giveaway Winner

First things first: I was giving away a $75 Whole Foods gift card last week, and had lots of friends hoping they'd be chosen. But there could only be one ... oh, if only I were Santa and could generate bunches of 'em! But instead, I went to Random.org to generate a winner, and here are the results (with apologies for it not formatting properly, techno-dolt that I sometimes am, such that I simply had to type in the information):

True Random Number Generator
Min: 1
Max: 55
Result: 4
Powered by RANDOM.ORG

MAZAL TOV to Nikki K.!!! Put the card to good use and be sure to tell me about the fabulous dishes you cook with the goodies you buy!

Okay, now on to the food ... :)

My friend Beth frequently sends me recipe ideas, and they always seem to include bacon. Considering that we work together at a synagogue, this is fairly amusing to us! You hire shiksas, and look what happens ... oy!

So, Beth recently sent me an idea she'd found online in which a commercially-prepared refrigerated cinnamon roll dough is unrolled, a strip of bacon is laid over it, and the entire thing is wrapped up again into a spiral and baked into salty-sweet, pork-filled goodness. We drooled over our keyboards.

But as I thought about it, I thought the strip of bacon might not cook fully since it was buried in the dough; and as it cooked, to whatever degree of done-ness, it would ooze bacon fat and possibly make the cinnamon rolls soggy. So, I took the inspiration and I tweaked it a bit. I pre-cooked the bacon 'til crispy, rolled the crumbles into the dough, then baked away. The fragrance in the kitchen was astounding!

And so, for a Christmas breakfast, a weekend brunch, or "just 'cause," I give you Bacon-Filled Cinnamon Rolls - ridiculously easy to make and worth far more than their weight in gold. How can you not love a 2-ingredient recipe at this busy time, especially when it includes BACON???


Bacon-Filled Cinnamon Rolls

1 12.4-ounce can refrigerated cinnamon rolls
4 strips of bacon

Preheat the oven to 400F. Grease an 8"-round baking pan.

Open the can of dough and reserve the icing. Unroll the dough and lay it onto a countertop or cutting board.

Cook the bacon until crisp, then chop it into crumbles. Sprinkle the crumbles over the cinnamon roll dough, then roll each strip into a spiral and place it into the baking pan.

Bake for 15 minutes, until the cinnamon rolls are golden. Remove from the pan and let cool a bit, then drizzle with the reserved icing.

Makes 8 bacon-filled cinnamon rolls.

This Shiksa's Goin' Kosher (Sorta)

It's been a few weeks since I left the old house, and I'm moving on again. I've spent some time camping chez Jeremy and his dad, Stuart, to whom I am enormously grateful for their hospitality despite their affection for the overly fatty (albeit successful) Atkins diet that has been featured in some recent posts. I am also immensely grateful to others who offered me room both in their homes and in their hearts ... truly, I can never adequately repay any of my friends (both in real life and in cyberspace) for their care.

But as of this weekend, I have yet another new kitchen and a new eating regimen: I am staying at the apartment of a beloved snowbirding friend (who prefers not too much recognition for her profound generosity, or else I would probably write a sonnet to her despite not being a poet!). And that beloved snowbirding friend is not only a vegetarian, but she keeps kosher, too.

So, I am going from meat and rich sauces to foods more in keeping with my own desires: light, nutritious, and featuring lots of fruits and vegetables and whole grains. And this shiksa -- [SHIK-suh] = non-Jewish woman (officially, anyway, though I consider myself to be a secular Jew) -- is going to maintain a kitchen according to the Jewish dietary laws.

Now, I know the rules of kashrut ([kahsh-ROOT] = "fitness," literally): no mixing meat with dairy products, and keeping all their respective dishes and cookware and utensils separate ... cracking open eggs one-by-one and inspecting them before combining them with anything, discarding any that have even a pinprick's-worth of blood ... no pork or shellfish. I know to look for hekhshers [HEK-shers], which are symbols indicating that an item has met rabbinic approval. But I've never actually lived it, so this is an exciting adventure!

People think that kosher food is somehow different, when in fact it is simply certified as meeting the terms listed above (an admittedly abbreviated list, but those are the really critical points so as not to overwhelm anyone). All of the items pictured above are kosher ... yup, every one of 'em from the name brands to the generics. If you were to go to your own cupboards, I'll bet you'd find all sorts of hekhshered items, such as:

Hershey's Kisses

Frank's Red Hot sauce
Mueller's noodles
Land o' Lakes margarine
Grey Poupon mustard
Gold Medal flour
Oreos

Near East couscous and rice

Coffeemate

Nutella

Chex cereal

While there are dozens of symbols, usually some variant on a "K," the most widely accepted certification is the OU [just say the letters "o" "u"]; it's usually found in a bottom corner at the front of a package, but sometimes found at the end of an ingredient list. This means that the Union of Orthodox Rabbis has approved the item. The OU -- which has been certifying foods since 1924 -- is the crème de la crème.

Of course, it's much easier to keep kosher in a vegetarian kitchen -- no mingling of meat and dairy, or accidental sullying of dairy dishes/cookware with fleishig ([FLAY-shig] = meat), can take place ... whew! 'Cause it's one thing to know the rules, it's another thing to put them into practice. But I assure you that I will devote myself to the care of my friend's home, and ask a rabbi (I happen to conveniently work with two of them!) if I have any questions.

And should I feel the need to eat meat or to devour anything treyf ([TRAYf] = not kosher) like a cheeseburger or a pepperoni pizza, I can always drop in on Jeremy and his dad or eat out ... :)

Peanut Butter Pie ... Sigh ... :)

At Jeremy's graduation party over the weekend there were a number of dietary concerns to take into consideration, which is why we decided to simply serve desserts rather than hors d'oeuvres or lunch or anything more substantial (or nutritious!).

Many of the people we invited keep kosher, and thus cannot mix meat and dairy products at the same meal. One of our friends has a severe dairy allergy, and so that would have mandated a meat meal if we'd had any notion of providing something for him to eat; but it would have had to meet Rabbinic standards, which would make it prohibitively expensive.

Then, if we'd served a meat meal, that would have relegated our vegetarian friends to eating salad or vegetable sticks or hummus because they won't eat fish, and goodies like macaroni and cheese couldn't be served; and none of this even takes into consideration the picky eaters (bane of my existence) ... oy! My head started to spin in trying to find options for everyone, and so I finally gave up and settled on sweets, a universal favorite.

Those who keep kosher, for the most part, will eat dairy products which have been made in a treyf ([TRAYF] = non-kosher) kitchen like mine. And they'll especially eat things that are pareve [PAHRV], which is neither meat nor dairy such that they can accompany either type of food. And so this was easy -- bake some cookies with toffee chips that were dairy ... serve some fruit, which is obviously vegan ... and make use of items like soy milk to make pareve options. Everyone, in theory, should be happy! (As you can see from the card in the photo above, I labelled each offering so that people would know which category it fell into and not put their health -- or my peace of mind, God forbid! -- at risk.)

When I make pareve items I use non-dairy chocolate chips (which I could pay a lot of money for at a health food store, but which conveniently can also be found as the generic brand at a local grocery store), though you could easily use any other type of chip you want to if dairy products are not a concern. (Although this photo actually shows a bag of pretzels, you can see the designation for the item being "pareve" right next to the OU symbol, which is the highest certification for meeting kosher standards. "Oh, so that's what that little doohickey means! I always wondered ....") And the non-dairy butter substitute of choice -- frankly, the only one I'll use after extensive searching for one that works properly and tastes good -- is Earth Balance. It's still not quite butter, but ....

So today I'll share with you a pareve recipe which works for people who keep kosher, as well as for folks with dairy allergies or lactose intolerance. My Peanut Butter Pie is truly rich, luscious, delicious, and indulgent. Enjoy!!!

Peanut Butter Pie

1 9" pie crust (I bought one at the health food store made with no lard, no butter, no shortening, no hydrogenation)
2 eggs, separated
1/2 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup corn syrup
2/3 cup vanilla soy milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup non-dairy chocolate chips
3 tablespoons finely chopped honey-roasted peanuts

Place the crust into a pie pan. Preheat the oven to 350 F.

In a large bowl, combine the egg yolks, brown sugar, peanut butter, corn syrup, soy milk and vanilla extract. In a medium bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form, then beat them into the peanut butter mixture.

Pour into the pie crust and bake for 30 minutes or so until the filling is set when tested with a toothpick. Cool completely.

Melt the chocolate chips and drizzle the melted chocolate over the pie. Sprinkle with the peanuts and let set until chocolate firms up.

If It's Saturday, There May Be Time to Putter in the Kitchen

Ya know, one might just think that I have nothing better to do with my time and my money than to eat out, to shop for groceries, and to cook/bake.  Well, admittedly that little entity known as "my job" does, occasionally, intrude upon these pasttimes ... good thing I consider my co-workers to be extended family then, so I'll keep showing up!  And money always helps if you want to keep eating.  So weekends should be a good time for puttering in the kitchen with all my free time -- ha! -- though it doesn't always happen.  This past week, though, was ideal.

I spent my entire Saturday (well, the entire weekend -- but Sunday's adventures will be another post) fixated upon food ... I'm sure you're shocked, just shocked!  Starting on Saturday morning as I caffeinated while Tom and Jeremy slept, I baked the first batch of brownies for Jeremy's graduation party.  Oh, haven't you heard???  Jeremy earned his G.E.D.!!!  We've already started celebrating, but officially there will be festivities in June, right around the time he gets to wear that cap 'n' gown I never -- and he never, either -- thought he'd get to wear.

Many of my invitees keep kosher, but will eat products that have come from my little treyf ([TRAYf] = non-kosher) kitchen if they're dairy or pareve ([PAHRv] = neither meat nor dairy).  And so, because I swear by Nigella Lawson's motto "Never knowingly undercatered," I have begun the baking/freezing to ensure having sufficient treats to induce diabetic comas in my guests and fellow celebrants.  The first contribution to my buffet was pareve brownies using Earth Balance butter substitute -- the only tolerable product I've found, both flavor- and consistency-wise.  I also used non-dairy chocolate chips ... who knew that the generic brand I can buy at Kroger, rather than something like Ghirardelli -- are pareve???  It actually says so on the package ... wow.  Otherwise, the recipe is a standard-issue brownie recipe which makes the house smell amazing and which produces moist cake-like brownies that are rich and delicious ... truly, I mean it!  If you didn't know they were pareve, you wouldn't know they were pareve.

Afterwards, Tom and Jeremy and I made a long-awaited -- ever since catching an enticing glimpse of a sign in the window that a new Indian market was coming -- trip down to the Om Market on Nixon Road, a new haven of temptation near my house which must have done some research to know that I need a source for goodies that is within walking distance rather than across town.  Owned by the Patel family that also owns The Wine Seller, they were still stocking shelves and organizing the store when I was there, during its first week open.

But what a selection of wonderful items!!!  Freezers with naan and parathi and samosas and other vegetarian treats that I could take to work for lunch (where meat is not permitted).  They even carry the Pillsbury breads which I find endlessly amusing -- the Doughboy on packages of roti!  I know it makes me seem like the proverbial Ugly American to buy them, but I still chuckle every time I see them ... and yes, I am well aware that I have a perverse sense of humor.

There were shelves -- long, long shelves -- of so many spices that even I, who have an entire freezer door-full of spices (and which Jeremy will readily confide are mostly Indian -- cumin, coriander, fenugreek, garam masala ...), didn't recognize all of them.  There were bags of savory snacks, chivra, loaded with lots of little crisp and crunchy goodies.  There were kits and jars of sauces for preparing foods if you're not much of a cook, and lots of ingredients for those of us who thrive upon cooking (especially Indian food, one of our particular favorites!).  And there's lots more space to fill, too, though I can't imagine what else the store could possibly stock ... maybe bindis, since I'm reduced to just the boring brown ones and could use an infusion of sparkle for my forehead ...?  Food-wise, there is abundance and variety.

But best of all, the Patel family -- Mom, Dad, and one of their sons -- simply couldn't have been more friendly and more welcoming, with radiant smiles and extraordinary generosity of spirit.  (Sad to say, when I've shopped at other Indian markets I've been essentially ignored and treated as a stranger who doesn't seem to belong ... and that's the most polite way I can phrase it publicly.)  They offered samples of jalebi -- a beautifully bright orange sweet that is a kinda/sorta syrup-coated funnel cake; I'd never seen it before, and they were happy to let all three of us enjoy a taste.  Mrs. Patel walked right up to Tom as he examined what appeared to be a bag of itty bitty popcorn, to explain that it was popped sorghum that was particularly good coated with butter and salt and eaten as a snack.  Although I like to think that I know a fair amount about Indian food and cooking, I am happy -- thrilled, giddy, ecstatic! -- to know that I can ask any question, seek out information, and be welcomed at the Om Market.  I will absolutely be a regular, and one of their best customers!

And so, what did I make with my purchases of red lentils and coconut milk???  Why, a fabulous lentil soup with spinach, of course!

Curried Lentil Soup

1 tablespoon oil

1 onion, chopped fine

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt

2 teaspoons hot curry powder

2 teaspoons garam masala

1 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

1/2 teaspoon coriander

cayenne, to taste

pinch of saffron (buy cheap saffron at Middle Eastern markets -- $4-5 for less than a cup; it's machine-processed, but who cares???)

3 cups water

1 cup split red lentils

1 15-ounce can coconut milk

1 cup tightly packed baby spinach leaves

Heat the oil in a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat.  Add half the onion and half the garlic, and cook for 2 minutes.  Add the rest of the onion and garlic, the salt, seasoned salt, curry, garam masala, cumin, turmeric, coriander, cayenne and saffron; cook for 1 minute, then slowly add the water and stir to combine everything well.  Add the lentils, bring to a boil, then cook on low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add the coconut milk and cook for another 15 minutes.  Add the spinach, and cook just until the leaves wilt.  Serve hot.

I served the soup with some paneer-filled parathi (freshly heated for just a few minutes on each side in a frying pan) and a fabulous snack mix that Jeremy had picked out for me, which I happily stirred into my soup but which Jeremy ignored and Tom ate sparingly as an acompaniment; it had lots of crispy nibbly things and some raisins and just a hint of spice ... sigh ... and perfectly complemented the soup.  I could eat entire bags of that stuff, and have even made my own; believe it or not, the numerous varieties of chivra are even better than Cheetos, one of my very favorite snacks despite their appalling lack of nutritional (or any other kind of) value.

So, I got to bake, I got to cook ... my house smelled fabulous, absolutely fabulous!!!  Sunday was another adventure, but in a commercial kitchen and with good ol' fashioned soul-satisfying Jewish food.  I'll leave you with that tantalizing tease, until next time ....

Note: This post was added to the Kahakai Kitchen "Souper Sundays" Round-Up ... what a great idea, encouraging me to make more than just chicken soup for ailing loved ones!!!