jewish

What to Do With Leftover Challah
Cooking Basics

Challah Back! 6 Uses For Day-Old Bread

Just like sourdough baguettes or homemade bread, challah goes stale after only one day of making it.
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Just like sourdough baguettes or homemade bread, challah goes stale after only one day of making it. Rather than chuck the remaining pieces, turn to one of these recipes that uses day-old challah, so all your hard work making and braiding doesn't go to waste. With so many options for using it up, there's no reason to toss any leftover loaf.

  1. Slice the leftover pieces, wrap them tightly, and freeze the same day your challah is made to prevent it from becoming stale. Then toast the pieces another day to refresh them.
  2. Use the bread to make bread pudding or a strata.
  3. Bake croutons to toss in salads or garnish soups.
  4. Swap out white bread for challah in a basic french toast recipe.
  5. Homemade breadcrumbs couldn't be easier to make; freeze them in a resealable bag and use them at your leisure for meatballs or to bread chicken or fish.
  6. Slice the challah and whip up your favorite grilled cheese or panini.
What Is Kosher Wine?
Wine

What Makes Wine Kosher?

Kosher wine production is undergoing a renaissance of sorts, yet the framework and guidelines for its production have changed little, and while kashrut law, or Jewish dietary law, can seem very complex, its regulations toward wine production can be distilled into a few key points.
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Kosher wine production is undergoing a renaissance of sorts, yet the framework and guidelines for its production have changed little, and while kashrut law, or Jewish dietary law, can seem very complex, its regulations toward wine production can be distilled into a few key points. See what they are when you keep reading.

Best Kosher Wines
Wine

Sampling Yarden's Kosher Wines

Whether or not you're celebrating the Jewish New Year, there's reason to give kosher wines a try.
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Whether or not you're celebrating the Jewish New Year, there's reason to give kosher wines a try. Until a few years ago, the Sabbath-observing were limited to little beyond the syrupy Manischewitz, but in recent times, kashrut wines have gone through quite the makeover.

While there is quality kosher wine being made in America, some of the most intriguing wine hails from the homeland itself, in regions such as Israel's Galilee. To show you some of the variety that's coming out of Israel right now, our office previewed a number of wines from Yarden. Keep reading for our tasting notes.

NV Gilgal Brut 2010 Yarden Odem Vineyard Chardonnay 2010 Galil Mountain Rosé 2008 Yarden Cabernet Sauvignon, Golan Heights 2010 Yarden Galilee Late Harvest Gewurztraminer
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Rosh Hashanah Recipes
party planning

Rosh Hashanah Recipes For a Sweet New Year

For Jewish people all over the world, Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, is a special time of new beginnings and rebirth.
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For Jewish people all over the world, Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, is a special time of new beginnings and rebirth. Other than attending synagogue for the High Holidays, there's one major tradition that Jews all over the globe share: the Rosh Hashanah dinner. Family and friends gather for a delicious feast to celebrate and pray for a sweet New Year. Whether you're a seasoned diner at these events or you're going to your very first Rosh Hashanah meal, here are some great recipes to help get the New Year kicked off right!

Spicy Marinated Olives Honeyed Whiskey Sour White Bean and Rosemary Dip Potato Pancakes Brussels Sprouts Salad Roast Chicken Glazed Carrots
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Stuffed Challah Recipes
cooking tips

Sweeten Your Challah With Two Classic Combinations

During the Jewish high holidays, the only thing that's better than challah for dinner is challah for dessert!
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During the Jewish high holidays, the only thing that's better than challah for dinner is challah for dessert! When it comes to constructing a sweet loaf, peanut butter and chocolate and cinnamon and sugar are two classic combinations that you can't go wrong with. These aren't, however, the type of fillings that should be blended into the challah dough: in cinnamon-roll-like fashion, here are step-by-step photos to help you fill your challah loaves with sugary swirls.

Roll Out Peanut Butter and Chocolate Measurements Spread the Peanut Butter Dot With Chocolate "Braid" It Peanut Butter and Chocolate Challah Inside the Loaf
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Challah Recipe
Original Recipes

Bread Winner: Braided Challah Bread

Challah is a rich, dense Jewish bread, similar to brioche.
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Challah is a rich, dense Jewish bread, similar to brioche. It's often served during the weekend for Sabbath meals and is famous for its plaited appearance. During high holidays like Rosh Hashanah, the braided challah may be rolled into a circular shape to signify the cycle of a year.

>Making homemade challah is no easy feat — particularly the first time around, it may be a nerve-racking, less-than-pretty experience, but as long as the dough rises and it reaches the ideal temperature in the oven, you should end up with challah that has a crunchy, bright golden crust and soft, moist center.

Even though making challah dough is a several-hour-long process, it is incredibly rewarding to transform flour and yeast into fluffy balls of dough.

With practice, rolling and braiding the dough into intricate plaits will become easier. While you can top the bread with poppy seeds or sesame seeds, this recipe just contains a simple egg wash that bakes into a shiny exterior.

The recipe makes two loaves, but one is plenty for a table of five people. Feel free to half the recipe or freeze a loaf for another day.

See the challah recipe.

What Is in Gefilte Fish?
jewish

Get to Know Gefilte Fish

Despite my love of Jewish food, I must confess I've never held a deep understanding of gefilte fish.
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Despite my love of Jewish food, I must confess I've never held a deep understanding of gefilte fish. Growing up, I'd stare at jars of those cloudy, floating Manischewitz members with a mixture of intrigue and disgust. What, exactly, was gefilte fish? I wondered. Did people actually eat that?

Now that I have the palate of an adult, I'm no longer disgusted, but as someone who's never tried gefilte fish, I remain intrigued. Gefilte is actually Yiddish for "stuffed," and this dish is really just white fish that's been chopped, seasoned with carrots, onions, and eggs, stuffed back into the skin of a fish, poached, then served chilled. Find out the story behind its creation when you read more.

Matzo Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Yum How To

Just Brilliant: Matzo Grilled Cheese

The minute I heard The Melt was serving a special grilled cheese in honor of Passover, I hightailed it over to the closest location.
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The minute I heard The Melt was serving a special grilled cheese in honor of Passover, I hightailed it over to the closest location. Matzo grilled cheese? It was the perfect intersection of Passover and National Grilled Cheese Month.

Part of the genius of the concept is it sounds so elemental, and it is: the sandwich is just two squares of matzo, slathered with butter and seasoned with salt, pepper, and dried herbs, then sandwiched together with sharp cheddar, and melted on a panini grill.

I'd wondered if this concept was old news, but quickly discovered it was just as novel to everyone else in the office, Jewish or not. I can't wait to re-create the same thing at home. Have you ever had matzo grilled cheese?

Passover Recipes
party planning

11 Recipes That Are Kosher For Passover

Friday marks the beginning of Passover, and all across the world, Jewish families will be enjoying their favorite Spring eats during Seder.
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Friday marks the beginning of Passover, and all across the world, Jewish families will be enjoying their favorite Spring eats during Seder. For Pesach, we've gathered 11 delicious recipes, from mashed rutabagas to authentic Carnegie Deli matzo ball soup. Click through for some mouthwatering (and kosher-for-Passover) inspiration.

Mashed Rutabagas Matzo Brei Macaroons Rosemary-Roasted Leg of Lamb Orange, Fennel, and Avocado Salad Steamed Carrots With Olive Oil and Lemon Bitter Greens Salad
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Traditional Hanukkah Dishes
Holiday

10 Traditional & Delicious Hanukkah Foods

During this time of year, it'd be hard to overlook the prevalence of fruitcake and eggnog, but there's another important December holiday, Hanukkah, that's replete with fabled history and tradition, too.
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During this time of year, it'd be hard to overlook the prevalence of fruitcake and eggnog, but there's another important December holiday, Hanukkah, that's replete with fabled history and tradition, too.

Traditionally, dishes for this Jewish holiday are not for the faint of heart. Many of the holiday eats are deep fried in oil to symbolize the oil that miraculously lasted eight days. Cheese is incorporated in many dishes in honor of the story of Judith in the Apocrypha, and other dishes include braised meats and starchy goodies.

While food during the Hanukkah celebration is symbolic and meaningful to those who commemorate it, it's delicious to everyone else as well. Click through for some of the historical dishes of the holiday.

Source: Thinkstock

Hanukkah Butter Cookies Chocolate Coins Loukoumades Braised Lamb Shank Potato Latkes Soft Pretzels Cheesecake
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