Last week I attended my first Passover seder. With wonder I nibbled the sweet charoset, fell in love with homemade unleavened bread, gasped on a spear of fresh horseradish, and recited the 10 plagues while flicking drops of red wine onto the seder plate. I received an intellectual and gastronomical education, for which I am most grateful. I brought this easy matzoh dessert. Perhaps they lacked the elegance and tradition of the other elements, but these crunchy squares proved dangerously addictive. Beware.
Absolutely Magnificent Caramel Matzoh Crunch
Recipe from Marcy Goldman via Epicurious
Ingredients
4-6 unsalted matzohs
2 sticks unsalted butter
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
3/4 cup coursely chopped chocolate chips or semi-sweet chocolate
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 375. Line large cookie sheet with foil. Cover with baking parchment-on top of the foil. (Mixture becomes sticky during baking.)
- Line bottom of cookie sheet evenly with the matzohs, cutting extra pieces to fit any spaces.
- In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine butter and brown sugar. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil (about 2 to 4 minutes). Boil for 3 minutes, stirring. Remove from heat and pour over matzoh, covering completely.
- Place baking sheet in oven, immediately reducing heat to 350. Bake for 15 minutes, checking often to make sure mixture is not burning.
- Remove from oven and sprinkle immediately with chopped chocolate or chocolate chips. Let stand 5 minutes, then spread the melted chocolate over matzoh.
- While warm, break into squares or odd shapes. Chill in freezer, still in pan, until set.
Later in the week, my roommate and I discovered that matzoh crackers also make for easy mini pizzas. Have you tried it? Hurry and buy it, while it is on sale! : )
Wishing you a fabulous week,
Only five more weeks until completion of the dietetic internship! This week I'm back at the hospital to start rotation in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit; I'm very excited to see the little ones. Coming next is bariatrics at Massachusetts General Hospital. As classes finish and rotations draw to an end, I try to disentangle from the flurry of work and appreciate the mentors, professors, colleagues, and friends who have made the Tufts Dietetic Internship such a fabulous experience thus far.
Pictured above: Winter has finally switched to spring, so I'm changing up my lunchtime routine to fresh salad.
What are you packing for lunch these days?
Best of luck to Molly, Melissa, and all my other friends who are running the Boston Marathon tomorrow!
love,
Rach
Candied Ginger
It has been a while since I spilled the contents of my book basket, but I have to share my latest read. It is delicious in more ways than one.
Have you heard of Amanda Hesser, American food writer and cookbook author? Her memoir
Cooking for Mr. Latte originally started as a column for
The New York Times Magazine. Later it turned into a skillfully fashioned chronicle of a food lover's courtship. Best of all, Hesser's witty prose is mixed with accompanying recipes.
I think you will love it. I reserved this book from the library and patiently waited for 23 days until its arrival. After retrieval, I immediately stuck a post-it note on the inside cover for notes and scribbles. By page 50 I had jotted down plenty of recipes to photocopy, including this new version of my favorite cookie. They turned out quite well!
Mountain Honey Gingersnaps with Candied Ginger
What is your favorite cookie?
What are you reading now?
Cheers to a new week.
Rachel
The Friendly Toast
Address: 1 Kendall Square, Cambridge, Massachusetts
Website:
http://www.thefriendlytoast.net/
Tucked away in the heart of MIT-land, The Friendly Toast is the ultimate 1950's diner.
I recommend it with all my heart and stomach.
Costa Rican
Black beans and plum tomatoes under melted provolone, two sunny side eggs,
sour cream, potatoes and homemade oatmeal toast.
Pumpkin Pancakes
"Just like pumpkin pie, with Raisinettes inside and neat whipped cream on top."
I had the lucky opportunity to brunch at The Friendly Toast several weeks ago. Plan for a healthy appetite and a little patience, because the portions are large but the wait can be long. Prepare for a groovy atmosphere, complete with Buddy Holly tunes and a life-size vintage Barbie model. Need I say more? Next you will be ushered into the vibrant dining room, bursting with the cacophony of clinking glasses, scraping plates, boistrous laughing, and all the natural sounds of happy people chowing down.
Now to the food. I've discovered that syrupy bites of pumpkin pancake dissolve easily when mixed with homemade whipped cream. The experience only gets better when you unsuspectingly chew into a Raisinette. The Costa Rican eggs were equally scrumptious, offering a wholesome feast of savory black beans mixed with runny yolk, complimented with crunchy oatmeal toast.
Aren't the photos gorgeous? A special thanks to Alan for his DSLR camera!
*Crunch*
The toast was indeed friendly.
-Rachel
To celebrate, the Registered Dietitians and Dietetic Interns at Tufts Medical Center teamed up to present "Myth Busters: Fact vs. Fiction of Carbs, Protein and Fats."
Renee, one of the intern coordinators, answers questions at the Carbohydrate Table.
Due to the hard work of the planning committee (applause to Renee, Nikita, and Nathalia!), the event featured a fabulous line-up including food displays, a Trader Joe's raffle, and Black Bean Brownie samplers.
Our event featured an interactive "Nutrition Myth Busters" quiz, written by dietetic interns Nikita and Renee. Here's a teaser of some questions.
1. True or False? Protein's main purpose is to build muscle. False! Protein has a myriad of functions, including building cells, repairing cells, supporting the immune system, providing lasting energy when consumed with carbs, maintaining muscle mass, and strengthening hair, nails, and skin.
2. True or False? Honey is more nutritious than other sugars. False! You would have to eat a minimum 1/4 cup of honey to get any other type of nutrient other than carbohydrate.
3. True or False? Eating too much sugar causes diabetes. False! A high sugar diet does not cause diabetes. The biggest risk factor for diabetes is being overweight. However if someone is diagnosed with diabetes, sugar and carbohydrate intake does have to be kept in check to manage blood sugar levels.
4. True or False? The 2010 Dietary Guidelines recommend that Americans consume 20-30% of calories from fat. True!
5. True or False? All saturated fat is bad for you. False! One saturated fat, stearic acid, has been shown to have a neutral effect on LDL (bad) cholesterol levels, and can increase HDL (healthy) cholesterol a boost. Stearic acid is abundant in beef and chocolate.
Black Bean Brownies
Never before has nutrition occupied such a large slice of public attention. This month the American Dietetic Association's national slogan is "Eat Right with Color," a tribute to the health benefits of a varied diet. Aim to color your plate with a rainbow of whole grains, lean proteins, healthful fats, fruits, and vegetables. Enjoy the palette of nutrients found only within whole foods.
Hats off to wholesome eating and healthful living!
How are you celebrating National Nutrition Month?
-Rachel
It is nearly two weeks after Valentines, but in our apartment we continue to celebrate with the sheer bliss of velvety chocolate rolled in sweet coconut and walnuts. In other words, my roommate Nikita made these simple but elegant truffles. Stunning.
"P.S. I Love You" Truffles
t
aken from The Joy of Baking
8 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
2 Tbsp unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
2 Tbsp alcohol (cognac, brandy, rum, bourbon, Kahlua)
Note: Truffle taste directly correlated to quality of the chocolate you use
Coatings for Truffles
Dutch-processed Cocoa Powder
Confectioners sugar
Chopped nuts
Toasted Coconut
Shaved Chocolate
Instructions
- Place chopped chocolate in a bowl. Set aside.
- Heat cream and butter in small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil. Immediately pour over the chocolate and stand for a minute or two. Stir until smooth.
- If desired, add liqueur.
- Cover and refrigerate until truffle mixture is firm (several hours or overnight).
- Place coatings for truffles on a plate. Use your hands, small ice cream scooper, or small spoon to scoop truffle mixture into small round balls.
- Roll ball in coatings and place on parchment lined baking sheet or tray.
- Cover and refrigerate until firm.
- Can be refrigerated for a couple weeks, or frozen for a couple months.
- Serve at room temperature. Makes 30 small truffles.
Nikita, I dedicate this post to you. Cheers to our living room dance parties, Glee sing-offs, wardrobe consultations, and late night chats. You are a faithful friend and roommate, and I love cooking shoulder to shoulder in our cozy kitchen.
P.S. I love you,
Rachel
I'm excited to announce another partnership with CSN Stores, an online shopping site that features furniture and home decor. They offer a variety of useful and luxery items, including anything from
swing sets to tea sets, fixtures to jewelry. The winter has been harsh on my kitchen crew, and several vital members pooped out in the chill (ahem, Mr. Blender). Stay tuned for a cookware product review! In the meantime, Boston's winter wonderland is slowly thawing. It's oh so slow.
One of the many January storms. Trudging to work; no snow day at the hospital!
October 2010
How is your kitchen crew doing?
What's #1 on your kitchen wish list?
Rach
Disclaimer. I am not a Registered Dietitian yet. I provide nutrition information intended for the general public, not for the treatment of a specific medical condition. I try to use scientific research and reliable sources when forming my opinions and messages.
