Planning for Shabbat

[magid]

Candle-lighting is 7:10 this week, so it all has to be done by then. Well, by 7:28 at the latest, but I'd rather aim for candle-lighting than plan to use the 18 minutes.

I bought some of the fluffy pita at the Butcherie yesterday, so I'm not baking bread this week. I haven't been baking bread much at all lately; I think the motivation to do it for just me is lacking, especially since I then end up with so much leftover (another indication that I'm hosting much less than I used to. I should probably change that.), and there's only so much bread pudding one can make (and again, consume). (Side note: most pita in this country is not good; I got spoiled in Israel, where the flatbreads are excellent. This one brand seems to have it right (some Canadian company, I think, but it's not in front of me).)

First in the oven will be roasting potatoes and onions, and possibly a tray of something else as well if something appeals at the farmer's market. While that's cooking, boil the edamame, and start sauteeing vegetables (right now *checks the farm list*, I think that's onion, garlic, pepper, and broccoli). If there's time, make a dessert or two: banana-applesauce cake. And if I buy enough peaches, some kind of peach crisp, perhaps with crystallized ginger. Once the pareve stuff is done, roast a turkey thigh. I think this will also be with peaches, using some of the watermelon pickle (which is vastly more gingery than vinegary), mango, and hot peppers. Somewhen in there, make a tomato salad, though not with feta, obviously. And I have a couple of excellent dumplings from Ruth's to round out the menu.

Also to do in between times: get some prescriptions renewed, and do a load of laundry. It would be nice if there were time to do errands in Harvard Square, but time is not that elastic, and they can be done next week. Oh, and I should get some books from the library, too.


PS I have this whole head of celery, and I'm realizing that it's unlikely I'll be making soup soon (my one use for celery, other than in stuffing). Does anyone have favorite uses that someone not very enamored of celery would like?

Comments

[mabfan.livejournal.com]

It was good to see you yesterday, however briefly.

[magid.livejournal.com]

Yes, it was good to see you, too. I'm glad I didn't join you for dinner, though; I really was in the mood for fleishigs, and Ruth's dumplings especially.

Btw, it looked like the felafel/meat place (I'm blanking on the name) across the street from Kupel's gone already. Do you know if this is this true, or are they renovating?

[jarel.livejournal.com]

Does anyone have favorite uses that someone not very enamored of celery would like?

Hmmm. Burn it?

[magid.livejournal.com]

Celery-scented smoke? No, thanks.

[jarel.livejournal.com]

Give it to your enemies then? Or sneak it into their salads, at least.

[cellio]

Can you bake your bread in smaller loaves and freeze some of them for future weeks?

[magid.livejournal.com]

I could freeze bread, and I make rolls a lot, too. But I don't have enough room in the freezer for it to be feasible.
(The bulk of freezer space is taken up with nuts, raw meat, whole-grain flours, cranberries, butter/margarine, and a bit of already-cooked food (greens, especially; they come in such large quantities that I can't eat it all at once.)

[danger-chick.livejournal.com]

Ah...pita. I remember pita. You see, you got spoiled in the middle east, but what you don't realize is that you can get spoiled in the north east as well. I think the NMians find pita confusing, because it always comes out like very thick and not very tasty tortillas. In fact, I stopped eating pita when I realized that I couldn't find pitas with actual holes in the middle. Now I just eat tortillas, which the NMians are very good at making.

[powerfrau.livejournal.com]

I am not a celery fan nor do I use celery as a fan, however, for some reason, it does taste yummy with peanut butter. It took me years to try it.

7:10 encroaching darkness--great sadness. Time to break out the light box.

[magid.livejournal.com]

How locavore of you :-).

I pretty much gave up loaf bread while I was in Israel, unless it was homemade, because none of it was very good (though this was over a decade ago, so things have likely changed).

If you really want pita, it's a pretty easy bread to make. Essentially, use the same dough as pizza crust, rolled out fairly thin, in a hot oven for something in the range of 5-10 minutes.

[magid.livejournal.com]

Ants on a log! Something I've only read about, actually, since, alas, I'm not a big peanut butter fan, either. I should try it with almond butter, though. Thanks.

An aside: the stalks are pretty narrow, apparently the function of less rain this summer. Good thing nut butters are very solid :-).

Well, it's not full dark for an hour after that, if it helps at all... But yeah. And the time change is definitely starting to pick up the pace as we get to September.

[mabfan.livejournal.com]

It looks as if they're renovating.

[magid.livejournal.com]

Thanks. It did seem too soon for them to leave :-)

[(Anonymous)]

I use celery for salad dressing, believe it or not. This is a very popular salad dressing that I make that looks gross but everyone loves. I don't eat it much anymore, but I've never heard any complaints. you need a food processor for this one.

6 stalks celery
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 c cider vinegar
1 c canola oil
1 1/2 t salt
dash pepper
2 t dried mustard (I use WAY less than this b/c I don't like this to be very mustardy)
onion (optional...I almost never use it)
one clove garlic (optional, again, I almost never use it, but sometimes I do. I prefer this dressing to be sweet rather than savory)

Process in food processor
Pour over: Iceberg Lettuce, diced red peppers and cashew pieces.

This is one of my only uses for celery (other than soup) and my only use for iceberg lettuce.

DRAT! That anonymous comment was from moi.

[estherchaya.livejournal.com]

I use celery for salad dressing, believe it or not. This is a very popular salad dressing that I make that looks gross but everyone loves. I don't eat it much anymore, but I've never heard any complaints. you need a food processor for this one.

6 stalks celery
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 c cider vinegar
1 c canola oil
1 1/2 t salt
dash pepper
2 t dried mustard (I use WAY less than this b/c I don't like this to be very mustardy)
onion (optional...I almost never use it)
one clove garlic (optional, again, I almost never use it, but sometimes I do. I prefer this dressing to be sweet rather than savory)

Process in food processor
Pour over: Iceberg Lettuce, diced red peppers and cashew pieces.

This is one of my only uses for celery (other than soup) and my only use for iceberg lettuce.

Re: DRAT! That anonymous comment was from moi.

[magid.livejournal.com]

Sounds interesting. And I still have the celery, actually. Though I'm unlikely to buy iceberg to put under it. Would other non-aggressively-flavored lettuce work?

I do have a food processor, though the stupid design makes it tricky to clean, unfortunately. Would a blender work?
(My blender's milchig, but I'm thinking of a milchig Shabbat dinner, at least, so it would work.)

Re: DRAT! That anonymous comment was from moi.

[magid.livejournal.com]

PS Good to 'see' you; I'd been hoping all is good with you.
(Is it silly to get nervous when regulars don't post for a bit without word of vacations or something?)

Re: DRAT! That anonymous comment was from moi.

[estherchaya.livejournal.com]

Sorry I've been missing. It's a combination of being far too busy getting Julian ready for "school" and having been (still am) sick. Fevers are not conducive to LJ posting. And I'm so far behind on other people's lives, I fear I will never get around to updating about my own.

Re: DRAT! That anonymous comment was from moi.

[estherchaya.livejournal.com]

It would work with romaine (more the hearts than anything) partly because it's a non-agressively-flavored lettuce, but also because it has a closer texture than anything else I can think of. Boston Lettuce, for example, I think wouldn't work as well because of the texture.

Not sure if it would work in the blender, only because there's the issue of grinding up the celery. It would work in a *good quality* blender, but most people I know have cheap icky blenders. If you don't have a really good quality blender, chop the celery into small bits before you put them through the blender. Otherwise, the blender is fine.

Re: DRAT! That anonymous comment was from moi.

[magid.livejournal.com]

Refuah shlaimah! I hope the fevers go down, and Julian is well-outfitted (well, I don't doubt he will be, actually, just how much energy it takes from you when you're sick) soon.

Bad though it is of me, it's easier knowing you're sick than something more nervous-making is happening. Thanks.

Re: DRAT! That anonymous comment was from moi.

[magid.livejournal.com]

I have a reasonable blender; not sure if it's really good quality or not.

And it's good to know what lettuces might substitute, thanks.

As it turns out, I'm having people for Shabbat dinner, and I'm waiting to see what I get in the farm share and organics delivery before I finalize my menu. (Far too many possibilities are floating around just now, compounded by some of the guests being impeccable hosts, so I want things to be particularly pretty, as well as tasting good.)

Re: DRAT! That anonymous comment was from moi.

[estherchaya.livejournal.com]

not a bad thought at all. I'm touched that you were worried in the first place. I wasn't sure anyone would notice my absence, but I hadn't had the energy to post.

I'm at work now, but having been here for an hour and a half and having accomplished nothing and feeling yuckier than when I came in, I'm thinking of going home.

Re: DRAT! That anonymous comment was from moi.

[estherchaya.livejournal.com]

I can give you a pretty salad, but it's less precise. Are you okay with eyeballing (and taste testing) dressings?

Re: DRAT! That anonymous comment was from moi.

[estherchaya.livejournal.com]

pretty as in it's beautiful and presents well.

Re: DRAT! That anonymous comment was from moi.

[magid.livejournal.com]

I'm fine with descriptions rather than precise recipes for pretty much anything other than baking.

Re: DRAT! That anonymous comment was from moi.

[magid.livejournal.com]

As long as there isn't anything pressing at work, go home, nap, feel better. Maybe have some chicken soup or some hot&sour soup?