Courses: Entrees It's been an unusually cold winter with this "polar vortex". I wanted to make a delicious Friday night Shabbat dinner that would be warm and comforting. One of my friends highly recommended this unique sounding chicken dish from the highly touted new cookbook by Yotam Ottlenghi and Sami Tamimi, called Jerusalem (published by Ten Speed Press, Berkeley, CA). 
First a word about the cookbook: Jerusalem is a beautiful and lovely foray into the world of Middle Eastern cooking. Ottolenghi and Tamimi are Jewish Israeli and Arab Israeli chefs who co-own a restaurant in London, England. They use ingredients that are fragrant, wholesome, fresh, and soooo delicious. This chicken dish came out looking exactly like the photo in their cookbook and was a huge hit! Perfect for a cold winter night! I also recommend Ottolenghi's earlier published cookbook, Plenty (vegetables of all kinds). It makes me want to stay in the kitchen and cook for days. Who wants to join me!?!
Courses: Soups & Salads
One of my friends was having a serious health issue and he was not permitted to eat any leafy green vegetables with the exception of kale.
So, I found a kale salad recipe, changed it around to suit my taste and made it when he and some others came for dinner. This salad is a huge hit! Everyone loves it. The trick is to make it several hours in advance. This allows the kale to "marinate" and soften. It takes away that "earthy"/"grassy" taste that some might not like. It is refreshing and healthy and pairs well with a rich meal.
It also saves well for the next day.
My preference is to buy the pre-washed, pre-torn kale. But you can also buy regular kale, wash it and de-rib it (you don't want the tough, fibrous ribs).
Enjoy!
