Courses: Side Dishes Cuisines: Breakfast & Brunch / Fruit / Grain-Free/Gluten-Free / Vegetables / Vegetarian When the temperature drops below freezing, and the snow has been falling for hours (or days!), there's no better way to help make the house feel warm and cozy than having the sweet smells of cinnamon, ginger, cloves and nutmeg waft through your home. Fruit butter (apple butter, pear butter and the like) takes hours of slow simmering on the stove. It also needs to be stirred every 15-20 minutes or so, so it doesn't get stuck on the bottom of the pot. So when you are staying at home on a snowy day, or just staying at home "because" - that is the time to make this deliciously fragrant and silky pear butter. The original recipe is from my brother, Ari M. Sobel. Ari is a Culinary Institute of America-trained chef extraordinaire! I have adapted the recipe and made some changes that suit my tastes. It's very flexible. You can use whatever fruit you like: apples, pears, a combination of the two. Or, in the summer, use plums, nectarines, peaches. You can add strawberries or blueberries. You can use all the spices I've added, or just cinnamon - or leave them out entirely. Use your imagination!
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!
