Hungarian Cabbage and Apple Soup

For these cold winter evenings, our own Chef Avram Wiseman once again shares one of his comfort classics, a sweet and spicy cabbage and apple soup that is sure to warm you down to your toes.

Ingredients:

3 oz. Clarified margarine
1 medium head Cabbage, finely shredded
1 large Onion, peeled and thinly sliced
2 Apples peeled cored, grated
10 cups Chicken stock
6 cloves Garlic, minced
3 tbsp. Brown sugar
1 cup Fine noodles, cooked
1/2 tsp. Caraway seed
1-2 tbsp. Hungarian sweet paprika
1 tbsp. White vinegar
1/4 tsp. Sour salt
Salt and pepper to taste
sour cream or pareve sour cream for garnish

Procedure:

In a large heavy bottomed sauce pot melt the margarine. Add the cabbage, onions and grated apple and cook for 10 minutes, mixing frequently .Add the garlic, sugar, caraway and paprika and continue to cook. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Simmer for 30 minutes.

Season with salt and white pepper. Add vinegar and sour salt. Add the cooked noodles. Boil and serve very hot. May be garnished with a dollop of sour cream.

Wonderful Article About the Next Great Kosher Chef by Jewish Week's Amy Spiro

Amy Spiro, a former intern and occasional writer for the NY Jewish Week and also an expert baker in her own right (she blogs over at Baking and Mistaking, one of our favorite blogs!) covered CKCA's Next Great Kosher Chef All-Kosher Culinary Competition that took place in Long Island City this past Sunday.

Amy's article really provides an amazing play-by-play of the events that took place, so we are happy to pass it along to you here. The article is called "Out of the Kosher Frying Pan, Into the Fire." And congrats again to all the participants! Happy reading!

Congrats to our Next Great Kosher Chef Winner and Participants!!

We wish a hearty congratulations and Yasher Koach to all the participants today's NEXT GREAT KOSHER CHEF competition at the Entrepreneur Space in Long Island City. Thank you for everyone's support of CKCA! Special congrats to our NEXT GREAT KOSHER CHEF JASMINE EINALHORI!

We will report on the event as soon as we have all the details, but for now, we invite you to enjoy our coverage in today's NEW YORK TIMES! Click here for the article!

Korean Short Ribs

Here is another delicious appetizer from Chef Avram Wiseman. Bulgalbi, or Korean barbequed short ribs, are easily made by roasting in the oven, even in the dead of winter. These flavorful savory ribs are a sure winner and perfect for eating both winter and summer.


Ingredients:

4 Lbs. beef short ribs
½ cup soy sauce
½ cup water
4 Tablespoons finely chopped scallion
2 Tablespoons finely chopped garlic
1 teaspoon grated ginger root
1 tablespoon sugar
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
½ tablespoon garlic chili paste
2 tablespoons toasted, crushed sesame seeds


Procedure:

Cut the beef short ribs into 1 ½ inch cubes. Wash and drain well. Pat dry. Score the beef along the bottom of the bone as to allow marinade to penetrate.
Mix all ingredients in a large bowl and allow to marinade at least 4 hours.

Oven roast the Bulgalbi in a moderate oven 325* for 1 and ½ hours. Turn the ribs frequently. Then, pour the remaining marinade over the ribs and continue roasting another 20 minutes.

Place on serving platter and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds before serving. Yields 8 to 10 appetizer portions.

Sweet Potato and Leek Latkes

During this year's Festival of Lights, we invite you to try CKCA Culinary Arts Alum (Spring '09) Liz Kratz's recipe for Sweet Potato and Leek Latkes. This savory pancake is fantastically delicious and is sure to brighten up your Chanukah table this year and every year to follow. Sweet potatoes are a nice departure from regular white potatoes, so after you have made classic latkes for a few nights, you might enjoy this gourmet twist on a well-loved favorite.

Ingredients:

6-7 large sweet potatoes, peeled and grated, or chopped fine in food processor
6 leeks, white and very light green parts only, washed carefully and chopped fine in food processor
3 eggs
1 and 1/2 to 2 tsp kosher salt (or to taste, 2 tsp makes a very savory latke)
1 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 cup flour
vegetable oil for frying (I recommend Mazola Corn Plus!)

Preparation:

Let grated or chopped sweet potatoes drain in a colander or squeeze dry with a clean towel. Combine with other ingredients. If mixture is too moist, add slightly more flour. Heat 1/4 inch of oil in a wide bottomed pan until very hot, and fry latkes approximately 3 minutes on each side until brown and crisp. Drain on paper towels and transfer to a 300 degree oven to keep warm until ready to serve. It's best not to keep latkes in oven longer than half an hour, otherwise they will get soggy. To make in advance, cool latkes immediately after frying and then heat in oven a half hour prior to service.

Serve latkes hot, with applesauce, smoked salmon or sour cream. Yields 12 large or 24 small latkes.