How you's guys doin'?
Dec. 2nd, 2007 11:56 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jademermaidI've hardly been online at all, I've been listening to downloaded stuff, lectures (right now, one that analyzes Dante's Commedia), audiobooks and TV shows I'm catching up on. I've become engrossed in the world of torrents! I've not gotten much else accomplished, except that I did finish the Gryffindor scarf for Rose and she seems to like it, which is good. I have lots of other things I want to make before the end of the year, and I still want to do some dance work as well.
Oh man, I'm getting pudgy again too. Happens every year, and it's so hard to stay on top of it when the weather is so gloomy. Today I made pan fried salmon, buttered carrots and wild rice, along with the kefte recipe I've been working on since mom was visiting. I didn't write about that here last week, so I'll do that now.
I was telling my mom that I've been enjoying leek soup lately, and she asked me if I ever made leek patties. I'd not heard of them, but apparently my great grandmother used to make them. So, I had to try and figure out the recipe, because I do try to keep up with family recipes as well as I can. I started with one that I found online, and then started adjusting.
The spinakopita recipe from my mom's mom is really the only thing I have from that side of the family, so I was eager to have something else to work with. Unlike the Spinakopita, the kefte are very easy to make, and since Corey loves them I've made them twice already and plan to make them periodically. It isn't often I find a veggie recipe he likes.
Almost Joya's Kefte (leek patties)
6 large or eight regular leeks, trimmed, cleaned and sliced into 1/2 pieces
1 russet potato, diced small
1-2 packages matzoh ball mix, or about 1 cup of matzoh meal+salt, pepper and garlic
2 eggs, lightly beaten
vegetable oil for frying
Cover the sliced leeks in a pot with water and boil for about 45 minutes, add potatoes, and boil for another 15-20 minutes. The leeks and potatoes need to be super soft and mushy. Drain them in a colander until cool, and press with a spoon until most of the water is removed. transfer to a bowl and mush up well. Add matzoh mix and eggs, and mix very well. Let stand for five-ten minutes and heat up a few tablespoons of oil in a skillet on medium high. Shape the mixture into smallish patties and fry until deep golden brown on both sides. Drain on paper towels.
Super easy. Super yummy. Mom says they are close, but not quite there, so it needs more work. The ones I make have less leeks than she remembers, but you know, leeks are expensive since no one cooks with them that much!
I also found out that my ancestors on mom's side spoke Ladino. I just assumed that they spoke Hebrew or Yiddish, but Ladino is far more interesting! My mom's people are Sephardim (when I was a kid I thought we were named for the Seraphim, LOL), Jews originally from Spain that settled in a place called Monastir, which was once part of Turkey, but now is called Bitola in Macedonia. The language of Ladino is a mixture of Castilian, Yiddish and Turkish, and the music is really all that's left of the language these days. Very interesting music, which I may dance to one day. It is sort of like Middle Eastern meets Flamenco and Fiddler on the Roof. :-)
So I feel a little closer to mom's side of the family, which I didn't know all that much about before, except for the fabulous webpage about us:
http://www.cassorla.net/El_Cass.html
.
Oh man, I'm getting pudgy again too. Happens every year, and it's so hard to stay on top of it when the weather is so gloomy. Today I made pan fried salmon, buttered carrots and wild rice, along with the kefte recipe I've been working on since mom was visiting. I didn't write about that here last week, so I'll do that now.
I was telling my mom that I've been enjoying leek soup lately, and she asked me if I ever made leek patties. I'd not heard of them, but apparently my great grandmother used to make them. So, I had to try and figure out the recipe, because I do try to keep up with family recipes as well as I can. I started with one that I found online, and then started adjusting.
The spinakopita recipe from my mom's mom is really the only thing I have from that side of the family, so I was eager to have something else to work with. Unlike the Spinakopita, the kefte are very easy to make, and since Corey loves them I've made them twice already and plan to make them periodically. It isn't often I find a veggie recipe he likes.
Almost Joya's Kefte (leek patties)
6 large or eight regular leeks, trimmed, cleaned and sliced into 1/2 pieces
1 russet potato, diced small
1-2 packages matzoh ball mix, or about 1 cup of matzoh meal+salt, pepper and garlic
2 eggs, lightly beaten
vegetable oil for frying
Cover the sliced leeks in a pot with water and boil for about 45 minutes, add potatoes, and boil for another 15-20 minutes. The leeks and potatoes need to be super soft and mushy. Drain them in a colander until cool, and press with a spoon until most of the water is removed. transfer to a bowl and mush up well. Add matzoh mix and eggs, and mix very well. Let stand for five-ten minutes and heat up a few tablespoons of oil in a skillet on medium high. Shape the mixture into smallish patties and fry until deep golden brown on both sides. Drain on paper towels.
Super easy. Super yummy. Mom says they are close, but not quite there, so it needs more work. The ones I make have less leeks than she remembers, but you know, leeks are expensive since no one cooks with them that much!
I also found out that my ancestors on mom's side spoke Ladino. I just assumed that they spoke Hebrew or Yiddish, but Ladino is far more interesting! My mom's people are Sephardim (when I was a kid I thought we were named for the Seraphim, LOL), Jews originally from Spain that settled in a place called Monastir, which was once part of Turkey, but now is called Bitola in Macedonia. The language of Ladino is a mixture of Castilian, Yiddish and Turkish, and the music is really all that's left of the language these days. Very interesting music, which I may dance to one day. It is sort of like Middle Eastern meets Flamenco and Fiddler on the Roof. :-)
So I feel a little closer to mom's side of the family, which I didn't know all that much about before, except for the fabulous webpage about us:
http://www.cassorla.net/El_Cass.html
.
