While I am not religious per se, making matzah is certainly a spiritual act for me. The fact that this type of bread has been prepared for thousands of years makes it an act that connects us to so many generations of our ancestors in such a profound way.
Category: Dinner
The arrival of summer screams for the most classic of all backyard grillable foods – the burger! These buns are quick and easy (25 minutes) to make and keep well in the freezer. Golden brown on the outside, sweet and soft on the inside, these whole grain buns are the perfect base for a classic beef or bean burger, portabello mushroom or grilled chicken breast. top with LTO and your favorite condiments. The dough is quite versatile and can also be shaped into a loaf, hot dog buns, or a filled with custard or cream for a decadent Maritozzi pastry.
Once you master the simple and ancient process of nixtamalization, it’s easy to whip up your own tacos, memelas (see recipe below!) sopes, tamales, or pozole. Masa (nixtamalized corn) is the base preparation for all your Mexican and central American favorites. The Nixtamalization process softens the corn and makes b vitamins (Niacin)nutritionally available. Warning, once you have the real deal, there’s no going back to the industrialized imitations found all over!
With the refreshing taste of yogurt, and the subtle tang of citrus and herbs, Tzatziki is a simple but stunning compliment to hummus and pita bread, as a topping for grilled meats and vegetables, and a dip for raw veggies.
Char Siu is a celebrated Cantonese dish made of honey-glazed roast pork, marinated in red rice fermented tofu, hoisin sauce, five spice, soy sauce and honey. In the fast food industry, red rice tofu is often replaced with red food coloring, but the traditional flavors are of course far superior (and non toxic). Many cuts of pork can be used, although I recommend pork butt or shoulder.
Known as gua bao in their home country, these delectable Chinese buns are super easy to make, and even easier to eat! Traditional Chinese filling include braised pork belly, thinly sliced vegetables, pickled mustard greens and chopped peanuts, but you can fill them with almost and combo of meat and veggies you can dream up. The cabbage used to line the steamer basket also makes for a sweet, tender addition.