The Cookbook — digital edition

House rub · salt goes on separately · batch extra, store it

• 2 tbsp black pepper
• 1½ tbsp garlic powder · ½ tbsp onion
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 1½ tbsp paprika · ½ tbsp cumin
• 1 tsp white pepper · ½ tsp cayenne

Also

• 1 rack beef short / plate ribs
• Kosher salt, patted on first
• Spritz: apple juice + cider vinegar
• Beef tallow for the wrap — when available

Brine · per gallon, scale to cover

• 1 gallon water · 1 cup kosher salt
• ½ cup brown sugar · ½ cup maple syrup
• 2 tbsp crushed black pepper
• 2 tbsp garlic powder · 1 tsp thyme

Injection

• 1½ sticks melted margarine
• 1½ cups chicken or turkey broth
• 1 tsp cayenne · 1 tsp salt

Rub · coat the whole bird

• 2 tbsp kosher salt
• 1 tbsp black pepper
• 1½ tbsp paprika
• 2 tbsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp cayenne · 1 tsp thyme

The cure · 2:1 sugar to salt

• 1 cup brown sugar
• ½ cup kosher salt
• ½ tsp each: paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper
• ¼ tsp chili flakes

Spread · dairy default; pareve swaps at meat meals

• ½ cup each: mayo, sour cream, cream cheese · chives

Method

1. Cure 4–6 hours in the fridge, fish fully buried if possible; rinse.
2. Pellicle: uncovered in the fridge ~1 hour+ until tacky and glossy.
3. Smoke low, under 150°F, for the first hour — the flavor window.
4. Raise to ~200°F to finish; ~1½ hours total.
5. Pull at ~145°F: glossy, deeper red.

Rub

• 1 tbsp garlic
• 1 tbsp kosher salt
• ½ tbsp smoked paprika
• ¼ tsp cayenne
• 3 tsp baking powder — the crispy-skin agent

Spicy honey dip

• ½ cup honey
• ¼ cup Frank's (or favorite hot sauce)

Method

1. Dry the wings well; coat with the rub.
2. Smoke low, 225–250°F — the flavor phase.
3. Crank at color + ~135–145°F internal; finish hot till the skin crisps, into the 175–185°F range.
4. Serve the honey–hot sauce as a dip — glazing on the smoker would soften the skin you just built.

Braising liquid · per rack

• ¼ cup each: mirin, soy sauce, water
• A few bay leaves · 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 star anise · 1 tsp peppercorns
• 1 strip citrus zest (lemon/orange)

Method

1. Simmer liquid + aromatics 15 min; cool.
2. Bag ribs with liquid; seal.
3. Bath 165°F, 12 hours.
4. Chill: ice bath 30 min or fridge 1 hr.
5. Smoke 225°F, ~1–2 hr — reheat, infuse, set bark.
6. Reduce the bag liquid to a syrup; finish with ⅓ tbsp black vinegar.
7. Glaze and serve.

Same braising liquid

• ¼ cup each: mirin, soy sauce, water
• Bay · cinnamon stick · star anise
• 1 tsp peppercorns · citrus zest strip

Method

1. Infuse the liquid 15 min; cool; bag and seal.
2. Bath 145°F, 48 hours — cover or top up the water.
3. Dry well, then sear hard and fast — ripping pan is usual; grill or torch work.
4. Reduce the bag liquid to syrup + ⅓ tbsp black vinegar.
5. Slice, sauce on top — over mashed potatoes.

Marinade

• ½ cup olive oil · ½ cup soy sauce
• ¼ cup honey
• 3 tbsp fresh rosemary (1 tbsp dried)
• 1½ tbsp coarse black pepper
• 1 tsp salt · 6 cloves garlic, minced

Method

1. Score shallow cuts; marinate covered, 2–4 hours.
2. Temper to just under room temp.
3. Sear on the hottest grates, 2 min per side, moving for an even crust.
4. Indirect top rack, flipping every 5 min: 125–135°F MR, 135–140°F M. Never past medium.
5. Rest; slice against the grain — medium slices, not paper-thin.

Marinade

• 3 cloves garlic · zest + juice of 1 lemon
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp each: rosemary, thyme, oregano
• 1 tsp each: cumin, coriander
• ½ tsp cinnamon · ¼ tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp kosher salt · ½ tsp pepper
• Garnish: parsley, lemon wedges

Method

1. Whisk; coat the ribs; fridge 2+ hours.
2. Two-zone grill. Indirect first: render the fat, build color, turning now and then.
3. Finish direct for char.
4. Pull by temp: house lamb doneness is medium-rare, 130–135°F.
5. Rest; parsley and lemon over.

Ingredients

• 1 lb beef — velvet 1 hr w/ 1 tbsp baking soda; rinse well, pat dry
• 8 oz noodles, cooked
• 2 large carrots · 2 cups broccoli
• 1 large onion · 4 cloves garlic
• Sesame oil for the pan

Sauce

• ½ cup boiling water
• 1½ tbsp beef broth powder
• 4½ tbsp soy · 3⅓ tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp hoisin — optional

Method

1. Stir the sauce together; set aside.
2. Slice beef thin, against the grain; cut vegetables to 2".
3. Hot pan, sesame oil: beef till golden; remove.
4. Same pan: onions; remove. Carrots till soft, then broccoli till tender — garlic at the end.
5. Beef and onions back in; sauce over; simmer a few minutes.
6. Noodles in; toss well.

Filling

• 1 lb ground chicken
• 2 cups shredded cabbage
• ¼ cup shredded carrots
• 3 cloves garlic · 1–2 tsp ginger
• 1½ tsp chicken bouillon powder
• 1 tsp soy · 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1½–2 tsp sugar
• ¼ tsp white + ½ tsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp cornstarch · 1 egg

Wrapping

• Spring roll wrappers
• Water or beaten egg, to seal
• Oil spray

Dipping sauce

• 2½ tbsp soy · 2 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tsp lime juice · 1 tbsp water
• 3½ tsp sugar · chili flakes
• Thicker: +1 tbsp cornstarch, simmer

Ingredients

• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 tsp paprika · 1 tsp cumin
• ¼ tsp chili powder
• 1 (28-oz) can whole peeled tomatoes
• 6 large eggs · salt and pepper
• Cilantro + parsley, chopped

Method

1. Olive oil, medium heat: pepper + onion ~5 min, till translucent.
2. Garlic and spices, 1 minute more.
3. Tomatoes and juice in; break them down; season; simmer.
4. Make wells; crack an egg into each. Cover 5–8 min, to your liking.
5. Shower with herbs; serve from the pan with pita.

Wings

• 18 chicken wings
• 1 tsp kosher salt · 1 tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp sugar · ½ tsp paprika
• ½ tsp black pepper · ¼ tsp cayenne

Sauce

• 1 cup BBQ sauce, hickory smoke
• ½ cup honey · 2 tbsp ketchup
• 2 tbsp hot sauce
• 4 tbsp margarine · ½ tsp garlic powder

Method

1. Season the dried wings; oven to 375°F.
2. Single layer on a well-sprayed sheet.
3. Bake 35–40 min by size, turning once.
4. Meanwhile simmer the sauce on the lowest heat.
5. Dip the baked wings; back in the oven ~5 min till the sauce bubbles.

Ingredients

• ~2 lb chicken, white or dark
• 8 oz mushrooms
• Shallots or finely diced onion
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• Flour, for dredging · garlic powder · cayenne
• 1 cup kosher Marsala
• 1½ cups chicken stock
• 1 tbsp cornstarch slurry — double if needed
• Olive oil + margarine

Method

1. Season and flour the chicken; shallow-fry in oil + margarine; set aside.
2. Same pan: a spoonful of flour, garlic powder, dash cayenne; mushrooms till colored and their juices release; salt, pepper; reduce.
3. Near dry: shallots + garlic till fragrant.
4. Deglaze with the Marsala; stock in; chicken back; slurry in; simmer till the sauce naps.

Ingredients

• ½ stick butter · 1 tsp flour
• 3 cups warm milk
• 3 cups cheese of choice
• Cooked pasta
• 4 tsp paprika · 4 tsp garlic powder
• 4 tsp pepper · 2 tsp salt · cayenne
• Parmesan — optional

Method

1. Dissolve the flour into the warm milk.
2. Melt butter, medium-high; as it browns, bloom the spices in it ~1 min — golden, not burnt.
3. Stream in the milk, stirring constantly, scraping the brown bits.
4. Simmer till thick and creamy; add cheese slowly till melted.
5. Heat to low, then fold in the pasta off the heat.

Ingredients

• 2 lbs bread, cubed and dried
• 2 cups margarine — most melts into the broth
• 2 large sweet onions · 3 cups celery
• 1 cup parsley · 6 tbsp rosemary
• 3 tbsp thyme · ½ cup sage (opt.)
• 2 tsp salt · 1 tsp pepper
• 5 cups low-sodium chicken broth

Method

1. Dry the cubes at 250°F till hard.
2. Sauté onions + celery in olive oil till lightly browned.
3. Toss bread, vegetables, herbs, seasonings, 2½ cups broth.
4. Melt the margarine into the rest of the broth; pour and toss again.
5. Into a large dish; dot margarine on top.
6. Foil on, 350°F, 40 min; uncovered 40 more, stirring now and then.

Ingredients

• 5 lbs potatoes, peeled
• 1 large onion
• 5 eggs · ¾ cup oil
• 1 tbsp potato starch — binds the shed liquid; better-set slice
• 1 tbsp salt · pepper to taste

Method

1. Oven to 450°F.
2. Purée the onion (S-blade), then run the potatoes through on the kugel blade — same bowl.
3. Move fast: beat eggs with oil, starch, seasonings; fold in potatoes till uniform.
4. Greased 9×13", uncovered, 2 hours — the long high bake builds the crust.

Filling

• 3–4 large sweet potatoes, cooked — roasted is best
• ½ cup coconut milk · 1 egg
• ⅓–½ cup sugar or maple syrup
• ¼ cup melted coconut oil
• 1 tsp each vanilla, cinnamon · ½ tsp nutmeg · ½ tsp salt

Topping

• 1¼ cups chopped pecans
• ½ cup GF 1:1 flour · ½ cup brown sugar
• ¼ cup solid coconut oil · ½ tsp each salt, vanilla

Method

1. 350°F; grease the dish.
2. Cut the fat into the topping till sandy with pea-sized bits.
3. Whip the cooked, peeled potatoes with the filling till completely smooth; taste and adjust.
4. Fill, top, bake 25–30 min till golden and bubbling. Cool 10.

Ingredients

• Yukon Gold potatoes
• Pareve butter (margarine)
• Mayonnaise — the creaminess engine
• Salt · black pepper
• Garlic powder · onion powder
• Occasionally: garlic or onion confit, folded in

Method

1. Simmer cubed potatoes till fork-tender.
2. Rest out of the water till warm — steam escapes instead of watering the mash.
3. Break down; add margarine, mayo, seasonings.
4. Whip fluffy with a fork, or mix smooth — pick your texture.
5. Fold confit through at the end if it's in the house.

Ingredients

• 2 cups flour · 1½ tbsp baking powder
• 1 tsp kosher salt · 2½ tbsp sugar
• 1⅔ cups milk — oat/soy for pareve
• 2 eggs, separated
• ⅓ cup melted butter — margarine for pareve
• 1 tsp vanilla

Method

1. Whisk the dry ingredients.
2. Whisk in butter, yolks, milk, vanilla till smooth.
3. Beat the whites to stiff peaks; fold in — the air is the point.
4. Cook per your iron; fruit, chocolate, or honey on top.

The pot · a loose formula by design

• Potatoes · onions · barley — beans some weeks
• Stew meat + a beef bone
• A piece of smoked pastrami — home-smoked when the smoker ran; bought when it didn't

Seasonings

• Osem onion soup mix · Osem beef consommé
• Paprika · garlic powder · onion powder
• Salt · complete seasoning mix

Method

1. Layer everything into the crockpot; seasonings over the top.
2. Water to ~1 inch above the solids.
3. Low, overnight — set before Shabbos, serve at lunch.

Ingredients · small pot — scale freely

• 200 g lamb, diced — with fat veins; not lean
• 1 very large onion, diced
• 1 potato · 2 carrots · 2 sticks celery
• 8 button mushrooms, quartered
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• Fresh rosemary, thyme, oregano
• Copious salt and pepper
• Dash of red wine · water

Method

1. Salt the lamb; sear hard in oil; set aside.
2. Same pot: onion till colored; garlic near the end.
3. Potato, carrots, celery, mushrooms in for a few minutes.
4. Dash of red wine to deglaze; lamb back; water to mostly cover.
5. Herbs, salt, pepper; low simmer 2–3 hours till the lamb gives.

The 11-spice blend

• ⅔ tbsp salt · 1 tbsp celery salt
• 2 tbsp garlic salt
• 3 tbsp paprika · 3 tbsp white pepper
• 1 tbsp black pepper
• ½ tbsp thyme · ½ tbsp basil · ⅓ tbsp oregano
• 1 tbsp dried mustard · 1 tbsp ground ginger

Method

1. Season the chicken with part of the blend.
2. Three stations: flour/starch · egg wash · flour seasoned generously with the rest.
3. Dredge in order; rest a few minutes so the crust grips.
4. Deep fry ~325°F — gentler than 350, so bone-in cooks through — till deep golden and 165°F internal.
5. Rest on a rack, never paper.

Bourbon BBQ · long low reduce, 30+ min

• 3 tbsp olive oil · 3 cloves garlic
• 1½ cups ketchup · ¼ cup bourbon — most early, splash late
• ¼ cup cider vinegar · ¼ cup dk brown sugar
• 2 tbsp paprika · 1 tbsp chili powder
• ½ tbsp Dijon · ½ tbsp Worcestershire (non-fish)
• 1 tsp salt · 2 tsp pepper · 1 tsp cayenne

Mustard BBQ · whisk, brief simmer

• ¾ cup yellow mustard · ½ cup honey
• ¼ cup brown sugar · ½ cup cider vinegar
• 2 tbsp ketchup · 2 tsp Worcestershire (non-fish)
• 1 tsp garlic powder · 1 tsp cayenne
• ½ tsp salt · 3 dashes hot sauce

Ingredients

• 500 g all-purpose flour
• 4 g dry yeast (~1 tsp)
• 1 tsp salt · 1 tsp sugar
• 270 ml lukewarm water (~104°F)

Method

1. Mix dry; stream in the water with the dough hook till an elastic ball forms — judge the dough, not the recipe.
2. Cover; warm spot; 20+ min till doubled.
3. Brief knead; divide into 7–8; roll into rounds ~¼" thick.
4. Bake either way: ~500°F oven on a preheated stone — they balloon in 2–3 min; or a hot dry pan, flipping when bubbles rise.

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp salt · 1 tsp baking powder
• ⅓ cup olive oil
• 1 cup warm water

Method

1. Mix flour, salt, baking powder.
2. Work in oil and water to a rough ball; knead a few minutes till smooth.
3. Divide into 16; flatten thin on a floured surface.
4. Medium-high dry pan, ~1 min, flipping halfway, till golden both sides.

Ingredients

• 1 cup cornmeal (150 g)
• 1 cup all-purpose flour (128 g)
• ⅔ cup white sugar (135 g)
• 1 tbsp baking powder · ½ tsp salt
• 1 cup water (235 ml)
• 2 eggs, beaten · ⅓ cup oil

Method

1. Whisk the dry; whisk the wet separately.
2. Combine without overmixing — a few streaks are fine.
3. Greased 9×13" pan or muffin tin; bake at 375°F till golden and a tester comes out clean.

Cake

• 2 cups flour (255 g) · 2 cups sugar (395 g)
• ¾ cup cocoa (75 g)
• 2 tsp baking powder · 1½ tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 cups hot coffee — with 1 cup (170 g) chocolate melted in
• ½ cup oil · 2 eggs · 2 tsp vanilla

Glaze

• 6 tbsp cocoa · 5 tbsp margarine
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• ¾ tsp vanilla · 2 tbsp hot water
• Melt marg; whisk in cocoa, sugar, vanilla; loosen with hot water; pour warm over cool cake

Method

1. Whisk the dry ingredients.
2. Add the hot chocolate-coffee, oil, eggs, vanilla; mix smooth. Very thin and liquidy is correct.
3. 350°F; two parchment-lined 9" pans; divide evenly. Wet baking strips for flatter layers if you like.
4. Bake 30–35 min, till a tester comes out clean; cool 10 before turning out.
5. Glaze once cool.

Ingredients

• 4 large egg whites, room temp
• ½ tsp cream of tartar
• ⅛ tsp salt
• 1 cup granulated sugar (200 g)
• 1 tsp vanilla

Method

1. 225°F; parchment-lined sheet. Bowl completely grease-free.
2. Whites + tartar + salt: low till foamy, then high.
3. Sugar 1 tbsp at a time, 15–20 sec apart.
4. Beat to stiff, glossy peaks; rub a pinch — gritty means keep going.
5. Vanilla in; pipe kisses — they don't spread.
6. Bake 1 hr; oven off, door shut, cool inside 1–2 hrs.

Dough

• 6½–7 cups flour
• ½ cup sugar · 1¾ tsp salt
• 4 packets dry yeast — bloomed in warm juice
• 1¼ cups apple juice
• 1¼ cups margarine
• 3 eggs, room temp · ½ tsp vanilla

Filling

• ½ cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1½ tsp cinnamon · ¼ cup melted margarine

Glaze

• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla · dash salt · ~3 tsp water
• Double or triple to fully cover

Muffins

• 2 cups + 1 tbsp flour — tbsp for the berries
• 2 tsp baking powder · ½ tsp salt
• 1¼ cups sugar (250 g)
• 8 tbsp melted butter — marg. for pareve
• 2 eggs · 2 tsp vanilla · ½ cup milk
• 1½ cups blueberries

Crumble

• ½ cup flour · ⅓ cup sugar
• 3 tbsp brown sugar · lemon zest · salt
• 4 tbsp melted butter

Syrup

• 1 cup blueberries · 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp lemon juice

Ingredients

• ½ cup white sugar (~100 g)
• ¼ cup light corn syrup (~82 g)
• ¼ cup water (~60 g)
• ½ tbsp margarine · ¼ tsp salt
• 1 tsp flavor extract · color

Method

1. Everything but flavor and color into a pot; heat to 250–260°F, wiping the sides down so no stray crystal seeds the batch.
2. Pour onto a greased tray; add flavor and color on top.
3. Cool till touchable; greased gloves; pull and fold till opaque — till it looks like taffy.

Ingredients

• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tbsp sugar
• ½ cup coffee, hot
• ½ cup dark chocolate (pareve)

Method

1. Whisk yolk and sugar.
2. Pour in the hot coffee, whisking — the heat tempers the yolk.
3. Stir in the chocolate till fully melted.
4. Freezer, 2+ hours, till set.

Filling

• 4½ cups cooked, mashed sweet potato
• 1 cup sugar · ⅓ cup milk — oat for pareve
• ½ cup melted butter — marg. for pareve
• 2 eggs, beaten · ½ tsp vanilla

Streusel

• 1 cup light brown sugar · ½ cup flour
• ⅓ cup cold butter · 1 cup pecans

Method

1. Mix the filling; spread into the dish.
2. Cut the butter into sugar + flour till crumbly; stir in pecans; sprinkle over.
3. Bake at 350°F till golden, ~25 min.

Ingredients

• Rhodes frozen rolls
• Jelly or jam
• Vegetable oil, for frying

Method

1. Let the rolls fully rise.
2. Fry at 325°F till lightly browned — gentler than 350, so the center cooks through.
3. Cool and dry on a rack.
4. Slice a hole; fill with jam.