Norwitz Notions

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Sweet Potato Latkes (Vegan)

November 30th, 2013 · No Comments

Thanksgivukah, Thanksgivukah Come light the cranorah… Friends, family, and a once in a lifetime holiday.  And how else to celebrate the first, and probably only, mashup of Thanksgiving and Chanukah but with sweet potato latkes and cranberry applesauce? I’m no stranger to vegan latkes (due to my dairy allergy and my daughter’s egg allergy) and […]

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Categories: Chanukah · Food · Recipes · Religion & Holidays · Thanksgiving · Vegetable Dishes
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Shabbat Dinner for 20

May 17th, 2009 · 2 Comments

Once a month, our synagogue, Ner Shalom in Cotati, California, holds a family Shabbat dinner.  Sometimes it’s a potluck, other times they order platters from a local restaurant.  A few months ago, I volunteered to do the cooking.  I had two motives here: 1) I love to cook for large groups of people.  Seriously, I […]

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Categories: Desserts · Food · Grains · Judaism · Main Dishes · Meals & Events · Recipes · Religion & Holidays · Shabbus · Vegetable Dishes
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Cucumber Pickles

November 17th, 2008 · 1 Comment

With all the various fermented vegetables I’ve made, somehow I never got around to making cucumber pickles.  But that changed this summer when I tasted a friend’s potluck offering and realized how much I missed them.  The vinegared pasteurized version from the store just doesn’t taste the same. My friend used slicing cucs (the kind […]

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Categories: Food · Recipes · Snacks · Vegetable Dishes
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Cornbread Challah (vegan & gluten-free)

October 18th, 2008 · 3 Comments

We hosted a potluck for Sukkot this year and told everyone we would provide the challah.  The last shabbus potluck we went to had regular challah and Miriam ended up with some symptoms due to cross-contamination from the eggs (part of the ritual is breaking the bread with your hands; while we don’t do that […]

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Categories: Food · Grains · Judaism · Recipes · Religion & Holidays · Shabbus
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Gluten-Free Vegan Challah

May 24th, 2008 · 10 Comments

We belong to a Shabbus potluck group that meets every month or two.  Yesterday, it was at our home.  Although Miriam (and I) can’t have gluten, traces aren’t an issue.  Unfortunately, it’s not that way with egg.  Even a little crumb can give her symptoms. Challah is a braided egg bread that plays an important […]

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Categories: Food · Grains · Judaism · Recipes · Religion & Holidays · Shabbus
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Gluten-Free Bagel or Flatbread

May 14th, 2008 · 1 Comment

This recipe comes from my friend Carys Starfire, who has kindly given me permission to post it here. The bagels look absolutely amazing, though I’ve been holding back on trying the recipe myself because I think I’d like them too much and I’m trying to keep my carbs down. I’ll give in sooner or later. […]

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Categories: Food · Grains · Recipes
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Passover Seder 2008

May 4th, 2008 · 8 Comments

I’ve hosted a Passover seder at my home every year for the last 20 or so (except for the year my mother died the night before Passover 1996 and the following year, the first with Michael, when Michael and I both had the flu).  Each one has a different mix of people, cultures, familiarity with […]

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Categories: Family Life · Food · Judaism · Meals & Events · Passover · Religion & Holidays
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Horseradish with Beet

May 4th, 2008 · 1 Comment

Success with horseradish has been extremely variable, both due to variation in the flavor of the unprocessed horseradish roots, and the fact that it is too strong to sniff or taste during preparation to make small modifications. The ones I made for Passover this year were pretty good. I started with two horseradish roots. They […]

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Categories: Dressings & Sauces · Food · Judaism · Passover · Recipes · Religion & Holidays
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Gefilte Fish

May 4th, 2008 · 1 Comment

Passover 2008: the year of the gefilte fish disaster. This is only the second time we’ve made gefilte (gelfilte, gelfelte, gefelte) fish. The stuff in jars is pretty good (some people hate it but I grew up on and adore the stuff) but every last brand has eggs in it. And pretty much all have […]

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Categories: Food · Judaism · Main Dishes · Passover · Recipes · Religion & Holidays
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Traditional Ashkenazi Charoset

April 28th, 2008 · No Comments

If you ask an Ashkenazi Jew (of Eastern/Central European origin, most American Jews) the recipe for charoset, you will generally get one answer: chopped apples, honey, wine, nuts (walnuts and pecans are popular), and (often) cinnamon. This version is so popular that many Haggadahs list it as such and I’ve had Jews tell me it […]

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Categories: Desserts · Food · Judaism · Passover · Recipes · Religion & Holidays · Spreads & Dips
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Homemade Gluten-Free Passover Matzoh

April 26th, 2008 · 15 Comments

This year, I made my own Passover matzoh. Why on earth? Because Miriam and I don’t do well with gluten (we can cheat once in a while, but not two days in a row). So I wanted it to be gluten-free. Matzoh (aka matzah, matza, matzo) used during a Passover seder must come from one […]

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Categories: Food · Grains · Judaism · Passover · Recipes · Religion & Holidays
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Beet Borscht

April 23rd, 2008 · No Comments

Borscht is a Russian and Jewish beet soup that can be made with or without meat, served hot or cold. The cold versions are often served with sour cream (unless it’s a Jewish recipe and it has meat). There are many variations. The addition of ginger and carrots is my own invention, though I doubt […]

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Categories: Food · Passover · Recipes · Soups
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Chanukah Latkes

December 14th, 2007 · 6 Comments

Your traditional latkes are grated potato, diced onion, egg, matzoh meal, and seasoning all mixed together and fried in olive oil. But what do you do when all you can eat is fried salt and pepper? Well, alternative latkes have always been part of the tradition: despite what many think, it’s not just about potato […]

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Categories: Chanukah · Recipes · Religion & Holidays · Vegetable Dishes
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