Norwitz Notions

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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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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I make this simple (but time consuming) dish for Passover every year. It’s not a Passover dish persay but it’s become a tradition. Some of my guests count on it being there. Use quality ingredients and watch the cooking methods and this dish will be perfect. Otherwise, it can be bland or just really off. […]

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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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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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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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I made this lovely torte (or is it a tart? or maybe a cheesecake?) for Passover this year. It was a gamble, since we had never made it before, and didn’t have much of a recipe to go on, but it came out wonderful. Many thanks to Jessica of Foodlab for the idea. The original […]

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A couple of months ago, I found myself at the Berkeley Farmer’s Market, by the Primavera Tortilla stand. Primavera is a Sonoma County-based company that makes their own masa (tortilla/tamale dough) from organic stoneground corn. The handmade tortillas looked good but were pricey (and the fancy flavored ones had dairy) so I bought a bag […]

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My go-to dish. Super easy to make and Miriam’s favorite. If you ask her favorite food, she’ll tell you “kidney beans!!!!!” Normally I like to make beans from scratch, but it’s hard with a bunch of different kinds (because they require different cooking times). So canned is loads easier. Recipe: 4 cans of plain whole […]

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Rock fish, rock cod, plain cod…I don’t know. But it made a tasty stew. I got fillets at Costco. Don’t fuss over ingredients. I made this out of what I found in my fridge and freezer. Next time I’ll make it with completely different vegetables. And why are there 4 carrots in the picture but […]

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When I was at the Marin County Fair on July 4th, 2007, one of the booths was promoting healthy eating for kids and they had samples of a blender drink. All fruit (no juice) and no added sugar. It was fabulous on that blindingly hot day (about 100*F). Their slushie recipe: Ice cubes (between 1/3 […]

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This lovely eggplant dip or spread is quite easy to make and there are a lot of variations (even more so than for the spelling). I don’t follow an exact recipe. I just do it by taste. Ingredients: Eggplant (globe is best but you can use any kind; leave the skin on) Tahini Lemon juice […]

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Foodlab is an internet mailing list for sharing recipes, tips, support and more while discovering and living with food allergies/intolerances. Monica started the list a couple of years ago, after realizing that off-topic discussions of food allergies were starting to take over a parenting list. Most of the folks on Foodlab (the active posters anyway) […]

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I found these at Expo West earlier this month. This review got moved up higher on the list because they surprised me today with a box of samples in the mail. I’m not sure what to make of them. They’re billed as sports supplements (even the kids version) but what they really are is candy. […]

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I make a lot of my food from scratch, but some things are just too difficult. There is a small subset of irreplaceable products…and when they’re gone, I panic. French Meadow Bakery’s gluten-free tortillas are in that category. I eat them about 5 days a week for lunch (as wraps/burritos). They have two: Healthy Hemp […]

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