Norwitz Notions

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Fruit Leather Roll-Ups

June 5th, 2008 · 1 Comment

I have a new (to me) dehydrator and it has a plastic insert for making fruit leathers. So I had to try it. I just toss some very ripe fruit into the blender. Mostly stuff too soft for the dried fruit I was prepping. Peach, strawberry, banana. And a pinch of salt. I never remove […]

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Categories: Food · Recipes · Snacks
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Stuffed Spicy Peppers with Tofu Basil Filling

May 24th, 2008 · No Comments

Michael and I were in the terrific produce section of the new branch of Farmer Joe’s market in Oakland last week. They had a wide chile selection and we got some that looked like poblanos, but turned out to be spicier. I made a filling for them the other night. Recipe: 4 stuffing peppers (any […]

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Categories: Food · Main Dishes · Recipes · Vegetable Dishes
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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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Vegan Pesto

May 13th, 2008 · 7 Comments

Although I adore basil, I usually make my pesto from other herbs, simply due to availability and cost.  My favorite combo is half cilantro and half parsley.  If I don’t have cilantro, or I don’t have enough of it, I will use spearmint to make up the difference.  All the herbs must be fresh. Your […]

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Categories: Dressings & Sauces · Food · Recipes · Spreads & Dips
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Vegan Cole Slaw

May 6th, 2008 · 1 Comment

Coleslaw is basically raw shredded cabbage, with or without some other vegetables, in a creamy and/or tangy dressing.  I usually make it from green and red cabbage and carrot, in a mayo/mustard vinegrette.  Comes out very pretty. How you cut the cabbage makes an enormous difference.  I have in the past used the shredder attachment […]

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Categories: Food · Recipes · Vegetable Dishes
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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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Mushroom Olive Compote

April 29th, 2008 · No Comments

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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Categories: Food · Recipes · Vegetable Dishes
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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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Macadamia Nut Torte

April 23rd, 2008 · 4 Comments

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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Categories: Desserts · Food · Recipes
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A pan-fried, egg-free, omelet stuffed tortilla pie frittata. With onions

April 9th, 2008 · 2 Comments

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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Categories: Breads & Savory Cakes · Food · Food Product Reviews · Main Dishes · Recipes
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Bean Salad

April 6th, 2008 · 2 Comments

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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Categories: Food · Recipes · Vegetable Dishes
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Slushies (and frozen strawberries)

April 3rd, 2008 · No Comments

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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Categories: Desserts · Food · Recipes · Snacks
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