New job!

I feel silly not having written since I started my first kitchen job three weeks ago.  So far, I'm loving it.  I'm working at a gourmet fast food stand, which is great because it means I get to do a little bit of everything, but it isn't too technically difficult for a total newb.  My coworkers are a mix of people looking to get into the industry and students trying to earn some pocket money.

There is one frustration, though.  For the past week, I've been doing more cash register than actually food preparation.  We need at least three people to run the stand - one for the cold line, one for the hot line, and one for register.  I know how to do 90% of the work for the lines, but because I don't have that last 10%, which are small but important details, there's no choice but to put me on register when we're short on people (which is often).

I've learned a few new things about myself.  The first is that I thrive in the stress of the peak.  I already knew that I'm pretty good in a crisis in terms of staying calm and doing what needs to be done.  Peaks are just like crises except that the consequences are much smaller.

And now I need to rush off for work and finish this thought later.

Rumors of artichokes' edibility are greatly exaggerated

I tried making carciofi alla giudia for the first time.  This was also my first time making artichokes.  They came out lovely, but I definitely didn't pull off enough leaves or trim off enough of the top of the artichokes, so they were only about 60% edible.

 

Who was the masochist who first figured out you can eat artichokes?

Here's a fun bit of history from נוסטלגיה אונליין - שימור התרבות הישראלית, which is dedicated to feeling nostalgic about Israeli stuff.  Their Facebook page posts interesting photos and old-timey advertisements.

This is an ad from the early 40s encouraging women to enlist to cook for the British military during WWII.  I especially enjoy their correct use of the 3rd person feminine verb form, a verb form which periodically falls out of use in the Hebrew language.



"Wanted: Cooking Soldiers.  For the women's auxiliary forces, cooking soldiers are wanted.  Women age 40-45 will be accepted for this work, as for other tasks.  The cooks will receive additional training after they pass the regular training.

"Although these draftees are under the terms of the general service, they will nonetheless be given service placements in Palestine."

New Cholent Discovery

I suppose that a first post to a new blog is supposed to outline what the blog will be about in general, the author's purpose in starting the blog, etc.  But to heck with that because I made the best cholent discovery today.

Rosemary is really, really tasty in cholent!  It's not a typical cholent flavoring, but the rosemary did an excellent job of preventing the flavor from becoming overbearingly heavy as is cholent's wont.  I used two sprigs of rosemary with 1 kg of beef (so 1 per lb of meat for the Americans) plus kidney beans, barley, carrots and onions.  I also used a few shakes of Worcestershire sauce, which gave the flavor a nice depth.  No potatoes, which is also highly untraditional for cholent, but I think I may actually like it better that way.

Few things in life make me as happy as setting a new record for the most delicious version of a dish I've ever cooked.

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Full recipe:

olive oil
1 heaping tbsp honey
1 kg meat (I used 500 g short ribs and 500 g shank)
2 yellow onions, chopped
1 package dried kidney beans (soaking optional but recommended)
4-6 carrots
1 cup pearl barley
5-6 eggs
Worcestershire sauce
salt
1 strip kombu (optional)
2 sprigs rosemary

1. Heat oil in a dutch oven or similar pot
2. Add honey to oil and let dissolve
3. Sear meat in honey/oil, then remove and set aside
4. Add onions and cook until completely wilted but not yet starting to crisp (this makes the onions sweet and eliminates pungency)
5. Re-add the meat
6. Add beans with enough water to cover
7. Add carrots, pearl barley, and eggs, plus enough water to just barely cover
8. Give 4-5 good shakes of Worcestershire sauce
9. Add a bit of salt, maybe 2 tsp., but not too much because kosher meat has salt and there are no potatoes to absorb the extra salt
10. Optional: add a strip of kombu.  I'm not sure this actually does anything, but it's supposed to add a bit of umami and make the beans softer
11. Add two sprigs of rosemary
12. Bring to a boil
13. Either reduce the heat to an absolute minimum and let cook overnight or put into an oven on low heat overnight.  Keep in mind that this is a dish meant to be assembled before sundown on Friday and served right out of the oven at Saturday lunch.  8 hours is probably sufficient, but you can let it go for 18 hours without problem