Simply enjoy food

Pita bread is usually made with a dough that contains a bit of sugar and oil. But I have had good results using a lean dough (french bread dough - a dough made of four ingredients - flour, water, salt and yeast). This is convenient since I often have lean dough hanging around a container in my fridge. See Baguettes for dummies for a simple recipe for lean dough.

Separate the dough into small balls. Round them out and let them sit on the table for 45 minutes. Use this time to preheat the oven - set the temperature as high as it will go.

When you are ready to bake, sprinkle a bit of flour on the dough and on your work surface. Use a rolling pin to flatten the dough completely. Roll it out until it is as thick as a quarter.

Carefully unstick the dough from your work surface and throw it onto the hot pizza stone in the oven. Watch with amazement as they puff up. Let it bake for about three minutes or until is starts to char. Flip it over and bake for another minute or two. Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough.

Let the pita cool for a few minutes and then store them in a plastic container or bag so that they stay soft.

They should stay soft for up to four days if kept in a sealed container. If you have not let your dough preferment for a long time, their freshness will be considerably shorter.

Tahini is crushed sesame seeds. Like peanut butter made from sesame seeds.

I never liked it because it has a sticky, lumpy texture. Until recently I only ever used it as an ingredient in chickpea hummus. Nobody ever told me how to prepare it to serve it on it's own until I read a vague description of how to prepare it on a bottle of Tahini I recently purchased. I don't make chickpea hummus anymore - this is a lot better.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup tahini
1/8 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar (optional)

Mix all the ingredients together. The tahini will separate and then form an emulsion with the water. You will end up with a fluffy, white paste with a soft mouth feel.

After many many tries, I finally found the secret to making perfect falafels. The trick is to use dry chickpeas and soak them overnight - Do not cook them! By only soaking them, they are too crunchy to eat by themselves, but when blended with the other ingredients and then fried, you end up with the perfect texture.

Falafels are an excellent vegan dish. Very high in protein and fiber, if cooked in hot oil, they don't contain a lot of fat.

Here's how I make them.

Ingredients:

1 cup chickpeas
2.5 cups water
1/2 teaspoon salt

Soak chickpeas in salted water overnight. I put them in the refrigerator right away in case I don'T feel like making them the next day...

1 clove garlic
1/8 cup parsley or half cilantro, half parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cumin
half of a small onion
1 tablespoon flour

Drain and rinse the chickpeas. Put all the ingredients into a food processor and blend until smooth. The texture will be somewhat crumbly, but if you shape the falafels into balls, they should hold their shape well.

Heat 1 cup of oil in a frying pan. Shape the falafel mixture into 12 to 15 balls. I use a 1/8th cup measure to scoop them out. I quickly roll them into flat balls and put them on a plate.

Place a paper towel on another plate, ready to receive the fried falafels. Have a salt shaker handy too, since you want to salt them just as they come from the oil.

Test the oil temperature by dropping a pinch of the mixture into it. If it sizzles, you are ready to go. Place half of the shaped balls into the oil. Fry them on one side until they are golden brown, about four minutes. Turn them over and fry for another three or four minutes until they are golden brown. Remove from the oil and place on the paper towel. Sprinkle salt on them immediately. Fry the remaining falafels.

Serve hot with Tahini and Homemade Pita bread.

I've been making egg-breads for a long time. Kalach is the Ukrainian incarnation of what is know as Challah or sweet dough. For years, I have had to find alternative recipes to a regular egg-based dough when baking for friends and relatives with allergies to eggs.

Not to mention the health benefits of avoiding animal products. And let's not even entertain the thought that cows and chickens lead a pretty miserable life when they are part of the mass-produced agriculture industry.

This bread was made with Soy Milk. Okay, it's actually called "Soy Beverage" but to me, it's milk. It's white and milky: milk.

I substituted the egg and cow's milk for Soy Milk and the result was no short of excellent.

I have been making Kalach/Challah for a lot longer than I have owned a kitchen scale, so the measurements for this recipe are in volume, not weight.

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/8th cup salad oil
1/9th cup sugar
3/4 cup Soy milk
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon yeast

Method:

Warm up the Soy Milk for a few moments in the microwave oven to lukewarm. Add the yeast and let it sit for a few minutes to dissolve. Add the Soy Milk and yeast along with the other ingredients to a large bowl and mix with a spoon for a minute or so, until all the ingredients are more or less evenly distributed. Cover the bowl and let it sit for 10 to 30 minutes.

Stretch and fold the dough three times over the next hour and then put the covered bowl into the fridge. The dough will be ready for use the next day and will keep for up to five days.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator and cut it into three or six even pieces. Shape/braid the dough and let it rise for 60 minutes. Brush the dough with a little bit of Soy Milk. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and bake for 15 minutes. Rotate the bread and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes, until the internal temperature is greater than 190 degrees. Cover the top of the bread if the crust becomes too dark before the cooking time has elapsed.

Cool for at least 30 minutes before eating.

This soup is impressive when you consider that it is made without any cream, butter or any other animal product.

It's short list of ingredients does not prevent it from having an astounding flavor.

It's a hearty soup that goes well with a warm chunk of sourdough bread.

Ingredients:

1 cup yellow split peas
4 cups vegetable stock (you may use chicken stock)
1 medium onion
2 medium carrots
1 teaspoon salt (to taste)
1 teaspoon vegetable oil (you may also use butter)
Pepper to taste

Slice the onion and add it to a large pot. Fry the onion slowly in the oil until caramelized. Chop the carrot into large pieces and add them along with the split peas. Add the stock and simmer for 1 hour. Use a hand blender to purée the carrot pieces. Season with the salt and serve. Top with freshly ground pepper.

A dollop of sour cream tops this soup very well.