Esty plans to feature recipes that run the gamut from the simple to the complicated, all sprinkled with her charming personality and inimitable sense of fun. Her step-by-step challah making guide demystifies the process, explaining the difference between high-gluten and all-purpose flour as well as fresh, instant and rapid rise yeast, showing the evolution of challah dough in a clear glass bowl so that visitors can see how it should look at every stage.
Esty admits that her first attempt at challah-making involved tears of frustration and produced a loaf that could barely be described as challah. Unwilling to admit defeat, she watched her sister turn out consistently gorgeous creations and decided to give it another try. Thankfully, the finished product turned out to be far more appetizing this time around.
“Maybe I was over-thinking it a little the first time,” said Esty. “I learned by trial and error that you have to go by the look and I tried posting pictures to give everyone accurate information, with real step-by-step instructions that will still work when everything starts to go wrong.”
14,000 visitors checked out “Cooking with Tantrums” in its first month online. Esty hopes to give her readers a greater sense of confidence when it comes to cooking.
“A lot of people are intimidated in the kitchen but the more you know the less intimidating it is,” said Esty.
Her first blog recipe, chicken with rice, is incredibly versatile, giving readers the ability to make whatever changes work best for their own families, subbing out butternut squash or mushrooms for chickpeas, brown rice for white, chicken breasts for thighs and French fried onions, potato chips, or breakfast cereal for breadcrumbs. That kind of flexibility and willingness to go with the flow is crucial when it comes to feeding your family without frustration, something that Esty discovered when she elected to buy a cheesecake for Shavuos instead of baking her own.
“I made cookies and a bundt cake but I just didn’t have the time for cheesecake this year,” said Esty. “I bought a cheesecake and posted a picture of it on Facebook. People went nuts when they saw it, saying they felt like the biggest failures for buying cheesecake until they saw that I had done the same thing.”
A healthy dose of realism is the key to kitchen success, she notes, and her recipes range from “easy to complicated to patchke, to kids-can-do-it to put-the-kids-to-sleep-and-don’t-attempt-this-with-any-little-people-near-you.”
The most important ingredient in any recipe?
“A sense of humor,” quips Esty. “Without it you won’t survive, ever.”
Check out Esty’s great recipes at www.cookingwithtantrums.com. You’ll be glad you did.
Have a blog that you think would interest our readers? Drop me a line at [email protected] for possible consideration in an upcoming column.
* * * * *
Chicken and Rice
In the past year, this dish has been served in hundreds of homes across the world. It is SO good! And totally worth the hype. This one’s on the blog with a full write-up of substitution ideas and all.
Ingredients
2 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, crushed
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp paprika
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 cups rice
2 cups water
4 heaping tbsp mayo, divided
6 chicken thighs, bone in, skin off
2-3 tbsp flavored breadcrumbs
Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Heat olive oil in a deep skillet over medium heat. Add onions and sauté until translucent. Add crushed garlic and sauté 1 minute more. Season with salt, pepper and paprika. Add rinsed chickpeas and rice and allow to toast up for a few minutes before adding the water. Add water, cover and allow to simmer until all the water is absorbed, about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare the chicken. Coat chicken thighs with 2 tablespoons mayo and set aside.
Uncover the rice and stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons of mayo. Mix very well. Pour and spread the rice evenly into a greased 9×13 baking dish. Top the rice with chicken thighs and sprinkle breadcrumbs evenly over the chicken. Cover and bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for an additional 15 minutes.
* * * * *
Shakshuka
Ingredients
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 ripe tomatoes, diced
3 heaping tbsp tomato paste
½ tsp sugar
2 tsp cumin
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper to taste
6 eggs
2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
Directions
In a large, deep skillet, sauté onion and garlic in olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. When translucent, add diced tomatoes and sauté over low heat for about 5-7 minutes more.
Add tomato paste, sugar, cumin and cayenne and mix very well. Add up to ¼ cup of water at this point to help achieve a sauce in which the eggs will simmer. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding more salt if necessary. Bring to a simmer.
Crack the eggs, one at a time, into a cup or small bowl. Using the back of a large spoon, create a well in the sauce and quickly slip the prepared egg into the well. Repeat with the rest of the eggs.
Sprinkle some salt and pepper over the top of the eggs and cover. Simmer until whites are just set, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle cilantro over the top and serve immediately.
* * * * *
Granola
Ingredients
7.5 cups old fashioned oats
pinch of salt
2 tsp vanilla extract ⅓ cup brown sugar
½ cup pure maple syrup
½ cup oil
½ cup roughly chopped pecans
½ cup mini chocolate chips
Directions
Preheat oven to 325°F.
In a very large bowl, combine all ingredients and mix well.
Pour mixture onto a parchment-lined rimmed cookie sheet. Pat down gently and bake for 45 minutes.
Cool completely and break into chunks. Store in an airtight container.
Enjoy as a snack or layered with yogurt.