Nanny Bubby’s Challah

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Nanny Bubby Challah Recipe

by Nanny Bubby

I love tradition. So many of us are only two generations removed from our ancestors who crossed the pond to come to America. Many of us were raised with deep traditions that have taken a back seat to our fast-paced American lives. For me, I was raised with the traditions of Eastern European Jews. Our Thanksgiving table had things on that table that I, to this day, do not know how to pronounce or where to find it. As our families secularized and the old traditions seemed not to be as important as they once were, I still cling to wanting to share with my grandchildren who I am and how I grew up when I was their age. My full identity was that I was a Jew. I want to pass down what that means to me to my grandchildren, and this is what one of my most trusted rabbis told me: “Marla, if you do nothing else, every week make challah with your grandchildren and light Shabbat candles.” This recipe is so easy and helps me keep our traditions alive. Since my granddaughter, my little “Doll Face”, was two years old, we have been making challah together. It’s a good thing she can’t remember that when we started it was as hard and heavy as a hockey puck, LOL! But it’s been perfected now. Remember when you bake bread it never turns out exactly the same each week. It takes on the essence of you in that moment. If you are being distracted, if you are happy and joyful, if you are angry or feeling stressed your bread reflects back to you where you have been in the present moment while making it. Baking bread is like yoga or anything that brings you into the now. Just watch. This recipe is adapted from a recipe my dear friend Jodie Berkman shared with me years ago.Enjoy!

Total Time:

3 hours 15 minutes

Serves:

10

Ingredients

  • 2 tsp. sugar
  • 2 tsp. rapid rise yeast
  • 2/3 c. warm water
  • 4 ½ c. bread flour
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/3 c. sugar
  • 1/3 c. coconut oil
  • 2 tsp. Kosher salt
  • ¾ c. warm water
  • 1 egg for egg wash prior to baking

Directions

  • Combine the sugar, yeast and warm water and spin gently with a fork. Let sit for about 5 minutes till the yeast gives you about a one inch foamy top or more.
  • Put flour in mixer, make a well, and add the eggs, sugar, oil salt, water and yeast mixture. Mix on low just until ingredients are incorporated (about 30 seconds).
  • Change mixer to dough hook and knead for about five minutes. Add more flour if needed. Dough should look and feel like satin as you hand knead it for just a minute or so into a ball. Place dough in an oiled bowl and cover with a towel.
  • Place the bowl of dough in a warm dark place, which for me is my oven set at 125 degrees. Let dough rise for 1 ½ to 2 hours.
  • Punch the dough down. Braid the dough into one big or two small loaves. I love making mine into pull apart bread in a spring form pan. Just roll 3" balls and place them next to each other tightly in the pan.
  • Place braids on greased (or Silpat) baking sheet, cover and let rise for another 30 mins to 1 hour.
  • Pre heat oven to 325 degrees.
  • Brush tops of loaves with egg wash (one egg + one Tbsp. water).
  • Sprinkle with poppy or sesame seeds, or coarse salt, or Trader Joe’s Everything but the bagel seasoning if desired. My favorite French Sea Salt.
  • Bake one large loaf at convection at 325 degrees for 35 mins, or two small loaves at convection at 325 degrees for 30 mins. Same rules for the pull apart bread.
  • For High Holy Days, I add one cup raisins and instead of braiding place in a circle on a baking sheet or into a spring form pan in a circle. Enjoy!

Video

Notes

TIP: The “rule of thumb” for conventional ovens when translating from convection oven times and temps: the oven should be 25 degrees warmer than convection recipes and cook for 10 minutes longer.

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Eggplant Parmesan

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Eggplant Parmesan

by Nanny Bubby

When my daughter and son-in-law moved back to Las Vegas after law school to get their first jobs, they moved in with us to save money to buy a house. They were here for two years and I absolutely loved it (not sure how they felt about it, LOL!). For me, having adult children living at home was great. We could all have a glass of wine at dinner, everyone just naturally pitched in to do the dishes. We talked business or politics during dinner and I NEVER had to say, “Is your homework done”? or “Did you make your bed”? It was awesome! We were all working, so on many nights we ordered take out. There was a local restaurant that made the best eggplant I had ever had, and my son-in-law agreed. It was not breaded and did not seem to be deep fried. The flavor was just amazing. I kept trying to duplicate the tenderness of the eggplant by frying or baking and just could not match it. Then one day when I was grilling the eggplant and taking it off the grill, I got a phone call. I quickly put everything into a Le Creuset stock pot and then put the top on. After 20 minutes, when my call ended, I returned. And when I took the top off the eggplant, it had steamed itself. VOILA, I had the consistency I was trying to achieve, by accident! You just won’t believe the wonderful flavor. Enjoy!

Total Time:

1 hour

Serves:

8

Ingredients

  • 3 medium-sized Italian eggplants cut on a diagonal about ¼ inch thick
  • 1 bottle organic spray olive oil
  • Salt generously sprinkled on both sides
  • 3 jars of Rao’s Arrabiatta sauce or any Fra Diavolo Arrabiatta that you prefer.
  • 1 large bunch fresh basil
  • ½ lb. penne pasta or traditional spaghetti
  • 2 lb. mozzarella grated
  • 2 lb. provolone sliced
  • 1 lb. Parmesan-Reggiano grated

Directions

  • Generously spray the eggplant with olive oil on one side, then salt and lightly pepper. It’s important to really coat the eggplant with the oil so that it caramelizes nicely
  • Place the eggplant olive oil side down, either on a hot grill covered with foil and sprayed with olive oil or on a cookie sheet.
  • Generously spray the side that is facing up with olive oil again, and salt and lightly pepper.
  • Place on the BBQ grill (or in the oven on high heat) until the bottom side looks to be browned and beginning to caramelize, and then flip the eggplants. (In the oven, it will evenly begin to brown and caramelize without flipping.)
  • Once the eggplant caramelizes, take it off the grill and place into a large enameled stock pot or soup pot. (Be sure pot is non-metallic.)
  • Tip: Immediately after taking the eggplant out of the oven or off of the grill while it is still very, very hot, lay the eggplant slices on top of each other and place the top tightly on the pot for about 20 minutes. During those 20 minutes, the eggplant will steam itself one on top of the other which will result in the most tender and juicy eggplant. This steaming process also gets rid of any bitterness.
  • Once the eggplant has cooled, it is time for layering.
  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  • Start with about 2/3 cup of sauce spread on the bottom of the pot (so nothing sticks to the bottom).
  • Place about three cups of cooked al dente penne or spaghetti on the bottom of the pan. This will be the only layer of pasta in the dish.
  • First place a layer of eggplant, then basil on top of each piece of eggplant. Cover with a combination of mozzarella then provolone. Then cover with sauce. Repeat this layering process until all the ingredients are used.
  • On the last layer at the top cover with freshly grated parmesan cheese and a basil twig.
  • Bake for 30 minutes or until the cheese is brown and the tomato sauce is bubbly. Take it out of the oven and let it rest for about 20 minutes.

Video

Notes

Tip: Before cutting and serving always let your casserole rest so it has time to bind and settle. Then cutting is a dream! Enjoy!

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Signature Blackberry Basil Jam

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Signature Blackberry Basil Jam

by Nanny Bubby

This one recipe is what turned on all my creative juices and got me hooked on bringing love into the kitchen. After years of cooking terribly and everyone making fun of me, this recipe inspired me. Over time, I morphed it into the current recipe, and it has become my signature dish.
I serve it as an appetizer, always, whenever I entertain. I hope you enjoy it as much as everyone who walks into my home.
Tip: The great news is, this recipe makes enough to freeze in small containers and if you use it as much as I do it will last more than a year and it is something you can throw together quickly as an appetizer. Enjoy! Remember, "Spread Love Like Butter"

Total Time:

2 hours

Serves:

Ingredients

  • 2 ½ c. sugar
  • 2 oz. Grand Marnier liqueur or other orange flavored liqueur
  • 2 oz. fresh squeezed orange juice
  • 4 ½ c. lightly packed fresh basil leaves
  • 8 c. frozen or fresh blackberries
  • 1 Granny Smith Apple peeled cored and small diced
  • 1 Tbsp. grated lemon zest 2 lemons
  • 1 medium lemon juiced
  • 2 to 5 Tbsp. pectin as needed

Directions

  • Place the sugar and Grand Marnier in a non-metallic casserole, such as a Le Creuset.
  • Slowly heat till the sugar and liqueur are thoroughly combined.
  • Add the defrosted blackberries and their juice along with the orange juice, lemon juice and basil into a blender and blend until smooth.
  • Add the blackberry/basil mixture to the sugar mixture along with the Granny Smith apple and simmer about 45-50 minutes.
  • If you feel the mixture has not thickened enough, to your taste, you can begin adding some pectin. The jam will continue to thicken as it cools.
  • Place the jam in 2 oz. airtight containers and freeze for future use. Enjoy on slices of French baguette with a slice of basil and some rich Spanish cheese or English Cheddar.

Video

Notes

Makes: A years’ worth of appetizers when frozen in small Ziploc cups.

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