Photo: Sara Remington, The Blue Chair Jam Cookbook

Adapted from The Blue Chair Jam Cookbook by Rachel Saunders

In this marmalade, the cold winter combination of sour oranges and lemons makes for a refreshing flavor.  This is a British-style marmalade, meant for morning toast and tea.

Ingredients:

3/4 pound lemons, cut into eights
1 1/4 pounds seeded lemons (preferably Lisbon), halved and crosswise, each half cut lengthwise into quarters and sliced thickly crosswise
3 pounds seeded Seville or other sour oranges, halved crosswise
5 pounds white cane sugar
5 ounces strained freshly squeezed lemon juice

Directions:

Day 1:
Place the lemon eights in a nonreactive saucepan where they will fit snugly in a single layer. Add enough cold water for the fruit to bob freely. Cover tightly and let rest overnight at room temperature.

Day 2:
Prepare the cooked lemon juice: Bring the pan with the lemon eights to a boil over high heat, then decrease the heat to medium. Cook the fruit at a lively simmer, covered, for 2 to 3 hours, or until the lemons are soft and the liquid has become slightly syrupy. As the lemons cook, press down on them gently with a spoon every 30 minutes or so, adding a little more water if necessary. The water level should stay consistently high enough for the fruit to remain submerged as it cooks.

When the lemons are finished cooking, strain their juice by pouring the hot fruit and liquid into a medium strainer or colander suspended over a heatproof storage container or nonreactive saucepan. Cover the entire setup well with plastic wrap and let drip overnight at room temperature.

Meanwhile prepare the slice lemons: Place the slices in a wide stainless-steel pan and cover amply with cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then decrease the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Drain, discarding the liquid. Return the lemon slices to the pan and add enough cold water to cover them by 1-inch. Bring to a boil over high heat, then decrease the heat to medium and cook at a lively simmer, covered, for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the fruit is very tender. As the fruit cooks, stir it gently every 15 minutes or so, adding a little more water if necessary. The water level should stay consistently high enough for the fruit to remain submerged as it cooks. Remove the pan from the heat, cover tightly, and let rest overnight at room temperature.

Last, prepare the orange slices: Juice the orange halves, cover the juice, and refrigerate overnight. Quarter each orange half lengthwise and slice the quarter thickly crosswise. Place the slices in a stainless-steel pan and cover amply with cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then decrease the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Drain, discarding the liquid. Return the orange slices to the pan and cover with 2 inches cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then decrease the heat to medium and cook, covered, at a lively simmer for 1 to 2 hours, or until the fruit is very tender. As the fruit cooks, stir it gently every 30 minutes or so, adding a little more water if necessary. The water level should sty consistently high enough for the fruit to remain submerged as it cooks. When the slices are ready, remove the pan from the heat, cover tightly, and let rest overnight at room temperature.

Day 3:
Place a saucer with five metal teaspoons in a flat place in your freezer for testing the marmalade later.

Remove the plastic wrap from the lemon eights and their juice and discard the lemons. Strain the juice well through a very fine-mesh strainer to remove any lingering solids.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar, cooked lemon juice, fresh lemon and orange juices, and lemon and orange slices and their liquid, stirring well. Transfer the mixture to an 11 or 12-quart copper preserving pan or a wide nonreactive pan.

Bring this mixture to a boil over high heat. Cook at a rapid boil until the setting point is reached this will take a minimum of 25 minutes, but may take longer depending upon your individual stove and pan.

Initially, the mixture will bubble gently for several minutes; then as more moisture cooks out of it and the sugar concentration increases, it will begin foaming. Do not stir it at all during the initial bubbling, then, once it starts to foam, stir it gently ever few minutes with a heatproof rubber spatula. As it gets close to being done, stir it slowly every minute or two to prevent burning, decreasing the heat a tiny bit if necessary. The marmalade is ready for testing when its color darkens slightly and its bubbles become very small.

To test for doneness, remove it from the heat and carefully transfer a small representative half-spoonful to one of your frozen spoons. It should look shiny, with tiny bubbles throughout. Replace the spoon in the freezer and for 3 to 4 minutes, then remove spoon from freezer and carefully feel the underside of the spoon. It should be neither warm nor cold. If still warm, return it to the freezer for a moment. Tilt the spoon vertically to see whether or not the jam runs.  If it does not run, and if its top layer has thickened to a jelly consistency, the jam is ready.  If it does run, continue to cook the jam for another few minutes, testing again as needed.

When the marmalade has finished cooking, turn off the heat but do not stir. Using a stainless steel spoon, skim off any surface  foam and discard.  Pour into sterilized jars and process according to manufacturer's instructions or as directed in this book.

Notes:

Yield: ten 8-ounce jars
Shelf Life: 2 years. After opening, store in the refrigerator

Photo: Sara Remington, The Blue Chair Jam Cookbook

Adapted from The Blue Chair Jam Cookbook by Rachel Saunders

This excellent jam brings back memories of blueberry picking in the woods with my father, a ritual that was invariably followed by one of my mother's truly stellar blueberry pies. This recipe uses small, intensely flavored berries, such as the domestic Rancocas, or the wild ones found growing throughout the East. Blueberry jam makes an especially lively filing for linzer cookies.

Ingredients:

2 1/2 pounds small blueberries
1 pound 14 oz sugar
6 oz lemon juice
1 (1-inch) piece cinnamon stick
Several drops of vanilla extract

Directions:

Place a saucer with five metal spoons in your freezer for testing the jam later.

Combine all ingredients in an 11 or 12-quart copper preserving pan or a wide nonreactive kettle. Cook on medium high-heat, stirring constantly, until the juice begins to run from the berries.  When the juice starts flowing freely, stop stirring and let the mixture cook for 1 to 2 minutes.  Then stir well and increase heat to high.  Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture boils.  Once it reaches a boil, cook for 10 to 15 minutes more, stirring frequently, and decreasing the heat slightly if the jam starts to stick. Start testing for doneness after 10 minutes.

To test for doneness, transfer a half-spoonful of jam to one of your frozen spoons. Replace the spoon in the freezer and for 3 to 4 minutes, then remove spoon from freezer and carefully feel the underside of the spoon. It should be neither warm nor cold. If still warm, return it to the freezer for a moment. Tilt the spoon vertically to see whether or not the jam runs.  If it does not, the jam is ready.  If it does run, continue to cook the jam for another few minutes, testing again as needed.

When the jam is ready, turn off heat but do not stir. Using a stainless steel spoon, skim foam from the surface of the jam.  Pour into sterilized jars and process according to manufacturer's instructions or as directed in this book.

Notes:

Yield: Five to six 8-ounce jars
Shelf Life: 1 year. After opening, store in the refrigerator

Variations:
Blueberry Jam with Balsamic
This is a subtle jam in the tradition of blueberry jams of the past, which often contained vinegar in place of lemon juice. Unlike these jams, which were often highly spiced, this version puts the fruit front and center.  Substitute 1 ounce of aged balsamic vinegar for 1 ounce of the lemon juice, and follow the recipe as directed.

Photo: Sara Remington, The Blue Chair Jam Cookbook

Adapted from The Blue Chair Jam Cookbook by Rachel Saunders

I call this jam, "children's", because of its simple, unembellished strawberry flavor: with neither herbs, flowers, extracts, nor alcohol, this is the classic straight-strawberry jam we all know and love, in an especially bright-tasting version. As with all strawberry jams, the key is to use an ample amount of lemon juice to balance and sharpen the natural sweetness of the berries.

Ingredients:

4 pounds hulled large strawberries
2 pounds 10 ounces white cane sugar
3  2/3 ounces plus 2 2/3 ounces strained freshly squeezed lemon juice

Directions:

Place a saucer with five metal teaspoons in a flat place in your freezer for testing the jam later.

In an 11 or 12-quart copper preserving pan or a wide nonreactive kettle, combine the berries with the sugar and 3  2/3 ounces of the lemon juice. Place the pan over medium-low heat and cook, stirring constantly with a heatproof rubber spatula. After a few minutes, as the juice starts to run and the mixture begins foaming a little around the edges, gradually raise the heat to high, stirring often.

Boil the mixture vigorously for 20 to 30 minutes, gently scraping the bottom of the pan every minute or two with your spatula to be sure the jam in not sticking. If it begins to stick, decrease the heat slightly, being sure the jam continues to cook at a b=rapid boil. Continue to cook, stirring and scraping frequently, until the foam subsides, the mixture acquires a darker, shinier look, and the berries appear softened and saturated with liquid, about 25 minutes total.

At this point, stir in the remaining 2  2/3 ounces of lemon juice, continuing to stir frequently. If necessary, lower the heat slightly to prevent scorching.

After 3 to 5 more minutes, your jam should look shiny and thickened. At this point, remove from the heat and test for doneness, using a stainless-steel spoon to carefully scrape all the white foam off the top of the mixture while you test. DO NOT STIR.

To test for doneness: carefully transfer a small representative half-teaspoon of jam to one of your frozen spoons. Place the spoon in the freezer for 3 to 5 minutes, then remove and carefully feel the underside of the spoon. It should be neither warm nor cold; if still warm, return it to the freezer for a moment. Tilt the spoon vertically to see how quickly the jam runs; if it runs slowly, and if it has thickened to a gloppy consistency, it is done. If it runs very quickly or appears watery, cook it for another couple of minutes, stirring, and testing again as needed. This jam, while spreadable, has a relatively loose texture. Pour the jam into sterilized jars and process according the manufacturer's instructions or as directed in this cookbook.

Notes:

Yield: seven 8-ounce jars
Shelf Life: 6 to 8 months. Store in refrigerator after opening

KosherEye.com

Adapted from How To Cook Indian by Sanjeev Kapoor

This recipe will transport you to the capital of India. Delhi, known as “Dilli” in the local dialect, has two sections: Old Delhi and New Delhi. Old Delhi is still the stronghold of eateries that boast the old style of Mughal cooking. New Delhi is replete with contemporary restaurants and street food. This snack, sold on the roadside, is best eaten just after the potatoes are cooked while they’re still crisp.

Ingredients:

1-inch piece fresh ginger, julienned
3 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
5/8 teaspoon table salt
3 medium potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 quart (800 ml) vegetable oil
1 large red onion, chopped
1/8 teaspoon black salt (most Indian grocers carry it, if you don’t have, leave it out)
1/2 teaspoon chaat masala (recipe below)
1/2 teaspoon red chile powder
1/4 teaspoon ground roasted cumin
2 green chiles, stemmed and diced
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:

Put the ginger in a small bowl, add 1 teaspoon of the lemon juice and 1/8 teaspoon of the table salt, and stir well. Set aside in the refrigerator.

Put the potatoes in a bowl and toss with 1/4 teaspoon of the table salt.

Place a nonstick wok over medium heat and add the oil. When small bubbles appear at the bottom of the wok, add the potatoes, a few pieces at a time. Cook, stirring with a slotted spoon, for 5 to 6 minutes or until crisp and golden brown. Remove with the slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.

Transfer the potatoes to a large bowl. Add the onion, the remaining 1/4 teaspoon table salt, the black salt, chaat masala, chile powder, cumin, chiles, cilantro, and the remaining 2 teaspoons lemon juice, and stir well.

Transfer to a serving bowl, garnish with the ginger, and serve immediately.

Notes:

Yield: Serves 4.

Chaat Masala Spice Mix
A spicy and tangy mix used in chaats (snacks), salads, and savory dishes like fritters, to enhance their taste.

1/4 cup coriander seeds
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
1 teaspoon ajwain*
2 or 3 red chilies, stemmed
3 tablespoons black salt
1/2 teaspoon citric acid
1 tablespoon table salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Place a small nonstick sauté pan over medium heat. Add the coriander and dry-roast until lightly browned and fragrant. Transfer to a bowl.

One spice at a time, dry–roast the cumin and ajwan, and add them to the coriander. Stir and set aside to cool comp0letely.

Transfer to a spice grinder. Add the chilies, black salt, citric acid, amchur, table salt, and pepper. Grind to a fine powder.

Store in an airtight container.

*also known as carom sees, it smells exactly like thyme but is more aromatic and less subtle in taste as it is slightly bitter and pungent.

**this recipe also includes 1/2 teaspoon dried amchur (dried unripe green mango powder). This is sometimes available in large pieces. If you can find it, grind it finely. Use in moderation as a little goes a long way.

Recipes: Snacks, Potatoes Indian Style, Vegetarian, Parve, Kosher

Adapted from The At Home Gourmet by Sarah Lasry

This sauce is perfect for dipping Sarah’s “finger lickin’ great Mustard Ginger BBQ Wings or for that matter most any BBQ any chicken wing recipe.

Ingredients:

1/4  cup mayonnaise
1-cup non-dairy sour cream such as Tofutti brand
1/2 teaspoon dried chives
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon. ground black pepper

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl, blending well. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving.

Notes:

Yield; About 6 servings

Recipes:  Snacks, Dips, Parve, Kosher 

by Alice Medrich, Sinfully Easy Delicious Desserts

Crusty, hot, and melty chocolate sandwiches make a decadent snack, but cut into daintier portions and nestled with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, they make a dynamite dessert for company. They're fun too.

Ingredients:

Unsalted butter
4 slices sweet or sourdough French bread or firm white sandwich bread
About 2 ounces broken or chopped semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, or 1/3 cup chocolate chips
Coarse sea salt (optional)
1 tablespoon sugar mixed with 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)

Directions:

Butter one side of each slice of bread generously. In a skillet big enough to hold them, cook the slices butter side down over medium heat, just until pale gold on one side. Cover two of the slices with chocolate. Flip a naked slice on top, butter side up. Cook, turning the sandwiches as necessary, until the chocolate is softened and the sandwiches are browned on both sides.

Serve immediately, sprinkled with a pinch of sea salt or a dusting of cinnamon sugar, if you like.

Notes:

Yield: Makes 2 sandwiches

Recipes: Snacks (or Dessert), Chocolate Sandwiches, Dairy, Kosher

by Alton Brown, Good Eats 3: The Later Years

Lactose is not as sweet on the tongue as sucrose, which can be a very good thing. For proof we turn to another milky marvel from south of the border, Dulce de leche, which translate (loosely) to "milk jam," probably evolved not as a confection but as a way of preserving milk without refrigeration in tropical climes. Whatever the reason for the existence, it's a delicious syrup, as thick as caramel but better, if you ask me.

Ingredients

1 quart whole milk
12 ounces sugar, approximately 1  1/2 cups
1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Directions

Combine the milk, sugar, vanilla bean and seeds in a large, 4-quart saucepan and place over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has dissolved.

Once the sugar has dissolved, add the baking soda and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to low and cook uncovered at a bare simmer. Stir occasionally, but do not re-incorporate the foam that appears on the top of the mixture. Continue to cook for 1 hour.

Remove the vanilla bean after 1 hour and continue to cook until the mixture is a dark caramel color and has reduced to about 1 cup, approximately 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer. Store in the refrigerator in a sealed container for up to a month.

Notes:

Yield: about 1 cup

Tidbit: The alkalinity of  the baking soda prevents the milk from curdling and promotes browning in the dulce de leche.

Recipes: Snacks, Sweet Sauce, Dairy, Kosher

Adapted from Real Simple magazine.

We are fans of Real Simple magazine and saw this in their Summer Issue. How clever is this...toast some marshmallows, add some fun ingredients, and sandwich between two cookies! As they said "There is s'more to life than chocolate and graham crackers –- as these three gooey alternatives show."

Toasted
Marshmallows         Plus

TIP: Nowhere near a campfire? To toast marshmallow indoors, place them on a foil-lined baking sheet and broil, turning once, until golden brown, 1 minute.

From The Intolerant Gourmet: Glorious Food without Gluten & Lactose
By Barbara Kafka

These are so good that my husband ate the entire batch covered in maple syrup while I was out of the kitchen fixing my computer. They are light and elegant and could equally well serve as a dessert if topped with raspberry sauce or chocolate sauce. If your friends love these, make double or triple the dry ingredients and store until you’re ready to make a batch.

It is true that the variety of flours may be new; but today most of them are available at markets, and in health-food stores or on the web.

Ingredients

1/4 cup tapioca flour*
1/2 cup garbanzo bean (chickpea) flour*
1/2 cup potato starch
3/4 cup white rice flour*
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 cups coconut milk
2 eggs
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon safflower oil

Optional: raspberry sauce (see recipe below)

Directions

Turn a waffle iron to high.

Mix the dry ingredients in a medium bowl. In another bowl, whisk the coconut milk, eggs, and 3/8 cup of the oil together. Then whisk the wet ingredients into the flour mixture until well combined.

Evenly brush both the top and bottom of the hot waffle iron with 1 to 2 teaspoons of remaining oil. Pour 1/2 cup batter for each waffle (the iron we used makes two waffles at a time; if yours is much smaller, use 1/3 cup batter) and close the waffle iron. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes, or until the waffles are crisp and golden brown (the waffles are crisper when less oil is used to grease the waffle iron).

Notes:

Yield : Makes eight 5-x-6-inch waffles

*Bob's Red Mill produces these products, kosher certified.

Raspberry Sauce
2 half-pints raspberries (about 3/4 pound)
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice (optional)

Place the berries in a food processor and process until smooth. Strain the mixture through a fine sieve into a small saucepan. Place the saucepan over medium heat, add the sugar, and stir until dissolved. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. If you need more acid, add the lemon juice.

Makes 3/4 cup

Recipes: Snacks, Desserts, Waffles, Gluten-Free, Lactose-Free, Parve, Kosher

By Diane Schnier, RealFoodTastesGood.com

                                     Photo: Diane Schnier

The kids, and adults, will love these delicious, wholesome, frozen treats. Liquid stevia works extremely well in these pops, but you can substitute honey (preferably raw) if need be. Just keep in mind that stevia is quite a bit sweeter than honey, so you’ll have to adjust accordingly.

Ingredients:

1 heaping cup pineapple chunks (thawed if frozen)
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk (regular – not light)
Half of a ripe banana
8 drops liquid stevia

Directions:

Blend all ingredients in a blender. Fill individual freezer pop molds and freeze a minimum of 6 houirs or more...it depends on how large the molds are, and how thick the liquid is.

Notes:

Yield: Makes 4 rectangular (4 ounce) pops, or 5 Star Ice Pops.

When mixing ingredients by hand, mix your ingredients in a measuring cup (as opposed to a bowl) as the spout will make it really easy to pour the contents into the molds. Of course, if you’re blending it all up in a blender, just pour it straight into the molds.

When filling the popsicle molds, leave a little space at the top. As they freeze, the contents will expand.

Also, if the tops “snap” onto the molds, don’t actually snap them on. Just rest them gently on top. This makes it easier to remove the pop from the mold when ready to eat.

In our experience, we needed to make them a little sweeter than I initially thought necessary. In other words, once frozen, some of the sweetness goes away. A few of the purees we made, that tasted just perfect to us when fresh, turned out to be a bit bland after freezing into a pop.

For most of these flavors, I puree the fruit in a blender, then mix into yogurt with a spoon. Alternately, you can put everything in the blender together if it’s easier. You’ll get a smoother pop that way. We like it a little chunky – small bits of fruit & a swirly color, so this is why I don’t add the yogurt to the blender. Up to you.

Recipes: Snacks, Frozen Ice Pops, Fruit, Parve, Kosher