Guacamole

The saying goes when life gives you lemons, make lemonade. What if life does not give you lemons? What if life gives you ripe avocados? The saying would become if life give you avocados, make guacamole. Originally from Mexico, guacamole has become an American favorite that has become extremely popular at parties and other times when friends come together. Besides being a favorite dip with tortilla chips, guacamole goes great as a condiment in a burrito or a taco. Buying guacamole at the store prepackaged  is something that I really do not recommend. Why would you buy pre made guacamole at the grocery store when you can make a homemade version that is at least hundred percent better than buying it. It is also extremely easy to make your own guacamole at home. For guacamole you will need at least two ripe avocados, onion, tomatoes, garlic, salt, and pepper. If you want to put cilantro or jalapenos you may. Guacamole is perfect with tortilla chips so make sure you have a full bag of them before you attempt to make your guacamole. Enjoy

Ingredients:

two avocados

two tomatoes diced 

half and onion diced

2 large cloves of garlic minced 

tablespoon of generic hot sauce

the juice of a lime

salt 

black pepper

Method:

In mixing bowl mash the two avocados. When the avocados are mashed, you may add the rest of the ingredients. When the ingredients are incorporated, the guacamole is ready to eat.

Teriyaki Salmon

When it comes to cooking fish at home, many people are scared to do it themselves. Some people would rather go out to eat at a restaurant that specializes in cooking fish and seafood. There are also those people who are so scared of cooking fish they do not eat it at all. This recipe is so easy to prepare any intimidated home cook will be able to make this fish dish. Next time the salmon is fresh at the supermarket or fish market, give this teriyaki salmon recipe a try. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
fresh salmon
1/4 cup soy sauce
two tablespoons of maple syrup
tablespoon of honey
teaspoon ground cinnamon
teaspoon ground allspice
teaspoon ground ginger
black pepper
sesame oil
tablespoon of apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
sliced green and red peppers
sliced red onion
minced garlic
sesame seeds

Method:
Preheat your oven to 415 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the sliced peppers and red onion at the bottom of a baking dish. Place the salmon on top of the peppers and onions. In a mixing bowl, combine the soy sauce, maple syrup, honey, cinnamon, allspice, ginger, black pepper, sesame oil, vinegar, garlic, and cardamom. Once combined, pour the sauce on top of the salmon. Cover the top of the salmon with sesame seeds. Cook the salmon for about 15 minutes at 415 degrees Fahrenheit. To finish the salmon, broil the top to create a nice golden brown color. Make sure to keep an eye on the broiler so that you do not burn the top of the salmon.

Challah French Toast

I am confident that you can find Challah bread in my house most weekends and holidays. For those of you that do not know, Challah bread is a special braided bread eaten by Jews on Shabbat. It is shaped in a circle for Rosh Hashanah, Jewish New Year. It gets its distinct color, and taste from the addition of eggs to the bread. Challah is a rich, sweet bread perfect for French Toast. Many people tend to compare Challah bread to French Brioche bread except Challah does not have any milk products in it as it has to be Kosher. When my family has leftover Challah bread, we usually make French Toast with it to not be wasteful. When making Challah French Toast it is important to use old Challah. Fresh Challah is made to be eaten as is. When it gets old and a little bit stale, it is perfect for French Toast. If you are making French Toast without Challah, it is still important to use older bread. Fresh bread does not work well in French Toast. Serve the Challah French toast with macerated strawberries, real maple syrup(no Aunt Jemima), and powdered sugar on top. It is the definition of Jewish comfort food. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

Challah Bread, Sliced 

3 eggs

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 cup milk 

enough oil for frying the French Toast

Method:
Pour enough oil into a frying pan to pan fry the French Toast and bring up to temperature at a medium heat. In a mixing bowl,, combine the milk, eggs, and vanilla extract until combined. Once the egg mixture is combined, soak the bread until it is coated. Once the bread is coated place in the oil to fry. The frying of the french Toast should not take too long. When both sides are golden brown and delicious they are ready to take out of the pan. Drain the excess oil with a paper towel before serving. Top the French toast with macerated strawberries, maple syrup, or powdered sugar.

Framingham Beer Works

While I was living in Tel Aviv for a year, Boston Beer Works decided to open a branch in Framingham. If you are not familiar with Boston Beer Works, it is a microbrewery based in Boston, Massachusetts. Many New England sports fans know Boston Beer Works for their locations on Canal St near the TD Garden and across from Fenway Park. Boston Beer Works has branched out from those two locations to include suburb locations in Lowell, Salem, Hingham, and in Framingham. There is even a location in one of the terminals of Logan International Airport here in Boston. While Framingham Beer Works does not have the same name as its flagship in Boston, it has the same beer and menu items you can find before and after Red Sox games or before the Bruins or Celtics games. The Framingham Beer Works is like walking into a microbrewery sports bar. There are huge televisions so you can simultaneously watch more than one game. It is a loud atmosphere in the restaurant with the game commentary blasting from the speakers. The menu at Framingham Beer works is geared towards pub food. Burgers, appetizers, sandwiches, and salads. They do have specials and other entrees as well as the pub grub. What sets Framingham Beer Works apart is their microbrewed beers. All of their beers are delicious especially their IPA. I tasted their pumpkin ale which was served with cinnamon sugar on the rim. I love it when bars serve a pumpkin beer with cinnamon sugar on the rim of the glass. It makes the beer taste better in my opinion. For great beer, food, and a place to watch the big game go to Framingham Beers Works or any of the other Boston Beer Works locations. If you are going to the Red Sox, Bruins, Celtics game stop by Boston Beer Works on Canal St and across the street from Fenway Park for a few beers before the game. Boston Beer Works is a great reason why it does not suck to be a beer fan in New England. Enjoy!

Drinktime: Cisco Brewers Pumple Drumkin

It amazes me how many microbreweries there are in New England. It seems to me that they all produce quality beer as well as upholding brewing traditions such as producing seasonal varieties. One of those seasonal varieties that I love is a great pumpkin ale during the fall. I stumbled upon a great microbrewery based out of Nantucket that also has an outstanding pumpkin ale called Cisco Brewers. Their fall seasonal pumpkin beer is called Pumple Drumkin. Like many of the other pumpkin beers around this time of the year, it has a distinct pumpkin pie spice taste. With an alcohol content of 6%, the Pumple Drumkin has a slighty crisp bite to it. I give it the thumbs up for fall beers as it is a perfect accompaniment to a cool fall day. Besides the Pumple Drumkin, Cisco Brewers brews a pale ale, a wheat beer called the Grey Lady Ale, and an IPA. If you are lucky enough to be in New England then look out for it your local liquor store. Availability outside of New England may be limited and finding the Pumple Drumkin may not be possible. If you are lucky to find it, please try it. Your taste buds will thank you later. Enjoy!

Drinktime: Harpoon UFO Pumpkin

If you cannot tell that I have been drinking a lot of fall seasonal beers well then you must be blind. Fall is here and that means that some of the best breweries in the country are coming out with beer equally deserving of praise. Harpoon Brewery is one of my favorite not because it is locally brewed in Boston and Vermont. It is because their beers are so damn good. For many people Harpoon means one of the best India Pale Ale's (IPA) in the country. Harpoon also offers an unfiltered beer series called UFO. The UFO White is a white ale which is what Blue Moon is. For the fall, Harpoon has put out a pumpkin UFO which is remarkable. The Harpoon UFO Pumpkin has an amazing taste that is crisp and mellow. You definitely taste the pumpkin and the spices that the brewers put into the beer. There is a distinct lingering aftertaste of pumpkin which is great for a pumpkin beer. If you are in the New England Area, you can probably find the UFO pumpkin in your local liquor store shelve. If you are outside of the New England area you may have a hard time finding this delicious pumpkin beer. If you are in New England please give this seasonal pumpkin beer a taste. You will not be disappointed if you are a fan of pumpkin beers. Enjoy!

Drinktime: Harpoon Craft Cider

Fall is such a fun time to be drinking a great fall seasonal beer such as Sam Adams Octoberfest or a Shipyard Pumpkinhead. fall is also a perfect time for an amazing apple cider. Either non alcoholic or hard, apple cider in the fall is better than apple cider in summertime. The apple harvest is in fall so what better way to celebrate that with a nice refreshing apple cider right? I stumbled upon Harpoon Craft Cider at the local liquor store and had to try it because I had never seen or tasted it before. When I got back to my friend's apartment and opened one i recognized the great potential it had to become a seasonal favorite of mine. The cider is crispy, clean, and most importantly it tastes like apples. In fact, harpoon only uses freshly pressed apples to make their cider so you have to like what they are doing. With an alcohol content around 5 percent, it is very easy on the palate and a delight to drink. For those drinkers who are gluten free fear not, you may taste this delightful apple cider because there is zero gluten contained inside. Harpoon has many other amazing offerings besides the apple cider. IPA fans love Harpoon for their interpretation of the India Pale Ale. Harpoon has a large variety of seasonal and year round beers to choose from including its UFO series which is pretty special so check it out. You can find Harpoon Craft Cider in a six pack in your local liquor store or if you are luck on tap at your local bar or pub. Next time you are feeling festive for a fall beverage, try a Harpoon Craft Cider. I hope you enjoy its apple goodness as much as I did. Enjoy!

Drinktime: Long Trail Pumpkin Ale

It is that time of the year everyone. Days are getting shorter, colder, and the leaves start to change their colors. Fall is in the air and that could only mean that fall seasonal beers are being pumped out by breweries. It is a privilege being a beer drinker living in New England because there are a plethora of local breweries producing award winning beers. Most of these breweries happen also to practice the tradition of creating and producing seasonal beers. Fall is my favorite time of the year for drinking beer because of the variety available during the fall season. Fall beers are my favorite because they have flavor that warms you up on a cool fall night. Fall also means pumpkin beer season. Many breweries make their fall seasonal beer a pumpkin beer. One of those breweries is Long Trail. One of my favorite breweries, Long Trail makes craft beer in the beautiful Green Mountains of Vermont. The Pumpkin Ale that Long Trail puts out is one of the best. The blend of flavors in the Pumpkin Ale make it a great beer for the season. Give the Long Trail Pumpkin Ale a try this season. It may open your world to seasonal beers and especially pumpkin beers. Enjoy!

Eggplant Mafroum

Mafroum is a special dish hailing from North Africa. Sometimes made with potatoes instead of eggplant. Mafroum is eggplant or potatoes stuffed with spiced ground meat and then baked in tomato sauce. It is a great dish to serve alongside a salad with rice or couscous. There are many steps to making the Mafroum, but you will be rewarded.

Ingredients:
two medium sized eggplants
3 eggs
enough flour to coat the eggplants

meat mixture:
one pound of ground beef
3/4 cup chopped parsley
1/4 cup of chopped mint
1 potato grated and drained
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
tablespoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
teaspoon ground cinnamon
tablespoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon of ground nutmeg

sauce:
1 large onion chopped
5 cloves of garlic chopped
1 cup of chopped celery
3 tablespoons of tomato paste
1/2 diced tomatoes
1/2 tablespoon paprika
teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 savoy cabbage chopped
1 1/2 quarts water
1/4 cup chopped mint
1/4 cup chopped celery leaves
1/4 cup chopped parsley

Method:
To prepare the meat stuffing combine all of the spices with the meat. Set aside for half an hour to let the flavors mix.

Cut the eggplant into large slices. Make sure to slice the pieces of eggplant but not going all the way through. Stuff the meat mixture into the eggplants. In a frying pan heat enough oil to shallow fry the eggplant. Coat the eggplant in flour. After coating in flour dunk the eggplants in beaten egg. After the eggplants are coated fry them until they are browned. After the eggplants are fried, you can remove most of the oil and start to prepare the sauce in the same pan. Saute the chopped onion until the onions become soft. Next add the celery and garlic. Cook for about 4 1/2 minutes. Then add the diced tomatoes and tomato paste. Stir the tomatoes and tomato paste into the onions and cook at a low heat for about 10 minutes. After 10 minutes
add the water and cabbage. Cook for 20 minutes and then add the chopped herbs. Place the fried eggplants in a casserole dish in a single layer and cover with the sauce. Bake at a 350 degree Fahrenheit oven for an hour. Serve with couscous and salad. Enjoy!

Teriyaki Chicken Wings

Chicken wings are the ultimate food to eat while watching the big game. We love the different sauces we can have with our chicken wings. We also like to have the option of boneless. We love chicken wings so much that there are restaurants just selling chicken wings cooked with a variety of sauces for our eating pleasure. The mainstay and original maybe buffalo style hot wings which is amazing with a side of blue cheese dressing and cold beer. There are more options than just hot wings. There are barbecue wings covered in barbecue sauce. There are wings in Jamaican Jerk seasoning and sauce. There are also wings covered in teriyaki sauce. Serve these teriyaki wings next time you have a craving for wings, or for the big football game. Either way these teriyaki wings are a hit.

Ingredients:
chicken wings
two tablespoons of sesame oil
1/4 cup chili sauce (or ketchup)
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup apple juice
tablespoon black pepper
1/4 brown sugar
1/4 cup of maple sugar
tablespoon minced ginger
tablespoon minced garlic
teaspoon cinnamon
teaspoon nutmeg
teaspoon allspice
teaspoon cardamom
teaspoon cumin
tabslpoon sesame seeds
sliced onion

Method:

Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and mix. When the marinade is thoroughly mixed place the chicken wings into the marinade. You can marinade the chicken wings for an hour or overnight. Marinating for an hour is my minimum recommendation. After marinating the chicken wings, line them on a cooking tray lined with foil. Place the chicken wings into a preheated 375 degree Fahrenheit oven. Cook for 30 minutes.While cooking the wings if you place the sauce in a small sauce pot and bring to a simmer, you will be left with a nice sauce to baste the chicken with. Half way through you should baste the wings with the leftover marinade. After 30 minutes of cooking, raise the temperature of the oven to 415 degrees Fahrenheit. Cook for 20 minutes and baste the wings ten minutes into the 20 minutes. After 20 minutes of cooking place the wings underneath the broiler on low. Baste the wings every 2 minutes making sure not to burn the weeks. When the weeks look sufficiently coated with sauce, they are ready. They are perfect by themselves or you could serve them with the leftover sauce. These wings are too good to be dipped in ranch or blue cheese dressing. Next time you are hungry for wings, give these teriyaki wings a try. They are full with flavor, easy to make, and fun as well to make. Enjoy!