Beet Borscht

One of my favorite memories from childhood was going to to Lindy's with my dad. The restaurant was large and noisy, the walls were covered with photos of movie stars. Waiters were rushing about and there was a feeling of being at an enormous party. I remember sitting up particularly straight so I could see everything that was going on.
The foods were familiar, Jewish and delicious.
They had an enormous menu. I remember ordering beet borscht and a wonderful apple pancake.

My grandmother had always made the classic Russian cabbage and meat borscht. But prior to this I had only had beet borscht from a jar we bought at the grocery store.  Beet borscht at Lindy's  came not only the standard sour cream but also, with a hot boiled potato! I had never seen it this way and when I put a bit of the hot potato into the soup it was nothing short of miraculous!


I am including  a link  here to a description of the venerable Lindy's that  I visited so long ago with my dad.

http://nyapril1946.blogspot.com/2010/09/lindys-already-legendary-in-1946.html

Beet Borscht

3 large boiling beets
cover with water
Sour Salt, (dried citric acid, available at gourmet stores) or lemon juice
Salt
Potato
Sour Cream
Dill


Wash and scrub beets. Cover beets with water. Add salt and boil. Remove the beets and slip the skins off in cold water. Grate the beets, either a food processor or a medium sized hole of a box grater will do..Rubber gloves will be handy here.
Put the grated beet back into the cooking water. Starting with 1 teaspoon of sour salt or a tablespoon or two of lemon juice and then add some granulated sugar  stirring and adding a little at a time alternating sour salt and sugar if necessary, until you have a tart but not too tart sweet sour taste. Add a little salt if necessary. Chill well and serve with a large dollop of sour cream and a hot boiled potato with a bit of chopped dill
Note: sugar can be replaced with agave syrup or stevia and there is  very good fat free sour cream which I use.

Beet Borscht

One of my favorite memories from childhood was going to to Lindy's with my dad. The restaurant was large and noisy, the walls were covered with photos of movie stars. Waiters were rushing about and there was a feeling of being at an enormous party. I remember sitting up particularly straight so I could see everything that was going on.
The foods were familiar, Jewish and delicious.
They had an enormous menu. I remember ordering beet borscht and a wonderful apple pancake.

My grandmother had always made the classic Russian cabbage and meat borscht. But prior to this I had only had beet borscht from a jar we bought at the grocery store.  Beet borscht at Lindy's  came not only the standard sour cream but also, with a hot boiled potato! I had never seen it this way and when I put a bit of the hot potato into the soup it was nothing short of miraculous!


I am including  a link  here to a description of the venerable Lindy's that  I visited so long ago with my dad.

http://nyapril1946.blogspot.com/2010/09/lindys-already-legendary-in-1946.html

Beet Borscht

3 large boiling beets
cover with water
Sour Salt, (dried citric acid, available at gourmet stores) or lemon juice
Salt
Potato
Sour Cream
Dill


Wash and scrub beets. Cover beets with water. Add salt and boil. Remove the beets and slip the skins off in cold water. Grate the beets, either a food processor or a medium sized hole of a box grater will do..Rubber gloves will be handy here.
Put the grated beet back into the cooking water. Starting with 1 teaspoon of sour salt or a tablespoon or two of lemon juice and then add some granulated sugar  stirring and adding a little at a time alternating sour salt and sugar if necessary, until you have a tart but not too tart sweet sour taste. Add a little salt if necessary. Chill well and serve with a large dollop of sour cream and a hot boiled potato with a bit of chopped dill
Note: sugar can be replaced with agave syrup or stevia and there is  very good fat free sour cream which I use.

Pan Roasted Portobello Mushrooms

This a quick and delicious idea. With a damp mushroom brush, a soft bristle brush somewhat like a complexion brush, brush off the surfaces of the mushrooms..Don't soak in water..just wipe ..you can use a dampened kitchen towel too. Then put a little olive oil on your hands and rub over the surfaces top and bottom. Next, find a cast iron pan with a cover and  that will hold the portobellos in one layer. Wipe the pan with a little oil..a paper towel will do the trick to wipe oil on the surface yet sop up excess so it is not in the food. Chop a large clove of garlic and sprinkle on the surface of the pan and over the tops of the mushrooms which should be placed in the pan, add a pinch of salt. Cover and cook low heat, turning every now and again. The mushrooms are done when there is mushroom juice in the pan and it looks cooked thru..you can cut one if you are uncertain. One Mushroom Cap will be a good starter or alternatively can be put into other dishes as a side or an ingredient. The cooking time is about 15 minutes or a bit more.

Pan Roasted Portobello Mushrooms

This a quick and delicious idea. With a damp mushroom brush, a soft bristle brush somewhat like a complexion brush, brush off the surfaces of the mushrooms..Don't soak in water..just wipe ..you can use a dampened kitchen towel too. Then put a little olive oil on your hands and rub over the surfaces top and bottom. Next, find a cast iron pan with a cover and  that will hold the portobellos in one layer. Wipe the pan with a little oil..a paper towel will do the trick to wipe oil on the surface yet sop up excess so it is not in the food. Chop a large clove of garlic and sprinkle on the surface of the pan and over the tops of the mushrooms which should be placed in the pan, add a pinch of salt. Cover and cook low heat, turning every now and again. The mushrooms are done when there is mushroom juice in the pan and it looks cooked thru..you can cut one if you are uncertain. One Mushroom Cap will be a good starter or alternatively can be put into other dishes as a side or an ingredient. The cooking time is about 15 minutes or a bit more.

Quick Tomato Sauce for Pasta or Spaghetti Squash

In a small pot combine one cup of (sugar free) tomato sauce, 3 or more smashed garlic cloves, one teaspoon olive oil, scant salt and some ground pepper. Cook low simmer. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes to taste. This sauce is best without the addition of cheese as the spicy quality is dumbed down by the addition of cheese.

Quick Tomato Sauce for Pasta or Spaghetti Squash

In a small pot combine one cup of (sugar free) tomato sauce, 3 or more smashed garlic cloves, one teaspoon olive oil, scant salt and some ground pepper. Cook low simmer. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes to taste. This sauce is best without the addition of cheese as the spicy quality is dumbed down by the addition of cheese.