The Parve Baker

I’m an optimist by nature. I assume that people will do the right thing most of the time. Setbacks become opportunities to find and try out new ways of engaging.

Recently, I wrote about the large amount of leftover bread that’s been circulating around the neighborhood since the Simchat Torah barbeque. It’s moved from Dolores Park to Jen’s and then my freezer. I was going to make it all into apple walnut bread pudding for a Shabbat morning kiddush which I did. The three large pans served some forty happy people who didn’t seem to mind that it wasn’t warm. No one noticed that the sesame seeds peeking out here and there had once topped a couple of dozen hamburger rolls either.

Mission accomplished! Well, sort of. Twelve pounds of bread pudding later, there were still two full shelves of twice-frozen hot dogs buns in my refrigerator. Someone I mentioned this to suggested that I donate them to a food pantry or soup kitchen. Even if one would take them off my hands, I couldn’t do it. Giving food to others in a condition that I wouldn’t eat runs counter to the most fundamental teaching of Jewish ethics: “That which is despicable to you, do not do to your fellow” (Babylonian Talmud, Shabbat 31a).

I also didn’t want to be wasteful. So this evening I made parve croutons, hundreds of them. Tomorrow night, Jen is going to come by and take two large and nine small bags. She’ll redistribute them to people who do the critical volunteer work that keeps the Minyan running. I’ll keep one bag to incorporate into the meal I’ll be preparing later this week for Shabbat lunch.

Croutons are easy to make and offer a great way to use stale bread. Often, they’re sautéed in oil with garlic. I prefer to bake them. The preparation is quite simple. Cut the bread into cubes of the desired size. Place the cubes in a single layer on a baking sheet. At this point, they can be drizzled with oil and fresh or dried herbs. Then they go in a 375º F oven for 15 minutes or until they’re fully dry and slightly golden. Cool and store in airtight containers.

Unless I have a specific use in mind, I make plain croutons which are the most versatile. Here are a few ways to use them:

1. Tossed in a salad.
2. As a featured ingredient in a rustic soup.
3. As a main ingredient in a bread stuffing.
4. Ground into crumbs for breading vegetables, fish or meat.

From time to time, we all have leftover bread. Give crouton making at home a try. They’re much better than store-bought and can add a bit to the value of our grocery purchases. You don’t have to bake ten trays of them at once like I did. Unless, of course, you’ve got more than three dozen twice-frozen hot dog buns in your fridge.

Speaking of value, in the next few days, I’m going to be adding a new recipe section on the Baking page. It will be called Recession Remedies. This is where you’ll find budget-stretching desserts, such as Cheap Sponge Cake, and baking instructions for other inexpensive goodies like these croutons indexed for easy linking. I’ll be adding new ones from time to time. Hopefully, this economic downturn will be short-lived. I’m an optimist, remember.

I was on the phone earlier today with Lori Huler Glick, an extraordinary real estate professional. Lori’s been working heroically since late summer, against the plunging economy, to help me sell or rent my Upper West Side co-op so that I can get settled on the West Coast. Showing the apartment, following up with brokers and clients, and working with me first to formulate “Plan A” - then Plans B, C, D, and E - she is conscientious and gracious to a fault. If only the market hadn’t evaporated!

As our conversation was ending, we exchanged Hanukkah greetings. Lori added that her children are so excited they can hardly wait for the day to end.

I remember those joyful times as a child, too. One of the things that still makes Hanukkah exciting is the expectation of eating fried foods, something I rarely do during the rest of the year. I haven’t yet decided whether I love the smell of potato latkes frying, the taste and texture of a well-fried latke, or the latke as a platform for homemade applesauce best. I’ve added grated celery root for a fancier latke and made them from sweet potatoes, zucchini, and a few other vegetables. After traditional potato pancakes, vegetarian perkedel jagung rule in my house.  I learned to make these corn fritters during my years in Java.

I’ll also be making sufganiyot with friends from the Mission Minyan this week. I’m a little concerned about getting the jelly into the doughnuts since the tool I usually use for this is in my kitchen in New York – in the top drawer to right of the stove, to be exact – and everyone laughs when I ask if they have one we can borrow. It’s looking like I’ll have to decide which is more important, an almost perfectly symmetrical shape or a jelly-filled center. I know better than to open this up for discussion in advance lest it become a source of conflict among friends, most of whom will show up for the eating and not risk getting burned by hot, splattering oil.

Despite all the anticipation, there comes a time during Hanukkah when a break from frying and fried is most welcome. This is typically Shabbat. One of the problems with preparing fried foods for Shabbat is that they don’t keep and reheat well at low temperatures. By the time they reach the table, they’re too often soggy, greasy or both. A much preferable alternative is to bake with oil. For Hanukkah, I use an extra light olive oil of Mediterranean provenance. It’s lighter in color and has a milder flavor than other olive oils due to a very fine filtration process. (Note: the fats and calories in this product are the same as regular olive oil).

My favorite baked dessert with olive oil is Hanukkah Pear Cake. It’s a perfect cake for Shabbat because it’s best the day after baking. I use Royal Riviera, also known as Comice pears from the box my dad sends me every year at this time. Talk about anticipation. These Oregon pears are exquisitely tender and juicy.  Other varieties can be used in this cake with very good results, as well. For a totally over the top dessert, try serving it with Caramel Sauce.

Jews are hopeful people. This characteristic will help us as times become more difficult. Finding ways to encourage and strengthen this in ourselves and others is something we all can do. A good way to begin is by celebrating Hanukkah. We light the first Hanukkah candle on the longest night of the year. Adding another candle for the next seven nights, we repeatedly reaffirm our belief that the darkness will continue to recede until we reach the longest day half a year from now and then slowly return until we light the first Hanukkah candle again.

Chag Urim Sameach!