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- - - Jewish Food Media
      The mission of the Jewish Food Media Conference is to bring together our community of Jewish food professionals in a positive atmosphere that encourages personal and business growth.
  - - Kavana
      KAVANA is a 1 day personal growth conference for Jewish women of all religious levels to become inspired, find community, live with purpose, and learn how to dream.

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therealmelindastrauss

Now that Thanksgiving is over, it's time to start

Now that Thanksgiving is over, it's time to start spamming you with Chanukah recipes!
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And of course, I'm starting off with the best! It's got olive oil. It's got gelt. And it's seriously an amazing chocolate cake!!! If you've ever made this cake before, you know that it doesn't make a tall bundt cake (it's kinda petite), which is especially helpful during these times when we're not having big crowds over for the holidays. And yes, you can make it in a 9x13 pan as well. PS. It has no eggs or nuts so great for those with allergies who want cake!
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CHANUKAH GELT CAKE (aka chocolate olive oil cake)
original recipe on melindastrauss.com
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1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup brewed coffee (1/2 cup boiling water+1 tbsp instant coffee)
3 Tbsp apple cider vinegar (can use white vinegar as well)
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
1 cup chocolate gelt (around 36 large gelt), chopped
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Ganache Topping:
1 cup chocolate chips (or more gelt)
1/2 cup dairy free whipping cream (if you don’t like whipping cream, other options include coconut milk, almond milk and soy milk)
1/4 tsp salt
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Preheat oven to 350°F. and heavily grease a bundt pan.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugars, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, combine the extra virgin olive oil, water, coffee, apple cider vinegar and vanilla. Combine the wet and dry ingredients and pour into bundt pant. Top with chocolate gelt and press the gelt into the cake batter.
Bake the cake for 55-60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool completely before flipping out of bundt pan.
For the ganache, warm the whipping cream in the microwave for 1 minute then add the chocolate and salt and whisk until smooth. Pour over the cooled cake and top with more gelt. Allow the chocolate to set before slicing.
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Here’s a fun question: how do YOU spell Chanukah?
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#chanukah #hannukah #miracleshappen #happyholidays #chocolatecake #gelt #eggfreebaking #thefeedfeedbaking #bakersofinstagram #cakesofinstagram #oliveoilcake #foodblogfeed

It was a night to remember ❤️ . Tons of delici

It was a night to remember ❤️
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Tons of delicious food, friends and family, and a surprise visit from @busyinbrooklyn, who I didn’t think was coming!!! Seriously, Thanksgiving 2020 was better than expected!
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The world is crazy right now but the one thing I DO know I can control, besides my health, is what I get excited about. So even with less than the usual crowd, I was still so excited to make a big menu, have over people that I love, and celebrate a day that is all about being grateful.
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What is something you can get excited about right now?
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#thanksgiving #grateful #friendsandfamily #thanksgivingdinner #gratefulthankfulblessed #dinnerparty #celebratelife #sharingthelove #abeautifulday

One more recipe before Thanksgiving! And something

One more recipe before Thanksgiving! And something I’m super grateful for 🙏🏻
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Okay, first, I just wanted to tell you that I’m grateful for all of you! Knowing that I’m not just talking to my phone every day but reaching actual humans is something I don’t take for granted. I appreciate you!
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And now the recipe, because it’s a reallllly good one (I for sure say that about all of my recipes 😂) and definitely a great last minute addition to your menu!
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WHOLE WHEAT CRANBERRY PISTACHIO BISCOTTI
original recipe on melindastrauss.com
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2 cups white whole wheat flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil (or coconut oil)
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
1/4 cup chopped unsalted pistachios
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup white chocolate chips
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Preheat oven to 350°F. and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt and set aside.
Separately, whisk together sugar, oil, vanilla and eggs. Add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture and fold together until a thick dough is formed. Set the dough aside for 15 minutes.
Stir in the pistachios, cranberries and white chocolate chips. You may have to use your hands for this sine the dough is very thick.
Transfer the dough to the baking sheet and form into a 12 inch by 4-5 inch log. Bake for 30 minutes.
Cool for 10 minutes then slice the biscotti into 1/2 inch slices using a serrated knife. If you want your biscotti even more crunchy, place them on their side on the baking sheet and bake for an additional 10 minutes.
Cool the cookies completely then you can drizzle with melted white chocolate. You can top the biscotti with more pistachios and dried cranberries, add some toasted coconut, dark chocolate…have fun with the toppings!
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#thanksgiving #cranberries #biscotti #cookiesofinstagram #recipeoftheday #thefeedfeedbaking #cranberrycookies #foodblogfeed #bonappetit #bakersofinstagram

I was going to share my traditional peanut brittle

I was going to share my traditional peanut brittle recipe passed down from my Savtah but this salted popcorn brittle is too much fun not to share!
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SALTED POPCORN BRITTLE
original recipe on melindastrauss.com
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1/4 cup unsalted butter (or any vegan butter)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup honey
1/2 tsp sea salt + extra for sprinkling
2 cups popped popcorn, crushed
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Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set it next to the stove.
In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the brown sugar, honey and salt and stir to combine with a rubber spatula.
Add a candy thermometer to the saucepan and allow the caramel to boil for around 5 minutes over medium heat, to 280°F. If the stove is too hot, the caramel could burn before reaching the correct temperature.
Add the crushed popcorn, stir to combine with the rubber spatula then cook for another minute, until the thermometer reaches 300°F., which is the hard crack stage.
Pour the brittle immediately onto the parchment lined baking sheet and press down on the brittle with the rubber spatula until it is flat. Careful because the brittle is hot! Sprinkle the brittle with sea salt.
Set the brittle aside for 30 minutes to harden then break it up with your hands and eat! Store any extra brittle in an airtight container at room temperature.
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#brittle #popcorn #candymaking #thanksgiving #recipeoftheday #foodblogfeed #thefeedfeed #popcornbucket #gratefulthankfulblessed

Dang, last years Thanksgiving was EPIC! . Not gonn

Dang, last years Thanksgiving was EPIC!
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Not gonna lie, I’m definitely sad that my guest list is much smaller this year and I won’t have all my amazing blogger friends to take pics with me while everyone waits for their food 😂 but I am still going to make the meal beautiful! We will have a few friends and some family and it will be a day to remember!
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I am grateful to @yomtovsettings and @artfully_etched_design for helping make my table feel special this year! I’m not the best at tablescapes BUT I know the little touches make all the differences so that’s what I focus on. I can’t wait to show you my table in a few days!!! Yom Tov Settings even gave me a discount code to share with you: REALMEL 😘 This post isn’t sponsored but these two companies went all in and deserve the love!
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What are you doing to make Thanksgiving feel special this year?
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#thanksgiving #grateful #thanksgivingdinner #feelingblessed #foodiesofinstagram #foodbloggers #thankfulgratefulblessed #epicmeal #familyiseverything #spreadlove #kindnessmatters

Fudgy flourless chocolate cookies...and yes, these

Fudgy flourless chocolate cookies...and yes, these can be made with peanut butter too!
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What makes these cookies perfect for Thanksgiving? The spicy pumpkin seeds! And yes, you can buy pre-made toasted pumpkin seeds if you don't want to make your own. Or you can even leave the seeds out and you'll have a fudgy chocolate cookie. This is a no-judgement zone. PS. These cookies are gluten free and refined-sugar free!
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FLOURLESS ALMOND BUTTER CHOCOLATE COOKIES
original recipe on melindastrauss.com
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1 cup almond butter
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 large egg
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 cup honey
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup spicy roasted pepitas (recipe below)
1 tsp crushed sea salt, for garnish
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Preheat oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a food processor, combine cocoa powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.
Add the almond butter and process the mixture until smooth.
Add the egg, maple syrup, honey and vanilla and process again until smooth.
Transfer the cookie dough to a mixing bowl and add the chocolate chips and spicy roasted pepitas to the dough (recipe below). Stir to combine.
Scoop the cookie dough onto the baking sheet using a small cookie scoop (you can also use a tablespoon), leaving 2 inches between each cookie. Sprinkle the raw cookies with crushed sea salt.
Bake the cookies for 15 minutes then place them on a wire rack to cool.
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SPICY ROASTED PEPITAS
1 cup hulled natural pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
1 tsp ground cayenne pepper
1 tsp ground chili powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 Tbsp olive oil
Preheat the oven to 300°F.
Mix together the pepitas with the olive oil and spices and lay them flat on a baking sheet. Roast the pepitas for 20 minutes, stirring the mixture halfway through. Set aside to cool before adding to the cookie batter.
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#thanksgiving #flourless #chocolatecookies #grainfree #glutenfree #refinedsugarfree #cookiesofinstagram #pepitas #pumpkinseason #fudgychocolatecookies #thefeedfeedbaking #thefeedfeedglutenfree #bonappetit #bakersofinstagram #foodblogfeed

Everything tastes better with shmaltz, right?
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I’m basically going to spend the next few days spamming you with Thanksgiving recipes, k? Cool! Instead of green bean casserole, I’m thinking of making this recipe with schmaltz fried shallots instead. Anyone want to peel and cut the shallots for me???
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GREEN BEANS WITH SCHMALTZ FRIED SHALLOTS
Original recipe on melindastrauss.com
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2 cups sliced shallots (around 12 peeled shallots)
¼ cup chicken schmaltz
4–5 cups green beans
¼ cup pumpkin seeds
1 tsp lemon zest
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Melt the schmaltz in a large heavy-bottom pan over medium heat then add the sliced shallots and cook for 15 minutes, stirring often so the shallots don’t burn.
While the shallots are cooking, bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat and add the green beans and cook for 4-5 minutes. Transfer the green beans to a large bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process and retain the bright color of the green beans.
Dry the green beans and place on a serving tray. Pour the fried shallots over the top of the green beans then sprinkle with pumpkin seeds and lemon zest.
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I can’t wait to see what you’re making for Thanksgiving! Tell me what’s on your menu that you’re excited about!
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#thanksgiving #greenbeans #greenbeancasserole #schmaltz #jewfood #foodblogfeed #thanksgivingmenu #friedshallot #recipeideas #thefeedfeed #thankfulgratefulblessed

New Thanksgiving Recipe Alert!!!! . And yeah, I we

New Thanksgiving Recipe Alert!!!!
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And yeah, I went ALL IN instead of the healthier pecan pie route (if you watch my stories, you know it was 50/50) BUT I do actually have a "guiltless' pecan pie recipe on my blog and I posted it here on IG too, so you can check that out if you want a dessert option with less sugar.
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PECAN BISCUIT PIE
original recipe on melindastrauss.com
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Pecan Pie Filling:
2 cups raw pecans
3 eggs
1/2 cup corn syrup
1/2 cup sugar
2 Tbsp oil or melted vegan butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp kosher salt
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Biscuit Dough:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp sugar
1/2 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt
3 Tbsp vegan butter, chilled
1/3 cup non-dairy milk (rice, coconut, almond) + extra to brush on the biscuits
2-3 Tbsp demerara or turbinado sugar (coarse sugar)
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Preheat oven to 350°f
Whisk together the eggs, corn syrup, sugar, oil, vanilla, and salt. Mix in the pecans and pour into a round pie dish.
Separately, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add the chilled butter and press with a fork into the dough. Add the milk and lightly stir until a dough is formed. Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface and press into a 1 inch thick circle. Using a 2-inch round cookie cutter, cut out circles and place them on top of the pecan filling until there is no more dough left.
Brush a little extra milk on top of each biscuit and sprinkle with coarse sugar.
Bake for 45 minutes. Cool completely before slicing.
Sprinkle with a little extra coarse salt before serving, for decoration and to cut the sweetness.
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#pecanpie #thanksgiving #newrecipe #foodblogfeed #thefeedfeedbaking #f52grams #f52community #imsomartha #biscuits #thebakefeed #bakedfromscratch #bakersofinstagram

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