Tali Knows Best

For all those who don’t know me, I come from a family of four girls. One of life's
biggest challenges (and blessings) has been that my older sister and I are separated by
only 15 months! To tell you that it was like growing up with a best friend always around, running and skipping through the dandelion covered fields, sharing one ice cream cone with two scoops and finger painting each other’s rooms would be…false. We used to fight about everything: clothes, the television, Barbies, who gets the car…basically anything! Despite our continuation of this petty game for years, we grew up (and out of the house) and came to appreciate what makes the other one so unique. What has always made my sister Tali special, has not been her cooking abilities. This is particularly awesome since I love receiving those phone calls or bbm's where she needs my help with a recipe. What younger sister doesn't love being right?!
More recently though, since Tali has become quite an adequate chef in the kitchen, I felt it was time for her to share one of her favorite recipes. But even though she is improving daily, I still must remind her of her humble beginnings, like the time she forgot to put the top on the blender and batter went flying ten feet in the air! But for the time being, here's to Tali and her struggle to domestication!

For those of you who know me as Shira's cool, fun, mature sister, you also know how domestically challenged I am. Following a protocol in the neuropathology lab I work in or throwing a bunch of clothing items together to create a fashionable outfit is not too difficult for me. But upon entering the kitchen (gasp!), the burns on my arms, half food dishes spilled on the floor, and smoke alarm ringing throughout my apartment (yes, was a highlight of my week when 3 firemen visited my apartment at 12 am on a Thursday night to check the carbon monoxide detector while I was cooking for Shabbat) reflect my performance ability to cook. 

As I have entered adulthood and gained intellectual independence, I have come to several realizations:

1. If I do not cook for myself, I will be hungry

2. If I do not cook for myself and do not want to be hungry, I will eat out at restaurants for every meal

3. If I order food from NYC eating establishments for lunch and dinner in addition to my daily cup of coffee, I may become poor

4. If I become poor, I cannot shop at Anthropologie and Lord and Taylor anymore (and if you ask any of the Bauman girls, clothes trump food)

Like in other aspects of life, hard work, determination, and practice prove to refine and hone techniques and skills. Therefore, I have started teaching myself how to cook. It has a been a wonderful learning experience as I journey through the world of recipes, late night chats with my oven, and spiritual kitchen clean ups. One highlight was cooking dinner for 14 people and hearing them rave about my lemon curry chicken cutlets, hickory smoked chicken cutlets with sauteed onions, and beef-barley-leek soup. That same weekend, I created a new salad recipe based on a salad I ate at Cafe Rimon in Mamilla (for all you Israelis reading this- you can pay 59 shek for it) or you can just follow this awesome recipe. Enjoy!

Quinoa Salad

Black or red quinoa (2-4 cups depending on how big you want the salad to be)

Arugula

Granola

Craisins

Balsamic dressing 

Dressing: (courtesy of Eliana Bauman)

1/4 to 1/2 cup of sugar (I like it sweeter, so I use 1/2 cup)

1/2 cup of oil

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon of soy sauce

This post is dedicated to Ilan Tokayer; cooking was only one of his many passions in life.