Day 1: Challah and Lots of it

It’s not even 9 am and I already have 6 loaves of challah rising on the counter. What’s wrong with this picture?

I got a headstart on cooking this morning thanks to a 6:30 workout session with Julia. I was back home at 7:40 and by 7:50, I was covered in flour. Awesome.

Also on the agenda for today: thawing and making one of two briskets. My largest pot only fits one at a time. I’ll be making the briskets with a Separdic-style sauce that has pomegranate molasses and tamarind puree, among other things. It’s a hybrid of the two recipes that were featured in this week’s Boston Jewish Advocate article (found here). It’s a little sweet and a lotta tart and really, really tasty.

If brisket and challah aren’t enough, I’ll also be making a filling for my spanikopita, consisting of spinach, ricotta, feta, dill, salt, pepper, and onions. Not too difficult, right? I’ll make the filling today and then layer the filling and filo dough into a pan on Friday. Step by step, people.

And lastly, just to get a head start on some of the other prep, I’ll be baking some eggplant for babaganoush (the easiest recipe on earth, below). Wish me luck!

Babaganoush

3 eggplants
3 cloves garlic
1/2 cup yogurt
salt
pepper
lemon

Prick eggplants in several places. Make a slit in the bulbous end of each eggplant and slip a garlic clove inside. Wrap in tin foil and bake in a 350-degree oven for 60-75 minutes, until soft all the way through.

Let cool until you can handle the eggplants; using a spoon, scoop flesh off of skin into medium mixing bowl. Add yogurt; stir to combine. Add salt, pepper, and lemon to taste. For a more rustic style, simply mix with a fork. If you prefer a smoother texture, take an immersion blender to the baba until it’s as smooth as you like it.

Enjoy warm, cold, or room temperature.