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Dec. 2, 2008

Melanie Phillips: The Mumbai atrocity is a wake-up call for a frighteningly unprepared world

Stratfor Geopolitical Intelligence Report: Strategic Motivations for the Mumbai Attack

Dec. 1, 2008

Max Freidlander, as told to Jacklyn C. Wadler: India Inkings

Mark Steyn: Whodunit!?

Nov. 28, 2008

Rabbi Ahron Rapps: An evil seed that didn't have to be

Melanie Phillips: Carpe diem --- or can we all relax now?

Nov. 26, 2008

Michael Feldberg: Meet the Orthodox Jew who laid groundwork for scientific development of ordnance that undergirds America's current world leadership

Andrea Simantov: Shades of life

Nov. 25, 2008

The Jewish Ethicist by Rabbi Dr. Asher Meir : Getting Emotional For Influence

The Kosher Gourmet by Ethel G. Hofman : Thanksiving feast!

Nov. 24, 2008

Rabbi S. Binyomin Ginsberg: 'I just Became a grandchild!'

Barry Rubin: Don't flatter your enemies, protect your friends

Nov. 21, 2008

Rabbi A. Henach Leibowitz: Money matters?

Caroline B. Glick: Civilization walks the plank

Nov. 20, 2008

Rabbi Avi Shafran: Bronfman's blindness

The Kosher Gourmet By Linda Gassenheimer: Portobellos add a hearty flavor to pasta with pesto

Nov, 19, 2008

The Jewish Ethicist by Rabbi Dr. Asher Meir : Spread the wealth? Jewish tradition and income equality

Elliot B. Gertel: 'Mad Men': Tackling prejudices or reinforcing them?

Nov, 18, 2008

Dr. Debby Schwarz Hirschhorn: The End of the Age of Reason

Jonathan Tobin: Does Barack + Bibi = Disaster?

Nov, 17, 2008

Rabbi Yonason Goldson: The End of the Age of Reason

Diana West: Gulling Americans into making terror legit?

Nov, 14, 2008

Rabbi A. Henach Leibowitz: The Power of Spiritual Inertia

Caroline B. Glick: The perils ahead

Nov, 13, 2008

Stratfor Intelligence Briefing: How Bush and Obama together could change the Middle East dynamic

The Kosher Gourmet by JeanMarie Brownson: Sweet and savory, crispy and meltingly tender bestilla

Nov, 12, 2008

The Jewish Ethicist by Rabbi Dr. Asher Meir : Tyrannical Co-Workers

Michael Doyle: High Court to consider today donated monuments that may have religious messages in public parks

Nov, 11, 2008

Frank J. Gaffney, Jr.: Will Obama stop government officials considering institutionalizing financial jihad?

Jonathan Tobin: They Will Decide Their Own Fate

Nov, 10, 2008

Rabbi Avi Shafran: $8 billion, modern-day Tower of Babel being built?

Barry Rubin: A letter to the president-elect from a Middle East realist

Nov, 7, 2008

Rabbi Francis Nataf: Of Children and Immortality

Caroline B. Glick: Livni's Obama strategy

Nov, 6, 2008

Rabbi Yonason Goldson: How I tricked a classroom of apathetic students into grasping the fallacy of moral relativism

The Kosher Gourmet By Gina Kim: Tips for making the perfect soup --- includes recipes

Nov, 5, 2008

The Jewish Ethicist By Rabbi Dr. Asher Meir: Destitute Debtors

Bruce Weinstein: 'Religulos': Bad title,even worse movie

Nov, 4, 2008

Frank J. Gaffney, Jr.: Treasury Dept. submits to Shariah law

Frida Ghitis: A surprise for Obama in the Middle East

Nov, 3, 2008

Jonathan Rosenblum: Who says Jews are Smart?

Jonathan Tobin: Was He Wrong About Everything?

March 22, 2007

J-Rhythms with Avraham Rosenblum: JWR's cutting-edge music program showcasing performers -- singers, song writers, musicians, and bands -- who learn and live the Torah lifestyle (OUR NEWEST IGODCAST !)

Oct. 29, 2003
Mortimer B. Zuckerman: Graffiti On History's Walls (MUST-READ!)

Jewish World Review Jan. 4, 2007 /14 Teves, 5767

Fondly remembering the deep dish with the bubbling crust

By Steve Petusevsky


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http://www.JewishWorldReview.com | (MCT) It's deep dish season. These standbys are easy to assemble in disposable aluminum pans. They freeze well and seem to make everyone smile when they come out of the oven bubbling and golden brown.


When I think back to my childhood and the greatest dinners my mom made, they seem to have been served from my grandmother's glass dish with gold laminated designs on the side. It had to hold enough food for at least 10 people. She carried it hot from the oven as my dad arranged the stand for it on the dining room table.


That stand was a battered large gold metal oval with legs. I still vividly recall her slowly walking toward the table holding the huge dish with potholders. She would focus intently on getting the dish to the waiting stand, much like an astronaut rendezvousing in space with the docking station. The heavy pot had to go in the holder perfectly the first time around or some kind of ingredients would slide off into orbit.


It was a process.


The top of her dishes were encrusted with cheese and a sauce came bubbling through. It reminded me of molten lava. If you accidentally touched the surface, pain ensued. My brothers and I fought for the crispy pieces of burnt cheese on the corners.


Once my younger brother Howie tried to pull some of the topping off. It was sad to watch him gripping his fingers in pain, but this was a Petusevsky right of passage.


Depending on the filling, my mom made numerous crusts from stuff like corn flakes, bread crumbs, crackers and potato chips. She was a creative crust specialist now that I think back.


The four men at the table — my two brothers, dad and I — each tried to secure a piece of valuable crust real estate. Before dinner, we each stashed a spoon in our pockets and, when Mom went back into the kitchen to get the other side dishes, we gently scraped the surface to get some crust before she returned.


As we each got older and brought occasional dates to dinner, we warned our guests what was about to happen. We also suggested that they not be shy about helping themselves.


That was then, and frankly, not much has changed. I still love making recipes that are four inches deep and potentially lethal if you try to eat them right out of the oven. I keep looking for a glass dish and stand like my mom uses to this day — no luck.


I offer two sauce recipes that can be used with cooked penne or rigatoni, stuffed shells, ravioli, manicotti or tortellini. These are great alternatives to plain marinara sauce and cheese. One is a version of ratatouille and the other a Basil Spinach Walnut Pesto. I also tell you how to turn these into a deep-dish casserole.


When using these recipes, make the topping first (this can be done up to three days prior to finishing your deep dish recipe).


If you are going to use the toppings with either cooked tortellini or ravioli, these must be al dente and then transferred to a baking pan before putting the sauce on and finishing in the oven. If using with stuffed shells or manicotti, the sauce can be poured directly over top and baked with the uncooked pasta until tender.



RECIPES

COLORFUL RATATOUILLE BAKING SAUCE

Serves 12

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

  • 1/2 large Spanish onion, diced into 1/2 -inch cubes

  • 1 large zucchini, diced into 1/2 -inch cubes

  • 2 small yellow squash, diced into 1/2 -inch cubes

  • 1 medium green bell pepper, cored, seeded, diced into 1/2 -inch cubes

  • 1/2 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, diced into 1/2 -inch cubes

  • 1/2 yellow bell pepper, cored, seeded, diced into 1/2 -inch cubes

  • 3 cloves minced garlic

  • 2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning

  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed dried red chili flakes

  • 2 (32-ounce) jars marinara sauce

  • 1 cup shredded basil leaves


Heat oil over medium heat in a nonreactive large saucepan.


Add onions and saute 1 minute to coat with oil. Add remaining vegetables, garlic, Italian seasoning and chili flakes and saute 3 minutes to combine well. Add the marinara sauce, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes. Add basil and cool at room temperature.


Per serving: 153 calories, 29 percent calories from fat, 5 grams total fat, .20 gram saturated fat, no cholesterol, 18 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram total fiber, 2 grams total sugars, 17 grams net carbs, 5 grams protein, 929 milligrams sodium.

DEEP-DISH PASTA CASSEROLE

Makes 10 to 12 servings


  • 2 pounds ravioli or tortellini, cooked al dente, rinsed and drained

  • 1 cup part-skim ricotta, optional

  • 1 egg, optional

  • 1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese, optional

  • Colorful Ratatouille Baking Sauce (recipe given) or Basil Spinach Walnut Pesto (recipe given)

  • 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese or shredded cheese mixture


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place pasta in a 2.5-quart baking dish. Combine ricotta, egg and parmesan, if using. Spoon this mixture over the pasta. Pour sauce over pasta and top with mozzarella cheese, if desired. Cover and bake 40 minutes.


Per serving (with Colorful Ratatouille Baking Sauce): 535 calories, 22 percent calories from fat, 13 grams total fat, 4 grams saturated fat, 37 milligrams cholesterol, 77 grams carbohydrates, 5 grams total fiber, 3 grams total sugars, 72 grams net carbs, 22 grams protein, 1,084 milligrams sodium.


Per serving (with Basil Spinach Walnut Pesto): 583 calories, 41 percent calories from fat, 27 grams total fat, 7 grams saturated fat, 45 milligrams cholesterol, 61 grams carbohydrates, 4 grams total fiber, 1 gram total sugars, 56 grams net carbs, 25 grams protein, 370 milligrams sodium.

BASIL SPINACH WALNUT PESTO

Makes 8 cups; 12 servings

This sauce can be made 3 days ahead. Try it on sandwiches or grilled vegetables.

  • 1 cup walnut pieces

  • 3 cloves garlic, peeled

  • 3 cups loose-packed fresh spinach

  • 1 cup fresh basil leaves

  • 1 cup grated parmesan cheese

  • 1/4 cup grated romano cheese

  • 1/4 cup water

  • 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

  • Salt and fresh-ground black pepper, to taste


Place all ingredients in a food processor fitted with the metal blade or blender and process or puree 45 seconds until creamy and smooth..


Per serving: 202 calories, 84 percent calories from fat, 19 grams total fat, 3 grams saturated fat, 8 milligrams cholesterol, 2 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram total fiber, .13 gram total sugars, .93 gram net carbs, 7 grams protein, 215 milligrams sodium.

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Steve Petusevsky is the author of "The Whole Foods Market Cookbook". (Click HERE to purchase. Sales help fund JWR.)

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