So, I’ve been making variations of the same Jewish brisket- that I grew up eating and loving- for the last 40 years. My kids love my brisket, my parents loved my brisket, my brother Kenny and his family love my brisket, and I love it. That homey, Jewish flavor is so nostalgic of my childhood. I learned how to make brisket from my mother, but I improved upon her recipe by adding elements from my Aunt Florence’s recipe. As a child, brisket was probably my favorite dish, and every year at Passover, on the first Seder, I awaited the moment my Aunt Florence would carry her glorious brisket from the kitchen over the beautifully set table, hoping she would place the dish in front of me (which never happened). The recipe that I currently make which is easier to make than my Aunt Florence’s original, but comparable in taste is this one: http://judysrecipeconnection.com/judys-best-brisket/ I’ve noticed over the years that while my daughter Randi and her husband Dan really love my traditional brisket, my grandkids, Noah, Ezra, and Hannah, are not too crazy about it. Knowing how much they love the flavor of barbecue sauce, I decided to finally branch out, go out of my comfort zone, and make some barbecue style brisket. Well, to say that it was a success is an understatement. Last week, I delivered a “shissel” of this brisket to their house, and Randi face-timed me to show me the licked clean plates of the kids. In fact, I got to watch Ezra licking the last drops of sauce off his plate. That vision is what I live for! Before I left my house to make the food delivery (we’re in the midst of Covid-19), I allowed my son Benji to eat 3 slices of it, and between his facial expressions and sounds of ecstasy, you could say he liked it! So, I’ll make it again soon for everybody- including Danny (other son)- and even allow Benji to have more than 3 pieces.

Ingredients:

one 3 1/2 lb. to 4 lb. brisket to even a 5 1/2 to 6 lb. brisket

kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder

1 medium to large onion, sliced (optional)

barbecue sauce: 1 cup ketchup, 1/3 cup white vinegar, 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar, 16 oz. hot water mixed with 2 teaspoons Better than Bouillon Chicken Base OR 16 oz. chicken broth (I use the 2 teaspoons Better than Bouillon with the 16 oz. water)

Secret Ingredient: S & F Sweet Bay Barbecue Sauce (I’ve only found it at Whole Foods so far)

1. Season both sides of brisket with kosher salt, black pepper, and garlic powder. Place in roasting pan, fat side up.
2. Mix ingredients together in a bowl for the barbecue sauce (above), and pour it around the brisket in the pan.
3. Slice onion (I’ve used it or not used it, and it really doesn’t make much of a difference).
4. Cover tightly with heavy duty aluminum foil.
5. Bake in 325 degree oven for 2 hours. Then take out, uncover, and add the secret ingredient: S & F Sweet Bay Barbecue Sauce (from Whole Foods). Schmear about 1/4 cup of this sauce over the top of the brisket. Then measure 1/2 cup more and pour it into the sauce in the pan- mix a bit to blend. Recover tightly and place back in oven for another 1 1/2 hours. Take out. If fork goes in easily, it’s done. If fork doesn’t, then recover and cook another 30 minutes. If fork still doesn’t go in easily, cook for another 30 minutes. It should be done after 4 hours total.
6. Take meat out of pan, and let cool in fridge. It’s much easier to slice when it’s cool or cold. Take out, cut off fat, and slice against the grain- slices should be about 1/4 inch thick. Place slices either back in the same pan you roasted the brisket, or in whatever casserole dish you plan to heat it up in. If you are using a different dish, then pour the barbecue sauce from the roaster into the pan with the sliced meat.
7. Cover with aluminum foil, and either refrigerate till you plan to use it, or heat it up (covered with foil) in the oven for dinner.
8. Note: If you did use a sliced onion, you may want to discard it before serving. If my grandkids saw those onion slices, that would turn them off to the dish.

For Erev Yom Kippur dinner last night, I made mashed potatoes.  I thought they were good, but my daughter Randi swooned as she ate some and said, “These potatoes are like fluffy clouds, they’re so light!  She asked me if I had done anything different than usual to which I said I didn’t, but I realized I’d better write down what I did do!

5 lbs. organic Idaho potatoes

2 sticks Whole Foods salted butter

about 1/2 cup whole, organic milk

salt (not kosher)

about 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Peel potatoes.  Cut into largish pieces and put in large pot and cover with cold water.  Bring to a boil (uncovered), and simmer over low boil till you can put a fork into potatoes easily.  Drain in colander.  Put your sticks of butter back in pot to melt over low flame.  Add potatoes back in, and mash.  Add salt to taste and pepper too.  Then add milk, and mash till nice and fluffy.

I have been making homemade chocolate chip cookies forever.  I have definitely made more batches of these cookies than any other of my recipes.  The reason I made and still make them so often is because I love seeing the reaction of my kids when they realize this treat is coming.  As soon as the cookies are out of the oven and on the cooling rack, I call my kids into the kitchen with “The chocolate chip cookies are ready!”  Then they come bounding out of their rooms (yes, still at 24 years old for Danny and 21 years old for Benji), they grab plates, and then they very carefully select somewhere between 4 and 6 of what they consider the perfect ones.  Sometimes they fight over which cookies they want.  Then they sit down in front of the TV to eat their cookies.  The expressions on their faces are worth a million dollars to me.  Benji makes sounds and his eyes just say it all.  Danny just eats more quietly, but loves them just as much.  As Randi is in her own house, she gets them the next day, but loves them just as much.  In fact, Randi usually begs me NOT to make them in the interest of her health and figure. I love it all!  When my children were growing up, these cookies were a staple in our house.  I often would make up the batter, and bake one or two batches of cookies, and then refrigerate the remaining batter in a tupperware container. Then I could make a fresh batch of cookies every night until the batter ran out, and my children just loved eating them right out of the oven.  There really is nothing like a warm homemade chocolate chip cookie. Here are the recipes I have made over the years:

Standard Toll House Variety:

• • 2 sticks butter (unsalted)
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 2 extra large eggs

• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 1/4 cups unbleached flour
• 1 teaspoon  salt (if your butter or margarine are salted, decrease to 1/2 teaspoon salt)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda (I sometimes throw a pinch of baking powder in too)
• 1 12 oz bag of semisweet chocolate chips

OR

Same as above except increase light brown sugar to 1 cup and decrease granulated sugar to 1/2 cup

OR this one- which is perfect for baking in a 9 x 13 pan for some yummy chocolate chip squares (originally call Toll House Chocolate Chip Treasures)

• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) softened butter or margarine or a mixture of both (I use butter)
• 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 extra large or jumbo egg
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups unbleached flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (add a little more salt if using unsalted butter or margarine)
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 12 oz. bag of semisweet chocolate chips (I used about 10 oz. on Sept. 7, 2015)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cream room temperature butter or margarine in mixer with paddle attachment, food processor with metal blade, or by hand.  Then add sugars and cream till fluffy.  Add egg or eggs, and vanilla, and mix till fluffy.  Add flour, baking soda (and powder), salt  on very low speed or by pulsing in processor, just till blended.  Mix in chocolate chips by hand.  Drop by teaspoonfuls onto parchment lined or greased cookie sheets about 7-9 minutes until just browned around the edges and till the tops of cookies appear dry.  Let cool for a minute, and transfer to cooling racks.  Store in ziploc bags at room temperature, in the fridge, or in the freezer.

For chocolate chip squares, grease a nonstick 9 by 13 pan with butter (sides and bottom) and spread the batter evenly over bottom of the pan.  Bake for about 20-25 min. till nicely browned (not too dark!) all over.  Cool and cut into 24 squares.

Note:  You can use as much batter as you like, and just refrigerate the rest for up to a week and a half.

Another note:  I saw a video of Martha Stewart Chocolate Chip Cookies 101, and she uses my first variation under the recipe on top, the one changing the light brown sugar to 1 cup and the granulated sugar to 1/2 cup, but she uses all butter which I often do,  she uses 2 teaspoons vanilla and 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, with everything else remaining the same, so I may try that next time and see how they come out.

My very nice co-teacher in school, Doris Fisher, bakes these muffins on a regular basis for her friends and family.  Luckily for me, she brought some in to school for me to sample.  They were delicious!  These muffins are a breeze to make and they freeze beautifully, too.  Enjoy!

for the muffins:

• 3 extra large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup canola oil
• 1 16 oz. can pure pumpkin puree
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 1/4 cups unbleached flour
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon (or 2 if you like a more cinnamony flavor)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1  teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 12 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Spray mini muffin pans (recipe makes 48 mini muffins)

In large mixing bowl, blend eggs, sugar, oil, pumpkin, and vanilla.  Whisk till nicely blended.  Then  and add everything else but the chips, mixing in just until blended with a rubber spatula.  Then add chips and fold in.  Scoop out batter into prepared pans, and bake 23-35 min till muffins are lightly browned around edges and toothpick comes out clean.

I made a simple fish dish for my son Danny and me this week.  I am experimenting with fish, and I am determined to cook fish at least 3 times a week to improve our diet.  I bought haddock fillets, which were unbelievably fresh, at my supermarket for only $5.99/lb.  I try to buy whatever is freshest and cheapest, normally.  Why not?  What is so great is that I can get this gourmet meal on the table in no time at all with such simple preparation.  I served the fish with fresh corn on the cob and a simple salad using prewashed fresh spinach and baby romaine, sliced strawberries, walnuts, and my own lemon vinaigrette. (You can find my recipe for this vinaigrette right on this web site.)  What an amazing light, healthy, and flavorful dinner!

for two people:

1 pound fish fillets (I buy whatever is on sale and absolutely fresh!)

grated zest of 1 lemon

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, butter, or margarine

2 tablespoons slivered raw almonds

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Cover a half sheet pan with aluminum foil.  Lightly grease foil with oil. Place fish on foil.  Sprinkle  with salt and pepper, then liberally with lemon zest, then with thyme leaves, then with almonds, then dot with butter or margarine or drizzle with olive oil.  Roast for 7-12 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish.  If you like, you can then place fish under the broiler for a minute or two at this point to just brown the almonds.  Be careful, if you do this, not to burn the fish or the nuts.  Serve with lemon wedges.

This dish is easy to make, healthy, delicious, and the colors are beautiful.  I made this for my son Danny and myself, and to my shock, Danny loved it, even though he doesn’t usually like string beans.

Ingredients

• • 1 pound of fresh string beans, ends trimmed
  • about 8-10 plum tomatoes or 2 pints of grape or cherry tomatoes
  • kosher salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • about 1 tablespoon of fresh thyme leaves (optional)
  • olive oil (I use light)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Line a half sheet pan with aluminum foil.  Cut plum tomatoes into medium size chunks, each about the size of a half of a cherry tomato.  If using cherry or grape tomatoes, cut them in half.  Place on prepared sheet pan, drizzle about 2 tablespoons oil over, sprinkle with salt and pepper and thyme.  Toss with your hands to coat well with oil.  Roast uncovered in oven for about 45 minutes.  Then take out, and add the string beans.  Drizzle a little more oil over beans and sprinkle beans with salt and pepper.  Then toss gently.  Roast for another 20-30 minutes until the beans start to brown on the ends.  Serve.

This Chopped Liver Is Light And Fluffy! 

This is a recipe for the most delicious chopped liver you will ever eat in your life.  My mother, Shirley Fried, got this recipe from my Aunt Florence.  My mother made this recipe once a year, on Thanksgiving.  I think Thanksgiving was my favorite holiday growing up.  Besides my parents, my brother Kenny, and I, we always had my father’s family over, which consisted of his twin brother, my Uncle Larry, my Aunt Florence, and their three children, Karen, David, and Debbie.  Everyone, and I mean everyone looked forward to that meal.  And that meal was the same every single year.  Here is the menu:  for hor d’oeuvres we had my mother’s homemade chopped liver with party rye, Cohen’s little hot dogs in blankets, Cohen’s  miniature potato puffs, Cohen’s miniature egg rolls, and Sacramento tomato juice.  For the main course we had roast turkey (Empire) with stuffing (my Grandma Rose’s recipe), brisket (my mother’s recipe), salad, cranberry jello mold, candied sweet potatoes, roasted potatoes from around the turkey,  and French string beans with glazed baby carrots.  For dessert we had my mother’s homemade apple pies (she baked 2) with vanilla ice cream, and sliced chocolate pound cake or chocolate chip squares.

Everyone loved knowing that the menu would always be exactly the same.  There was something reassuring about that.  My aunt, uncle, and cousins loved the food, and so did my parents, Kenny and I.  What stands out in my memory is how my cousin Debbie, who was the youngest of my three cousins, really overstuffed herself.  She would start yawning at the table, then she’d start to laugh out loud herself because she knew she had eaten too much, she’d say something like, “Debba, what have you done!”, and then she’d have to get up and move over to the couch, where she would sweetly doze off.  I am laughing out loud right now as I picture the expression on her face as she realized how full she was.  Those were the days.  There were none better.  How I wish I could go back and relive them.  What a wonderful family I had!

Anyway, when my mother made the chopped liver, it was quite a ritual.  I can still see her in my mind as she prepared the recipe.  First, she boiled the eggs.  Then she chopped up some onions and fried them in her Farberware frying pan in corn oil.  When they were nicely browned, she transferred them to a bowl.  In the same frying pan, she put the Empire Kosher chicken livers.  She’d cut them in half to make sure there was no blood left.  When they were done, she’d transfer them into the bowl with the onions.  Then my mother and I would go down to the basement where the meat grinder was. She’d attach the meat grinder to a special table that was adequate to do the job.  Then she’d put some eggs in the top of the grinder, some onions, and some liver.  She would turn the big crank.  It was amazing to me how these items went in whole, and came out like little snakes.  When she was all done, we’d go back up to the kitchen where my mother would begin lightly mashing the ingredients together in a bowl.  She’d pour the oil left in the frying pan into the mixture.  She would add some salt and pepper.  Then my mother and I would start the fun part, tasting it.   My mother would ask me if I thought we needed a little more oil, a little more salt, or pepper.  She kept re-seasoning until the chopped liver was perfect.  And it was perfect, and every bit of the preparation was worthwhile.  Oh, did I love that treat.  And so did my father, and my mother (my brother Kenny hated chopped liver).

I have started to make this recipe again.  It’s pretty easy, because I have the grinder attachment for my Kitchen Aid mixer.  When I make it, I actually fry the livers and onions in the same frying pan my mother used (she handed it down to me).  I use that pan because it brings back such wonderful memories.   I usually make the chopped liver for holidays like Passover.  I make it now mostly for my mother, who still loves it so much.  She likes to take the leftovers home.  She loves making herself a sandwich on rye with a little mustard.  I just wish that my father could be eating it, too.

See further below for version to serve large amount of people.

• 8 oz. Empire frozen chicken livers, defrosted in the refrigerator
• 2 very large or 4 medium- large onions
• 8 jumbo or 9 extra large eggs
• kosher salt
• pepper
• corn oil

Defrost the box of Empire frozen chicken livers in the refrigerator.   Start cooking your hard boiled eggs.  Place my eggs in a pot and cover them with water.  Bring the water up to a boil, and then simmer the eggs for 20 minutes.  Then run the pot under cold water, and then peel the eggs.  Set them aside.  Peel and medium dice the onions.  Put about 1/2 cup of corn oil in a heavy frying pan. Then fry the onions over medium heat.  Season the onions with kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper as you’re frying them.  Fry them until they are nicely browned but not burned.  Take the onions out and put them in a bowl, set aside.  Now, place the defrosted chicken livers in the same frying pan, and saute them over a medium flame, turning them as necessary.  Cut them to make sure they are cooked through.  Take them out one at time, and put them in a small bowl; set aside.

Use the grinder attachment of your mixer. Put a nice large bowl under the grinder to catch everything.   Put an egg in, some onions, and some liver.  Run the machine.  Then continue with an egg, some onions, and some liver until you have used everything up.  Pour the leftover oil from frying right in the bowl.  Add some more kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, and start to gently mash the ingredients together with a fork, as if you were making egg salad.  If you think the mixture is too dry, add one or two teaspoons more of oil.  Taste frequently, and adjust for seasoning.  Refrigerate in serving bowl or in a plastic container.

Note:  I like to make this either the same day I am serving it, or only 1 day in advance.

**For a gazunta amount: Latest version Passover 2014 (This made 2 1/2 qts.) and it was all eaten except of 1 pint.

• about 19 oz. chicken livers (I use Bell and Evans now as I can’t find the Empire)
• 24  extra large eggs
• about 2-3 lbs. fried onions
• salt and pepper
• extra oil as needed

My wonderful mother, Shirley Fried, had dinner parties when she and my father (the most amazing father in the world, Murray Fried) were a young married couple.  I guess I was just too little, because I have no memory of these parties.  My mother has reminisced fondly about those parties, and those days.  One of the side dishes she served was baked stuffed potatoes.  The potatoes are so easy to make and so elegant.  I have made them many times.  My kids love them.  I don’t know why I don’t make them more often.  Try them instead of a plain baked potato or mashed potatoes the next time you have a dinner party.  Your guests will love them!

• baking potatoes, either Russet or Idaho (the size of the potato is up to you, but I usually use pretty large ones)
• butter or Fleischmann’s margarine, at room temperature (1-2 tablespoons per potato)
• a little milk (optional)
• kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• paprika

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Wash as many potatoes as you like.  Using a fork, pierce the top of the potatoes in a few places.  Then bake the potatoes until they are totally baked.  The time will vary, depending on how large the potatoes are, but it will be somewhere around an hour to an hour and a half.

Take the potatoes out of the oven.  Using a sharp serrated knife, slice the tops off the potatoes.  Make sure that your slice is no more than 1/4 inch from the top of the potato.  Then using a small spoon, scoop out all of the insides of the potatoes, and put it in a mixing bowl.  Add the room temperature butter or margarine, the milk, Kosher salt, a little pepper.  Use a fork or a potato masher and mix together well.  I use about 1 to 2 tablespoons of butter or margarine per potato.  Then, using a small spoon, gently put the potato mixture back into the potatoes.  The potato mixture should come up higher than the sides of the potato skin.  Sprinkle paprika over the top of the potatoes.

You can prepare these in the morning for your dinner, and refrigerate them.  Place them back into a preheated 350 degree oven (uncovered) for about 30 minutes to get them piping hot.

This Delicious Recipe For French Toast Bread Pudding Will Warm You On A Cold Winter Morning! 

My family adores french toast. My mother, Shirley Fried, especially loves my French toast. Every once and awhile, I make a batch for her when she comes down to visit me and the kids. I love cooking for my mother, especially since she is my number 1 fan. (My father was my other number 1 fan, but tragically for me, my mother, and my children, the most wonderful man in the world, Murray Fried died 6 years ago. Anyway, I’ve cooked yummy French toast for breakfast for my family for years, and everyone loves it. I sometimes make my french toast using challah, which is an egg bread that is very similar to brioche. Many diners serve French toast made with challah because it has become quite popular. When you use challah to make your French toast, you are definitely kicking the standard recipe up a notch. Anyway, I decided that I needed to adapt my challah French toast recipe so that I could serve it at family gatherings and feed a lot of people without having to stand at the stove while my guests were over. Plus, I wanted to be able to prepare the dish in advance, and you really can’t do that with French toast. I experimented until I came up with the most amazing version of French toast bread pudding, using challah. I served it at a Chanukah party this past Sunday which was given by the wonderful Marsha Greenhouse. Marsha Greenhouse is my daughter Randi’s mother-in-law. Marsha is a warm and genuine from the heart person (a real mensch), and she hosts the best family get togethers imaginable. I love going to every party and gathering at her house. Plus, she kindly lets me cook and bake for these parties to my heart’s content. One of the dishes I made for this gathering was my challah French toast bread pudding. It was delicious! I got lots of compliments, and of course I love that! I think one of the best moments for me was when Marsha’s boyfriend, Al Berman asked me for another piece of the bread pudding. When he put a bite in his mouth he said, “Ooh, this is sooo good.” And Al knows his food. (He’s an excellent cook himself!) There is just nothing as gratifying for me as cooking and baking for people I care about. Please try this recipe. When you take a bite into this yummy challah French toast bread pudding, which truly tastes every bit as good as regular French toast, you will vow to make this again and again for your friends and family, too.

• • 1/2 cup (1 stick) plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter or margarine, plus extra for greasing baking dish (I like taste of butter more than margarine)
  • 1 cup lightly packed dark brown sugar
  • 3 tablespoons maple syrup (I actually use 2 tablespoons of Log Cabin and 1 tablespoon of pure maple syrup, but I don’t think it matters which type of syrup you use)  *see note at bottom
  • 1 large loaf of challah bread (a loaf should weigh about 15 oz.)
  • 8 extra large or jumbo eggs (I used jumbo the last time, and I loved result)
  • 2 cups of light cream or half and half (I don’t notice any difference in end result)
  • 2  tablespoons sugar (optional- you may eliminate if you want to reduce sugar in recipe))
  • 1/8 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt (I use this but you may cut it out for a low salt diet)
  • cinnamon (McKormick) to sprinkle on top before you bake

• optional 3/4 cup chopped pecans (tried it and liked the result, but equally good without- Just remember that many kids don’t like nuts, so if you’re making this for kids, it’s probably better to leave the nuts out!)

Generously grease the bottom and sides of a 13 x 9 x 2 inch oval or rectangular baking dish (I bought an inexpensive, beautiful white oval baking dish at IKEA). Slice the challah about 1 1/2 inches thick. Then cut the slices into pieces. They don’t all have to be exactly the same size, but they should be somewhere around 2 inches square. You definitely should use the crust- do not cut the crust off! In a small saucepan, melt the butter over a low flame. Then add the brown sugar and the syrups; mix until the brown sugar is dissolved. Then pour the syrup mixture into the prepared baking dish. Place the pieces of challah in the prepared dish in one layer. Fit the pieces right up against each other, like puzzle pieces. It’s okay to squeeze them a little so they all fit.

In large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, light cream or half and half, vanilla, salt, sugar,  cinnamon. Ladle the custard mixture over the challah evenly. Then press down with your hands very lightly on bread, so challah soaks in all the custard.  If using the pecans, sprinkle them on top, and then sprinkle with cinnamon lightly but so that there is a light sprinkling over all.  Cover the dish with foil or plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 to 4  hours or overnight. (I usually do it overnight just because it makes the job easier for me.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees – and take bread pudding out of the refrigerator and let sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes.  If you feel you should, sprinkle just a little more cinnamon on top. Bake uncovered in the middle of the oven until puffed and golden for about 45 to 50 minutes. Serve immediately.  I make this to bring in for school breakfasts.  I bake it for about 35 minutes at home.  Then I cover it tightly to keep the heat it.  Then when I get to work, I take off the foil, and bake it for another 20 minutes or so to finish it off.

Optional serving suggestion:  Warm up about 1/8 cup of pure maple syrup in microwave, and drizzle it over the top very lightly right before serving or just serve with extra maple syrup on the side.

You will be amazed by the result!

Note:  The last few times I made this, I used 2 tablespoons of pure maple syrup and 1 tablespoon of light corn syrup. I like to use some pure maple syrup, just because it has more maple flavor.

Note:  Just make sure that the pudding is baked through even at the center so you won’t be eating undercooked eggs.

Note:  last made on July 3, 2011- I used 9 extra large eggs as I didn’t have the jumbo, and I used a mixture of whole milk and heavy cream- and it was yummy!!!

My friend Leslie made these carrots when she had company, and I really liked them.  I usually make this recipe for Thanksgiving dinner because my daughter Randi really loves it.  I haven’t changed Leslie’s recipe except that I have proportionally increased the quantity of each ingredient.  This dish looks pretty and tastes delicious.

• 1 pound carrots
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 cup orange juice, not from concentrate (You may use fresh squeezed)
• 2 pinches of granulated sugar

To make a larger quantity:

• 1 1/2 pounds of carrots
• 1 1/2 tablespoons of butter
• 1 1/2  cups orange juice
• 3 pinches of granulated sugar

Peel carrots.  Then slice them on the bias or diagonal, about 1/4 inch thick.  Then put some water on the bottom of a saucepan, about 1/2 inch high.  Put a steamer insert in the pan.  Put the carrots in the steamer insert.  Put the top on the pan, and over a medium-high flame, steam the carrots until they are soft, but not mushy.  If you can put a fork into the carrots easily, they probably are done.  Set the carrots aside.

Dump the water out of the pan.  Dry the pan with a paper towel.  Put the butter in, and melt it.  Then add the orange juice and the sugar. Simmer for about 15 minutes until the liquid starts to look less like liquid and more like syrup.  Take the pot off the stove, and add the carrots back in.  Toss the carrots in the sauce and serve.

Note:  You can definitely make these one or two days in advance, store them in a plastic container, and then warm them up in the microwave.  I love to go to my local deli and buy a bunch of plastic quart containers.  I use those containers for storing and freezing many items I cook.