Staycation May 29, 2017

Staycation Supplement to Jewish News May 29, 2017 jewishnewsva.org | May 29, 2017 | Staycation | Jewish News | 13

Staycation A practically perfect vacation: Staying at home!

Jewish News staff

M

illions of tourists flock to Tidewater each summer. If you find that hard to believe, consider that in 2015, Virginia Beach logged 6.4 million overnight visitors. And, that’s just Virginia Beach!

For us locals, those numbers really shouldn’t be a surprise. After all, Tidewater offers myriad of activities and it’s a not-so-expensive place to vacation. So much so, that some wise locals are opting for staycations—they partake in the area’s leisure activities during the day and early evening and then get to sleep in their own beds Virginia Beach from Fishing Pier. at night. A vacation without packing and the nightmares and expense of summer travel almost sounds too good to be true. But, it’s really not.

In addition to the obvious… all of the places to play on the water…plenty of area art shows and festivals take place during these summer months. The Boardwalk Art Show, for example is now in its 62nd year. In addition to The Coast Guard Cutter Eagle sails into Norfolk, Harborfest 2015. the 275 artists from across the country, family activities, food, and entertainment all feature prominently in this oceanfront tradition. Harborfest in Downtown Norfolk is billed as “the largest, longest-running, free maritime festival in the nation.” With the recent opening of the Waterside District, this year’s celebration is sure to be one not to miss.

When was the last time you visited the Chrysler Museum, MacArthur Memorial, MOCA or the area’s historic houses? Maybe now’s the time.

Have you seen the sculptures at Norfolk Botanical Garden, the new animals at the Virginia Zoo, the sea life at Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center, or walked on the Battleship Wisconsin at Nauticus? They’re waiting for you.

Do you to lean to hands-on activities? Places like Adventure Park in Virginia Beach test climbing skills and for those who might not be such risk-takers, the Mermaid Factory allows artistic abilities to flow.

For kids, area day camps offer fun and flavors of Tidewater…sailing, fishing, hiking, going to the beach, etc.

What’s not to like?

We asked a couple of locals how they like to spend time relaxing in Tidewater. They offer still other ideas.

What a great place to live! What a great place to staycation!

14 | Jewish News | Staycation | May 29, 2017 | jewishnewsva.org

Staycation East Beach offers myriad activities for all ages

Heading to Sesame Street Danny Rubin

I

Alyssa Muhlendorf

would say the Forest of Fun/ Sesame Street area at Busch Gardens is one of our favorite places to get away. It’s such a well done part of the park and feels like a step up from the children’s attractions elsewhere in Hampton Roads.

Niv had the best time meeting Elmo!

O

ur favorite place is East Beach on the Chesapeake Bay. The beach was restored and rehabilitated more than 10 years ago, and is now a great place for families, pets, and long walks.

We are fortunate to live within walking distance to this beach, although we often run into our friends from all over Tidewater there! We love to collect shells, fish, sail, and spend time on the beach with friends. Each year we love to celebrate Tashlich here during Rosh Hashanah.

Reba McConnell, Sun-kissed Bliss, 2017, watercolor. Courtesy of the artist.

Niv with his mom, Shikma Rubin.

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jewishnewsva.org | May 29, 2017 | Staycation | Jewish News | 15

Staycation

Fun in your own kitchen C

ulinary vacations are gaining in popularity around the globe. With literally thousands of options, people are traveling across the ocean or to all

corners of the continent to tour food, spice, and wine markets and then settle

Tahini Marshmallow S’mores

into kitchens to cook.

Sheri Silver

If you’ve already decided to forgo dealing with passports and pricey airline tickets and tour fees, why not explore Tidewater’s outdoor markets, stock up on some fun ingredients, and create some fun culinary treats at home?

After all, while you’ve got extra time and aren’t running in panic mode is a perfect time to dive into some new recipes. You know, the kind that are really just for fun and might take a little longer than you’d normally spend on an average weeknight…such as tahini marshmallow s’mores or a great cheesecake.

Invite some friends over and give them a mixing bowl or put aprons on your kids to help in the creations. Pretend you’re on a cooking show. Have fun! Here are a couple of tasty options.

Norfolk • 919A W. 21st Street • (757) 233-0733

(The Nosher via JTA)—Tahini is certainly having “a moment.”

This ancient condiment is just about everywhere these days—most notably on the sweeter side of things, in treats and desserts. Stuffed into croissants. Turned into cake pops. Folded into brownie batter.

And I love it all.

This savory ground sesame seed paste taste lends an unexpected flavor and texture to so many different kinds of desserts, without overpowering. Even better, it can provide some depth and dimension to otherwise “one note” sweets.

Like marshmallows.

Don’t get me wrong—I LOVE homemade marshmallows—and they are miles above and away from the packaged variety. But at the end of the day, a marshmallow is nothing more than a pillow of sweet, spongy sugar. Rolled in sugar.

So I knew it would be the perfect foil for a generous swirl of tahini.

www.mermaidfactory.com

16 | Jewish News | Staycation | May 29, 2017 | jewishnewsva.org

Virginia Beach • 510 Laskin Road • (757) 963-7700

Staycation

THE BATHROOM YOU DESERVE

THE SERVICE YOU EXPECT IN AS LITTLE AS ONE DAY

And boy was I right. All of a sudden that one note marshmallow had it all going on— and I immediately fired up the stove, roasted a few and sandwiched them with graham crackers and squares of semi-sweet and white chocolate.

Delicious.

Individually wrapped “stacks” of s’mores ingredients are a fun, easy and different dessert to put out at all your warm-weather celebrations, barbecues and picnics!

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Ingredients 1 cup cold water, divided 3 envelopes unflavored gelatin (kosher gelatin is available at natural food stores, some kosher markets and on Amazon) 2 cups sugar ¾ cup light corn syrup pinch of salt ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons tahini confectioner’s sugar white and dark chocolate squares graham crackers, cut in half to form squares Directions Cut 2 squares of parchment or wax paper, to fit the bottom of a 9-by-9-inch baking pan.

Coat the pan with non-stick cooking spray, place one of the paper squares in the bottom and spray the paper.

Place ½ cup of the cold water into your mixer—sprinkle with the gelatin and let set.

Place the remaining ½ cup cold water into a medium saucepan, along with the sugar, corn syrup and salt. Bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. When the mixture boils, cover the pot and cook for 5 minutes. Remove the cover, attach a thermometer and continue to cook—without stirring—till the temperature reaches 240 F. Remove from heat, turn the mixer on low and slowly add the sugar mixture. When the mixture starts to thicken, gradually increase the speed—eventually bringing it up to high. Beat for 5 minutes.

Add ½ cup tahini to the mixture and quickly, but gently, fold in, using a greased rubber spatula—do not overmix so that you can still see the swirls of tahini throughout.

Transfer to your baking pan and drizzle over the remaining 2 tablespoons tahini. Use a thin knife to swirl the drizzle. Spray the reserved piece of parchment paper with nonstick cooking spray and place, sprayed-side down, over the marshmallow. Press gently to level and even out the top. Wrap with plastic wrap and let sit overnight.

Sprinkle a work surface with confectioner’s sugar; place some more in a medium bowl. Remove the top sheet of parchment from the marshmallow and invert onto the work surface. Peel off the bottom sheet of paper and sprinkle with confectioner’s sugar.

Use a greased knife to cut squares, then roll the cut edges of each square in the bowl of sugar.

Make your s’mores by roasting the marshmallows and sandwiching them with a piece of chocolate between 2 graham cracker squares. Marshmallows may be stored in an airtight container at room temperature.

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Sheri Silver is writer of the blog Donuts, Dresses and Dirt (http://sherisilver.com/), where she shares all of her passions, including baking and cooking, gardening and shopping, and her adventures in and around New York City with her husband and three kids.)

The Nosher food blog offers a dazzling array of new and classic Jewish recipes and food news, from Europe to Yemen, from challah to shakshuka and beyond. Check it out at www.TheNosher.com.

jewishnewsva.org | May 29, 2017 | Staycation | Jewish News | 17

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How to make perfect cheesecake five ways

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18 | Jewish News | Staycation | May 29, 2017 | jewishnewsva.org

Ronnie Fein

Y

ou know Shavuot is coming when you begin to see cheesecakes everywhere.

Countless variations in the bakeries and supermarkets. Endless numbers of recipes in the media. Cheesecake is the iconic Shavuot dessert, as sacrosanct as a Hanukkah latke or Passover matzah ball.

Unfortunately, cheesecake is one of those deceptively simple recipes, the kind that requires some tips and techniques to get right. Also, not everyone agrees on what makes a cheesecake perfect. Some like it dense; others, fluffier. Purists say it should be simple, but lots of people prefer it fancy, with flavors and toppings.

Long ago I created a basic batter that works for almost any type of cheesecake you can imagine. In our family we prefer a dense, rich, creamy version, so I use all cream cheese.

But sometimes I make a slight change to lighten it up (I use 1 cup of ricotta cheese to replace 8 ounces of the cream cheese in my recipe). We like it slightly tangy too, so I usually include sour cream or unflavored Greek yogurt. But if I don’t have either of those in my fridge I substitute with an additional ½ cup of cream and add a tablespoon of flour to better bind the batter together.

This basic batter is amazingly versatile. You can use it to concoct all sorts of fabulous variations—strawberry-topped or chocolate or pumpkin and even elaborate versions such as “turtle” cheesecake. Here are some of my favorite adaptations:

Staycation Chocolate Cheesecake: add 10 ounces melted, cooled semisweet chocolate to the batter.

Half-and-Half Cheesecake: add 5 ounces melted chocolate to half the batter, spoon the chocolate batter into the pan, then carefully spoon the vanilla batter on top.

Pumpkin Cheesecake: replace white sugar with brown sugar; omit the sour cream and replace with ¾ cup mashed pumpkin (canned is fine); stir in 1½ tsp ground cinnamon, 1 tsp grated nutmeg, one tsp ground ginger and one tsp grated orange peel to the batter.

Ronnie Fein is a freelance food and lifestyle writer. Over the years she has written for the food sections of various newspapers and is the author of four cookbooks: The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Cooking Basics, The Complete Idiot’s Guide to American Cooking, Hip Kosher, and The Modern Kosher Kitchen.

The Nosher food blog offers a dazzling array of new and classic Jewish recipes and food news, from Europe to Yemen, from challah to shakshuka and beyond. Check it out at www.TheNosher.com.

Berry-topped Cheesecake: place whole berries on top of cooled cake, brush with melted apricot preserves or currant jam.

“Turtle” Cheesecake: omit the graham cracker coating for the pan. Instead, make a bottom crust by combining 1 cup crushed graham crackers with ¼ cup brown sugar, then work in 4 Tbsp butter until crumbly. Press into the pan and bake (no need for the second pan yet) for 10–12 minutes. Spoon in the basic batter and bake as in the basic recipe. Let the cake cool.

For the top: heat ¼ cup cream until hot, add 3 ounces chopped chocolate and stir until melted. Let cool slightly and spread over cool cake. Scatter 2 Tbsp chopped nuts on top.

Optional: pour caramel sauce on top of cut slices of cake.

Basic Cheesecake Recipe Ingredients 1½ tsp butter or margarine ¹⁄3 cup graham cracker crumbs (approximately) 1½ pounds cream cheese (3 8-ounce packages) 1 cup sugar 1½ tsp vanilla extract ½ cup dairy sour cream or unflavored yogurt ¹⁄3 cup cream (whipping cream or half and half) 4 large eggs Directions Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spread the butter on the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Sprinkle the inside of the pan with the graham cracker crumbs. Shake the pan to coat the bottom and sides of the pan completely.

Beat the cream cheese in the bowl of an electric mixer set at medium speed for 1-2 minutes or until the cheese has softened and is smooth.

Gradually add the sugar and beat for 2–3 minutes or until the mixture is smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally with a rubber spatula. Add the vanilla extract, sour cream and whipping cream and beat for one minute or until the batter is smooth.

Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition to incorporate them. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

Place the springform pan inside a larger pan. Fill the larger pan with enough hot water to come at least 1-inch up the sides of the baking dish.

Bake the cake for 65–75 minutes or until the top of the cake is tanning lightly.

Remove the springform pan from the water and let the cake cool in the pan. When the cake has reached room temperature, refrigerate it at least 4 hours or until it is thoroughly chilled. Remove the sides of the pan to serve.

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