In a Nutshell:

Halva Mousse

There used to be an incredible tiny chummus place in Flatbush with the best halva mousse. We miss Meraki, but it turns out making it at home is much easier than I thought!

Mix about ¹⁄₃ cup raw tahini with about ¹⁄₄ cup pareve chocolate syrup. Add a pinch of salt and a splash of vanilla. Fold into a beaten 16-oz pareve whipping cream. Taste and add more chocolate syrup if you like it sweeter. Serve in small cups with crushed
viennese crunch on top.

—Michal Frischman

FT, help me!!

What’s the most important part of making your cholent the success that it is?

I haven’t settled on an exact chamin recipe yet, but the one thing that I find makes the most difference is taking the time to sear the meat in oil, removing it from the pot, and then sautéing sliced onion until caramelized. It maximizes the flavor output and gives a glorious deep color to the chamin, which makes it more appetizing.

A bit of harissa and a touch of silan add a subtle yet incredible punch of sweet and spicy. And, of course, a heaping tablespoon of onion soup mix is the basis of all good things savory.

And then there’s the cooking vessel. Yes, a Crock-Pot is convenient, but there’s nothing like cooking chamin in a pot and having it sit on one of the strong Israeli-made hotplates all night long. And then scraping the bottom edges where the pearl barley got well done but is still so soft. Oneg.

—Sina Mizrahi

Kitchen Fave

My friend Chamudi (aka the sourdough pizza lady, interviewed in Soundbites) recommended this incredible pot, available on Amazon, that can be used instead of a Dutch oven. It’s the Granite Ware 3-lb Capacity Covered Round Roaster. It’s not as long-lasting as a Dutch oven, but it’s oven safe for high sourdough temps and makes a stunning crust and sear. I own six and can bake four breads at a time!

—Chaia Frishman

Just Sayin’

Have you ever put something random in your cholent? Was it a repeat?

Last week’s leftover potato kugel goes into this week’s cholent! I always take the leftovers from the kugel that doesn’t get finished, wrap it in parchment and then in foil, freeze it, and the following week I put it into the cholent. I saw a friend do this, and now we love it. Other times I’ve put in sausages.

—Naomi Nachman

Ok, Quick:

… favorite cookie you’d eat any day.

My favorite cookie will always be a perfect chocolate chip cookie. I add extra chocolate and top it with flaky sea salt. It just doesn’t get better.

—Miriam (Pascal) Cohen

(Originally featured in Family Table, Issue 840)