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. 17, 2007 /27 Teves, 5767 Create your own European strudel, easily, right at home By Steve Petusevsky http://www.JewishWorldReview.com | (MCT) When I visit an Austrian or Hungarian restaurant, I jump at the chance to order strudel. I don't know anyone who doesn't love that wonderful piece of crispy crust oozing sweet, cinnamon-scented apples or cream cheese spiked with raisins. But guess what? It may look tricky with its layers of pastry, but strudel is easy to make at home. I am not talking about making your own strudel dough from scratch. That's a difficult and laborious task. I remember my German work experience watching the head pastry chef making strudel dough. He had four apprentices to help stretch the dough until it was paper-thin. The sheets that measured 4-feet-by-6-feet resembled bed sheets laying across a giant table. Even my grandmother occasionally made strudel dough. It was an all-day affair. Today, however, phyllo dough is available frozen in most supermarkets. It even comes in a whole-wheat variety. Once you get the hang of working with this dough, the fillings are endless and take little time to prepare. Fillings are fun to make and should be well chilled. Moisture is the enemy of any good strudel, so fillings should be as dry as possible before rolling them in the dough. My German mentor showed me the trick of sprinkling some fresh breadcrumbs between the dough layers and the filling so they soak up any extra liquid. There are some ground rules to using the dough, however. It must be defrosted very slowly. I like to do it at room temperature. I take it out of the freezer a day before using and let it sit in the refrigerator overnight. Then I let it sit at room temperature for about three hours in the unopened box the day I intend to bake. Before opening the box, I make all my fillings. Once the phyllo is defrosted and your fillings prepared, remove the number of sheets needed for your recipe and lay them on a clean, dry surface. I find that layering five to six sheets gives the best results. You can refreeze the unused phyllo sheets if you wrap them carefully. Lay the sheets you plan to use on the work surface and immediately cover them with a damp towel or paper towels. Most recipes call for brushing the individual sheets of phyllo dough with melted butter, but I like to use a healthier mixture of equal parts butter and either canola or olive oil, depending on the recipe. Although strudel is typically made in lengths, phyllo dough can also be used to line muffin cups, form purses or be folded into triangles. Above I give you recipes for strudels made with two of my favorite fillings — a sweet and a savory one. RECIPES APPLE WALNUT APRICOT STRUDEL Makes 10 to 12 servings. Steve's tip: You can use raisins or figs instead of apricots, if you prefer. Use a tart apple for the filling. Filling: 5 large granny smith, fuji or gala apples, peeled, cored and sliced 1/2 inch thick 1/2 cup light brown sugar 1/2 cup pure maple syrup 1/2 cup chopped walnuts 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1/2 cup chopped dried apricots Juice and zest from 1 lemon 1 teaspoon cornstarch Strudel Assembly: 1 tablespoon canola oil 1 tablespoon unsalted butter 5 sheets frozen phyllo dough, thawed according to package directions 1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs 1/4 cup brown sugar, optional To make filling: Combine all the ingredients a large mixing bowl. (Can be made up to two days before assembling strudel; store in refrigerator.) To assemble: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking pan with parchment paper; set aside. Combine oil and butter in a small microwaveable cup and microwave 25 seconds on high until melted. Set aside. Stack the phyllo sheets near where you are assembling the strudel and cover with a damp kitchen towel. Lay 1 sheet phyllo on a clean kitchen towel. Brush with the melted butter mixture. Place another sheet over top and repeat this process until all 5 sheets are stacked and brushed. There should be a bit of butter mixture leftover. Sprinkle bread crumbs down the center of the top piece of phyllo dough. Place the filling down the center length of the pyllo in a column about 4 inches wide. Lift up the edges of the kitchen towel and roll the strudel dough over the filling. Place, seam side down, on prepared pan. Brush with remaining butter mixture. Sprinkle with brown sugar, if desired. Bake 35 minutes until golden brown and apples are tender. Cool the strudel before cutting into 2-inch-thick slices. Per serving (without brown sugar): 199 calories, 27 percent calories from fat, 6 grams total fat, .98 gram saturated fat, 3 milligrams cholesterol, 36 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams total fiber, 24 grams total sugars, 34 grams net carbs, 3 grams protein, 78 milligrams sodium. Per serving (with brown sugar): 214 calories, 25 percent calories from fat, 6 grams total fat, .98 gram saturated fat, 3 milligrams cholesterol, 40 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams total fiber, 28 grams total sugars, 38 grams net carbs, 3 grams protein, 78 milligrams sodium. MUSHROOM, LEEK AND SWISS STRUDEL Steve's tip: Feel free to use any favorite cheese in this recipe. I like gruyere, but any shredded cheese mixture will work fine. Makes 10 to 12 servings Filling: 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 large onion, thinly sliced 1 large leek, heavy outer leaves removed and discarded, cleaned well and chopped 6 cups sliced mushrooms (a combination of button, shiitake, portobello and/or oyster) 2 cloves garlic, minced 3 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves pulled from the branches, or 1/2 teaspoon dried 1/2 cup dry white wine or sherry 1 1/2 cups shredded swiss cheese 1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese 1 1/2 cups fresh bread crumbs Strudel Assembly: 1 tablespoon canola oil 1 tablespoon unsalted butter 5 sheets frozen phyllo dough, thawed according to package directions 1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs 2 tablespoons sesame seeds, optional To make filling: Heat the oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the onions, leeks, mushrooms, garlic and thyme. Cook 4 minutes stirring often. Add the wine and cook 3 minutes until all the liquid in the pan evaporates. Cool 15 minutes and stir in both cheeses. To assemble: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking pan with parchment paper; set aside. Combine oil and butter in a small microwaveable cup and microwave 25 seconds on high until melted. Set aside. Stack the phyllo sheets near where you are assembling the strudel and cover with a damp kitchen towel. Lay 1 sheet phyllo on a clean kitchen towel. Brush with the melted butter mixture. Place another sheet over top and repeat this process until all 5 sheets are stacked and brushed. There should be a bit of butter mixture leftover. Sprinkle bread crumbs down the center of the top piece of phyllo dough. Place the filling down the center length of the phyllo in a column about 4 inches wide. Lift up the edges of the kitchen towel and roll the strudel dough over the filling. Place, seam side down, on prepared pan. Brush with remaining butter mixture. Sprinkle with sesame seeds, if desired. Bake 35 minutes until golden brown. Cool the strudel before cutting into 2-inch-thick slices. Per serving: 194 calories, 42 percent calories from fat, 9 grams total fat, 4 grams saturated fat, 17 milligrams cholesterol, 19 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram total fiber, 2 grams total sugars, 18 grams net carbs, 9 grams protein, 234 milligrams sodium. Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here. Steve Petusevsky is the author of "The Whole Foods Market Cookbook". (Click HERE to purchase. Sales help fund JWR.) To comment, please click here. © 2007, South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services