Today was such a fun day!
I started out the morning with a bowl of oats topped with some of the One Lucky Duck “grawnola” from Veggie Girl. In her words? HOLY YUM! It was a hearty breakfast that put me in a great mood, and ready to taste loads of cake.
Thats right… cake. Today was our wedding cake tasting!! We are working with The Baking Institute, a bakery that works closely with our venue. A couple months ago, Adam and I selected 3 flavors of cake and 3 flavors of icing that we wanted to try, and they put them together in samples for us. My mom, sister, Adam and I were eager to try them all!
From left: red velvet cake with raspberry custard; marble cake with vanilla buttercream; white cake with lemon custard
Each one was delicious, but there were 2 combos that stuck out as particularly delicious: the red velvet with raspberry (pink on pink!) and marble cake with lemon custard. I dipped some of the marble in the lemon custard to try it, and it was AMAZING. We decided to go with a 3-tier cake: bottom tier is red velvet/raspberry; middle tier is marble/lemon; top tier (that we don’t share!) is red velvet with white chocolate mousse. The design is going to be a lovely combination of these two cakes:
I’m so excited!! We followed up the sugar rush with a protein-packed lunch at Wildfire and then a shopping trip for my sister (my maid of honor!) to find her bridesmaid’s dress. I decided against dictating a specific bridesmaid’s dress, and asked my 4 bridesmaids to choose a black dress that THEY are comfortable in. That’s the only requirement…well, that and that it’s not SUPER short. Here’s my sister with her some of the dozen dresses to try on:
When I got home, I wasn’t hungry for dinner yet, so I made the conscious decision to WAIT until I actually FELT hungry, and then deciding what to eat. When I did finally get hungry, I wanted ONE thing: BREAKFAST. Then I remembered I had frozen breakfast sausage from Christina! That did it. I made sausage patties, 2 eggs over medium with lowfat cheese, 2 pieces of high fiber toast with some AMAZING Crofter’s superfruit spread:
Let me tell you, Miss Christina, that is BY FAR the best breakfast sausage I have EVER had! EVER! Kudos to you and your dad!!!
(this post is going to just keep going, so keep reading!)
NOW the winner of the Tanka Bar giveaway! There were 45 entries for this contest, and using random.org, it came up with #9…which is:
Congratulations!! I’ll send you an email to get your information to pass on to the company. Don’t forget that you can get $5 off a box of 12 regular Tanka Bars by entering the coupon code “IMADEDINNER09″ at checkout.
FINALLY, we have yet another giveaway!! I’m VERY excited about this one…
As many of you know by the lovely banner on the right, I also blog for The Jewish Wedding Network (JWN) which is run by an amazing woman, Sara, who also runs one of my favorite other sites. PopJudaica.com is a site that I found MONTHS before I was writing for JWN, and it’s full of kitschy and trendy Jewish-themed items (The SuperJew shirt from Funny People is one) as well as more traditional and typically “useful” items (like mezuzahs and books). I contacted Sara about doing a giveaway on What’s For Dinner, and she immediately suggested that we give away a copy of the great cookbook “Jewish Cooking Bootcamp”
This is a book that I wish I’d had during college, when all I wanted was some of mom’s or grandma’s cooking… and one that would be helpful even now! You don’t need to be Jewish to enter or win, just have a love for all things kugel and brisket!
In order to be entered to win, just leave me a comment telling me your favorite “Jewish” food. Don’t know what constitutes Jewish food? Check this comprehensive list. Ok, Ok, it’s just the menu from one of my favorite Jewish delis in the Chicagoland area, but it will help you out. The winner will be announced Thursday at dinner! Thanks PopJudaica.com and Sara for this great giveaway!
It’s back to work tomorrow… have a great Wednesday!
Believe it or not I think it is hard to pick my favorite jewish food because I like a lot! Kishke, noodle kugel and my sister’s brisket are just a few…yum!
Definitely kishke. But the pareve kind. No intestines and schmaltz for me.
although dairy noodle kugel does come in a very close second.
gee I have never had Jewish food. Sheltered, I know, but I have had some of the killer sandwiches on that menu so that’s my choice, salt cured meats.
I have eaten moose, caribou, mountain goat(blech) and bear though so not SO sheltered. Right?!?
laura´s last blog ..Best Foodie Fotos vote now!
latkes. Far and away… I could probably live off of them!
Love,
Jaime
Jaime´s last blog ..Denim Pair Review: Hudson’s "Denim Leggings"
Noodle Kugel!
Lindsey´s last blog ..Sesame Bagels and My First Giveaway!
I’m not sure if I’ve ever had Jewish food. I think I would love latkes though!
gorgeous cakes!
Allison (Eat Clean Live Green)´s last blog ..Bermuda, Bahama
Blinner? haha you are too cute!
Chocolate-Covered Katie´s last blog ..Beware the Mutant Chicken Ducks!
When thinking about my favorite Jewish food I think of the meal I my Mom makes every year for Break the Fast. Brisket, noodle kugel, and the most delicious orange jello ever!
My favorite Jewish food is noodle kugel. A second runner up would be potato latkes.
Oo I like this one. Matzoh ball soup please!! I love raisin challah too!
Missy Maintains´s last blog ..Fiesta!
YAY!!!!! How good do those cakes look? Wow, holy yum x infinity! I’m so happy you narrowed everything down. So soon, so soon!!
I had oatmeal for dinner last night. It just had to be done
Great giveaway! My favorite Jewish food has gotta be challah – hey, it rhymes!!
Jenn (eating bender)´s last blog ..Unfamiliar Territory
1) i’ve said it before, but it’s worth saying again — i’d get married just for the cake tasting. i am so excited for your wedding cake
2) charoset!!!!!!!!!!
Sarah (Tales of Expansion)´s last blog ..The junk
I loved my baker that did my wedding. Everytime we had a meeting, it had to involve cake! And his pieces were huge.
My fav Jewish food is..Gefilte Fish! Haha, kidding I have nightmares about that stuff. I love it all, but I’ll say Rugelach. Yum.
Bagels and lox for sure!
Brisket for sure!
It’s a tough choice … between latkes and babka. We break the fast with babka every year and I drool when my mother makes it everytime. I’d have to go with that!
Gemfit´s last blog ..A serious case of deja vu
Not very original, but I love matzah balls and I’m not sure this is Jewish (I think it is?) – but potato knish!
OHH I’m so happy you enjoyed the sausage!
I forwarded on your post to my parents so they can see! 
hehe It’s oddly exciting to see pics of something that was in my freezer a few days ago on other people’s blogs!
Christina´s last blog ..White Wine Sangria
I just ate gefilte fish for the first time today. I really liked it. But I think I like matzo ball soup the best.
Kristin´s last blog ..Pear and Cherry Cobbler
Latkes with applesauce!
Ashley´s last blog ..The Breakfast That Almost Wasn’t
Growing up in a Jewish neighborhood meant awesome food…Anything with matzoh (we used to keep boxes of them), and potato latkes. With all the toppings. Jewish delis have the best food, evvvv. Also; I once stole matzoh from our church’s Seder dinner when I was 8. Ha, but it was worth it
Oh my gosh! The cakes! And I can’t wait to see the final design. That looks like a seriously fun day.
cinnamonquill´s last blog ..Madeleines Save the Day
Those cakes look Divine! I had the same requirement for my bridesmaids, and it looked beautiful! The different and flattering dresses is really complimentary! Enjoy all the wedding planning!
MackAttack (Beth)´s last blog ..In the mail today
My Jewish food knowledge is pretty limited so the dish that I can think of off the top of my head is raisin challah.
Definitely kishke!
Not a healthy choice, and I don’t even want to know what’s in it, but I adore it.
Carly´s last blog ..and the winner is….
Yeah I don’t know if I can pick just one thing I like….I LOVE challah (especially home baked by awesome food bloggers) and I also love kreplach soup. And Sarah reminded me I love charoset, and I like brisket…and latkes, if they are made like I like (crispy but not greasy and not mushy). Haha so that’s a million things but what can I say…our peeps know how to EAT
Hallie (healthy twists)´s last blog ..Putting it Out in the Universe
Those cakes are gorgeous! Your flavor selections sound wonderful–can’t go wrong with red velvet!
BroccoliHut´s last blog ..God Bless the PJ Pants
Matzah ball soup and brisket! I feel like I could never make it as good as my mom and aunts, though…
After having a bagel and lox at Schmaltz Deli, that’s gotta be it. Really great on a sesame bagel. My aunt’s matzoh ball soup is amazing but until she tells me the secret (which I think comes down to wear she buys her broth), I won’t say it’s my favorite
I had a big-ass bowl of JUST the 1LD grawnola yesterday – so damn delish. Glad you liked it too!
AWESOME choice with the cake style/flavors!!
VeggieGirl´s last blog ..Three Blondes, Some Lucky Ducks, and A Squash
Love me some latkas! Especially sweet potato.
Lauren´s last blog ..Falling Into Fall
I try to avoid Ashkenazi Jew food like the plague, even though I am Ashkenazi. Does Israeli salad count as Jewish food? Because it’s definitely my favorite to eat and make, just for the ease and freshness. I also like to slather Nutella on matzah and make a day of it.
Far too easy — the Jewish holy trinity: bagels lox and cream cheese.
Gotta love blinner! As for my favorite Jewish noshing, it’s gotta be a reuben. : )
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knishes. oh my, knishes.
Oh, so many foods to choose from. I’ll skip the obvious Matzoh ball soup, bagel cream cheese and lox or blintzes. I love those, sure, but I have them often so I’ll pick something slightly different. Something that makes Passover bearable: Charoset. For those who don’t know, Charoset is basically chopped up apples with wine, honey, walnuts and cinnamon mixed in. It’s quite delicious. Why I don’t make it all year long is a mystery to me!
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The things that immediately came to mind is kishke and sable fish!! Both are a once a year treat.
Briskette or Hamantaschen. Ooh – bagel with lox and cream cheese.
Those cake samples look phenomenal. We did alternating layers too, and it was great to have a variety for people to choose at the reception. We saved the top layer – wrapped it really well with several layers of saran wrap, then even more wrapping with aluminum foil, then freeze. I was worried it wasn’t going to taste good anymore on our 1 yr. anniv., so I ordered a sample size from the bakery who made the original cake. Would you believe that after a full year in the freezer, the original top tier tasted better than the freshly baked one???
It’s true.
Oh my, so many great Jewish foods to choose from! Top 3 are Mom’s brisket, kishke, and chicken soup w/ kreplach. I just love our people’s version of the meat-filled dumpling! Remember Barnum & Bagel had that Kit & Kaboodle soup where you could get ALL of the soup fillings at once in a huge bowl (noodles + matzo ball + kreplach + farfel + rice)? Oh, how I miss that restaurant! The Bagel is all right, but it’s just not the same in my eyes.
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Mara @ What's For Dinner? Reply:
September 23rd, 2009 at 9:19 am
le sigh… barnum and bagel was my FAVORITE!!! I totally remember that soup, and their matzah meal pancakes, and the super amazing lox…
I love Matzo Ball soup. The Jewish deli in my hometown must be the only Jewish deli to not serve it every day. But they did serve Italian wedding soup with broken up matzo balls in it. Go figure.
Mara,
I’ve been lurking on your blog for about 6 months – you’re the first one I check every morning! Omigod – that cake picture is going to haunt me all day, btw. I noticed your wedding is coming up and that you blog for a wedding blog too. Just wanted to let you know that I design custom Wedding (and all other occasions) Newspapers for favors, thank yous, etc. If you’re interested, check out my listing here: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=29847177
I really enjoy reading your blog!! Thanks for sharing your life and food with us!
Best,
Katie
Katie´s last blog ..Custom Newspaper – 100 copies
That cake is to.die.for! Looks AMAZING!!!
P.S. matzo ball soup is THE BEST
Shannon (The Daily Balance)´s last blog ..Daily Delish – VegiTerranean
My favorite Jewish food is my mother’s Matzoh Ball Soup – YUM! Love your photos and the story behind it.
TheAngelForever´s last blog ..Sippy cup dreams
Potato Pancakes with applesauce AND sour cream. Crispy, golden, the perfect comfort food. I could eat a dozen!!! thanks for a great give-away!
Barnum and Bagel…sigh. We lived in Chicago for 10 years and that was a favorite spot. We were so sad to hear of its demise.
I guess my favorite (there are soooooo many) has to be tzimmes. We go to seder with family friends, and her brisket is the most amazing food in the world. I made my own brisket for Rosh Hoshana which is passable, but hers is incredible. It helps that after the first part of the seder we’re all hungry enough to chew off an arm, but I think I’d crave her brisket even if it weren’t passowver!!
I don’t think I’ve eaten much Jewish food, but I wanted to comment on how fun it is to taste wedding cakes.
Jessica @ How Sweet It Is´s last blog ..Mother Lovett: It’s My Party And I’ll Cry If I Want To.
My Nana’s brisket and matzoh ball soup, pure Jew heaven:)
Beautiful cakes!!!
FoodCents´s last blog ..NO SNOW SHOW & SHOW THE DOOR TO TRANS FAT…
I would say challah for sure and lox on a bagel with a schmear
Amy´s last blog ..He May Be Small, But He’s a Fighter!
Gotta say that I really like hallah. I could just sit there and pick at it forever!!!
Melissa´s last blog ..139.4
I never get tired of a classic, well-done, bowl of golden comfort: matza ball soup. Big balls, soft not hard.
Anything with smoked salmon.
And, of course, a reuben. Yummmm ….
Rachel´s last blog ..Hello world!
I love challah, bagels, latkes, horseradish, and potato kugel!