Desserts, Beverages, and Jams

Sima (Slightly fermented lemon drink)
8 cups water

1 lemon

1 cup sugar

1/3 cup dark brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon dry yeast
A few raisins

Wash the lemon well and peel the yellow zest off with a potato peeler, set aside. Remove the white rind, then slice the lemon. Bring 4 cups of water to boil in a stainless steel or enamel pot. Remove from heat and stir in the sugars until dissolved. Add 4 cups of cold water, the lemon slices, and the zest. Let cool to lukewarm. Take a couple of tablespoons of the liquid and dissolve the yeast in it, then add to the liquid. Cover the pan and let sit in room temperature overnight.

When the liquid starts to ferment (small bubbles form and the zest pieces rise to the surface), pour into clean bottles. Add 1 teaspoon of sugar and a few raisins in each bottle, close them tightly, and let stand on the counter until the raisins rise to the surface. Then refrigerate the bottles, and the sima will be ready to drink in a few days.

Poached Pears

1 1/2 cup red wine

1 1/2 T. lemon juice

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 t. cinnamon

4 pears, peeled and quartered

Combine wine, lemon juice, sugar, and cinnamon in a saucepan and simmer while peeling and quartering the pears. Add pears to the wine syrup and simmer slowly for 15-20 minutes, or until the pears are easily pierced with a knife. (If the pears are very ripe, the cooking will take less time.) When the pears are done, turn off the heat and cool the pears in the wine syrup. Chill in the refrigerator before serving.

Baked Pears and Apples

3 apples, peeled and quartered seed pods removed

4 pears, peeled and quartered, seed pods removed

A little lemon juice

A little brown sugar or maple syrup/molasses

A little cinnamon

(A little white wine)

Pile apple and pear wedges into a buttered pie pan, sprinkle with the rest of the ingredients, and bake in 350 until the pears are soft, at least an hour. Once in a while, toss the pieces and baste with the liquid. Serve hot or cold, maybe with ice cream.
This is incredibly easy: Nothing to measure, no multiple steps. Just stick the fruit in the oven and forget about them until you hear the raves at the table.

Sufganiyot (Israeli Jelly Donuts)

2 tablespoons dry yeast

3 1/2 tablespoons sugar

3/4 cup lukewarm milk

2 1/2 cups flour

2 egg yolks

Pinch salt and cinnamon

1 1/2 softened margarine

Plum or strawberry preserves (apricot is good, too!)

Vegetable oil for deep-frying

Granulated sugar

Make the dough on a bread maker dough cycle. When risen, take small pieces of dough, flatten into a circle, put a little jelly in the middle, and pinch the edges to seal tightly. (Make sure no jelly touches the edges to be sealed, or the dough won't stick together!). Drop the doughnuts in the heated oil, 5 - 6 at a time, turning when brown. Drain on paper towels. Roll in granulated sugar and serve immediately.

Berry Jam (Marjahillo)

4 cups strawberries or other berries
1 1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup water

Mix the ingredients in a casserole, bring to boil, and cook for 10 minutes, stirring from time to time. Spoon off the foam, cool for a moment, and place in a clean heated jar. That's all there is to it! 
Warning: I haven't actually tried this yet, but it seems like what I have done before.