When my sister visits, as she did this week, I live a more Jewish life-style by keeping kosher. To respect her religious beliefs, I bring out separate dishes, pots and pans… making the kitchen suitable for cooking within the Jewish dietary laws. When we go out to restaurants, we only patronize the strictly kosher ones that concentrate along Harvard Avenue in Brookline. My favorite is Rami’s.
Rami’s is the type of restaurant I would open if I ever decided to become a restaurateur. Not for the Israeli cuisine or the casual atmosphere; but because it’s a kosher restaurant that appeals to both Jews and non-Jews; people that adhere to the laws of kashrut and those who do not. My restaurant would be a fine dining, American cuisine restaurant called Dakos… as in: dairy kosher. No meat or shellfish would be served.
But back to reality and Rami’s… They serve Israeli street/café food: falafel, shawarma, and boureks (puff pastry filled with meat, potatoes or vegetables). I first went there with my sister several years ago, but now I’m there on my own every other month. I originally would just order the falafel, but soon discovered the Shawarma, and it was all over.
Shawarma can be made with goat, lamb, or chicken. Rami’s uses turkey thigh meat, skewers it and roasts it on a spit. To order, they slice thin strips off the spit and then griddle it crisp. The allspice seasoning makes this version superior to others. Traditionally, the meat is wrapped in pita bread with lettuce, tomatoes and cucumbers, but at Rami’s you can also get it served on a bed of hummos. Either way, tahini sauce, sesame seed paste thinned with lemon juice and garlic, is drizzled on top; adding a layer of complexity in flavors.
And thus we conclude the series: My Ten Favorite Dishes…. With Rami’s Shawarma taking the #10 spot.
They say no idea is original, nor is any recipe. Most recipes take inspiration from someone else’s ideas. And my recipe for Juniper Scented Duck with Caramelized Balsamic Sauce and Celeriac Puree is no different.
Lorenza de Medici has a recipe for wild boar stew that has all sorts of unique flavorings and techniques. The marinade and subsequent braising liquid calls for juniper (the pine berry that is also the prominent flavoring in gin), red wine, carrots celery and onions. Separately, she caramelizes sugar with garlic, and then adds red wine vinegar to create a sweet and sour flavor. When the pork is cooked, the meat is pulled out, and the braising liquid (along with all the mushy vegetables) are pureed to act as a thickener to the stew. She finishes the sauce with chocolate, prunes and almonds.
As I often do, I substitute proteins within a recipe… chicken for pork, pork for duck, duck for beef or tuna, and so on… for this recipe, I decided duck breasts would be a fine substitute for the wild boar. And since duck breasts don’t require a long braising time (and in fact suffer from that) more modifications were necessary.
The duck received the same marinade as the original recipe. I then poached a technique from Thomas Keller to cook the duck “sous vide” I removed the skin, rolled up the duck breast lengthwise, the duck was rolled in a blanched cabbage leaf and then wrapped in plastic wrap like a tootsie roll. The whole package is poached in boiling water for 8 minutes for a perfect medium rare.
I liked the idea of the caramelized sugar for a sweet and sour sauce. But since I didn’t have red wine vinegar, I used balsamic instead. I didn’t want to lose the essence of the marinade, so I cooked that until the vegetables were tender, pureed that, and added it to the caramelized balsamic. Going back to the original recipe, I finished the sauce with chocolate. And recognizing my personal preferences, I omit the bay leaves, candied citron, raisins and pine nuts.
The prunes transformed into a tart relish with fresh plums, shallots and thyme.
Celeriac Puree pairs magically with the sauce – complimenting both the sweet and sour flavor, as well as the juniper.
Of course, I couldn’t lose the duck skin. Those went into the oven until they transformed into cracklings.
All together, this was an elegant main meal for the Passover Seder last week. I serve this dish year-round, sometimes with duck, other times with pork tenderloin, and sometimes even with tuna.
Original Recipe:
3 pounds wild boar
2 carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
2 celery stalks, roughly chopped
2 yellow onions, peeled and roughly chopped
½ bottle red wine
4 tbs. extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp. juniper berries
2 bay leaves
salt
1 tsp. black pepper
¼ cup sugar
½ cup red wine vinegar
4 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
2 oz. grated bitter chocolate
1/3 cup raisins, soaked in water
½ cup pitted prunes, soaked in water
¼ cup pine nuts
1 tbs. candied citron, finely chopped.
1. Twenty-fours ahead, put the meat in a good-sized, flameproof casserole together with the carrots, celery and onions. Add the wine and marinate for 24 hours, turning from time to time.
2. On the serving day, remove the meat from the marinade and pat dry. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil until it begins to color. Brown the meat on all sides. Strain the vegetables from the marinade add to the meat with the juniper berries, 1 of the bay leaves, salt and pepper. Pour some of the marinade over. Cover and simmer for 1 ½ hours or until the meat is tender, adding the remaining marinade, a little at a time.
3. Transfer the meat to a flameproof casserole. Puree the vegetables, then pour them over the meat and reheat. In a sauce pan, melt the sugar with the garlic and remaining bay leaf, and cook until lightly colored. Add the vinegar and bitter chocolate. Boil for a few minutes. Add the sauce to the meat together with the raisins, prunes, pine nuts and candied citron. Simmer for an additional 10 minutes before serving.
Julia’s Revised Recipe
Duck Roulade with Caramelized Balsamic Sauce, Roasted Plums and Juniper
8 duck breasts, skin removed
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 onions, peeled and chopped
2 cups red wine
1 tsp. juniper berries
8 big leaves from savoy cabbage (with no splits or tears)
1/4 cup sugar
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
2 oz. chocolate or butter
2 plums, quartered and chopped
6 prunes, pitted and chopped coarsely.
1 tsp. thyme, chopped
1 shallot, sliced or diced
salt and pepper to taste
1. Marinate duck with wine, juniper, salt, pepper, carrots, onions, and celery for up to 24 hours.
2. Bring a pot of water to boil. Cook cabbage leaves for 1 or 2 minutes, or just until wilted. Drain. Carefully, cut away large rib.
3. Remove duck from marinade.
4. Tear off a piece of plastic wrap about 20 inches long, and lay it across a work surface. Place cabbage leaf down. Roll duck breast, lengthwise into cylinder, and place cylinder of cabbage leaf. Roll leaf around breast. Trim edges, and roll tightly into plastic wrap. Roll both ends of wrap to secure shape and tie with kitchen string. Refrigerate packets until ready to cook.
5. Meanwhile, combine the sugar with the garlic and ¼ cup of water in a small sauce pot. Stir, over high flame just until the sugar dissolves. When the sugar begins to caramelize and turns a deep amber color, add the vinegar. Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sugar re-dissolves (it will seize up with the vinegar is added)
6. Cook marinade in a covered sauce pot over medium flame until carrots are tender. Puree the vegetables with a little bit of the wine and add about 1/2 – 1 cup to the balsamic sauce (taste after adding 1/2 cup and add more to taste). Swirl in chocolate and set aside in a warm place.
7. Toss plums with shallots and thyme. Season with salt, pepper, and balsamic vinegar. Roast in the oven for 15 minutes. Mix with prunes
8. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add duck packages and cook for 8 minutes, for medium/medium-rare. Remove from water and let rest for a few minutes before removing the plastic and slicing.
9. Serve with asparagus and celeriac puree
Celeriac Puree
3 knobs celery root (celeriac)
½ – 1 cup cream
truffle carpaccio
salt, pepper and lemon juice to taste
Peel celery root. Cut into 1/8th. Put in a pot of cold salted water. Boil the be-jeebies out of it. When tender, drain. Put in a food processor, and puree with approximately 1/2 cup of cream. Add lemon juice, 1 squeeze at a time, until it is seasoned to your taste. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
Passover preparations serendipitously began yesterday. As I was shopping for regular staples and dinner, I noticed that whole chickens were on sale. At $1.69/pound at Whole Paycheck Foods, I decided to stock up. And then I remembered that I have 10 guests coming for the first seder next week. This was the perfect time to start in on the chicken soup that would provide the medium for my matzah balls.
I bought 3 chickens, and immediately got to work breaking them down. I separated the birds into 4 groups – breasts, thighs, livers and, of course, stock parts – the bones, drums and wings that will go into making the chicken soup. After all, there’s so much flavor in the bones. Industrious chefs have long known that the bones make the best, most flavorful stock, even more so than the meat. And I must confess, I’m not a big fan of chicken drums or wings (unless they’re deep-fried) so they go into the stock-pile as well.
The chicken breasts and thighs were immediately frozen for a later meal.
I tossed the “stock-parts” with some salt and pepper, and roasted them in the oven. This accomplished two functions. First, the fat rendered away from the bones which will yield me a cleaner stock. As a bonus, I now have schmaltz for my matzah balls. Best of all, the bones achieve a dark, rich color that will make for a more flavorful stock.
Remember the chicken drums I tossed into my stock pile? When the bones have finished roasting, after about 30 minutes at 400F, the chicken legs are cooked through. I pick the meat off the bone and save that separately to put in my matzah ball soup. If I were to put them in the stock pot along with the bones, I wouldn’t have the meat for my soup. Yes, I could fetch it out after the stock was finished. But that would be more hassle than it’s worth. But more unfortunate, the meat would have lost all its flavor to the broth. Better to pick it out now, and add it back at the end.
Inside the chickens is a little pouch that contains the gizzards and neck. I never know how many livers I might get. Though each chicken only have one, the little pouch could have three or none. In this case, I had three in each: enough to make chopped liver. Chicken liver mousse with cognac and butter would also be delicious, but I was feeling particularly Jewish.
I also felt particularly thrifty and resourceful last night. From my three birds, I yielded:
Chopped Liver This recipe could not be simpler… with only 4 ingredients. I prefer chopping it by hand – the flavor and texture is better. Some people “chop” it in the food processor.
3 large eggs
3 tablespoons vegetable oil or chicken fat
1 large onions, diced
1 lb. fresh chicken livers
salt and pepper to taste
1. Put eggs in cold water. Bring to a boil, and simmer for 1 minute. Cover the pot and let sit for 10 minutes. Drain the eggs and place under cold running water until cold. Peel.
2. Meanwhile, put chicken livers on a paper towel to blot dry. Season with salt and pepper. heat oil or chicken fat in a large sauté pan. Add onions, and sauté for 5 minutes, or until onions start to brown. Season the livers with salt and pepper and add them to the pan. Cook until they are cooked through and firm, about 5 minutes.
3. Chop everything together, by hand or in a food processor. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
It’s really no surprise that Jews and Chinese food are synonymous. When typically thriving urban centers shut down for Christmas, us non-Christian folk have little to do… volunteering is out as most non-profits are already inundated with caring Christians. TV programming focuses on Christmas specials and football. And every store or restaurant is either closed or Christmas-centric.
The only open restaurants not featuring a Christmas special are the Chinese. So the Jews eat Chinese food on Christmas.
By now its tradition – I host (or go to) two holiday parties a year – a latke party and a “Chinese” Christmas party.
This year, I decided to blend the two cultures and will prepare Chinese brisket. Brisket is actually the cut of meat just below the breast.
The muscle, not surprising given its location, is quite active. Active muscle = flavorful meat, and also very tough meat. The only way to cook brisket is to slowly simmer it covered in liquid. This breaks down the meat into meltingly tender deliciousness. The Jews usurped the name to refer to the braised meat dish prepared with this cut.
For Chinese inspired brisket, I turn to my favorite Chinese authority Eileen Yin Fei Lo for Five-Spice Beef.
She suggests serving the dish cold. I serve it hot as part of a larger banquet/buffet.
My favorite four-year old proclaimed that my house “stinked” upon walking in and smelling the brisket in the oven. He changed his opinion quickly. Five Spice Beef Brisket Adapted from The Chinese Kitchen by Eileen Yin-Fei Lo
4 cup water ½ cup brown sugar ¼ cup shao-hsing wine 4 garlic cloves, smashed 2 slices ginger, smashed 3 star anise ½ tsp. Sichuan peppercorns ½ tsp. salt 1 cinnamon stick (I used a piece of Vietnamese) ½ tsp. five-spice powder ¼ cup mushroom soy sauce ¼ cup regular soy sauce ¼ cup rice or black vinegar 2 lb. beef brisket
1. Combine ingredients (except beef) in a large pyrex dish. Stir to dissolve sugar.
2. Add beef. Cover dish with foil. Put in a 325 oven. 3. Every hour or so, turn meat over. 4. Cook for 4 hours or until meat is tender.
5. Slice meat thin. Drizzle braising liquid on top. Garnish with scallions if you like.
My sister and her family came to visit last week. They don’t make the trip often – flying up four people (from Richmond) is downright expensive. And because they are orthodox Jews, finding a time that does not interfere with school, work and Shabbat can be most challenging.
When they do visit, I try to accommodate their religious lifestyle. The biggest challenge is kashering my kitchen (the act of making my kitchen kosher). The Jewish dietary laws require the separation of milk and meat (which translates into separate dishes for milk meals and for meat meals) and a prohibition on pork and shellfish. Because I don’t cook kosher, I cannot cook for them in my kitchen as is, even if I buy all kosher ingredients. I need to go through a ritual process that cleanses my kitchen of traces of "treyf." Obviously, my kitchen is regularly cleaned and sanitized, so there aren’t really remnants of pork or lobster on the counters or even in the dishes. But that’s not the point.
I have separate dishes in the basement that I use when they visit, as well as a few pots and pans. I even have a dish-drainer just for them (we can't use my dishwasher since it can't be ritually kashered). I also need to take care of the oven, counters, stovetop, sink and a few miscellaneous pieces of equipment (tongs, my fish spatula) that I don't have extra. The process takes me about two hours. Sometimes I think I’ll just pretend, and tell my sister I actually did it for her. But it’s so important to her, that I can’t deceive her like that.
This is what I do:
1. Turn the oven on self-cleaning. I think I only need to do this for one hour, but my oven requires a minimum of 4, so that’s what I do.
2. Boil a cup of water in the microwave until it has evaporated.
3. Turn all burners on high for an hour.
And then it gets a little complicated….
4. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. I do this while I’m doing step 3. The pot has to be really big – because it is into this pot that I’ll dip anything that’s not kosher that I’m trying to make kosher. I’ll put in some extra pots and pans, some cooking utensils and even a cookie sheet or two. It also has to be really full so that when I drop a rock into it, the water will overflow. This is to mimic free flowing water.
I could also take everything to a body of free flowing water (like a river or ocean) and dip it in there. Perhaps that would be easier.
5. So when the water boils (and I have to make sure I’m done with step 3 by this point), I drop a rock into the water so it overflows.
This is the part I hate the most. I stare at the pot, wondering if when I drop the rock in, the water will overflow. If it does, I’m following ritual, but I know it will create a huge mess.
6. I then take cup fulls of water and pour it all over the counters and sink.
7. Once the sink is kosher, I can start kashering all the utensils and pots. I submerge them into the water and then run them under cold water.
And that’s it! Seven easy steps to make your Jewish friends feel welcome in your home.
My cooking simplifies when I'm cooking kosher, mainly because I don't have the little tools like a blender, cuissinart or kitchen aid.
Pan Seared Halibut with Cider Reduction and Roasted Vegetables 2 cups fresh pressed apple cider 1 pound brussels sprouts 2 tbs. olive oil 2 pounds parsnips 2 sprigs fresh thyme 1 butternut squash 1 onion 1 apple 1 tsp. curry powder
1 stick butter 1 cup cream 4 pounds halibut, cut into 8 portions 1/4 flour salt and pepper to taste
Pre-heat oven to 400F
Put apple cider in a pot over high heat and reduce by half.
While the cider is reducing, prepare the vegetables: Cut the Brussels sprouts in half. Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. Place them on a baking sheet, cut side down and roast for 20 minutes, or until browned on the bottom side.
Peel the parsnips. Cut into wedges. Melt 2 tbs. of butter. Toss parsnips in melted butter, salt, pepper and 1 sprig of thyme. Put on a cookie sheet and roast until carmalized brown on the bottom side, about 30 minutes.
Peel the butternut squash and apple. Cut into a small dice. Peel and dice the onion. Heat a large skillet over high heat. Melt the butter. Add onions, apple and squash. Cook, without stirring, until they start to brown. Stir occasionally. Add curry powder, salt and pepper to taste. Continue cooking until squash is tender.
When cider is reduced, add cream, and continue to reduce by half again.
Heat a large skillet over high heat. Season fish with salt and pepper. Dust with flour. Add oil and thyme sprig to pan. Cook halibut until browned. Flip over and cook for 2 minutes more.
My adopted blogger Katie from Eat this. favors honey in her cooking because it’s an unprocessed sugar source. And Tupelo honey, which is derived from bees buzzing around the Florida Tupelo trees, is considered to be one of the best in the world. She deftly describes its virtues here, so I won’t repeat. But suffice it to say, it’s delicate flavor is delightful.
Katie very graciously shared a few bottles with me. Of course, the first thing I had to make was honey cake. Though I typically only eat it at Rosh Hashanah, I love it year round.
Honey Cake This recipe comes from Joan Nathan's Jewish Cooking in America. I modified the ingredients by using raisins instead of the recommended almonds. Also, I did not have a bundt pan so I used a 9-inch square pyrex dish. I baked it for the first 30 minutes at the recommended 350, and then an additional 40 minutes at 325.
3 ½ cups flour 2 ½ tsp. baking powder 1 tsp. baking soda ½ tsp. salt ¼ tsp. cream of tartar 1 cup sugar 1 tsp. cinnamon 3 eggs, separated 1 tbs. lemon juice zest of 1 lemon 1/3 cup oil 1 cup honey 1 cup black coffee ½ cup raisins
1. Sift together flour, baking powder and soda, salt and cream of tarter into a bowl. Make a well in the center and add the sugar, cinnamon, egg yolks lemon juice and zest, honey, oil, coffee and raisins. Incorporate the wet ingredients into the dry.
2. Whip the egg whites until stiff. Gently fold into batter. Pour into a greased 10 inch tube pan. Bake at 350 for 1 hour or until a toothpick comes out clean.
I have few memories of the year my family lived in Israel when I was 3-years old. But I remember the memories, and they have tinted the stories of my childhood when we were back in the States. The Passover story, recited every year at the Seders around the globe, tells of the Jews’ exodus from Egypt during the time of Pharoh. For most of my youth, I thought we were actually part of that exodus – and that’s why we were in Israel. And when my father served us camel-chini at dinner, instead of the usual zoo-chini, it made sense that we would eat that because we used to live in the Middle East.
When I returned to my garden after a week on the farm, I didn’t know what to expect. I forgot to follow the weather to see if it rained, though I believe the temperatures were a scorching 90+ for several days. Would the tomatoes wither from the blight? Would I finally have zucchini? And would my tiny little lettuce seedlings that I planted the week before survive?
I had two zucchinis the size of baseball bats. Maybe these were the storied camel-chini of my youth? I immediately sliced up the first for that night’s dinner. It was tough and woody – not pleasing at all. With all sorts of zucchini breadrecipes popping up all over the blog-o-sphere, I realized that grating was the only way to combat the texture.
Yesterday, I tore out the zucchini plant. While I had hopes of a bumper crop, I only harvested those two overgrown specimens. And I’ve come to realize this happens because of where I planted the seeds. I’m so concerned about overgrown plants, peddling zucchini plants on my street, that I plant them in the least sunny patch of the garden. And with the torrential rains this summer, I discovered that location also gets the most run-off. If I’m to plant zucchini again, I need to commit to a sunnier location.
2 to 2 1/2 cups shredded zucchini 1 cup vegetable oil 3 eggs 1 tsp vanilla 2 cups sugar 3 cups all purpose flour 1 tsp baking soda 1/4 tsp baking powder 1 tsp salt 1 tsp cinnamon
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray two 9? x 5? bread pans with nonstick spray.
In a large mixing bowl, combine zucchini, oil, eggs, and vanilla. Mix thoroughly. Beat sugar into mix until it is thoroughly creamed.
Once liquids and sugar are well mixed, add flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Mix until batter is well blended and even in texture. The batter should be smooth, outside the zucchini shreds. If it’s not, add a little juice from the zucchini. Pour batter evenly into pans.
Bake for approximately 1 hour, or until bread is brown and springs back when gently pressed in the middle.
My brother-in-law is a self described "fanatical" Jew. The degree to which he keeps kosher can be mind boggling even to the modern Orthodox.
A few weeks ago when we were together for a family vacation, I watched as he soaked his lettuces in salted water to wash them. As someone who loves salt, I think any way to better season a dish is pure genius (Empire Kosher Chicken is an example of a salt-soak improving the flavor).
When I queried him about this practice, he explained that the salt helps release any bugs that may still be trapped in the leaves. Since bugs are not kosher, he does not want to inadvertently eat them in his salad, lest he break the dietary laws.
The aphids have begun to attack the kale in my garden, and the kale is rapidly disintegrating. Ladybugs supposedly feast on these little critters, but I have yet to get some this season (um, John? Do you still want to share an order?)
In the meantime, a salt-soak seems to be the ideal solution until I cure this problem.
And in case you thought I, too, was an observant Jew, I added bacon to this recipe to dispel any confusion. If you do keep kosher (or just don't like pork), turkey bacon, or smoked turkey would be a great substitute.
Kale with Bacon and Cider 1/2 pound kale, washed 1 slice bacon, finely chopped 3 cloves garlic 2 tsp. cider vinegar salt and pepper
1. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add salt. Add kale and cook for three minutes. 2. Drain Kale and cool. Coarsely chop. 3. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, add the bacon. Cook over medium heat until the fat begins to render and the edges start to brown. Add the garlic and continue cooking. 4. When garlic is aromatic, stir in the kale and cook for one minute more. Drizzle vinegar on top. 5. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
My friend Amy and I were both hosting our families for Passover this year and decided to collaborate on some of our holiday cooking. As we pulled together our menus and recipes, the inevitable question had to be asked, “Do you like floaters or sinkers?” Of course, we were referring the matzo balls in the soup that precedes every Passover meal around the globe.
Lead bombs may be a more accurate description of the matzo balls I’ve made in the past. As Amy astutely noted, they all really float. Nonetheless, every year I strive for feather light floaters. Every bubbe has her secret, but sadly, I was never taught. My mother, bless her heart, swore upon whipping up the eggs until they tripled in volume. Others advise using seltzer water. And every year, I follow exacting instructions… some years I’ve achieved success, but mostly lead bombs.
Both the seltzer and whipped eggs strive for the same effect – creating air pockets within the batter that expand when cooked. The expanded air pockets get trapped within the dough as it cooks. More air pockets beget lighter balls. The inherent problem with these recommendations is that after you’ve incorporated all these little air pockets, the recipe tells you to let the batter sit for 30 minutes before forming and cooking the matzo balls. During those 30 minutes all the air bubbles deflate and escape. No air-pockets in the matzo balls = lead bombs.
Finally, finally this year, I synthesized all my mistakes and wisdom to create feather light matzo balls. The secret is to make the batter as wet as possible and still hold together when cooked. The water in the batter turns into steam when cooked, pushing against the dough, expanding it to create air pockets. When the matzo balls “set” (i.e. the proteins coagulate and the starches gel), the air bubbles are trapped inside.
And just to be extra safe, I also whipped my eggs until they tripled in volume.
I combined two recipes from Joan Nathan’s “Jewish Cooking in America” If you don’t have this book, and enjoy Jewish cooking, I highly recommend you purchase it. I’ve made the gefilte fish, kugel and many others to rave reviews.
Stuffed Matzo Balls 4 eggs 2 tablespoons chicken fat, melted ½ cup water or seltzer 1 cup matzo meal Salt and pepper to taste
1. Whip eggs with an electric mixture at high speed until tripled in volume. 2. To the eggs, add the chicken fat, water and matzo meal. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Let stand for 30 minutes. 3. Meanwhile, make the stuffing: cook the onions with the chicken fat over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the onions are dark brown. Remove from heat and mix in the matzo meal, egg and cinnamon. 4. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Season generously with salt. 5. Form the matzo balls: with wet hands scoop out about 2 tablespoons of matzo ball mix. Flatten into a round disc around 2 inches around. Put a teaspoon of stuffing in the middle and form the matzo ball around it. Gently place into the boiling water. Repeat this process until all the matzo balls are made – should yield about 12. 6. Cook matzo balls for 30 minutes. Serve with chicken soup.
This recipe doubles and triples well.
Lori Lynn from TaSte WiTh ThE EyEs is hosting a passover round-up, to which I am submitting this recipe. She's posting the round-up on April 15th, but you should go to her blog sooner and often for great recipes and stories.
The original story of Channukah (or Hanuka, Chanuka, or Hanukkah) recounts the rededication of the second temple of Israel. During the first century C.E., the Holy Temple of Jerusalem was under Greek rule, and the Jews could not enter and pray in this sacred and holy place. Miraculously, in 148 C.E. the Jews defeated the Greeks and reclaimed their temple. It had been desecrated and needed to be rebuilt and cleaned up. The rededication of the temple lasted eight days, and included burnt offerings. This celebration became the annual holiday of Hanukah (the spelling my computer spell-check prefers).
Centuries later, the story is retold in the Talmud, and is embellished with the miracle of oil: When the Jews were cleaning up the temple, they need to oil to light the “Eternal Light.” They found an oil flask that seemed to contain only enough to last for 1 day, but instead lasted for eight. It is through this story that foods cooked in oil become the central theme of the holiday.
To me, the real theme of the holiday is potato pancakes (latkes in Jewish), a further stretch of imagination from the original story – since the potatoes are cooked in a only a modest amount. The shredded potatoes are mixed with onion and perhaps a little flour and egg for binding, and are served with either sour cream or apple sauce.
Modern culinarians have adapted the original recipe to include zucchini, parsnips or sweet potatoes. My preferred recipe is a blend of regular and sweet potatoes. I make homemade pink applesauce – the pink coming from the skin of red apples.
Sweet Potato Latkes
1sweet potato
2 medium new potatoes Idaho potatoes
2 onions
2 tbs. flour
1 egg
1 tsp. baking powder
¼ cup
plain oil
salt and pepper to taste
1. Peel potatoes and onions. Grate using the largest whole of a cheese grate or food processor. Pour into a colander and squeeze out the liquid.
2. Mix potatoes with flour, egg, salt, pepper and baking powder.
3. Heat a large skillet over medium high flame and add about 2 tbs. oil. Spoon about 2 tbs. of batter per latke – about 4 latkes per batch. Cook for about 5 minutes or until brown, flip and cook on other side. Repeat until all the batter is used
4. Serve with apple sauce or sour cream or both.
5. Latkes can be pre-made and recrisped in a 450F oven just before serving.
Pink Apple Sauce
3 empire apples, cored with the skin on
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
a few drops of lemon juice
1. Put apples, sugar and water in a sauce pot. Cook over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Continue cooking over medium-low heat, covered, until apples turn mushy.
2. Remove from heat. Press sauce through a food mill to extract the peels from the sauce. Add a few drops of lemon juice.
has a recipe for wild boar stew that has all sorts of unique flavorings and techniques. The marinade and subsequent braising liquid calls for juniper (the pine berry that is also the prominent flavoring in gin), red wine, carrots celery and onions. Separately, she caramelizes sugar with garlic, and then adds red wine vinegar to create a sweet and sour flavor. When the pork is cooked, the meat is pulled out, and the braising liquid (along with all the mushy vegetables) are pureed to act as a thickener to the stew. She finishes the sauce with chocolate, prunes and almonds.
. I modified the ingredients by using raisins instead of the recommended almonds. Also, I did not have a bundt pan so I used a 9-inch square pyrex dish. I baked it for the first 30 minutes at the recommended 350, and then an additional 40 minutes at 325.
, via 
