1,000 Jewish Recipes (74 page)

All the recipes in this book are kosher. To make them easy to use in kosher menus, I have labeled each recipe with M for Meat, D for Dairy, or P for Pareve.

I hope that cooking from these recipes and savoring these dishes will give you some of the joy that I feel when I cook and eat with my family. And so, from our home to yours, I propose a toast: "Le'Chaim"—To life!

Faye Levy

The World of Jewish Cooking

Throughout most of their history, the Jews have been a diverse people. The Torah relates that the Jews were a people of ten tribes, descended from the sons of Jacob. Jews have lived in many different countries of the world and this has greatly influenced their cuisine.

The majority of Jews in North America are of Ashkenazic, or central and eastern European, extraction. For this reason most of the dishes familiar to Americans as "Jewish" are Ashkenazic. This style is one of the two major branches of Jewish culture and cuisine.

The other major grouping of Jewish communities is the Sephardic, comprising Jews of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern origin. The Sephardic style of cooking is prominent on the Israeli culinary scene. As part of the healthful Mediterranean diet, it is gaining favor among American Jews as well.

Neither branch is homogeneous. Polish gefilte fish, for example, is quite different from Russian. Russian Jews from Georgia cook in a much different manner than those from areas bordering the Ukraine. The food of Jews from India bears little resemblance to that of Jews from Greece, although both groups are categorized under the Sephardic umbrella.

In addition, there is plenty of intermingling of ideas and recipes. Jews have moved to many different areas of the world. There are Sephardic and Ashkenazic communities in South and Central America, western Europe, and South Africa. Many families, like mine, include both Ashkenazic and Sephardic members. Of course, neighbors, friends, and colleagues actively exchange recipes. Thus, a sort of multicultural fusion Jewish cuisine is being continuously created. This is not a new trend; Jews have always learned from each other and from people of other religions. In modern days this tendency has been accelerated because people, foods, and ideas move more freely.

The signature dishes of each community and their numerous regional variations are described in the introductions to those recipes. Here is a general overview of the foods and flavors of the major branches of Jewish cooking.

Ashkenazic Jews

"Ashkenaz" is a medieval Hebrew name for Germany. Originally it referred to Jews from that country but was broadened to include those born in central and eastern Europe and their descendants. Thus it also comprises Jews from Austria, Hungary, Poland, and much of Russia.

Sephardic Jews, or Communities of the East

Similarly, "Spharad" is the Hebrew word for Spain; Sephardic refers loosely to Jews whose ancestors lived in Spain but in fact includes Jews from a vast area that stretches from the western Mediterranean all the way to India.

When the Jews of Spain were expelled in 1492, they were scattered throughout the Mediterranean region. Some traveled as far as Holland and eventually to the New World. The members of the resulting communities became known as Sephardic Jews. However, in some of the countries in which these Spanish Jews arrived, the other Jews were not from Spain.

A large migration of Jews occurred much earlier, from ancient Israel eastward. In the eighth century B.C. the Assyrians conquered Israel and exiled some Jews to ancient Babylon (now Iraq), and from there some moved to what is now Iran.

Historians are not sure where the Jews from Yemen, Ethiopia, and India came from. Their origins are not traced to Spain.

All these groups are commonly referred to as Sephardic. Because many did not originate in Spain, some feel it is more accurate to call this category "Edot Hamizrach" or "the communities of the East."

The Ashkenazic Culinary Style

In general, Ashkenazic cooks use fewer spices than Sephardic ones and season their food with a lighter hand. Sautéed onions are the main flavoring of many dishes. Often the onions are cooked until they are deeply browned and give a rich taste and color to such dishes as braised chicken and noodle kugels. In traditional recipes the onions are sautéed in chicken fat or goose fat for meat meals and in butter for dairy menus, and these cooking fats contribute their unique flavors.

For deeper color, the onions might be browned with sweet paprika, a favorite seasoning for meats and vegetables. In Hungarian homes, hot paprika is also used and cooking from this region can be quite spicy.

Garlic is used in the Ashkenazic kitchen, but in smaller amounts than in Sephardic dishes. Parsley, dill, and bay leaves are the favorite herbs. Cinnamon is well liked in desserts. A distinctive condiment liked by Ashkenazic Jews is horseradish, especially with fish. Sweet and sour dishes of fish, meat, and vegetables appear in many Ashkenazic pots and are a departure from the otherwise delicate cooking style.

Chicken is often roasted, and beef and veal are pot-roasted, braised, or stewed. Many of the fish dishes are made of fresh-water fish, the ones from the lakes and rivers of the region. Smoked and cured fish are popular for appetizers and light meals.

The vegetables that appear most often in Ashkenazic recipes are carrots, potatoes, celery, cabbage, cauliflower, beets, beans, peas, cucumbers, and mushrooms, ingredients traditionally available in eastern and central Europe. This selection is supplemented with fruit, both fresh and dried, which appears not only in desserts but is also used in soups and is stewed with meats and vegetables. Hungarians also use plenty of peppers. Romanian Jews prepare some spicy eggplant and other vegetable dishes resembling those of their Sephardic neighbors farther south in Bulgaria and Turkey.

Dairy foods and dairy-based
milchig
meals, as they are called in Yiddish, are well liked in Ashkenazic homes. Sour cream and soft fresh cheeses like cottage cheese, farmer's cheese, and cream cheese are widely used, notably in such specialties as blintzes and noodle dishes.

Noodles frequently appear on the Ashkenazic table, especially as egg noodles and filled kreplach in soup. Equally loved are noodle kugels, for which the noodles are combined with sautéed mushrooms, apples, or other ingredients, both savory and sweet. Dumplings are sometimes made of potatoes but the favorite ones are matzo balls. Pearl barley and kasha (buckwheat) are frequently served grains especially among Jews from Poland and Russia, and corn meal is commonly served by those from Romania. The favorite breads are rich braided challah, bagels, rye bread, and pumpernickel. Poppy seeds and caraway seeds are used to flavor breads.

Ashkenazic Jews excel in dessert making and have developed a wide range of cakes, cookies, and pastries. The Hungarian and Austrian desserts are held in high esteem and are the basis for many of the most popular desserts in Israeli as well as in American Jewish bakeries. These include fruit and cheese blintzes, cheesecakes, strudels, tortes, honey cakes, and breakfast breads.

The Sephardic Culinary Style

The most distinguishing characteristic of Sephardic food is that spices and herbs are used more liberally than in the Ashkenazic kitchen. This does not mean that all Sephardic food is hot or heavily spiced, as delicate dishes are made as well.

Garlic and lemon are popular flavorings, and olive oil is the favored cooking fat, although vegetable oil is also used.

Like Ashkenazic Jews, many Sephardic Jews love dill. It perfumes the foods of the Jews of Greece, Turkey, Iraq, and even India, and is also popular in Israel today. Cilantro and Italian parsley are widely used throughout much of the Sephardic community, most notably south of the Mediterranean and in the Middle East. Moroccan Jews use mint to flavor tea and Lebanese Jews use it in cooking.

Cumin is a favorite spice and appears in the cuisines of Jews from Morocco all the way to India, although it is used somewhat less along the northern rim of the Mediterranean Sea. It is a hallmark of Yemenite cooking, and it has become a favorite in modern Israeli cooking. Turmeric is used in the same areas.

Like Ashkenazic Jews, Sephardic Jews use paprika extensively. They like cinnamon too and use it not only in sweets but to subtly accent meat and chicken casseroles as well. Ginger is used in its dried form by Jews from North Africa to season their stews and by those from Yemen to flavor their coffee.

The cuisines of the Jews of Morocco, Libya, Algeria, and Yemen are known for their fiery dishes. Cooks from these countries love chiles, both fresh and dried, for making condiments and for adding to a variety of braised and stewed dishes and salads. Cayenne pepper and hot paprika are also favorites.

The sesame seed is important as a flavoring for breads, and it is also turned into two favorites of the cuisine: tahini (sesame sauce), and halvah, a rich sesame sweet.

Chicken and beef are the most-used meats, and lamb is also a favorite. For home cooking, the meats are usually stewed or made into soups, but for special occasions, grilled meats and fish are popular. Most Sephardic fish recipes call for salt-water fish.

Among Jews from Middle Eastern countries, pita is the bread generally found on the table. Pita is not always in the form of the familiar pocket bread but varies from one region to another. Sometimes it is much broader or much flatter and the food is placed on top and rolled instead of being slipped into a pocket. Bread flavorings, in addition to sesame seeds—the general favorite—include anise seeds, popular with Moroccan Jews, and black caraway seeds or
nigella
, a Yemenite staple.

Rice is by far the most-loved grain and is used extensively in the Sephardic kitchen. In North Africa, couscous is the main grain-based dish.

Vegetables are central to the Sephardic kitchen and provide a substantial part of menus. The most commonly used ones are Mediterranean vegetables: tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, and zucchini, but many others are used according to their seasons, notably artichokes, okra, chard, and fava beans. All sorts of dried beans are used but chickpeas (garbanzo beans) are the top choice. Besides being used in soups, stews, and side dishes, vegetables are great favorites as salads, both cooked and raw, as pickles, and as appetizers. Olives are also loved as an appetizer throughout much of the Sephardic world and are used in a variety of preparations.

In general, Sephardic Jews use dairy products less extensively than in the Ashkenazic kitchen. They don't usually build a meal around a dairy main course they way Ashkenazic Jews do with blintzes or noodle kugels. However, yogurt is popular in some Sephardic communities in salads and as an accompaniment for pareve dishes of legumes or grains. Turkish, Greek, and Bulgarian Jews love feta cheese, on its own, in salads, and in phyllo pastries. Like other Mediterranean peoples, Sephardic Jews don't make as many desserts of sour cream or whipped cream as do those from central Europe. Sephardic Jews do use milk to prepare puddings, especially of rice.

Desserts are traditionally less important than in Ashkenazic meals. To end the meal, Sephardic Jews often serve fresh fruit and nuts. When sweets are served, cakes and pastries are flavored with nuts (especially almonds, pistachios, pine nuts, and walnuts), sesame seeds, lemon and orange juice and rind, orange flower water, cinnamon, dates, figs, and raisins. Phyllo dough is used by Jews from Eastern Mediterranean countries to make desserts that are often sweetened with honey or sugar syrup.

A Guide to Keeping Kosher

All the recipes in this book are kosher. For many Jews, keeping kosher is a way of life. To the newcomer, it may appear complicated but it's easy once a person gets used to it. After a while, it becomes second nature and is part of the general attitude towards selecting and preparing food.

Keeping kosher is a cornerstone in observing Judaism. Orthodox Jews believe that keeping kosher is a divine command.
Kashrut
is the body of laws, outlined in the Torah, that describes what is kosher and how to keep kosher. Over the years, the laws have been interpreted and spelled out by the overseeing rabbis in Jewish communities around the world.

More and more couples are interested in
kashrut
, as part of a general trend of exploring their roots and respecting Jewish customs. Some Jews, even if they do not follow all the rules of Orthodox Judaism, choose to keep kosher at home so that any Jew would feel comfortable eating at their table, knowing the food is kosher.

The regulations for keeping kosher involve choices of meats, fish, and dairy products, shopping guidelines for foods, special preparation of foods, menu planning regarding what foods may be eaten together, and use of dishes and utensils for cooking and for eating.

Meats and Fish

The Torah defines kosher animals as the ones that have split hooves and chew their cud. Therefore, beef, veal, lamb, and goat are kosher, but pork and rabbit are not. Poultry—chicken, turkey, duck, goose, and Cornish hens—is also kosher. Game birds like quail can be kosher if they are properly slaughtered, not shot in the wild.

Fish must have scales and fins in order to be kosher. This excludes all shellfish but includes most familiar fish, except for such scale-less fish as monkfish and eel.

Special Preparation of Meats and Poultry

Besides choosing the proper meats, other steps are necessary to make meats and poultry kosher before they can be cooked. First, the animals must be slaughtered by a qualified kosher butcher, according to the laws that govern this process. For example, a knife must be used rather than a gun, and therefore shooting game animals or birds is not permitted. Venison can be kosher if it is properly slaughtered. If there is a kosher label on the meat or poultry, people know that this step has been done properly.

Only certain cuts of meat are kosher—those from the fore quarter of the animal. In order for cuts of meat from the hind part of animals to be kosher, the sciatic nerve must be removed. Few butchers do this, so these cuts of meat are not sold at kosher butchers in the United States. In Israel this nerve is removed, and therefore you can sometimes find kosher beef tenderloin and other hind quarter cuts in kosher markets there.