1,000 Jewish Recipes (88 page)
Read 1,000 Jewish Recipes Online
Authors: Faye Levy
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
1.
Soak matzos in cold water for about 10 minutes and drain. Break them into bite size squares and place in large bowl.
2.
Heat 2 tablespoons butter or oil in a heavy skillet. Add onion and paprika and sauté over low heat, stirring often, about 10 minutes or until lightly browned.
3.
Meanwhile, beat eggs with salt and pepper and pour over matzos. Stir until matzos are coated. Add sautéed onions and stir again.
4.
Melt remaining butter in skillet over medium heat. Add matzo mixture. Cook, without stirring, occasionally pushing egg mixture from edge of pan to inside, until eggs are set and bottom of matzo brei "cake" browns. Slide onto a plate, turn over onto another plate, and return to pan. Sauté until second side browns. Serve at once.
When I was growing up, there were no kosher-for-Passover breakfast cereals and so my brother and I ate matzo farfel (little squares) with bananas as our breakfast cereal. We liked it so much that we always hoped some would be left over after Passover so we could continue starting our day with it. The cereal slightly resembles Swiss muesli, with farfel instead of oats. You can add dried fruits and nuts.
1 to 1
1
â
2
cups matzo farfel
1
â
2
to 1 cup milk
1 small banana, sliced
Sugar or raisins (optional)
1 tablespoon diced toasted pecans (optional)
Mix farfel with milk and banana. Sprinkle with sugar or raisins and toasted pecans, if using.
Shavuot
The two-day holiday of Shavuot falls in late May or June and takes place seven weeks after Passover. (Shavuot means "weeks" in Hebrew.) It honors the receiving of the Torah by Moses and the Hebrews at Mount Sinai. Originally an agricultural festival timed according to the harvest, it later developed into a celebration of the Mount Sinai revelation and of the Torah, according to some scholars. Shavuot is called the Feast of Weeks in Deuteronomy 16, which instructs to count the seven weeks from "when the sickle is first put to the standing grain."
Like many other holidays, the observation of Shavuot also has seasonal significance. In ancient Israel, Shavuot marked the beginning of a new agricultural season as well as the end of the grain harvest. Thus the holiday came to be known as "The Feast of the First Fruits" and the "Festival of the Harvest." To give thanks for both, the early fruits of the season and loaves of bread from the just-harvested grains were brought to the Holy Temple in Jerusalem.
In many Jewish communities it is the custom to celebrate Shavuot with dairy foods and thus, without meat. The origin of this practice is said to be that the Israelites avoided meat the day before they received the Torah. Some say it's because when the Israelites received the Torah, which included the laws of
kashrut
, they realized that their meat and their pots were not kosher. Since they did not have time to prepare kosher meat and pots, they ate uncooked dairy dishes so they didn't need to use any pans. Others relate this custom to seasonal considerations, as this is the time when cows, goats, and sheep give plenty of milk and much of it is turned into cheese. One custom is to eat dairy foods with honey because of a phrase in the Song of Songs "Honey and milk are under your tongue," which biblical sages interpret as describing the sweetness of the Torah.
For lovers of cheesecake and blintzes, this is a holiday that is eagerly anticipated. There are plenty of other treats to enjoy as well. Sour cream noodle kugels, both sweet and savory, have always been favorites in my family. Sephardic Jews from Greece, Turkey, Syria, and Lebanon prefer savory cheese
bourekas
made of phyllo or puff pastry. In Alsace many Jews enjoy such luscious French dishes as cheese soufflés and quiches with creamy vegetable or cheese fillings.
During the years when my husband and I lived in Paris, celebrating Shavuot was a real feast. There were so many delightful French dairy dishes and products to enjoy at the holiday, it was hard to decide what not to include on the menu. I love vegetable gratins baked in bechamel sauce, a smooth, nutmeg-flavored white sauce, and browned with a sprinkling of cheese. Pasta, vegetables, and fish are especially wonderful when served with a French mushroom sauce enriched with cream. It's impossible to resist the tarts with buttery crusts, from savory spinach and cheese tarts to strawberry tarts with vanilla pastry cream and shiny jam glaze.
At home, I try to space out the treats over the two days of the holiday and add generous amounts of vegetables and fruits to celebrate the "first fruits" aspect of the holiday. In Israel, where Shavuot lasts for one day only, there is a lot of eating to do!
= Pareve  = Dairy  
= MeatSALADS AND APPETIZERS
When we celebrated Shavuot recently at the home of our neighbors Valerie and Chaim Alon in Woodland Hills, California, this is the delicious salad that began the dinner. Made of colorful greens and thin cucumber slices tossed with a light lemon dressing and topped with olives and feta cheese, it's too delicious to serve only once a year.
6 cups mixed baby greens, rinsed and dried thoroughly
1
1
â
2
cups cucumber, preferably hothouse or Japanese, halved lengthwise and sliced thin
1 tablespoon strained fresh lemon juice
2 to 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1
â
3
cup good-quality black olives, such as Kalamata, pitted
1
â
2
to 1 cup coarsely crumbled feta cheese
Place greens in a bowl. Add cucumber, lemon juice, 2 tablespoons oil, salt, and pepper. Toss thoroughly. Taste, and add more oil if desired. Scatter olives and cheese over the top and serve.
This easy-to-make salad is a perfect first course in a festive Shavuot meal, followed by a main course of kugel or blintzes. The colorful, tasty salad is seasoned with just a touch of herb vinaigrette. For the most delicate flavor, use baby spinach.
1
â
2
red bell pepper
1
â
2
yellow bell pepper
6 cups rinsed spinach leaves, regular or baby, medium packed
1
1
â
2
to 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2
1
â
4
teaspoons herb vinegar or tarragon vinegar
1
â
4
teaspoon dried thyme
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1
â
4
cup walnut pieces, toasted
1
â
4
to
1
â
2
cup crumbled goat cheese
1.
Cut peppers into strips about
1
â
3
inch wide; cut in half if long. Combine with spinach in a large bowl.
2.
Whisk oil with vinegar and thyme in a small bowl. Toss with bell peppers and spinach. Season with salt and pepper. Top with walnuts and goat cheese and serve.