The Art of Jewish Cooking (2 page)

Passover (the Festival of Deliverance) has its own specialties. Many everyday foods, on the other hand, are specifically forbidden during this period. Leavening (yeasts and other similar ingredients) may not be used during this eight-day period in commemoration of those Jews who, in their haste, were unable to let their bread rise.
Knaidlach, matzo kugel, matzo brie
and
russel borsch
are Passover favorites.

Shavuoth (the Festival of the Torah) is a two-day period which pays respect to the basic laws of the Jews, the Torah. Dairy foods are popular for this holiday:
schav, blintzes, kreplach
and
knishes.
The cycle of holidays ends with
Shavuoth
and is the last until the New Year.

A weekly observance is the Sabbath, which commences at sundown on Friday and ends at sundown on Saturday. No work or cooking is sanctioned, although it is permissible to keep a dish warm, or even to heat it on a previously lit fire, providing it doesn’t boil.
Cholent,
a favorite Jewish preparation, is one of the dishes devised for this purpose. An accepted part of the Friday evening meal is gefilte fish, and in many homes it wouldn’t be a Friday dinner without
tzimmes.

Cooking Measurements

Oven Temperature Guide (Fahrenheit)

Appetizers play an important part in a Jewish-style meal. They are intended to sharpen your appetite for the courses to follow, and most Jewish families like meals of several courses. Incidentally, many of the appetizers which follow are just about ideal for cocktail parties—bowls of chopped liver served with thinly sliced rye bread; pickled herring cut into small pieces; eggplant spread on pumpernickel. In the
FISH
section you will find a recipe that has become a great favorite as an appetizer: tiny balls of gefilte fish served with a horseradish dip. Bite-size knishes, blintzes or miniature strudels are popular, too. But above all, remember that appetizers are intended to pique or stimulate your appetite, not satisfy it.

Wash the livers and remove any discolored spots. Drain.

Heat 2 tablespoons fat in a frying pan; brown the onions in it. Remove the onions. Cook the livers in the fat remaining in the skillet for 10 minutes. You can grind or chop the onions, livers and egg yolks, but be sure you have a smooth mixture. Add the salt, pepper and remaining fat. Mix and taste for seasoning.

Serve cold with crackers as a spread or on lettuce. Serves 6 as an appetizer or 12 as a spread.

Wash the liver and combine in a saucepan with 1 onion and water to cover. Bring to a boil and cook over low heat 10 minutes. Drain and discard the onion. Remove skin from liver.

Grind or chop the liver, eggs and remaining onion until smooth. Blend in the fat, salt and pepper. Taste for seasoning.

Serve on lettuce leaves. If you like, garnish with a little chicken fat on each portion. Serves 6 as an appetizer or 12 as a spread.

Cook the onion in the butter for 15 minutes. Place in a chopping bowl and add the eggs, sardines, walnuts, salt and pepper. Chop until very fine. Chill and serve on lettuce with rye bread. Serves 4 as an appetizer or 8 as a spread.

Heat the oil in a skillet. Cook the mushrooms and onion over medium heat for 10 minutes.

Chop the mushrooms, onion, egg, salt and pepper together until smooth. Chill. Serves 6 as an appetizer or 12 as a spread.

Bake the eggplant in a 475° oven until skin turns dark brown. Cool and peel.

Chop the eggplant until very smooth. Stir in the onion, oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper and sugar. Chill. Serve with dark bread and wedges of tomatoes. Serves 4–6.

Bring the vinegar, water and salt to a boil. Add the brains. Cover and cook over low heat 25 minutes. Drain and cool. Remove the membrane.

Chop the brains, onions, oil, pepper and lemon juice together. Taste for seasoning. Chill. Serves 6.

Chop the eggs and onions together until very fine. Blend in the salt, pepper and fat. Chill. Arrange on lettuce leaves. Serves 6 as an appetizer or 12 as a spread.

Wash the chickpeas and soak overnight in cold water. Drain.

Grind the peas and bread together. Mix in the eggs, garlic, red peppers, salt and pepper. Shape into finger-length rolls. Chill for 1 hour.

Heat the fat to 370° in a deep kettle and carefully drop the “hot dogs” into it. Fry until browned. Drain. Serve with mustard or hot chili sauce. Makes about 20.

Have the feet chopped up. Pour boiling water over them and scrape with a sharp knife.

Combine the feet, onions, 2 cloves of garlic, the water, salt and pepper in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook over low heat 3½ hours. Strain the soup. Cut the meat from the bones and divide among 2 or 3 pie plates. Put the remaining garlic through a press and mix it into the soup. Pour the soup into pie plates. Let it set for ½ hour, then slice the eggs and arrange in the pie plates. Sprinkle with black pepper and chill.

You may serve 12, but if you really like it there’s only enough for 6.

Soak the herring in water to cover overnight. Change the water twice. Drain.

Chop the onion, apple, eggs and herring together. Pour the vinegar over the bread and add to the herring with the sugar and oil. Chop until very smooth. Taste for seasoning, adding more vinegar if needed. Chill.

Serves 8 as an appetizer or as many as 24 as a spread.

Cut the herring into half-inch pieces. Slice the scallions and radishes, cut the tomatoes into quarters or eighths and dice the peppers. Toss these ingredients together with the lettuce, vinegar, oil, sugar, paprika and pepper. Chill and serve as an appetizer. Serves 6.

Wash herring thoroughly and soak in cold water for 6 hours; drain.

Cut the herring into 2-inch pieces. In a glass jar or bowl, arrange alternate layers of herring and onions. Bring the vinegar, water, sugar, pickling spice and bay leaves to a boil. Cool slightly and pour over the herring. Cover tightly and shake. Place in the refrigerator for 48 hours before serving. For dairy meals, the liquid may be mixed with the sour cream before or after pickling. This may be kept in refrigerator for a week. Serves 6–12.

Soak the herring in water to cover overnight. Change the water once. Drain.

Mix the bread crumbs and flour on a piece of waxed paper. Beat the egg and cream together in a shallow bowl. Dip the herring in the bread-crumb mixture, the egg mixture and then again in the bread-crumb mixture.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a skillet. Brown the herring on both sides, adding butter as needed. Serves 4–6.

Soak the herring in water to cover overnight. Change the water twice. Drain.

Melt the butter in a skillet. Brown the onions in it. Coarsely chop the herring, bread, apple, sour cream and browned onions. Turn into a buttered baking dish and sprinkle with the crumbs.

Bake in a 425° oven 25 minutes. Serve hot. Serves 6.

Soak the herring in water to cover overnight. Change the water once. Drain.

Dip the herring first in the milk and then in the flour (reserving the milk). Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a baking dish and arrange the herring in it. Cover with the sliced onions. Dot with remaining butter and add reserved milk.

Bake in a 375° oven 30 minutes. Serves 4–6.