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Dairy Delights

Tuesday, May 11th, 2010

We have been counting for many weeks now, and the anticipation of Shavous — the Jewish holiday commemorating the giving of the Torah — is mounting day by day.   In about one week, we will experience the awe and magnitude of receiving our Holy Cheesecake.  Torah, what I really meant to say was Torah.   Sadly, we often (myself included) forget what the essence of Shavous is all about.   There are many customs which have shaped our enjoyment and celebration of this holiday, one of which is the tradition to eat dairy dishes.  There are many reasons for this custom, the most practical one being the immediate necessity to cook kosher food in the desert after having just received the new laws of kashrut at Mount Sinai.  The Jewish People needed time to prepare meat according to the new laws and to cleanse their pots, pans and plates.  Certainly, there are deeper explanations for the custom as well, all of which are more fully appreciated after a few bites of cheesecake!

After spending almost every festive meal of the year eating either no dairy products or poor imitations, it is easy to get carried away.  You nearly forget just how good the real stuff tastes. The same cookies you make year round with margarine are a different animal when made with real butter.  When planning Shavous meals, I try to choose recipes that will showcase the flavors of pure ingredients while at the same time striving to maintain balance in what could become an overly heavy meal.  Pesto with grated Parmesan, sour cream coffee cake, and cream of broccoli soup are all wonderful choices.  The following recipe for Broiled Halibut with Gingered Grapefruit Bruleé is not difficult to prepare; as always, if you use fresh, pure and good quality ingredients, you don’t need to do much to them in order to yield great results.  PEK’s wild caught Halibut is fresh and firm with a mild taste.  May the pure creaminess and sweetness of this year’s dairy delights remind us of the purity and sweetness of Torah and remain a sustaining taste in our mouths throughout the year.

Broiled Halibut with Gingered Grapefruit Bruleé

This elegant entrée becomes a “winner” with the accompanying Grapefruit beurre blanc, a rich, hot butter sauce made with a reduction of white wine and shallots into which cold, whole butter is blended off the heat to prevent separation. 

 

Serves 4.

For grapefruit beurre blanc:

 

1 pink or red grapefruit

1/4 cup dry white wine

1 shallot, minced

1 tsp. grated gingerroot

1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon-sized pieces

 

For fish:

2 pink or red grapefruits

4 6oz. halibut steaks with skin (1 1/2 lbs.) or other firm, white-fleshed fish

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1 tbsp. minced crystallized ginger

3 tbsp. sugar

To make grapefruit beurre blanc:
Finely grate 1 teaspoon zest from one of the grapefruits.  Squeeze 1/2 cup juice from the grapefruit.   Place zest and juice into a small heavy saucepan.  Add wine, shallot, and grated gingerroot to the saucepan and stir to blend.  Place pan over medium heat and bring to a boil.  Boil until mixture is reduced by half.  Reduce heat to low and whisk in butter 1 piece at a time, lifting pan from heat occasionally to cool sauce and adding each new piece of butter before the previous one has melted completely (sauce must not get hot enough to separate).   Season to taste with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Keep beurre blanc warm in a metal bowl set over a saucepan of hot water.

To make fish:

Cut off the polar ends of the grapefruits with a sharp serrated knife.  Then slice the peel from the sides.  Trim away the white pith.  Working over a bowl, use a gentle sawing motion to cut along each membrane and release the grapefruit sections into the bowl.  (You will be left with an empty mass of membranes – discard!).   Set aside.

Preheat oven to broil.  Prepare a baking sheet, lined with foil.  Pat halibut dry and place fillets on the prepared baking sheet.  Season fish generously with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.  Place a single layer of grapefruit segments on the top of each piece of fish, covering the top of the fillet like a blanket.  Mix the crystallized ginger and sugar together in a small bowl (or give a whiz together in the food processor for a few seconds).  Sprinkle 2 teaspoons of the ginger-sugar over each grapefruit/fillet.  Place baking sheet in the top third of the oven, and broil for about 8-9 minutes, or until fish is done (flakes easily and is opaque in the middle) and the grapefruit is caramelized.  Remove from the oven and transfer to a serving plate.  Spoon warm beurre blanc over the fish.  Garnish with a fresh mint sprig.

*Cook’s note:  Fish can stay warm in a 225° oven.  Beurre blanc can stay warm in a double-boiler or even a thermos.

Bonus Recipe!!

To end the perfect Shavuos meal, you need a smash-hit cheesecake, and the following one sure fits the bill.  I’ve converted even the most reluctant guests into cheesecake lovers…and you will too!

Spiked Chocolate Cheesecake

 

Spiked with coffee liquor, this is not a cheesecake for the faint-hearted!

Yields: 12-16 servings

Crust:

1 pkg. Chocolate wafers/sandwich cookies (8 ½ oz. bag of oreos)

6 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

Crush cookies in a food processor to make crumbs.  Combine cookie crumbs & melted butter in a medium bowl until well mixed.  Press the mixture into the bottom and up the sides (two inches) of an ungreased 9” spring form pan.  Refrigerate.

Filling:

2 8-oz. pkgs. Cream cheese, softened

2/3 cup sugar

3 eggs

12 oz. semi-sweet chocolate, melted

1 cup whipping cream

2 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

1 tsp. vanilla

½ cup coffee-flavored liquor

Preheat oven to 325°.  In a large mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese and sugar.  Beat until smooth.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Add whipping cream, butter, vanilla and liquor.  Beat until smooth.  Add melted chocolate and gently fold into mixture until completely combined. 

Wrap the bottom of the crust-lined spring form pan with 3 layers of aluminum foil.  Pour batter into pan.  Place pan into a larger pan/dish and fill with enough water to come up the sides of the spring form pan ¾”.  Place the pan holding the spring form into the oven and bake for 55-65 minutes or until edges are set.  The center of the cheesecake will be soft.  Allow cheesecake to cool, then refrigerate 2-3 hours minimum, preferably overnight.  Garnish with reserved cookie crumbs, chocolate curls or sliced strawberries.  Carefully remove the outer rim of the spring form pan before serving. Serve and enjoy!

By Naomi Ross

 

 

 

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A Wok on the Wild Side

Tuesday, April 27th, 2010

If you are feeling guilty over last week’s frying escapades (hopefully not; Murgi Chicken is so worth it!), then let’s move on to lighter ground and explore the healthier side of frying.  Stir-frying, that is.   Chock full of vegetables and using way less fat, stir-frying is not only one of the most healthful cooking methods, but an incredibly flavorful one as well.  If done right, vegetables remain crisp yet tender, meats are left succulent and aromatic and you’ve got yourself a meal-in-one — and in a very short amount of time.  The synthesis of intense heat and constant motion, circulating the hot air in the wok, brings out an intense quality in the food.  This experience is known in Cantonese cooking as wok hay.  Grace Young, a foremost expert on Chinese cooking and author of “The Breath of the Wok” explains “I think of wok hay as the breath of a wok — when a wok breathes energy into a stir-fry, giving foods a unique concentrated flavor and aroma.”

Though restricted from the classic Chinese repertoire of ingredients, the kosher home-cook can still benefit from a good stir-fry using the freshest produce and kosher meats and poultry available.  A good wok and the right technique will enliven your palate and kitchen with endless dinner options to come.  But before you get started, keep the following tips in mind:

  • Stir-frying moves quickly, so have all ingredients prepped ahead of time and at the ready (you can even do the chopping a day ahead to save time).
  • Chop ingredients in a uniform size to ensure even cooking.
  • Heat the wok first before adding the cold oil.  This will help prevent sticking.
  • Maintaining a high temperature is important – when a bead of water evaporates after one or two seconds of contact, then the wok is hot enough.
  • Do not overcrowd the pan with ingredients – too much in the wok will cause the temperature to drop and the food to cook unevenly or to lose its crisp texture.
  • To best enjoy your stir-fry, serve hot and fresh from the pan immediately following cooking.  Leftovers are always nice, but never the same as when they are first made.

Sounds simple, right?  It is.  Simple, fast, healthy and delicious.  Go out and get yourself a wok and get stir-crazy!

Asian Steak Stir-Fry with Mixed PeppersPepper Steak

Pepper steak comes beautifully sliced into thin pieces and is wonderfully tender when stir-fried.  You may want cut width-wise to match the size of the peppers.  

 

Serves 4.

  • ¼ cup soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp. orange juice
  • 1½ tsp. rice vinegar
  • 1 tsp. sesame oil
  • 1½  tsp. cornstarch
  • ¼ cup beef stock (or water if you are stock-less)
  • 1 ½ lbs. pepper steak
  • kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 3 tbsp. peanut or vegetable oil
  • 4 bell peppers in assorted colors, cut into 1/4-inch-thick strips
  • 1 large onion, halved lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices
  • 4 large garlic cloves, minced (about 2 tbsp.)
  • 2 tsp. fresh ginger, minced or grated
  • 2 tbsp. water

Accompaniment: cooked white rice

Stir together soy sauce, orange juice, rice vinegar, sesame oil, cornstarch, and beef stock in a large cup.

Pat steak dry and sprinkle with kosher salt and plenty of freshly ground black pepper.   Place wok over moderately high heat until very hot.  Add 1 tbsp. of oil and continue to preheat, swirling oil around the pan until the oil is wavy (but not smoking).  Add half of the steak, laying each piece out on the surface of the wok until browned, turning frequently, about 3-4 minutes. Transfer to a bowl with a slotted spoon.  Add 1 tbsp. of oil to skillet, and repeat with remaining steak.

Add remaining tbsp. of oil to the wok and stir-fry bell peppers, onion, garlic, and ginger until onion is golden, about 6 to 7 minutes, stirring very often.  Stir in 2 tbsp. water and cook, covered, for 3 minutes. Return steak to skillet, and stir in cornstarch mixture. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes until the steak and vegetables are coated with the thickened sauce.

Serve immediately over hot rice and enjoy!

By Naomi Ross

 

 

 

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‘Grease Lightning!’

Tuesday, April 20th, 2010

I try to be honest, so I’m not going to try to convince you that frying is actually good for you.  It’s not. Now that we have gotten that out of the way, I can continue in defense of the crispy, succulent goodness that good frying is all about (we’ll talk about healthy eating next week, ok?).

We have all been traumatized by badly fried food: the oil is oozing, the crust is soggy.  It’s an unappetizing mess and downright bad for you.  If done correctly, however, frying is not as unhealthy as one might think.   In fact, a good fry does not actually cause the food to absorb that much oil at all.  Because I hear you squirming in your seat, let’s start off slow and talk about pan-frying (I’ll leave deep-frying for another time!). 

When pan-frying, the food is semi-submerged in hot oil in a pan on the stove top and flipped halfway through cooking. Foods that benefit from this method would include naturally tender cuts of poultry or veal, delicate fish fillets, and vegetables. 

Free yourself of your frying fears!  Follow these tips for perfectly crisp-on-the-outside, moist and tender on-the-inside results that cook lightning fast!  

  • Choose your cooking oil carefully. You want one with a high ‘smoke point’: in other words, one which won’t break down at high frying temperatures. Peanut oil, safflower oil, sunflower oil and canola oil are some good choices (olive oil is not because it has a low burning point).
  • Choose a deep, heavy pan for frying.  Leaving a headspace (space at the top of the pan) of at least one to two inches allows for a safety margin when the oil bubbles up as the food is added.  A good heavy pan with a thick bottom will also conduct heat better, saving you from unevenly cooked, burnt food.
  • Make sure that the food you are going to fry is dry.  Oil and water do not mix, especially at such high temperatures and burns from splattering oil are not fun.
  • The best temperature for frying is 350-375 degrees F.  When deep-frying, the best way to make sure you’ve got it right is with a fry thermometer; but with pan-frying, the shallow depth of oil in the pan may preclude this.  You can tell that oil is ready when a 1″ cube of white bread dropped into the oil sizzles upon contact and browns in 60 seconds. 
  • The food should be less than an inch thick (thin cutlets work best).  If too thick, the surface of the food will burn before the center is cooked.  The oil should be no more than half as high as the food so that the same area is not fried twice when you flip it.
  • Don’t overcrowd the pan! Carefully add the food, leaving lots of space around each piece so the food will cook evenly. If you add too much food at once, the oil temperature will drop and the food will absorb fat.
  • Watch the food carefully as it cooks, regulating the heat if necessary to keep the oil temperature steady. When the food is evenly golden-browned on both sides, it’s done. Remove it with a slotted spoon with a long handle. Drop it onto paper towels in a single layer to drain.
  • Don’t reuse the cooking oil after it cools. Some sources say you can strain it and reuse it, but the oil has already begun to break down from the heat, and undesirable compounds have formed. Let the oil cool completely, and then discard safely.  I pour it in a jar and throw it in the garbage.  Don’t pour it down the drain!

 The following recipe is a very flavorful, Indian twist on classic fried chicken cutlets.   Eaten hot and right out of the pan, there is nothing like it…and your kids will ask for more!

MURGI CHICKEN

This recipe can easily be doubled.  Cut chicken into smaller strips and make the best chicken fingers ever!

 

1 medium onion, quartered

2 tsp. chopped fresh ginger

2 garlic cloves

½ tsp. ground turmeric

½ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. pepper

2-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (cutlets)

¼ cup flour

2 eggs, beaten

1 cup cornflake crumbs

peanut or corn oil

1)  Process the onion, ginger, garlic, and spices in a food processor until pureed.

2)  Tenderize chicken breasts until they have an even thin thickness.

3)  Marinate chicken breasts in the onion mixture for 2-3 hours in the refrigerator.

4)  Prepare 3 bowls – one with flour, one with beaten eggs, and one with cornflake crumbs. 

5) Dip the chicken in flour, then egg and then Cornflake crumbs. Place on a plate until frying time.

6)  Heat oil in a large skillet until very hot (drop of water sizzles upon contact).

7)  Fry cutlets on both sides, about 5 minutes per side or until breading is golden brown.

8)  Transfer to paper towels or brown paper to drain.  Serve hot and enjoy!

Serves 4.
By Naomi Ross

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Pesach Memories

Monday, March 15th, 2010

Close your eyes.  Think far back, as far as you can, to your first seder experiences.  Your nose crinkles at the smell of maror (horseradish); the sweetness of the charoset tickles your tongue.  The hustle and bustle reverberates through the house as everyone rushes to take care of all those last minute items. The frenetic energy that comes with knowing that you are planning for something special is contagious.  And though you may not be a kid anymore, that same feeling is revisited each year in the weeks leading up to Passover. 

People are always a bit conflicted at this time with regard to menu planning for the Seder.  On one hand, Passover is all about family traditions and continuity, so how could you not make Aunt Sadie’s famous matzo farfel?  Of course, Passover is also about finding newness and freedom in the mitzvoth (commandments) of the holiday…so perhaps a new take on some of the traditional foods might be in order.

Brisket is a very popular choice for the Seder night, much because it is traditionally prepared by braising it in liquid – a method that is in line with the custom to not eat roasted meats at the seder.  Since we no longer have the Temple in Jerusalem where we would roast and eat the korban Pesach (Paschal sacrifice), we no longer eat roasted meats at the Seder.  Consequently, boiling (like with corned beef), braising, and baking (covered) are the cooking methods du jour.   This year, in the spirit of spicing up old traditions, I’ve decided to go with a French Roast (although I’m not actually “roasting” it).  French Roast, Square Roast, Brick Roast…they’re all the same cut with different names, coming from the “chuck” part of the cow (the top part, between the shoulder and the ribs).   French Roast has slightly less connective tissue than brisket, so it’s lean and tender and slices beautifully after a long braise. 

In creating this recipe, I couldn’t seem to deviate too much from the brisket style of my youth, but an aromatic spice rub seemed to do the trick nicely to reinvent our Seder entrée.  What’s more, you can also use a brisket interchangeably with the French Roast in this recipe.  I hope it enhances your Seder and the memories you’ll share and commemorate each year. 

Chag Kasher v’Sameach – a Happy and Kosher Passover!

Spiced French Roast with Dried Fruits

          This braised meat is perfect for Seder night, and is packed with flavor after marinating in an aromatic spice rub prior to cooking.  This recipe can be used interchangeably with Brisket.  Amounts double easily for a larger cut of meat.

Serves 6-8.

  • 2 tsp coarse (kosher) salt
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 3/4 tsp ground cumin
  • ½ tsp ground black pepper
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
  • ½ tsp ground allspice
  • 3 lb. French roast
  • 2 Tbsp canola or vegetable oil
  • 2 medium onions, sliced (about 3 cups)
  • 4 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
  • 1 cup dry red wine
  • 2 small or 1 large parsnip, peeled and cut into 1” pieces
  • 2 small or 1 large carrot, peeled and cut into 1” pieces
  • ½ cup whole pitted prunes
  • ½ cup dried apricots
  • 2 Tbsp water
  • 1½ Tbsp honey
  • 1 Tbsp tomato paste

Mix first 7 ingredients in a small bowl.  Place roast in large roasting pan and rub spice mixture evenly over both sides. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat oven temperature to 325°F.  Heat oil in a very large skillet over high heat. Carefully place roast in the skillet and sear for 1-2 minutes, until browned.  Using tongs, turn roast over and repeat on the other side.  Remove roast from pan and set aside.  Lower heat to medium and add an extra Tbsp of oil to the pan if it looks dry.  Add onions and garlic to the pan and sauté, stirring often, for about 5-6 minutes or until just translucent.   Pour wine into the pan and deglaze, scraping up the browned bits at the bottom of the pan.  Bring to a boil and simmer for 1-2 minutes.  Place mixture in the bottom of the roasting pan, then place roast on top.  Surround roast with parsnips, carrots, prunes and apricots. 

In a separate small bowl, mix together water, honey and tomato paste.  Stir to blend and then pour over the top of the roast, spreading to cover.  Cover pan with heavy-duty foil and bake until tender, about 2 1/2 hours.  Allow meat to rest and cool, about 1 hour.

Transfer roast to work surface. Thinly slice meat across the grain on slight diagonal and  transfer slices to a serving platter.  Place vegetables around meat and cover with pan juices.  Garnish with chopped parsley, if desired, and serve.

 Note: this dish can be made 2 days ahead.  Cover roast and store in refrigerator.  Reheat covered roast in 350°F oven for 20-30 minutes, or longer if chilled.

By Naomi Ross

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PICKLED BEEF TONGUE

Monday, January 25th, 2010

Ingredients (needed for cooking 1kg or pickled tongue):

Kosher beef tongue

1 big spoon of oil

2 table spoons of saltpeter

1 teaspoon of sugar

Lots of garlic

Sweet pepper

Bay leaves

Parsley root

Cooking a kosher pickled tongue:

Chop garlic cloves finely.
Prepare a mixture of salt, saltpeter, garlic and sugar. Rub it in the tongue thoroughly and put the kosher tongue in a bowl.

Cover the beef tongue with a heavy press and leave it there for two weeks. Flip the kosher tongue over every day.

After two weeks, use the liquid that is formed in the bowl, add water to it. Add pepper, bay leaf and parsley root to the mixture.

Put on a stove and boil on small fire until cooked.

Serve cold, decorating with greenery.

Symbolism of the meal:

This meal is symbolizing Moses, who was a great prophet. He was given a very complicated task by the God to give people the laws of Torah and to explain them the meaning of the Jewish religion. For this reason tongue in this meal is symbolizing how complicated it was for Moses to speak to Jewish people in the dessert. The big beef tongue is very heavy and hard to move. And when the kosher beef tongue is pickled, then it is even harder to move!

The fact that the kosher beef tongue is put under the press is symbolizing the heavy yoke that Moses had to bear.

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Kosher Catering

Wednesday, January 20th, 2010
 
Many Jewish food companies all over the world offer high-class kosher catering services. It is especially popular in the United States, where one can find kosher catering companies in almost every state and in every big city, like New York, Philadelphia, Connecticut, Boston, that are famous for having a big Jewish population.

Kosher catering services can be used not only for celebrations or parties. You can use catering services for every-day home or office meals, or in any other location you could think of. Top-class kosher catering services will usually offer you a huge number of locations that you can choose from. The Kosher catering menus are usually modern and innovative at the same time, offering top-class prepared food and service. When choosing your kosher caterer, make sure that he uses only the best and fresh ingredients for the meals and that all food is made according to kosher rules and traditions under strict supervision. The best kosher catering services usually offer delicious food cooked according to the most modern trends, but at the same time having an exquisite traditional Jewish flavor (usually called kosher fusion food).

Kosher catering is very often used for such events as Jewish weddings, traditional dinners, bar or bat mitzvah, corporate parties and other social events. When catering services are used for such big and important occasions in your life, it is necessary to find a reliable and professional kosher catering company. Make sure that the company employs event architects, as they are essential when it comes to organizing a significant event, which requires all details such as cars, flowers, tablecloths and cutlery, to be organized properly. A kosher catering company should understand your needs and desires perfectly to organize a memorable celebration that you would not be able to forget for many years. Such company will be able to organize an event completely, from start to finish, fit into your budget and make everything just like you wanted!

No matter how complicated or simple a kosher catering event is, a good company will be able to offer the right menu, the right venue and the right staff to make the function . Many people prefer choosing old companies that have been on the market for a long time and have proved the consistently high quality of their food and services. Check the recommendations on the website of a kosher catering company, find out if any of your friends know about it and try to learn, with what clients and in what venues the company has worked with before. High-quality kosher catering companies usually have experience in working not only with private parties, but also in organizing events in synagogues, big hotels, banquet halls and country clubs, and should have worked at least several big corporate clients. Make sure the company pays attention to every detail to meet your needs. (more…)

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Ashkenazi and Sephardic Jews food eating tradition

Wednesday, January 20th, 2010

Before we start talking about Ashkenazi and Sephardic Jews difference food eating tradition, let’s differentiate and understand what the difference between Ashkenazi and Sephardic Jews is.

Sephardic Jews are from Mediterranean countries, like Spain and Portugal (“Sephard” is translated “Iberian Peninsula” from Hebrew). Sephardi are also subdivided into Sephardim (Jews from Spain and Portugal) and Mizrachim (Jews from Middle East and Northern Africa). The first Jewish settlers in America where Sephardic and organized their congregations in New York and Philadelphia. Most of the Jews in Israel are now Sephardic, particularly Mizrachim.

Ashkenazi (“Germany” from Hebrew) means the areas of land alongside the Rhine River. German tribes long time ago resided in these areas. Most of the Jews living now in America are Ashkenazi, as they are descendants of those big groups of Jews, who migrated from Germany in 1800s.
And due to this difference in locations and surroundings of Jewish people in different areas, where they lived, Ashkenazi and Sephardic Jews different food eating traditions developed.
One of the main Ashkenazi and Sephardic Jews different food eating traditions is that Sephardic food is more exotic, while Ashkenazi food is a lot more familiar and casual, for instance, traditional Ashkenazi food is gefilte fish or matzo ball, while Sephardic common foods are hummus and shakshuka.
Ashkenazi cooking traditions are less influenced by local cuisines, than Sephardic food cooking traditions. Sephardic Jews are mostly living according to Orthodox Judaism laws. Its is easy to notice Ashkenazi and Sephardic Jews different food eating traditions during such holidays, as Passover, when Sephardic Jews are allowed to eat corn, rice, beans and peanuts (Ashkenazi don’t eat such products during Pesach). Sephardic Jewish cooking traditions are more integrated with local cooking traditions.

So where do the Ashkenazi and Sephardic Jews different food eating traditions come from? The main reason for such differences lies in location and the weather conditions. Ashkenazi Jews live in colder regions, such as Russia, Germany, Eastern Europe, and Sephardic Jews live in such warm areas as Morocco, Spain and Portugal, and other Mediterranean countries. For this reason, in colder areas the Jewish cuisine has to be more nutritious and heavier. At the same time, in Ashkenazi cooking you will usually see a lot of meat, pastry, bread, potatoes, pickled products, and so on. The sunny weathers of Mediterranean countries cause the use of such products, as fruits, spices, fresh vegetables, fish and other in Sephardic cooking. Use of such products in cooking makes meals a lot healthier, and at the same time more bright and colorful.

In some sense Ashkenazi and Sephardic Jews difference in food eating traditions is not as significant, as it might seem. For example, there are some dishes, which are the same for both Ashkenazi and Sephardi, but they might be called differently  and are cooked with minor variations (like special spices and flavors or different way of cooking the same ingredients).
And it’s not only the Ashkenazi and Sephardic Jews different food eating traditions that make the Jewish cuisine so varied, as nowadays Jews live all over the world in many different countries. Their cooking is slightly influenced by the countries they live in. Visiting Jewish homes around the world you would definitely be able to see Jewish dishes cooked with Moroccan or Russian flavor, Polish or American traditional products, but the taste of Jewish dishes is always delicious, no matter, Ashkenazi or Sephardic Jews cooked them.

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Jewish Food

Friday, January 8th, 2010

Jewish traditions come from many years in history and Jewish food, therefore, is very diverse. Over many centuries of the development of Jewish nation, Jewish food traditions have evolved and formed the traditional Jewish food and dietary traditions and laws, known in the world as Kashrut (or eating kosher).

Kashrut is a Jewish way of making eating not just a physical pleasure, but more a spiritual thing. It is a way that Jews use to follow Torah and live a Jewish life, as well as to show that you are a Jew. Jewish people believe that eating a very significant effect psychologically, physiologically and spiritually. Following kashrut and keeping the Jewish dietary laws causes you to think and make a choice every time you put something in your mouth. Jewish food traditions are passed from one generation to another.

It is wise to say that Jewish food traditions have been affected by the geographic positioning – as Jewish people live all over the world, as well as local agriculture and economics, but Jewish food is a lot more traditional and a lot more meaningful, than any other national food in the world.

Jewish food varies in style and is different for Jewish people from different areas:
• Ashkenazi – Jews that live in Central and Eastern Europe. Jewish food from these areas is usually characterized by a lot of various seasonings in a special style with sweet and sour flavor. Dishes from these areas are usually sweeter;
• Sephardic – Jews that are Iberian Jews descendants (Jews from Balkans, Italy, Turkey and Greece). This type of cooking usually include lots of herbs, olive oil and spices that are traditional to these areas, as well as lots of such fruits and vegetables, as lemons, tomatoes, ginger, garlic, cumin and other;
• Mizrahi – Jews from North African countries, such as Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria, as well as Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Yemen, and even Indian Jews;
• Jews from Israel adapted most of these cooking traditions, also adding the Middle Eastern flavor, creating the Jewish fusion cooking style;
• Jews from Central Asian countries also have distinctive cooking traditions in Jewish food.
Following kashrut requires Jewish people to understand the Torah and its meaning. Here are the major Jewish food laws that Jews should follow:
1. Animal, bird and fish meat in Jewish food. Has to be ruminant with split hooves (like cows, goat, sheep). Pig is not kosher. Birds that come from prey are not kosher, kosher birds include chickens, geese and ducks. Tuna, founder and salmon, as well as other sea creatures that have scales and fins are kosher. Squids, shellfish, whales meat is not kosher.
2. Slaughtering of an animal or bird should be performed according to Jewish laws, called shechita.
3. Animal or bird, in order to be kosher, should not have one of the 70 different categories of injuries and diseases, called treifot.
4. Some fats, called chelev, are not allowed for eating. Meat should not contain blood. Sciatic nerve has to be remover in each of the animal legs, as well as all surrounding fat.
5. It is not allowed to mix milk and meat (animal or bird) in Jewish food in either eating or cooking.
6. Tithes should be separated from all crops, such as barley or wheat, and fruits.
7. Milk products are only kosher, if they come from a kosher animal.
From these rules and traditions in the Jewish food we can see that keeping kosher is mostly about discipline and self-control. Eating is an important spiritual and psychological part of Jewish tradition, so Jewish food habits are important for any Jew in the world.

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KOSHER RECIPE: DESERT “SEMOLINA SOUFFLE”

Thursday, November 12th, 2009

Ingredients:
1) 5 cups milk
2) 1.5 cups sugar
3) 3 tablespoons semolina
4) 50g. butter
5) Lemon peel
6) 9 eggs
7) Vanilla

Cooking according to Jewish cooking recipes:
Take three cups of milk and pour into a pot. Dissolve one cup of sugar in the milk. Set the pot with kosher food on fire and slowly stirring the contents, add 3 tablespoons of semolina. Cook the kosher deserts for 8-10 minutes until it boils down.
Take five eggs and separate the white from the yolk. Whip up the egg whites.
Cool down the kosher deserts from semolina and add 50gramms of butter, lemon peel and keep constantly stirring the kosher product, add 5 egg yolks one by one. Stirring the mixture of kosher food products, add the beaten egg whites.
Oil an oven pan and lay the mixture of kosher food products there. Strongly heat the oven. Bake the kosher palette for about 30 minutes.

Sauce for kosher recipe (desert):
Take 4 eggs and separate the yolks from whites. Grind the yolks with 0,5 glass of sugar. Add 2 cups of milk and bring to a boiling point, stirring products kosher constantly. Remove sauce from heat and add a few packs of vanilla.
Cool down mixture, stirring it.
Put the baked semolina mixture into a dish and pour sauce.

Symbolism of the kosher deserts:
Semolina is a symbol of the manna from heaven, which the Jewish people ate during their wanderings in the desert. All 40 years, manna was the only food for the Jewish people. Sugar and vanilla symbolize the sweetness and pleasantness of manna.

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One of the most famous kosher food recipes – LATKES

Monday, October 12th, 2009

Potato pancakes Latkes – is one of the most famous and popular dishes which you can find in Jewish cooking recipes.

Ingredients:

 1.Potatoes
2. Vegetable oil
3. Onions
4. Salt
5. If necessary, add eggs and flour

 Cooking method according to kosher cookbooks:Wash and peel potatoes. Grate the potatoes on a fine grater. Chop onions finely. Mix the potatoes with onions and add some salt to the Jewish foods.
Divide the mass of kosher meals into small portions and fry on both sides in vegetable or olive oil over medium heat in a pan.
If these kosher foods are prepared without eggs (cooked according to kosher recipe vegetarian), this kosher product will be an excellent addition to a vegetarian diet.
If kosher product is prepared with adding of flour and eggs, then latkes can be served with sour cream for non-vegetarians. Latkes is a kosher product, which can be eaten with almost any other sauce according to your taste.

 

Enjoy eating kosher food!

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