Recipes

from ”The Santa Monica Farmers Market Cookbook” (Blenheim Press) by Amelia Saltsman

1 pomegranate
4 ribs celery, preferable inner whiter ribs with leaves
2 small or 1 large Fuyu persimmon
1/2 cup pecan or walnut pieces, toasted
1/2 pound mixed baby salad greens
About 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil or nut oil
1 lemon
Kosher or sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese (optional)

1. Remove pomegranate kernels: make a cut near blossom end of fruit, submerge in bowl of water, and break fruit into large pieces. Loosen kernels; drain and reserve.
2. With a vegetable peeler, peel celery, then slice paper-thin on diagonal. Place in a salad bowl with the leaves.
3. Core persimmon, cut vertically into quarters, then crosswise into thin slices. Add to bowl with nuts, greens, and as many pomegranate kernels as you like.
4. Grate zest from lemon in long, thin strands into the bowl. Drizzle on the oil, squeeze in some lemon juice, and season with salt and pepper. Toss well and sprinkle with cheese. Serves 8

From Cooking Jewish: 532 Great Recipes from the Rabinowitz Family (Workman) by Judy Bart Kancigor
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While brisket and roast chicken are standard fare for our holiday dinners, our Sephardic mishpuchah dines on dishes like this tender, spicy lamb, which was adapted from Molly O'Neill's take on a recipe by superchef Alain Ducasse.

When I interviewed Wolfgang Puck about his seders at Spago, he told me that if he had been born Jewish, he would have liked to have been born Sephardic because of the cuisine. I know what he means! I love the pungent Moroccan spice mixture and usually make extra to save for flavoring other dishes. The wine is an untraditional addition and would never be used in a Moroccan kitchen.

Interestingly, cookbook author Joyce Goldstein told me that Jews in Arab countries, despite the fact that they do not share their neighbors' prohibition against drinking wine, traditionally do not use it in cooking either. Purists may substitute additional chicken broth for the wine.

4 lamb shanks (about 1 pound each), visible fat removed
Kosher (coarse) salt to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium-size onions, chopped
2 to 3 tablespoons coarsely chopped garlic
1 cup dry red wine
1 3/4 cups homemade chicken stock or 1 can (14 1/2 ounces) low-sodium chicken broth
Moroccan Spice Mix (recipe follows)
1 cup dried apricots
Black pepper to taste

from "The Foods of Israel Today" by Joan Nathan
as seen in The Orange County Register, 9-14-01

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoons salt
1 large egg
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter or margarine, cut into small pieces
1 cup sugar, divided use
Grated zest (colored peel) of 1 lemon
6 medium (about 3 pounds) Granny Smith or other flavorful apples, peeled and cored
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preliminaries: Fifteen minutes before baking, preheat oven to 450 degrees.

1. Put flour, baking powder, salt, egg, butter or margarine, 3/4 cup sugar and zest in food processor fitted with metal blade. Process until soft dough forms. Remove, roll in flour and wrap in plastic wrap; refrigerate 20 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, coarsely grate apples in food processor fitted with grating blade or use large holes on hand grater. Toss with remaining 1/4 cup sugar and set aside in colander to drain 30 minutes. Add cinnamon and toss.
3. Take 2/3 of dough and with floured fingertips, press it lightly into bottom and 2 inches up sides of 9-inch springform pan. Spoon apple mixture evenly into dough shell.
4. Roll out remaining dough on lightly floured surface into 9-inch circle about 1/8-inch thick. Place on top of apples, crimping edges of dough together to seal them. Make a few holes in top with tines of fork. Bake on middle rack of preheated oven 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake 30 additional minutes or until golden brown.

Yield: 8-10 servings

from "The Foods of Israel Today" by Joan Nathan
as seen in The Orange County Register, 9-14-01

Salt to taste
1 tablespoon baharat, or to taste; see cook's notes
1 tablespoon ground ginger, or to taste
8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup orange liqueur
1 cup chicken broth
4 tablespoons honey
1 1/2 cups orange juice
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
2 tablespoons grated orange zest
2 tablespoons finely chopped crystallized ginger
2 oranges, peeled and sectioned

Cook's notes: Joan Nathan says baharat is a spice mixture that varies from cook to cook, but often includes paprika, (ground) chili, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, black pepper, allspice, nutmeg, cardamom, cloves and salt. "If you can't find the mixture at a Middle Eastern market, choose from you favorite of these spices instead, making sure you include pepper," Nathan writes.

If you prefer thicker sauce, after chicken has cooked, remove chicken from sauce and increase heat to high; boil until reduced to 3/4 to 1 cup. Return chicken to sauce and complete step 5.

from "The Foods of Israel Today" by Joan Nathan
as seen in The Orange County Register, 9-14-01

1 cup dried chickpeas
5 tablespoons olive oil, divided use
3 medium onions, roughly chopped
4 carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
1 butternut, acorn or other bright orange squash (about 2 pounds), peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
2 zucchini, cut into 1-inch rounds
1 large eggplant (about 1 pound), cut into 1-inch chunks
2 celery stalks (with leaves), cut into 1-inch chunks
1/2 cabbage (about 1 pound), shredded
2-3 potatoes (about 1 1/2 pounds), peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons ground turmeric
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, divided use
4 tablespoons snipped fresh dill, divided use
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 pound couscous

From Cooking Jewish: 532 Great Recipes from the Rabinowitz Family (Workman) by Judy Bart Kancigor
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There’s no contest: this is the king of kugels. It is sinfully rich, yet lighter in texture than others we have tried.

Rita Miller was a kosher caterer in New Jersey who created this recipe about 35 years ago, after six months of experimentation, to try to make the best and most unusual dessert kugel possible. Since then it was her carefully guarded secret. The first time she gave out the recipe was to her son, David, and his new bride, my cousin Vicki, so they could make it for their first Yom Kippur breakfast in San Francisco. When I begged her to let me put it in my cookbook, she relented and decided it was time to share it with the world. Please bear in mind, she says, that this recipe was created long before cholesterol became a household watchword!

Slice the wider pear and peach slices in half for a more elegant presentation. And if sliced pears are unavailable, buy pear halves and slice them yourself.

Adding Toffee Walnuts was my brother Gary's idea. Try them with this or any other kugel.

from "The Foods of Israel Today" by Joan Nathan
as seen in The Orange County Register, 9-14-01

2 cloves garlic, peeled
8 sprigs (1/2 bunch) fresh parsley, stems removed
1 pound carrots, peeled, cut into 1- to 2-inch lengths
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons orange juice
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
Several grinds of pepper

Cook's note: You can add orange slices and/or radish slices to garnish this salad. Add grated or julienne celery root with the carrots in winter.

1. Place garlic and parsley in food processor fitted with steel blade; process until chopped.
2. Add carrots, lemon juice, orange juice, oil, salt and pepper.
3. Pulse until carrots are well-chopped but not puréed.
4. Adjust seasonings and serve.

Yield: 6 servings

From Cooking Jewish: 532 Great Recipes from the Rabinowitz Family (Workman) by Judy Bart Kancigor
Preorder on amazon

Rosh HashanahMy mother got this recipe from her friend Corinne in Nova Scotia. I remember visiting with them the summer before I turned fourteen, when I absolutely refused to go to sleep-away camp anymore. I traveled with my parents as they sang their way through the Catskills and Berkshires and then ferried up to Nova Scotia. The most memorable part of the trip for me was the arrival of Princess Margaret, who almost killed herself stepping out of her shoe as she exited the helicopter. For my mother, the most impressive moment was when Corinne sent her mother out into the yard to dig up potatoes for our dinner.

from "The Essential Book of Jewish Festival Cooking" by Phyllis Glazer and Miriyam Glazer

Serves 6

If your stovetop is electric, the next-best thing is to broil the eggplants on an oven rack close to the broiler element until blacked, turning occasionally. Place a parchment-lined pan under them to keep the oven clean. Serve with challah, hot pita, toast, or crackers.

4 pounds eggplant (about 3 large)
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, or more to taste
Seeds of one pomegranate
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint leaves (optional)
3 to 4 tablespoons chopped green onions and/or sliced radishes

Wash and dry eggplants. Cut a hole in middle of three large squares of aluminum foil to form “collars” for three stovetop gas burners. (This will help alleviate cleanup.) If you have them, place a rack over each burner to hold the eggplant. (Cooling racks may also be used).

Put an eggplant on each one of the burners and roast over medium heat, turning occasionally, until blackened on all sides. Use two large kitchen spoons to transfer one eggplant at a time to a cutting board. Let cool until easy to handle.

Slice each eggplant in half lengthwise and use a spoon to scrape out insides. Discard skin. Hand-chop eggplant flesh with a chopping knife until there are no coarse lumps or strips, then transfer to a bowl. (Don’t be tempted to use a blender or food processor for this recipe – they destroy the texture.)

Using a fork, mix in the lemon juice and pomegranate seeds, then gently whisk in the olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour onto a large plate and garnish with chopped mint in the middle and chopped green onions or radish slices over the rest.

from "The Essential Book of Jewish Festival Cooking" by Phyllis Glazer and Miriyam Glazer"

Makes one 12-inch loaf or two 9-inch loaves

If there is one food on everyone’s Rosh Hashanah menu, it’s honey cake. One of the Seven Species of the Bible, honey symbolizes the wish for a sweet New Year. “Inspired by the Romanian-Jewish honey cake – which is light rather than dark – this version is light as a feather and really delicious. It’s certainly the best honey cake we’ve ever tasted,” write Phyllis and Miriyam Glazer.

1 cup walnuts or pecans, chopped
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 1/4 cups honey
6 large eggs, separated
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
Pinch of ground cardamom
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 cup sugar

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a 12-inch loaf pan or two 9-inch loaf pans. Line bottom and sides with parchment paper to facilitate removal after baking. Set aside.

Place chopped nuts in a baking pan and roast in oven for 10 minutes, shaking pan occasionally. Remove from oven and let cool.

Lower heat to 300°F.

In bowl of a standing electric mixer, beat oil, honey, egg yolks, and spices. Sift flour and baking powder and blend into honey mixture until smooth.

In separate bowl, beat egg whites until foamy. Add sugar gradually, continuing to beat until egg whites are stiff. Fold a small amount of egg whites into honey mixture, then fold in the rest gradually, mixing gently each time until incorporated Stir in nuts.