The Ultimate Comfort Food -- Chocolate Sandwich Cookie (Oreo) Kugel for Your Inner (or Actual) Child

When Stay in Place began a few months ago I did a column for my j., Northern California's Jewish Resource featuring comfort food kugels, Kugels are pretty much comfort food by definition --warm, fragrant and fulling.

Kugels have their roots in Eastern European (Ashkenazi) Jewish tradition. They are casseroles and can be made with cheese or other dairy products, noodles, potatoes, matzoh, meat (but not with the milk) and more. My j column featured cereal milk kugel made with fruit-flavored cereal, a colorful and flavorful treat for one's actual or inner child.

This recipe sparked a renewed interest in my Chocolate Cookie Kugel which I decided to revisit and revise. First change for a SIP household of two, cutting the size. A full-size kugel was just too much, so I halved the recipe. I'm happy to report the recipe halves well (and leftovers store well for up to a week airtight in the fridge). Other minor tweaks include adding the cookie crumb topping. Enjoy.

(Oh, and believe or not, it's really not too sweet but it is rich and a small serving is usually very satisfying. The cookies undergo a kind of magical alteration when cooking and pretty much absorb the filling.)

Updated Chocolate Sandwich Cookie Kugel 

Serves 12

Halves well – 6-8 servings

The works with any chocolate sandwich cookie with filling -- if using ones with a flavored filling, maybe switch to vanilla extract for the almond. It really doesn't matter if you use generic or brand name Oreo-style cookies.

3 Tbs. unsalted butter melted, divided

30 chocolate sandwich cookies (approx.)

8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature

8 oz. sour cream

1 cup milk

4 eggs, beaten

1 tsp. almond extract

3 Tbs. sugar

1/8 tsp. salt

1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup chocolate sandwich cookies, cut or crumbled into bits

Whipped cream or additional sour cream

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Lightly brush 1 tsp. of the melted butter inside a 9×13-inch baking pan. Cover bottom with cookies, breaking some in half to fill in any large gaps.

Mash softened cream cheese with sour cream until smooth. Add remaining butter, milk, eggs, almond extract, sugar and salt. Beat until smooth.

Pour mixture over cookies. Scatter chocolate chips evenly over top. Place in oven. Bake for 30 minutes. Rotate pan. Scatter cookie crumbs over top. Bake for additional 15-25 minutes until custard top is firm and puffy and pulling away from sides of pan. Let sit for 20 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature topped with  dollops of whipped or sour cream if desired.

The photos show dollops of sour cream topped with additional, larger bits of chopped cookie as garnish.

See all my j cooking columns (published every other week) for more recipes. My earlier version of this recipe is also available on the blog along with some chocolate blintzes.

In the Pink -- Pucker Up for Rhubarb: Recipes for Borscht And Buckwheat Blintzes with Strawberry Rhubarb Compote

Rhubarb Beet Borscht

I'm still seeing lots of rhubarb on the shelves of my supermarkets and produce stores here in California, which seems late in the season for these purplish red and green-tinged stalks.

I hope you have access to lots of fresh rhubarb where you live, but if you don't you can use frozen rhubarb available in many some  groceries, natural foods and specialty markets, and on line (no need to defrost for the recipes below, but defrost and drain first if using in baking.) That makes me think of buying some stalks, cutting in pieces and freezing them myself so I can have the tart goodness of rhubarb throughout the year.

My memories of this astringent ingredient are sweet, not sour. My Grandma Clara used to stew me up a batch of rhubarb harvested from a neighbor's field. 

The plant's stalks cook up pink.  Often strawberries or sugar are added to tame its astringency. In the borscht, I combine rhubarb's tartness with beets' sweetness. If serving cold, you may need additional seasoning.  I like to serve the soup cold at parties as "shooters" in shot glasses topped with a swirl of yogurt and sprinkle of minced dill or mint as an appetizer.

Buckwheat is from the same botanical family as rhubarb and blintzes made with the flour are an earthy complement to the tangy Strawberry Rhubarb Compote. The blintz wrappers are very versatile and can be used with a variety of fillings. Try the compote on top of cheesecake or ice cream.

Since your rhubarb may be more or less astringent than mine, taste as you add sugar since you may need more or less than I've indicated in the recipes.

Be sure to discard any rhubarb leaves as they contain toxic compounds.

Rhubarb Beet Borscht

Serves 6-8

1 1/2 lbs. beet roots, trimmed

8 cups vegetable stock or broth

2 Tbs. chopped garlic

1 lb. fresh rhubarb stalks, trimmed

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. ground white pepper

1/4 tsp. ground cardamom

1/2 tsp. sugar or more as needed

1/2 tsp. lemon juice or more as needed

Garnishes (see below)

Thinly peel beet roots. Cut into 1/4" dice (4 cups). Bring stock to simmer. Add beets and garlic. Simmer 15 minutes until beets have begun to soften. Slice rhubarb into 1/4" pieces (3 cups). Add rhubarb, salt, pepper, and cardamom to soup. Simmer until rhubarb is falling part and beets are completely soft, 30-40 minutes. Taste. Add sugar and or lemon juice to balance taste sweet-tart. Cool and puree half in blender or with immersion blender and return to pot. Serve warm with garnish(es) or chill. If serving cold, taste and correct seasoning before garnishing.

Garnishes: Chose from one or more: sour cream or yogurt; sliced hard-boiled eggs; sliced, boiled potatoes, and minced fresh dill or mint.

Creative Commons license see below

Buckwheat Blintzes with Strawberry Rhubarb Compote

Makes 10-12

4 Tbs. melted butter, divided

1 recipe Buckwheat Blintz Crepe Batter (see below)

1 recipe Blintz Filling (see below)

1 recipe Strawberry Rhubarb Compote (see below)

1 Tbs. butter

Melt 3 Tbs. butter. Heat 8" omelet, fry or crepe pan over medium heat. Brush lightly with melted butter.  When sizzling, lift pan up and pour in 1/4 cup batter, swirling to coat bottom evenly. Return to heat.  Cook for 1 minute or until the top of the crepe is set and bottom is light brown or has brown spots. Turn out on a clean dishcloth. Repeat until batter is done, reapplying the melted butter before each crepe.

Lay browned side down. Place 2 Tbs. of filling in middle, leaving about a 1" margin at top and bottom of crepe. Fold top over filling, then fold bottom over. Fold one side over, then the other. Repeat with remaining crepes. Melt 1 Tbs. butter in a large fry pan over medium heat.  Fry in batches for 2 minutes on each side. Serve topped with compote.

Buckwheat Blintz Crepe Batter: Combine in a blender 3/4 cup flour, 1/4 cup buckwheat flour, 1 cup milk, 1/2 cup cold water, 2 eggs, 2 Tbs. oil and 1/4 tsp. salt. Blend on high until well mixed, then for 20 seconds.  Let sit for 1 hour and blend again.

Blintz Filling: Combine 2 cups ricotta cheese, 1 beaten egg, and 1/4 tsp. salt. Mix well.

Strawberry Rhubarb Compote:  Simmer 1 cup thinly sliced rhubarb with 1/2 cup of orange juice until just soft. Add 2 cups quartered strawberries, 1 Tbs. lemon juice and 2 Tbs. sugar.  Simmer until strawberries are just cooked. Chill. Use at room temperature.

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Photo credits: Soup: Blog Appetit; Rhubarb, By RhubarbFarmer (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Another version of this post appeared in the j weekly.  

From Floaters to Sinkers -- Matzah Ball Making 101

This is probably the trickiest and most detailed cooking post I’ve ever written, mostly because matzah balls are the most divisive Ashkenazi food I know.  Everyone has an opinion and most think their way is the best way.  Positions are taken young and kept for life.  I suspect marriages have failed because of sinkers and floaters.

With all that pressure, some home cooks are concerned about their matzah ball making ability and opt to use a mix (which still needs added ingredients and requires shaping and cooking) or ask others to make and bring the dumplings to their Seders.

Basically the debates center around ingredients, technique and whether the matzah ball itself is fluffy (a floater) or dense (a sinker).   Which is pretty much every aspect of matzah ball making. Oy.

One friend tells me she really prefers denser matzah balls, but she eats what she gets since she feels she “has no control” over how they turn out.

I can’t promise perfection, but I can give you some tips and recipes that should help anxious matzah ball makers.  Read on for my matzah ball recipes and my suggestions for gaining some control over the process and learn how to make the dumpling of your dreams, or at least close to it.

There are a variety of issues that affect your kneidlach success – the matzah meal itself, seasoning, leavening, liquid, and fat, as well as the shaping and cooking.

For some, the only good matzah meal is homemade, made of pulverized whole matzahs.  I’ve never done this myself, but it seems pretty straight forward and will yield the freshest matzah meal.  To make your own, break sheets of matzah into 1-2” sections and either grind in a food processor or put into double plastic bags and crush with a rolling pin, meat mallet or other heavy device.  You are aiming for pieces the size of commercial matzah meal (about 1/8”or less, be careful not to grind the matzahs too fine, then you’ll have made matzah cake meal).

If you are like me and use commercially prepared matzah meal, taste it before using.  If it tastes stale or rancid your matzah balls will, too. 

The freshness of your matzah meal will also affect how it absorbs your liquid ingredients, so homemade might need a bit less liquid. Add a bit more liquid if the mix seems too dry, although a drier batter is preferred if you want dense matzah balls.

Seasonings are another point of controversy – some recipes use a lot of salt, others just a trace.  Some salt the boiling water, others do not.  My preference is to add about ¼ to½ teaspoon of salt per cup of matzah meal and use very slightly salted boiling water (maybe a ¼ teaspoon for a big pot of water). Pepper is a deal breaker for some, mandatory for others and then there is the question of white or black pepper.  My choice is freshly ground black and I specify the amounts I like to use in the recipes below.

Adding garlic powder and onion powder are options.  If you are used to matzah balls from a mix you may want to include those, since the mixes have them listed as ingredients.  How much to add?  I’d say that depends on your preference.  Start with a ¼ to ½ teaspoon each per cup of matzah meal.

Other variations include adding 1-2 tablespoons of finely minced fresh dill or parsley for each cup of matzah meal.   I prefer to sprinkle the herbs on top of my soup instead of putting them in the matzah ball.

My basic rule is to add the minimal amount of any seasoning and cook up a small test matzah ball and then taste.  If the seasoning is too light, add more to the rest of the batter to compensate.  Keep in mind the kneidlach will be served in a seasoned chicken soup.

For leavening I use eggs and only eggs.  Different size eggs will yield different amounts of liquid.  I usually use large or extra-large eggs.

Some recipes, particularly those promising fluffy results, include baking powder (which is available kosher for Passover).  It is also an ingredient in commercial matzah ball mixes.  The basic amount to add seems to be 1 teaspoon per ¾ cup of matzah meal in addition to the eggs.  Adding baking powder might be good insurance if a lighter matzah ball is imperative for your family and you do not want to risk a cannon ball.

For denser matzah balls, I beat the whole egg.  For lighter, fluffier ones, I separate the yolk from the white.  I beat the yolk until combined, but whisk the whites for about a minute until foamy and add separately.  See recipes for specific directions.

I prefer seltzer as my liquid. Some recipes use just a little liquid (mostly denser ones), others use more.  For years I’ve used seltzer thinking it helps lighten the texture but I’ve never done a scientific testing.  You can also use water or strained chicken soup instead.

If you use seltzer, be sure it is plain, unflavored seltzer.  Do not use club soda, which has salt added or sparkling mineral water which may also contain salt as well as natural mineral flavors.

Fat is another variable.  I think a neutral-tasting vegetable oil helps give fluffier results, but melted (and slightly cooled) chicken fat (schmaltz) makes for the tastiest matzah balls.

I think the shaping is crucial in determining the density of your matzah ball.  The less handling, the fluffier your dumpling.

For ethereal, cloud-like kneidlach, use one spoon to pick up a portion of the batter and another spoon to slide the portion into the boiling water.  This results in free-form dumplings that are incredibly fluffy with no chewiness. Warning, even some floater enthusiasts find these too light.

For fluffy kneidlach floaters that actually look like matzah balls, wet your hands with cold water and handle the dough as little as possible to form rough rounds.  Don’t compress and don’t roll the balls in your hands any more than necessary.  I’ve seen batter destined for fluffy balls made dense by over handling by cooks who are determined to have perfectly round, evenly shaped matzah balls.

For dense, heavier matzah balls (I can’t actually guarantee they will sink, but they will have the slightly chewy texture those who like sinkers prefer), shape with wet hands, rolling and compressing the dough until if forms smooth, even rounds.

How your kneidlach are cooked can also help determine their fate as sinkers or floaters. Put your matzah balls in a pot of simmering water with plenty of room and they will expand more and have a lighter texture.  Crowd them and they will not expand as much and remain denser.

If you are multiplying the recipes or do not have a big enough pot to simmer the matzah balls in, either use several pots at once or cook them in batches. 

Many recipes tell you not to peek once your matzah balls are simmering.  For the fluffy matzah balls, I like to check after about 30 minutes to turn the dumplings over or spoon simmering liquid on them if it appears their tops are drying out.
Sometimes I find the matzah balls take more than the stated time in the recipe, so be sure to check for doneness and not just go by the clock.  I test by cutting one in half.  There should be no raw spots.  A fluffy dumpling should be uniformly creamy white inside.  A denser matzah ball will be more compact and darker, but still uniform.  Both types should taste cooked through.

Once the matzah balls are added to the water, make sure the water stays at a simmer.   The more intense boiling can break apart the dumplings.

I prefer to reheat the matzah balls in simmering chicken soup.  For a recipe and techniques for chicken soup, please check out my Chicken Soup 101 post.

I drain the cooked matzah balls on wire racks set inside baking trays.  For storing in the refrigerator, I place in sealed containers, separating layers with oiled waxed paper.  For longer storage, I freeze on a baking tray and then put the frozen individual dumplings in an airtight container or plastic bag.

Bring the refrigerated matzah balls to room temperature before using.  Defrost the frozen ones by placing them on wire racks until they are room temperature and then reheat in the soup.

Below are two recipes.  One is for fluffy matzah balls and it is based on a recipe from my husband’s Aunt Betty, who was the matzah ball making maven of her generation.  Another recipe is for dense matzah balls.  For a gluten-free option using chicken and almonds, click here. I can’t make iron-clad promises about texture and density in matzah ball making but I can promise that with time and an understanding of the variables, you will get a feel for what makes a good matzah ball for you and your soup.

Floaters -- Fluffy Matzah Balls (Adapted from Aunt Betty’s Recipe)
Makes about 20-22 matzah balls

4 large eggs
1 cup matzah meal
1/3 cup oil
1/2 cup plain seltzer
1/4 tsp. salt, or to taste
1/8 tsp. freshly ground pepper

Separate eggs.  Whisk egg whites for 1 minute until foamy.  Beat yolks in a large bowl until combined.  Add oil, seltzer, salt and pepper to yolks. Mix well. Slowly stir in matzah meal with a fork until well combined.  Fold in a third of the egg whites.  When incorporated, fold in another third and then the remaining third.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 2-3 hours or overnight.  (Batter will thicken as it chills).

Before shaping, bring a very large soup or stock pot of lightly salted water to a boil.  Chill a plate and lightly coat with oil.  Wet hands and gently shape into 1” rough balls being careful not to over handle or compress the dough, placing finished balls on plate.  When they are all formed, gently add balls.  Once the water has returned to a simmer and the matzah balls are floating on top, cover and cook at a simmer for about 50 minutes.  (After 30 minutes of simmering time, check and quickly turn the balls while they cook).  Remove with slotted spoon and drain.  Store as directed in article or reheat in chicken soup.

Sinkers -- Denser Matzah Balls (Adapted from the Back of a Matzah Meal Can)
Makes 8-10 matzah balls

 2 large eggs, beaten
2 Tbs. water, plain seltzer or strained stock
½ cup matzah meal
2 Tbs. oil or slightly cooled, melted schmaltz
1/8 tsp. salt, or to taste
Dash ground black pepper

Mix eggs with water, matzah meal, oil, salt and pepper. If the dough is too stiff to stir, add a bit more water. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or overnight.

Bring a large pot of slightly salted water to a boil. Wet hands, roll dough into 1” balls, pressing and shaping to compress into a smooth round shape, placing shaped balls on plate.  When they are all formed, gently drop balls into boiling water, then bring back to a simmer.  Once the water has returned to a simmer and the matzah balls are floating, cover and cook at a simmer for about 30-40 minutes.  Remove with slotted spoon and drain.  Store as directed in article or reheat in chicken soup. 
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This originally appeared in Temple Beth Abraham's Omer publication.

For Serios Eats 9/15 matzah ball primer, see the article at http://www.seriouseats.com/2015/04/how-to-make-the-best-matzo-balls.html

A Little Something Sweet -- Chocolate Sandwich Cookie Kugel (Kind of a Baked Custard Pudding) and Chocolate Blintzes (Plus a Bonus Chocolate Blintz Souffle Recipe)

Chocolate Blintz

I'm offering up something sweet to make up for my not posting in way too long -- some sweet dessert or brunch recipes both featuring chocolate.

Most folks know kugel as a (usually sweet) baked noodle pudding.  When I decided to give it a chocolate make over I started by making my own chocolate noodles.  They were a lot of work (especially since I no longer own a pasta machine) and while they tasted okay the texture in the kugel  can be best described as leaden.  As I searched my pantry and local grocery shelves for other options I tried various chocolate wafers and cookies.  Oreos (well actually Safeway's generic Tuxedo cookie variation) worked wonderfully and surprisingly were not too sweet and the crème-filled sandwich cookies held up well to the batter and baking. 

The Chocolate Blintzes feature a cocoa-based crepe and a ricotta filling laced with milk chocolate chips. I wanted to try the blintzes with a layer of Nutella (or other hazelnut-chocolate spread) on the crepe before adding the ricotta filling but I never got around to trying it that way. They were just too delectable this way. 

I did turn some of the leftover blintzes into a Chocolate Blintz Souffle.  If you want to try something similar see the note after Chocolate Blintzes recipe.

Chocolate Sandwich Cookie Kugel

Serves 12

3 Tbs. unsalted butter melted, divided
About 30 chocolate sandwich cookies
8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
8 oz. sour cream
1 cup milk
4 eggs, beaten
1 tsp. almond extract
3 Tbs. sugar
1/8 tsp. salt
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips, divided
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Lightly brush 1 tsp. of the melted butter inside a 9”x13” baking pan. Cover bottom with cookies, breaking some in half to fill in any large gaps.

Mash softened cream cheese with sour cream until smooth. Add remaining butter, milk, eggs, almond extract, sugar and salt. Beat until smooth.

Pour mixture over cookies. Scatter 1/2 cup of chocolate chips evenly over top. Place in oven. Bake for 30 minutes. Rotate pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon then scatter remaining chips over top. Bake for additional 15-25 minutes until custard top is firm and puffy and pulling away from sides of pan. Let sit for 20 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature topped with whipped cream if desired.

Chocolate Blintzes
Makes 12

12 chocolate blintz crepes (see below)
1 recipe of blintz filling (see below)
1 Tbs. unsalted butter, divided
2-3 Tbs. powdered sugar
1/4 cup sour cream (or whipped cream)
12 strawberries, sliced

Lay crepe cooked side down on work surface. Place 2 Tbs. of filling in the middle, leaving about an inch margin at top and bottom of crepe. Fold top over filling then bottom. Fold one side over. Lightly moisten inside edge of last side to help seal. Fold side over crepe. Repeat. Heat large fry pan over medium high heat. Add 1 tsp. butter. When melted, place first batch of blintzes seam side down in hot pan. Fry for about 2 minutes until beginning to darken. Flip and fry other side. Remove from pan, add additional butter as needed and fry remaining blintzes in batches. Serve warm sprinkled with powdered sugar, a dollop of sour cream and sliced strawberries.

Blintz Crepes:  Add to blender 1 1/4 cups milk, 1/2 cup cold water, 1 cup flour, 1/4 tsp. salt, 2 Tbs. baking cocoa, 2 Tbs. sugar,  1 tsp. vanilla extract, 2 Tbs. melted unsalted butter and 2 eggs. Blend until smooth. Melt 1 Tbs. butter. Heat 8” crepe, omelet or fry pan over medium heat. Brush lightly with melted butter. With pan off the heat, pour 1/4 cup batter in center of pan. Swirl pan to distribute batter evenly. Fry on one side until top is set and bottom has darkened. Remove with spatula. Place cooked side down on dishtowel. Repeat, adding butter as needed. (Recipe makes a few extra.)

Blintz Filling:  Mix 2 cups ricotta cheese with 1 beaten egg and 1/2 tsp. almond extract until smooth. Stir in 1 tsp. finely grated lemon zest, 1 Tbs. sugar and 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips.

Keep reading for turning the blintzes into a soufflé.

Knishing Cousins Share Potato Knish Recipe and History (Oh, and it's Blog Appetit's Seventh Anniversary!)

I can't believe today is Blog Appetit's seventh anniversary - thanks everyone for the help, support, advice and readership over the years.  Watch for a celebration post.  Meanwhile, please enjoy this special post (and potato knish recipe), my 695th. -- Faith

A real San Francisco treat - Mrs. Stahl's New York potato knishes

In a sunny San Francisco kitchen one recent afternoon, two cousins passed on a New York knish tradition.

Toby Engelberg and her cousin Sara Spatz were showing food writer and documentary filmmaker Laura Silver how to make their grandmother’s knishes. Engelberg’s grandmother was no amateur knish maker; she was Fannie Stahl, founder of Mrs. Stahl’s Knishes of Brighton Beach in Brooklyn, New York, one of the city’s legendary purveyors of the stuffed, baked Eastern European savory pastries.

Silver, a New York-based knish historian and expert, had been looking for years for Stahl family members and the recipe for the knishes she had grown up eating. To Silver the plump dough circle is more than just food. It is a “catalyst for talking about memories” and “a vehicle for nostalgia.” 

“It was amazing to find Toby. It went beyond my wildest dreams that I’d be making knishes with a descendant of Mrs. Stahl and in San Francisco,” said Silver, who had come West just to meet Engelberg and learn to make her knishes.

Silver had spent years tracing records and false leads for Mrs. Stahl’s Knishes only to find a clue on an on-line food forum posting by a Stahl relative. Through him, she found Engelberg. They had an “instant connection” and not only did Engelberg have the recipe, she was the family genealogist and was able to fill in the blanks on Silver’s research.

Laura Silver (left), Sara Spatz and Toby Engelberg with knishes

“The fillings are what I remember,” Engelberg said. She prefers the traditional fillings such as potato onion, cabbage or kasha (buckwheat) and is still tweaking her re-creation of her grandmother’s recipe. Working with Silver was “a great chance to get our story correct,” she said.

Engelberg, an architect who moved to San Francisco in 1988, once contemplated making knishes commercially, but she said the market for her hand-made savory pastries was not there. Now she makes the knishes for her annual holiday parties and for friends “who are really into it.” 

A camerawoman recorded Engelberg at work for Silver’s documentary on the Eastern European filled pastry. The dough was stretched out whisper-thin on the slate counter of her kitchen. Engelberg, often consulting with Spatz (who came from New York to participate), would spread a line of filling across the top, brush the dough with oil and turn the dough over until the pastry encased the stuffing. After a few more turns, the filled rope of dough was ready to be cut, shaped and baked into Mrs. Stahl’s famed knishes. With Silver helping out, the cousins made dozens of knishes for a party that night filled with appreciative friends who shared their own knish memories.

Mrs. Stahl began selling her knishes on the beaches and boardwalks of Brooklyn in the 1920s. By 1935 she had opened her shop in the Brighton Beach neighborhood. The cousins, daughters of the youngest and oldest of Stahl’s five children, reminisced about their grandmother’s shop including the machines that stretched and rolled the dough and the workers hand shaping the knishes at giant tables. The shop was sold in the mid-1960s a few years after their grandmother died. Subsequent owners kept the business going until 2005 when it closed for good, although a New Jersey pasta company still markets its frozen knishes under the Mrs. Stahl’s name to food service and other accounts.

In addition to researching knishes connections in New York and San Francisco, Silver has traveled to Minnesota, Poland and elsewhere on the trail of historic and modern knish makers.

“There’s a quote from Isaac Bashevis Singer about Yiddish that says the language is dying but it is never dead,” Silver said. “You can say the same thing about knishes.”

Her work in chronicling and celebrating the knish’s history while trying to introduce new eaters to the pastry has been supported by several organizations, including the Hadassah-Brandeis Institute. Her book, tentatively entitled the “Book of Knish,” is on track to be published late next year by Brandeis University Press. She hopes to have a pilot of her documentary ready to debut next year as well.

Silver is also working on an exhibit about knish history and other projects and invites folks to share their knish stories and local resources. Silver can be contacted at knish@me.com or through her website, www.knish.me .

Below is Engelberg's recreation of her grandmother's potato knish.  For a different style of potato knish, see this post and recipe on Blog Appetit.

Old World Foods Get a Fresh Spin in Food Truck (with Chicken Schnitzel and Hungarian Pepper Relish Recipes)

Street food meets Eastern European and Jewish favorites at a new food truck in the Bay area. The Old World Food Truck is Kenny Hockert’s celebration of fresh and seasonal Ashkenazi soul food.
Hockert, a San Francisco resident and a trained chef, mixes his natural, organic and sustainable food experiences with his memories of eating his Grandma Dora’s cooking growing up in Queens, N.Y.

“Jewish and Eastern European food was meant to be street food. It is comfort food, family food,” Hockert said. His “slow food in a fast truck” helps keep dishes such as borscht, pierogis, knishes, deli sandwiches and gefilte fish relevant today. His gefilte fish recipe, for example, incorporates local fish and freshly grated horseradish and beets. “It has the look and feel of something old but when you get a taste, it’s something new and fresh,” he said.

Find out the truck’s schedule as well as info on catering and his regular “pop-up” nights at a San Francisco restaurant by going to his website. Recipes below are by Hockert, are used with permission and have been adapted for space, style and to reflect my experience making them.

Old World Food Truck Schnitzel Recipe
Makes 4 schnitzels

This is hands down THE BEST schnitzel recipe I've ever made.  Just recently I made it again for my fried chicken cutlet loving son and he too declared it was something truly special. 

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup flour
1 cup panko bread or homemade bread crumbs
Canola oil
Lemon wedges and or honey to taste
Hungarian Pepper Relish (see recipe below)

Trim any gristle off of the chicken thighs. Butterfly thighs as needed to make the meat an even thickness. Place the thighs on a cutting board on a sturdy surface. Cover the chicken with plastic wrap. Using the flat side of a meat tenderizering mallet or the base of a mug, pound the thigh until the meat is a uniform 1/3” thick. Mix sugar and salt together and sprinkle on both sides of the thighs. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight. When ready to cook, preheat oven to 400 degrees and lightly oil a baking sheet. Put eggs in a bowl. Spread flour and bread crumbs on separate plates. Pat the chicken in the flour, shake off excess, then dip into egg and finish by patting the chicken into bread crumbs. Repeat. Pour a 1/4" layer of oil on the bottom of a large frying pan or skillet. Heat until the oil reaches 325 degrees on a frying thermometer or until it sizzles a bread crumb. Put one chicken thigh in hot oil, it should sizzle immediately. If not, do not add others until it does. Fry on both sides until golden brown (about a minute a side). Place on prepared pan and put in oven for no more than 5 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. Serve immediately with a drizzle of honey and or lemon juice on top and Hungarian pepper relish.

Old World Food Truck Hungarian Pepper Relish
Makes about 2 cups

This tangy relish works well as a condiment to more than the fried chicken.  Try it as a pasta topping or with sausages.

1/2 lb. red bell pepper
1/2 lb. Hungarian gypsy pepper (or use additional bell pepper)
1/2 to 1 small jalapeño (optional)
2 Tbs. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, cut into 1/4" pieces
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 Tbs. paprika
1/4 tsp. salt or to taste
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper or to taste

Seed and cut peppers (including jalapeno if using) into 1/4” pieces. Heat oil in sauce pan, add garlic, peppers and onion. Sauté over medium heat until softened and lightly browned, about 10-15 minutes. Add sugar and vinegar, simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10-15 minutes until the liquids are mostly reduced. Add salt, pepper and paprika. Taste. It should be tangy, sweet and have a nice spice. Adjust seasonings as needed. Transfer to food processor and carefully pulse mixture into a small, chunky dice. Let cool and serve with schnitzels.

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A version of this post first appeared in j. weekly.
Artist rending of truck used with permission.
Look for more about Hockert and the Old World Food Truck on Blog Appetit soon.

Revisionist Meat Loaf. It's What's for Dinner -- Stuffed Cabbage Meat Loaf and Spanish Kale and Olive Meat Loaf

Stuffed Cabbage Meat Loaf

Meat loaf. Just saying those words seems to conjure a remembrance of a specific meat loaf recipe for most people. For many folks it’s family food, not something special for company, but meat loaf is too good to not get a chance to shine, so here are two untraditional meat loaf recipes to try.

The Stuffed Cabbage Meat Loaf started with my memories of my Eastern European Jewish grandmother’s meat loaf and her stuffed cabbage. In her honor, the meat loaf has a hard-boiled egg core, a cabbage wrapping and a sweet and sour tomato sauce to top it off. This is a good recipe to use with low-fat ground beef, since the cabbage keeps the meat loaf moist.

The Spanish Kale and Olive Meat Loaf features Iberian seasonings and pimento-stuffed olives.

Stuffed Cabbage Meat Loaf
Serves 6-8

6 large, green cabbage leaves
Oil spray
1 1/4 lbs. ground beef
1 cup matzo meal
1 egg, beaten
1 14oz. can diced tomatoes with liquid
1/2 cup finely chopped onions
2 tsp. minced garlic
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1/8 tsp. ground dried oregano
1/8 tsp. paprika
2 hardboiled eggs, shelled

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Immerse leaves in pot of boiling water, cover, reduce heat to a simmer and cook 4-5 minutes until the leaves are pliable. Drain. Spray large baking dish with the oil spray. Lay 2 largest cabbage leaves stem end to stem end in the center of the baking dish. Set aside.

Combine meat, matzo meal, beaten egg, tomatoes with liquid, onions, garlic, salt, pepper, oregano and paprika. Mound half into an 8”x4” loaf in the middle of the 2 cabbage leaves. Press hard-boiled eggs into loaf end to end. Mound remaining meat on top. Drape 2-3 cabbage leaves over top of meat loaf, filling in gaps with remaining leaves. Fold up cabbage leaves from underneath to enclose. Spray top with oil spray. Bake, spraying cabbage with oil if it begins to dry out or get too brown, for 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hours, until firm to the touch and cooked through. Let sit 20 minutes before serving. Serve with sauce (below).

Sweet and Sour Sauce: Plump 1/2 cup raisins in hot water for 20 minutes, drain. In a small pan combine raisins with 15 oz. can tomato sauce, 1 Tbs. brown sugar, 1/4 tsp. dried ground ginger, 1/8 tsp. salt, 1/8 tsp. ground black pepper and 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Taste, adding sugar or vinegar as needed.

Spanish Kale and Olive Meat Loaf
Serves 6

2 Tbs. oil plus additional for greasing pan
1/2 cup chopped red onion
4 tsp. minced garlic
2 cups chopped kale or chard
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 tsp. smoked paprika
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1 lb. ground beef
2 Tbs. tomato paste
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup bread crumbs
10 queen-size, pimento-stuffed green olives, cut into fourths

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat 2 Tbs. oil in pan. Sauté onions and garlic until lightly browned. Add kale, red pepper, paprika, cumin, salt and pepper. Sauté until cooked. Oil an 8.5” x 4.5” loaf pan. Combine kale mixture with beef, tomato paste, eggs, bread crumbs, and olives. Put into loaf pan. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour until firm to the touch and cooked through. Let sit 20 minutes before serving.

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Originally featured in j weekly.  Also featured on About.com's Eastern European food guide.

Ohs of Joy -- Really Good Bagels Made at Home by Normal (Well, Pretty Normal) Folks Who Know From Good Bagels

Baked plain, salt and sesame seed bagels

There are a couple of ways to approach making homemade bagels.

The first is to be determined to make great, nay legendary, bagels better than one can get locally (unless locally is near a renown bagel making bakery), using techniques perfected by bagel makers of yore (specifically Bagel Makers Union 338).

The other way is just get a bunch of friends together to enjoy the process, bake some bagels and enjoy a nice brunch.



A group of friends, Gary and I opted to be social bagel makers and had a grand time doing it. We tested two recipes. One, quite frankly, made great pretzels. Which would have been fine except we were making bagels. The other made great tasting bagels. The crust wasn’t as shiny or crisp as we might like in an ideal world, but was more than good enough. The insides, oh my, but the insides. These bagels shone with inner beauty. The bite was pleasantly chewy with just the right amount of resistance; the taste was clean with just the right amount of tang. Spread with cream cheese, slathered with butter, encumbered with lox, cucumbers, tomatoes and onions, these bagels added to the experience. 

The recipe for bagels that turned out to make a good pretzel (seriously, we were dipping the baked rings into salt and mustard) offered us ease, a quick rise (40 minutes), a dunk in boiling water and a 20 minute bake. I had the dough ready to go when our friends arrived ready to roll (or poke) the bagel dough in shape. The payoff was dense, hard bagels.

The other recipe I made the night before including shaping the bagels. They were kept in the fridge overnight and then boiled and baked the next morning. This is the batch we were in ecstasy about.

Basically I didn’t find making these bagels that complicated. You just had to follow the steps. Here are some tips based on my bagel making experience.

• Prepare to hand knead unless you have a truly heavy duty mixer. Bagel dough is stiff. It wants you to beat it up, so don’t feel guilty about pushing it around. Prepare to knead for at least 10 minutes. Think of it as working off the calories just eating one of these beauties is going to cost you. Since this dough is so stiff, be aware that if you are contemplating multiplying the recipe you’ll need forearms like Popeye and hands like a masseuse to knead more than one batch concurrently.

Teen friend's artwork from bagel party

• Recognize you are not a professional baker – you will make mistakes, but they will be delicious. I used oiled parchment paper to line the first batch’s baking trays (which some recipes recommended). I should have used cornmeal. My golden brown, perfectly round bagels stuck like an s.o.b. (son of a bagel) to that paper. What could we do? We left them on their parchment paper until the guests had arrived and could ooh and ahh over their supposed perfection. Then Gary sliced them off with a bread knife. 


• Give your bagels a good poke. Before we attempted this I read recipe after recipe and sought out photos and videos on how to shape the bagels. When I finally got down to actually shaping them I threw out all by notions of rolling out perfect rings and went for the ball and poke technique described in the recipe. Even the kids (ages 4-13) were able to shape great looking bagels. (Again, recognize you do not have your bagel making union card, so whatever gets the job done is fine, especially if you are a social bagel baker. Ignore this advice if you are attempting legendary bagels, this advice would then be heresy to you.)

• Be patient. The dough takes time to come together and absorb all that flour. It takes time to knead, shape and rise again. Boiling and baking really didn’t take that long, but you should wait until the hot bagels have cooled a bit so you can properly taste them (not to mention avoid burning hands and or tongue).

• Be skimpy with your toppings. Sprinkle perhaps a tablespoon or two of sesame seeds, poppy seeds or kosher salt over the top of your bagels. Too much will overpower the bagels. Respect the heritage of the plain bagel and the limitations of the home kitchen and do not attempt an asiago-cranberry-garlic-everything bagel. This is an abomination as per my official bagel religion. If you are an unbeliever, add your chocolate chips, but be prepared when you meet your bagel maker to answer for such transgressions.

What I would do different? I think I would play around with the boiling time (make it a bit longer) and maybe add some malt syrup to the boiling water to see if I could get a smoother, shinier crust with a tad more toothiness. (Some add an egg glaze before baking the bagels to replicate this crust, but I resisted that technique for purist reasons.) I would have used cornmeal on the baking tray (maybe with the parchment) so that the bagels wouldn’t have glued themselves to the paper and have had to be surgically removed.

I don’t like to repost other bloggers' recipes without permission and to be honest my Really Good Bagels recipe is not that different than the one posted by The Fresh Loaf blog and forum (the author who in turn adapted it from the book The Bread Baker’s Apprentice.)  Thanks to Floyd Mann, the genius behind The Fresh Loaf, for his permission to reprint his recipe. The recipe is included at the bottom of this post, or you can click here  to see it instead.

Here are the changes I made to The Fresh Loaf recipe to create my Really Good Bagels:

Sponge:
The water should be lukewarm (hot tap water).

Dough:
I used the malt syrup. This is easy to find at Whole Foods and other natural foods groceries.

Shaping and forming:
I cut into pieces slightly smaller than Fresh Loaf did – about 4.25 ounces, resulting in 13 bagels (a baker’s dozen) and 1 mini. Using a scale really helped for this process. If you don’t have one, just try to get your dough pieces as even as possible.
 

Boiling bagels before baking

 
After rolling each dough piece into a ball and letting rest for 20 minutes I used the ball and poke method Fresh Loaf did, which is basically poking your thumb through the center of each roll and then, keeping your thumb in the middle, turning the dough to smooth and even out the dough ring. Make your hole about an inch or more in diameter to resist the forces of an overnight rising and subsequent baking and remain a hole.

Boiling and Baking:



I added the baking soda to the water and boiled the bagels about 1 1/2-2 minutes on each side.
I baked them for about 10 minutes total at 500 degrees (I did not adjust the heat down as Fresh Loaf does).

Below is The Fresh Loaf's bagel recipe, reprinted with permission.

Four New Latke Toppings! Make Your Potato Pancakes Zing with Apple Pear Sauce, Beet-Horseradish Topping, Apple-Red Onion Compote and Apple Cinnamon Sour Cream

Apple Pear Sauce and Apple and Red Onion Compote for topping latkes

For many, latkes need no more than a dripping of sauce from a pot roast or brisket, a spoonful of apple sauce or maybe a shmear of sour cream. Then there are folks who like their latkes sprinkled with a bit of sugar. But for those who want to try something new this Chanukah season (or really any time), below are some recipes to plop atop their potato pancakes.

The Apple and Red Onion Compote adds savory but still sweet flavor to complement the rich taste of the fried potatoes. The Apple, Beet and Horseradish Topping is reminiscent of borscht with all the trimmings. The flavor combination is based on a salad of fresh shredded beets and horseradish I once had in a Ukrainian restaurant on the Lower East Side in New York. Be sure to use the plain, white prepared bottled horseradish without cream or beets. I like the Apple Pear Sauce best with unpeeled fruit, but peeling is an option if you prefer. Finally, the Apple Cinnamon Sour Cream Topping was developed by Green Valley Organics of Sebastopol, CA, for use with its kosher, lactose-free sour cream, but I think it works well with regular sour cream, too.

Apple and Red Onion Compote
Makes about 2 cups

1 medium red onion
2 Tbs. vegetable oil
2 medium apples, peeled, cored and cut into ½” cubes
1 cup apple juice
1 Tbs. brown sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
1/8 tsp. ground coriander

Slice onions very thinly and then cut slice in half. Heat oil in large pan, Sauté onions over low heat until very soft, add apples and apple juice, raise heat to medium high. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Add sugar, salt, cloves and coriander. Cover and continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, until the apples are very soft but not mushy, about 30 minutes. Remove lid and raise heat to high and cook, stirring, until all the pan juices have thickened and the mixture is no longer liquid. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Apple, Beet and Horseradish Topping
Makes about 2 and 1/2 cups

1 medium apple, peeled and cored
2 Tbs. lemon juice
1-15 oz. can of sliced beets, drained
1-2 Tbs. or to taste plain, prepared bottled white horseradish
1/2 cup sour cream

Chop apple into 1/4” pieces, mix with lemon juice and drain. Chop beets into 1/4” pieces, mix with drained apples. Stir in horseradish to taste. Refrigerate. Just before serving, pour off any liquid and mix with sour cream. Serve immediately.

Apple Pear Sauce
Makes about 3 cups

3 medium apples, peeling optional
2 Bartlett pears, ripe but firm, peeling optional
2 Tbs. lemon juice
3/4 cup apple juice

Core and cut apples and pears into 1” cubes. Toss with lemon juice. Put in medium pot with juice over low heat. Cover and cook at a simmer. Using a heavy spoon, stir, mash and break up pieces of the fruit occasionally as the sauce cooks. Once the fruit is very tender, about 30 minutes, (peeled fruit may require less time). Remove lid, raise heat to high and simmer for 10 minutes to thicken juices. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Apple Cinnamon Sour Cream Topping
(From Green Valley Organics)
Makes about 3 cups

For a non-dairy option, try plain soy yogurt.

1-12 oz. container regular or lactose-free sour cream
2/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 Tbs. brown sugar OR 1 Tbs. agave nectar, to taste
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp. salt
1 unpeeled apple, cored and shredded

Mix sour cream, applesauce, brown sugar or agave, cinnamon and salt together. Roll shredded apple in a clean kitchen towel and squeeze out excess water. Stir drained apple shreds into the sour cream mixture. Adjust seasonings to taste and refrigerate until ready to serve.
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The version of this post originally appeared in the j. weekly.
Need recipes, suggestions, background on Chanukah (Hanukkah) - check out my round up here.

This Purim Make Noise for Kreplach

Most of us associate Purim foods with sweets such as hamantaschen cookies or other pastries, but kreplach, an Ashkenazi filled pasta, have long been enjoyed at Purim, probably because of the dumpling’s shape, which is associated with the tri-cornered hat ascribed to evil Haman. (Purim is March 20-21 this year.)

This Jewish boiled dumpling has roots back to medieval France and migrated with the Jews as they headed east. Making the dough and filling the pasta were labor-intensive, so kreplach were saved for Purim and a few other holidays.

I grew up eating kreplach stuffed with meat or chicken swimming in my chicken soup, but cheese and fruit jam variations are also popular.

Here are a few of my favorite kreplach recipes. These recipes use square wonton or goyza wrappers. If you want to make your own dough, use egg noodle dough rolled out very thin and cut into three-inch squares.

Don't feel like making kreplach?  Buy some premade tortellinis or wontons and enjoy the spirit of the day.

Meat or Poultry Kreplach
Makes about 30 dumplings

This recipe calls for raw ground meat or poultry. However, left-over pot roast, brisket or roast chicken make fabulous fillings. To substitute the cooked meat, do not use the ground meat, instead use ¾ of lb. of leftovers, minced fine, and add it to the browned onions and garlic. If the meat is highly seasoned you may want to reduce the amount of salt and pepper you use and not add the optional spice.

2 Tbs. oil
1 small onion, minced fine
1-2 cloves garlic, minced fine
1 lb. ground beef, turkey or chicken, crumbled into small bits
¼ tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. ground black pepper
1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon OR ground ginger, optional
1 egg, beaten
About 8 oz. of square wonton or goyza wrappers

Heat oil in large fry pan. Sauté onion until light brown. Add garlic and sauté until golden. Add raw meat, sautéing until cooked through, breaking up any lumps of clumps. Add salt, pepper and cinnamon OR ginger if using. Drain excess fat and let cool. Mix in egg. (For a smoother filling, process in a food processor until smooth.)

Keep unused wonton squares covered to prevent them from drying out. Place about 1 tsp. of filling in the middle of each wrapper. Lightly wet a finger or pastry brush with water and moisten the borders of the square with water. Fold the lower left hand corner over the filling so it meets with the upper right hand corner, forming a triangle. Press firmly with your fingers or the tines of a fork to make sure the edges have sealed.

Cook in a large pot of boiling, lightly salted water. Cook about half of the kreplach at a time. Reduce heat to simmer and cook dumplings for 15-20 minutes or until the pasta is cooked through but still has some resistance to the bite and is not mushy. Finished dumplings can be served in hot soup or drained and fried in schmaltz or oil with onions.

Jam Kreplach
Makes about 30 Dumplings

About 2 1/2 cups of fruit preserves or jam such as cherry, apricot or raspberry
About 8 oz. of square wonton or goyza wrappers
Cinnamon and or sugar

Choose a very thick preserve or jam, or drain for a few minutes to remove excess liquid. Place about 1 tsp. of fruit preserves or jam in the middle of a wrapper. Fold, seal and cook as described above. Drain and serve warm or at room temperature sprinkled with cinnamon and or sugar.

Cheese Kreplach
Makes about 30 Dumplings

Most cheese kreplach recipes rely on pot or farmer’s cheese, which can be hard to find. This one is based on a cottage cheese-ricotta filling I developed for blintzes.

½ lb. cottage cheese
½ lb. ricotta cheese
2 eggs, beaten
2 Tbs. sugar
1 Tbs. flour
¼ tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. ground pepper
1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon OR ground coriander, optional
About 8 oz. square wonton or goyza wrappers
Sour cream and or fruit sauce

Drain cottage cheese and discard liquid. Push the cottage cheese through a strainer or a sieve or whirl in a food processor to break up the curds. Mix with ricotta cheese, sugar, flour, salt, pepper and optional cinnamon or coriander. Place about 1 tsp. of filling in the center of the wrapper. Fold, seal and cook as described above. Drain. Serve warm or at room temperature with sour cream and or fruit sauce.

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A version of this post originally appeared in the Temple Beth Abraham Omer.

Warming Soups from Around the World: Potato Goulash, Harira with Greens, and Sweet and Sour Cabbage Soup

Harira with Greens

When the days get short and the weather turns cold and wet, there is nothing like a good bowl of soup. These are some of my favorite meal-in-a-bowl soup recipes, packed with spice and flavor. These vegan recipes rely on winter vegetables as well as pantry staples to warm you inside and out.

The Potato Goulash is a take on the goulash my Italian-Hungarian step-grandmother made. It is more of a soup than a stew, but you could ladle it over noodles if you like. Try serving it with a dollop of regular or non-dairy sour cream on top.

The Harira with Greens is an interpretation of a hearty soup eaten throughout Morocco. The exotic scent and deep flavor make it like a spice market in a bowl.

My twist on a traditional East European sweet and sour cabbage soup includes balsamic vinegar and butternut squash. Serve it with some crusty wheat, rye or black bread.

Potato Goulash
Serves 4

2 Tbs. vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup bell pepper strips
1 tsp. caraway seeds
1 1/2 Tbs. paprika
1-15 oz. can diced tomatoes with liquid
4 cups vegetable broth
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
2 Tbs. tomato paste
6 cups of cubed, peeled new or red potatoes (cut into 1” cubes)

Heat oil in deep pot or sauté pan. Sauté onion until light brown, add garlic and sauté until golden. Add pepper strips and sauté until beginning to soften. Add caraway and paprika and stir well. Add tomatoes with liquid, broth, salt, black pepper and tomato paste. Stir. Bring to a simmer. Add potato cubes, return to a simmer. Lower heat and cook covered at a simmer until the potatoes are cooked through, about 15 minutes. Taste. Add more salt if needed.

Harira with Greens
Serves 6-8

2 Tbs. vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 small jalapeño, seeded and chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 tsp. dried ground ginger
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. turmeric
1 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. ground cardamom
1/8 tsp. ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. salt
1-28 oz. can diced tomatoes with liquid
4 Tbs. tomato paste
8 cups water
1-15oz can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed)
1/2 cup uncooked brown or green lentils, rinsed
4 cups chopped chard leaves
3 oz. of angel hair pasta or spaghetti, broken into 1” pieces
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Lemon wedges
Harissa, salsa or hot sauce (optional)

Heat the oil in a deep pot. Sauté onion for a few minutes until softened, add garlic and sauté until light brown. Add jalapeno and celery and sauté for another few minutes. Add ginger, cinnamon, turmeric, cumin, paprika, cardamom, pepper and salt and mix well. Add tomatoes with their liquid, tomato paste and water. Stir well. Bring to a simmer. Add chickpeas and lentils. Cover pot, lower heat to keep at a simmer and cook for about 20 minutes until lentils are almost done. Add chard and simmer 5 minutes. Add pasta and cook 8-12 minutes until pasta is cooked. Garnish with cilantro. Serve with lemon wedges to squeeze over soup. Pass hot sauce if desired.

Sweet and Sour Cabbage Soup with Butternut Squash
Serves 8

2 Tbs. olive oil
1 cup chopped onions
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 medium carrots, chopped
2 cups of peeled, cubed butternut squash (cut into 1" cubes)
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp ground dried oregano
1/4 tsp ground dried thyme
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
4 cups vegetable broth
1 bay leaf
6 cups chopped green cabbage
1-15 oz. can tomatoes, chopped with liquid
2 Tbs. tomato paste
1 cup water
1/2 tsp. salt or to taste
2 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. sugar

In a large pot, heat oil over medium high heat. Add onion and sauté until beginning to soften, add garlic and sauté until just golden. Add celery, carrots and squash and sauté for 3 minutes. Add red pepper flakes, oregano, thyme and black pepper. Stir well. Add broth and bay leaf. Bring to a simmer; add cabbage, tomatoes (with liquid) and tomato paste. Stir well cover pot and simmer until cabbage has begun to soften. Add water until soup is at desired thickness. Simmer until vegetables are softened. Taste soup and add salt as needed. Add balsamic vinegar and sugar. Mix thoroughly, let simmer a minute or two and taste. Add more sugar or vinegar as needed. Remove bay leaf before serving.

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A version of this post first appeared in the j. weekly. You can read the original article here.

Eastern European Stuffed Cabbage in Sweet and Sour Tomato Sauce for National Vegan Month

This is the second vegan cabbage roll recipe I developed for National Vegan Month. (For the Asian-inspired recipe and more on November being National Vegan Month, click here.) Since I was writing this for a Jewish audience (the Temple Beth Abraham Omer), I thought I would tweak a traditional Ashkenazi style stuffed cabbage taste profile. It is still filling, still hearty, and still a great main course or perhaps an accompaniment to some Chanukah potato latkes.

The kasha (buckwheat groats) in the filling gives these cabbage rolls their hearty taste; a bit of ginger and a sweet and sour tomato sauce give them a lively, bright taste. I always found prepping the cabbage leaves for stuffing a bit intimidating. Some recipes have you whacking out the cabbage core and/or submerging and boiling a whole cabbage. I’ve developed a fairly fuss free way to prep the cabbage leaves that makes it relatively easy to prepare them for the stuffing (see recipe directions below). Give it a try.

East European Style Cabbage Rolls in Sweet and Sour Tomato Sauce
Serves 4

Large Savoy or green cabbage
2 Tbs. vegetable oil
½ cup finely chopped onions
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp. minced fresh ginger root
½ tsp. ground black pepper, divided
¼ tsp. red pepper flakes
1 carrot, chopped
½ cup of sliced mushrooms
½ tsp. salt, divided
1 cup uncooked kasha (buckwheat groats)
3 cups vegetable stock
¼ cup chopped parsley, plus additional for garnish
1 cup chopped tomatoes, divided
16 ounces plain tomato sauce
¼ tsp. ground dried ginger
1 Tbs. sugar
¼ cup apple cider vinegar

First prep the cabbage leaves. Score the bottom of the cabbage all the way around stem with a knife to detach the leaves from the stem. Pull off 10 of the outer leaves, making additional cuts at the stem if needed. Place the leaves in boiling water in a large pot. (You may want to prepare a few additional leaves in case of rips and tears or if you have some leftover stuffing.) Make sure the leaves are submerged. Cover and simmer for four to five minutes or until tender and pliable. Drain and let cool.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large frying or sauté pan, heat the oil over medium high heat. Add onion and sauté 1 minute, add garlic, ginger, ¼ tsp. of black pepper and red pepper flakes. Sauté for a minute. Add carrots, sauté for 3 minutes, then add the mushrooms. Sauté for 1 minute and add the kasha, stirring well. Add the stock, bring to a low simmer. Cover and lower heat, simmering until the stock is absorbed and the kasha is cooked through (about 8 to 10 minutes), stirring occasionally. Taste and add more black pepper if needed and ¼ tsp. of salt or as needed. Mix in ½ cup of chopped tomato and ¼ cup parsley.

In a small sauce pan over medium low heat, mix the tomato sauce, ground ginger, ¼ tsp. salt and ¼ tsp. of ground pepper, sugar and remaining tomatoes. Cook, stirring frequently, until the tomatoes have begun to soften. Take off the heat. Add the vinegar. Stir well and taste. Adjust by adding more sugar or vinegar as needed and more salt and pepper as desired. Ladle a thin layer of the sauce on the bottom of a 9x12-inch baking pan.

Spread a cabbage leaf on a cutting board. Cut off hard end of stem. Place ¼ cup of filling in the middle of the leaf. Fold over the two shorter sides of the leaf. Fold over one of the longer sides, then the other. Place folded side down in the baking pan. Repeat with other leaves. Spread sauce evenly over top of cabbage rolls. Bake until the sauce is bubbling and the rolls are cooked through, approximately 45-50 minutes. Garnish with parsley before serving.

Taste 10, Looks 2 -- Balkan Lemon-Egg Sauce Moussaka with Lamb

Over at the j weekly, I've had an article on the wonderful photo exhibit at the BJE Community Library in San Francisco on Balkan Sephardic Jews. Called "Images of a Lost World" it documents the lives of a population killed during WWII or dispersed afterwards. The photos and accompanying interviews document these communities in Bulgaria, Greece, Bosnia, Turkey and more. You can read my article here. The exhibit continues on display through the end of January.

Many of the folks who were interviewed mentioned the food their mothers and grandmothers had cooked, but without naming any specific dishes. I started to think about the Greek and Turkish influences on the cuisine in that part of the world and developed this recipe in response to the exhibit. Lemon-Egg Sauce Moussaka with Lamb is lovely to eat, with rich, bright flavors, but only so-so to look at. So make this in your prettiest casserole dish and garnish with some chopped parsley and maybe a handful of fresh diced tomatoes on top to doll it up. Once you taste it, I think you'll agree, looks aren't everything. (Plus the leftovers were great, even cold.) There is no milk or cream in this moussaka, so it might work well for lactose-intolerant guests.

Lemon-Egg Sauce Moussaka with Lamb
Serves 4

The finished casserole may look a bit homey, but the taste is decadent and complex. The dish’s citrusy zing works well with the richness of the sauce and lamb, both of which help mellow the assertiveness of the eggplant. Use the full cup of juice for a stronger lemon flavor. Try serving with rice or potatoes to soak up the creamy (but definitely not dairy) sauce.

Olive oil
1 large globe eggplant, peeled and sliced into ¼” rounds
½ small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound ground lamb
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
2 Tbs. tomato paste
¼ tsp. salt or to taste
¼ tsp. ground black pepper or to taste
½ tsp. dried ground oregano
1 tsp. lemon zest
3 Tbs. flour
2 cups chicken stock, divided
¾ to 1 cup lemon juice
2 eggs, beaten
½ tsp. paprika
¼ cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

Prepare the Eggplant

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a large baking tray and place eggplant slices in single layer (use two trays if necessary). Brush tops of slices with a light coating of olive oil. Bake for about 30-40 minutes, turning and brushing tops with additional oil occasionally until the eggplant slices are soft throughout and golden brown. Set aside.

Cook the Lamb Filling

Over medium high heat, heat 2 Tbs. of oil and sauté onion until beginning to turn golden. Add garlic, sauté until the onions are beginning to brown. Add lamb, stirring to break up meat. Sauté until the outside of the lamb is just browned. (Drain if desired, discarding fat). Add tomatoes, tomato paste, salt, pepper and oregano. Sauté until lamb is cooked through and tomatoes have begun to soften. Taste and correct seasoning. Add lemon zest, mix well. Set aside.

Make the Lemon-Egg Sauce

Have all ingredients for the sauce ready. In a large saucepan over medium high heat, heat 2 Tbs. oil. Quickly stir in the flour until it is just incorporated. Be careful not to scorch the flour-oil paste. Add in half of the chicken broth. Stir or whisk constantly until the flour mixture and the stock are smooth. Add remainder of the chicken stock and the lemon juice. Reduce heat to medium. Bring to a low boil, stirring occasionally. Remove a half cup of the hot chicken stock mixture and stir into the beaten eggs until well combined. Now slowly drizzle the egg and stock mixture back into the pot stirring the sauce in the pot the whole time until the egg mixture is fully incorporated. Stirring occasionally, bring the sauce back to a low boil. Cook, stirring often, until the mixture has reduced to about half. Taste and add salt if necessary. (Makes about 1 ½ cups of sauce.)

Assemble and Bake the Moussaka

Preheat (or turn oven down to) 350 degrees. Grease an 8 to 9” round casserole. Cover the bottom with half of the baked eggplant slices. Layer with half of the lamb filling. Pour half of the egg-lemon sauce over the lamb. Repeat. Sprinkle top with paprika.
Bake uncovered for 50 to 55 minutes or until top is browned and the sauce is set (it will still be a bit loose when served). Let sit for 10 to 20 minutes before garnishing with chopped parsley and serving.