Posts Tagged "Joan Nathan"
Haroset fun from around the world
Published in The Philadelphia Jewish Voice Passover is a time of cherished traditions and foods. It is also an opportunity to learn how diverse Jewish cuisine is. Haroset, the mixture of fruit and nuts that represents the mortar used by the Israelites while they were slaves in Egypt, is the perfect medium with which to accomplish this. Generally inexpensive and easy to prepare, it is composed of the local ingredients of each particular community. One may start by making Ashkenazic Haroset, from Eastern Europe. Pareve Ashkenazic Haroset 1 pound (about 3 large) apples, cored and chopped 1/2 to 1 cup (2 to 4 ounces) chopped almonds or walnuts 1 to 2 tablespoons...
Read MoreMedieval To Modern Matzah Balls
Published in The Philadelphia Jewish Voice When the Ancient Israelites fled Egypt, they had unleavened flatbreads which had been baked in tabuns, or outdoor wood fired mud ovens. They did not have matzah balls. Jews had to wait about 2,500 years, until the Middle Ages, to be introduced to the gastronomic delight of biting into a matzah ball immersed in chicken broth. What seems to be the most quintessential of Jewish foods today, was really quite a late arrival. It has gone from being a dense, filling specialty Passover food to being a light, airy, year round comfort food. The Jews went through a long odyssey from Egypt to the shores of the Rhine River to discover matzah...
Read MoreSymbolic Sephardic Foods For Rosh Hashanah
Published in the Philadelphia Jewish Voice The Sephardic communtiy has a unique mystical tradition for Rosh Hashanah. Symbolic foods are served at a Rosh Hashanah Seder. Some of these foods are also puns, and are called “simanim,” or “signs.” Special blessings called “Yehi ratzones,” Ladino Hebrew for “May it be God’s will,” are chanted over these dishes. Here are some of them, and the traditions associated with them. Black-Eyed Peas And Fenugreek Black-eyed peas are called “ruvia” in Aramaic. ”Ruvia” is like the Hebrew word “rov” which means most or many. Fenugreek is...
Read MoreTeiglach
My dear friend Mindy Oppenheimer shared her family’s Rosh Hashanah experience with me. They used to prepare a dish called “teiglach.” Teiglach, which means “little pieces of dough” in Yiddish, originated in Lithuania. Small pieces of dough are pinched off and cooked in honey. It is traditional to serve them for Rosh Hashanah. Mindy forwarded a wonderful recipe from Joan Nathan which appears in her book The Jewish Holiday Baker. Teiglach Adapted from Joan Nathan 1 cup almonds 1/2 cup hazelnuts 2 cups flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon lemon juice 2 teaspoons grated lemon peel 1 cup honey 3 eggs 1 cup olive oil Toast the almonds and...
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