The Jewish calendar is full of holidays, and Monday begins the High Holidays with the celebration of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. Culminating 10 days later with the fasting, prayer and reflection of Yom Kippur, Rosh Hashanah is ushered in with festive meals.
Some recently published cookbooks get into the festive spirit with recipes and menu ideas for entertaining, at the New Year and year-round. Here’s a look at what each book offers, followed by a selection of recipes to be enjoyed as part of a Rosh Hashanah celebration. Note that this group of recipes, with its mix of dairy and meat, is not intended to be a complete menu in itself, but rather offers choices to supplement your own dinner plan.
– “Master Chefs Cook Kosher,” by Judy Zeidler (Chronicle, $24.95), color photographs, 176 pages. Zeidler, a California chef who also is host of a weekly cable cooking show, “Judy’s Kitchen,” which airs on the Jewish Television Network, has collected recipes here from the well-known chefs who have been her guests. The various chefs offer an interesting range of recipes –from Stephan Pyle’s pumpkin-white bean chowder with garlic croutons and pomegranate creme fraiche to Tommy Tang’s duck with honey-ginger sauce–yet the ideas are appealing for any table. We especially liked San Francisco chef and author Joyce Goldstein’s scrumptious potato strudel, golden in its crispy phyllo wrapper; it’s great for a first course or even a main dish.
– “Jewish Cooking in America,” by Joan Nathan (Knopf, $35), black-and-white photographs and illustrations, 513 pages. This book is an updated version of one first published in 1994; the new printing brings an additional 35 recipes and is the companion volume to the upcoming public television series of the same name (see box). Nathan explores the home cooking of American Jews, including Southern fried chicken battered with matzo meal, Kansas City barbecued brisket and Philadelphia fruit-filled Hamantashen (pastries). Also worthwhile are the recipes, such as a braised brisket with dried fruit. The addition of dried chili peppers to this dish wasn’t apparent on tasting, but our eaters liked the flavor.
– “A Treasury of Jewish Holiday Baking,” by Marcy Goldman (Doubleday, $25), drawings, 370 pages. It’s traditional at Rosh Hashanah to sweeten the proceedings with honey somewhere in the meal. The honey cake in Goldman’s new book was, indeed, “moist and majestic” as the title boasted; a tender, lightly spiced cake with the firm texture of a tea bread. Baked goods for Hanukkah, Passover and other festive days are included, along with a glossary of ingredients, baking tips and equipment.
– “The World of Jewish Entertaining,” by Gil Marks (Simon & Schuster, $30), drawings, 415 pages. Marks, a chef and rabbi in New York, offers themed events for different celebrations, such as an Ashkenazic Seder, a Purim party, or an all-dessert bar mitzvah. Our choice, the cherry tomatoes stuffed with salmon mousse for an engagement party buffet, made for yummy, bite-size eats, but the pint of tomatoes called for used up only about half of the filling.
CHERRY TOMATOES STUFFED WITH SALMON MOUSSE
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Refrigerating time: 2-24 hours
Yield: About 48 tomatoes
Adapted from “The World of Jewish Entertaining,” by Gil Marks.
1 can (8 ounces) salmon or 4 ounces smoked salmon
1/4 cup mayonnaise or 6 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon each: fresh lemon juice, chopped dill
1/4 teaspoon each: paprika, salt, hot pepper sauce
1/4 cup whipping cream, whipped, or 1/2 cup sour cream
2 pints cherry tomatoes
1. Put salmon, mayonnaise or cream cheese, lemon juice, dill, paprika, salt and pepper sauce in food processor fitted with metal blade or in a blender. Process until smooth. Fold in whipped cream or sour cream; cover, refrigerate at least 2 hours or up to 1 day.
2. Slice tops off tomatoes; remove seeds. Invert over paper towels to drain, about 5 minutes.
3. Fill each tomato with salmon mixture, using pastry bag if available, no more than an hour before serving. Serve at room temperature.
Nutrition information per tomato:
Calories …………. 20 Fat ………… 1.5 g Saturated fat .. 0.4 g
% calories from fat .. 66 Cholesterol ….. 4 mg Sodium ……… 45 mg
Carbohydrates ….. 0.7 g Protein ………. 1 g Fiber ………. 0.2 g
MAJESTIC AND MOIST NEW YEAR’S HONEY CAKE
Preparation time: 25 minutes
Cooking time: 65-75 minutes
Yield: 16 servings
Adapted from “A Treasury of Jewish Holiday Baking,” by Marcy Goldman.
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon each: baking soda, salt
1/2 teaspoon each, ground: cloves, allspice
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup each: vegetable oil, honey, strong coffee or tea
1/2 cup each: packed brown sugar, orange juice
1/4 cup whiskey or rye
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup slivered or sliced almonds
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Stir together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, cloves and allspice in bowl of electric mixer. Make well in center; add eggs, sugar, oil, honey, coffee or tea, brown sugar, orange juice, whiskey and vanilla. Beat on slow speed until smooth.
2. Spoon batter into lightly greased 9-inch angel food cake pan; sprinkle top with almonds. Place cake pan on 2 baking sheets stacked together (to provide more insulation from heat). Bake until cake springs back when touched in center and starts pulling away from sides of pan, 65 to 75 minutes.
3. Let cake stand 15 minutes; remove from pan. Invert cake onto wire rack to cool completely.
Variations: Cake also can be made in 10-inch tube or bundt cake pan, 13- by 9-inch baking pan, or three 8- by 5-inch loaf pans. For tube and bundt cake pans, bake 65 to 75 minutes; loaf cakes, 45 to 55 minutes; 13- by 9-inch cake, 40 to 45 minutes.
Nutrition information per serving:
Calories ………… 425 Fat ………… 17 g Saturated fat .. 2.3 g
% calories from fat .. 34 Cholesterol … 35 mg Sodium …….. 330 mg
Carbohydrates …… 66 g Protein ……. 4.7 g Fiber ………. 1.5 g
JOYCE GOLDSTEIN’S POTATO STRUDEL
Preparation time: 1 1/2 hours
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Cooling time: 20 minutes
Yield: 16 servings
This entree, suitable for a dairy meal, is adapted from “Master Chefs Cook Kosher,” by Judy Zeidler.
6 large russet potatoes
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large onion, diced
1 large egg
1 cup ricotta cheese
2 tablespoons minced parsley
2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Pinch of grated nutmeg
12 sheets phyllo dough
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 cup sour cream, optional
1/4 cup chopped chives, optional
1. Heat oven to 450 degrees. Wash potatoes well and pierce in several places with fork. Bake until tender, about 1 hour. Set aside until cool enough to handle. Cut lengthwise in half and scoop out pulp into large bowl. Mash pulp with fork or put through potato ricer.
2. Melt 3 tablespoons of the butter in large skillet over medium heat. Add onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 10 minutes. Add to potatoes with egg, cheese, parsley, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Blend well. Let cool. (Filling can be prepared 1 day in advance and refrigerated.)
3. Lay 1 sheet of phyllo on work surface with 1 long side facing front. Brush with melted butter. Lay second sheet on top and brush with melted butter. Repeat with 4 more sheets. Keep unused phyllo covered with wax paper and damp towel at all times.
4. Shape half of the potato mixture into 2-inch-thick log on the phyllo near one side, leaving 2-inch border. Fold in sides of phyllo and roll up strudel. Place seam side down on 15-by-11-inch jellyroll pan. Repeat with remaining phyllo dough and potato mixture. (The strudels may be wrapped in aluminum foil and refrigerated up to 2 days or frozen.)
5. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Bake until golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Let rest 2 to 3 minutes; cut into thick slices with serrated knife. Serve garnished with sour cream and chives, if desired.
Nutrition information per serving:
Calories ………… 195 Fat ………… 10 g Saturated fat .. 6 g
% calories from fat .. 47 Cholesterol … 40 mg Sodium …… 400 mg
Carbohydrates …… 22 g Protein ……. 4.8 g Fiber …….. 1.5 g
JIM COHEN’S SEPHARDIC BRISKET
Preparation time: 45 minutes
Soaking time: 30 minutes
Standing time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 3 hours
Chilling time: 2 hours or overnight
Yield: 8 servings
Adapted from “Jewish Cooking in America,” by Joan Nathan.
2 dried pasilla chilies, see note
1 (4-pound) brisket
Salt, freshly ground pepper to taste
Flour for dredging
1/4 cup olive oil
2 onions, chopped
1 piece (1 1/2 inches) fresh ginger, chopped
1 cup orange juice
3 cans (16 ounces each) chicken or beef broth
1 each: cinnamon stick, bay leaf
1 teaspoon peppercorns
4 cups water
4 tea bags black tea
2 cups each, dried: pitted prunes, apricots
1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Soak chilies in medium bowl covered with lukewarm water to soften, 30 minutes. Seed; remove stems. Scrape flesh away from skins; chop flesh into tiny pieces. Discard skins.
2. Season brisket with salt and pepper; dredge in flour. Heat olive oil in large heavy roasting pan over medium heat. Add brisket and brown on all sides. Remove meat from pan.
3. Add onions and ginger to same pan; cook over medium heat until onions are transparent. Add chilies and orange juice. Stir, scraping bottom of pan, to release browned bits. Simmer until slightly reduced, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add brisket, broth, cinnamon stick, bay leaf and peppercorns. Cook, covered, until brisket is tender, about 3 hours, turning every 1/2 hour. Remove cinnamon stick and bay leaf. Puree sauce in food processor fitted with metal blade or blender. Cool to room temperature; refrigerate 2 hours or overnight. Remove congealed fat from top of liquid.
4. Heat 4 cups water to boil about 1/2 hour before serving. Steep tea bags in water to make strong tea; discard tea bags. Pour tea over prunes and apricots in medium bowl. Let stand 30 minutes; drain. Reheat brisket in roasting pan with sauce and fruit.
Test kitchen note: Pasilla chilies can be found at Mexican markets or in some supermarkets. If unavailable, dried ancho or mulato chilies can be substituted.
Nutrition information per serving:
Calories ………. 1,170 Fat …………. 80 g Saturated fat .. 33 g
% calories from fat .. 61 Cholestero .. l.215 mg Sodium ……. 690 mg
Carbohydrates …… 54 g Protein ……… 60 g Fiber ……….. 7 g
