Jewish Medicine (Chicken Soup)

Source: Lior’s Kitchen Talk

1 stewing chicken or portion thereof
1 tablespoon salt
1 onion
4 celery tops
2 carrots
2 bunches parsley leaves

For variety try some of the following additions:

1 beef bone or turkey giblet
1 garlic clove
1 parsnip
1 small potato
Half a kohlrabi
A cluster of cauliflower

Clean the chicken.
Cover the chicken in a pot (4-5 quarts) with water.
Add salt and bring this to the boil.
Simmer for an hour.
Add the vegetables and simmer for another hour.
Let the soup stand until it gets cold and skim off the top.

Fritters in Syrup (Zalabia)

Source : Los Angeles Times 11-27-02

Sugar Syrup
5 cups granulated sugar
2 cups water
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tablespoon rose or orange blossom water

Batter
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 cup hot water (120 to 130 degrees F)
3 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups warm water
Oil (for frying)

For the Sugar Syrup: Place the sugar, water and lemon juice in a saucepan and simmer until it is thick enough to coat a spoon, about 15 minutes.
Add the rose or orange blossom water and simmer a few seconds longer, then remove from the heat and let come to room temperature.
Cover while you make the fritters.

For the Batter: Dissolve the yeast and sugar in the half cup of hot water and let stand until it froths, 10 to 15 minutes.
Place the flour in a large bowl, mix in the yeast liquid and the salt, then gradually stir in the remaining 2 1/2 cups water and beat vigorously on medium-high speed with an electric mixer until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes.
Cover with a dish towel and leave to rise in a warm place for 1 hour, then beat the batter another 10 minutes, and let it rise again for 30 minutes.
Beat the batter again for 10 minutes, then let it rest a final time for 30 minutes.

Make the fritters in batches, using 2 skillets at once, if you prefer, to speed up the frying: Fill a deep, nonstick skillet a little more than half full with oil and heat to 375 degrees F.
Drop little balls of batter by the tablespoon into the oil; you may find it easiest if you dip the spoon in oil first, then fill it with batter using another spoon so that the batter rolls off easily. Wipe the spoon with a damp paper towel after making each ball.
Fry the balls, turning them with a slotted spoon to brown them all over, until crisp, golden and puffed, about 7 minutes.
Do not crowd the skillet; 6 at a time is a good number.
The batter is light and produces irregular, rather than perfectly round, shapes.
If the oil is not hot enough to begin with, the batter tends to flatten out. Lift the fritters out with a slotted spoon, drain on paper towels and dip them in the cold syrup for a few seconds (if you prefer, you may leave them longer to soak up syrup).
Set them on a wire rack with wax paper underneath to drain.
They are at their best hot but are also good cold.
Variation: Instead of dipping the fritters in a sugar syrup, pour a honey syrup over them; make it by heating honey with about half its volume of water.
You can also sprinkle the fritters instead with powdered sugar and cinnamon.

16 to 18 servings (96 fritters)

Each of 18 servings: 141 calories; 66 mg.
sodium; 0 cholesterol; 5 grams fat; 0 saturated fat; 22 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams protein; 0.70 gram fiber

Bagels

Variations can be made by sprinkling bagels with poppy seed or kosher salt before baking.

3 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 package active dry yeast
2/3 cup lukewarm water
3 tablespoons vegetable oil or shortening
1 egg
4 quarts boiling water
2 tablespoons granulated sugar

Sift dry ingredients together into a deep mixing bowl.

Dissolve yeast in 1/3 of the lukewarm water.
Add oil or melted shortening to remainder of warm water and stir into dissolved yeast.

Make a well in the center of flour mixture and stir in the liquid, adding slightly beaten egg when half the liquid has been used.
Stir briskly to form a ball of dough and knead on a lightly floured board 2 minutes.
Return dough to mixing bowl, smooth side up, and punch down 3 times.
Cover and let rise at room temperature 15 to 20 minutes, or until the dough has come to top of bowl.

Knead again on board until smooth and elastic as for rolls. Divide dough into 12 equal portions.
Form into lengths not more than 3/4 inch thick, pinching ends together.
Place on a floured cookie sheet and slip under broiler 3 minutes.

Drop each bagel into rapidly boiling water in a deep kettle and cook over moderate heat — 15 to 20 minutes.

Skim out and place bagels on a cookie sheet.
Bake at 375 degrees F for 10 minutes, then increase heat to 400 degrees F for 5 to 6 minutes or until bagels are browned and crust golden brown and crisp, approximately 15 minutes.

Makes 12 bagels.

Passover Brownies

3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted
5 eggs, separated
6 ounces finely-ground almonds
Pinch of salt

Cream together butter and sugar.
Add egg yolks and combine.
Stir in chocolate and salt.
Stir in almonds.
Fold in egg whites.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 40 minutes, then remove immediately to refrigerator.

Brandied Chocolate Orange Torte

Matzo cake meal (for pan)
4 eggs, separated, room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup raisins, chopped
1/4 cup matzo cake meal
4 ounces toasted almonds, ground (3/4 cup)
4 ounces semisweet chocolate, grated
6 tablespoons fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons Passover brandy
1 tablespoon grated orange peel
1 pinch salt
Additional grated orange peel
Shaved semisweet chocolate

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Grease bottom of 8-inch springform pan; dust with cake meal, shaking off excess.

Using electric mixer, beat yolks and 1/4 cup sugar until slowly dissolving ribbon forms when beaters are lifted, about 5 minutes.

Combine raisins and 1/4 cup cake meal.
Fold raisin mixture, almonds, grated chocolate, juice, brandy and 1 tablespoon peel into yolk mixture.

Using clean, dry beaters, beat whites with salt until soft peaks form.
Gradually add remaining 1/4 cup sugar and beat until stiff but not dry.
Fold in yolk mixture.
Turn into prepared pan. Bake until tester inserted in center comes out clean, 55 to 60 minutes.
Invert pan onto rack.
Cool cake completely in pan.

Remove springform.

Garnish cake with peel and shaved semisweet chocolate before serving.

Hanukkah Nut Cake with Honey Syrup

Nut Cake
3 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 cups finely chopped walnuts
1 cup dried dates, minced
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Oil a 9-inch pan.

The traditional way is to mix all dry ingredients on a board using your hands, rubbing and sifting them until well mixed.
Make a mound and put a hole in the center.
Pour oil and water in center and make into a dough.
Kneed the dough for about 1 minute.

Alternatively, put all the dry ingredients in a bowl, and mix well.
Add the oil and water and make a dough, kneed for 1 minute or so.

Place dough in prepared pan.
Bake for 1 hour.
Remove from oven and allow to cool.
After cake has cooked, make Honey Syrup.

Honey Syrup
1 1/2 cups honey
1/2 cup water
Juice of 1 small lemon
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest, finely grated

In a pot over medium high heat cook honey, water, lemon juice and zest.
Allow to reduce by 1/4 .

Place cake in a shallow plate and with a fork, make holes all over the top of the cake.
Pour the warm syrup over the cake and allow to sit 1 hour before serving.

Honey-Spiced Chicken with Orange Sauce

In Israel honey is an ingredient used to signal festive occasions, to celebrate the sweetness of life or of a new year. Serve this wonderful dish with Couscous or Jewish Egg Braid.

2 tablespoons chicken fat or vegetable oil
1 (2 1/2 to 3 pound) broiler-fryer chicken, cut up
2 medium onions, sliced
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 cup orange juice
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup pitted ripe olives
1 tablespoon cold water
2 teaspoons cornstarch
Orange slices

Heat oil in skillet until hot.
Cook chicken over medium heat until brown on all sides, about 15 minutes.
Place chicken in ungreased 11 x 7-inch baking dish; top with onions.
Sprinkle with salt, paprika and pepper.
Mix orange juice, honey, lemon juice, ginger and nutmeg; pour over chicken.
Add olives.
Cover and bake at 350 degrees F until thickest pieces of chicken are done, 45 to 60 minutes.

Arrange chicken, onions and olives on platter.
Pour pan juices into saucepan; heat to boiling.
Mix water and cornstarch; stir into juices.
Cook and stir until slightly thickened, 1 to 2 minutes. Garnish chicken with orange slices; serve with orange sauce.

Yields 6 to 8 servings.

Knishes

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 tablespoons water
Pinch of salt

Put half the flour into a mixing bowl and stir in oil with a fork.
Add water and salt and mix until the mixture forms a dough. Toss on a floured board; work in remaining flour, and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic.
Cover and chill for 1 hour or longer.
Roll the dough out on a board as thin as possible.
Pull and stretch it into a long rectangle.
Cut into 3-inch circles.
Put a tablespoon of filling, below, on each circle.
Draw the edges of the circle together over filling and pinch together to seal.
Brush with chicken fat.
Bake on a greased baking sheet at 350 degrees F for about 45 minutes, until dough is well browned.
Or, roll and stretch dough and spread with filling.
Roll up and cut the roll into 1 1/2 inch slices.
Lay slices cut-side down on a greased baking sheet and flatten lightly.
Brush with fat and bake as above.

Potato Filling
Mash 5 freshly boiled potatoes and mix with 1/3 cup ground crisp cracklings made with chicken.
To make goose cracklings (Grieben), cut the fat skin of a goose or chicken into 1- to 1 1/2-inch squares and fry when the remaining fat until well browned, then season with a generous amount of salt and pepper and place in the oven for a few minutes.

Chicken Filling
Crumble 2 matzos and soak until soft in 1/4 cup chicken gravy or chicken soup.
Combine with 1 cup finely chopped chicken.
Season well with salt, pepper and cayenne and add enough chicken fat to make a soft mixture.

Mashed Potato Filling
2 1/2 cups mashed potatoes
1 egg
Salt and pepper
Melted butter
1 small onion, grated

Combine mashed potatoes, egg, salt and pepper.
Fry onion in butter until soft but not brown and add to potato mixture.

Serve knishes with sour cream.

Brasadel (Jewish Coffee Cake)

1 cup shortening
1 cup granulated sugar
3 eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup walnuts plus additional 1/2 cup
3/4 cup granulated sugar
Cinnamon to taste

Beat together the shortening, 1 cup sugar and eggs.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda.
Combine the mixtures.
Add sour cream and vanilla and beat together.
Then add 3/4 cup nuts (the original recipe called for raisins).
Pour 1/2 of the batter into tube pan.
Sprinkle 1/2 cup nuts on top, then add the rest of the batter.

Mix 3/4 cup sugar and a little cinnamon and sprinkle on cake.

Bake in 350 degree F oven for approximately 1 hour.

NOTE: The family decorates the cake with maraschino cherry halves and walnut halves.

Cheese Pudding

4 matzos
Lukewarm water
1 pound dry cottage cheese
4 eggs
2 cups milk
Grated rind and juice of 1 lemon
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt

Soak matzos in lukewarm water.
Drain and press extra moisture out carefully so as not to break the matzos.

Generously butter square deep pan.
Put 1 matzo on bottom of pan. Spread with one-third of the cheese, put on another matzo and spread with cheese until 3 matzos are used.
Cover top with fourth matzo.

Beat eggs slightly.
Add milk, lemon, sugar and salt.
Pour over the matzo and cheese.
Bake at 375 degrees F for 1 hour.

Serve hot or cold.

Serves 8.