THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
dients to the pot along with an
additional 2 1 /2 cups of water or
stock. Cover and simmer over
low heat for about 35 minutes,
or until the vegetables and bar-
ley are tender. Ideally, this
soup should stand at least an
hour before serving. Sprinkle
each serving with grated
Parmesan cheese, if desired.
Yield: 6 to 8 servings.
•
MIDDLE EASTERN
EGGPLANT SALAD
2 medium eggplants (about 21/2
pounds)
2 tbsps. olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tbsps. finely chopped fresh
parsley
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 /4 cup plain yogurt
2 tbsps. tahini (sesame paste)
Salt and freshly ground pep-
per to taste
2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped,
optional
Preheat the oven to 400 de-
grees F. Place the whole, un-
peeled eggplants right on the
oven's rack and- bake for ap-
proximately 40 minutes, or
until the skin is parched and
the eggplant is very tender and
has collapsed.
Remove from the oven and
allow to cool until it can be eas-
ily handled.
Heat the olive oil in a skillet.
When hot, saute the onion and
garlic over moderately low
heat until the onion is translu-
cent. Add the parsley and con-
tinue to saute until the onion
and garlic are lightly browned.
Remove and discard the
skin from the eggplant and cut
each into several smaller
pieces. Place in a colander and
squeeze out some of the mois-
ture. Transfer the eggplant to a
mixing bowl and mash to the
desired consistency (some
like it almost pureed; I prefer to
leave it a little chunkier).
Add the remaining ingre-
dients and mix well. Serve
garnished with fresh raw veg-
etables, such as tomatoes,
green peppers, cucumbers,
black olives, and extra parsley.
Yield: 6 to 8 servings.
•
HERBED POTATO-
BRIE OMELET
1 large potato, cooked or
baked in its skin
1 tbsp. safflower or vegetable
oil
1 small onion, minced
2 tbsp. minced fresh parsley
1 tbsp. minced fresh dill or 1
tsp. dried dill
1 /2 tsp. dried marjoram
1/2 tsp. dried basil
Salt and freshly ground pep-
per to taste
4 eggs
2 0-93
,
3S . butter
1 /4 r,ound Brie, sliced thin and
divided in half
Peel and slice the cooked or
baked potato when cool
enough to handle. Heat the oil
in a large skillet. When hot, add
the onion and saute over mod-
erate heat until translucent.
Add 2 tbsp. of water to the skil-
let. Then add the potato and
continue to saute until both
the onion and potato are
lightly browned. Add the
parsley and other seasonings,
-> stir together, and remove from
the heat.
Break 2 eggs each into 2
separate bowls and add 1 tbsp.
of milk to each. Beat the eggs
until bubbly.
The easiest way to make a
good omelet if you're not an
expert with a well seasoned
omelet pan is to use an 8- or
9-inch Silverstone skillet. Melt
1 tbsp. of the butter over mod-
erate heat. When it is very
foamy, swirl it around the pan,
then test with a drop of water. If
it really sizzles, pour in one of
the bowls full of beaten eggs.
Tip the pan so that the eggs
coat the skillet evenly. Keep
tipping occasionally, lifting
the omelet's edge so that the
loose egg runs underneath.
When the eggs are fairly set on
top, but still moist, quickly ar-
range half the potato mixture
on one side of the omelet or in
the middle third, followed by
half the Brie slices.
Fold the omelet in half or
fold the outside edges over the
middle, according to where
you arranged the potato mix-
ture. Slide the omelet out onto
a plate and cover carefully with
foil or a matching plate to keep
it warm while repeating the
process with the second
omelet. Makes 2 omelets.
* *
VEGETABLE
CHEESE KNISHES
1 recipe Potato Dough (below)
2 eggs, beaten
2 cups ricotta cheese
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tbsps. vegetable or safflower
oil
11/2 cups finely shredded cab-
- bage
1 medium carrot, grated
1 medium onion, finely chop-
Ped
4 to 5 medium mushrooms,
chopped
1 /4 cup beer
1 tbsp. red wine vinegar
2 tsps. dried dill
1 tsp. poppy or dill seeds
Salt and freshly ground pep-
per to taste
Prepare the potato dough as
directed in the recipe and let it
rest. Preheat the oven to 350
degrees F.
In a small mixing bowl, com-
bine the beaten eggs with the
ricotta and salt. Mix well and
set aside.
Heat the oil in a skillet, and
when it is hot, add the cab-
bage, carrot, and onion. Cover
and saute until the onion is
translucent. Add the mush-
rooms, beer, vinegar, and sea-
sonings and cook, covered,
until all the liquid has been ab-
sorbed and the vegetables are
tender-crisp.
Roll the dough out for filling
as directed in the Potato
Dough recipe. Place about 2
heaping tbsps. of the ricotta
mixture in the center of each
square of dough, followed by a
bit of the vegetable mixture.
Fold each corner toward the
center, overlapping each just a
little, and pinch the corners
shut. Arrange on an oiled and
floured baking sheet and bake
for 35 minutes, or until the
dough is lightly browned.
Makes about 10 knishes.
•
POTATO DOUGH
2 medium potatoes
1 egg, beaten
1 tbsp. safflower or vegetable
oil
2 tbsps. milk
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup unbleached white flour
2 tsps. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
Before starting, have ready 2
potatoes which have been well
scrubbed and cooked or
baked in their skin until tender.
For the dough, peel the 2
potatoes and mash them well
in a mixing bowl. Add to them
the beaten egg, oil, and milk
and mix well. In a separate
bowl, combine the flours, bak-
ing powder and salt. Work the
mixture into the potato mixture
to form a sticky dough. Turn it
out onto a well-floured board,'
and knead for several minutes,
adding flour until the dough
loses its stickiness. Shape
into a ball and cover with a to-
wel.
FETTUCINE ALFREDO
WITH MUSHROOMS
AND BASIL
1/2 pound white or green fet-
tucine
1 tbsp. olive oil
1/2, pound coarsely chopped
mushrooms
1 cup chopped fresh basil
leaves
N cup heavy cream
1 cup milk
2 to 3 tbsps. butter
3 tbsps. flour
2 egg yolks, beaten
cup grated Parmesan
cheese
Salt and freshly ground pep-
per to taste
V3
Cook the fettucine al dente.
When it is done, drain and
transfer it to a large casserole
with a cover.
Heat the olive oil in a skillet
When it is hot, add the mush-
rooms and saute over moder-
ately low heat until tender. If an
excessive amount of liquid
forms, drain off a bit. Stir in the
basil leaves, remove from the
heat, and cover.
Heat the cream, milk and
butter in a heavy saucepan.
Friday, May 25, 1984
85
Meanwhile, dissolve the flour
in just enough water to form a
smooth, flowing paste. When
the cream and milk mixture is
just under the boiling point,
pour in the flour paste slowly,
stirring constantly with a
whisk. Turn to moderately low
heat and whisk almost con-
tinuously until the mixture
thickens. Remove from the
heat and quickly whisk in the
beaten egg yolks. Then add
the grated Parmesan cheese,
the mushrooms and basil.
Toss with the fettucine, and
add salt and freshly ground
pepper to taste. Yield: 4 to 6
servings.
Handbooks for home Shavuot celebration
BY GLORIA KAUFER GREENE
Special to The Jewish News
On the sixth and seventh how to focus the celebration
days of the Hebrew month of at home. In an attempt to
Sivan (corresponding, this solve that problem, two
year, to June 6-7), we will Jewish organizations have
celebrate the joyous holiday produced very useful family
of Shavuot. This "Feast of handbooks which are avail-
Weeks" — it ends the able to the public at mini-
seven-week counting of the mal cost.
Omer — was originally an
The two booklets are
agricultural festival during Family Guide for Shavuot
which Jews made pilgrim- published by the Women's
age to the Temple in League for Conservative
Jerusalem to offer thanks Judaism. Both of these
for a bountiful grain har- guides give background in-
vest. formation about the
Bikkurim or "first fruits" holiday, customs, recipes,
of the season — particularly crafts, ideas for home deco-
those representing the "Se- ration, and a bibliography
ven Speices" for which an- for additional reading, and
cient Israel was famed: each also includes a special
wheat, barley, grapes, figs, Shavuot ceremony or Seder.
pomegranates, olives and (The word Seder means "or=
dates — were included in der," and can be applied to a
the special Shavuot offer- ceremonial meal for any
ings:When these foods were holiday.)
presented to the priest, a
Family Guide for Shavuot
passage from Deuteronomy is a slightly revised, much
was recited which describes improved version of a news-
Israel as "a land flowing print pamphlet that first
with milk and honey" — appeared in 1981. The re-
just one of the many reasons cently released 1984 edition
why we eat dairy and sweet features a green and white
foods on Shavuot. cover, beautiful large-print
Shavuot is also tradi- Hebrew calligraphy, and
tionally recognized as the several attractive line
time of year when our an- drawings — including a
cestors were given the centerfold depicting the an-
Torah and Ten Command- cient grain harvest — that
ments at Mount Sinai. In really give it an appealing,
modern times, commemora- finished look. The 32-page
tion of this monumental booklet is professionally
event has become a domin- printed and well-organized
ant theme of the holiday, for use at home as well as
though this major festival is school.
referred to in the Bible by at
The heart of Family
least five different descrip- Guide to Shavuot is a sec-
tive names because it is so tion called "An Innovative
multi-faceted.
Ceremony for the Festive
As significant in history Meal." As part of the cere-
and rich in tradition as mony, participants read a
Shavuot may be, it is still special script in which the
neglected by many Ameri- adults explain each of the
can Jews who don't know Ten Commandments to the
children. Three plates on
the Seder table contain
Gloria Kaufer Greene is a
sgmbolic foods such as
food writer and consultant
honey and butter, assorted
for several newspapers. She
fruits including some of the
is the author of "Don't Tell
"Seven Species," honey cake
'Em it's Good for 'Em"
and simple homemade
(Times Books) and is
marmalades.
working on a vegetable
Jewish Family Living
cookbook and an
Shavu'ot Manual, is not as
international Jewish
slick as the one described
cookbook. Her column will
above, but it is nevertheless
appear regularly in The
a good reference and pro-
Jewish News.
vides another viewpoint for
celebrating the holiday _ at
home. The introspective in-
troduction brings obser-
vance of Shavuot into the
present, and shows how the
ancien, holiday can be quite
relevant in our modern-day
world.
The Seder in this booklet
is not a specific ceremony,
but rather a list of sugges-
tions for an all-night
study social session at home
with family members and
guests. Holiday games and
a bibliography of songs are
included.
The 38-page Jewish Fam-
ily Living Shavu'ot Manual
also features a section on
synagogue observance of
the holiday, discussion
topics, and a glossary of
Shavuot terms.
Family Guide for Shavuot
may be ordered for $2.75
from Family Guide for
Shavuot, % Mira Fraenkel,
Baltimore Board of Jewish
Education, 5800 Park
Heights Ave. Baltimore,
MD 21215.
Jewish Family Living
Shavu'ot Manual may be
ordered by sending $3 to:
Shavu'ot Manual, Women's
League for Conservative
Judaism, 48. E. 47th St.,
New York 10021.
Following are some
Shavuot recipes reprinted
from these two booklets.
Cheese Kreplach
Dough:
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups flour
1 tsp. oil
1 tbsp. water
Filling:
1/2 lb. farmer cheese
4 tbsps. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 egg
In a large bowl, combine
dough ingredients in order
listed. Mix thoroughly by hand
until dough no longer sticks to
sides of bowl. Roll out on a
floured surface until very thin.
Cut into 3-inch squares. Place
one teaspoon of cheese filling
in the center of each square
and close securely, forming a
triangle. Drop into salted boil-
ing water and cook for approx-
imately 20 minutes or until the
kreplach rise to the top of the
pot. Fry in butter until golden
brown, and sprinkle with con-
fectioner's sugar.
Burekas
Dough:
31/2 cups flour
Dash of salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tbsp. lemon juice
2 sticks (1 cup) margarine,
melted
2 cup warm water
Filling:
2 small potatoes, boiled and
mashed
2 eggs
1/2 stick ( 1 /4 cup) margarine
1 1 /2 cups grated Parmesan (or
similar) cheese
Mix together all filling ingre-
dients and set aside. Mix to-
gether the first five dough in-
gredients in a large bowl until
crumbly. Add water gradually
and work well until a smooth
dough is formed. Allow the
dough to rest for 15 minutes.
Roll half of the dough into a
large circle 1 /s-inch thick. Use a
glass or cookie cutter to cut
3-inch circles. Place a teas-
poon of filling in the center of
each circle. Fold each circle in
half and pinch the edges- to-
gether to seal. Arrange the
burekas on a lightly greased
baking sheet. Repeat the
process with the remaining
dough, rolling the scraps.
Brush the tops of the burekas
with a beaten egg. Sprinkle
with sesame seeds. Bake at
350 degrees for about 40 min-
utes or until golden.
Onion Pie
1 cup fine cracker crumbs (i.e.
saltines)
1 /4 cup melted margarine
2 cups thinly sliced onions
2 tbsps. margarine
3 /4 cup milk
2 slightly beaten eggs
3 /4 tsp. salt
dash pepper
1 /4 cup shredded cheese
Mix cracker crumbs with
melted margarine. Press into
bottom and sides of an 8-inch
pie plate. Cook onions in 2
tablespoons margarine, stir-
ring to separate rings until
tender but not brown. Place in
pie shell. Combine milk, eggs,
salt and pepper; pour over
onion rings. Sprinkle with
cheese. Bake at 350 degrees
for 30 minutes or until knife in-
serted halfway between center
and edge of pie comes out
clean.
Copyright
Greene. 1984 Gloria Kaufer