70
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Friday, May 31, 1985
bruce m. weiss
DEBORAH'S
INVITATIONS
Cornmeal-Based Recipes Offer
Different Twist To Side Dishes
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BY GLORIA KAUFER GREENE
Special to The Jewish News
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Recently, a reader of this col-
umn requested a recipe for
mamaliga, a thick "cake" of
cornmeal porridge that is a
cherished staple of most Roma-
nian Jews.
(Stone-ground cornmeal — also
called water-ground for the power
force rather than the grinding
mechanism — is considered to be
more nutritious than steel-roller
ground because less heat is used
in the milling process and thus
fewer nutrients are destroyed.
Also, stone-ground cornmeal usu-
ally includes the "germ" or cen-
tral core of the grain, which con-
tains most of its nutrients. In most
mass-produced cornmeal, the
germ is removed to give the prod-
uct a longer shelf life. Undeger-
minated cornmeal should be
stored in a refrigerator or freezer.)
According to most experts, corn
is the only cereal grain indig-
enous to the Americas. The na-
tives of this country call it maize,
which is similar to the botanical
name, Zea mays. It received the
name "corn" from the British, who
often use the word corn generi-
cally to mean "grain," usually the
major grain of a country.
Thus, corn may mean wheat in
England, and oats in Ireland or
Scotland. By the same token, the
Yiddish .(and German) word for
rye is korn or corn. (For this rea-
son, an old-fashioned sour rye
bread found in a few delicatessens
is sometimes called "corn bread.")
After the discovery of the New
World by Columbus, corn was car-
ried back to Europe, where it
eventually became quite popular,
primarily dried and ground into
cornmeal. In Romania, it was
turned into mamaliga, and in
Italy it was used for polenta — a
virtually identical dish.
Following _ is a recipe for
mamaliga, as well as a few of my
family's other cornmeal favorites.
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This Romanian staple is basi-
cally cornmeal porridge that is
cooked until it is so thick it can be
molded into a "cake." Romanians
then slice it with a heavy white
thread (never a knife!). It can be
served plain, on the side, as is rice
or mashed potatoes.
For dairy meals, the slices are
usually fried or baked with
cheese. Most Romanians prefer to
use .brinza cheese with their
mamaliga. However, almost any
kind of cheese — muenster, moz-
zarella, kaskaval, Parmesan,
feta, Monterey Jack, mild ched-
dar, etc. — works well. It is simply
a matter of taste.
Basic Mamaliga:
2 cups yellow cornmeal, pref-
erably stone-ground
4 cups water, divided
1 tsp. salt
3 tbsps. butter or margarine
For Baked Mamaliga:
About 2 cups grated or thinly
sliced cheese
Butter or margarine, to taste
For Fried Mamaliga:
1 to 2 large eggs, beaten
1 to 2 cups very finely grated
'
Parmesan or similar
cheese
Butter or margarine, for the
pan
Commercial sour cream or
plain yogurt, to serve (op-
tional)
For the basic mamaliga, com-
bine the cornmeal and 1 1/2 cups of
the water in a medium-sized bowl.
(This softens the cornmeal, and
helps to prevent lumps in the
mamaliga.) In a 2%-quart (or
similar) saucepan, over high heat,
bring the remaining 2% cups
water to a boil. Reduce the heat to
medium, and add the moistened
cornmeal, while stirring con-
stantly with a wooden spoon.
(Romanians prefer to use a
1-inch-thick wooden dowel that
they keep on hand solely for this
purpose.) Adjust the heat so that
the mixture just simmers, and stir
it constantly. It will become very
thick and stiff. Stir in the salt and
butter.
Continue stirring constantly
for about 10 minutes. Then cook
the mamaliga over very low heat,
stirring frequently, for 10 to 15
minutes longer or until it is very
stiff and seems to pull away from
the sides and bottom of the pan.
Use the spoon or a spatula, which
has first been dipped in water, to
push all the cornmeal mixture
from the sides of the pan, forming
a mound in the center.
Let the mixture sit on the heat
for about 1 minute, undisturbed,
so that steam can loosen it from
the bottom of the pan. Lift up the
pan by the handle, and im-
mediately invert it onto a wooden
board or platter in one quick
movement. The mamaliga should
fall out into a sort of "cake." If it
does not, use a spoon or spatula to
remove it from the pan.
Smooth out the surface of the
"cake" with the back of a wet
spoon or a wet knife, and, if neces-
sary, shape it into a neat mound.
If desired, let the mamaliga cool
only slightly, and serve it as is.
Cut it with a long thread held taut
between your hands, or use a
knife.
For baked or fried mamaliga,
let it cool completely. (It may be
refrigerated overnight, if de-
sired.) Then use a knife or thread
to cut it in 1/4- to 1/2-inch-thick
slices.
To bake, alternate the slices
with the grated cheese and bits of
the butter in a greased or nonstick
spray-coated casserole, ending
with cheese on top. Bake, un-
covered, in a 375-degree oven for
about 20 minutes or until the
cheese is melted and bubbly and
the top is lightly browned.
To fry, dip each slice into the
beaten egg(s), and then into the
finely grated Parmesan. Heat a
large skillet over medium-high
heat; then melt a generous
amount of butter in it. Fry the
slices until they are browned on
both sides and heated through. If
desired, serve the fried mamaliga
with sour cream or yogurt.
Makes .6 to 8 servings.
SPICY, NUTTY MUFFINS
2 tbsps. melted butter or mar-
garine
3 /4 cup commercial buttermilk
2 large eggs
Y2 cup unbleached all-purpose
flour
1 /2 cup whole wheat flour
Y2 cup cornmeal, preferably
stone-ground
1/2 Cup finely ground walnuts or
pecans
1 A cup sugar
2 tsps. baking powder
1 7( 2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/4 tsps. ground cinnamon
1 /4 tsp. each ground ginger,
nutmeg, allspice, and
cloves
In a medium bowl, beat to-
gether butter, buttermilk, and
eggs. Add remaining ingredients,
and mix just until dry ingredients
are moistened. Evenly distribute
batter among 12 paper-lined,
lightly greased, or nonstick
spray-coated standard-sized muf-
fin cups. Bake in a pre-heated
400-degree oven about 12 to 15
minutes or until tops are springy
and cake tester comes out clean.
Cool on a wire rack. Makes 12
muffins.
Copyright 1985 Gloria Kaufer Greene