Beyond Gefilte Fish

Families share
the recipes
behind some
of their favorite
dishes.

JULIA S. GREENBLATT

SPECIAL TO THE APPLETREE

THE APPLETREE

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32

rowing up with a Euro-
pean Jewish heritage
meant that throughout
my childhood, and on up into my
adult years, many delicious foods
stimulated my tastebuds. The sa-
voriness and aromas of cholent,
gefilte fish, stuffed cabbage and
brisket come to mind as I re-envi-
sion my Shabbat and holiday ta-
bles.
When I made my first journey
to Israel as a young adult, my
whole world expanded. Not only
did I embrace my Jewish identity,
but my taste for Jewish foods was
broadened. What I experienced
during the three years I lived in Is-
rael, from a culinary perspective,
was that traditional Jewish cook-
ing includes Israeli recipes, Morro-
can recipes, Persian recipes and
more.
It was the Moroccan cooking
that inspired my palate the most.
From the Moroccan-style cholent
referred to as D'fina or chamin, to
the brightly colored and delicious-
ly seasoned cooked salads, to the elabo-
rate lamb and vegetable stews served
over couscous, I was a transformed epi-
cure.
While in Israel, I began to experiment
with my newfound aesthetic food plea-

r
I &icy
I Moroccan I

MINN MIMI 1111111111111

! Fish

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2 tables

oll
olive oil

1 lar ge onion ,
Peeled g and chopped
4 cloves
I aitc'
Peeled and min ced
I green pepner, washed,

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I i inall
small chill
and chopped

pepper,
I I was h ed, seeded ,
and
I rain
min ced
I 1 8 ounce can tomato
sauce
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s alt to tas te
I pepper t to
ttas
e to
Two 2 1/2- Pour,
e d whit
z.,
e
fish fine.
steaks ,
1
ed and
washed
°r patted dry
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(you c
te '
salm an substitu
on)

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mns.

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,e
g skillet witi,
with co
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I In lar
ver,
I heat olivt oil over medi um
and s
I heat pepp aeute onion, gar I
greenn
and chili pep-
I I per onions
o are tr anslu-
cent.
ent. stir . n tomato
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Bling s i mixture to a
I simmer over low "eat; sea- I
I son with salt
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or r.
white and pepper.
Place
steaks
on
tofitsh
fillets
I er.and . top of sauce. c I
- I
simmer 25 to 40 °v.
m i n utes ,
on I
thickness
sh h, til fish
9i
-ss
of
fis
VL-
akes when touche d with a I I
L41 fork.
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I To serve, try to remove
I
I any visible bones; place
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steaks or fillets on platter
sure. I would try to recreate in my Julia Greenblatt brisket and kugel, or a first
I and pour sauce over Serves I
and her daughter,
own kitchen those Moroccan
course of spicy fish followed by
Sarah-Peninah
I
16-8 as an appetizer.
foods I had experienced in so
Bitton, are up to
cooked salads and couscous.
something fishy
I Julia Greenblatt, of
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many kitchens throughout Israel. in their kitchen. Take your family on a Jewish
Southfield, is an art teacher I
So now a typical Shabbat or
culinary adventure with spicy
I
in the Warren Consolidated I
holiday dinner in my home may include
Moroccan fish. Try it, you'll like it! ❑
!Schools. j
a first course of gefilte fish, followed by

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