Food

In a very large, deep skillet or a
Dutch oven, over medium-high heat,
heat the margarine or oil (or use a mix-
ture); then saute the onion until it is
tender but not browned. Add the chick-
en to the skillet and lightly brown it on
all sides. Mix the water with the cinna-
mon, ginger, pepper and salt and pour it
over the browned chicken. Bring the liq-
uid to a boil. Cover the skillet tightly,
lower the heat, and simmer the chicken
for 30 minutes, turning the pieces occa-
sionally.
Add the prunes and honey (if used)
to the skillet, evenly distributing the
prunes around the chicken, and mak-
ing sure they are covered with liquid.
Cover the skillet again, and simmer
the chicken and prunes together for
about 20 minutes, or until they both
are very tender. If the sauce becomes
too dry and begins to stick to the bot-
tom of the skillet, stir in additional
water as needed.
Use tongs or a slotted spoon to
transfer the chicken to a large serving
platter. Stir about half the almonds
into the prune sauce remaining in the
pot; then spoon the sauce mixture
over the chicken. Garnish the top
with the remaining almonds. Makes
about 6 servings.

4 ..r.

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An Ashkenazi
Passover

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ick up any of the hundreds
of Jewish cookbooks at your
local bookseller and look
under the heading
"Passover" and you'll mostly find
recipes with a distinctly East
.
European flavor.
You'll see matzah balls and kreplach
in rich chicken broth, sweet or salty
gefilte fish and dozens of recipes con-
taining potatoes, carrots, beets and
fresh-water fish. In essence, practically
all Jewish cookbooks can be consid-
ered Ashkenazi.
Ashkenazi Jews are those with
roots in eastern and central Europe,
including Russia. Accordingly,
Ashkenazi cuisine mirrors that of
Germany, Poland, Russia, Belgium,
Holland, Hungary and surrounding
countries.
It's not unusual to speak to non-
Jews from these same countries and
find, for instance, that they each have
their own versions of knishes (Russian
piroshki, Polish pierogi).
Jewish Americans, especially those
who immigrated within the last centu-
ry, are most often of Ashkenazi lin-

eage. And the majority of Jews living
in America think of themselves as
Ashkenazi. Consequently, nearly all
American Jews, no matter their ances-
try, certainly eat Ashkenazi foods.
Walk into just about any Jewish
restaurant or delicatessen and you'll
see blintzes, knishes and latkes — all
Ashkenazi fare, primarily from Poland
and Russia.
When it comes to Passover,
Ashkenazim are more stringent than
their Sephardi counterparts.
According to Ashkenazi rabbinical
interpretation, foods made from
beans, rice and corn are not permitted
during Passover because they can be
ground into flour. These foods, called
kitniyot, including garlic, sesame and
sunflower seeds, are often absent in
religious homes during Pesach.
The good news is that there's more
to Ashkenazi fare than brisket and
kugel. Hungarians make a mashed-
potato-based version of latkes. And
tsimmes, a holiday favorite, has hun-
dreds of variations. An apple cof-
feecake is much like a German
kuchen.
Try some of these recipes this
Passover — they offer a distinct
Ashkenazi flavor like bubbie used to
make.

POTATO BILKAS
These have several names, among
them varenikas. Whatever you call
them, they're easy to make because
these "latkes" are really mashed potato
patties. They're great make-ahead side
dishes because they chill and freeze
well.
4 cups mashed Idaho or Russet
potatoes, with or without skin
1/2 matzah cake meal
1/2 cup minced onion
4 large eggs or equivalent egg sub-
stitute
Salt and pepper to taste
Matzah meal for dredging
Vegetable oil for frying
Combine potatoes, cake meal,
onion, eggs and seasonings. Shape
into 3-inch patties or into ovals.
Dredge the patties in matzah meal.
Heat oil in a large non-stick skillet
over medium high heat. Fry patties a
few at a time, until golden on each
side. Try not to turn these more than
once or they'll be greasy.
Drain well on paper towels and eat
immediately or store them on a cookie
sheet, overlapping slightly if necessary,
to reheat or freeze. To reheat, bake at
300 degrees until hot.
These may also be "stuffed" with