L EGACI ES

Detroit's Partnership 2000
cookbook brings back delicious memories.

ANNABEL COHEN
Special to the Jewish News

1ff

iriam Amiad looks at us
with her fresh, young
face. Her short, dark
hair blows in breezes we
imagine coming from the orchard
behind her.
A somewhat older Miriam, with
spectacles, long skirt and white T-
shirt, talks about the younger woman.
She shares two of her favorite recipes.
Miriam, who lives in Nahalal, Israel,
tells of her family's emigration from
Russia in 1922 and her background of
farming in Israel.
Everyone has a story. There's Ruth
Handelman from Oak Park. Her
mother made stuffed peppers at least
twice a month. They were her favorite
dish growing up.
Esther Goldman of Ann Arbor cher-
ishes a kugel recipe given to her by a
dear friend in whose memory the
Jewish Community Center kitchen in
Ann Arbor is dedicated. Oak Park's
Sylvia Elkin remembers her mother
putting in a bissel of this and that in

her recipes.
True stories of the lives and food of
real people in Michigan and Israel are
part of Delicious Legacy, Jewish cooking

from Michigan and the Central Galilee.
Written in Hebrew and English, the
cookbook is available through the
Jewish Federation of Metropolitan
Detroit [$18, call Pat Mayer, (248)-
203-1519]. It's part of a collaborative
fund-raising effort between the U.S.
and Israel benefiting the Commission
on Jewish Eldercare Services.
COJES Director Linda Blumberg
said, "We wanted to find a way
Michigan seniors could connect with
our Israeli counterparts in our Central
Galilee Partnership 2000."
The cookbook highlights and hon-
ors older adults from the two commu-
nities. The 100-plus recipes, which
include foods from many parts of the
world, bring back memories. Most of
Legacy's recipes are basic, with a heavy
emphasis on desserts.
If you're not an instinctive cook, you
may be frustrated by the lack of
specifics in many of the recipes.
Often, ingredients are "to taste," (sim-

ply stating a dash of pepper or just the
word "cumin"). Some recipes omit cer-
tain ingredients, but mention them in
the instructions.
Like our grandmothers, many steps
and techniques are assumed and easily
figured out (like how thick we should
slice the mandelbread).
Note: Recipes have been adapted to
Jewish News format.

EGGPLANT SALAD
Miriam Amiad, Nahalal, Israel
2 large eggplants, unpeeled, cut into
1-inch cubes
1/4 cup vegetable, for frying
4 garlic cloves, crushed (about 1
tsp.)
salt to taste
hot ground paprika to taste
ground cumin to taste
1 bunch parsley, chopped (about 1
1/2 cups)
juice of 1 lemon
mayonnaise or tahina, to taste
ground black pepper to taste
Sprinkle salt over the cubed egg-
plant. Set. aside.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medi-
um-high heat. Saute the eggplant, in
batches, until tender, about 30 minutes
total. Transfer the cooked eggplant to a
paper towel-lined dish to absorb the
excess oil and cool. Toss the cooled
eggplant with the remaining ingredi-
ents and adjust seasonings to taste.
Serve chilled. Makes 8-12 servings.

STUFFED PEPPERS
Esther Handelman, Oak Park
2 1/2 lbs. ground beef
2 large eggs
1/2 cup rice (uncooked)
salt and ground black pepper to
taste
2 T. vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped fine (about
2 cups)
8 medium green bell peppers
2 cans (about 1 pound each) tomato
sauce
1 can (about 4 oz.) tomato paste
Preheat oven to 325F.
Combine the ground beef, eggs,
rice, salt and pepper in a large bowl.
Mix well and set aside.
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet
over medium-high heat. Add the
onion and saute until browned. Add
the cooked onion to the meat mixture
and mix well.
Cut tops from the peppers and
remove membranes and seeds. Divide
the filling among the peppers and
replace pepper "lids." Place the pep-
pers in a large baking dish. Combine
tomato sauce and paste in a bowl and

stir well to combine.
Pour the tomato sauce mixture over
the peppers and cover the baking dish
with foil. Cook the peppers 1 hour or
more until the filling is cooked
through. Makes 8 servings.

CEIL PEAR'S KUGEL
Esther Goldman, Ann Arbor
1 pound wide noodles
1 1/2 pound (3 cups) cottage cheese
2 cups sour cream
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
1/8 cup sugar
1/2 cup white or golden raisins
1-2 t. ground cinnamon
Preheat oven to 350F. Grease well or
spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with
nonstick cooking spray.
Bring a pot of water to a boil over
high heat. Stir in the noodles and
cook according to package directions
until al dente. Drain the noodles very
well and transfer to a large mixing
bowl.
Stir remaining ingredients into the
noodles and transfer the mixture to
the prepared baking dish. Bake,
uncovered, for 1 hour or more until
set. Cool before cutting into squares.
Makes 12-15 servings.

CHOCOLATE CHIP SOUR
CREAM COFFEE CAKE
Sylvia Elkin, Oak Park
2 cups sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
5 eggs
4 cups unsifted flour
1 t. baking powder
1 cup sour cream
1/2 t. vanilla extract
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1 pound (16-ozs.) chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350F. Thoroughly
grease a 10-inch tube pan.
Using an electric mixer, beat sugar
and butter in a large bowl until
creamy. Beat in the eggs. Set aside.
Sift together the flour and baking
powder and beat 1 cup of the flour
mixture into the sugar/butter mixture.
Beat in 1/3 cup sour cream and repeat
with remaining flour and sour cream.
Stir in the vanilla and half the pecans
and chocolate chips.
Transfer the batter to the prepared
pan and sprinkle remaining nuts and
chips over. Bake for 1 hour, or until a
toothpick inserted in the center of the
cake comes out clean. Remove from
oven and cool for 5 minutes. Run a
knife around the inner and outer
edges of the pan before removing the
cake. Sprinkle with powdered sugar
before serving. Makes 16 servings. 11

6/7

2002

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