Arts I ife

Food

Manna From Heaven

Small changes make the difference this Passover.

ANNABEL COHEN
Special to the Jewish News

IV

ith Pesach mere weeks
away, all culinary
thoughts turn to the
menu for this distinct
and challenging holiday. Since it's the
only holiday where the religious serv-
ice and the meal are intertwined, it's
also the holiday that generally dishes
up the largest quantity of food.
While many boast that they like to
try new foods each year, most menus
are determined by tradition. So, rather
than abandon custom, I offer an alter-
native. Change recipes slightly — if not
for the first night, then the second or
every day for the week of the holiday.
This is not only easy to do, but presents
variety in subtle, even welcome, ways.
For example adding a small amount
of smoked whitefish to the gefilte fish
recipe adds flavor dimensions that are
contemporary and pleasing. Serving
another option to horseradish with the
usual fish recipe also adds zing — try
horseradish mayonnaise or cucumber
salsa for change.
Add fresh sliced mushrooms, chunks
of cooked carrot or potatoes to the
soup – instead of or along with
matzah balls. Or drop in some raw
diced tomatoes or fresh shredded Swiss
chard or spinach, chopped scallions,
cilantro or chives to the soup minutes
before serving (or do like restaurants
do; spoon these into the bowl first and
ladle the soup on top).
Or try a combination of flavors. You
can also include the interesting "soup
puffs" or a few chicken meatballs made
from the recipes below. They won't
change the soup, merely enhance it.
Incorporate a few tablespoons of
fresh chopped dill, ground almonds or
spices like curry or cinnamon, or some
thin shredded carrots to your standard
recipe for matzah balls.
Chopped chives and parsley are per-
fect stirred into mashed potatoes. Or
use olive oil instead of margarine. And
spike up the flavor with sundried toma-
toes, horseradish or roasted garlic. You
can even replace half the potatoes with
parsnips for a sweet, earthy alternative.
Dress up plain chicken with the
orange sauce or berry compote below.
Or serve the compote as a sauce over

sponge cake or cheesecake. Or simply
top the lemon custard recipe here with
some fresh berries for dessert. You get
the picture. Small changes can make a
big difference.

CHICKEN OR
TURKEY MEATBALLS
Serve these with or without matzah
balls in your chicken soup. Or serve
them as an appetizer with sweet-and-
sour sauce on the side.
1 pound ground chicken or turkey
breast
1 cup matzah meal
2 large eggs
1/2 cup finely
chopped onions
1 t. kosher salt
1/4 t. ground
pepper
olive oil for
browning
Combine
chicken,
matzah meal,
eggs, onions,
salt and pepper
in a bowl and
mix well. Chill
the mixture for
30 minutes. Using wet hand, form the
mixture into 1-inch diameter meatballs.
Using a large non-stick skillet, drizzle
a little oil in the pan and heat over
medium-high heat. Tip the pan in sev-
eral directions to distribute the oil. Add
the meatballs and brown lightly on all
sides. To serve, add the meatballs and
heat through until the meatballs are
very hot. Spoon 2 or 3 meatballs into
each bowl. Makes about 8 servings.

SOUP PUFFS
These remind me of the soup mandel
or mandlen many people add to soup.
They're basically little cream puffs, so
if you want to use these for, dessert, go
ahead – just make them larger or into
eclair shapes.
1 cup water
1/2 cup (1 stick) margarine, cut into
pieces
1 T. sugar
1 t. kosher salt
1 cup matzah cake meal
4 large eggs

Preheat oven to 400F. Line a baking
sheet with parchment and set aside.
Combine water, margarine, sugar
and salt in a medium saucepan over
medium-high heat and bring to a boil.
Add the cake meal all at once and stir
with a wooden spoon until the mixture
is thick and forms a ball when stirred.
Remove from heat and add eggs,
one at a time, stirring with the wood-
en spoon until each is incorporated
before adding the next (this is essen-
tial). Using a teaspoon, scoop out
small amounts of the batter onto the
prepared baking pan (you may need to
adjust the shape of the puffs slightly
with your fingers or a spoon.
You may also pipe these with
a pastry bag onto the bak-
ing sheet).
Bake the puffs
about 30 min-

utes, or until golden and firm to the
touch. Remove from oven- and using a
small, sharp knife, cut air slits into the
bottoms of the puffs and turn them
over on the baking sheet to cool.
May be made up to several days in
advance and stored in an airtight con-
tainer. To serve, drop a few of these
into chicken soup just before servings.
Makes 8 servings.

LEMON PASTRY CREAM
This is a perfect dessert spooned-over
pound cake or on top of berries served
in wine glasses. If you want to use this
as a sauce, whisk in water a bit at a
time, to desired consistency.
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup potato starch
5 t. matzah cake meal
2 1/4 cups liquid, non-dairy creamer
6 large egg yolks
5 T. margarine, diced
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, or more to
taste
1 t. grated lemon peel

Combine sugar, potato starch and
cake meal in a medium saucepan over
medium heat. Cook, stirring for three
minutes. Slowly add the creamer,
whisking all along. Add margarine and
lemon peel and continue cooking until
the mixture becomes thick, about 7-10
minutes. Remove from heat and allow
to cool about 30 minutes before
whisking in the lemon juice.
Transfer the mixture to a bowl and
cover with plastic wrap, laying the
wrap directly onto the surface of the
custard.
May be made up to two days in
advance. Serve as is, like a pudding or
thin with more lemon juice and water
to desired consistency. Makes 8 12
servings.

-

HORSERADISH
GARLIC MAYONNAISE
A lighter tasting and looking – pink or
white – alternative to plain, hot horse-
radish for gefilte fish or any type of
poached fish.
1 t. minced garlic
1 T. drained capers, optional
1/3 cup white or red prepared
horseradish
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 cup regular or light mayonnaise
1 t. dried dill weed
Combine all the ingredients in a
medium bowl and mix well. Cover
and chill up to four days before serv-
ing. Makes 8 12 servings.

-

CUCUMBER SALSA
Another cool alternative to plain
horseradish. Serve this salsa with or
instead of the usual or as a topping for
salad.
2 cups peeled, seeded, chopped
cucumber
3 T. minced cilantro
3 T. chopped sweet onions (such as
Vidalia)
juice of 1 lemon or lime
1 T. olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a medium
bowl and stir well. Store, covered, up to
one day ahead. Makes 8-12 servings.

MANNA on page 59

Jig'

3/12
2004

57