NEW YEAR, NEW CREATIONS CELEBRATE ROSH HASHANAH BY WITH CREATIVE VARIATIONS ON TRADITIONAL FARE.Byline: Natalie Haughton Food Editor Tradition is an important part of holiday celebrations, but sometimes it's nice to break with tradition, updating the meal with new and different creations. That's what Faye Levy suggests in her new cookbook ``1,000 Jewish Recipes'' (IDG IDG International Data Group IDG Integrated Drive Generator IDG Installation Design Guide IDG Internet Discussion Group IDG Inset Dielectric Guide IDG International Dangerous Goods (mail, shipping) Books Worldwide, Inc.; $35). ``I like to cook something interesting for the holiday and don't do the same food every year,'' says the Woodland Hills author. For the coming celebration of Rosh Hashanah Rosh Hashanah Jewish New Year. Sometimes called the Day of Judgment, Rosh Hashanah falls on Tishri 1 (in September or October) and ushers in a 10-day period of self-examination and penitence that ends with Yom Kippur. (which begins at sundown Friday), Levy suggests serving a sea bass prepared with either fillets or steaks, over rice pilaf studded with golden raisins, dried cherries or cranberries, and toasted pistachios. Although Levy's recipe, based on one she tasted at a Moroccan Jewish home in Paris, calls for simmering the fish right in the sauce, it's feasible to prepare the sauce separately in advance (keep refrigerated re·frig·er·ate tr.v. re·frig·er·at·ed, re·frig·er·at·ing, re·frig·er·ates 1. To cool or chill (a substance). 2. To preserve (food) by chilling. or frozen) and serve it hot or cold over the fish, which can be grilled. ``Fish is very traditional for Rosh Hashanah, as it represents abundance and fertility,'' notes Levy. With it, try a colorful and flavorful vegetable salad. In keeping with the holiday tradition of using sweet vegetables, it contains plenty of fresh corn and red bell peppers. For Rosh Hashanah, Levy likes to make a cake topped with a chocolate- based Honey Ganache ga·nache n. A rich icing made of chocolate and cream heated and stirred together, used also as a filling, as for cakes or pastry. [French.] . Pecans add the attractive finishing touches finishing touches finish npl the finishing touches → der letzte Schliff finishing touches npl → ultimi ritocchi mpl . Or try candy balls that team sweet wine with two kinds of chocolate, dried apricots and cookie crumbs that are rolled in chopped almonds. The versatile recipe lends itself to variations in dried fruits (try dried cherries or cranberries), liquid (use orange or any fruit juice, or honey in place of wine), sweetener Sweetener A special feature added to a debt obligation or preferred stock to promote marketability. Notes: Warrants and convertibles are two popular sweeteners. See also: Convertible Bond, Kicker, Warrant Sweetener (use jam or honey in place of sugar) and crumbs (use cake instead of cookie). For variety, roll the balls in coconut or sifted cocoa instead of nuts. The 625-page book is a treasure trove TREASURE TROVE. Found treasure. 2. This name is given to such money or coin, gold, silver, plate, or bullion, which having been hidden or concealed in the earth or other private place, so long that its owner is unknown, has been discovered by accident. of kosher recipes running the gamut from those for Jewish holidays to ideas to enliven en·liv·en tr.v. en·liv·ened, en·liv·en·ing, en·liv·ens To make lively or spirited; animate. en·liv  en·er n. everyday and special occasion fare for family and friends. An invaluable reference source for rituals and traditions, it also includes chapters on Keeping Kosher and Stocking the Jewish Pantry. Levy hopes the book will help dispel the misconception that Jewish food is time-consuming to prepare, boring, bland, unhealthy and heavy. ``That's ridiculous - it isn't anything like that. Jewish food is varied, flavorful, fresh and exciting.'' Just as Jewish cooking reflects the influences of many cultures - Middle Eastern, Mediterranean, Eastern and Central European and more - so do Levy's recipes. When she lived in Tel Aviv Tel Aviv (tĕl əvēv`), city (1994 pop. 355,200), W central Israel, on the Mediterranean Sea. Oficially named Tel Aviv–Jaffa, it is Israel's commercial, financial, communications, and cultural center and the core of its largest , each of the four floors of her apartment building had different aromas wafting from the kitchens. ``There was a Moroccan family on one floor and Yemenites and Tunisians each on two other floors - and all cooked differently - and it was all Jewish food with a wide array of seasonings and flavors. ``I was fascinated by the food. I thought the food I grew up on was Jewish food, but I found out that people in Israel cook their own style of Jewish food - like Moroccan Jewish, Indian Jewish, Yemenite Jewish, Romanian Jewish, Hungarian Jewish, Iraqi Jewish, etc.'' All of these cultural tastes flavor her book. But the Old World labor-intensive techniques have been left behind. Levy has streamlined and modernized recipes and procedures to use the latest kitchen equipment and gadgets that fit into the lifestyles of today's cooks. For example, ``for gefilte fish, people used to buy a whole fish, fillet fillet /fil·let/ (fil´et) 1. a loop, as of cord or tape, for making traction on the fetus. 2. in the nervous system, a long band of nerve fibers. fil·let n. 1. and chop it by hand - and it would take forever to make. Now I buy fillets and use the food processor. However, I also like to buy a whole fish, but I have the fish man bone it for me and give me the bones so I can make stock.'' Levy also relies on convenience foods when practical, such as canned unsalted broths, canned tomatoes, canned beans, canned corn, frozen vegetables Frozen vegatables (also freeze-dried vegetables) are commercially packaged vegetables that are sold in the frozen section of the store, usually packaged in either rectangular boxes or plastic bags. and the like. The book is geared to both novice and accomplished cooks. To make the recipes easy to use in kosher menus, each is coded with M for meat, D for dairy or P for pareve pa·re·ve also par·ve adj. Judaism Prepared without meat, milk, or their derivatives and therefore permissible to be eaten with both meat and dairy dishes according to dietary laws: pareve margarine. . Notes about serving, ingredients and origins also accompany the recipes and make for some interesting reading. < CHOCOLATE-APRICOT WINE BALLS 1/2 cup diced dried apricots 1/2 cup sweet wine OR orange juice 4 ounces bittersweet bittersweet, name for two unrelated plants, belonging to different families, both fall-fruiting woody vines sometimes cultivated for their decorative scarlet berries. OR semisweet sem·i·sweet adj. Having a small amount of sweetening: semisweet chocolate. Adj. 1. semisweet - having a taste that is a mixture of bitterness and sweetness bittersweet chocolate, chopped 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder Noun 1. cocoa powder - the powdery remains of chocolate liquor after cocoa butter is removed; used in baking and in low fat and low calorie recipes and as a flavoring for ice cream chocolate - a food made from roasted ground cacao beans 2 tablespoons sugar 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter OR margarine, at room temperature and cut into pieces 3/4 to 1 cup cookie crumbs 1 1/2 cups (about) chopped blanched blanch also blench v. blanched also blenched, blanch·ing also blench·ing, blanch·es also blench·es v.tr. 1. To take the color from; bleach. 2. almonds Combine apricots and wine in a jar and cover. Shake, then let stand about 1 hour. Remove apricots, reserving wine. Heat chocolate, cocoa, sugar and reserved wine in a medium, heavy saucepan over low heat, stirring often, until chocolate melts. Remove from heat and add butter. Stir until melted. Stir in cookie crumbs and apricots. Mix well. Refrigerate re·frig·er·ate tr.v. re·frig·er·at·ed, re·frig·er·at·ing, re·frig·er·ates 1. To cool or chill (a substance). 2. To preserve (food) by chilling. 30 to 45 minutes or until firm enough to shape. Put almonds in a shallow bowl or tray. Shape chocolate mixture into balls, using about 2 teaspoons for each. Roll balls in almonds. Set candies on plates. Refrigerate 1 hour before serving. Serve in foil or paper candy cups. Makes about 30 candies. SEA BASS IN SAFFRON-TOMATO SAUCE 1/8 teaspoon saffron threads 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil olive oil, pale yellow to greenish oil obtained from the pulp of olives by separating the liquids from solids. Olive oil was used in the ancient world for lighting, in the preparation of food, and as an anointing oil for both ritual and cosmetic purposes. 1 medium onion, chopped 1/2 cup diced red bell pepper 1 1/2 pounds ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and pureed OR 1 (28-ounce) and 1 (14-ounce) can plum tomatoes, drained and pureed Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 pounds sea bass fillets or steaks, about 1-inch thick 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil OR Italian parsley Noun 1. Italian parsley - a variety of parsley having flat leaves flat-leaf parsley, Petroselinum crispum neapolitanum parsley, Petroselinum crispum - annual or perennial herb with aromatic leaves Slightly crush saffron with your fingers and soak in oil in a small cup about 20 minutes. Transfer saffron oil to a large saute sau·té tr.v. sau·téed, sau·té·ing, sau·tés To fry lightly in fat in a shallow open pan. n. A dish of food so prepared. pan or skillet and cook briefly over low heat. Add onion and bell pepper and saute over medium-low heat about 5 minutes or until onion begins to turn golden. Add tomatoes, salt and pepper
Add sea bass in one layer to sauce and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover and cook over medium-low heat, spooning sauce over fish from time to time, about 10 minutes or until thickest part of fish becomes opaque inside; check with a sharp knife. Taste sauce and adjust seasoning. Stir 2 tablespoons basil gently into sauce. Serve hot or cold, sprinkled with remaining basil. Makes 4 main course or about 6 fish-course servings. CORN, SWEET PEPPER AND GREEN BEAN SALAD 1/2 pounds green beans green beans Noun, pl long narrow green beans that are cooked and eaten as a vegetable , ends removed and halved 2 cups fresh (2 large ears) OR frozen corn kernels Water 2 large red OR orange bell peppers, cut into strips 1/4 cup minced green onions 2 OR 3 tablespoons vegetable oil OR olive oil Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste 1 tablespoon fresh lime OR lemon juice OR dry white wine (optional) Cook beans and corn in a saucepan of boiling salted water about 5 minutes or until beans are crisp-tender. Rinse under cold water until cool and drain well. Transfer to a large bowl. Add red pepper, green onions and oil. Season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until ready to serve. A short time before serving, add lime juice and add more seasoning if necessary. Serve cold or at room temperature. Makes 4 servings. COCOA APPLESAUCE CAKE WITH HONEY GANACHE f=C Helvetica Condensed con·dense v. con·densed, con·dens·ing, con·dens·es v.tr. 1. To reduce the volume or compass of. 2. To make more concise; abridge or shorten. 3. Physics a. w=9 l=113 cups all-purpose flour 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon 2 teaspoons baking soda baking soda: see sodium bicarbonate. 1 cup vegetable oil 2 cups sugar 2 large eggs 2 cups unsweetened applesauce 1/2 cup chopped pecans, plus extra chopped pecans and pecan halves for garnish Honey Ganache Grease and flour a 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Sift flour with cocoa, cinnamon and baking soda into a medium bowl. Beat oil with sugar and eggs in a large bowl with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy. Stir flour mixture alternately with applesauce into egg mixture and mix well, either on low speed of mixer or with a wooden spoon. Stir in 1/2 cup chopped pecans. Transfer batter to prepared pan. Bake in preheated 350-degree oven 35 to 45 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in cake's center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a rack about 20 minutes or until just warm. Turn out onto a rack or leave in the pan; cool completely. Prepare Honey Ganache. Then, spread in a thin layer over top of cake. Sprinkle top with chopped pecans and decorate with pecan halves. Refrigerate cake about 2 hours before serving. Makes 16 to 20 servings. HONEY GANACHE: Bring 1/2 cup whipping cream, nondairy non·dair·y adj. Containing no milk or dairy products: nondairy coffee creamer. creamer OR nondairy rice milk to a boil in a small, heavy saucepan. Remove from heat and immediately add 6 ounces finely chopped semisweet chocolate. Using a small whisk, stir quickly until chocolate is completely melted and mixture is smooth. Transfer to a bowl. Cool to room temperature. Using an electric mixer, whip mixture at high speed about 3 minutes. Cream 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter OR margarine, slightly softened, in a large bowl with an electric mixer until very soft and smooth. Beat in chocolate mixture in 3 batches. Beat well until frosting frosting the slight graying of the haircoat around the face, particularly muzzle, in dogs with aging and as a regular feature of some breeds such as the Belgian shepherd dog. is smooth. Gradually beat in 3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon honey until blended. Makes about 1 1/2 cups, enough for top of a 13x9x2-inch cake. NOTE: Cake batter can also be baked in a 10-inch springform pan as in photo. Bake in preheated 350-degree oven about 1 1/4 to 1/2 hours or until done, checking often near end of baking time (cover top of cake with foil if it seems to be cooking too quickly). Cool and frost as directed above. SPOTLIGHT ON ... Faye Levy Age: 40-something. Profession: Cookbook author, food writer and cooking teacher. Hometown: Washington, D.C. Food background: Levy grew up in a traditional Jewish family and learned about Jewish food as part of her culture. However, it wasn't until her college years in Israel that she started cooking and experimenting with food. After graduating, she trained as a chef and worked for six years at La Varenne cooking school in Paris. When she returned to the United States, she began writing free-lance food stories and developing recipes. She has written 21 cookbooks. Cooking style: Mediterranean-Jewish (Sephardic) with an emphasis on lots of vegetables and heathy cuisine. Favorite foods: Vegetables; vegetarian cuisine; French cuisine; Mediterranean cuisine; chocolate; good bread. Most popular dish she makes: Cocoa Applesauce Cake With Honey Ganache frosting. Secret food passion: Sweetbreads Noun 1. sweetbreads - edible glands of an animal sweetbread organs, variety meat - edible viscera of a butchered animal (the meat) and foie gras. Favorite thing to cook and eat: Homemade bread. Favorite cookbook: ``Le Guide Culinaire,'' by Auguste Escoffier for French cooking; and ``The Kitchen Garden Cookbook,'' by Sylvia Thompson. Favorite restaurant: L'Auberge de L'Ill in Illhaeusern, France. Worst kitchen disaster: Before she learned how to cook, she tried baking an eggplant without first pricking the skin. It exploded making ``a scary noise and a mess of the oven.'' Pet peeve: People who are rude for no reason. What does she do when not cooking?: She gardens and checks out ethnic markets. If she could dine with anyone (current or in history) who would it be?: Auguste Escoffier. - Natalie Haughton CAPTION(S): 5 photos, box Photo: (1 -- cover -- color) Sea Bass in Saffron Tomato Sause (recipe at right) (2 -- color) Frost Cocoa Applesauce Cake with a chocolate-based Honey Ganache for a festive finale to a holiday meal. (3 -- color) no caption (Chocolate-Apricot Wine Balls) (4 -- color) no caption (Corn, Sweet Pepper and Green Bean Salad) (5 -- color) Faye Levy David Sprague/Staff Photographer Box: Spotlight On... |
|
||||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion