493835 Wed Feb 27 10:51:05 -0800 2008 50 28 Kosher 0 3440213 I currently live in Northern CA (grew up in NY) where Jewish and Deli food is considered "ethnic." My women's group (mainly non-Jews) does a quarterly ethnic cooking "get together" (the guys arrive in time for the food to be served) and this time it's the foods that were a constant at my Grandmother's house. Most of the items they have never made or even had before. I know it's a ton of food (especially carbs) but I wanted to cover all my bases....besides, what's a Jewish meal without leftovers? Can you take a look at the menu and tell me if there is anything missing that I should add (to late to subtract anything)? ______________________________________________________________________ Middle Eastern App. plate with Hummus, Baba Ganoush, Smoked Salmon, etc. Mini Potato Knishes w/mustard sauce Challah Matzah Ball Soup Beef Brisket Tsimmes Latkes with apple sauce Stuffed Cabbage (Vegetarian style) Matzoh Farfel Noodle Kugel Dessert (rugeluch, mandelbrot, Hamentashen, babkah, etc.) _____________________________________________________________________ Remember, these are common items in the East but out here...it's exotic! Wed Feb 27 10:51:05 -0800 2008 15774 MSK 1 3440282 If you are truly looking for something ethnic and somewhat exotic, I'd go for tongue rather than brisket. And serve it all with Dr. Browns Celray soda. Wed Feb 27 11:05:29 -0800 2008 3440213 30210 aivri 2 3440441 Great idea on the DB's. I think I would have to fly back to NY to find it however. Maybe in LA but not here. Wed Feb 27 11:41:16 -0800 2008 3440282 15774 MSK 3 3441886 You can find raw tongue at many butchers, especially if there's a Hisapanic market in your area. It's not hard to make at all. Wed Feb 27 18:09:13 -0800 2008 3440441 28006 Jennalynn 4 3453969 Excuse me, isn't this the Kosher Board? Mon Mar 03 05:25:48 -0800 2008 3441886 14863 skipper 5 3502407 I guess there aren't many Kosher Hispanic butchers in northern CA. Unless they are from Argentina. Mon Mar 17 17:07:20 -0700 2008 3453969 84119 lagatta 1 3440383 Kasha Varnishkas are my favorite "ethnic" food. Not sure if you want to add another starch though. Wed Feb 27 11:28:54 -0800 2008 3440213 11719 jes 2 3440449 Love Kasha! But my thoughts exactly! We'll all look like Bubbes by the time we're finished. Wed Feb 27 11:42:32 -0800 2008 3440383 15774 MSK 1 3440397 What? No chopped chicken liver? Wed Feb 27 11:31:26 -0800 2008 3440213 105034 FeelingALittleBreadish 2 3440435 I offered CL as a choice for anyone to make but they all said they would rather gag. I tend to agree. Wed Feb 27 11:40:16 -0800 2008 3440397 15774 MSK 1 3440525 no pickles? Wed Feb 27 12:04:56 -0800 2008 3440213 13122 berel 2 3440891 Kishke is a must...I like seeing Smoked Salmon considered Middle Eastern...LOL! Wed Feb 27 13:19:10 -0800 2008 3440525 31438 KosherKing 1 3440933 MSK This looks wonderful as jfood types and salivates at the same time. But it looks too healthy to be traditional Jewish (guess it's the NoCal influence). You gotta have some shmaltz somewhere. Since they already rejected the CL (off with their heads) jfood would recommend a good roasted chicken but leave all the fat on the bird. Then place on a rack with some sliced potatoes underneath to soak up the good juices that the bird release duringthe roasting. Just do not tell them why you made the absolutely best tasting potatoes (jfood is partial to sweet potatoes these days) they ever tasted. If you really want to scare them, make a jello mold. Mazel Tov on bringing your friends into the 19th century. Wed Feb 27 13:28:53 -0800 2008 3440213 11290 jfood 2 3441401 I've been eating, and cooking, 'Jewish food' all my life, and have never actually eaten anything containing schmaltz. And I think of jello molds as fifties white-bread American - if you want something gelatinized and Jewish, make them p'tcha/galeh ;) Wed Feb 27 15:24:48 -0800 2008 3440933 39900 GilaB 3 3441684 Then you must get to Sammy's Roumanian in NYC, order the chopped liver appetizer, and they will bring a container of schmaltz, pour some in mix it up and serve. Yum yum Mayber jfood should have said red jello mold. Red was for jewish and green was for non-jewish households in jfood's neighborhood growing up. Wed Feb 27 16:57:11 -0800 2008 3441401 11290 jfood 4 3441793 My mom would ruin perfectly good jello by mixing in canned fruit cocktail. Wed Feb 27 17:32:32 -0800 2008 3441684 15774 MSK 3 3441842 If you've eaten kasha varnishkas or chopped live, you've probably had schmaltz. Wed Feb 27 17:48:29 -0800 2008 3441401 12009 DeisCane 3 3465388 I do know that my grandmother's recipe for matzah balls included shmaltz- that's fairly common, so you might have without knowing it. Thu Mar 06 07:31:49 -0800 2008 3441401 71836 masteraleph 1 3441730 What, no gelfilte fish? Wed Feb 27 17:11:12 -0800 2008 3440213 89969 moh 1 3441785 Pickles will be a great addition although there's no place here to get them fresh. The only pickles you get here come from a jar. Sacreligious! I hear what your saying regarding Schmaltz. I just can't bring myself to do it. Healthier olive oil will have to do. Am I betraying my tribe?? Here was my requirement for an acceptable Gefilte Fish offering: "Gefilte Fish (homemade please.....not out of the jar ....'cause that stuff comes with the jellied pieces of stuff in the sauce........... even though it is discussed at length each year at Passover.........no one really knows it's true origin)" No wonder no one chose it to prepare. I'm such a snob! Realistically though, fresh Gefilte is very difficult to make in addition to the fact that I have no clue as where to find Carp around here. I think they would have to go to the Asian fish market in the city. I had to go to 3 stores to find Matzoh Farfel out of Passover season but I did pick up a jar of Fox's UBet for the family while I was there. It's Wed. and I'm starting to to prep some of the items now. No wonder my mother never worked outside the home! Wed Feb 27 17:30:57 -0800 2008 3440213 15774 MSK 2 3441873 There is actually an edible brand of jarred gefilte fish -- Noam's Gourmet. Not sure where you would find it out your way, though. As for making it yourself, no need to start from scratch, the frozen logs are perfectly acceptable. Again, not sure where you would find those. Wed Feb 27 18:03:21 -0800 2008 3441785 16064 zsero 2 3442009 Fantastic. Jfood loves the jarred GF's but must be the sweet no-MSG variety. And it MUST have hot horseradish. If you do not sweat onthe forehead the horseradish is not hot enough. A BOTTLE of U-Bets. Jfood can only find squeeze bottles these days. And his housekeeper once threw out the pump he bought for the bottles and he almost fired her (thank you for intervening mrs jfood). Oh man jfood can;t wait for Passover around the corner. Wed Feb 27 18:52:48 -0800 2008 3441785 11290 jfood 2 3442290 No schmaltz? But surely there must be some in the matzoh ball soup? Somewhere? Ah but what do I know? I'm a shiksa (SP? sorry) Wed Feb 27 20:39:35 -0800 2008 3441785 89969 moh 3 3442419 I think you actually have the correct spelling....I knew something didn't look right. Wed Feb 27 21:43:26 -0800 2008 3442290 15774 MSK 2 3442898 I make my own pickles. my mom's been making them for the last 30 years. the pickleman/horesradish grinder on Livonia ave in East NY gave her the recipe before he closed up for good. Thu Feb 28 05:55:24 -0800 2008 3441785 13122 berel 3 3443094 B How about a nice Mitzvah and post the recipe for those pickles. Mrs Jfoods Bubbi made pickles on the porch but unfortunately died with her recipe. Jfood would love to surprise her with some homemades. Thu Feb 28 06:59:42 -0800 2008 3442898 11290 jfood 4 3443167 ok, here we go You'll need a wide mouth gallon jar 1.cut up some fresh garlic and put it in the bottom of the jar with a tablesppon or two of pickling spices 2. you need to pack the cucs (approx 5 lbs go into a gallon jar) so that they don't float around and not to tight that they get squished (if they're not backed just right you'll get soft mushy pickles) 3. half way thru packing the jar cut up some more garlic and throw it in 4. finish packing the cucs, if theres still room at the very top (not enough room for another pickle) cut up some celery to fill the void) 5.dissolve 4 tablespoons of salt in some hot water. You need 4 tablespoons of salt for every quart of water you'll be making as the brine. 6. fill the cuc packed jar with the brine, seal the jar. Pressure from the pickling process will eventually force water out of the jar over the next few days, so you may need to add water from tim eto time to keep the pickles covered. do not refrigerate until you've recahed your desired sour level. You should have half sour pickles in 2-3 days and a couple of days longer for sour pickles let us know how they turn out Thu Feb 28 07:21:15 -0800 2008 3443094 13122 berel 5 3443360 bless you my child. sounds like a plan. will revert after the yummies come out. Thu Feb 28 08:08:54 -0800 2008 3443167 11290 jfood 6 3443551 my father's (actually his mother's) us very similar but instead of pickling spices uses a combination of fresh dill and red pepper flakes - more flakes the spicier - Thu Feb 28 08:53:17 -0800 2008 3443360 11622 weinstein5 7 3443653 the pickling spice I use have a large content of whole red hot peppers. can't make them too spicey as others have to eat them here too Thu Feb 28 09:15:01 -0800 2008 3443551 13122 berel 8 3448740 I learned from my mom, and everyone loves them. Basically lots of garlic, dill and salt water brine. Do the same garlic, dill, cucumbers, just layer up again, end with garlic and dill. Put the salt water,fill up. Now talke a piece of rye bread with seeds and put it on top, and then put on the cap and tighten. The rye bread starts the fermentation process and makes it delicious. Fri Feb 29 20:57:48 -0800 2008 3443653 62097 paprkutr 1 3442278 I'm having fun going down what is memory lane for me. I am also seeing items at the store that amuse me:. I found Manischewitz Sweet Potato Pancake Mix that assures me that no sweet potato is actually included in the product (artificially flavored). and They have Joyva Halvah (which I am actually going to add to the dessert tray) which prides itself on being a "nourishing confection." Now I can only hope that eating Bishul Akum (food cooked by non Jews) will be a considered a Mitzvah (a blessing) in this context (can this be considered spreading the word?). Wed Feb 27 20:35:39 -0800 2008 3440213 15774 MSK 1 3442302 My mom's favorite "appetizers" to serve before meat meal were chopped liver on "Tam Tam" crackers, and sliced pineapple with cute multicolor toothpicks - sometimes wood, sometimes plastic. Before a milk meal she would serve the same pineapple and herring in cream sauce. I sometimes do the middle eastern thing, but in my parents' day it was considered exotic. Wed Feb 27 20:42:40 -0800 2008 3440213 105501 amymsmom 1 3442433 How about blintzes? If you don't want to cheese fill it with something else or make it for dessert. I too would love to see kasha and varneshkes and lots of sauteed onions. Didn't mention herring, people love it. Wed Feb 27 21:53:53 -0800 2008 3440213 62097 paprkutr 2 3443747 I KNEW there was something missing besides chopped chicken liver and smoked fish (not just lox! where's the whitefish?!) - and absolultely yes on the herring....and you cuold actually do mini-blintzes for another app.... Thu Feb 28 09:32:50 -0800 2008 3442433 11599 Alice Letseat 2 3447176 Yes! Blintzes with fresh fruit. Skip any fish coming out of a container (such as herring) Northern Californians won't eat it. I lived in (and near) San Francisco for 17 years and can promise you that chunks of fish in 'sauce' and whole fish won't go over so well either. I see nothing wrong with adapting the recipes to suit the palate of the people attending. If they're the type to unequivically nix chopped liver, then I wouldn't try to force other food they wouldn't be into in the name of authenticity. The 'classic' New York Jewish foods were adaptations of the 'original' dishes as well, so 'authenticity' shouldn't be a deciding factor. Maybe because I grew up with Sefardi foods, I wouldn't eat half the typical Ashkenazi fare unless paid or very, very hungry. Fri Feb 29 09:37:03 -0800 2008 3442433 107579 CloggieGirl 1 3447687 So far I picked up fresh sour and half sour pickles and some Halvah. The store only had one loaf of cinnamon Babka and I'm really craving the Choc. They're calling me if they can get it delivered in time (not a single bakery makes it in house). I love Blintzes but always considered it a breakfasty food. Plus, even though we're not making it strictly Kashrut, I was staying away from mixing the meat and dairy. I agree with the fish in sauce concept mentioned here but have added whitefish to to app. plater. The Latkes maker had to cancel so I'm grating the potatoes as we speak. In case you need to know for your own reference in the future, 15 ilbs of Brisket takes up the entire 42" Wolf Range. And finally, the garbage disposal just clogged from 10 lbs. of onion skins. Shabbat Shalom! Fri Feb 29 12:28:53 -0800 2008 3440213 15774 MSK 2 3453120 Trust me, your non-Jewish friends will gag at even seeing tongue on the table. Chicken liver is very neutral on the gag scale, even for folks who wouldn't eat it. AVoid tongue for this gathering! Even Jews who did not grow up loving it, as I did, wouldn't touch it. If you even get a chance, just for yourself, buy a Kosher buffalo tongue, simmer gently until soft, and enjoy, enjoy enjoy. Sun Mar 02 17:37:24 -0800 2008 3447687 13068 Bashful3 1 3456437 Well, the evening was a success. I was surprised to hear that many of the guests were surprised that they liked everything so much. Isreali CD's serenaded us the whole evening. The matzah balls were so light they floated out of the pot. I'm going to use this recipe as a standard from now on! The brisket was the big hit. 1 day prior, I rubbed onion soup mix into the beef, covered it in cranberry sauce and baked it for 4 hours in a heavy duty aluminum foil packet. Cooled and refrigerated it overnight, sliced it in the morning and placed it back in the oven for another hour prior to dinner. It was perfect! I chose not to include tongue, not because I didn't think it would be tastey but mainly because my instincts told me what Bashful3 mentioned abovet. I mentioned it the group over dinner and they agreed with the decision. What they did not agree with was my classification of Chopped Liver. They all (inlcuding my husband) said they like it and would have enjoyed it on the menu. My bad. The stuffed cabbage was also great....exactly as I remembered. Others liked it too but the chef of that item preferred her Hungarian version which is much different. I assumed there was some connection to the recipes of this dish since there was a large Jewish population in old Hungary but I'm not sure who influenced who. My mothers Farfel came out great (3 days to cook) but I'm always afraid to oversalt things as she used to so I think I went too far in the other direction. Kugel, Latkes and Potatoe knishes where all great too. There's only one Jewish style bakery in the county but the items do not compare to the ones you can get in NY. No Choc. Babka to be found either! 2 days later and I'm still full! I even have enough leftovers to invite you all! Mon Mar 03 15:56:28 -0800 2008 3440213 15774 MSK 2 3456623 still full two days later - that is sign of a successful meal - Mon Mar 03 16:59:50 -0800 2008 3456437 11622 weinstein5 2 3457196 sounds like it was great! The image of floating matzoh balls was really beautiful. I don't suppose you'd be willing to share that recipe with a poor little shiksa with no bubbie to make her fluffy matzoh ball soup.... All the matzoh balls I can purchase are dense hard balls... Mon Mar 03 20:19:56 -0800 2008 3456437 89969 moh 3 3457431 I will pass on my mother's secret - the box! - I was shocked when she told me but if you follow the instructions they will always come out nice and fluffy - Mon Mar 03 21:56:30 -0800 2008 3457196 11622 weinstein5 4 3457457 Sorry, which box? The box of matzoh meal? which brand? Mon Mar 03 22:03:56 -0800 2008 3457431 89969 moh 5 3457749 I like matzoh balls dense and hard. :-) Tue Mar 04 05:43:05 -0800 2008 3457457 12009 DeisCane 6 3458027 I understand it is about preferences. I don't mind them dense, but when I have a cold and crave a bowl of matzoh ball soup, I like the softer fluffier ones, as they are so comforting and slide down a sore throat with remarkable ease... Tue Mar 04 07:23:38 -0800 2008 3457749 89969 moh 5 3457808 the matzah ball mix - either streits, croyden house or maniscewitz will do - Tue Mar 04 06:08:37 -0800 2008 3457457 11622 weinstein5 6 3458036 thanks! i have access to Streits and Maniscewitz, and have seen the recipe but have never tried to make it myself. I shall do so now... Tue Mar 04 07:25:28 -0800 2008 3457808 89969 moh 7 3458426 moh, The recipe is also on the Manischevitz matzo meal box. I think the secret to less dense is to boil the matzo balls for at least an hour...or longer. Denser balls are generally undercooked. That's my theory, anyway. Good luck! p.j. Tue Mar 04 09:04:32 -0800 2008 3458036 13038 p.j. 8 3459818 Thanks for the tips everyone, I feel like maybe I do have a nice bubbie after all! :) Thanks for adopting a poor matzoh ball-less gal.. Tue Mar 04 14:12:04 -0800 2008 3458426 89969 moh 3 3469884 Here is the "floating MB" recipe Grand Rosie's Matzah Balls from Judith Ets. Hokin's HomeChef Passover Class 4 eggs separated 4 T schmaltz, rice bran oil or melted butter 4 oz. matzah meal (approx. 1 c) 1 t baking soda 2 t fine sea salt (or to taste) 3 T chopped Italian parsley 4 T hot water 6 Qt. boiling salted water 3 QT rich homemade chicken soup whisk egg yolks with chic fat or oil. Add matzah meal, baking soda, salt, parsley and 4 T hot water. Whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form and fold into mixture refrigerate at least 2 hours. form into balls with wet hand and drop into boiling water. lower heat, cover pot and cook 35 to 45 minutes. Store in water until ready to serve When ready to serve, bring froth to a boil and add matzah balls. Serve when hot. Makes approx 20 ____________________________________________ We just cooked the MB directly in the chicken stock and skipped the hot salt water step. I don't know how this compares with the recipe on the box. Enjoy! Fri Mar 07 10:51:49 -0800 2008 3457196 15774 MSK 4 3469918 Yay! I am so psyched to try to make this! Just can't buy good Matzoh ball soup here... Thanks for sharing! Fri Mar 07 10:59:05 -0800 2008 3469884 89969 moh