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For Israel
Independence Day - Foods with Meaning
The Glazer women, Miriyam,
Phyllis and Ida, all love food. "It’s in our
genes," laughs American born Phyllis Glazer, now living
in Tel Aviv and one of Israel’s most popular food
personalities.
But their culinary interests
go far beyond today’s Jewish cooking. In The Essential Book
of Jewish Festival Cooking, 200 Seasonal Holiday Recipes and
their Traditions, by Phyllis Glazer with Miriyam Glazer,
HarperCollins 2004, hardcover $29.95, the two sisters explore
the agricultural customs and biblical holiday cooking of our
ancestors. With fascinating in-depth essays, ancient rituals,
and fresh contemporary recipes, this is one book I couldn’t
put down. No matter what your religion, it is destined to
become a landmark of Jewish cuisine.
Co-author Dr. Miriyam Glazer
is a Professor of Literature at the University of Judaism in
Los Angeles. She is also studying for the Conservative
rabbinate. Spending a year in Israel offered the sisters a
unique opportunity to work together on what they describe as
"a spiritual, soulful and exciting journey into our
roots." Phyllis adds "living in Israel and seeing
the changing seasons had given me a unique perspective."
Their mother, Ida Glazer, lives in a neat little garden
apartment just down the path from Phyllis’s front door.
"She’s my right hand," says Phyllis. "Not
only does she do all the testing, but she gives us , and often
improves on, the Ashkenazi classic recipes we grew up
with."
"Why is this Jewish
cookbook different?" I asked.. Catching her between
publicity appearances, Phyllis explained "Long before
timepieces and the Internet, our ancestors looked for
agricultural signs to mark the passing of the seasons and the
time for holiday rejoicing…then, as it is today in Israel,
green garlic meant that Passover was near; the new barley and
wheat harvests signaled the time for the Omer and then Shavuot;
the firm little yellow Barhi date was the sign of the
approaching Days of Awe and olive oil was plentiful at
Hanukkah. In our research, we found little-known and often
surprising facts about the origins of each holiday and the
profound link to the signs of nature and the produce of the
earth in each season. This is what makes our book
unique."
Indeed The Essential Book of
Jewish Festival Cooking contains much more than the 200
recipes We learn that after the destruction of the Second
Temple by the Romans in 70A.D. the Jews were forced into exile
far from the familiar signs and rhythms of nature. The
holidays would have been erased forever, the book explains, if
not for dedicated rabbis who in later eras, collected the laws
and holiday traditions giving new expression in custom and
prayer. But it was the Jewish housewives who developed holiday
dishes influenced by the foods in the Diaspora where they had
settled.
Phyllis is firm in her belief
that only natural and unprocessed foods be used. " I try
to avoid commercial stocks, artificial ingredients and those
that involve cruelty to animals – such as fois gras and
milk-fed veal." Instead, recipes are enhanced with fresh
herbs, spices and other natural ingredients. Flour is
unbleached, sugar is unrefined. Most of the ingredients called
for are available in every supermarket. Some, such as zahtar
and sumac may be found in health food stores.
For Israel Independence Day,
Phyllis will be back in Tel Aviv with her mother, two teenage
daughters and three plump pets. "Of course, like
everybody else, we’ll celebrate with a barbecue. There will
be fireworks but we’ll eat at home." She jokes about
her first Independence day in Israel. "We went to the
local park….I felt that I’d been taken back to ancient
times. The park was filled with smoke from hundreds of
barbecues…everybody looked as though they were sacrificing
something – be it hot dogs or steak – not the Paschal
Lamb"
.Israel Independence Day
celebrations for the Glazers will be in Phyllis’s lush,
green yard, her herb garden perfuming the air. Dishes served
to a host of family and friends may include Grilled Cornish
Hens in Lemon and Hot Pepper Sauce served on Toasted Pita
Bread, the recipe contributed by chef Hanoch Bar Shalom. There
will be half a dozen salads including Baked Potato and Sprout
Salad with Fresh Parsley Dressing and Shirazi Salad (plenteous
fresh herbs and vegetables), and for dessert, Zucchini Tea
Cake with Cinnamon and Nutmeg. The essences of Israel infusing
each dish.
To enrich and add more
meaning to Jewish holidays Phyllis suggests using ingredients
from the same soil that nourished our ancestors. These might
include Israeli cold-pressed extra virgin oil, olives, goat
cheeses and wines. And you’ll be giving a much needed boost
to the Israeli economy.
The recipes below are from
The Essential Book of Jewish Festival Cooking by Phyllis
Glazer with Miriyam Glazer, published by HarperCollins, 2004
hardcover $29.95
 Grilled
Cornish Hens in Lemon and Hot Pepper Sauce (meat)
serves 6 - 8
3 Cornish hens (about 1 1/2
pounds each)
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
2 medium mildly hot or hot green peppers like Anaheim or
poblano
8 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 bunches arugula
1 large round pita bread or focaccia
1. Rinse the hens and pat
dry. To reduce the fat the Glazers like to dip the hens in
boiling water and scrape the skin with a knife to remove
excess surface fat. Cut each hen into 4 pieces and season with
salt and pepper. Set aside.
2. Slice each hot pepper in
half lengthwise and remove the seeds and ribs if a milder
taste is preferred. Cut into small dice and mix with the
garlic, lemon juice and olive oil. Let stand at room
temperature while the grill heats.
3. Rinse arugula well to
remove grit and cut off the roots.
4. Over medium-high coals,
grill the Cornish hen pieces for 6 minutes on each side, or
until done. Do not overcook or hen will dry out and burn.
5. Remove the hen pieces and
warm the pita or focaccia on the grill. Place the pita or
focaccia on a large serving platter and scatter the arugula on
top. Lay the hen pieces on the arugula. Pour the sauce over
and serve.
Approx. nutrients per
serving: calories – 422 protein – 23g carbohydrates –
11g
fat – 32g cholesterol –
127mg sodium – 162mg
 Baked
Potato and Sprout Salad with Fresh Parsley Dressing (pareve)
serves 6
1 1/2 pounds new or red
thin-skinned potatoes
oil
salt fresh ground black pepper
2 cups fresh bean sprouts
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
Dressing: 6 tablespoons
extra-virgin olive oil
6 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
1-2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
1. Preheat oven to 350F.Scrub
potatoes, but do not peel. Rub with oil, season with salt and
pepper and pierce in several places with the tines of a fork.
Bake in the oven for about 1 hour until tender. Cool slightly,
cut into large chunks and transfer to a salad bowl. Add the
sprouts and mushrooms.
2. In a small bowl, whisk
together the ingredients for the dressing. Season with salt
and pepper and pour over the warm potatoes. Stir gently and
serve.
approx. nutrients per
serving: calories – 279 protein – 3g carbohydrates – 24
fat – 20g cholesterol –
0mg sodium – 42mg
Shirazi
Salad (pareve)
serves 6-8
1 cup fresh parsley
1 cup fresh mint
1/2 cup fresh tarragon
1 cup fresh dill
1/2 cup fresh basil
3 English (long, hothouse) cucumbers
4 beefsteak tomatoes or 12 to 16 small Roma tomatoes
1 medium onion
Dressing:1/2 cup fresh
squeezed lime or lemon juice
1/4 to 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh ground black pepper
2 teaspoons salt or to taste
1/2 teaspoon sugar
2 garlic cloves, minced (optional)
1. Wash the five herbs well,
remove the stems and chop. Place in a bowl, cover with plastic
wrap and refrigerate.
2. Wash, peel and seed the
cucumbers. Cut in very small dice (the smaller the dice the
tastier the salad will be). Wash and seed the tomatoes and cut
in very small dice. Dice the onion very small. Place
cucumbers, tomatoes and onions in a separate bowl, cover and
refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
3. An hour before serving,
make the dressing. Combine lime juice, olive oil, pepper and
salt.
4. Remove the bowl of
cucumbers, tomatoes, and onions from the refrigerator and
drain off all the liquid that has accumulated. Add the chopped
herbs and the dressing and mix well. Return to refrigerator
until just before serving, to allow time to marinate. Check
seasoning. Add minced garlic if desired.
approx. nutrients per
serving: calories – 97 protein – 2g carbohydrates – 8g
fat – 7g cholesterol –
0mg sodium – 597mg
Zucchini
Tea Cake with Cinnamon and Nutmeg (pareve)
serves 16-20
4 medium zucchini (to yield 3
cups grated zucchini)
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 cup packed light brown sugar or granulated sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped walnuts
confectioner’s sugar for dusting
1. Prehat oven to 350F.
Grease and flour a 16 by 5 by 4-inch loaf pan, knocking out
excess flour.
2. Grate zucchini coarsely.
Put in a strainer placed over a bowl and press with the back
of a wooden spoon to remove excess moisture. Let stand 10
minutes. Sift the flours, soda and spices together.
3. In the bowl of an electric
mixer or food processor, blend the oil, eggs, sugars and
vanilla. Add the flour mixture and blend well. Mix in the
grated zucchini and nuts and pour into prepared pan.
4. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes
or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Let cool slightly and sprinkle the top with a light dustins of
confectioners’ sugar. Slice and serve warm, at room
temperature or toasted.
Note: makes 24 cup cakes.
Line two 12-cup muffin pans with paper baking liners. Bake
18-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
approx. nutrients per
serving: calories – 327 protein – 5g carbohydrates – 41g
fat – 17g cholesterol –
24mg sodium – 89mg
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