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Passover Food from
Chechnya, of all Places!
When the news reported
about the conflict between Russians and Muslim Chechnyans,
understandably, little was said about Jews. But a Jewish community of about 1,500
lived there as of 1981. In the words of one former Jewish Chechnyan
"the Russians hate the Chechnyans and barely tolerated the Jews — the
Chechnyans hate the Jews and screamed at us to go to Israel."
Thanks in part to dollars raised by Jewish Federations, with
the help of the Jewish Agency, escape to Israel
is what most Jewish Chechnyans did.
These are recipes our
cooking expert Ethel Hofman picked up
from Chechyan Jews who immigrated to
Israel. They first ran in the magazine
in 1996, but we thought they were worth
repeating. So, instead of the
"same old" standard fare, why not try
substituting a few items from our Chechnyan
Passover Feast and place your family
classics alongside for a fun comparison?
In addition to being the
food editor of Being Jewish for
the past 14 years, Ethel
Hofman is a past president of the International Association of Culinary Professionals,
and author of Everyday Cooking
for the Jewish Home, Harper- Collins, 1997.
 Apricot-Cherry
Charoseth
(Makes 1 1/2 cups)
Ingredients
1 cup dried apricots
1/4 cup
dried cherries
3–4 pieces dried peaches
1/4 cup
walnuts
2 teaspoons chopped fresh
mint
1/4 cup
sweet wine honey to taste
Directions
Place apricots, cherries,
and peaches in small pan with enough cold water to barely
cover. Cover with lid and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes or
until fruit is plump. Drain very well. Chop or process fruit and
walnuts in food processor to a coarse consistency. Transfer to a small bowl.
Stir in mint and enough sweet wine to moisten. Sweeten
to taste with honey.
Chechnyan Horseradish
(Makes 1 1/2 cups)
Ingredients
1 Medium
horseradish root (about 3/4 pound)
1/4 cup
cooked or canned sliced beets
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 – 1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Remove the
thick peel from horseradish root and cut into 1/4" slices. Attach fine grater
blade to food processor and grate horseradish root and sliced beets into
processor bowl. Transfer to mixing bowl
and stir in salt, 1/4 cup
water, lemon juice, and pepper. Add a little more water to
moisten if needed. Refrigerate up to 3–4 hours ahead. Custom
dictates that the aromas should be strong enough to make your
eyes water.
 Crisp Potato Cutlets
(Makes 6 servings)
Ingredients
1 small onion, finely
chopped
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups cooked chicken, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups cooked mashed potatoes
1/4 cup
coarsely chopped cilantro
1 teaspoon salt or to
taste
1 teaspoon fresh ground
black pepper or to taste
leafy sprigs of cilantro
for garnish (optional)
Directions Saute onion in oil over
low heat until transparent. Do not brown. Stir into chicken and
potatoes until mixture is blended. Add cilantro and season to
taste with salt and pepper. Shape into six cutlets, about 12"
thick. Heat about 14" oil in large skillet.
Fry cutlets over medium heat
until nicely browned and crisp, about 3–4 minutes on each
side. Drain on paper towels. Serve hot or at room temperature on a
bed of cilantro leaves.
Homemade Dried Apples
(Makes 6 servings)
Ingredients
6 apples*
about 1/2 cup sugar
*Pears may be dried in
similar manner, but no need to peel. Dried fruits
add excellent flavor to cakes, strudels, and
Moroccan-style stews.
Directions
Peel and
core apples. Slice into rings about 1/2"
thick. Line two large cookie sheets with
aluminum foil and sprinkle lightly with sugar.Arrange apple
slices on prepared cookie sheets, in one layer, leaving about 1/4" space between each slice.
Heat oven to 250°. Place apples in oven and leave for at least 12
hours. At this point they should be wrinkled, golden, and chewy. Leave at room
temperature for 4 to 6 hours longer. Store in plastic bags. Refrigerate
or freeze.
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