Hamantaschen Triangular Purim cookies - Larry Diamond

It's getting to that time of year!

Hamantaschen

A recipe for triangular Purim cookies
Makes about 36

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup margarine or butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 1/2-3 cups sifted unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• Dash of salt

1. Cream the shortening with sugar. Add egg and continue creaming until smooth.
2. Add the vanilla. Stir in the sifted flour, baking powder, and salt until a ball of dough is formed (a food processor is excellent for this).
3. Chill for 2-3 hours, or overnight.
4. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
5. Taking 1/4 of the dough, roll out on a lightly floured board to a thickness of 1/8 inch. Cut circles of dough with a drinking glass or round cookie-cutter. With your finger put water around the rim of the circle. Fill with 1 teaspoon poppy-seed or nut filling and fold into three-cornered cookies. (Press two sides together, and then fold the third side over and press the ends together.)
6. Bake on a well-greased cookie sheet 10-16 minutes, until the tops are golden.

Filling
For an easy filling fix, plenty of people use premade jams or jelly.

Zucchini Bread - Peggy Konopka Martinez

Ingredients: 

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup egg substitute
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 3 cups shredded zucchini (12 ounces)
• 1/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts, toasted
• Cooking spray

Preparation:

• Preheat oven to 350°.
• Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 4 ingredients (through baking soda) in a large bowl.
• Combine egg substitute and next 4 ingredients (through egg) in a large bowl; add sugar, stirring until combined. Add zucchini; stir until well combined. Add flour mixture; stir just until combined. Stir in walnuts.
• Divide batter evenly between 2 (8 x 4-inch) loaf pans coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pans on a wire rack; remove from pans. Cool completely on wire rack.

Stuffed Cabbage "Jewish" Style - Dana Kaplowitz Vincent

Stuffed Cabbage with Raisins

Ingredients:

• Large head cabbage
• 2 tbsp chicken fat
• 2 onions
• 2 carrots sliced
• 3 cups canned tomatoes
• 3 tsp salt
• ½ tsp pepper
• Beef bones
• 1 lb ground beef
• 3 tbsp of uncooked rice
• 4 tbsp grated onion
• 1 egg
• 3 tbsp cold water
• 3 tbsp honey
• ¼ cup lemon juice
• ¼ cup seedless raisins, I prefer the gold ones.

Pour boiling water over the cabbage to cover and let soak for 15 minutes.

Remove 12 leaves carefully: if leaves are small use 18.

Heat the fat in a deep heavy saucepan.  Lightly brown the onions in it.  Add the tomatoes, half the salt and pepper and add all the bones.  Cook over low heat for 30 minutes.

Mix together the beef, rice, grated onion, egg and water.

Place some of the meat mixture on each cabbage leaf.  Tuck in the sides and roll up carefully.. Tip>>> I usually use a toothpick to hold them together.  Add the cabbage rolls to the sauce.  Cover and cook over low heat for about 1 and ½ hours.  Uncover and add the honey, lemon juice and raisins.  ( you could use brown sugar, and sour salt instead of honey and lemon juice.)  Cook another 30 minutes.  Serves 6 as a main course or 12 as appetizer.

Kasha! - Dana Kaplowitz Vincent

Totally different from Kishke, we used to call this Kasha Varnitchkes.. I never cared for this dish, but lots of people love it.  It's an old, old Russian Jewish recipe.

Ingredients:

•  1cup kasha buckwheat groats, medium granulation  (found in most grocery stores)
• 1 egg, well beaten
• 2 Tablespoons rendered chicken fat or vegetable oil  (again with the Smaltz!)
• 1 yellow onion, peeled and chopped
• 2 cups chicken stock or use canned ( this is where my frozen soup comes into place!)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 cup pasta bow ties, I use the Ronzoni brand, but they are all good.

it's made like this:

In a small bowl, mix the kasha with the beaten egg. Be sure all the grains are covered with egg. Place a medium non-stick frying pan on medium-high heat. Add the kasha to the pan and, using a wooden fork, flatten it out a bit, stirring and moving it about the pan until the egg dries and the grains have mostly separated. Set aside.

Place a pot of salted water on to boil for the pasta bow ties. (Do not cook them yet.)

In a 4-quart heavy stove-top covered casserole, heat the chicken fat or oil and saute the onions until clear. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Add the salt and pepper and the reserved kasha. Stir a bit and cover. Cook over low heat, stirring now and then, until the kasha is tender, about 10 minutes. If it is not done to your taste, cook for a few more minutes.

In the meantime, boil the bow ties just until tender. Drain well and stir into the kasha!

Gefilte Fish from Scratch - Dana Kaplowitz Vincent

You want ethnic, this is ethnic!

Gefilte Fish

• 4 lbs of fish fillets (whitefish, pike or other water fish, use two varieties if possible)
• Head and skin of fish
• 5 onions
• 4 tsps of salt
• 1 ½ tsp of white pepper
• 1tsp sugar
• 2 eggs beaten
• 5 ½ cups of water
• 3 tbsp of cracker or matzo meal
• 2 carrots peeled and sliced

Ok, grind the fish and 1 onion in a food chopper

Place in a wooden bowl

Add, 2 tsp of the salt, ¾ tsp of pepper, the sugar, eggs, ½ cup of the water and the cracker meal.  Chop until fine in texture and well blended.

Place the fish head and skin in a deep saucepan.  Slice the remaining onions and place over them.  Add the carrots, remaining water and remaining salt and pepper.  Bring to an active boil.  Shape the chopped fish into 2-inch balls between wet hands.  Carefully drop them into the saucepan.  Cover and cook over low heat for 1 ½ hrs.  Shake the saucepan frequently.  Correct seasoning.

Remove the fish balls carefully.  Strain the stock into a separate bowl and chill until jellied.  Serve the cold fish and the jelly with fresh horseradish.  Or go and buy gefilte fish by manischewitz  in the store!

Matzo Balls

This recipe is from The Historic Perth Amboy Cookbook Circa 1983

2 Eggs
3/4 tsp.salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/4 c. water
1/4 c. chicken fat, melted
1 Tbsp. chopped parsley
3/4 c. matzo meal

Beat eggs, salt, pepper, and parsley; add water and melted chicken fat..  Batter will be stiff.
Refrigerate 1 hour before shaping into little balls. Boil water; drop balls into water, reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 25 to 30 minutes.