Food from around the world for Rosh Hashana
Soon, as sunset travels hour by hour around the globe, more and more Jews will begin to celebrate Rosh Hashana. From the time I realized how the time zones work, I have always been fascinated by the rolling effect this has.
Just as we finish services, another group begins — until within 24 hours, everyone around the world has begun the holiday and ended it.
When I was younger, I was amazed that millions of people around the world, no matter what language they spoke, were all reading Hebrew prayer books and all saying and chanting the same prayers.
What I never wondered about, as I went home to my chicken soup or whatever my mother had made, was what were all these Jews eating? I assumed in my childish way, that everyone was eating chicken soup and roast capon or brisket or tsimmes or whatever else we were eating. I never thought that Chicken soup in Newton, MA may not be the same as chicken soup in Italy or France or Argentina.
We all know that Italian food comes from Italy, French food from France and Mexican food from Mexico. But Jewish Food? Jewish food is wherever you find Jews. Jewish food evolves; it is the food of the country of birth combined with the Jewish traditions of the family and the cultural customs and ingredients indigenous to the new country.
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Unlike other ethnic foods which are associated with the countries from which they come, Jewish cooking has no such geographical boundaries. Jews have wandered the world and landed at one time or another in, well, everywhere! As they became entrenched in the culture, they adopted and adapted, and a new Jewish cuisine was created often with little relationship to the Jewish cuisine of any other country. So while Italians connect anywhere there is an Italian restaurant, what connected Jews?
The one constant throughout the millennia that has threaded and weaved through any geographical boundaries is kashrut; those who keep kosher observe the same dietary laws no matter where they live.
The spices may differ, the cooking methods may differ, but the overriding laws of how to slaughter and cook, to separate and check ingredients, has remained the constant unifier throughout the Jewish world.
It provides order, like the rolling sundown that starts the holiday one country after the other.
Enjoy these International dishes and find others to bring the world to your holiday table.
I adapted many of these recipes from my favorite international cookbooks.
Fish Fillets Served in Lettuce Cups (Pareve)
Many Jews serve fish during the holiday to symbolize fertility. This is a traditional Indian Jewish Fish dish called Kangi. You can use larger fillets for a main course. You can also leave out the mint if you like and substitute basil or more parsley.
8 to 10 large Lettuce Leaves (Romaine or Boston works well)
2 Tbsp. chopped mint leaves (I uses less)
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
2 Tbsp. dark brown sugar, (I used a bit more)
1 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1 tsp. curry powder, more or less, to taste
Generous pinch salt
Generous pinch white pepper
6 (4-oz) fish fillets (halibut works well)
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees, Place the mint, parsley, sugar, lemon juice vinegar, curry powder, salt and pepper in the bowl of a food processor or in a blender and process until smooth.
Place some of the largest lettuce leaves on the bottom of a well-greased 8 to 9-inch square baking dish.
Place a generous spoonful of the spice mixture on each fish fillet. Roll each fillet in one of the remaining lettuce leaves and place, seam side down, in the baking dish.
Bake until the fish is tender, about 30 minutes. Serves 6.
Adapted from “The World of Jewish Cooking,” by Gil Marks (1996).
Sweet Rice with Orange and Carrots (Pareve)
This is a traditional Persian dish served on Rosh Hashana and served with a tadig, a traditional crispy, crusty part of the rice made on the bottom of the pan. It takes patience, but it is a real treat.
3 cups basmati rice, rinsed well
8 cups water
2 Tbsp. salt (I use a lot less)
1/8 tsp. turmeric
1/2 cup canola oil
2 cups water
3/4 cup slivered orange zest, about 2 oranges
1 cup shredded carrots, using the medium shredding blade of a food processor
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. cardamom
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1/2 cup chopped pistachios
OPTIONAL: Dried cherries, snipped apricots or figs, or other dried fruit
TADIG:
Canola oil
2 Tbsp. water
1/8 tsp. turmeric
2 large waxy potatoes, such as long white, peeled and sliced 1/4 –inch thick (I used 2 large red bliss potatoes, unpeeled)
1 large onion, cut into 1/4-inch thick slices (I used one small red and 1 small/medium yellow onion as it was all I had)
RICE:
Fill a 6-quart, non-stick soup pot or saucepan with 8 cups of water. Add the oil, salt, and turmeric. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Fill a smaller sauce pan with water and add the carrots and orange zest. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes.
When the water in the larger pot boils, add the rice and stir. Cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally. After 3 to 5 minutes, test a few grains (cool and bite!) to see if they are al dente. They should be very firm, but not crunchy. When done, drain the rice and set aside in a alrge bowl.
Drain the orange/carrot mixture and mix into the rice. Add the cinnamon, cardamom, almonds and pistachios. (You can save some for garnish.) Add the optional dried cherries or other dried fruit
For the tadig, place the empty 6-quart pan back on the stove and add enough canola oil to reach 1/4-inch depth. Add the water and the turmeric and mix well. Add the potatoes and onions in a tightly formed single layer. Add the rice mixture and form it into a pyramid so the top does not touch the sides of the pan.
Cover the pot and cook over medium heat for about 4 to 7 minutes until the rice begins to give off steam. Uncover and cover the rice with a double layer of paper towels so that the towels extend beyond the rim of the pot. Replace the cover tightly and reduce the heat to low.
Simmer over medium low or low heat covered for 45 minutes without disturbing the pot. Turn off the heat and move the lid so the pot is partially covered. Be careful as some steam may escape. Let sit for about 2 to 3 minutes. (You want the tadig to be browned and delicious, so watch the heat and do not cook it. Long and slow cooking produces a thick, crispy tadig.)
Serve the rice in a bowl and then remove the tadig carefully from the bottom of the pot. It should come out easily. Break it into pieces and serve it over the rice. Garnish with more almonds and pistachios. Serves 6 to 8.
Adapted from “Persian Food from the Non-Persian Bride: and Other Kosher Sephardic Recipes You Will Love,” by Reyna Simnegar. (2011).
Honey Coated Baked Chicken with Preserved Lemon (Meat)
A French dish with a Moroccan twist that uses honey for a sweet year and unusual preserved lemon. You can use regular lemon, if you like.
2 to 3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 onions, peeled and sliced, separated into rings
2 (3-1/2 to 4 lbs. each) chickens cut into 8 pieces
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 to 3/4 cup good flavorful honey
3 cups dry white wine
4 whole regular lemons or *preserved lemons (*See recipe below)
OPTIONAL: 1/2 cup black pitted olives
OPTIONAL: 1/4 to 1/2 cup cilantro, minced
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Heat a large skillet and add the olive oil. Add the onions and sauté until golden. Place the onions in a large casserole dish or roasting pan.
Place the chicken pieces, skin side up on the onions. Drizzle about half of the honey over the chicken.
Pour the wine and remaining honey into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Simmer until the liquid is reduced by half.
Scatter the sliced lemons and the olives around the chicken and pour the wine over all. Bake, uncovered, for about 40 to 50 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through to 165 degrees. Sprinkle with minced cilantro before serving, if desired. Serves 6 to 8.
Adapted from “Quiches, Kugels, and Couscous: My Search for Jewish Cooking in France” by Joan Nathan (2010).
Preserved Lemons (Pareve)
OK, I was skeptical about this, but I made them and used them in a chicken dish and they were delicious. No salt needed for the rest of the recipe, though you don’t taste the salt.
8 perfect lemons
1/2 cup (approximately) kosher salt
1 to 2 cups freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 to 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
Cut off the tip of each lemon. Cut each lemon into quarters but do not cut through the stem end. The lemon needs to remain connected.
Gently twist each quarter and generously sprinkle some salt on each cut side.
Place the lemons in a clean glass jar (I used 2 quart-sized pickling jars) Press the lemons in the jars and then fill the jars with the lemon juice. There should be enough juice to cover the lemons. Squeeze more if you need to. Cover tightly. Let sit on the counter in a cool, dark place for one day.
The next day, if there is not enough lemon juice left to cover the lemons, pour a thin film of the olive oil over the protruding lemons. Reseal and refrigerate for 2 to 3 weeks. Do not open the jars during this time.
Many people discard the pulp and only use the rind after the curing process, but you can use the pulp for more lemon flavor. Makes 8 lemons.
Adapted from “Quiches, Kugels, and Couscous: My Search for Jewish Cooking in France” by Joan Nathan, Joan (2010).
My Grandmother’s Russian Honey Almond Cookies (Dairy or Pareve)
My grandmother came from a shtetle in Belarus. She never wrote down any recipes, but her food was always delicious. She often made some form of honey cookies with almonds every Rosh Hashana. These are close to the cookies of my memory — though I think hers may have had raisins.
1 cup butter or Pareve margarine, softened
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1/3 cup plus 2 Tbsp. honey
2 extra-large eggs
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
3-1/2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking soda
Tiny pinch salt, about 1/8 tsp.
1/2 to 3/4 cup chopped blanched or toasted almonds
Sugar for rolling
1/2 to 1 cup raisins
Place the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer and add the sugar and honey. Blend on low and when blended, add the vanilla and mix on medium high until well blended and lightened. Add the eggs and blend until smooth and creamy.
Mix the baking soda and salt into the flour together in a small bowl and add the mixture while mixing on very low speed. Add the chopped nuts and mix to incorporate. The dough will be thick and you may have to add the last bit of flour and the nuts by hand. Form the dough into a thick disc and cover with plastic. Refrigerate until well chilled, about 30 to 60 minutes.
Take small pieces of dough and roll them into small balls. Roll the balls in sugar. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake until golden brown, about 9 to 15 minutes. Let cool before moving to a plate. Makes about 48 cookies.
Dulce de Cayeci Apricot Fruit gels (Pareve)
A friend once made this for a party she gave. It was delicious. She coated the cut sides of some in coconut and some in finely chopped toasted almonds. This is a delicious alternative to gel candies you can buy. This easy recipe yields about 3 dozen candies.
1 lbs. dried apricots
4 cups sugar
2-1/2 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
OPTIONAL: almond extract, toasted (or not) almonds, pistacios, or walnuts, shredded unsweetened coconut, melted pareve chocolate,
Place the apricots in a large bowl and cover with water. Soak them for several hours or overnight. I have found that overnight soaking works well.
Reserve one cup of the soaking liquid and discard the rest. Puree the apricots in a food processor until smooth.
Pour the puree into a large heavy (stainless steel works best — no iron or aluminum) saucepan. Add the sugar, reserved liquid and lemon juice. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to low. Let simmer about 55 to 70 minutes or until very thick. Stir often as this mixture can scorch easily. You can add a scant half teaspoon of almond extract if you like. Mix well.
Pour the mixture into a dampened rimmed baking dish so the mixture is about a half-inch thick. Smooth so the thickness is even. Refrigerate until set. Overnight is best.
Rub a knife with vegetable oil and cut the apricot candy into small pieces — diamonds, squares or rectangles. You can press a nut of any kind into the top of each piece, or roll each cut side in coconut or dust each piece with confectioner’s sugar by placing the cut pieces in a bag with some powdered sugar and gently shaking the bag.
You can also drizzle the candy (while still in the pan) with chocolate and then refrigerate to set the chocolate before cutting. Makes about 36 pieces.
Adapted from “The World of Jewish Cooking” by Gil Marks (1996).
