Seder’s smells and tastes: Imprinted memories

Studies have shown that we are hard-wired to form memories around food. Often, indelible memories connected to food may be the strongest memories we have. It is why recipes are handed down through generations, why women tried to remember their recipes even during the horrors of the Holocaust, why our children come home and ask for their favorite dishes, and why we make those same dishes for our grandchildren.

We have collected those memories of smell and taste from our ancestors, and now we continue the memory trail by continuing to cook dishes that will evoke those memories and create memory “stamps” for our children.

While we may remember a beloved breakfast food or dessert, most of us have indelible memories of the foods we ate around our holiday tables, especially, most people tell us, the Pesach tables of our childhoods. If you ask your children about food, they, too, are likely to tell you about the foods they remember from holidays.

Most importantly, the food that makes marks on our memories does not have to be fancy. Most food in the world is simple, what we might call peasant food. Our ancestors did not have spices or other worldly ingredients, but my grandmother made chicken soup I can still taste with only chicken, water, vegetables, and herbs. Nothing has ever tasted as delicious as that cooled soup my grandmother fed me when I was five and very ill with the measles it is a memory that endures decades later.

I often asked my freshmen college students to write an essay about their favorite holiday food. One student, a new immigrant from Cambodia, wrote about his favorite dish on his new favorite holiday, Thanksgiving. He wrote a beautiful essay filled with pride and love for his mom.

The recipe, as he wrote it, consisted of 3 pounds of potatoes and 6 sticks of browned butter! I am sure there was a misinterpretation of “sticks,” but it did not matter — this was the dish his mom had made for four years! His essay was filled with love and admiration for his mom and for his favorite dish that he will remember and treasure forever.

• • •

While we may not make potatoes with six sticks of butter, even the simplest recipe can evoke the love and the wonderful memories we have of holidays and the food that we ate on those holidays. We can make simple recipes that will endure and that will be requested year after year and will become memory “stamps” in the hearts of our family and friends.

We know that Pesach is not a simple holiday, and many feel that it is the most labor-intensive holiday of the year. You may choose to make a lot of complicated dishes, or you may decide to simplify the Seder meal this year. Maybe you will make all the family favorites, or you will make brand new dishes for the holiday. But, whatever you choose, there are ways to simplify.

To make holiday prep easier, make some menu items in advance. Brisket is so easy to prepare even a couple of weeks before the holiday. Cook it. Cool it in the fridge overnight, discard congealed fat, slice, cover with sauce, cover the pan tightly, and freeze. It will make food preparation — even of the most detailed recipe — so much easier to have at least two dishes prepared well before you start the rest of the holiday cooking.

Have a wonderful Pesach!

Red Wine and Honey Braised Brisket (Meat)

This recipe is straight from Chef Gabe Garcia, head-chef at Tierra Sur, the widely acclaimed kosher restaurant (often called the “finest kosher restaurant in America”) located at the Herzog Wine Cellars in Oxnard, California.

1 (5 to 6 lb.) Brisket, single or double, trimmed

vegetable or safflower oil

3 Tbsp. coarsely ground black pepper

2 Tbsp. kosher salt

1 large onion, diced

2 heads of fennel, cut into large dice

4 large celery stalks, cut into large dice

1-lb. carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces

8 garlic cloves, minced

3 Tbsp. fresh ginger, grated or minced

1 cup sugar

3 cups orange juice, freshly squeezed is best

2 cups honey

1 bottle of Baron Herzog Old Vine Red Zinfandel (or other red Zinfandel)

2 to 4 cups unsalted or low sodium beef stock (IF NEEDED)

1 bay leaf

2 cinnamon sticks

3 whole star anise (Optional, but better with it)

1 chili de arbol or Thai chili (Optional-don’t add if you don’t like some heat)

Preheat the oven 325 degrees. Season the brisket with salt and pepper on both sides.

Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat and add 1/4 cup of oil. Place the brisket in the pan and sear all sides until you have a golden-brown crust. Remove the brisket and set aside, add the onions, fennel and celery to the pan. Brown the vegetables, then add the garlic and ginger and stir for one minute. Add the sugar, cook and stir until it melts, then add the orange juice, honey, wine, bay leaf, cinnamon, star anise, and chili.

Cook until the liquid is reduced by 1/4, and place the brisket back into pan. Be sure there is enough liquid to almost cover the meat, if not, add the beef stock. Bring to a simmer.

Cover and place in the oven and roast for 3 to 5 hours until the brisket is tender and shreds easily with a fork.

Remove from the oven and place the brisket on a large platter. Strain the vegetables from the braising liquid and place on a platter. Remove excess fat from braising liquid and place on stove top over medium heat until thickened and reduced by 1/4 to 1/3 or to desired consistency.

Slice brisket across the grain and ladle the sauce over the meat. Arrange carrots around the meat and garnish with fresh rosemary and parsley. Serves 8 to 10.

Brisket with Shallots, Cherries, and Wine (Meat)

1/4 cup matzah cake meal (see Cooks’ Notes)

Kosher or fine salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 (6- to 6-1/2-lb.) first cut, second-cut, or whole beef brisket

4 to 6 Tbsp. vegetable oil

16 to 24 medium shallots (about 1-1/4 lb.) peeled, leaving root ends intact

3 to 5 large garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 cups Pinot Noir

2 cups chicken stock or reduced to sodium chicken broth

2 cups (8 to 10 ounces) dried tart cherries (I mix sweet and tart)

2/3 cup packed dark brown sugar

1/3 to 2/3 cup balsamic vinegar, to taste

2 whole star anise (optional)

1 to 2 lb. slim, baby carrots with green tops attached

Heat oven to 350°F with rack in middle.

Whisk matzah meal with 1 tablespoon kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Pat brisket dry and dredge in matzah mixture, shaking off excess.

Set roasting pan or large Dutch oven on a burner (use two if needed) and add 4 Tbsp. oil. Heat over medium-high heat until shimmery. Add the brisket and brown on both sides, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a large platter.

If necessary, add more oil, reduce heat to medium, and add the shallots, stirring often until they soften and brown, 4 to 7 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 1 minute.

Add wine and boil until liquid is reduced by half, then add chicken stock, cherries, sugar, balsamic vinegar, star anise, and 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Stir to combine. Bring to a simmer and return the brisket, fat side up, to the pan. Cover the pan tightly with a tight-fitting lid, heavy-duty foil or a double layer of regular foil, and place in oven for 2 hours.

Meanwhile, blanch carrots in a 3-quart pot of well-salted boiling water. Transfer to a bowl of ice water to stop cooking. Drain and pat dry.

After two hours, remove the pan from the oven and carefully remove the foil. Add the carrots around the pot, bury under the liquid as much as possible and recover tightly with foil. Place in the oven for another 2 hours or until the meat is fork tender and falls apart easily.

Remove from the oven and let cool for 15 minutes. Remove the meat from the pan, discard star anise and adjust sauce seasonings to taste. Slice the brisket and place the carrots and cherries around the meat. Serve with the sauce. Serves 8-10.

All Day Fall-Apart Texas-Style Brisket (Meat)

This is not your mother’s brisket. It is spicy and can be as fiery hot as you like it! It involves a double cooking process, but one is simple – place it in a low oven and forget about it.

For the Brisket:

4 to 6 lb. brisket, single or double, your choice

2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup Safflower or Olive oil

Combine the following in a small bowl:

1 tsp. paprika, regular or hot

1 Tbsp. chili powder

Pinch cumin

1 tsp. sugar

1/2 tsp. sage

1/2 tsp. dried oregano

1/2 tsp. freshly cracked black pepper

1/4 to 3/4 tsp. cayenne pepper, to taste (you can leave this out for a milder brisket)

Mix the minced garlic with the Safflower oil and rub all over the brisket. Place the brisket on a large piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil, fat side up, so the fat can melt and baste the meat as it roasts.

Combine the dry ingredients in a small bowl and mix with a fork to combine. Rub over the brisket and fold up the long sides of the foil. Close them and tuck in the ends so there is no chance of leakage. If needed, wrap another sheet of foil in the opposite direction. Place the brisket in a shallow roasting pan and place in a 200-degree oven. Let cook undisturbed for 8 to 9 hours, depending on the size of the brisket. Remove from the oven, let cool, and open the foil carefully.

For the Barbecue Sauce:

5 Tbsp. Safflower or Olive oil, divided

1 large onion, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup bottled KLP chili sauce

1/2 cup KLP ketchup

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

3 Tbsp. dark brown sugar

1 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 Tbsp. KLP Worcestershire sauce (optional) OR

2 Tbsp. KLP imitation soy sauce

2 Tbsp. unsulphured molasses or 4 tbsp dark brown sugar

1 to 2 tsp. salt, or to taste (I leave it out altogether)

1 to 2 tsp. KLP mustard powder

1/2 tsp. paprika, regular or hot

1/4 to 1/2 cup water

OPTIONAL: Honey, to taste, to make it “sweet-hot”; Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

Heat a large, deep skillet and add half the canola oil. Add the onions and sauté until just beginning to turn golden. Add the garlic and sauté another minute.

Add the rest of the ingredients, except the water but including the rest of the oil and mix well. Add enough of the water to thin the sauce a bit and mix well. Let simmer for about 30 to 45 minutes, partially covered. Add more water, if needed.

Meanwhile, slice the brisket and place in a non-reactive roasting pan. When the sauce is cooked through, taste and adjust seasonings to taste. Drizzle some of the sauce over the brisket, cover with foil and roast in a 300 to degree oven for 20 to 40 minutes. Uncover for the last 5 minutes. Serve with the remaining sauce. Serves 8 to 12.

Chicken Stock for Soup and Cooking (Meat)

This is the first step to my two-day chicken soup.(The second day I add more onions, leeks, celery and carrots and a whole pullet and some chicken legs.) I make this broth often and freeze it in single quart containers for up to 6 months. For Pesach, I make this a week or so after Purim so I won’t have to deal with lots of chicken bone waste during the holiday prep. I start this at about 7 am so I will have the whole day for cooking.

4 to 5 lb. chicken frames

2-lb. chicken wings

1 to 2 lb. gizzards and feet, if you like

2 to 4 dark colored yellowed onions, ends trimmed, loose skins removed, the rest left on for golden color

3 to 4 ribs celery, cut into inch-long pieces

2 to 3 parsnips, peeled and cut into inch-long pieces

2 large carrots left whole or cut in half

2 leeks, white and light green only, trimmed and washed, cut into 3- to 4-inch pieces

OPTIONAL: 1 small bunch dill and/or parsley, bound together with kitchen twine

NOTE: You can add salt, but I prefer to salt the broth when I use it in a recipe.

NOTE: You can skip the roasting step if you want. The taste is a bit different, but I often skip the roasting part when feeling a bit pressed for time.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place the chicken wings on a foil-lined, rimmed baking sheet sprayed with non-stick spray. Roast in the oven for 30 to 45 minutes, until golden, but not burned in any places. It is better that the chicken be lighter than burned.

Place the roasted chicken, and the rest of the ingredients in a 12 to 14 qt. stockpot and cover with at least 2 gallons of water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a strong simmer, and cook for 1 hour, skimming off any foam as needed. Reduce heat to a steady, but lower, simmer and cook, mostly covered, for 10 to 12 hours, adding more water as needed.

Turn off heat and let cool. Using a slotted spoon, remove solids to a bowl, draining as much liquid as possible. I let the soup solids cool a bit and then I use doubled food prep gloves to squeeze the cooled solids over the pot before discarding. Discard all solids.

Strain the soup through a fine strainer into quart-sized containers. Cover tightly and freeze for up to 6 months or refrigerate if using within 2 to 3 days. Makes 7 to 10 quarts.