Bubbe and Me in the Kitchen

photo by Evi Abeler

Although my Mom was the one who taught me how to cook and who encouraged me to expand my recipe repertoire, I post a lot about the dishes my grandma cooked. My mom's food was thoroughly up-to-date and wonderful, but my grandma made the old-fashioned, old-world Ashkenazi favorites that I loved (still love!) so much. 

And so, when I got hold of Miri Rotkovitz's new cookbook, "Bubbe and Me in the Kitchen," I felt right at home. I understood immediately that for Miri, whose recipes are geared to mostly modern food that today's kosher home cooks prefer, she keeps a special place within her heart and soul for her bubbe, for the foods her bubbe cooked and the words of wisdom, culinary and otherwise, that her bubbe gave to her. Like how bubbe taught her that using spices could "bump up the flavor and stamp a personal signature on favorite dishes." That slicing apples rather than chopping them would result in a more flavorful Apple Cake.  

The book is filled with some of her bubbe's recipes, culled from a collection of index cards and clippings, plus an occasional recipe from other kosher food writers (including me) and mostly, Miri's own contemporary creations and riffs on traditional dishes. There are so many fabulous recipes, I don't even know where to begin cooking them. Shall it be the chapter on Grains, with the Forbidden Rice Salad with Mango and Ginger Vinaigrette? Or the Mezze/Snack chapter that includes Nori and Smoked Salmon "Petits Fours?"

I love meatless meals, so actually, it's the Kasha Varnishkes with Ratatouille for me. This is the kind of dish that brings together traditional and contemporary, that makes a standard side dish into a full meal.

This book is a winner and a keeper. Not simply for the wonderful kosher recipes, but also for all the extras: notes on pantry items, information about what kosher means today in terms of global ingredients and healthy eating, and because of the charming narrative and headnotes that lets us hear bubbe's voice, translated by a loving grand daughter.

Here's that recipe, so fine for a meatless Monday (but really, anytime).

Kasha Varnishkes with Ratatouille

SERVES 4 TO 6 | PAREVE 

Prep time: 25 minutes Cook time: 45 minutes

 FOR THE RATATOUILLE

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

• 1 large onion, peeled and chopped

• 3 large garlic cloves, chopped

• 1medium eggplant, cut into 1-inch pieces

• 1 large red bell pepper, cored and chopped

• 1 medium zucchini, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces

• 2 medium tomatoes, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces

• 2 tablespoons tomato paste or tomato sauce

• Generous pinch dried thyme

• 2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil leaves, plus extra for garnish

• Sea salt or kosher salt

• Freshly ground black pepper

FOR THE KASHA VARNISHKES

• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil or canola oil, divided

• 1 large onion, peeled and finely chopped

• 1 pound bowtie (farfalle) noodles

• 1 large egg

• 1 cup kasha (medium granulation) 2 cups water or vegetable stock

• 1 teaspoon salt

• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

MAKE THE RATATOUILLE:  Preheat the oven to 400°F. Warm the oil in a Dutch oven or ovenproof covered chef’s pan set over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and sauté  until it softens and begins to turn translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté 1 minute more.

Add the chopped eggplant and cook, stirring frequently, until it begins to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the red peppers, sauté for 2 minutes, then add the zucchini, stirring occasionally, until the zucchini softens, about 3 minutes more. Stir in the tomatoes, tomato paste (or sauce) and thyme.

Cover the pan and place in the preheated oven. Bake for 30 minutes, stirring after 15 minutes. The vegetables should be saucy and tender, yet still mostly hold their shape. Remove from the oven, stir in the basil, and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

MAKE THE KASHA VARNISHKES: While the ratatouille is baking, set a large pot of water to boil for the pasta. In a chef’s pan or large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and sauté until they turn soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions start to caramelize, about 10 minutes more. Remove from the heat and set aside.

In the meantime, when the pasta water comes to a boil, stir in the bowties and cook until al dente, about 10 to 11 minutes. Drain and transfer the pasta to a large serving bowl.

In a small bowl, beat the egg. Add the kasha and stir well to coat the kasha grains. Transfer the onions from the chef’s pan to the serving bowl with the pasta. Return the pan to the stove top and place over medium heat. Add the kasha and cook, stirring constantly, until the egg dries and the kasha separates into individual grains, about 3 minutes.

Add the water or stock to the kasha and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer until the liquid is absorbed, about 10 minutes.

When the kasha is cooked, add to the bowl with the bowties and onion. Drizzle with 2 table- spoons of oil and stir well to combine. Spoon into shallow bowls and top with the ratatouille. Garnish with additional basil.

STORAGE: Store the ratatouille and the kasha varnishkes in separate covered containers in the refrigerator. The ratatouille will keep for 4 to 5 days, the kasha for 2 to 3 days. You can also freeze both dishes in freezer-safe containers

For a Snow Day or Meatless Monday

Yesterday, after the big blizzard of 2016, I was delighted to look at the photos my friends posted to Facebook -- their kids sledding or playing in the snow, all wrapped up in layers of sweaters and parkas and boots and other winter gear.

But I -- was snug inside. Warm. Enjoying the thick, white, beautiful fluff from inside.

My kids are grown. But I do remember the days when they were young and wanted to go outside for snow fun. I'd get the sweaters on. The snowsuits. Hats, scarves, gloves, boots.

Of course then one of them would have to pee and off everything would come off. Then the re-do. 

Those days are over. It's my daughters' turn to do that now.

I can be inside. Warm. Cooking. Enjoying the lazy day.

I knew Sunday would be one of those stay-at-home days, so, in preparation I had soaked some beans overnight on Saturday, then cooked them for just under an hour in the morning. That meant that when it was dinnertime I could make a quick, easy dish to go with the chicken I was roasting for dinner.

This is the dish we ate. It was a perfect end to a perfectly warm and comfy day. Inside.

You can make this dish with canned white beans of course. I use canned beans often. But the texture of homemade cooked white beans if so much better -- firmer, meatier, less mealy -- that I highly recommend them for when you have the time to prepare them ahead (they'll keep in your fridge for several days). Either way, this is a quick and easy side dish for most dinners. And a good choice for a meatless Monday too.

Sauteed White Beans and Tomatoes

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup halved cherry or grape tomatoes
• 1 large clove garlic, chopped
• 2 cups cooked white beans (or use one 15-ounce can beans, rinsed and drained)
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh herbs such as oregano, thyme, chives, or a mixture of herbs
• 1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes
• salt to taste

Heat the olive oil in a saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the tomatoes and garlic and cook briefly. Add the beans, parsley, herbs and red chili flakes and cook, stirring for 2-3 minutes, or until the tomatoes have softened and the ingredients are hot. Salt to taste. 

Makes 4 servings

The Easiest, Most Comforting Tomato Soup

Last week I was at my daughter Meredith's house and she had just finished cooking tomato soup. The fragrance -- warmth, security, satisfaction -- lingered in my memory into the next day.

I had to have some.

And so I did. I cooked a batch at home.

That enticing smell! I had it right there, in my own kitchen.

It was so easy too.

I separated the soup into packages for freezing, but they didn't last. We ate it all, a soup-plateful before dinner over the course of three evenings.

Now I will make some more.

Tomato Soup

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 large cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 28-ounce cans Italian style tomatoes, including juices
• 3 cups vegetable stock
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1/3 cup uncooked white rice

Heat the olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for about another minute. Add the tomatoes, stock, basil and salt and pepper. Break up the tomatoes coarsely with a wooden spoon. Bring the soup to a simmer, cover the pan and cook for 30 minutes. Add the rice, cover the pan and cook for another 25 minutes. Blend the soup in a blender or with an immersion blender. 

Makes 6-8 servings

Ginormous Parsnips

We are a parsnip-eating family and I am always amazed when people say they've never tried one. Or that they once had a bite of one from some soup or other.

This is a vegetable that doesn't get its due.

It should.

Parsnips -- those white-ish, carrot-looking things -- are sweet. Kids and vegetable-haters of all kinds also usually like them (after you convince them to take a bite). 

And there is so much you can do with them. Make "fries." Roast them with garlic and herbs. Glaze them with Chermoula. Use it for soup. 

Slim parsnips make the best fries or other vegetable side dishes. But these ginormous ones can be woody. It's best to use them for soup or recipes that require longer cooking (and you'll have to remove the hard, inner core. Cut the parsnips in half, crosswise, then cut around the core; discard the core).

This Parsnip and Potato Puree can be dairy or dairy-free. It's a good choice for a vegetarian dinner or Meatless Monday dish. It's also a nice side dish for Thanksgiving dinner because it tastes good with turkey and other poultry.

Parsnip and Potato Puree

• 1 pound parsnips, sliced 1/2 inch thick
• 1 pound Yukon gold or all-purpose potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
• 2 McIntosh or other crisp, tart apples, peeled, cored, and cut into chunks
• 1/4 cup butter or margarine
• 1/2 cup milk or unflavored soy milk, rice milk or coconut milk
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Cook the parsnips and potatoes in lightly salted boiling water for 10 minutes. Add the apples, lower the heat, and cook for another 5 minutes or until the parsnips and potatoes are tender. Drain the ingredients and return them to the pan. Add the butter and mash it into the other ingredients. Continue to mash, adding the milk gradually, until the ingredients form a smooth puree. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste.

Makes 4–6 servings.

Mamaliga with Creamy Mushroom Ragout

Today is one of those days when I don't feel like eating meat. I don't even feel like removing the grill cover to cook up an easy burger or hot dog. I don't want fish or chicken either. It's just one of those days.

But I do want something substantial, filling and savory. For this kind of mood, nothing fills the bill better than something with mushrooms. 

Mushroom Pot Pie is one of our family favorites. But today I decided on a creamy mushroom ragout served over cooked cornmeal -- also known as polenta, but which my grandma called mamaliga (and my father called cornmeal mush).

Bonus: it can be reheated either in the microwave or preheated 350 degree oven.

Dinner's done. Maybe some sliced tomatoes on the side.

 

Mamaliga with Mushrooms in Sour Cream Sauce

• 4 cups water
• 1 cup cornmeal
• salt, approximately one teaspoon
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1-1/2 pounds mixed fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 2/3 cup dairy sour cream or plain, Greek style yogurt
• freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

Pour the 4 cups of water into a large saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Gradually add the cornmeal and about one teaspoon salt, while also stirring constantly. Continue to cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, for about 15 minutes or until the mixture is thick. Stir in 2 tablespoons butter. Cover the pan and set it aside. Heat the olive oil and the remaining one tablespoon of butter in a sauté pan over medium heat. When the butter has melted and looks foamy, add the onions and mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8-10 minutes or until the vegetables are tender and all the juices have evaporated from the pan. Stir in the sour cream, sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste and remove from the heat. Spoon the mamaliga into serving bowls, spoon the mushrooms on top, sprinkle with chives and serve.

Makes 4 servings

Roasted Chermoula Spiced Parsnips

I realize most people never get to say this but I had some Chermoula Dressing left over from some experimenting with recipes for a Grilled Goat Cheese Panini.  

Chermoula, a Moroccan style sauce made with spices and fresh cilantro, is a condiment that goes with so many foods it actually pays to have some stocked in the fridge. Like ketchup or mustard or Sriracha. 

My latest using the stuff? Roasted Chermoula Spiced Parsnips. Terrific side dish with chicken, lamb or beef. Nice with scrambled eggs too. Or part of a vegetarian dinner.

Roasted Chermoula Spiced Parsnips

Chermoula Dressing:

• 3 large garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 cup minced fresh parsley
• 1/3 cup minced fresh cilantro
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

Combine the garlic, paprika, cumin, cayenne, parsley and cilantro in a small bowl. Stir in the lemon juice. Add the olive oil gradually, beating it into the other ingredients. Set aside. (You may use a small food processor to combine the ingredients.)

Parsnips:

• 2 pounds parsnips
• salt to taste

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Peel the parsnips and cut them into strips about 4-inches long, 1/2-inch wide and place them on a baking sheet. Pour 1/4 cup of the Chermoula Dressing over the vegetables and toss them to coat each piece. Sprinkle with salt. Roast for about 20 minutes, turning them once or twice, or until the vegetables are tender and lightly crispy.

Makes 6 servings

Koshary - Street Food

Why is it that "street food" and "food truck food" are always so intriguing?

Take shwarma, for instance, which I first tasted in Jerusalem many years ago. I absolutely couldn't resist, especially after my daughter Meredith, who had been living in Israel for several months, told me that I would fall in love with this particular dish.

I did. I can still remember that first awesome bite.

I am not tempted by all street food of course. I would never, never try one of those greasy-looking hot dogs that sit in cloudy water with those awful fat globules floating on top. 

But when we traveled to Egypt I was fascinated by this wonderful looking/aromatic dish called koshary. Fortunately Ed and I were on a Nile cruise ship and, just our luck! the chef knew how to make it. 

Lucky us. He prepared the dish for lunch one day and also told me the basic ingredients, which I have worked with several times to try to make koshary that tasted the way we like it.

That's it in the photo. This is a dish that takes some time and has several parts (unlike most of my recipes). But it is worth the effort. 

Koshary! Street food. Food truck food. Meatless Monday food. Vegetarian food. Filling. Fabulous, even when it's reheated.

 

Koshary

Tomato Sauce:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large clove garlic, chopped
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh ginger
• 1 2-inch cinnamon stick
• 28 ounce can Italian style tomatoes, including liquid, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and ginger and cook briefly. Add the cinnamon stick and cook briefly. Add the tomatoes, cumin, coriander and cayenne pepper. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer for about 30 minutes or until thick. Remove the cinnamon stick, puree the ingredients (I use a hand blender) and set aside.

The Grains:

• 6 ounces small pasta (elbows, farfalle, etc.)
• 1/2 cup lentils
• 1/2 cup Basmati rice
• 3-1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 large onions, sliced
• 1 cup canned chick peas, rinsed and drained

Preheat the oven to warm (about 225 degrees). Cook the pasta until al dente. Drain and set aside. Cook the lentils in lightly salted water for about 20 minutes or until tender. Drain and set aside. Combine the rice with 1 cup water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat; reduce heat to low, cover the pan and cook for 18-20 minutes. Remove from the heat but keep the cover on the pan to keep the rice warm. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large sauté pan over low-medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 30 minutes or until golden brown. Remove the onions to a bowl and set aside in the oven to keep warm.

Final Assembly:

Reheat the tomato sauce. Add 1/2 tablespoon olive oil to the sauté pan used for the onions. Add the cooked macaroni and cook over medium heat without stirring, for about 2 minutes, or until the bottom is crispy. Stir and cook for another 2 minutes to crisp the pasta. Remove the pasta to a serving platter. Add 1/2 tablespoon olive oil to the sauté pan. Add the lentils and cook for 1-2 minutes or until lightly crispy. Spoon the lentils on top of the pasta. Top with the rice. Add 1/2 tablespoon olive oil to the pan. Add the chickpeas and cook briefly to warm them. Spoon the chick peas over the rice. Spoon the tomato sauce on top. Top with the caramelized onions. 

Makes 8 servings

Spinach Feta Cheese Pie

Several couples I know, fellow food-bloggers, have recently had babies, one just a day or so before Mother’s Day. I’m sure their families and the friends who live close by to them will lend a hand. Life is always so hectic and emotional after a baby is born and new moms and dads can always use extra help.

In our family we have tried to anticipate a birth by a few weeks and get together to cook foods that can be packed into containers and stored in the freezer, so that cooking dinner won’t be another something to do during the first week or so after the baby is born when everyone is tired.

We’ve made carrot soup and something we call "green soup" because most of the time — but not all — we use dried green split peas and the liquid part looks sort of green. We’ve cooked baked ziti and our famous, family, tried-and-true butter cookies. And more.

But the favorite is always Spinach Pie. We make a dairy version with feta cheese and a non-dairy version using sauteed mushrooms. This dish freezes well, it’s easy to defrost and pop into the oven (we freeze the pies before baking them). Spinach pie is suitable for lunch or dinner or even as a side dish.

If someone in your life has had a baby recently, why not give them a break and cook some food for them?

Here’s the family Spinach Pie recipe, dairy version:  

SPINACH FETA CHEESE PIE

2 10-ounce packages frozen whole leaf spinach, thawed

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

3 large eggs

8 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

6 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh dill

freshly ground black pepper to taste

4 sheets phyllo dough

2 tablespoons butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Squeeze as much water out of the spinach as possible and set aside. Heat the olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 2-3 minutes. Stir in the spinach and mix well. Remove the pan from the heat. Add the eggs, feta cheese, Parmesan cheese, dill and pepper. Mix well and place in a baking dish. Top with 4 layers of phyllo dough each brushed with melted butter. Bake for about 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Makes 4-8 servings (as main course or side dish)

Stir-fried Vegetables with Lemongrass and Coconut Curry

How’s this for a meatless Monday? Only the very best dish I ate in our travels through Malaysia: stir-fried vegetables in a coconut/curry sauce. It was so delicious I tried to duplicate it when we got home. After a few tries, voila! - here it is. 

I served it over rice, but noodles would be fine too.  

Stir-fried Vegetables with Lemongrass and Coconut Curry

• 2 stalks lemongrass
• 2 baby bok choy
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 8 asparagus spears, cut into bite size pieces
• 2 medium carrots, shredded
• 1 small red bell pepper, cut into cite size pieces
• 3 tablespoons water
• 1 large shallot, chopped
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh ginger
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 small chili pepper deseeded and chopped
• 1 cup bean sprouts
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 2 pinches ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup coconut milk
• 1/4 cup vegetable stock
• salt to taste
• cooked rice

Remove the soft, inner core from the lemongrass bulbs and chop them into small pieces. Set aside. (Use the leaves for other purposes). Wash each bok choy leaf, snapping it off the stem to make individual pieces. Dry the leaves and set them aside. Heat 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil in a wok or stirfry pan over medium-high heat. Add the bok choy leaves, asparagus, carrots and bell pepper and stirfry for one minute. Add the water, cover the pan and cook for about 2 minutes or until crispy and tender. Dish out the vegetables and set them aside. Discard any pan liquid. Heat the remaining tablespoon vegetable oil in the pan. Add the shallot, ginger, garlic, chili pepper and lemongrass and stirfry briefly. Return the vegetables to the pan. Add the bean sprouts and toss the ingredients to distribute them evenly. Sprinkle the ingredients with curry powder and cinnamon and toss. Pour in the coconut milk and vegetable stock. Sprinkle with salt to taste. Bring the ingredients to a simmer and cook for 2-3 minutes. Pour the vegetables and sauce over the rice and serve.

Makes 4 servings

Tomatoes Stuffed with Bulgur Wheat, Raisins and Pine Nuts

Although it’s a nice reminder, it doesn’t have to be Meatless Monday for me to want a vegetarian dinner. Sometimes I am just sick of meat.

I grew up in the kind of house where dinner was the traditional: meat, starch, vegetable. We sometimes had vegetarian meals although my mother never called them that. When dinner included no meat or fish it was called a “dairy” meal. Once in a while my mother made a veggie burger, but that was rare indeed.

There was never anything like you see in the photo here: a tomato stuffed with bulgur wheat, toasted pignolis, raisins and fresh spinach. 

Styles have changed. I still prepare the kind of dinners my mother made, although usually it’s meat and two vegetables and only sometimes a starch. This is the way I am used to eating.

But, as I said, sometimes I need a change, meaning a good vegetarian dinner, like this stuffed tomato. By itself it may not be enough for dinner, so add a soup or other vegetarian item to make a meal of it. Or serve two per person. It also goes nicely with grilled fish.

Tomatoes Stuffed with Bulgur Wheat, Raisins and Pine Nuts

• 6 large tomatoes
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup pine nuts
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 large clove garlic, chopped
• 1 bunch spinach, washed thoroughly, dried and chopped
• 1/2 cup bulgur wheat
• 1 cup water or vegetable stock
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice

Slice off top part of the tomatoes and scoop the insides (save the pulp for other recipes). Sprinkle the insides of the tomatoes with salt and pepper. Place the tomatoes upside down on a rack. Heat one tablespoon olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add the pine nuts and cook for 2-3 minutes or until lightly toasted. Remove the nuts and set aside. Add the remaining olive oil to the pan. Add the onion and cook for 2-3 minutes or until just beginning to soften. Add the garlic and spinach and cook for 2-3 minutes or until the spinach has wilted. Add the bulgur wheat and mix ingredients. Add the water, bring the liquid to a boil, then remove the pan from the heat. Cover the pan and let rest for 25-30 minutes or until all the liquid has been absorbed. Add the raisins, parsley, dill, mint and lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Toss ingredients and spoon into the hollowed tomatoes.

Makes 6 servings.