Tweet

Share
 

As a kid I worked in the Catskill Mountains, the area of New York lovingly referred to as "The Borscht Belt." As a waiter, I came to love many of the traditional foods I served. These dishes, as do I, have their roots in the Ashkenazi Jews from Eastern Europe and Russia. Ashkenazi food is what most people associate with Rosh Hashanah.

But there's a whole other world of taste out there. Sephardic dishes were created by Jews who originated in the Mediterranean countries, the Middle East and Asia. To me, theirs is the more unusual cooking.

I like to combine recipes from both groups. I draw on my own background for the Ashkenazi accents and look to cookbook authors to help me with the Sephardic flavors. Two of my favorite authors are Joyce Goldstein and Claudia Roden. My favorites are Goldstein's "Saffron Shores: Jewish Cooking of the Southern Mediterranean" and Roden's "The Book of Jewish Food."

Here are two of my favorite simple holiday recipes inspired by these authors.

Braised Spinach and Chickpeas |Serves 6

1 tsp. olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 cup tomato puree
2 19-oz. cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained
Water, optional
1 lbs. fresh spinach leaves, coarsely chopped
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt and fresh-ground black pepper, to taste

Heat olive oil in a nonreactive large saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and saute 2 minutes. Add garlic and continue to stir. Add tomatoes and tomato puree; bring to a simmer stirring occasionally.

Add chickpeas and simmer 20 minutes, adding a little water to prevent sticking, if needed. Add spinach leaves and lemon juice. Stir 1 minute until spinach is wilted. Season with salt and pepper.




Roasted Pepper and Tomato Salad (Choukchouka) | Serves 6 to 8

3 large tomatoes, chopped
2 green bell peppers, seeded and chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 medium jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup lemon juice
2 tsp. fine-minced lemon peel
1 Tbs. sweet paprika
1 tsp. ground cumin
Salt, to taste
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

In a nonreactive large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients well and let sit 20 minutes before serving.

Although Goldstein's original recipe calls for roasting or grilling the tomatoes and peppers, I use them raw and everyone loves it. If you have the time, grill the vegetables to give this salad a pleasant smoky flavor.

most popular rss feeds