This soup is traditionally served at the Jewish holidays, so with Passover coming up we thought the timing was right to present it here. On the other hand, delicatessens in New York serve this dish year round.  A bit time consuming, but worth the effort.

8 Eggs (16oz cont FF eggs can be substituted, that’s what we used here)
2 cups matzo meal
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup oil

The oil should be one that’s not too strong tasting, peanut or olive oil are to be avoided, we used canola.

Pretty simple, whisk the eggs, water, and oil together, then slowly ad the matzo meal, stirring with a fork or spatula until it’s all mixed. Put this in the fridge for an hour to set.

With an icecream scoop or by hand, form balls with the mixture, this recipe will make about 12 matzo balls. I put these into the freezer for  a half hour now, this will help them keep their shape when cooking.

Drop into boiling water, and after the water starts boiling again, simmer (low flame) for 40 minutes, covered. They’ll be floating, and ready to serve.

The Chicken Stock we made some time back is perfect to serve these in. You can add some other vegetables or chicken if you prefer.

written by admin \\ tags: jewish cooking, matzo ball soup, passover, recipe, soup

This is traditionally a main dish made for the Jewish holidays, but as a hearty casserole/stew it makes a great meal when there’s enough time to prepare it.

3-4 lbs beef brisket
5 cups diced (big chunks) carrots
2-3 sweet potatoes cut into 6-8 pcs each
1/2 cup brown sugar
3/4 lb dried plums (the fruit formerly known as prunes)

Place the brisket in a large pan and cover with water. When water hits boiling, turn down to simmer for about 1 hour.

Put the meat aside, and separately boil the potatoes and carrots in the broth from the pan until each are still a bit hard.

Next, in a smaller saucepan, put about 2 cups broth, the sugar, and dried plums. Heat until the sugar is dissolved, and then for just 5 minutes after.

Last, slice the meat thinly, and against the grain, and put into a large casserole dish. Cover tightly with heavy foil (to hold in moisture) and cook at 350F for one hour. This dish is best when reheated and served the next day, so it makes a great main course when you’d like to get some of the cooking out of the way in advance. Enjoy!

(Note: the meat is underneath the vegetables in the pan. You can also put a recipe of matzo balls in this dish. Just make the mix and put the uncooked matzo balls under all the other ingredients.)

written by admin \\ tags: jewish cooking, passover, recipe, tsimis, tzimis

Batter:
1 cup sifted all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon sugar (a bit more if you have a sweet tooth)
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
3/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Filling:
1 cup dry-curd (not cream-style) cottage cheese
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon pineapple jam
1/2 cup finely crushed cornflakes
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

BATTER: Beat egg. Add milk and water. Sift flour, salt and sugar together and gradually add to liquid, beating and blending until smooth.
BRUSH hot skillet (large or small, depending on size blintzes desired) with melted shortening. Pour in enough batter to cover bottom very thinly. (Pour any excess that doesn’t immediately cling to the bottom of the pan back into the uncooked batter.)
FRY until dry. Turn out on waxed paper. Put 1 tablespoon filling and fold envelope-style into a small package. Continue frying blintzes, being sure to brush pan lightly with melted shortening before each batch.
REFRIGERATE filled blintzes until ready to serve. To serve, fry in melted butter until brown on both sides. Serve plain or topped with sugar and cinnamon.
FILLING: Mash cottage cheese or press through a sieve until smooth. Add remaining filling ingredients and mix thoroughly. Use about 1 tablespoon in the center of each blintz.

NOTE: Blintzes can be made in advance, wrapped in waxed paper and frozen. To serve, remove from freezer, thaw in refrigerator and fry in melted butter.

written by admin \\ tags: blintzes, jewish cooking, recipe, side dish