Faye Levy - 1,000 Jewish Recipes

1,000 Jewish Recipes

By Faye Levy

Hungry Minds, Inc.
New York, NY

Copyright 2000 by Faye Levy.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprodu ced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the Publisher.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Levy, Faye.

1,000 Jewish Recipes / Faye Levy. p. cm.

ISBN 0-02-862337-1

1. Cookery, Jewish. I. Title.

TX724.L4125 2000

641.5'676--dc21

99-055743

Cover and Book design by Michele Laseau

Cover Illustration by Elizabeth Traynor

Manufactured in the United States of America

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2

The Jewish Calendar

The first Jewish calendar year began 5,760 years ago and is said to have started from the day of the birth of Adamthe sixth day of the biblical creation.

The Jewish calendar is a lunar one, based on the cycles of the moon. Each lunar month begins with the New Moon and lasts 29 or 30 days. There are 12 months in the lunar calendar and the lunar year has 354 days. Because the solar Gregorian calendar has 365 days, the discrepancy between the two calendars causes holidays that were established based on the lunar calendar to occur on different dates each year on the solar calendar. For example, Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, occurs in the month of Tishrei, which can begin in September or October.

To keep each Jewish holiday in its right season, a thirteenth month called Adar 2 is added every two or three years.

The New Moon is considered a festive day on the Jewish calendar and is known as Rosh Hodesh. In ancient Israel, religious leaders established the dates of the major Jewish holidays based on a set number of days from the New Moon of a designated month.

When all the Jews lived in ancient Israel, the start of each month was declared by the high court in Jerusalem when eyewitnesses observed that the New Moon had appeared in the sky (which could be one of two days). After the Jews were dispersed to other countries, it was hard for religious leaders to convey what the exact date was. Thus, Jewish people would not know when to celebrate each holiday. To solve this dilemma, two days were set for many holidays. Jews outside Israel observed both days, while those in Israel continued to celebrate as before. This custom continues today.

The Months on the Jewish Calendar are:

GlossaryCooking, Customs, and Kashrut

afikoman

a piece of matzo that is hidden during the Passover Seder ritual. Hebrew and Yiddish.

Ashkenazic

Jews of eastern or central European origin. Hebrew.

bar mitzvah

a celebration of a 13-year-old boy's passage into adulthood. Hebrew.

bat mitzvah

a celebration for 12-year-old girls, similar to a boy's bar mitzvah; traditional among Conservative and Reform Jews. Hebrew.

bechamel

a smooth, nutmeg-flavored white sauce. French.

beitza

egg; also, a roasted hard-boiled egg for the Passover Seder. Hebrew.

blanquette

a stew with a creamy sauce. French.

bletels

crepe-like wrappers for blintzes. Yiddish.

blintz(es)

filled crepe-like dishes with savory or sweet fillings; also, the crepe-like wrappers. Yiddish.

boureka(s)

savory Sephardic pastries, similar to Spanish empanadas, often made with phyllo dough and cheese or vegetable fillings. Turkish.

bouquet garni

herb bundle for flavoring. French.

bsari

made of or containing meat. Hebrew. Same as fleishig .

challah

Jewish egg bread, often braided. Hebrew and Yiddish.

chimichurri

spiced parsley dipping sauce from Argentina served with grilled meat.

cholent

slow-cooking meat stew prepared for the Sabbath. Yiddish.

cioppino

California seafood stew. Italian.

couscoussier

a couscous steamer. French.

duxelles

a savory mushroom mixture, often used as a filling or topping. French.

etrog (sukkot)

a citron used in Sukkot prayers. Hebrew.

fleishig

made of or containing meat. Yiddish.

genoise

a classic French sponge cake. French.

gremolata

Italian garnish of garlic, parsley, and grated citrus rind for meat. Italian.

grivenes

cracklings made of chicken skin. Yiddish.

halavi

made of or containing dairy products. Hebrew. Same as milchig .

halvah

a sesame sweet. Hebrew, Yiddish, and Turkish.

hamantaschen

triangular pastries with sweet fillings for the holiday of Purim. Yiddish.

hametz

not kosher for Passover. Hebrew and Yiddish.

hamin

see . Hebrew.

Hanukkah gelt

coin-shaped chocolates for Hanukkah. Gelt means money in Yiddish.

haricots verts

very thin French green beans. French.

harira

Moroccan lentil, chickpea, and meat soup. Arabic.

harissa

a North African hot pepper paste. Arabic.

hummus

a golden chickpea puree served as an appetizer or dip. Arabic.

jahnoon

Yemenite Shabbat breakfast pastries made with a flaky dough. Yemenite Arabic.

karpas

a celery stalk or parsley sprig, a ritual food for the Passover Seder. Hebrew.

kasha

buckwheat. Yiddish and Russian.

kashrut

the rules of keeping kosher. Hebrew.

kebab

food grilled on a skewer. Turkish.

kiddush

a blessing over wine; also, a light meal in the synagogue after services. Hebrew.

kishke

stuffed beef casings. Yiddish.

kitniyot

legumes; also, a variety of grains, legumes, and other foods avoided by many Jewish communities during Passover. Hebrew.

kneidel (plural kneidelach)

dumpling, usually made from matzo meal and eggs, and served in chicken soup; matzo ball. Yiddish.

knish

Ashkenazic pastry with meat or vegetable filling. Yiddish.

kreplach

Ashkenazic tortellini; or stuffed, often ring-shaped pasta. Yiddish.

kubaneh

Yemenite Shabbat breakfast bread made from a yeast dough. Yemenite Arabic.

kubeh