Michele Streit Heilbrun - Matzo: 35 Recipes for Passover and All Year Long

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Thank you to Yfat Reiss Gendell, agent extraordinaire, for your enthusiasm, great ideas, and, of course, for making this book happen. Thank you to our editor, Amanda Englander, for helping us stay focused and refining our vision. To the rest of the Clarkson Potter teamDanielle Daitch, Stephanie Huntwork, Sonia Persad, Heather Williamson, Amy Boorstein, Kelli Tokos, and Natasha Martinthank you for bringing this book to life. You have helped us both fulfill a dream.

To the incredibly talented photographer Jennifer May; the prop guru Barb Fritz; and skillful food stylist Derek Laughernthank you for your hard work and dedication to making this book as beautiful as it can be.

FROM MIKIE

It has been a pleasure working with David Kirschner. Your commitment, hard work, and care have made this possible. Thank you! To Rabbi Kirshner, thank you for your knowledge, time, and guidance. Wendy Gaynor, amazing chef and instructor, thank you for always inspiring me and for helping me research some of these recipes. To my coaches: Amy Cohen, thank you for your voice, guidance, and humor. Laura Wolf-Slovin, thank you for the direction you are always there to give. There arent many truer friends.

To the two women I most enjoy eating with: Rebecka Jerome, to think it started all those years ago at our infamous lunch at the Four Seasons. We were so close to having to do those dishes. Its been a lifetime together, and I'm so grateful to share such a rich history with you. Sister Lone, we've had too many great meals to nameNoma! (OK, I had to.) Thank you for all that you have given me. He really did pick you for me. I will always be proud of my Danish heritage.

To the rest of my wonderful family of friends, so much of the happiness Ive had has been because of your support, care, and love. Each one of you has given me something so special. Thank you!

My most loving thanks to Joey Heilbrun, both of you, my dad and my daughter. The love I feel for you is boundless.

Finally to the Streits, all of you: past, present, and future generations. What a legacy! May it continue for many years, and may we all make Aron proud.

FROM DAVID

Thank you, Mikie, for trusting me to take on this project with you. Its been an amazing experience working with you to honor your family and the product that they have perfected over so many years. I truly value your friendship and the passion you brought to this book.

To my wife, Allison, thank you for understanding all of my long nights cooking and typing. You are the best friend and partner anybody could wish for. Our life together is the most important thing to me and you inspire me to be the best I can every day.

To my parents, Ira and Joanne, just simplythank you. Nothing I have achieved wouldve been possible without your love, support, and guidance all these years. Growing up kosher was a special, unique experience that was invaluable to me while writing this book. You kept Judaism present in our home every day, instilling the traditions and values that help make me who I am.

To my family, Pete, Sara, Lisa, Dylan, Aunt Sheila, Allan, Ilyse, Terry, Jason, Stephanie, Dylan, and Emma; and my closest friends, the Barbanels, Bergers, JAG, Lisches, and Schwartzes, I am who I am because of all of you. I will always be grateful for everything you have given me in life. Last, to my late brother Matt, I carry you with me every day. The lessons you taught me, the memories we shared, the type of man you were is what I strive to be. The fight and drive you had is what continues to push me through all the long days of juggling cooking, writing, and life. MEKStrong

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

MIKIE HEILBRUN is a fourth-generation Streit. Born in Brooklyn and raised in Manhattan, she is a very recent transplant to Savannah, Georgia. Mikie spent more than twenty-five years as a casting director and the last few as the proud mother of her daughter, Joey.

DAVID KIRSCHNER is a Michelin-trained chef who has spent fifteen years working in and running some of the countrys highest-acclaimed restaurants and is the former executive chef for TastingTable.com. He currently runs his own boutique private dining company, dineDK, producing cooking events around the greater New York City area, while continuing to write, food style, and consult on all matters culinary. David resides in Hoboken, New Jersey, with his wife, Allison.

BREAKFASTS

CHEESY LEMON PANCAKES

DAIRY

Lemon and ricotta go together in pancakes like two peas in a pod, but ricotta is difficult to use during Passover, as most brands use a grain-based vinegar in production. For this reason, we developed the recipe using cottage cheese instead, which makes a very tasty and traditional substitute. But weve also included an amazingly simple recipe for homemade, kosher for Passover ricotta cheese that is absolutely worth the effort! If you make the recipe outside the holiday and dont care about the vinegar, store-bought ricotta is just fine.

SERVES 4

1 cup whole milk

3 large eggs, separated

2 tablespoons sugar

Zest and juice of 1 lemon

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup matzo cake meal

cup potato starch

1 teaspoons baking powder

cup cottage cheese or

Unsalted butter, for greasing the pan

Confectioners sugar, fruit, or maple syrup, for serving (optional)

In a large bowl, whisk together the milk, egg yolks, sugar, lemon zest and juice, and salt. In a medium bowl, sift together the cake meal, potato starch, and baking powder. Add the dry ingredients to the wet, using a rubber spatula to mix until just combined. Take care not to overmix or the pancakes will be tough.

Using a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or a whisk and a large bowl, whip the egg whites until soft peaks form. They should look like soft-serve ice cream. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold one-third of the egg whites at a time into the batter until well incorporated, taking care not to overfold. Gently fold in the cheesethe batter should be streaky with visible lumps of cheese curds throughout.

Melt 1 to 2 tablespoons butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add cup of the batter for each pancake, working in batches if needed. Cook the pancakes until the edges are golden brown and bubbles begin to form on top, about 5 minutes. Flip and cook until the second side is golden, another 2 minutes. Serve with confectioners sugar, fresh fruit, maple syrup, or your favorite pancake topper.

HOMEMADE RICOTTA

DAIRY

MAKES 1 QUARTS

3 quarts whole milk, not ultra-homogenized

1 cups heavy cream

3 tablespoons kosher salt

teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

cup plus 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Line a colander with 3 layers of cheesecloth and set over a large bowl. In a large pot over medium-high heat, bring the milk, cream, salt, and pepper to a full, rapid boil.

Add the lemon juice, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 5 minutes. You will see the dairy break and curds start to form. Pour the mixture through the cheesecloth and allow to drain for 20 minutes. It should be thick, like cottage cheese.

Transfer the cheese to a medium bowl, place plastic wrap directly on the surface, and refrigerate until fully cooled, 30 minutes. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.