Naomi Ross Talks About How Food Can Connect and Elevate Our Lives

The Jewish Home | DECEMBER 15, 2022

A Taste of The Giving Table

By Naomi Ross

Murgi Chicken

“Murgi” is Hindi for “chicken” — but I didn’t know that when an old friend taught me this method in college. All I knew was that it was the most flavorful crispy chicken cutlets I had ever tasted. A potent marinade makes all the difference to impart flavor underneath a sturdy triple breading. This recipe stretches and doubles easily. You can also cut the chicken into smaller strips and make the best chicken fingers ever!

Serves 4-6 / Freezer Friendly

Ingredients

◊ 1 medium onion, quartered ◊ 2 teaspoons chopped fresh ginger (about a 1-inch piece) ◊ 2 cloves garlic ◊ ½ teaspoon ground turmeric ◊ ½ teaspoon kosher salt ◊ ¼ teaspoon black pepper ◊ 4–6 boneless chicken breasts (cutlets) ◊ ¼ cup all-purpose flour ◊ 2 eggs, beaten ◊ 1 cup cornflake crumbs ◊ ½ cup corn or peanut oil, or more as needed

Preparation

1 . Prepare the marinade: In a food processor, process the onion, ginger, garlic, and spices until pureed.

2 . Pound chicken breasts thin until they have an even thickness (cutlets should be not more than ½-inch thick).

3 . Marinate: Place chicken breasts in a large bowl with the onion mixture; turn to coat well. Cover and marinate for 2–3 hours in the refrigerator.

4 . Breading: Remove chicken from marinade. Dredge in flour, then beaten eggs, then cornflake crumbs; place in a single layer on a plate or sheet pan until frying time.

5 . Fry: Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until hot (a crumb should sizzle upon contact). Fry cutlets about 3–4 minutes per side (depending on size and thickness) or until breading is golden brown, flipping once during cooking. Drain on a rack or paper towels. Serve and enjoy!

Cook’s Note: If making ahead, refresh in a single layer uncovered in a 350°F oven to re-crisp breading.

The meat sauce used in this recipe is versatile and hearty — a perfect winter’s meal, whether used in lasagna or for topping pasta or gnocchi. While not “mandatory,” adding layers of bechamel sauce (white sauce) commonly used in traditional meat lasagnas lends creaminess and helps to bind the layers of the lasagna.

Serves 6-8 / Freezer Friendly

Ingredients

◊ 1 (16-ounce) package lasagna noodles Meat Ragù ◊ 2 (28-ounce) cans peeled Italian plum tomatoes ◊ 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil ◊ 1 medium onion, finely chopped ◊ 1 carrot, finely chopped ◊ 1 stalk celery, finely chopped ◊ 2 cloves garlic, minced ◊ ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes ◊ 1 teaspoon kosher salt, or more to taste Bechamel Sauce ◊ 4 tablespoons margarine or butter substitute ◊ 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour ◊ 2 cups oat or soy milk ◊ 1–1¼ pounds ground beef ◊ 1–1¼ pounds ground veal ◊ 8–10 large fresh basil leaves, chopped, or 1 teaspoon dried basil ◊ ¾ teaspoon oregano ◊ 2–3 teaspoons sugar, or more to taste ◊ Freshly ground black pepper, to taste ◊ ½ cup white wine ◊ 1 teaspoon salt ◊ ½ teaspoon pepper ◊ ¼ teaspoon nutmeg

Preparation

1 . Prep lasagna: Boil lasagna noodles al dente according to the package’s instructions. (If preparing in advance, rinse with cold water. Drain and set aside.)

2 . For ragù: Place tomatoes in a large bowl and crush them into small pieces with your fingers (or pulse in a food processor); set aside.

3 . Heat the olive oil in a wide, deep skillet or Dutch oven over mediumhigh heat. Add the onion and sauté until translucent, about 3–4 minutes.

Add the carrot, celery, garlic, pepper flakes, and salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 minutes.

4 . Add the ground beef and veal, stirring constantly to break up the meat into small bits. Continue stirring until all of the meat is browned (no longer pink). stirring occasionally, for about 40 minutes. Stir in the wine (and fresh basil, if using), and continue cooking for another 20 minutes, or until sauce is thickened. (For a heartier, thicker sauce, continue cooking for an additional 30–45 minutes.) Season to taste with more salt and pepper as needed.

6 . Degrease: If there is excess fat on the surface, skim off with a spoon or use a paper towel to blot and remove fat.

7 . While ragù cooks, prepare Bechamel Sauce: Melt margarine in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon until a light brown paste forms (the roux), about 2 minutes.

8 . Whisking constantly, slowly add the oat milk, salt, pepper, and nutmeg, and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened — 5–7 minutes. Remove from the heat. Place a piece of plastic wrap or waxed paper directly on the surface of the sauce to prevent skin from forming; set aside.

9 . Assemble: Preheat oven to 375°F . Grease a 9x13-inch lasagna pan with nonstick cooking spray. Ladle about 1 cup of the meat sauce onto the bottom of the pan. Spread evenly and place 5 lasagna sheets over the sauce, overlapping each one to form a layer. Ladle a generous layer of the meat sauce over the noodles (about 2–3 cups) and spread evenly. Drizzle a layer of the Bechamel Sauce over the meat sauce (about ¾ cup) and cover with another layer of noodles. Repeat with sauces and a final third layer of noodles. Cover with remaining sauces and spread evenly. Cover with foil and bake for 30–35 minutes. Serve and enjoy!

Do Ahead: Meat ragù can be made 5–6 days in advance and can be frozen for up to three months.

My grandmother was a natural cook – “old world” style. She owned no cookbooks, followed no recipes, and cooked purely by sight, smell and feel. When I was a child, she would come over to help my mother cook for the holidays. Nonchalantly, she would call me over repeatedly. “Taste this,” she would say. Ten minutes later she would do it again. “Does it need more salt? Does it need more sugar?” What I didn’t know back then was that she was actually training me how to taste and season.

Watching her make latkes was a lesson to never be afraid to make a mess. Each one was shaped lovingly by hand, batter drips falling through her fingers. She cared about each and every latke, knowing that they were going to be feeding her family with her love. For her, cooking was synonymous with giving to others. I try to follow in her footsteps. To this day, my very best cooking happens when I taste, close my eyes, and season from the heart. Giving over that kind of cooking to my students and readers is not always easy but that’s always my goal.

Grandma loved to fry. Like a conductor with baton in hand, she fried with mastery, exerting control with each flip of her spatula. Carefully monitored oil bubbled up around hand-formed latkes, the quiet sputter and sizzle creating a rhythmic background music in the kitchen. Beware and step with caution, for with each and every perfect lacy latke a drop of oil did escape, creating an oil slick…that could rival the BP oil spill. Slipping and sliding was a risk we were gladly willing to take for one of Grandma’s perfectly fried latkes.

A little bit of spice complements the warm flavors of sweet potato. The natural sugars in sweet potatoes can cause sticking in the pan. Do not try to move about or flip the latkes until a golden crust forms on the bottom of each latke.

Ingredients

◊ 2½ pounds medium sweet potatoes (about 3–4), peeled and grated (see cook’s note) ◊ 4 scallions, finely chopped ◊ ½ cup all-purpose flour ◊ 4 large eggs, lightly beaten ◊ 1 teaspoon salt (or more to taste) ◊ 1 teaspoon cinnamon ◊ ½ teaspoon ground ginger ◊ ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper ◊ Canola or vegetable oil, for frying

Preparation

1. Combine: In a large mixing bowl, stir together potatoes, scallions, flour, eggs, and spices.

2. Fry: Heat about ¼-inch oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot (not smoking). Working in batches, spoon potato mixture (approximately 2–3 tablespoons per latke) into oil and flatten with the back of the spatula. Cook until golden brown, flipping once, about 2–3 minutes per side. Transfer latkes with a slotted spatula to a rack or place on paper towels to drain. 3. Serve hot with applesauce and sour cream or Maple-Apple Cream (recipe below).

Maple-Apple Cream

Ingredients

◊ ½ cup sour cream ◊ ¼ teaspoon cinnamon ◊ 1½ teaspoons maple syrup ◊ ½ apple, peeled and grated

Preparation

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Whisk to blend.

Cook’s Note: For easiest prep, use the fine shredding disc on your food processor.

Hot desserts are a must on cold evenings, and this is a comfy grown-up cobbler! Below is an adapted version of the Perfect Pear Cups recipe on page 260, used here as a fruit filling. It’s great for entertaining as the filling can be prepared up to a week in advance, making it a quick dessert to put together for a crowd (see note below).

Yield: 14-15 individual ramekins or 1 9x13 pan / Prep time: 40-45 minutes

Ingredients

Poached Pear Filling ◊ 2¼ cups dry red wine, such as cabernet or merlot ◊ ½ cup honey ◊ ⅓ cup sugar ◊ 1 teaspoon orange zest ◊ ½ cup orange juice (from 1 large orange) ◊ 1 large or 2 small cinnamon sticks ◊ 8 whole cloves ◊ 3 green cardamom pods or 1 star anise, as preferred (optional) ◊ 8 large ripe Bosc or Anjou pears (about 8 cups), peeled, cored, and cubed (½ inch) ◊ 1½ cups fresh or frozen cranberries Biscuit Topping ◊ 2 cups all-purpose flour ◊ 5 Tablespoons sugar, divided ◊ 1 Tablespoon baking powder ◊ ½ teaspoon salt ◊ ¾ teaspoon cinnamon, divided ◊ ½ cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter (or margarine/shortening), cubed ◊ ⅔ cup heavy cream (or ¾ cup oat/ almond milk), plus more for brushing ◊ 1 egg ◊ vanilla ice cream, for serving Special Equipment ◊ pastry blender (recommended) ◊ 3-inch ramekins (oven-safe) or 1 9x13-inch glass baking dish ◊ cheesecloth or garnet bags (recommended)

Preparation

1 . Poach pears: Combine wine, honey, sugar, zest, orange juice, and whole spices in a large pot (wrap spices in cheesecloth/garnet bag for easy removal). Place over medium heat and bring to a boil. Stir to dissolve sugar.

2 . Add pears and return to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer uncovered for 12–15 minutes or until pears are tender and liquid is slightly reduced. Add cranberries and cook for another 5 minutes or until they start to burst. Remove from heat; discard cheesecloth and contents. Meanwhile, prepare topping and preheat oven to 350°F. 3. Prepare Biscuit Topping: In a large mixing bowl, whisk flour, 3 tablespoons sugar, baking powder, salt, and ½ teaspoon cinnamon to blend. Add butter; rub in with fingertips or with a pastry blender until coarse meal forms.

4. Combine cream (or nondairy milk) and egg in a small bowl to blend. Slowly add into flour mixture, mixing gently with a fork until mixture becomes a thick batter/dough.

5. Assemble: Using a slotted spoon, drain and divide pears (reserving liquid) amongst 14–15 greased ramekins for individual cobblers, filling each about three-quarters full. (For one big cobbler, transfer drained pear mixture into a greased 9x13x2-inch glass baking dish.) Add back enough of the poaching liquid to cover pears (discard remainder). Spoon golf ballsized dollops of dough/batter (about 2 tablespoons) on top of pears in each ramekin (or arrange spaced apart over pears in baking dish). Brush tops with additional cream. Mix remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and ¼ teaspoon cinnamon in a small bowl; sprinkle over dough.

6. Bake cobblers until fruit is bubbling, biscuits are browned, and toothpick inserted into center of biscuits comes out clean — 20–25 minutes for individual ramekins (30–35 minutes for 9x13-inch dish). Cool slightly. Serve hot or warm with vanilla ice cream.

Cook’s Note: Time it right! Assemble before guests arrive, bake at the start of dinner, and cobblers will be ready to eat hot out of the oven!

Place ramekins or baking dish on a foil-lined sheet pan to catch spills.