CHANUKAH ISSUE
* YOUR SOURCE FOR ALL THINGS KOSHER *
WINTER 2016 | ISSUE 34
CELEBRATE CHANUKAH
CLASSICS RECREATED
+GIFTS FOR ALL BUDGETS
Asian Comforts: Ramen & Pho LATEST TRENDS+PUMPKIN SPICE, VEGETABLE-CENTRIC COOKING, CHURRO BOWLS Funnel Cakes, pg. 88
USA $6.99 / CANADA $8.50 / UK £5.00 AUSTRALIA $8.50 / SA R90 / ISRAEL 25
KOSHER NETWORK I N T E R N AT I O N A L
a bitayavon production
THE LOVE OF BREAD
Master Sourdough & Pretzel Dough
FOR RECIPES, MENUS, CONTESTS AND MORE VISIT WWW.JOYOFKOSHER.COM
| ON TREND |
Cr ispy F r ied Gar l ic
SHIITA K E M U SHRO O M , M ISO , A N D SPIN A C H RA M E N
22
|
JOYofKOSHER.com | CHANUKAH 2016
| ON TREND |
Kosher Asian Comfort Food? Pho Sure! Soup is the ultimate winter comfort food. And when it comes to trends in Asian cuisine, big steaming bowls of broth make the scene. But with a lack of kosher options, sometimes we feel like we’re missing out. So we’ve put our spin on traditional Japanese ramen and Vietnamese pho to create deep, natural, flavorful broths, plus unique ingredients that provide the type of textural contrast that makes these soups amazingly addictive. Coaxing the flavor out of some simple ingredients may take triple the time of a traditional soup, but it’s well worth your effort.
SHII TA K E M U S H R O O M , M IS O , A ND SP I NA C H RA M E N Servings: 6 Prep time: 30 minutes Cook time: 120 minutes Total time: 150 minutes With noodle shops popping up all over the country, ramen has gone from cheap college eats to hip Asian comfort food. This version is completely vegetarian, but you're welcome to add chicken or beef in the soup step. Similar to Pho, the success of the soup is in the broth, and all the garnishes in the world cannot cover up for wimpy broth. Look for noodles that are free of food coloring and preservatives. If you can’t find Chinese-style noodles, use a buckwheat soba noodle or other favorite pasta. BROTH: 3 tablespoons toasted sesame oil 2 small onions, roughly chopped 3 medium carrots, roughly chopped
1 (4-inch) piece of ginger, not peeled 1 cup dried shiitake mushrooms 1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms 1 whole head of garlic, cut in half to expose the cloves 3 tablespoons tahini ¼ cup red miso ½ cup toasted sesame seeds 12 cups of water
2. Reduce heat to medium; add shiitakes, porcini, garlic, sesame paste, miso, sesame seeds, and water. Simmer for 1½ hours. Allow broth to steep for 20 minutes before straining. SOUP: 1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Toss butternut squash with evoo, salt, and pepper. Roast at 350°F on prepared pan for 30 minutes, or until lightly browned and crispy. 3. Arrange squash, scallions, mushrooms, tofu, spinach, eggs, and noodles in individual bowls or a large serving bowl. Pour hot broth over and serve. Pass bowls of garnishes for guests to customize their own soup.
*Sof t - B oi led Eggs SOUP: 1 cup diced butternut squash 1 cup finely chopped scallions 1 cup sliced shiitake mushrooms 1 cup diced tofu 3 cups baby spinach leaves 6 soft-boiled eggs 1 pound Chinese-style noodles, or soba noodles Garnishes: crispy fried garlic*, bean sprouts, thinly sliced hot chilies, hot sauces, sesame seeds BROTH: 1. In a large stock pot, heat sesame oil on medium-high. Add onions, carrots, and ginger. Stir vegetables until they are dark brown and very fragrant.
Servings: 6 Prep time: 3 days Cook time: 10 minutes Total time: 3 days, 10 minutes 6 large eggs, left out overnight at room temperature 1 cup soy sauce 1 cup mirin
1. Place eggs in a small saucepot, and cover with cold water.
4. In a small bowl, whisk soy sauce and mirin. Place whole boiled eggs in the mixture and marinate for up to 3 days. 5. Peel, cut eggs in half, and serve with ramen.
*Cr i s p y Fried Garl ic Servings: 4 to 6 Prep time: 20 minutes Cook time: 10 minutes Total time: 30 minutes 10 large cloves garlic, sliced thinly on a mandoline 3 tablespoons sugar ⅓ cup toasted sesame oil
1. Blanch garlic in a small pan with ½ cup boiling water and sugar for 3 minutes. Drain and pat dry. 2. Heat a small saucepan, with sesame oil, over medium-high heat. 3. Cook garlic, stirring occasionally until medium brown and very fragrant. Transfer garlic to paper towel-lined plate. The garlic will become crispy once it cools down. 4. Store crispy garlic, covered, at room temperature for up to 1 week.
2. Bring eggs to a boil. Immediately turn off the heat, cover and set a timer for 7 minutes. 3. Gently move eggs to a bowl of ice water and allow them to cool for 10 minutes.
CHANUKAH 2016
|
JOYofKOSHER.com
|
23
: t u O g n i n i D
s p U p o P
THIS SUMMER WAS UNDOUBTEDLY THE SUMMER OF THE KOSHER POP-UP RESTAURANT. BY DEVORAH BACKMAN
36
|
JOYofKOSHER.com JoyofKosher.com | CHANUKAH | CHANUKAH 2016 2016
| DINING OUT |
F
rom supper clubs in Brooklyn brownstones and globally inspired tasting menus in Connecticut, to a tiny Manhattan lunch spot hosting visiting chefs from around the country, this summer was undoubtedly the summer of the kosher pop-up restaurant. A pop-up can be almost any kind of restaurant experience, as long as it’s temporary. It can be a blogger chef trying her hand at a restaurant-service meal, a chef from one restaurant popping in halfway across the country to serve his top hits to a new audience, or an experienced private chef offering haute cuisine to a group of in-the-know foodies. As kosher food marketing personality Gabriel Geller explains, “The first time I went to a pop-up, I fell in love with the concept. It's a chance to watch a chef execute a vision, to experience something completely different from the standard fare.” Pop-ups cater to diners who are looking for an experience to remember, not just a good meal. Event-planning platform Eventbrite counts it as the fastest growing food trend, with an 82% increase in pop-up dining just this year. And now this trend has made it to the kosher scene as well, where diners are even more excited to break out of the conventional restaurant experience. On a purely practical note, many chefs note that selling tickets in advance allows them the financial freedom to prepare a single, perfect meal for every guest—without having to worry about filling tables or having menu options go to waste. There are limitations to the pop-up format. There are no choices on the menu, customers often must book in advance and arrive at a specific time, and, of course, there is little time to perfect the service. And yet, these limitations are also its strengths. The crowded, buzzing room lends a dinner party feel, the spontaneity offers freedom and excitement, and the limited menu forces diners out of their comfort zones and into the experience the chef has designed just for them.
❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱❱ CHANUKAH 2016
|
JOYofKOSHER.com
|
37
| TWIST ON TRADITION |
Latkes 4 Ways 1
CRISPIEST LATKE RECIPE Servings: 4 to 6 Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 30 minutes Total time: 45 minutes This recipe yields a latke with crispy, crunchy edges and a nice, soft center. Egg whites make food crunchy while egg yolks tenderize dough and make it cakey. We like crunchy latkes that stand up to the delicious toppings. Save the yolks for homemade sufganiyot or your favorite challah recipe. And yes, you can fry in extravirgin olive oil. Evoo is healthier and tastier than any other oil. Just be sure to watch that the oil is not getting too hot. Keep the temperature under 350°F. 3 pounds (3 to 4 potatoes) Russet potatoes, peeled 1 large onion, grated 3 egg whites, lightly whisked ¼ cup matzo meal or flour 1 teaspoon kosher salt Pinch of freshly ground black pepper Extra virgin olive oil, for frying
1. Preheat oven to 250°F. 2. Grate potatoes and place in a clean kitchen towel. Squeeze out all the moisture from the potatoes and
72
|
JOYofKOSHER.com | CHANUKAH 2016
transfer to a large mixing bowl. Add grated onion, egg whites, matzo meal or flour, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine. 3. In a frying pan, pour in oil until it reaches ½-inch up the sides of the pan. Heat oil to medium, watching to keep temperature under 350°F. Pinch a small amount of batter and cook in the oil. Taste the batter for seasoning and adjust if necessary. 4. Drop several large spoonfuls of batter into the oil, and depress lightly to form the latkes. Fry each side about 3 to 5 minutes, until crispy and brown. Transfer latkes to a paper towel-lined sheet pan, and keep warm in a 250°F oven. Continue with the rest of the latke batter. 5. Latkes may be made ahead of serving and kept, covered, in the freezer or at room temperature for 1 day. Latkes do not keep well in the refrigerator. 6. To reheat: Preheat oven to 400°F. Arrange latkes in a single layer and heat for 7 to 10 minutes, until sizzling and hot. For uniform-size latkes: Use a jar lid that’s the size you want your latkes, and spoon the latke mixture into the cover. Carefully turn out latke mixture into hot oil and all your latkes will be the same size.
TIP: A cast iron skillet helps achieve crispy latkes and maintain an even oil temperature.
| TWIST ON TRADITION |
2
TIP: For a twist on a classic potato latke, replace 2 Russet potatoes with 2 sweet potatoes in the basic latke recipe.
DOUBLE-DOWN FRIED CHICKEN SANDWICH
2. Dredge chicken pieces in egg-white mixture and then in flour mix. Leave chicken to sit in flour while the oil is heating up.
Servings: 8 Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: 24 minutes Total time: 39 minutes
3. Pour 2 inches of evoo in a heavy-duty cast iron skillet. Heat oil on mediumhigh until the temperature reaches 350°F. Shake off excess flour mixture from chicken, and fry in batches, 6 minutes per side, until crispy and browned.
What’s better than a fried chicken sandwich? Fried chicken nestled between two latkes, topped in spicysweet jalapeño applesauce. Rice flour is an unusual ingredient, but it makes the chicken super crispy. Use our standard Crispiest Latkes recipe to make the 16 latkes. 1 cup all-purpose flour 1 cup rice flour Pinch of ground cumin Pinch of ground allspice Pinch of onion powder Pinch of garlic powder 1 teaspoon kosher salt ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 3 egg whites, whisked with 3 tablespoons of water 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut in half Extra virgin olive oil, for frying 1 recipe (16 latkes) Crispiest Latkes Jalapeño-Apple Sauce (recipe follows) Shredded red cabbage, pickled onions, optional
1. Whisk flours, cumin, allspice, onion, garlic powder, salt, and pepper in a bowl.
4. Transfer cooked chicken to paper towel-lined plate and season with a sprinkle of kosher salt. 5. To assemble, sandwich a piece of chicken between 2 latkes, and top with a generous dollop of Jalapeño-Apple Sauce and shredded cabbage and pickled onions. JALAPEÑO-APPLE SAUCE 4 Granny Smith apples, cored, peeled, and diced ½ cup sugar ½ cup apple cider 2 jalapeños, seeded and thinly sliced Pinch of sea salt
1. In a small saucepan over medium heat, cook apples, sugar, cider, jalapeños, and salt. Stir occasionally, until the mixture is a thick sauce and most of the moisture is cooked out. 2. Store the applesauce, covered, in the refrigerator, for up to 5 days. Or, freeze for 3 months.
CHANUKAH 2016
|
JOYofKOSHER.com
|
73
| MAINSTREAM KOSHER |
#NYCWFF:
A Kosher Dinner with
Elior Balbul, Eden Grinshpan, Amitzur Mor, and Yehuda Sichel
Part of the Bank of America Dinner Series, curated by Chefs Club for the 2016 Food Network & Cooking Channel New York City Wine & Food Festival
W
e were lucky enough to taste the best of modern kosher cuisine during an exclusive dinner at the new Bison & Bourbon in Brooklyn as part of the ninth annual Food Network & Cooking Channel New York City Wine & Food Festival presented by Coca-Cola. Since its inception, this festival has raised $9.5 million dollars to help fight hunger, with 100% of the net proceeds going to provide food for families facing hunger through the No Kid Hungry campaign and Food Bank for New York City. While focused on charity, the festival brought together the best the food world has to offer. After a successful kosher dinner at the Southbeach festival last winter, another kosher dinner was planned to celebrate modern Israeli cuisine with top Israeli chefs and cooking personalities in the United States. World traveler and culinary personality Eden Grinshpan guided us through the exploration of Israeli and Middle Eastern culinary traditions, with courses prepared by Elior Balbul of the upcoming restaurant ALENbi, Amitzur Mor of NYC’s Barbounia, and Yehuda Sichel of Michael Solomonov’s Abe Fisher in Philadelphia. This lineup of talented chefs were assembled by Hassid+Hipster’s Chef Yos Schwartz, whose innovative Brooklyn-based culinary organization has taken the kosher community by storm. Chef Yos Schwartz has been part of a movement bringing kosher more mainstream. He has also played a large role in the current pop-up trend taking place in the kosher dining scene (see pg. 36). We spoke with the chefs, who shared some personal cooking tips as well as their favorite comfort foods. CHANUKAH 2016
|
JOYofKOSHER.com
|
59
| MAINSTREAM KOSHER | YEHUDA SICHEL is the executive chef of Abe Fisher in Philadelphia—one of the top restaurants in Philadelphia. Created by partners Michael Solomonov and Steven Cook of CookNSolo restaurants, Abe Fisher explores the expansive global influences and flavors of the Jewish Diaspora. The restaurant is not kosher. Born in Elkins Park, Pennsylvania, and raised in Baltimore, Maryland, Sichel is a graduate of the Jerusalem School of Kosher Culinary Arts in Israel. Upon his arrival back to the U.S., he spent time in the kitchen of Grace restaurant in Los Angeles before returning to Philadelphia to work under legendary Chef George Perrier at Brasserie Perrier. He created a pastrami-cured tuna with roasted beets and creamy horseradish that served as the opening course of the night.
ABE FISHER’S CHICKEN LIVER MOUSSE Schmaltz is rendered chicken fat. It is sometimes available in the supermarket, but you can make your own by rendering chicken skins over low heat with a splash of water (and often chopped onions). Once the skins have been fully rendered, you are left with golden schmaltz and crispy, crackling chicken skins known as gribenes. You can just as easily substitute butter in place of schmaltz, and the gribenes are optional. Servings: 6 to 8 Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: 15 minutes Total time: 30 minutes CHICKEN LIVER MOUSSE: 6 ounces chicken stock 1 pound kashered chicken livers 5 tablespoons rendered chicken fat/schmaltz ½ cup caramelized onions ¼ cup gribenes, optional 2 hard-boiled eggs PASTRAMI ONION JAM: 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil ¼ pound pastrami, roughly chopped
1 red onion, diced 2 tablespoons honey 1 ounce sherry vinegar CHICKEN LIVER MOUSSE: 1. Combine chicken stock, chicken livers, schmaltz, onions, gribenes, and eggs in a food processor. Pulse until completely smooth. If the mixture seems too thick, add additional chicken stock as necessary.
2. Pass mousse through a fine sieve, pressing down with a spatula. Cool mousse in the refrigerator overnight. PASTRAMI ONION JAM: 1. Place diced pastrami in a food processor and pulse until coarse.
2. In a small sauté pan, heat evoo on low. Place ground pastrami and onion in the pan and cook, stirring frequently, for 7 to 10 minutes, until onions are completely translucent. Add vinegar and honey. Cook 20 minutes more, or until deeply caramelized and liquid has evaporated. 3. Serve mousse and pastrami onion jam with thick-cut, toasted rye bread spread with schmaltz.
5 things about Chef Yehuda: 1. COOKING STYLE/APPROACH: Rethinking old-school Jewish cuisine. 2. MOST EXCITING INGREDIENT OBSESSED WITH NOW: Apples. This fall, I'm pairing them with smoked salmon, beef tartare, and putting them on babka to finish. 3. PHILOSOPHY/THOUGHTS ON COOKING FOR THE KOSHER FOOD & WINE EVENT: I'm super honored to be in the kitchen with a room of this kind of
talent, cooking together for such a great cause. This dinner will exemplify the incredible flavor that can come from the storied world of kosher cooking. 4. FAVORITE COMFORT FOOD: Schnitzel! One of my favorite dishes from the restaurant is the chicken liver mousse. 5. ULTIMATE COOKING TIP: Salt is the secret to creating really good food.
CHANUKAH 2016
|
JOYofKOSHER.com
|
61
| CHANUKAH TABLESCAPE |
Tablescape BY CHANIE GREENBAUM
Color theme: Emerald and Gold. Create a color scheme that ties everything in together. Off white flowers complement the color and provide an elegant touch.
The Centerpiece: Surround a wooden or metal menorah with foam or soft cloth. Spray gold paint on thick flower leaves, and glue or tack onto the base of the menorah. Use flower pins to secure an array of white flowers to cover the rest of the menorah. Place candles into menorah, and light.
watch Jamie's Winter White Chanukah Tablescape www.youtube.com/ joyofkosher.com
68
|
JOYofKOSHER.com | CHANUKAH 2016
3
| PURE DECADENCE |
Bowlful of Churros BY MELISSA KAYE
Nothing says Chanukah like sweet fried treats. So we’re bringing you the ultimate decadent treat—fried churro bowls. To put this dessert over the top, serve with ice cream and gourmet toppings, like bananas foster, peanut butter sauce, or macerated strawberries. This recipe will make regular churros, too. And instead of drizzling, use the sauces for dunking and dipping.
4
CHANUKAH 2016
|
JOYofKOSHER.com
|
77
CHANUKAH LITES coriander black pepper
zucchini
carrots
BY SHIFRA KLEIN Celebrate the fried-food theme of Chanukah without the extra calories. Our oven-fried chicken and veggies will fool anyone into thinking it’s the real deal. Our secret to crispiness: a baking sheet and an ovenproof cooling rack. This kitchen combo will evenly circulate heat around chicken, vegetables, fish, or cheese to provide an all-around crunch without the additional fat.
TASTE TESTER'S FEEDBACK: The vegetables were super crunchy. I think I will use the dips for latkes as well. CHANUKAH 2016
|
JOYofKOSHER.com
|
81
| LAST BITE |
BY SHIFRA KLEIN
88
|
Fun with dessert Funnel cakes are a classic fried American carnival treat. They’re fun, light, fluffy, and, most importantly, so much easier than making doughnuts from scratch. We’ve given the classic confectioners’ sugar a 2016 update with naturally colored and flavored sugar toppings.
JOYofKOSHER.com | CHANUKAH 2016