Purim 2017 sneak peek

EDIBLE GIFT ISSUE

* YOUR SOURCE FOR ALL THINGS KOSHER *

LATE WINTER 2017 | ISSUE 36

50+ RECIPES & EDIBLE GIFT IDEAS

KOSHER PASTRY GUIDE

PIES, B RUGE ABKE & GO SA LACH VO +KH ACHA RY, PURI

M Winte exican r Din ners

USA $6.99 / CANADA $8.50 / UK £5.00 AUSTRALIA $8.50 / SA R90 / ISRAEL 25

FOR RECIPES, MENUS, CONTESTS AND MORE VISIT WWW.JOYOFKOSHER.COM a bitayavon production

+Tr avel Guid e

| ASK LAURA |

EDIBLE GIFT: Galettes are the ultimate pie dough for the nonbaker or starter baker as you really can't mess it up. EnJOY a gallette for your Purim feast or give as an edible gift.

CUSTOMIZE FILLING FOR GALETTE: peac Add hes, blueberries, cherries, or any desired fruit in place of, or together with, the apples.

60

|

JOYofKOSHER.com | PURIM 2017

| SOMETHING NEW |

& cheese h c a n spi

fr

onion h c en

ried tomato & oliv d e sun

64

|

JOYofKOSHER.com | PURIM 2017

TeChNiQuE:

Braising

Braising—browning then stewing—is a sure-fire way to get tender, full flavored dishes that make the perfect winter comfort foods. This method is perfect for economy cuts of meat, like chuck roast, providing deep, slow cooked flavor you can’t get from stewing alone. Don't be tempted to skip browning; when meat meets high heat, the sugars and amino acids do a little dance called the maillard reaction. This creates hundreds of different complex flavor compounds we associate with super tasty food.

OnE PaN ApPlE CiDeR BrAiSeD ChIcKeN LeGs AnD ThIgHs

42

|

JOYofKOSHER.com | PURIM 2017

Restaurant exterior

| DINING OUT |

F m Georg , With Lo :

Our new love affair with Khachapuri

BY NAOMI ROSS

G

eorgia is a culinary crossroads of sorts. Northern influences from Russia, Turkey, and Armenia, excellent growing conditions by the Black Sea, and a stop on the Silk Road made the cuisine diverse and the ingredients plentiful. Rich meat stews and dumplings, lots of fresh herbs like tarragon and cilantro, salty cheeses, rustic breads, unusual spice blends (featuring blue fenugreek and marigold) and walnuts galore are all characteristic foods of this cuisine.

I wasn’t familiar with Georgian food before I walked into Marani, a newer ethnic find in Rego Park, Queens. Rustic warmth greeted me as I entered the wood-lined restaurant, its red brick bar a welcoming hearth under the glow of soft, mellow lights.

Earthen jugs, a pair of hung ram’s horns, and stacked wine bottles transported me to a lesser known countryside.

72

|

JOYofKOSHER.com | PURIM 2017

Owner Ana Epremashvili left Georgia when she was a young child, but was determined to bring a taste of Tbilisi to New York. Just a few blocks from her Georgian synagogue, Marani is the only kosher Georgian restaurant in America. “I was raised kosher and wanted to bring something different to the kosher community,” she explained. “Half of my customers are kosher and the other half have no idea it’s kosher; they just come because they like the food.”

Downstairs from the Marani is a khachapuria—a casual dairy café that serves khachapuri (ha-cha-pur-ee), a decadent cheese filled pizza-like bread that’s Georgia’s national dish.

Traditionally served as a first hot appetizer at a large family-style Georgian meal, each region has its own traditional khachapuri. The Imeruli (from Imereti) and the Megruli

W H AT W E A R E LOV I N G N O W

CHUTNEY

BY SHIFRA KLEIN

MINT CHUTNEY

APPLE MUSTARD SEED CHUTNEY

TOMATO CHUTNEY

APRICOT CHUTNEY

Chutney, an Indian condiment, is the perfect blend of sweet, savory, and tangy. With its tremendous versatility in braises (page 45), as a condiment for veggie dishes, and as a prepared ďŹ lling for pastries, it makes the perfect

edible gift. And with the lack of kosher chutneys on the current market, this guarantees that gifting these for Purim (or anytime) will make a statement. Attach a note to your jars with the secret recipe and recipe ideas.

PURIM 2017

|

JOYofKOSHER.com

|

33

MEXICO KOSHER TRAVEL TO

1. MEXICO CITY

Mexico City is a bustling and sprawling city with fascinating museums, superb parks, and traditional cantinas (local bars).

There is a large Jewish community in the area of Polanco, making keeping kosher a breeze.

Mexico City Airport is 15 km (9 miles) from the city center.

You can pre-pay for a sitio (recommended authorized taxi) or take the metro or metrobus into town.

FOOD Kosher supermarkets include Super Emet, Sinai Deli and Bakery, Kurson's, and Shuky but many kosher products are available in regular supermarkets.

Kosher restaurants are largely found in Polanco and serve a variety of cuisines. One of the most established is family-run Argentinean, Gaucho Grill.

Serving up classic Jewish dishes such as home-cured pastrami, the restaurant also features a sushi bar, and delivers freshly prepared meals to main tourist areas in Mexico. www.gauchogrill.mx

ACCOMMODATION There are a multitude of options, but we recommend Fiesta Americana and Presidente Intercontinental hotels for their reliable service. Boutique hotel 24

|

JoyofKosher.com | PURIM 2017

Las Alcobas in Polanco comes highly recommended also.

TOP ATTRACTIONS Museum-lovers will appreciate the impressive Palacio National as well as National Anthropological Museum in Chapultepec Park, which explores Mexican pre-history, ancient civilizations, and present-day indigenous people. Take in a folk ballet performance at the concert hall Palacio de Bellas Artes or savor some salsa music. Another memorable experience is attending a bullfight at Plaza de Toros, the world’s largest bullring. Art-lovers may enjoy the Frida Kahlo Museum, located at the artist’s bright-blue former home, and dedicated to her life and works.

Downtown Mexico City skyline at night from the top of the revolution monument

| SOMETHING NEW |

EDIBLE GIFT: Party goods stores are full of decorative boxes and packaging perfect for cookies and rugelach. Fill box with parchment paper and rugelach.

62

|

JOYofKOSHER.com | PURIM 2017

| SOMETHING NEW |

Savory Rugelach Who said rugelach were only for dessert? These savory rugelach are big on flavor and are a perfect party starter for any gathering. With one basic rugelach dough, you can make three different savory takes: Sun-Dried Tomato and Olive, French Onion, and Spinach and Cheese.

Rugelach Dough Yield: 64 Rugelach Prep time: 35 minutes Cook time: 0 minutes Total time: 35 minutes 2 8 8 1 1 ½

cups all-purpose flour ounces cream cheese ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter egg yolk teaspoon kosher salt teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2. Divide dough into 4 equal pieces. Flatten each piece into a disc and wrap in parchment paper. Chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes while preparing the filling.

3. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

4. Sprinkle a little flour on the countertop or surface and roll 1 disc of dough out into a eighth -inch thick circle.

5. Distribute filling onto the circle, then cut into 16 wedges.

Roll each wedge toward the center, beginning with the wide edge.

6. Transfer rugelach to prepared baking sheet. Refrigerate for 30 minutes until firm.

7. Preheat oven to 375°F.

1. Add flour, cream cheese, butter, egg yolk, salt, and pepper to the bowl of a food processor and pulse until the dough forms a ball.

8. Bake rugelach at 375°F for 20 to 30 minutes, until the pastries are golden brown. Cool before serving.

PURIM 2017

Turn the page for filling recipes |

JOYofKOSHER.com

|

63

Olive Tapenade Babka

66

|

JOYofKOSHER.com | PURIM 2017

| FESTIVE FOOD |

Boozy Jams

Preserving Your Options

BY CHERYL RICH HEISLER

You could have a lot of Purim-style fun making and distributing jars of my boozy jams, and either would add a lovely element to any mishloach manot basket this time of year. The Sweet Tart is a straightforward berry jam freshened up with a hit of lemon vodka, and works with nearly any frozen berry you have on hand. And I’ve mashed up American Southwest with Japan in my sake-spiked, savory Hot Tomato

Sweet Tart Jam

Jam. These spiked spreads fall under the category of “refrigerated jams”; you can make them on the stove top and cool them down in the fridge without the hassles of traditional canning. Of course, once you have gone to all the trouble of making these delicious jams, it just seems natural to utilize your freshly crafted preserves in a couple of festive cocktails as well. L’Chaim and Chag Purim Sameach.

Hot Tomato Ja

m

Sweet Tart Jam

EDIBLE GIFT: Gift these jams in small glass jars, tie a label around it and include our recipe ideas on the back.

CHERYL RICH HEISLER is a licensed mixologist, a regular contributor to JOY of KOSHER with Jamie Geller magazine, and the founder of Mixed metaPours, a nationally known, custom-cocktail consultancy based in Chicago. Reach her with your wine and spirits questions at www.mixedmetapours.com.

PURIM 2017

|

JOYofKOSHER.com

|

69