Matzo balls are perhaps the quintessential example of Jewish food, There are almost as many recipes for matzo balls as there are Jewish cooks. I include but a sampling here….
Browsing Cuisine: Jewish
Noodle Kugel
This is the traditional accompaniment to the Sabbath stew, cooked overnight in a very slow oven and served at lunch on Saturday.
Kasha with Mushrooms
Kasha is to the Russians and Poles what cornmeal is to the Romanians. Properly cooked kasha grains should be flurry yet separate; when the cooking is finished, no liquid should…
Deep-Fried Fish
Fried fish was brought to England by the Sephardic Jews who settled there in the 17 th century. It is a dish now firmly entrenched in the Anglo-Jewish tradition, even…
Agristada
Here is another version of fried fish, this time with a lemon sauce, popular in Sephardic communities. As with the previous recipe, the fish can also be served cold.
Israeli Chicken Soup with Pasta
This is a slightly simplied form of a lemon-flavored chicken soup, popular in the North African communities of Israel. The Algerians prefer it mild, while the Tunisians add enough hot…
Turkish Pilaf
Like saffron rice, this dish can also be served lukewarm, or even cold. It is a rice dish served on special occasions, such as Friday nights and festivals. Turkey is…
Curried Fish Fillets
This comes from Cochin in southern India, on the Malabar Coast. At one time there were 2 distinct communities, the “black” and the “white,” completely separate from other Indian Jews,…
Bagels (Jewish)
Once described as tasting “like a doughnut dipped in cement,” these rolls were invented by a Polish Jewish baker to celebrate the victory of his King, Jan Sobieski, in the…
Pickled Turnips
These pickles are typically North African. If you see a jar of red pickled turnips in the window of a little cafe in Israel, you can be sure the owner…
Herring Spread with Sour Cream
These herrings can be made with yogurt instead of sour cream if you want a lower-calorie version. Fresh herbs, such as parsley, chervil, or cor-iander, can also be added to…
Matzo Brei
Although Matzo Brei can also be served sweet with sugar and cinnamon, I prefer it as a savory luncheon dish, with plain boiled potatoes.
Cold Borscht
This is another Israeli favorite, and very refreshing in the hot summers of the Middle East. It is one of the few clear soups, although sometimes a few shreds of…
Sweet and Sour Cabbage Soup
Sweet-and-sour flavors are as prevalent in Eastern European Jewish cooking as they are in Chinese. The caraway seeds are also extremely popular; my former husband, who was from Czechoslovakia, ate…
Pharaoh’s Wheel Noodles
This Italian dish symbolizes the passage of the Jews across the Red Sea. The name recalls how the Pharaoh was crushed beneath his chariot wheel. There are several versions of…
Stuffed Neck (Derma)
The neck used in this preparation was once a goose neck, during a time when geese were plentiful. Nowadays, chicken neck skins are used. This is the stuffed neck my…
Fried Gefilte Fish
Molded into long torpedo shapes, the fish is served as an entree. But, however shaped, fried gefilte fish is always eaten cold.
Cheese Blintzes
These cheese pancakes are standard fare for Shavuot. Blintz is a Yiddish word, and these pancakes are traditional among all Ashkenazic Jews.
Chicken Stuffed Quinces
This is a very delicate Persian dish for Sabbath Eve. Rosewater is available in specialty groceries and Middle Eastern shops.