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December 11, 2009
Dessert integral for holidays
Goldman's classic finds new life in its 10th anniversary edition.
CYNTHIA RAMSAY
For people who love to bake and cook, the 10th anniversary edition of A Treasury of Jewish Holiday Baking (Whitecap Books, 2009) by professional Montreal pastry chef and BetterBaking.com creator Marcy Goldman is a must-have. For people less familiar with the kitchen, or those who know their way around the kitchen but not Jewish traditions relating to food, Treasury will enlighten, entertain and, of course, result in many tasty treats, both sweet and savory.
Nominated for a Julia Child Cookbook Award, Treasury is an extensive collection of easy-to-follow, proven recipes for all the major Jewish holidays, including Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Passover and Shavuot. There are recipes for Shabbat challah, Rosh Hashanah honey cake, Chanukah latkes and cakes and hamantashen for Purim. There is also a lot of information about Jewish customs, including kashrut.
The anniversary edition features an additional chapter of what Goldman classifies as her "best" holiday cooking recipes. They include Traditional Noodle Kugel, Now-Famous Sweet and Sour Meatballs, Classic Sabbath Cholent and Passover Morning Matzoh Brei, as well as recipes for chicken soup, brisket and other traditional (in many homes) holiday meals. Finally, Treasury has a chapter about various ingredients and how to use them in baking and cooking, as well as a discussion of the best types of cookware, bakeware, appliances and gadgets to use.
Goldman's style is straightforward and understandable, and her love of cooking and baking comes through in the nicely designed, color-photo-filled cookbook. Here are just a few of the recipes that would make your Chanukah a little tastier.
OLD-FASHIONED MUSHROOM, BEAN AND BARLEY SOUP
Some people add flanken (pieces of lean beef) as the soup simmers, but Goldman prefers the soup meat-free. She also notes that, while the beans could be left out, they add vitamins and heft to the broth. Finally, she writes that a quicker version of the soup would be to not sauté the vegetables, but to put them all in the pot at once, simmering until the barley and beans soften, then adding the butter (margarine or oil) at the end.
1 (1-ounce) package dried mushrooms
3 tbsp. unsalted butter, margarine or canola oil
4 cups fresh mushrooms, finely sliced
1 small rib celery, finely chopped
1 medium carrot, very finely chopped
1 medium onion, very finely chopped
1 small garlic clove, finely minced
12 cups of water, or beef or chicken stock
2/3 cup pearl barley
1/2 cup dried lima or navy beans
1/4 cup dried yellow split peas
2 tbsp. fresh parsley, finely minced
1 tsp. onion powder
2 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. salt, or more to taste
1/8-1/4 tsp. pepper
1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
Place the dried mushrooms in a small bowl and cover with a bit of streaming-hot water (or some stock) to cover. Let stand for 20 minutes. Strain, reserving the liquid. Remove the mushrooms and chop them finely.
Meanwhile, in a heavy-bottomed six-quart stockpot, heat the butter or oil over low heat and sauté the fresh mushrooms until slightly softened, stirring often, about five to eight minutes. If the mushrooms stick, add in a touch more oil and a few tablespoons of water to enable them to sauté and not scorch. Add the celery, carrot and onion and continue to cook to soften (but not brown), stirring often. Stir in the garlic and cook briefly. Add the reserved mushroom soaking liquid and chopped dried mushrooms along with the 12 cups of water or stock, barley, beans, split peas, parsley, onion powder, paprika, salt and pepper. Stir in the lemon juice.
Bring to a gentle bubble, then immediately lower the heat and let the soup simmer for 90 minutes, or until the beans and barley are softened, stirring every so often to make sure nothing sticks to the bottom of the pot. You may have to add a little extra water as the soup simmers if the barley and beans absorb too much of the stock. The pot can be moved a little off the burner to ensure it keeps cooking but doesn't scorch; this is especially recommended for a gas range.
When the beans and barley are totally softened, adjust the seasonings. If you like, you can purée half the soup so that you have a hearty, thick broth with just enough chunkier bits for visual interest. This soup keeps for a few days in the refrigerator and also freezes well. When reheating, heat it slowly, drizzling in some water to loosen the soup (bean and barley soups do thicken once they are refrigerated).
Serves six to eight.
KIDS CHANUKAH COOKIES
Why not provide the kids with a batch of their own cookie dough and cutters? An all-butter dough can get too much of a workout when juvenile bakers take over. This buttery-tasting dough is "kid-proof" – strong but tender of crumb. If you require a dairy-free cookie, use all-vegetable shortening and orange juice or water instead of the milk.
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
2 drops each of lemon, orange and almond extract
4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. baking powder
1/4 cup half and half, milk or water
Topping:
1-2 egg whites, lightly beaten
Sugar or colored sprinkles
In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and shortening with the sugar. Blend in the eggs, vanilla and three extracts. Fold in the flour, salt and baking powder and mix, adding the half and half gradually, to make a firm but rollable dough. Chill the dough for 10 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line two large cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Roll the dough out about 1/4-inch thick and cut it into rounds or, if you have them, use Chanukah cookie cutters to make the holiday shapes. Brush the cookies with the beaten egg white and sprinkle with sugar (regular or coarse, plain or colored) or colored sprinkles. Leave the cookies plain if you will be icing them after baking. Bake on the prepared sheets until golden brown, 15 to 18 minutes.
Makes three to four dozen.
SHABBAT MANDARIN MARBLE LOAF
Chocolate paste:
4 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
3 tbsp. warm vegetable oil
Cake:
1 cup vegetable oil
2 1/4 cups sugar
5 eggs
4 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 cup water
1 cup undiluted frozen orange juice, defrosted (see variations)
Zest of 1 orange, finely minced
4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
3 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup finely grated semi-sweet chocolate or miniature chocolate chips
Orange glaze/topping:
1 cup confectioners' sugar
4-6 tbsp. orange juice
Long shreds of orange zest (optional)
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Generously grease a 10-inch tube or angel cake pan, a 12-cup Bundt pan or two nine-by- five-inch loaf pans. Line the bottom of the pan(s) with parchment paper.
Prepare the chocolate paste by placing the cocoa and oil in a small bowl and blending well. Add a drop or more of oil if the mixture appears too stiff or thick to stir or blend easily.
For the cake, in a large bowl, blend the oil with the sugar until light and fluffy, scraping the bowl often. Blend in the eggs and stir in the vanilla, water, orange juice and zest.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add to the wet ingredients.
Remove one-third of the batter to a smaller bowl. Stir the chocolate paste into this to make a chocolate batter and add to this the grated chocolate or miniature chocolate chips. Spoon alternating portions of white and chocolate batter into the prepared pan(s). You can do this with a spatula or a soup spoon. It doesn't really matter how you place the batter in the pan(s), as it works out in the baking.
Bake the large cake for 55-60 minutes, smaller cakes for 35-40 minutes. The cake should be lightly browned on top, perhaps slightly cracked, and spring back when lightly pressed. Cool in the pan for 15-20 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack. Then either dust with confectioners' sugar or glaze.
For the glaze, stir together the confectioners' sugar and orange juice to make a thick but pourable sauce. Drizzle this over top of the cooled cake. Garnish with long shreds of orange zest, if desired.
Makes 10 to 12 servings.
Variations
For Vanilla Marble Cake, omit the orange zest. Substitute two to four tablespoons of water for the orange juice and glaze with water combined with one teaspoon vanilla extract.
For Mild Mandarin Marble Cake, use one cup regular, unconstituted orange juice, or fresh rather than concentrated.
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