A Taste of Jewish LA – High Holiday Recipes from JFEDLA
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The Jewish Federation Los Angeles knows that Jewish connections are made at the kitchen table. Recipes handed down from generation to generation, or even those that were dreamed up last week, create dishes that bind us together, placing a “Jewish food” in a time with friends and family as we celebrate holidays or just a nosh.
Every time you cook, you keep our heritage alive. From matzah ball soup to koofteh tabrizi, from tabouleh to tamales to the brisket your grandma made, your kitchen tells our story.
At JLiving, we had the opportunity to virtually peek behind the scenes to see some of the recipe submissions that will later be turned into a Jewish community cookbook. JFEDLA has allowed us to print some High Holiday recipe submissions to both inspire our readers for our Holiday tables, and to spread the news for others to submit their favorite family recipes.
JFEDLA says, “For generations, Jewish food has revealed who we are, where we’ve been, and who we’ve become. We want to see what Jewish food feels like in your L.A.”
Every Rosh Hashana since I spotted a beautiful beehive cast-iron cake mold by entertaining guru Martha Stewart, the Mutchnik Beehive Honeycake has welcomed the new year. The recipe is a Jewish honey-cake version that is rich with coffee and spices.
If without a mixer, I’ve whipped the egg whites stiff by hand, and one year a family birthday fell on Rosh Hashana, so we popped a candle atop. Like any high-stakes recipe one makes but once a year, there’s always a moment to gather up confidence and review each of the many steps and ingredients. Some years it’s a bit sweeter, other years more allspice, or maybe a bit fluffier or denser, but never has the cake failed to delight and represent a warm, beautiful effort to launch the sweet year ahead.
Ingredients
3/4 cup butter, plus more for mold
3 1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons sifted cake flour, plus more for mold (can be gluten free or almond flour combo)
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons ginger
1 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon cloves
1 1/4 cups light brown honey
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract 1 cup strong black coffee
1/2 cup milk
6 large egg whites
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
This recipe uses a cast beehive mold, made in two halves and assembled into a round beehive, with glaze, honey drips and optional handmade marzipan bees.
Directions
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place rack in center of oven. Using pastry brush, coat both sides of mold with butter, making sure to cover all areas. Dust mold with flour, tap out excess, and place mold in freezer until ready to fill.
Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar. Gradually drizzle in the honey and continue to beat until very light and fluffy. Add the vanilla. Alternatively, add the flour mixture, then the coffee/ milk liquid, beginning and ending with the flour. Transfer to a large mixing bowl. This is a good stage to taste the batter for sweet/salt/spice balance. In the bowl of electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the egg whites and cream of tartar into stiff, glossy peaks. Fold egg whites gently into cake batter.
Pour batter evenly into prepared molds. Place molds onto a baking sheet pan; bake for 40 minutes. Cover with foil to prevent burning edges. Continue baking 15 to 20 minutes more, or until a toothpick or cake tester comes out clean from the center. Transfer molds to a wire rack to cool 15-20 minutes. Turn out cakes, carefully supporting with your hand. Place cakes face down on wire rack to cool completely. Once cool, wrap in plastic and chill for at least an hour or overnight before assembly.
Honey Caramel Glaze — make when needed for assembly
2/3 cup honey
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/3 cup butter, melted
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
In a small saucepan, bring honey, sugar and butter to boil; stir until sugar dissolves. Add vanilla; remove from heat. Cool for 1 minute, then use immediately.
Sugar Glaze for “Honey Drips” — make when needed after honey glazing
1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
In a small saucepan, bring 1/4 cup water to boil. Add the sugar and stir until dissolved. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 1 minute and use immediately.
To assemble the cake, which is a showstopper, first trim the flat sides of the cake halves with a serrated knife so that each is level. Align the two halves to make sure they are flush and will fit together with the honey glaze “glue.” Brush a coat of honey glaze over each flat side and then gently press the two halves together. Let set for 5 minutes. Using a spatula, carefully transfer the whole beehive to a wire rack that is set over a baking sheet.
Spoon the warm honey glaze over the entire round of the cake until it is completely covered and shiny. The excess will drip through the wire rack onto the baking sheet for easy cleaning. While the honey glaze sets, prepare the sugar glaze. Spoon half the sugar glaze over the cake so it drizzles down the sides. The sugar glaze should look white, not clear, as it dries. Can be made a day or two ahead. Slice from top to bottom with a serrated knife into narrow slices.
Leslie’s Sweet Noodle Kugel
Submitted by Leslie Wright
This was a favorite recipe from my mother’s side of the family, passed down by my Grandma Jenny to my mom and then to me and my sister. It’s very light and flavorful and NOT too sweet — just right! The crispy topping adds a special touch. And even though I’ve now coined it as my own, it always brings back wonderful memories of family dinners, especially at Rosh Hashanah. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.
Ingredients
16-18 ounces extra wide egg noodles
4-5 large eggs 16 ounces sour cream
16 ounces cottage cheese
1/3 cup light brown sugar
3/4 cup golden raisins
6 ounces unsalted butter, cut into pieces
Grated zest of 1/2 lemon
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup (or more) coarsely crushed cornflakes
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Directions
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Boil noodles (following package directions) until tender. Pour into strainer, rinse with cold water and drain well. In a large bowl, mix together the beaten eggs, sugar, sour cream, cottage cheese, lemon zest and cinnamon. Fold in noodles until well mixed. Add golden raisins and salt and pepper to taste. Pour mixture into a buttered 9-inch x 13-inch glass pan. Sprinkle cornflake crumbs on top. Bake for 50-55 minutes or until the top is golden brown but not burned. Remove from oven and cool for 30 minutes before cutting and serving.
Aunt Sarah’s Potato Knishes
Submitted by Michele Brown
Every year during the High Holidays, beautiful boxes of homemade knishes would arrive from my Aunt Sarah. Some were filled with potatoes, others with rice and cheese. And of course, there were those stuffed with kasha. Potatoes were my favorite. I brought this recipe with me as I moved from Buffalo, New York, to Boca Raton, Florida, and now it’s with me in Los Angeles, where my children live. I hope to pass the tradition on to my children, nieces and nephews to experience the delight of home – made knishes.
Ingredients
5-6 cups all-purpose flour
2 packages dry yeast
1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 eggs
3 tablespoons sour cream
Directions
Combine 2 cups flour and yeast in a 1-quart saucepan. In a separate saucepan, combine the milk, butter, sugar and salt. Heat until warm (120-130 degrees). Add the mixture to the flour mixture. Add eggs and beat 1 minute at low speed, then 3 more minutes at high speed. Add about 1 cup more of flour and sour cream. Beat in enough remaining flour to make a soft dough.
Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 5-10 minutes. Place in a buttered bowl, turning once to butter the top. Cover bowl and let rise on rack over hot water until dou – bled in size (about 40-60 minutes). Dough is then ready to be shaped. This makes about 60-80 knishes, depending on size. For 60 knishes that are about 3 inches each, you’ll want roughly 12 pounds of potatoes (raw weight) for the filling. That yields a hearty but not overstuffed knish. Adjust to your taste.
Potato Filling for 60 Knishes (3-inch)
12 pounds russet or Yukon Gold potatoes (about 16-18 medium/large)
2 1/2 cups finely diced onions (about 3 large)
1/2 cup vegetable oil (or schmaltz for traditional flavor)
4-5 teaspoons kosher salt (adjust to taste)
1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
Optional: 4 large eggs, lightly beaten (makes filling creamier and helps it hold together) Optional flavor boosts: sautéed mushrooms, caramelized onions, fresh dill, garlic powder
Boil potatoes: Peel, cube and boil potatoes in salted water until ten – der. Drain well.
Sauté onions: In a skillet, cook onions in oil over medium-low heat until golden and sweet (about 15-20 minutes).
Mash and combine: Mash potatoes while still warm. Stir in onions (with oil), salt, pepper and optional seasonings. Taste and adjust. Add eggs (optional): Stir in beaten eggs once mixture has cooled slightly so they don’t scramble. This filling will be smooth, flavorful and spread – able, perfect for stuffing dough for knishes. Filling should be cool when assembling knishes.
Step-by-Step Rolling
Divide and rest: After mixing your dough, divide into 6 equal por – tions. Cover with plastic or a towel and let rest 20-30 minutes (it makes rolling easier). Work 1 piece at a time. Lightly flour your counter. Roll a piece into a long rectangle, about 6-7 inches wide x 24-30 inches long. Thickness: Aim for 1/8 to 1/4 inch (too thin = breaks, too thick = doughy knish).
Fill and roll: Spoon a long log of filling (about 1 1/2 to 2 inches wide) along the long edge. Roll up like a jelly roll, keeping it snug but not tight. Seal the seam by pinching or brushing with a little water. Place seam-side down.
Cut and shape: Cut the long roll into 3-inch sections, about 10 knishes per roll. Pinch/tuck ends under for round knishes or leave open for square ones. Repeat with the other 5 portions of dough until all 60 are shaped.
Baking
Place knishes on parchment-lined trays (12 per sheet is typical). Brush with egg wash. Bake at 375 degrees for 35-40 minutes, rotating trays halfway.
Sweet and Sour Meatballs
Submitted by Ronna Spiegel
My grandmother made this for all our special events and always for Rosh Hashanah. It’s still a family favorite after all these years!
Ingredients
16 ounces jellied cranberry sauce (the cans are now 14.5 oz,
which is fine)
12 ounces chili sauce (Heinz)
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Meatballs
2 pounds ground beef
1/2 cup cornflake crumbs
2 eggs
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/3 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons dried chopped onion
Directions
Combine cranberry sauce, chili sauce, brown sugar and lemon juice in a pot and cook over low heat for 20-25 minutes.
For the meatballs, combine the ground beef, cornflake crumbs, eggs, soy sauce, pepper, garlic powder, ketchup and dried onion into a bowl and mix thoroughly. Form the mixture into 1 1/2-inch balls. Bake at 350 degrees uncovered for 30 minutes. Add the meatballs into the sauce to finish cooking and to coat.
