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Cooking
B Y J U D Y B A R T K A N C I G O R
Jewish
652
Great Recipes from the Rabinowitz Family
W O R K M A N P U B L I S H I N G • N E W Y O R K
Copyright © 1999, 2003, 2007 by Judy Bart Kancigor
All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced—mechanically,
electronically, or by any other means, including photocopying—without
written permission of the publisher. Published simultaneously in Canada by
Thomas Allen & Son Limited.
In
Memoriam
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available.
ISBN-13: 978-0-7611-3581-4 (pb)
ISBN-13: 978-0-7611-4452-6 (hc)
In loving memory of
my dad, Jan Bart
Cover and book design by Lisa Hollander My grandparents,
Hinda and Harry
Photographs courtesy of the author, unless otherwise noted with photo
Rabinowitz
and on page 614
Irene Rosenthal
Mac Rosenthal
Workman books are available at special discounts when purchased in bulk for Sally Bower
premiums and sales promotions as well as for fund-raising or educational use. Lou Bower
Special editions or book excerpts can be created to specification. For details, Estelle Robbins
contact the Special Sales Director at the address below. Willy Robbins
Al Robbins
Shirley Robbins
Workman Publishing Company, Inc.
Morris Robbins
225 Varick Street
Sylvia Robbins
New York, NY 10014-4381
Hilda Robbins
www.workman.com
Harold Dubin
Manufactured in the United States of America
First printing July 2007
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
With love and gratitude
to my mother,
Lillian Bart
Every daughter
deserves a mother like you!
i’m so farklempt! your hard work in getting
the design ready for press.
And many thanks to Anne
Kerman for her great photo
ust saying “thank capable hands I entrusted help on the cover and Cathy
you” doesn’t begin to “my baby,” and in return you Dorsey for an astounding
express the overwhelm- shared your wisdom, expe- job on the index.
ing gratitude I feel toward rience, compassion, and If a book is published
the hundreds of people who wit. Thanks for somehow in a forest and no one is
cooked for me, ransacked extracting bursts of creativ- there to get out the word,
their photo albums for me, ity I never knew were in will anybody know about
answered my endless ques- me, and for letting me break it? Workman’s sales team is
tions, and cheered me on one heck of a lot of rules. the best! Many thanks also
(and also humored me Thanks also to Ann ffolliott to my enthusiastic publicity
through my neurotic obses- for your editorial assistance team, especially Ron Longe
sions!) during this four-year and to Helen Rosner, for and Jen Paré Neugeboren. I
adventure of expanding answering every request couldn’t be in better hands!
Melting Pot Memories, my with haste and good cheer. And special thanks to Jim
self-published love letter to Kudos to production editor Eber (blue-eyes) for making
my family, into the book you Irene Demchyshyn and her the shidduch.
have before you. proofing elves whose job it is Some things take a
Thanks first to the to make me look good. To my village, but this cookbook
Workman family—and they copy editor, Kathie Ness, the took the planet! My daily
truly are a family—with most detail-oriented person I contact with the members
Peter Workman, the wise and know, many thanks for sav- of the Jewish Food Mailing
visionary patriarch heading ing me from embarrassment. List (and its offshoot,
this awesome and talented You taught me humility! Rinaslist) was an invaluable
tribe. To be published at all To Lisa Hollander, she resource. With the click of
is a writer’s dream; to be of the perfect eye, for your a mouse, I could lean over
published by Workman is an brilliant design work. You my virtual back fence and
astounding honor. (Steven couldn’t have put more schmooze with over two
Raichlen said it best: “Do heart into this project if it thousand Internet neighbors
you realize, Judy, that you’ve were for your own family. from forty-five countries to
just won the lottery?!!”) And thanks to your able solve culinary crises or ask
To my editor, Suzanne assistants, Lori Malkin, Dave a question about kashrut
Rafer, respected advisor, Riedy, Thea Kennedy, and or Jewish food, cook-
savvy collaborator, and Kat Millerick. Thanks, too, ing history, or traditions.
sensitive friend: Into your to Barbara Peragine for all (And you can too! Go to
VI
www.jewishfood-list.com.) test recipes for me!—but below, I would also like to
The information I gleaned most of all, I treasure the thank Malkie Altman, Wendy
from these generous folks many friendships developed Baker, Ruth Baks, Viviane
could have earned me a with these giving souls that Barzel, Nancy Berry, Dalia
degree over the four years I I’ve never even met. Carmel, Kaye Fox, Carolyn C.
was writing this book—many While the recipe tes- Gilboa, Susan Green, Naomi
of them even volunteered to ters are included in the list Horowitz, Barbara Kaye,
the test of time
With a thousand recipes to test and retest (whittled Vicki Krupp SueAnn Scheck
down over four years to the 532 that follow) I never Marylyn Lamstein Davida Schreiber
could have finished without the help of the many e-mail Anita Lanner Marlene Schwartz-Ehrens
buddies, relatives, and friends (and friends of friends!) Jennifer Lerner Laura Seligman
listed below. I’m blown away by your generosity. Christine Levin Judy Sennesh
Nancy Levinson Judy Shandling
Jessica Levine Levy Barbara Shenson
Deena Abraham Ellen Friedman Cheryl Liebowitz Pnina Shichor
Carolyn Arnold Joan Friedman Jenna Mackoff Joyce Simpson
Elaine Asa Glenda Galvan-Garcia Jodi Orlow Mackoff Valerie Sloane
Sherill Atkins Kim Garden Samantha Mackoff Carla Small
Tracey Barrett Ellen Gardner Elyse Mancy Judy Sobel
Gary Bart Doris Gelman Joyce Marumoto Danielle Solomonic
Karina Ramos Bart Judy Gelman Susan McNeice Suzy Orlow Solomonic
Lillian Bart Corinne Gibbel Cathy Mishra Rachel Stern
Al Benner Maury Gibbel Rene Mosbacher Louise Sussman
Rita Berlin Norene Gilletz Cindy Mushet Barbara Swartz
Carolyn Blackman Dede Ginter Marlene Mutzman Hal Taback
Harriet Botwin Caryn Glasky Shari Nagy Joyce Taback
Robin Kancigor Boyko Diane Globerman Taylor Nagy Raya Tarab
Teresa Bransky Lorraine Gold Helaine Nelson Miriam Van Raalte
Heidi Brown Susan Goldstein Jane Peterson Lainy Vinikow
Sandy Calin Debbie Goldwater Kathy Pettit Michael Weisberg
Betsy Cheek Linda Gomberg Carla Polakowski Beth Weisman
Donna Chessen Dyan Goodman Barbara Queen Judi Weisman
Ian Choset Julie Goodman Jeanette Ramos Joe Werner
Ellyn Clark Linda Gordon Daryl Robbins Terri Pischoff Wuerthner
Babette Cohen Lois Goren Samra Robbins Stacey Wilcox
Brent Cohen Marlene Sorosky Gray Hy Rocklin Ariel Wolf
Fredericka Cohen Lynn Hamlin Trina Ross Michelle Wolf
Leba Cohen Naomi Horowitz Diane Sachs Ronna Wolf
Lilly Kancigor Cohen Jeffrey Janis Betty Sackler Yehudis Zidele
Wendy Altman Cohen Stephanie Kamornick Virginia Sauer Debbie Zimmerman
Sharon Conway Shelly Kancigor
Cindy Cutler Stu Kancigor
Linda Daniels Valerie Kanter and especially Joanne Rocklin and Brad Kancigor,
Susan Daoust Sheilah Kaufman whose families survived on Cooking Jewish experiments
Eliane Driessen Joan Kekst for literally months on end, but most of all to Bill Jonke
Laurence Dubroff Eva Kilgore and Sandy Glazier, who took on recipe testing as if their
Elena Eder Alyse Kirschen very lives depended on it and without whom I never
Monica Engel Barbara Klingsberg would have crossed the finish line.
Peggy Fallon Gloria Kremer
VII
Sharon Kuritsky, Arlene Scores of other guinea Segal at Royal Kedem for
Mathes-Scharf, Marianne pigs lined up to taste and teaching me about kosher
Meisels, Jenni Person, Rina review my many experi- wine.
Perry, Moshe Reuter, Judy ments: The staff and Diane Bukatman of
Rin, Judy Sennesh, Sharon assorted walk-ins at Temple For the Love of Food in
Stein, Judy Sobel, Barbara Beth Tikvah, especially Reisterstown, Maryland, for
Swasser, Julia Thiele, Liliana Miriam Van Raalte, who the crash course on baking.
Wajnberg, and Maxine tried out my recipes on Your hundreds of e-mails
Wolfson for their exper- unwitting attendees of tem- could be a book!
tise and advice—apologies ple Shabbat dinners (they Barbara Shenson, who
if I’ve forgotten anyone!— love Chicken Stupid!); the made a pie-maker out of this
with a special hug to Brian staff at the Placentia Public “not-a-dough person.”
Mailman, owner and modera- Library where my mother Sandy Calin, for pick-
tor of the list, who continues volunteers (they’re partial to ing up where Aunt Sally left
to astound me with his vast sweets . . . any sweets!); off and teaching me to bake
knowledge of cooking and my husband’s cowork- strudel.
kashrut. ers, the gang at Hawkeye Pnina Shichor, for the
Thanks to the scores Development (can’t get sufganiyot lessons . . . in
of friends, acquaintances, enough of that Chocolate your office yet!
and even strangers who Chip Mandelbrot); Pnina Fred Hyde at Poul’s
allowed me to turn every Shichor, Elaine Asa, and Bakery in Tustin, California,
party, gathering, chavurah the crew at Bound to Travel for enabling me to resurrect
meeting, or temple function (they inhaled the Layered Mama Hinda’s challah.
I attended during the four Hummus and Eggplant), and Natalie Haughton, food
years I worked on this book my neighbors, the Bartletts, editor of the L.A. Daily
into a recipe-testing event. Bergrens, and Jan Swett News, for the oo’s and ah’s
You welcomed my offerings, (they like it all!). I get each Passover for my
whether they matched your knock-their-socks-off pre-
i learned from
menu or not (doesn’t every- sentation (her idea) of my
one eat Pesach in July?), the best Apple Matzoh Schalat.
and you and your guests Norman Kolpas for your
enthusiastically filled out my hanks to: Robert Schueller encouragement. You really
questionnaires, adding use- at Melissa’s/World Variety get it!
ful critiques. Special thanks Produce, a walking encyclo- Gershon Padwa, Yehudis
to Judi Weisman for orga- pedia on anything that grows Zidele at Kof-K, Arlene
nizing a testing party at her anywhere. Mathes-Scharf at www
condominium’s clubhouse Miriam Morgenstern of .kashrut.com, and Rabbi
for forty-five people. Wine Spectator and Eitan Eliezer Eidlitz at www
VIII
.kosherquest.org for keep- my tzayna (teeth) over the the one that begins “STOP
ing me kosher. Yiddish language. THE INSANITY!”). Without
Lisa Ekus, media trainer Joanne Rocklin for sug- you I would have written this
extraordinaire, for readying gesting that I too could write book from a padded cell.
me for my close-up with flair. and inspiring me to find my Boundless gratitude and
Joyce Marumoto and voice. love to Cathy Thomas, my
Taji Marie for bringing my Raghavan Iyer, for your editor at The Orange County
act to Sur La Table. shoulders to lean on and Register and cherished
Rabbi Haim and Elaine knees to knock against. friend, who took a chance
Asa, friends and advisors for And to Peggy Fallon, on me, with no experience
thirty-five years, for translat- for keeping what passes for or training, and handed
ing the Hebrew street map my sanity. Your hilarious me a food-writing career.
and answering a gazillion e-mails are posted on my Your evocative descriptions
questions. bulletin board (especially of taste, sight, and smell are
Steve Rabinowitz (no
relation), Barbara Musikar,
Gertrude Ogushwitz, and Zvi author, author
Shefat, fellow “Slonimers,”
for providing information
about Mama and Papa’s
Each author I’ve interviewed for my column and articles has taught
birthplace.
me something about cooking or Judaism, everything from melting
Harvey Liss for produc-
chocolate to the strictures of Passover. Thanks, especially, to the
ing my first website and following for your generous help: Tamar Ansh, Rose Levy Beranbaum,
coining the name Cooking Lora Brody, Penny Eisenberg, Peggy Fallon, Susie Fishbein, Gale Gand,
Jewish. Who knew? Norene Gilletz, Miriyam Glazer, Maggie Glezer, Marcy Goldman, Joyce
Barry Kancigor, Brad Goldstein, Marlene Sorosky Gray, Raghavan Iyer, Sheilah Kaufman,
Joan Kekst, Levana Kirschenbaum, Elinor Klivans, Alice Medrich, Kitty
Kancigor, Ira Nelson, and
Morse, Cindy Mushet, Joan Nathan, Terri Pischoff Wuerthner, Amelia
Warren Ernst, my able tech
Saltzman, Judy Zeidler, and Zell Schulman.
support team.
Special thanks to Jennifer Abadi, my Sephardic cooking expert,
Helaine Nelson, the
for my hands-on lesson in borekas, filas, and baklava; to Faye Levy:
first one I turn to, since high Who woulda thunk that after you wrote 1,000 Jewish Recipes anyone
school, to find a word, check could possibly still have questions, but you were always there to answer
punctuation or grammar, or every one of mine; to Gil Marks, rabbi, historian, and chef, for your
for an objective opinion. inexhaustible knowledge of Jewish law and holiday origins.
And to Sharon Boorstin, author of Let Us Eat Cake and Cookin’
Edith Goodman and
for Love, for convincing the powers-that-be at IACP that I belonged on
Ann Nanes, I thank you, and
a panel with you and Ruth Reichl. Thanks, Sharon, for your friendship
my dentist thanks you, for
and for opening the door!
keeping me from breaking
IX
