Beef and Potato Sofrito, a recpe by the Bard of Bat Yam(#BardOfBatYam), Poet Laureate Of Zio (#PoetLaureateOfZion) and Stephen Darori

For Sephardic Jews who descend from the Balkans, this casserole evokes memories of Friday-night dinners. The term sofrito does not refer to a specific dish but rather to a technique: First, potatoes are briefly deep-fried and then added to a pot where beef or chicken has been slowly braising. The result is a golden-brown pot roast with meltingly tender meat and potatoes that have retained their shape despite the lengthy cooking.

Apparently not just Sephardic Jews yearn for food cooked this way. For many years, I have been trying to re-create my grandmother Rosa's zharkoye ("pot roast" in Russian). I prepared a few recipes by the same name, but none came close, until I made a sofrito. It had that juicy yet crispy texture and the deep flavors I was looking for. Rosa was a native of Bessarabia (a province of Romania), and her cooking, though formally Ashkenazi, was strongly influenced by the Balkans. Who knows? Perhaps it was sofrito I was looking for all these years.
Note: Authentic sofrito calls for deep-frying the potatoes, but I found that roasting them produces almost identical results with much less oil involved.

Ingredients

1/3-cup vegetable oil
2 pounds stewing beef, such as chuck or brisket, sliced or cut into 1-inch cubes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Dash of ground turmeric or sweet paprika
1 head garlic, halved
½ cup boiling water, or more if needed
10 red or Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into wedges

Directions

Heat half of the oil in a large heavy pot or casserole over medium-high heat. Add the meat and brown on all sides. Season with salt, pepper, and turmeric.
Add the garlic and boiling water, cover with a tight-fitting lid, reduce the heat to the minimum, and cook for 2 hours. Add a bit of water if the liquid in the pot dries out. The idea is to cook the dish in as little liquid as possible.
While the meat is cooking, preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
Arrange the potato wedges on a baking sheet, drizzle with the remaining oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Roast for 15 minutes, until the potatoes are golden and crisp on the out¬side and partially cooked inside.
Add the potato wedges to the pot with the meat (after it has cooked for about 2 hours). Cover and simmer on the lowest heat for another hour.

Notes

Variations
• Chicken Sofrito Substitute 10 chicken thighs and/or drumsticks for the beef.
• Substitute the same amount of unpeeled fingerlings or other very small potatoes for the potato wedges.
• Add 6 to 8 very small, whole peeled onions together with the meat.
• Add 2 teaspoons baharat spice mix (see page 150) with the salt and pepper.
• As a homage to my grandmother's zharkoye, I sometimes add 10 to 12 prunes to the casserole along with the liquids.
Serves about 6-8

Easy Pesachdik Cakes , recipes by the Bard of Bat Yam ( #BardofBatYam) , Poet Laureate of Zion(#PoetLaureate of Zion) and Stephen Darori (#stephendarori, #stephendrus)

Passover, with its flour ban, creates difficulties for even the most adept of bakers, and many people crave inspiration. Here is a traditional cake, along with some new tempting variations.


Ingredients


9 tablespoons Passover margarine or butter
2/3 cup superfine sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla sugar
4 eggs
2/3 cup cake meal
2/3 cup potato flour (potato starch)
1 1/2 teaspoons Passover baking powder
pinch of salt
3 tablespoons milk or water
6-8 tablespoons jam of your choice
superfine sugar, for dusting


Directions


Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a 7-inch round cake pan with parchment paper.

In a mixing bowl, cream the margarine or butter with the sugars until light and fluffy. Separate the eggs and beat in the yolks only. Sift in the cake meal, potato flour, and baking powder, and fold in carefully. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites with a pinch of salt until soft peaks form. Add a spoonful of the egg white to the cake batter and mix in thoroughly. Now fold in the rest of the eggs whites, taking care not to knock out any air. Spoon the mixture into your prepared pan and bake for 35-40 minutes until risen and golden.

After the cake has cooled, slice in half horizontally and spread the bottom half with jam. Replace the top half and sprinkle superfine sugar over the top.


Variations


Coffee and walnut cake (pictured): Add 2 tablespoons instant coffee dissolved in 1-tablespoon hot water and 3/4 cup chopped walnuts. Fold in before you add the egg whites. For coffee frosting combine 2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar with 1 1/2-2 tablespoons strong black coffee. Beat well and pour over the cake. Decorate with extra walnuts.

Lemon/orange and vanilla cake: Add the grated zest of 1 lemon or orange and 1-tablespoon vanilla sugar. Cream with the margarine and sugar.

Fruit cake: Soak 1 cup mixed dried fruit in the juice of 1 orange or lemon until plump. Add with the egg yolks.

Carrot cake: Add 1 1/2 cups grated carrot, the zest of 1 orange, and the juice of 1/2 lemon. Add with the egg yolks.

Almond cake: Add 2 drops of almond extract. Cream with the margarine and sugar. Sprinkle the top with 1 cup sliced almonds before baking.

Lemon drizzle cake: Add the grated zest of 1 lemon. Cream with the margarine and sugar. Combine 1/4 cup lemon juice with 2/3 cup sugar and pour over the cake when it is out of the oven.

Chocolate cake: Melt 6 oz. Passover chocolate and fold in before adding the egg whites.

Cinnamon apple cake: Spread the cake mixture into a lined jelly-roll-style pan. Top with 3 1/2 cups (1 lb.) peeled and sliced apples. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup superfine sugar, and dust with 1 heaping teaspoon ground cinnamon. Bake and then cut into squares. Serve with Kosher non-dairy whipped cream.

Bobba Sarah Kaplan Drus's Gefilte Fish , edited and updated by her grandson, the Bard of Bat Yam (#BardOfBatYam), Poet Laureate of Zion (#PoetLaureateOfZion) and Stephen Darori

Making gefilte fish is a challenge. My mother made it − my grandmother made it − and I had to make it. In order to become a real Balabusta (woman of the house) I had to prove myself in the kitchen. Challah, chicken soup, and gefilte fish had to be made. Once they were tried and successful - you knew that you were on the way to becoming a Balabusta. The first time I made it -- I was so proud.


Ingredients:

2 carrots
1 large onion
1/2 cup water
1 raw egg
1/2 cup matzo meal
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp pepper
2 1/4 pounds fresh ground fish -- either carp or a mixture of carp, white fish and/or pike. The fishes can be mixed. Nile perch is a new addition to our list of fishes. Nile perch is used alone.


Directions:

Grind together all the Ingredients, and then mix in the ground fish. At this point the fish may be formed into logs -- approx 3" wide and 12" long - wrapped tightly into tin foil for freezing. Frozen fish may be cooked in the log form. It is easy to slice for individual servings. Or, ovals about the size of a pear can be formed. Drop them into boiling sauce and allow them to cook slowly for 2 hours. Let cool before removing the fish balls from the sauce.


Cooking Sauce for Gefilte Fish

4 cups water
4 carrots
3 onions
1 Tbsp salt & 1 tsp pepper
2 Tbsp sugar
fish bones and heads


Bring to a boil and add the fish balls or logs.


Serve with Horseradish on a bed of lettuce. A slice of the cooked carrot adds color to the dish.

Chocolate Covered Matzo Toffee , a recipe by the Bard of Bat Yam (#BardOfBatYam) , Poet Laureate of Zion (#PoetLaureaeOfZion) and Stephen Darori (#stephendarori,#stephendarori)

Ingredients

4 boards of unsalted matzo
1 cup unsalted butter
1-cup brown sugar, well-packed
12 oz. semi-sweet chocolate
1 cup chopped, toasted nuts such as walnuts or almonds (optional)

Directions

Line two baking sheet with parchment paper and arrange two of the matzo boards on each sheet.
In a heavy-bottomed, three-quart saucepan, combine the butter and brown sugar and bring to a boil over medium heat stirring constantly to prevent scorching.
Simmer the mixture for 3 minutes or until it reaches 240 degrees.
Carefully ladle the toffee over the matzo boards and spread with a spatula.
Transfer the baking sheets to the refrigerator and chill until the toffee is firm, at least ten minutes.
Meanwhile, melt the chocolate in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over extremely low heat or using a double boiler or in the microwave. (Be careful not to burn!)
Ladle the melted chocolate over the toffee-covered matzo and spread into an even layer with an offset spatula.
Sprinkle the chopped nuts or other toppings, if using, on top of the still warm chocolate.
Transfer the baking sheets back to the refrigerator and chill until the chocolate is hardened.
To serve break into pieces... Caution- Addictive!

Serves about 8

Sarah Kaplan Drus's Whole Wheat Spinach Matzah Balls , updated and edited by her grandson , the Bard of Bat Yam (#BardOfBatYam) , Poet Laureate Of Zion ( #PoetLaureateOfZion) and Stephen Darori (#stephendarori, #stepehendrus)

Sarah Kaplan Drus was the the founder of the Socialist Poalei Zion Movement in Cape Town in 1921 and a founding member of the South African Communist Party. Following the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact in August 1939, Poalei Zion split from the South African Communist Party and became the Bnoth Zion which is today the largest Jewish Women's Organisation in South Africa. The primary activity of this organisation remains running free creches and nursery schools for Blacks and Coloureds in and around Cape Town, Soweto and Alexandra, some of which are in the same location as those started by Poalei Zion in the 1920s. Ethel Drus , her daughter was a key member of the Committee of 12 , Mandela , Matthews and Tambo + 9 Jewish Academics and Lawyers that drafted the Freedom Charter 

Makes 12

Ingredients

2 eggs and 2 egg whites
1 ¼ tsp. coarse kosher salt
½ tsp. ground black pepper
1 10-oz. package frozen
chopped spinach, thawed
2 tbsp. oil
2 tbsp. seltzer
½ cup whole wheat matzah meal
½ cup regular matzah meal

Directions
Process spinach in a food processor (you can skip this, but it won’t look as nice), then add in eggs, egg whites, salt, pepper, oil and seltzer and pulse a few more times to combine. Pour into a bowl and mix in matzah meal. Cover and chill for at least one hour or overnight; the longer it sits the fluffier it will be.

Bring large pot of generously salted water to boil. Using wet hands, shape matzah mixture into 16 balls; drop into boiling water. Reduce heat to low, cover pot, and simmer until tender, about 45 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer matzah balls to the soup.

Sarah Kaplan Drus's Lithuanian Beef-Stuffed Matzah Balls , updated and edited by her grandson, the Bard of Bat Yam(#BardOfBatYam) , Poet Laureate Of Zion (#PoetLaureateOf Zion ) and Stephen Darori (#stephendrus,

Sarah Kaplan Drus was the the founder of the Socialist Poalei Zion Movement in Cape Town in 1921 and a founding member of the South African Communist Party. Following the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact in August 1939, Poalei Zion split from the South African Communist Party and became the Bnoth Zion which is today the largest Jewish Women's Organisation in South Africa. The primary activity of this organisation remains running free creches and nursery schools for Blacks and Coloureds in and around Cape Town, Soweto and Alexandra, some of which are in the same location as those started by Poalei Zion in the 1920s. Ethel Drus , her daughter was a key member of the Committee of 12 , Mandela , Matthews and Tambo + 9 Jewish Academics and Lawyers that drafted the Freedom Charter 

– Makes 8-10

Filling:
¼ pound ground beef
1 tbsp. vegetable oil
2 large egg yolks
2 tbsp. softened chicken fat
or margarine
2 tbsp. matzah meal, approximately
pinch of salt
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
Matzah Balls:
2 large eggs
2 cups water
10 tsp. chicken fat or margarine
plus more for greasing pan
1 ¼ cups matzah meal
1 tsp. salt
3 quarts rapidly boiling salted water
2 tsp. cinnamon

Directions
For the filling, heat the oil in a medium skillet and sauté the beef until brown. Drain and cool and then mix with the egg yolks, chicken fat, matzah meal, salt and cinnamon. Refrigerate at least one hour.

For the matzah balls, begin by beating the eggs well in a bowl. Add the water and chicken fat and mix well. Add the matzah meal and salt to make a soft mass. Refrigerate at least one hour.

Divide the matzah meal mixture in to 8 to 10 balls of equal size. Flatten them and place a teaspoon of the filling in the center of each, before pinching the edges together to form balls.
Place the matzah balls in to the boiling water, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400 F. Drain the matzah balls and place in a pan greased with the remaining chicken fat and sprinkle with cinnamon. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until lightly browned. Serve each matzah ball in a bowl with chicken soup.

Vienna Apple-Stuffed Dessert Dumplings, a recipe by the Bard of Bat Yam (#BardOfBatYam) , Poet Laureate Of Zion (#PoetLaureateOfZion) and Stephen Darori

 Makes 12

Filling:

1 medium-sized apple, peeled, cored and grated
3 tbsp. coarsely chopped almonds
2 tbsp. sugar
½ tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. grated lemon zest


Matzah Balls

3 squares of water matzah
3 large eggs
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
¼ cup finely chopped almonds
grated zest of one lemon
1 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. softened chicken fat,
butter or margarine
3-4 tbsp. matzah meal
vegetable oil for deep frying
¼ teaspoon cinnamon

Directions
For the filling: Combine the apple, almonds, sugar, cinnamon and lemon zest in a bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

For the matzah balls: Crumble the matzah and soak in warm water until soft. Drain and squeeze out the matzah as well as possible.

Combine the matzah with the eggs, 1/4 cup of the sugar, almonds, lemon zest, salt, chicken fat and matzah meal in a bowl. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Form the matzah mixture in to walnut-sized balls. Flatten them and place a teaspoon of filling in the center of each ball, then close the ball up and pinch to seal around the filling.
In a heavy frying pan, heat two inches of oil to about 375 F. Fry the dumplings several at a time, turning after a minute or so, until they’re golden brown.

Remove to a paper towel to drain.
Mix the remaining two tablespoons of sugar and cinnamon together and roll the balls in the mixture. Serve immediately.