Zelda

I consider myself to be "Jew-ish," a reflection of the fact that though an atheist, I was raised Jewish and still identify culturally as a Jew. The food, the names, the traditions - it's all a part of me, in spite of being a hybrid by blood.

A year or so ago I started cooking for family gatherings. It began with an innocent offer to provide a side course for Rosh Hashana. I roasted up some root vegetables and expected little-to-no fanfare. The result, however, was quite the opposite. "Delicious!" "I can't believe how good this is!" "Can I have the recipe?" I was shocked ... and hooked.

After the root vegetables were such a hit, my attempt at dessert met with a much lesser degree of success. (Who knew that macaroons - which require a grand total of 4 ingredients - could be so finicky?!) Kugel, however - an entree/dessert hybrid - has always been good to me. The recipe I use is by Kraft (yes, Kraft). It turns out beautifully every time, albeit using less vanilla than listed.

And finally, the pièce de résistance, the Holy Grail of Jewish cuisine: beef brisket.

Growing up, the brisket was always provided by my late Great Aunt Zelda. I'm not even sure I was aware of what I was eating at such a young age, but it didn't matter. What I knew was that it was delicious, and unlike anything else I had ever eaten. The smell is beyond comforting - it's right up there with the cookouts on her screened-in back porch: boiled corn and hamburger patties with onion bits mixed in to keep them moist. After eating, we'd stroll down to the Barrington beach at the bottom of the hill to collect shells and sea glass, making sure not to let the cat out the front door. I miss those days.

When I offered to make brisket for Passover this year, I don't know what I was thinking. I had done a test run of Ina Garten's recipe a few months prior when preparing a Jewish meal for Matt's very Protestant family over Christmas break. Even though they had never had anything like it, they loved it, which I figured was either a really good sign or a terrible indication of its authenticity. Despite my doubts, I decided to go for it ... and it turned out great.

ROASTED ROOT VEGETABLES (original recipe)

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In a 9" X 13" oven safe baking dish, arrange similarly-sized chunks of your favorite root vegetables in a single layer. I like to use carrots, parsnips, sweet potatoes, turnips, and onions, and beets. I've used whole cloves of garlic as well, though it's just as effective to sprinkle some garlic powder over the top.

Drizzle with olive oil and dust with your favorite spices and/or dried herbs. You can use whatever you'd like: paprika, cumin, rosemary, sage, thyme, parsley, etc. Season liberally with salt and pepper, then give everything a good toss and place in a pre-heated 400 degree oven.

The key here is to ride that very fine line between caramelization and burning. Cook time is generally around one hour, but after the first half hour has passed, make sure to check on them every 10ish minutes to toss the vegetables and prevent sticking. When ready, they should be crispy and fork tender.

NOODLE KUGEL (modified)


(photo from Kraftfoods.com)

1 container (16 oz.) low fat cottage cheese
1 container (16 oz.) sour cream
1 cup sugar
5 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup (1 stick) melted butter
1 tsp (NOT Tbsp) vanilla extract
1 large package (16 oz.) broad egg noodles (Kosher for Passover), cooked in salted water, drained, and tossed back into the pot and stirred with a pat or two of butter just for good measure
1 Tbsp cinnamon sugar (simply combine cinnamon and sugar in small bowl - should be a very light brown color when combined)
1 cup golden raisins (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix cottage cheese, sour cream, sugar, eggs, butter, vanilla, raisins (if you'd like), and cooked noodles in a 9" X 13" greased baking dish.

Sprinkle the top with cinnamon sugar.

Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour or until center is set. Cool at least 10 minutes before cutting to serve.

BRISKET WITH CARROTS AND ONIONS (unmodified)

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6 to 7 pounds beef brisket
2 Tbsp kosher salt
2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbsp minced garlic (4 cloves)
2 tsp dried oregano leaves
1 pound carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
8 stalks celery, cut into 2-inch chunks
6 yellow onions, peeled and sliced
6 fresh or dried bay leaves
1 (46-oz.) can tomato juice

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Place the brisket in a heavy roasting pan. In a small bowl, combine the salt, pepper, garlic, and oregano. Rub the mixture on the brisket. Pile the carrots, celery, onions, and bay leaves on the brisket and pour in enough tomato juice to come about 3/4 of the way up the meat and vegetables. Cover the top of the pan with 2 sheets of parchment paper, then with aluminum foil. (The tomato juice will react unpleasantly with the aluminum foil if they touch.)

Bake for 3 1/2 hours, or until the meat is tender (NOTE: you could cook this forever ...). Remove the meat from the pan and keep it warm. Place the pan on 2 burners and boil the vegetables and sauce over medium heat for another 30 minutes, or until the sauce is thickened.

To serve, slice the meat across the grain. Serve with the vegetables.

- M