How to Make Perfect Israeli-Style Schnitzel

The Nosher for MyJewishLearning.com

Classic schnitzel – or chicken cutlets – is a dish that everyone loves, and any cook can master. Whether it’s the kind of meal you serve once a week, or once a year, it is simple, comforting and quite easy to throw together once you follow a few key steps.

Take a look below to see just how we make this classic dish and then get cooking.

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Brisket-Stuffed Papas Rellenas Recipe

By Jennifer Stempel in The Nosher for MyJewishLearning.com

Cooking enough for an army has been a long established tradition of Jewish mothers across the globe, but mine takes it to a new level. I can’t think of a meal prepared by my mother where there wasn’t enough food for each diner to have second or even third helpings. In fact, guests know that if my mom is preparing a festive meal, they most certainly should arrive hungry. This, of course, is no accident. As an immigrant who suffered great hardships in her native land of Cuba, my mother’s biggest fear in life is not having enough food. One look at the luxury of an American supermarket where there are aisles upon aisles stocked with countless varieties of culinary offerings, you’d think that fear would be quashed. However, this deeply rooted concern reflects less on the abundance that is available in the states, and stems more from her experience growing up in a third-world country, where she wasn’t sure if her next meal would offer enough to fill her then-growing belly.

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Dulce de Leche and Eggnog Filled Donut Holes

We know, it's the last day of Hanukkah, but these sufganiyot/filled donuts, are not just a seasonal delight, but great anytime.  We featured this recipe in our Hanukkah Holiday Spotlight Kit, so in case you missed it, we thought you'd enjoy this one last hurrah. -JVN

From MayIHaveThatRecipe.com

Ever since I was a kid, I’ve always enjoyed Hanukkah. Maybe it was the candles, maybe the songs or perhaps the fried foods….

But what brings me the warmest childhood memories is my father coming home on time to light the Hanukkah candles (no customers to take out to dinner for 8 days :-)). I remember singing Hanukkah songs together and just having a good time as a family.

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 For even more great ideas, visit our Hanukkah Holiday Spotlight Kit  

Crockpot Beef Barley Mushroom Soup Recipe

By Liz Rueven in The Nosher for MyJewishLearning.com

This gently seasoned beef and barley mushroom soup is a cold weather classic. The simple ingredients come together to form a comforting, glistening and nutritious dish that will fill your home with aromas like what you remember from grandma’s kitchen.

A bit about texture: Barley absorbs liquid. It’s just a fact of barley soup life that you’ll need to add hot liquid (slowly) to achieve the right texture when serving. This soup is rich enough that using a few tablespoons of water will not effect the flavor.

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Tahini Mashed Potatoes and Other Vegan Sides for your Thanksgiving Dinner

By Vicky Cohen and Ruth Fox on The Nosher for MyJewishLearning.com
One of the things we love about Thanksgiving is that it is truly a holiday for everyone. People from all backgrounds enjoy the day and even get to bring their unique flavors and traditions to the celebration.

These days it seems everyone has a vegan or vegetarian guest at their table. So how about offering them some creative vegan dishes that even meat eaters will enjoy?  We have come up with three vegan (which means they are also non-dairy) Jewish inspired Thanksgiving dishes that we hope you’ll enjoy. And since we grew up in Spain in a Sephardic household, our Jewish flavors are anything but average.

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9 Kugel Recipes Perfect for Fall

The Nosher for MyJewishLearning.com   

It’s fall, which means time for some comfort food and autumn flavors. And nothing says comfort food quite like kugel.

Here are nine fall favorites perfect for your Shabbat table, brunch or anytime you need a delicious and comforting side dish.

Crunchy Cakey Sweet Potato Kugel

Apple Pear Cranberry Kugel

Potato Kugel

Yerushalmi Kugel

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Rainbow Bagels Are Taking Over Brooklyn

By Shannon Sarna on The Nosher for MyJewishLearning.com

When it comes to bagels I am a bit of a purist. Blueberry bagels? Blegh. Pumpkin bagels? Not my thing. And don’t get me started on all those crazy flavors of cream cheese.

Give me a salt bagel with scallion cream cheese, an onion bagel with veggie cream cheese or maybe, just maybe, a cinnamon raisin bagel with plain cream cheese if I am hankering for something sweet.

But there is a Brooklyn shop breaking all the bagel rules: The Bagel Store, who have become famous for their rainbow bagels with cake batter cream cheese. Business Insider even reported that “The Rainbow Bagel is About to Blow Up.” And if cake batter cream cheese sounds delish to you The Bagel Store has their recipe posted online!

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13 Shabbat Side Dishes That Are Not Kugels

Tamar Genger, Joy of Kosher

There is nothing wrong with kugel, in fact we have almost 30 kugel recipes on this site.  I just thought some of you would be looking for new side dish recipes.  We all know kugels can be made ahead and reheat well and are staples in most Ashkenazi homes on Shabbat.  In addition to your new and old kugel recipes, we need more sides with grains, vegetables and lots of flavor. 

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Chocolate Brown Sugar Babka Recipe

By Gabi Moskowitz on The Nosher for MyJewishLearning.com

I don’t have much of a sweet tooth, so it’s rare that I get very excited about a dessert. But chocolate babka, a yeasted, eggy hybrid of brioche and challah, with a thick swirl of cinnamon and dark chocolate in the middle, is an exception. Though its origins are in Eastern Europe, every Jewish deli worth its (kosher) salt has a babka they swear is the best. Well guess what: this babka is in fact the best.

The recipe I’ve adapted it from is by my colleague Tori Avey. When she posted this recipe on her blog last May, I immediately tried it, and found it to be extraordinary. Since then, it’s become my go-to dairy dessert. I’ve tinkered with it a bit, as we food writers are wont to do, and have made a few adjustments and additions that suit my taste. The sweet all-butter egg dough is made with brown sugar instead of white, which yields a rich caramel flavor that goes very nicely with the chocolate-cinnamon mixture, and the streusel top gets a light sprinkling of flaky, crunchy sea salt, which makes the flavor of the rich chocolate pop like crazy. It’s to die for.

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Mujaderra

Lentil and rice pilaf with browned onions

By Victoria Sutton for MyJewishLearning.com

Mujaderra (Mujadara), a hearty and satisfying lentil and rice pilaf, has for centuries been a staple in the Middle-Eastern diet, as well as in the cuisine of Jews around the world with Middle-Eastern heritage. Nutritious, a good source of protein, and inexpensive to prepare, Mujaderra was often referred to as “poor people’s” fare. It now has a place on restaurant menus from Egypt to Israel to the U.S.According to some Semitic traditions, Mujaderra is the “red, red pottage” that enticed the famished Esau to sell his birthright in exchange for a portion (Genesis 25:30). A difference of opinion persists as to whether this biblical lentil pottage was in fact Mujaderra, or another of the age-old lentil dishes popular in the region. What is clear is that recipes of this kind have been essential to Levantine cultures since Neolithic times, when lentils became one of the first farmed crops.

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Butternut Squash and Sage Challah

By Shannon Sarna on The Nosher for MyJewishLearning.com

In the category of autumn challah flavors there is pumpkin challah and even sweet potato challah. But I wanted to try my hand at combing another favorite fall flavor into challah bread: butternut squash and fresh sage.

Admittedly I was a bit nervous to see how the addition of butternut squash would affect the challah. I have made pumpkin challah many times, but never before had I added butternut squash.  I am happy to report that not only is consistency of this dough just perfect, but the color is beautiful and the taste even more incredible.

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Israeli Couscous Stuffed Acorn Squash

By Shannon Sarna on The Nosher for MyJewishLearning.com

It’s autumn, and sure, we all love pumpkin. But there are also an array of other squash and seasonal veggies that are pretty exciting too, including the adorable acorn squash.

Growing up my dad would prepare acorn squash in a very simple way: cut in half and roasted with butter and maple syrup. Nothing bad about that.

But I have been searching for other ways to prepare the cute squash. Finally a few weeks ago I came across this recipe for Orzo and Cheese Baked in Acorn Squash and I thought: ok, I have to make this! Not only is it cheesy and easy, but making a stuffed dish during Sukkot was also Jewishly appropriate.

I didn’t have orzo, but I did have Israeli couscous, a favorite ingredient. I also wanted to get in a little extra vegetables in this dish, so I added some onion and pepper. Want to make this healthier? You could substitute whole wheat couscous, quinoa and even add some lentils.

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Red Rice and Beet Cakes with Honey Mustard

From ToriAvey.com

Maria Speck and I have managed to become good friends, even though we’ve never officially met in person (not for want of trying!). Maria is a talented food journalist and author of Ancient Grains for Modern Meals and, most recently, Simply Ancient Grains. I honestly feel that Maria and I are kindred cooking spirits. When I flip through her gorgeous cookbooks, it’s like she’s channeling my culinary imagination, combining the unique flavor combinations and ingredients that I often dream about. Her approach to cooking is both healthy and exciting, while celebrating the glory of whole grains (some less known than others) that have been with us for centuries. If you’re looking for an interesting way to integrate more healthy meals into your repertoire, I highly recommend both of her books – the photos alone will have you drooling!

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Four Fresh and Elegant Yom Kippur Break-Fast Recipes

By Kim Kushner for The Nosher

Break-fast is all about indulging. Everybody is starving and has spent all day contemplating what they are going to “break their fast on” (or is that just me?) Make it worth their while – give them foods that will make them lick their lips and dip into like this charred eggplant dip with maple drizzle – it is smoky but sweet- perfect to serve along with crudite or warmed bread. I love making the caramelized onion, dill and smoked salmon frittata because its the ultimate Jewish all-in one dish. All that’s missing is the bagel, which no doubt, you will serve alongside. As a child, I always grew up eating my mom’s delicious avocado and hearts of palm salad.  Its just one of those dishes that tastes like home to me, which is why I always have it on my break-fast table. But, the piece de resistance is without a doubt the Sticky Date Bread Pudding. Warm toasty challah, doused in gooey, sticky caramel sauce that’s been sweetened with golden dates…it’s perfection.

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The High Holidays are upon us, check out our High Holidays Spotlight Kit

How Jews Changed Italian Cooking Forever

By Leah Falk for Jewniverse

While living in Spain, this writer presented her Spanish hosts with a cookbook illustrating the Jewish and Arab roots of Andalusian cooking. Particularly in Spain, land of jamón, it can be hard to imagine a flurry of Semitic chefs, but across Western Europe Jews have often influenced the cooking of their countrymen by making modest changes to standard fare and importing foods from their most recent port of call. The latest surprise in Jewish culinary history? The delicious mash-up of pasta, eggplant and kosher salami that is Jewish Italian cuisine.

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Pomegranate and Honey Glazed Chicken

By Liz Rueven for The Nosher

Pomegranates, or rimonim in Hebrew, are one of the most recognizable and highly symbolic fruits in Jewish culture. Originating in Persia, these reddish, thick skinned fruit (technically a berry) begin to appear in markets at end of summer and are readily available for holiday cooking by Rosh Hashanah.

According to Gil Marks in The Encyclopedia of Jewish Food, the abundance of seeds, nestled into a white membrane and encased in a protective and leathery skin, is associated with the 613 commandments in the Torah. They serve as symbols of righteousness and fruitfulness as expressed in the Rosh Hashanah expression, “May we be full of merits like the pomegranate (is full of seeds).”

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23 Gluten-Free Recipes for Rosh Hashanah

By Shannon Sarna on The Nosher for MyJewishLearning.com

Holidays can evoke such a sense of warmth and happiness just by their sounds, smells and tastes. For me, the smell of chicken soup and brisket reminds me of my grandmother’s house and there is nothing quite like it.

But for those who have dietary restrictions or have chosen particular eating styles and cannot indulge in traditional holiday foods, this time of year can be anxiety-ridden or even feel sad.

Jewish food can be lots of things including healthy, vegetarian and even gluten-free. And this round-up of traditional food and sweet treats is for our gluten-free friends. Hope this helps make your New Year a little sweeter.

Got a favorite recipe? Please make sure to post below.

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One Pan Roast Chicken with Potatoes and Carrots

By Shannon Sarna on The Nosher for MyJewishLearning.com

Simple roasted chicken is one of those dishes everyone wants to make perfectly, including me. And while I think I’ve done a pretty decent job in the past with my citrus and herb roasted chicken, I wanted to make it better, with a moist, flavorful inside, crispy outside and maybe even a side dish all wrapped into one pan. I wanted it all.

As I was working on this dish the past 6 months, I was getting frustrated that things just weren’t turning out the way I envisioned. The skin wasn’t quite crispy enough, and sometimes the inside was still pink. And so my husband came home one day with Roasting: A Simple Art by Barbara Kafka. I really love this book, and not just for her tips on roasting chicken.  But the tip I took to heart most of all was the cooking temperature.

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Jewish Krakover Bagels / Polish Obwarzanki Krakowski

By Barbara Rolek, Eastern European Food Expert, From aboutfood

This recipe for egg-free Jewish Krakover Bagels (Krakover Beyglach) is also known as Polish Obwarzanki Krakowski and is from Stanley Ginsberg and Norman Berg's "Inside the Jewish Bakery: Recipes and Memories from the Golden Age of Jewish Baking" (Camino Books, 2011). This book took second place in the 2012 About.com Readers' Choice Awards in the category of Favorite Jewish Cookbook.

Street food vendors sell these twisted ring breads from colorful carts throughout Poland, but especially in the main market square of Kraków. Smaller, untwisted rings are threaded on a string and many children wear them like a necklace, munching as the spirit moves them. The Polish bagel is crustier and not as dense as the water bagels so popular in New York City and other American cities.

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Kindli

From sbs.com.au

This traditional cake comes from northwest Hungary. This is another family favourite saved for special occasions. This makes four rolls: two with a poppyseed filling and two with a nut filling.

To make the dough, dissolve the yeast and a pinch of the sugar in the warm water and set aside to bubble for 5 minutes. Work the margarine into the flour with your fingers until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Add the yeast mixture, egg yolk, orange juice, the remaining sugar and a pinch of salt, mixing by hand to form a dough. Knead the dough, bringing it in from the edges with your fingers, and pushing it down into the centre of the bowl with your knuckles. The dough should be firm but elastic. If it is too stiff, add a little more orange juice. Continue to knead for 5–6 minutes, then cover and set aside to rest in a warm place for 30 minutes.

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The Black-and-White Cookie's Curious History

by Robert Sietsema for New York Eater

No pastry — except perhaps the cheesecake — is more closely associated with New York City than the black-and-white cookie. This flattened dome of fine-textured cake, with a coating of chocolate and vanilla fondant bisected in the middle to keep the flavors apart, is really not a cookie, but a "drop cake," as William Grimes points out in a 1998 New York Times article. Many believe it was descended from a cookie popular for over a century in upstate New York called the "half moon." This baked good has a cookie-shaped base of chocolate cake (vanilla is a common variation) with a fluffy layer of actual frosting on top, with the same chocolate and vanilla demarcation as the black and white, but with a thicker layer of chocolate frosting. Wikipedia and other suspect sources contend it was invented in Utica by Hemstrought's Bakery early in the 20th century, but the archaic form of the cookie and the iconography suggest the half moon is much older.

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Challah Hot Dogs

By Shannon Sarna on The Nosher for MyJewishLearning.com

Its officially hot dog season if ever there was one, and I freely admit: I love hot dogs. I have even found a way to combine a love of hot dogs with a love of challah with my famous challah dogs.

What are challah dogs you might be wondering? Well it’s my answer to the bagel dog, or the pretzel dog. And one of the great things about this recipe is you can use any challah recipe you prefer. The key is rolling your challah into roughly 3 oz size pieces and then snaking it around the hot dogs. I brush them simply with a beaten egg before adding toppings.

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Best Cholent Ever? An Iraqi Stew

Tebit, a sticky, sweet chicken dish traditionally served on Shabbat, is gaining popularity—for good reason

By Dana Kessler for Tablet Magazine

Every Jewish community around the world developed its own version of a hot meal that conforms to the prohibition of cooking on the Sabbath: Ashkenazi Jews have cholent, Sephardic Jews have hamin, Central and Western European Jews have shalet, and Iraqi Jews have tebit. The trick for making all these dishes Shabbat-friendly is simple: You bring the pot to a boil on Friday afternoon, in the last minute before the Sabbath rears its holy head, and let it simmer until the next day. All these different versions of Shabbat stews, stemming from each and every corner of the Diaspora, have made it safely to Israel. But these days, the exotic and extremely sticky tebit is more popular than ever—and not only among Iraqi Jews.

Tebit begins with chicken, or more specifically, the skin—traditionally the skin of an entire chicken. The skin is then filled with a mixture of rice, chopped chicken, and herbs. In this respect, tebit is comparable not only to cholent but also to helzel, an Ashkenazi dish that also involves stuffing a chicken skin. But while helzel is made by stuffing the skin of a chicken neck, thus sometimes making it just one of the components of cholent, tebit is a whole meal in itself. After long hours of slow cooking, tebit’s rice mixture becomes the chicken skin’s whole world; it is not only filled by it, but the rice also surrounds it.

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Eating Delancey: A Celebration of Jewish Food

By Zelda Shluker Hadassah magazine

Eating Delancey: A Celebration of Jewish Food 

(by Aaron Rezny and Jordan Schaps. (powerHouse Books, 232 pp. $35)


What made my heart stop when I was visually devouring the images of beloved Jewish foods in this beautifully photographed book was not the pistachio halvah, the toasted onion bialys or poppy seed and onion topped pletzels; crispy potato latkes; rich, dairy matzo brei; or even Ratner’s cheese blintzes or raisin and walnut filled rugelach—all of which I love, love, love. (Certainly not the p’tcha, Cel-Ray soda, gribenes or kasha varnishkes, which are not my favorites.) What made me gasp was the Charlotte Russe. Like Proust’s madeleine, the Charlotte Russe, which I used to buy in a small candy story across from my Bubbe’s stoop on Henry Street on the Lower East Side, brought back the most delightful memories. While cheese cake, fricassee, chicken soup and the many other wonderful dishes in Eating Delancey can be replicated, it is rarer to find the Charlotte Russe, that delicate delight of sponge cake and jam held together in around, open-bottomed paper cup, topped with a mound of sweet whipped cream and a maraschino cherry.

Eating Delancey is filled with historical as well as mouthwatering images, memories and recipes. Maybe you will find in it the dish that touches your gastronomic heart. Joan Rivers wrote the introduction and Fyvush Finkel, Jackie Mason, Milton Glaser, Paul Goldberger and Robert Klein are among the many contributors to this wonderful volume. Yum.

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Kanafeh/Kunefe (Sweet Cheese Pastry)

By Kevin Lynch for ClosetCooking.com

A few months ago I got an email inviting me to explore Israel, it's people and it's cuisine on a project called Taste of Israel put on by a group called Stand With Us. At first I was a little leery about the offer but after a bit of research it seemed legit and it was an opportunity that I simply could not pass up and so I went! It turned out to be an absolutely amazing experience filled with lots of great people and of course plenty of amazing food! I enjoyed a lot of dishes in Israel and I just had to try making a few of them at home and sharing them with you!

The adventure started as soon as we got off the plane, after almost 20 hours travel time from Toronto, as we were whisked away to the beautiful Dan Hotel Tev Aviv where after checking in we headed out for dinner at Yaffo Tel Aviv restaurant by Haim Cohen. The meal that we had there was filled with plenty of tasty dishes including a flat bread that was covered in melted garlicky butter and roasted cherry tomatoes but the one dish that really stood out for me was a dessert, the kanafeh.

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