Jewish Cooking Boot Camp: The Modern Girl's Guide to Cooking Like a Jewish Grandmother (11 page)

1. Grease a 9 x 13-inch glass baking dish with butter or baking spray, then fill with the slices
of challah spread in two layers. Fill in all the spaces with torn pieces of bread if necessary.

2. Mix together the eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon and pour over the challah.

3. Refrigerate overnight.

4. The next day, bring the dish to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Meanwhile,
combine the ingredients for the topping (flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and softened butter) using a fork to make a crumbly mixture.

5. Sprinkle the topping over the casserole.

6. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes until the eggs are set. Serve warm.

* Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar or serve the casserole with maple syrup on the side.

Once and for All: The Question of Kosher

Kosher is one of those terms that are confusing for Jews and non-Jews alike. What's
kosher? What's not? Can you be "sort of" kosher? We investigated and have pulled
together some of the most basic facts about kosher living.

• Kosher is not a type of cooking.

• Kosher food can be anything-Italian, Chinese, Greek-as long as it's prepared in
accordance with Jewish dietary law.

• Kosher food doesn't require a rabbi.

• Many observant Jews say blessings over food prior to eating it, but it is not to
make the food kosher. Food is deemed "kosher" as a result of meeting standards
set in the Torah that include the separation of meat and dairy, specific rules on
slaughtering animals, and instructions on what parts and types of animals can be
eaten.

There is a simple explanation for keeping kosher.

• While many people assume the laws of Kashrut are all about health, the truth is
that many have no basis in or connection to health concerns. Sure, eating meat
and dairy together could interfere with digestion, and laws around kosher slaughter are incredibly sanitary, but the truth is that most people keep kosher because
the Torah says so, and for extremely observant Jews that alone is enough.

The main rules are relatively easy to understand.

• The short version: Meat must be from an animal that has cloven hooves and chews
its cud (such as cow or goat); fish must have both fins and scales (no to shellfish,
yes to tuna, salmon, and herring); birds are categorized into allowable and forbidden (no to hawks, yes to chicken); only animals slaughtered in accordance with kosher law-meaning no animals that died of natural causes, were killed
by other animals, or were slaughtered in a non-kosher fashion-are allowed.
Additionally, the blood must be removed, as it is believed to contain the "life" (or
soul) of the bird or mammal (fish are exempt).

You must always separate meat and dairy.

• This one is just that simple. In fact, the rules are so strict that even utensils,
pots and pans, plates, and dishwashers must be kept apart. Most kosher households will have two sets of everything, including dish towels. All food is categorized into fleishik (meat), milchik (dairy), and pareve (neutral).

The term "keeping kosher" can vary from household to household.

• Standards vary, and while some interpret the laws in the strictest sense, others
will make exceptions when they are outside of their home.

There is much more to keeping kosher than what we can cover here, and we encourage you to explore the many kosher Web sites and books that are available to
get more detailed information.

Roz got this recipe from her Mom, Edith, but tweaked it for her own family. Edith added a little
more sweet pickle, so that is always an option if you like sweeter potato salad.

1. Peel the potatoes and cut them in chunks.

2. Place the potatoes in a pot of cold water and bring to a boil. Cover the pot.

3. Cook the potatoes for about 15 to 20 minutes in gently boiling water just until they are tender, not mushy.

4. Drain the potatoes well and put them in a bowl to cool in the refrigerator for about 30 to
40 minutes.

5. In the meantime, mix in a bowl the mayonnaise, Miracle Whip, garlic salt, olives, and
pickle.

6. Take the potatoes from refrigerator and run a knife through them in the bowl to cut them
into smaller pieces.

7. Cut the hard-boiled eggs into small pieces and add them to the potatoes.

8. Pour the mayonnaise mixture over the bowl of potatoes and eggs and mix well. Add salt
and pepper to taste.

9. Refrigerate for about 4 hours.

Making your own coleslaw is easy, economical, and tastes so much better than store-bought. If you
like it creamier, just add a little more Miracle Whip.

Mix the Miracle Whip, vinegar, salt, and pepper and pour over the coleslaw mixture.
Toss well and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

Andrea can vividly remember helping her grandmother make these when she was a little
girl-cutting the dough into triangles, placing the filling, and then rolling them up and putting
them on the baking sheets. Rugelach are made with a light, melt-in-your-mouth dough of cream
cheese and sugar, while the kichala dough contains yeast and is heavier and more bread-like.
This is a great recipe to involve any children old enough to help, and participation always
makes the end result that much sweeter!

1. In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter and cream cheese. Add the salt, sugar, and
vanilla and mix until smooth.

2. Add the flour a little at a time and mix until crumbly.

3. Divide the dough into 4 balls, wrap them individually in waxed paper, and refrigerate
for 1 to 2 hours.

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2. Prepare a baking sheet, greased with cooking spray.

3. Mix together the sugar, cinnamon, and walnuts and set aside. In a separate bowl, prepare the cinnamon sugar for sprinkling.

4. Spread a little flour on a flat surface to keep the dough from sticking. Flour a rolling pin
and roll out one ball of dough into a circle until it is about %8 inch thick.

5. Using a teaspoon, spread the raspberry preserves all over the dough. Then sprinkle with
the cinnamon-sugar-walnut mixture.

6. Cut the dough circle in half, then into quarters. Cut each quarter into three pieces, ending up with 12 pie-shaped wedges.

7. Roll the wedges from the wide end to the narrow end.

8. Place each pastry seam-side down on the cookie sheet.

9. After you have filled the cookie sheet, sprinkle all the rugelach with the cinnamon sugar
mixture.

10. Repeat with the remaining 3 balls of dough.

11. Place the rugelach in the oven and bake at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden
brown.

12. Cool a few minutes, then remove it to a wire rack to cool further.

Too much filling leads to a messy rugelach. You will be able to judge the amount of preserves
to use after you make your first batch.