Molly Goldberg Jewish Cookbook (2 page)

Appetizers. What does that mean?
To
me it means something to tickle the appetite, a coming attraction for the meal no matter what. An appetizer should he chosen to go with the meal, not just willy-nilly. For an instance. My Uncle David loves Chopped Chicken Livers. He eats it for an appetizer and then he takes a plate of it for the main dish, and if there was a Chopped Chicken Liver dessert he would have that too. Tm not saying that Chopped Liver is the answer to all your appetizing problems, far from it. Ym only saying start your meal with an appetizer.

12

EGGPLANT APPETIZER

1 medium eggplant

2 onions

3 tomatoes

2 slices white bread, trimmed
Va
cup vinegar

2 teaspoons salt

Vi
teaspoon freshly ground black

pepper l teaspoon sugar

3 tablespoons salad oil

Place the eggplant on a baking sheet. Bake in a 375
⁰
oven for 45 minutes, or until tender. Cool and peel.

Chop the onions very fine. Add the tomatoes and eggplant. Chop fine. Soak the bread in the vinegar, and add, together with the salt, pepper, sugar, and oil. Chop until very smooth and well blended. Correct seasoning; the mixture should be fairly spicy.

Serve cold as an appetizer or relish.

*3

The Molly Goldberg Cookbook
IKRA

caviar appetizisr
                         
i pound pike roe

1 tablespoon salt
Vi
cup olive oil

2 tablespoons lemon juice i tablespoon ice water

i onion, chopped fine 10 ripe olives, sliced thin

Wash the roe carefully and remove the veins. Place in a bowl and sprinkle with salt. Chill for at least 6 hours. Rinse and drain.

Beat the roe with a fork for 1 minute. Gradually add the olive oil, drop by drop, beating constantly. Add the lemon juice and ice water. Beat all together until the mixture is firm and each egg is separate. Sprinkle the onion and olives over the roe. Chill.

Serve cold with quarters of lemon. Thin slices of dark bread are the usual accompaniment.

KNOBL FISH

5  cloves garlic, minced 2 teaspoons salt
Vi
teaspoon freshly ground black

pepper i tablespoon paprika

6  slices fish (carp or whitefish) 2 tablespoons shortening

Mix the garlic, salt, pepper, and paprika to a smooth paste. Rub it into the fish very well. Set aside for 2 hours.

Melt the shortening in a baking dish. Place the fish in it. Bake in a 275
⁰
oven for 2 hours, or until the fish is very dry and browned. Turn the fish frequently while baking. Remove from oven and let cool.

Serve cold.

SPICY FISH

m

Appetizers

CHOPPED CHICKEN LIVERS

Vi
cup shortening 2 onions, sliced

1  pound chicken livers, washed and drained

2  hard-cooked egg yolks
1V2
teaspoons salt

V4
teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Melt
^l
A
cup of the shortening in a skillet. Add the onions. Saute for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove the onions and set aside. Melt the remaining
V\
cup of shortening in the same skillet. Saute the livers in it for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Grind the onions, livers, and egg yolks in a food chopper, or chop very fine in a wooden bowl. Add the salt and pepper and mix well together. Chill.

Serve as an
hors d'oeuvre,
or as an appetizer on a bed of lettuce leaves. It is often customary to pour a teaspoon of rendered chicken fat over each portion.

BAKED HERRING

6 fillets of salt herring

4 onions, sliced

Vi
cup flour

4 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons heavy cream

Soak the herring in cold water to cover overnight. Change the water at least twice. Drain. Rinse, and drain again.

Place the onions in a saucepan with water to cover. Bring to a boil and cook for 2 minutes. Drain. Dip the herring in the flour, coating both sides lightly. Arrange the hening in a buttered baking dish. Spread the onions over them. Dot with the butter.

Bake in a 400
⁰
oven for 20 minutes. Add the cream and bake for 10 minutes longer.

^l
S

The Molly Goldberg Cookbook

If you think Shakespeare is a friend of mine you're right. Of course I have never had the pleasure, but still I feel like he's an old friend. Why? Because he said some wise things, like for instance, "a rose by any other name
. . ."
Now that's smart, but of course he wasn't talking about herring. For me herring is wonderful any way you make it, chopped or pickled or by any other name it's unmistakable, hut my own favorite is fried. I am sure that you will agree with my decision.

FRIED HERRING

A LA WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE

6 fillets of salt herring

Yi
cup flour

Va
cup bread crumbs

2 eggs, beaten

Vi
cup shortening

Soak the herring in cold water to cover overnight. Change the water at least twice. Drain well and rinse again. If a very mild herring is desired, use milk instead of water.

Mix the flour and bread crumbs together. Dip the herring in the flour mixture, then in the beaten eggs, and again in the flour mixture, coating both sides well.

Melt half of the shortening in a skillet. Fry the herring until browned on both sides, about 5 minutes on each side. Add more shortening as needed.

Serve with fried onions and boiled potatoes if desired.

16

Appetizers

HERRING SALAD

3 fillets of salt herring, sliced into Vi-inch pieces

1  onion, sliced thin

2  green peppers, diced

i cup shredded cabbage

2  tomatoes, cubed

i cup shredded lettuce 6 radishes, sliced thin

3  tablespoons olive oil or salad oil

Vs
cup vinegar

V4
teaspoon freshly ground black

pepper 2 teaspoons sugar

In a glass or wooden bowl, combine the herring, onion, green peppers, cabbage, tomatoes, lettuce, and radishes. Toss lightly.

Mix together the oil, vinegar, pepper, and sugar. Pour over the herring mixture. Chill for i hour.

PICKLED HERRING

6 salt herring fillets

1  cup vinegar
V4
cup water

2  teaspoons sugar

3  onions, sliced thin

\Vi
teaspoons pickling spice

2 bay leaves

Vi
cup sour cream (optional)

Soak the herring in water to cover overnight. Change the water twice. If desired, the herring fillets may be cut into slices.

17

The Molly Goldberg Cookbook

Combine the vinegar, water, and sugar in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, and boil for 2 minutes.

Arrange layers of herring, onions, pickling spice, and bay leaves in a glass jar or bowl. Mix the sour cream (if desired) with the vinegar mixture, and pour over the herring. Cover, and allow to marinate for 48 hours in the refrigerator before serving.

HERRING APPETIZER

4 salt herring fillets

3  tomatoes, chopped
³
A
cup water

2
 
teaspoons sugar

2
 
teaspoons chopped dill

2
 
teaspoons chopped parsley

2
 
scallions (green onions), sliced

Vi
cup chopped ripe olives

2
 
tablespoons vinegar

4  tablespoons olive oil

Soak the herring in water to cover overnight. Drain. Rinse again and cut into Vi-inch slices.

Combine the tomatoes, water, and sugar in a saucepan. Cook over low heat for 15 minutes. Mix well. Add the dill, parsley, scallions, olives, vinegar, and oil. Cook for 5 minutes. Pour over the herring. Chill.

Serve very cold on lettuce leaves.

18

Appetizers

BAKED HERRING APPETIZER

5  herring fillets

3 tablespoons butter

2  onions, chopped

6  slices white bread, trimmed i apple, peeled

l cup sour cream

3  tablespoons bread crumbs

Soak the herring in water to cover overnight. Drain.

Melt the butter in a skillet. Add the onions. Saut6 for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.

Chop the herring, bread, apple, and sauteed onions together. Add the sour cream. Mix well. Pour into a buttered baking dish. Sprinkle with the bread crumbs.

Bake in a 400
⁰
oven for 30 minutes.

CHOPPED HERRING

3  salt herring
Vi
onion

1  apple, peeled and cored

4  hard-cooked egg yolks

2  slices white bread, trimmed
Y4
cup cider vinegar

3  tablespoons salad oil 1 teaspoon sugar

Soak the herring in water to cover overnight, changing the water at least twice. Drain well. Fillet the herring carefully.

Chop the onion and apple together. Add the herring and egg yolks. Chop again. Soak the bread in the vinegar, and add, together with the oil and sugar. Chop until very fine and well blended.

Serve cold as an appetizer, cocktail spread, or on lettuce leaves as a fish course.

19

The Molly Goldberg Cookbook

When I asked all my friends what they would like to be remembered for in my cookbook each one gave me their favorite recipe. From Mrs. Herman I didn't had to ask. I already knew. When I go to her house for a little tea we always have Scrambled Eggs and Salmon, and when the girls go out all together and we stop for a bite, Mrs. Herman has Scrambled Eggs and Salmon, and when she comes by me for whatever and I have it in the house, what do you think we have? Here's Mrs. Herman's favorite. It's her recipe that she got from her mother. I think it runs in the family.

SCRAMBLED EGGS AND SALMON A LA MRS. HERMAN

4 tablespoons shortening 3 onions, chopped

2  green peppers, diced

V\
pound smoked salmon,

coarsely shredded 6 eggs

3  tablespoons cold water

y*
teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Melt half the shortening in a skillet. Add the onions and green peppers. Saute for 15 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the salmon, and saut6 for 5 minutes. Add the remaining shortening.

Beat the eggs, water, and pepper together. Pour over the salmon mixture. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until the mixture is set, but do not overcook.

20

Appetizers

CHOPPED EGGS AND ONIONS

2 onions

8 hard-cooked eggs

iV2 teaspoons salt

^l
A
teaspoon freshly ground black

pepper 4 tablespoons rendered chicken

fat Lettuce leaves

Chop the onions very fine. Add the eggs, and continue chopping. Add the salt, pepper, and chicken fat. Mix lightly. Correct seasoning. Serve on lettuce leaves.