The Second Avenue Deli Cookbook (9 page)

3. Remove meat from pot, and strain stock through a colander into a large bowl. Set bowl aside.

4. Chop the meat and cartilage (discard bones), mix with chopped garlic, and place in the bottom of a shallow pan or serving dish. Arrange egg slices on top, and pour strained cooking liquid over the meat and eggs. Refrigerate until completely jellied and firm (it should have the consistency of Jell-O). Serve cold, with lemon wedges and red horseradish.

MAKES ABOUT
20

This specialty from our catering menu is a big hit at parties.

1. Remove mushroom stalks, wash thoroughly, and chop for stuffing. Set aside. Clean mushroom caps very thoroughly by scraping them with a knife under cold running water.

2. Pour corn oil into a large skillet, and, on high heat, quickly brown mushroom cap bottoms (place with hollow side up). Remove to a platter with a slotted spoon, and set aside.

3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut white bread into 1-inch cubes, place cubes in a colander, and soak in cold running water to soften. Squeeze out excess moisture, and, in a large bowl, work the bread and meat together with your hands.

4. Add all remaining stuffing ingredients, and combine very thoroughly. Stuff about 3 tablespoons of this mixture into each mushroom cap, forming it into a perfect mound.

5. Place stuffed mushrooms in a baking dish, and bake for 30 minutes or until they're crisp on top and the stuffing is thoroughly cooked. Serve hot or cold. Cold, they're especially good marinated in a vinaigrette.

Combine all above ingredients and distribute evenly over mushrooms.

SERVES
6

Tahini sauce is a staple ingredient of Middle Eastern cuisines. It's also great on its own, as a dip served with raw vegetables and/or pita bread triangles.

1. Open tahini paste carefully to prevent oil from splashing. Pour contents into a bowl, and blend oil and paste thoroughly before measuring. If it's very thick, you may have to do this in a food processor or blender.

2. Put all ingredients, except garnish, in a food processor or blender to create a thin, smooth, and creamy sauce. Serve chilled. Sprinkle lightly with paprika, and garnish with parsley.

SERVES
6
TO
8

We've prepared this recipe with both canned and fresh-cooked chickpeas, and the latter is much, much tastier. Since chickpeas are easy to cook, we suggest you make them fresh. Similarly, making your own tahini sauce above, rather than buying a prepared product, significantly enhances this dip.

Advance planning is necessary here, because hummus/tahini dip is more flavorful if eaten a day after you've made it; you also need to soak the dried chickpeas overnight.

1. Combine all ingredients—except paprika and 1 tablespoon olive oil—in a food processor or blender, and pulse to a smooth texture.

2. Serve well chilled, spread on a plate. Dissolve paprika in the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and drizzle a little on each serving from a spoon. Serve with warm pita bread, cucumber spears, tomato wedges, and olives. A little parsley also makes a nice garnish.

SERVES
6

Eggplant, indigenous to India, traveled via Turkey to Arab countries and Eastern Europe. Today, it is an abundant Israeli crop and a staple ingredient in numerous recipes. Of all eggplant preparations, this is the most ubiquitous in Israeli homes and restaurants.

1. Wash eggplants, and prick skin in about twenty places with a fork. If you don't, they're liable to explode, creating a mess that is not to be believed.

2. Place whole eggplants in your broiler on a cookie sheet (or line the broiler with aluminum foil). Broil for 50 minutes, turning them about every 12 minutes. They will shrivel, get blackened and blistered, and generally collapse; this is what you want to happen.

3. Slit the eggplants on one side, and place them, slit side down, in a colander over a large bowl to cool and drain. When they've cooled sufficiently to handle comfortably, peel the eggplants, and scoop out the pulp into a bowl. Eggplants are a bit difficult to peel; try not to get any of the burned peel in the bowl. The 4 eggplants should yield about 4 cups of pulp. Return the eggplant to the colander, and drain a bit more liquid. Then put it in a food processor with all remaining ingredients (or mash by hand in a large bowl), and blend to a creamy texture. Chill for several hours before serving. Garnish with parsley, and serve as a dip with warm pita bread.

SERVES
6

This Israeli salad is best made a day in advance, allowing the flavors to blend. We must confess, however, it's so good even when just cooked, we can barely resist scarfing it up hot from the skillet.