Joan in the New York Times
Joan's article on "The Rickshaw Driver's Curry" is in the New York Times. Read about her adventures in India, where an impromptu encounter leads her to take a cooking class with a rickshaw driver--and delicious results follow!
Joan in the Village Voice
Joan Nathan Disapproves, But Here's Your Guide to Catering a Seder
Joan Nathan would never cater her Passover seder. The famed cookbook writer known for her Jewish-American recipes usually cooks everything for the holiday, which starts on Monday, March 25. She even hosts a gefilte fish-making party for a few friends at her home in Washington, D.C. "If I didn't have a tradition of making my own, maybe I'd go out and get it," she tells Fork in the Road. "It's so much fun to go to a kosher store and see what's going on for Passover. Every year it gets better and better." While wandering in the West Village recently, she passed by rosemary matzo in a bakery window, a reminder that New York City is the American center of traditional and not-so-traditional Jewish cooking. "All those places now cater to the New York market," says Nathan. "In New York, you can even find a reasonable gefilte fish.
That's a relief. Home cooks may aspire to Joan Nathan's heights at the holidays, but even the most ambitious may draw the line at making their own gefilte fish. It already takes long enough to get through a seder; it makes sense to call in reinforcements to get the meal on the table. Whether you're hosting a meal for four or 40, or bringing a dish to someone else's home, some of the city's Jewish-inspired eateries are here to help you out.
Shank Bone: Dickson's Farmstead Meats
Pick up a lamb shank bone from Dickson's in Chelsea Market. Here, all the meat comes from local farms and most of the cuts are organic. The bones are no different and cost $12 a pound (bones average about a pound and a third). 75 Ninth Ave.
Charoset: 2nd Avenue Deli
Known for its cold cuts and potato pancakes, 2nd Avenue Deli sells charoset -- the mixture of chopped apples, wine, nuts, and cinnamon meant to represent the mortar with which Jewish slaves built pyramids in Egypt -- all year round. The recipe is traditional and homey, and the result is a light spread to be eaten with matzo or by itself. Buy it by the quart ($17.90) or the pint ($8.95) for take-out or delivery. 162 E. 33rd St.
Matzo: Streit's
Streit's Matzo Factory is one of the last remaining relics of Jewish heritage on the Lower East Side. Although it's now an international company, a visit to the original matzo-making operation can be a Passover ritual in itself. Watch machines churn out the flat matzo and then buy a box at the factory, in most grocery stores, or online where the company also sells dozens of other kosher-for-Passover products like chow mein noodles, potato chips, and pesto sauce. 148-154 Rivington St.
Horseradish: Gefilteria
The Brooklyn-based start-up was founded by one of Joan Nathan's former assistants and sells gefilte fish and horseradish at various gourmet carriers and pop-ups. Dip your fish in sweet beet horseradish and carrot-citrus-flavored varieties. A single jar runs for $6.50 online or at one of these retailers around the city. Various Locations
Gefilte Fish: Zabar's
Gefilte fish is perhaps the most polarizing traditional Jewish dish, but Zabar's has been known to convert even the most petrified eaters. The Upper West Side landmark store makes each fish loaf by hand from pike and carp. Orders can be placed online in quantities of two ($7.98) to 12 ($39.98) or in store for the same prices. 2245 Broadway
Chopped Liver: Mile End Deli
For Hanukkah, Mile End Deli topped its latkes with chopped liver, a rendition made with onion relish, egg, and pumpernickel. It's rich and creamy, a special holiday treat. The chopped liver returns as part of the Mile End Passover catering menu, and the deli will offer enough to serve four to six for $15. But orders must be placed by Friday, March 22 to catering@mileenddeli.com. 97A Hoyt St., Brooklyn or 53 Bond St.
Brisket: Grow and Behold
Small farmers supply pastured meat to this strictly kosher start-up, and though the company's not certified organic, Grow and Behold ensures that its meat is "free-range organic." In addition to kosher-for-Passover briskets and roasts, they also carry hot dogs, chorizo, turkey, and chicken that can be delivered to your door. Orders must be placed online at growandbehold.com before Thursday, March 21 to ensure delivery by March 25. The same meat can also be found at Pardes Restaurant near Atlantic Terminal and on Long Island. Various Locations
Matzo Balls: Artie's
Artie's may not be the most famous deli in New York, and its matzo ball soup is often overlooked when recounting the greats. But the fluffy softball-size matzo balls are present on many Upper West Side tables. Order the (not kosher) chicken-based soup with noodles for $11 a quart, and extra matzo balls for $1.50 each. 2290 Broadway
Potato Pancakes: Ben's Deli
All year round, the latkes at Ben's Deli, crispy with just a hint of grease, are the size of small saucers. But come Passover, the kosher chain serves miniature versions for $10.80 a dozen. Pick them up in the Midtown store or order online. 209 W. 38th St.
Macaroons: William Greenberg Jr. Desserts
Not to be confused with French macarons, these Jewish coconut-based cookies usually come as palm-size hand-made sweet gut-bombs. William Greenberg on the Upper East Side has perfected the Passover desserts. The bakery sells vanilla macaroons dipped in chocolate for $32 a pound, as well as plain chocolate or vanilla, both for $30 a pound. Call to reserve a box; Monday morning, lines will be out the door. 1100 Madison Ave.
The Next Step in Eliminating Hunger: Teaching Kids How to Cook
The Next Step in Eliminating Hunger: Teaching Kids How to Cook
17 million American children are malnourished, a number that hasn't budged much in years. Here's how to change that.
JOSÉ ANDRÉS, JOAN NATHAN, AND ALICE WATERS - José Andrés is a James Beard Award-winning chef and owner of ThinkFoodGroup, which is responsible for Washington, D.C., restaurants including Jaleo and Zaytinya. Joan Nathan is the award-winning author of 10 cookbooks. Alice Waters is a food activist and writer and the owner of acclaimed restaurant Chez Panisse.
Michelle Obama and chef Sam Kass cook vegetables from the White House garden with D.C. schoolchildren at an event in 2009. (Jonathan Ernst/Reuters)
Hunger is everywhere: in cities, in suburbs, in rural areas. Today nearly 50 million people in the richest country on earth "lack the means to get enough nutritious food on a regular basis," according to the advocacy group Share Our Strength. The U.S. Department of Agriculture reports that 17 million of the malnourished are children -- this from the agency that is charged with feeding more than 30 million students a day through the National School Lunch Program.
The burden of relief falls increasingly to networks of non-profits struggling to combat the ravages of hunger and poverty and starved for funding themselves. We are proud to be affiliated with a number of these remarkable organizations, such as Martha's Table and D.C. Central Kitchen, which serve thousands of meals each day to hungry children and adults, and provide groceries to families. Their dedication exemplifies the great tradition of American volunteerism. But even as the crisis continues, we should take note of these organizations' larger calling. They emphasize rightly that filling a stomach is only a stopgap.
Sustainable nourishment comes from knowing how to cook, tending the land, appreciating our rich food traditions, and taking care of each other. What we need now is a commitment at the highest levels of government to commit to a national crash course in edible education. Domestic food security -- access to sufficient, safe, and healthy food -- has not improved in the last four years, but it's an area where President Obama could make a significant difference in his second term.
Our schools can lead the way. Healthy eating in the earliest years of life establishes the foundation of a child's future physical and mental vitality, academic achievement, and economic productivity. It is significant that many millions of children today must rely on school food as a prime source of nutrition. The federal government should institute a free, universal meals program that lives up to the stated pledge of the Child Nutrition Bill of 2010: "Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids." The USDA should expand its excellent "farm to school" initiative, and establish ironclad criteria for procuring food that ensures healthy outcomes and supports local, sustainable economies.
Schools should at the same time incorporate food knowledge into academic curricula. Make the cafeteria an honored partner in every part of a school's education. Bring science into school gardens and global studies into kitchen classrooms. Guide students to learn basic food skills that will serve them throughout their lives. Encourage them to explore the pleasures of the palate and discover the civility and generosity of sharing meals together.
Obama has committed billions of dollars to addressing global-nutrition problems, while First Lady Michelle Obama has been a tireless advocate for children's nutrition and anti-obesity initiatives at home. Her Let's Move program promotes healthy food in schools, improved neighborhood access to healthy, affordable foods, and increased physical activity. The 2010 nutrition bill -- championed by the Obamas -- has attempted to improve standards for school meals, emphasizing fruits and vegetables.
These are laudable accomplishments, but there is more work to be done. Let's teach our children to be well. At this time of new beginnings, let's show them how to take care of themselves, their communities, and the planet. Let's nurture them, make them feel respected and valued. Let's above all prove to them that they do, indeed, have bright futures.
Sips and Suppers Fundraiser Brings Chefs Together to Fight Hunger
Sips and Suppers fundraiser brings chefs together to fight hunger
By Tamika L. Gittens, Published: January 16
Leading up to the 2009 inaugural weekend, Alice Waters, chef and proprietor of Chez Panisse restaurant in Berkeley, Calif., had a spontaneous vision to organize an event to create awareness about homelessness, poverty and hunger. Now in its fifth year, Waters’s vision continues to flourish.
Waters joined Jose Andres and Joan Nathan to host Sips and Suppers, an annual fundraiser in the District that has raised more than $675,000 to benefit DC Central Kitchen and Martha’s Table, nonprofit organizations that support the low-income population in the District.
Andres is a notable chef and the owner of D.C. restaurants including Minibar, Jaleo and Zaytinya.
Nathan opens her home for Suppers, and she spearheads the event planning by securing other venues and donors. According to Nathan and Anders Hyde, volunteer co-coordinator, organizing requires time and attention to detail, but it’s never a burden because of the collaborative spirit of volunteers willing to give their time.
“This event means a lot to me,” said Nathan, a cookbook writer and TV host. “To see what these organizations do and how they are changing lives makes every minute worth it.”
On Jan. 26, Sips, a cocktail reception, will feature chefs, artisans and mixologists offering samples of food and drink, and a live jazz band. The event will be from 7 to 10 p.m. at the Newseum, 555 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Tickets are $95.
The next day, at 6 p.m., Suppers will be held in 28 private homes throughout the District. Hosts invite up to 20 guests from their personal networks and the general public for an intimate meal prepared by premier chefs from around the country. Tickets are $550. To commemorate the event’s fifth year, tickets for the dinners hosted by Waters and Andres are $1,000. Waters’s dinner is sold out. During the first year, there were 12 dinners. A portion of the ticket prices are tax deductible.
The event features more than 60 chefs, with 17 traveling from others states, including California, Louisiana, Massachusetts and New York, and others from France, Iceland and Italy. Other chefs include former contestants from the popular Bravo TV series “Top Chef.” Local and out-of-town chefs are paired up and assigned to a home to prepare dinner.
Approaching his fourth year as a participant, Scott Drewno, executive chef of the Source, is paired with Eric Bruner-Yang of Toki Underground. Together, they have created a menu inspired by the Chinese New Year. Drewno said he admires the passion and dedication of everyone involved in the events and enjoys working closely with iconic chefs he has long admired.
At each Supper, hosts and representatives of the organizations lead a discussion about the importance of food and its impact on health and the local economy.
For Brian MacNair, chief development officer of DC Central Kitchen, the highlight of Suppers is not only the elegant meals but also the “conversations about the issues.” MacNair says DC Central Kitchen and Martha’s Table work well together because of their outlook and approach to how they serve their clients. “With every meal, there is a message,” MacNair said.
Kim Lyons, assistant director of development at Martha’s Table, said their ability to work as a team “brings a unique strength to the event. ” Both organizations are committed to raising awareness about hunger and poverty, and finding solutions to curb them.
“It’s a marker of how much it takes a community to bring a community together,” Lyons said.
For information, visit www.sipsandsuppers.org.
Author Joan Nathan tells of her five-year ‘Search for Jewish Cooking in France’
By Diane Stoneback, Of The Morning Call
Joan Nathan's father sowed the seeds for her 10th cookbook decades before she would write it.
The famed Jewish cookbook author, at Lehigh University to talk about her latest book, "Quiches, Kugels and Couscous: My Search for Jewish Cooking in France," says "My father spoke French to me at home, made sure I was tutored in French and insisted I visit our relatives in France when I was a teenager. He was determined that I'd speak French fluently.
"By the time I was your age" she said to students who crowded into Lehigh's Sinclair Auditorium with members of the community to hear her, "I'd also spent my junior year of college at The Sorbonne."
Nathan says she needed her language skills and the help of her many French relatives to research this book, which was named one of the 10 best cookbooks of 2010 by National Public Radio, Food and Wine and Bon Appetit.
The culinary authority was the final speaker of a semester-long program called Food for Thought, sponsored by Lehigh's Berman Center for Jewish Studies.
Nathan's talk spanned 2,000 years and French versions of foods from Jewish Apple Cake served for Hanukkah in France to Sabbath stews including Alsatian Choucroutes and Pot Au Feus, Moroccan Adafinas and Eastern European Cholents.
"France is where Ashkenazic food began, resulting from geographic differences in the foods available to them," she says.
She described the influxes of Jews to France during those 2,000 years, from Africa, Spain, the Middle East and Eastern Europe and how they helped shape its cuisine.
"Jewish traders brought the seeds of eggplants to France. They introduced chocolate as a drink and became the country's first chocolate-makers," she says. Fougasse, a ladder-shaped bread, and macaroons also have Jewish links.
Nathan, who searches for good stories and good recipes for all of her books, has packed 200 of each into this book. In the process, this culinary anthropologist has created much more than a mere Jewish cookbook. It's a good read for anyone interested in Jewish history or in France itself.
The book opens doors to people's homes and lives — something ordinary tourists will never see. She observes, "Older generations still tend to keep quiet about their beliefs, carrying the fear of the Holocaust in them, while younger ones want to know who they are and all about their backgrounds."
"I'm trying to find connections between food and people in the remote and not-so-remote past. Breaking bread with a person and having tea starts the stories. Once we talk about recipes, they'll open up about their families," Nathan says.
A young woman approached Nathan in a hotel lobby. "I overheard you. My mother won't even talk to us about being a hidden child during the war and she won't share her recipes, either. Will you talk to her?"
Nathan visited the woman's mother, Danielle Fleischmann in Monmartre. The pair talked about her Hanukkah version of a Jewish Apple Cake and other recipes. Then Fleischmann told Nathan how she was sent to a Christian family who agreed to hide her until the war ended. Her parents visited her from time to time, but only at night.
Fleischmann told Nathan, "When I finally could join my family, I clung to my mother. I was always afraid she would go away again. Maybe that is why I make her food today."
Another of the book's dramatic stories comes from Caroline Moos, Nathan's cousin. Her recipe for tomato-cheese quiche was one of those highlighted at a reception following Nathan's speech at Lehigh.
Caroline's parents and 14 other family members were hidden in La Brutagne, a village near Limoges. Just days after the Normandy invasion, German soldiers arrived at the next village and demanded hostages to use in finding a stash of weapons. The mayor refused to give anyone up. The result: all of the town's men were shot; the women were shepherded into a church that was then torched, and the baker, who had given flour to Jews in both villages, was burned to death in his own oven.
Nathan shared fond recollections of her first visit to France. "As a teenager visiting my French cousins in Annecy for the first time, we started eating what I thought was the entire meal. It was just the first course. I fell in love with French food and have been ever since. In those days, however, I was not thinking Jewish food in France."
That would come years later, after she wrote "Jewish Cooking in America," "The New American Cooking," "Foods of Israel Today," "Joan Nathan's Jewish Holiday Cookbook," "The Jewish Holiday Baker" and more, besides hosting the PBS series "Jewish Cooking in America with Joan Nathan" and appearing as a guest on numerous programs including "Today," "Good Morning America," "The Martha Stewart Show" and National Public Radio.
"I'd never thought about the link between ancient Israel and modern France. When I talked with my editor at Knopf, Judith Jones, she said, 'There's nothing on the subject. Why not? Go and make a little visit to France.'"
Jones, who had been Julia Child's editor, triggered what would become a five-year project for Nathan.
"Our food may have started in ancient Israel, but it is a wandering or roaming cuisine that's rooted by dietary laws, rather than localities. It is a part of who we are," Nathan said.
GATEAU DE HANNOUKA (POLISH HANUKKAH APPLE CAKE)
Danielle Fleischmann bakes this apple cake in the same beat-up rectangular pan her mother used. Known as a "Jewish apple cake" because oil is substituted for butter, it is called gateau de Hannouka in France. When Danielle makes the cake, she uses very little batter, and half sweet and half tart apples, a combination that makes a really tasty version of this simple Polish cake. Although her mother grated the apples, Danielle cuts them into small chunks. I often make it in a Bundt pan and serve it sprinkled with sugar.
1 cup vegetable oil, plus more for greasing the pan
5 apples (3 Fuji and 2 Granny Smith, or any combination of sweet and tart apples), peeled, cored and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 6 cups)
Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
1/3 cup walnut halves, roughly chopped
1 1/2 tsps. ground cinnamon
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. salt
2 Tbsps. chopped almonds
1 1/4 cups plus 2 Tbsps. sugar
4 large eggs
1/4 tsp. almond extract
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and grease a Bundt pan or a 9-by-13-inch baking pan.
Toss the apples in a large bowl with the zest and juice of the lemon, the walnuts and the cinnamon.
Pulse together the flour, baking powder, salt, almonds, and 1 1/4 cups of the sugar in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. With the food processor running, add the eggs, oil and almond extract, processing until just mixed.
Spoon 1/3 of the batter over the bottom of the pan. Scatter the apples on top, and cover the apples with the remaining batter. Sprinkle the top with the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar (you'll need less if using a Bundt pan).
Bake for 45-60 minutes, or until golden and cooked through. The cake will take a shorter time to bake in the shallow rectangular pan than in the Bundt pan.
Makes 8 to 10 servings
QUICK GOAT CHEESE BREAD WITH MINT AND APRICOTS
When I ate dinner at the home of Nathalie Berrebi, a Frenchwoman living in Geneva, she served this savory quick bread warm and sliced thin, as a first course for a dinner attended by lots of children and adults. For the main course, Nathalie prepared rouget (red mullet) with an eggplant tapenade on top, something all the children loved. The entire dinner was delicious, but I especially liked that savory bread with the unexpected flavor combination of goat cheese, apricots and fresh mint. Now I often make this quick bread for brunch or lunch and serve it with a green salad.
1/3 cup olive oil, plus some for greasing
3 large eggs
1/3 cup milk
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 oz. grated Gruyere, aged Cheddar or Comte cheese
4 oz. fresh goat cheese
1 cup chopped dried apricots
2 Tbsps. roughly minced mint leaves or 2 tsps. dried mint
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and grease a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with some of the oil.
Crack the eggs into a large bowl and beat well. Add the milk and oil, whisking until smooth.
Mix the flour, baking powder, salt and pepper in another bowl, and add to the wet mixture, stirring until everything is incorporated and the dough is smooth.
Spread the batter in the prepared baking pan, sprinkle on the grated Gruyere, Cheddar or Comte, crumble the goat cheese on top, and then scatter on the apricots and the mint. Pull a knife gently through the batter to blend the ingredients slightly. Bake for 40 minutes. Cool briefly, remove from the pan, slice and serve warm.
Makes 6 to 8 servings
QUICHE SAVOYARDE A LA TOMME (SAVOYARD TOMATO AND CHEESE QUICHE)
After getting reacquainted over a game of ping-pong with Caroline and Philippe Moos, cousins I had not seen in many years, I joined them for a dairy dinner with four of their nine children in their house in Aix-les-Bains. The meal was delicious, consisting of a vegetable soup, an apricot tart for dessert, and this Savoyard tomato-and-cheese quiche as the main course. This is one of those great recipes in which you can substitute almost any leftover cheese you may have in your refrigerator.
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for the work surface
2 tsps. baking powder
Pinch of salt, plus more to taste
6 Tbsps. cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
2 large tomatoes (about 1 lb.)
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
8 oz. sliced Tomme de Savoie, Cantal or Cheddar, crumbled goat cheese, or cubes of feta
A handful of black Nicoise olives, pitted and roughly chopped
2 Tbsps. olive oil
1 tsp. dried oregano, or 2 Tbsps. chopped fresh oregano leaves
2 Tbsps. grated Parmesan cheese
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
Put the flour, baking powder and a pinch of salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Add the butter, and pulse in short spurts until crumbly. Drizzle in 1/3 cup ice water, and continue to pulse until the dough comes together into a ball. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Cut the tomatoes into 1/8-inch-thick rounds. Remove the seeds, then put the tomatoes in one layer on a large plate, and sprinkle with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Let sit for a few minutes.
On a floured surface, roll out the dough to about 10 inches in diameter. Gently lay it in an ungreased 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom, pressing the dough into the sides and trimming off any excess.
Using a rubber spatula, spread the mustard over the bottom of the crust, and put the cheese on top.
Drain and discard any liquid that has seeped out of the tomatoes, and then blot them dry with paper towels. Arrange the slices on top of the cheese, and scatter the olives over. Drizzle the olive oil over all, and sprinkle with the oregano, Parmesan cheese, and more freshly ground pepper to taste.
Put the tart in the oven, and bake for about 30 minutes, or until the crust is golden.
Makes 6 to 8 servings
Three Latke Recipes for Hanukkah
3 Latke Recipes From Joan Nathan for Hanukkah
By Emily Dwass
Most Jewish holidays are associated with special foods. Hanukkah, also known as the Festival of Lights, is no exception. Taking center stage during the eight-day celebration, which starts this Saturday evening, are latkes, which is the Yiddish word for pancakes.
The holiday commemorates religious liberty. One of its key symbols is a small container of oil that miraculously lasted for eight days, allowing the holy Temple to be purified. Which explains why we light Hanukkah candles in a menorah and, equally important, use buckets of oil to fry fritters.
"Everybody has all these weird configurations of latkes," acclaimed cookbook author Joan Nathan told us the other day. "I love putting celery root, apples and potatoes together, that's a really good latke. But at the end of the day, I think people like potato latkes the best."
Some purists insist that grating by hand is the only way to go, while others like the convenience of a food processor, even if that sacrifices something in the texture department. Either way, latkes can be fairly labor intensive, and your house will carry their aroma for days (but that's a good thing, right?).
"For American Jews intrigued with the grastronomic side of Judaism, Hanukkah appears to be the preferred holiday. It is difficult to equal the taste of brown, crisp potato latkes," writes Nathan in her Jewish Holiday Cookbook. "They can be served for breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner or as cocktail party fare. They can be eaten plain or fancy, with sugar, applesauce, sour cream or even chicken soup."
Romanian Zucchini Potato Latkes
From: Joan Nathan's Joan Nathan's Jewish Holiday Cookbook
Makes: 18 large pancakes
2 pounds zucchini
2 large russet or baking potatoes
1 medium onion
3 large eggs
¾ cup matzah meal
Salt and pepper to taste
Vegetable or canola oil
1. Grate the zucchini. Peel the potatoes and grate into the zucchini. Drain off the liquid.
2. Grate the onion and add to the zucchini/potato mixture. Add the eggs and 1 teaspoon of oil. Mix well.
3. Add ½ cup of matzah meal. Stir in. If necessary, continue adding the rest of the matzah meal, until it is thick enough to hold together. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Blend well.
4. In a large heavy frying pan, heat a thin film of oil. Using a tablespoon, scoop round portions of batter into the pan. Brown the latkes for about two minutes per side.
5. Keep the latkes warm in a 300-degree oven until ready to serve.
Ada Shoshan's Apple Latkes
From: Joan Nathan's Joan Nathan's Jewish Holiday Cookbook
Makes: about 36 latkes
2 eggs, well beaten
1 ½ cups orange juice, yogurt or milk (any kind)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
Dash of salt
¼ to ½ cups sugar, depending on taste
3 medium apples, peeled and coarsely grated
Vegetable or canola oil
1. Mix the eggs with the juice, yogurt or milk.
2. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Add these dry ingredients to the egg mixture, along with the grated apples.
3. Heat a thin layer of oil in a large skillet. Using a tablespoon to form latkes, cook them for about 2 minutes per side or until slightly golden.
4. Keep the latkes warm in a 300-degree oven until serving time.
Curried Sweet Potato Latkes
From: Joan Nathan's Jewish Cooking in America
Makes: 16 pancakes
1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled
½ cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon cayenne powder
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 teaspoon cumin
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
2 large eggs, beaten
½ cup milk (any kind)
Vegetable or canola oil
1. Grate the sweet potatoes. In a separate bowl, mix the flour, sugars, baking powder and spices.
2. Add the beaten eggs and milk to the dry ingredients to make a batter. Add in the grated potatoes and mix. The batter should be moist but not runny. If it's too thin, add a little more flour. If it's too thick, add a little more milk.
3. Heat a thin layer of oil in a large frying pan. Use a tablespoon to form the latkes. Fry for about two minutes on each side.
4. Keep the latkes warm in a 300-degree oven until ready to serve.
Joan and DGS Deli in Washington
A Nosh Above: DGS Delicatessen Isn’t Your Bubbie’s Jewish Deli
By Jessica Sidman
When chef Barry Koslow and Nick Wiseman began testing recipes for their new Jewish deli DGS Delicatessen, they sought feedback from a master.
Joan Nathan has written ten cookbooks and countless articles on Jewish cuisine, in addition to TV and radio appearances. She is, as you might put it in Yiddish, a maven of noshing. If they were going to appeal to anyone, they were going to have to pass muster with Nathan first.
Among the dishes Koslow and Wiseman prepared for Nathan in her home were holishkes, a stuffed cabbage dish with a sweet and sour sauce Koslow had never even had before. Trying to put their own twist on it, they decided to stuff the cabbage with meatballs filled with cheese and lots of garlic.
“You wouldn’t put parmesan cheese in meat in stuffed cabbage. Clearly, they didn’t know what stuffed cabbage was,” Nathan recalls. To her, the ingredient was out of place. (That’s probably because the combination of dairy and meat would make the dish non-kosher, so it traditionally has no cheese.) “I really gave it to them. I told them you’ve got to learn what Jewish food is before you try to put your spin on it.”
They took her advice. They began their research with Nathan’s books, family recipes, and recipes handed over from friends’ families. They also visited Jewish delis in New York and around the country.
But there weren’t a lot of places to look for inspiration in D.C. The lack of pastrami and white fish here has provided endless kvetching for Jewish deli fans. While several places in the District have come and gone over the years, and the Maryland suburbs still have some go-to lox spots, the city lacks the iconic delis of other major metropolitan areas on the East Coast. For many people, the closest source for comparison is New York, or if you’re Jewish, your mother or your grandmother’s cooking.
“It’s tough battling nostalgia,” Koslow says. “Your grandmother’s matzo balls are always going to be better than ours, no matter how good ours are. We knew that coming into it.”
But DGS is not your bubbie’s delicatessen. Koslow, Wiseman, and fellow co-owner (and cousin) David Wiseman want to create a Jewish deli that is hip, not just retro. For starters, it’s located in the bustle of Dupont Circle with a sleek minimalist decor and a cocktail bar in the back. And in keeping with the trend of all things artisan, Koslow brines, pickles, cures, and smokes everything in-house. They’re also going lighter than your average heartburn-inducing deli fare with more vegetables as well as more North African spices found in Sephardic Jewish food.
They’re banking on the modernized formula to help them succeed where other D.C. Jewish delis have failed. “There’s been a dearth of Jewish food in this city,” Nathan says of her 38 years here. “Nobody has made their own pastrami or corned beef for years here.” She recalls one restaurant even using frozen matzo balls.
Truth be told, the stuff that comes out of Jewish deli kitchens hasn’t always been the most exciting. “Delicatessens altogether in D.C. and beyond have lost their way,” Wiseman says of the mass-produced food that many put out. While other European cuisines evolved over the past century, Jewish food stagnated. “It became a diner deli, and the menus were too long, and the tables were Formica, and everything was mediocre.”
DGS wants to bring back the craftsmanship of the delicatessens of the 1920s to the 1940s, before the industrialized food movement took over the way small vendors do business. DGS’ pastrami alone takes about eight days: Koslow brines it for a week, smokes it for six hours, steams it for four hours, then slices it all by hand (making for thicker slices than you might find in establishments that use a machine slicer).
The name DGS stands for District Grocery Stores, a co-op of Jewish-owned mom-and-pop shops around D.C. that started in the 1920s. David Wiseman’s grandparents ran a DGS in Adams Morgan. At DGS’ peak, there were around 300 stores in the area; the last one closed in the early 1970s. While they all sold groceries, some butchered, some baked bread, and some smoked fish. “Each one had a personality and a craft, and it’s that same spirit we want to bring here,” Nick Wiseman says.
DGS isn’t the only deli on a quest for an artisan revival. There’s now a movement around the country to “take back” the delicatessen by making dishes from scratch again and sourcing high-quality ingredients. A few forward-thinking delicatessen owners from places like Wise Sons in San Francisco, Kenny and Zuke’s in Portland, Ore., and Mile End in New York have begun meeting annually for a “Deli Summit” to talk about what they want to do with the cuisine and how they can support each other, whether it’s exchanging recipes or kibbitzing on where to buy brisket. Wiseman attended one such meeting of the minds in San Francisco in June 2011.
“There’s an authenticity about cooking Jewish food that we immediately felt connected to,” Wiseman says. “It was understanding ourselves, our past, D.C. It felt very authentic and soulful for us immediately.”
Nathan believes the deli “renaissance” is part of a larger trend of young people going back to their roots to find out who they are and where they’re from. “The Italians are doing it, everybody’s doing it. So why shouldn’t the Jewish kids do it?” Nathan says. “I’ve seen it in Brooklyn. I’ve seen it in San Francisco. And now, I’m seeing it in D.C.”
One tradition the DGS guys are not adopting: keeping kosher. Instead, they’re branding the deli as “kosher-style,” which according to Koslow means no pork and no shellfish.
“I’m not sure I want to take that on right now,” says Wiseman when I first ask about the restaurant not being kosher. Apparently, it’s a touchy subject for the deli owners.
“Kosher Jews have felt let down that we’re not doing kosher food,” he says. Wiseman has received more than 50 emails asking if the restaurant is kosher, and he’s responding individually to every one to explain why it’s not.
“None of us grew up kosher, and this is still distinctly Jewish food for us,” Wiseman says. “What felt authentic for us was cooking the food we grew up with, the food that we know.”
In terms of the business, the DGS team felt hewing to the strict rules required for kosher food didn’t make sense. “We wanted it to feel like a place where everyone was welcome,” Koslow says. “And I think there’s a little bit of a stigma on kosher where people see that and they kind of feel like ‘Oh, I’m not Jewish, I’m not sure I should go in there.’”
It’s also expensive to be certified kosher, and Koslow felt it wouldn’t do anything for the quality of the food. He points out that the rules of kashrut (Jewish dietary laws) are believed to stem from a concern for a sanitary way of eating, but DGS has gone to great lengths to source quality foods, meeting with their salmon fisherman and even visiting the Kansas farm that raises their beef. (None of that careful sourcing will help diners who keep kosher, though.)
Ultimately, the menu is a compromise between traditional and the modern. You won’t find any gefilte fish foam, but Koslow is taking some liberties. The super tender beef short ribs, for example, are flavored with Tunisian spices with figs, spinach, and mint—it was one of the best dishes I tried, but they’re not the flanken of yore. In other areas, Koslow has decided not to mess too much with the classics. The matzo ball soup is based on of a recipe from his grandmother, and the pastrami and mustard on rye doesn’t mess with any extraneous ingredients.
As for that stuffed cabbage dish? Koslow has nixed the cheese, but he’s not exactly making a textbook version. Instead of the traditional beef and rice stuffing, Koslow makes a panade of rye bread soaked in milk to incorporate the rich flavor of the caraway seeds into the meat (an Italian technique used to tenderize meatballs). And rather than topping the dish with a sweet and sour sauce made of ketchup and pineapple juice—the deli shortcut—Koslow makes a gastrique base with red wine vinegar and sugar, then simmers it with whole tomatoes for several hours.
Nathan has already made multiple visits to DGS in its first two weeks. This time, she says they’re on the right track.
“It’s filling a new niche,” Nathan says. “These guys are young. They’re assimilated Americans, but they want to reach back to their past to come up with something...They’ve done their homework, and I think the food is good. What more do you want?”
Joan, Thanksgiving, and the Jews of France
Award-winning author coming to UMD for talk on French cooking
By Joanna McQuillan Weeks
A Slice of Life
November 14, 2012 10:25 AM
Like any enthusiastic cook, Joan Nathan is already planning her Thanksgiving menu.
But before the holiday rolls around, the award-winning cookbook author and food journalist will be making an appearance at UMass Dartmouth.
At the invitation of Professor Mel B. Yoken, Nathan will be guest speaker at an event sponsored by UMD's Boivin Center of French Language and Culture. Her talk and demonstration, titled "My Gastronomic French Journey," is set for 7:45 p.m. Monday (November 19) in the second floor of the Dining Commons on the North Dartmouth campus.
The most recent of Nathan's 10 cookbooks is "Quiches, Kugels, and Couscous: My Search for Jewish Cooking in France." Published by Alfred A. Knopf, it was named one of the 10 best cookbooks of 2010 by NPR, Food and Wine, and Bon Appétit magazines.
Nathan earned a master's degree in French literature from the University of Michigan as well as a master's degree in public administration from Harvard University.
"This was an important book for me," Nathan said in a phone call from the West Coast, "because it was through France ... that I came to like cooking," when she traveled there at age 15 to visit relatives.
Nathan's books aren't just compendiums of recipes; they are rich explorations of history and culture that have earned her the prestigious James Beard Award and the Julia Child Cookbook of the Year Award. And "Quiches, Kugels, and Couscous" is in the same mold.
"This was a great journey for me, because I got to go all over France," she said of her research trip. "I was able to find so many Jewish stories all over."
Just one of those stories involves Quiche a l'Oignon (Onion Tart Lorraine), which she said will likely be the dish she demonstrates Nov. 19. Since the classic quiche Lorraine, with its bits of bacon, is off-limits to those who observe kosher dietary law, the Jews of Alsace and Lorraine created this delicious variation.
During the UMD program, Nathan said, "I'll tell a little bit of the history of food and the Jews of France" which is so richly illuminated in her book.
Nathan and her husband, Allan Gerson, split their time between Washington, D.C., and a home on Martha's Vineyard, where the family will be spending Thanksgiving. (She said she was disappointed to learn that the ferry service from New Bedford had already been suspended for the winter.)
Nathan, who was born in Providence, will be signing books after the lecture and presentation, which is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Professor Yoken, director of the Boivin Center, at myoken@umassd.edu.
Quiches, Kugels, and Couscous in Joyce’s Choices
Once in awhile I like to review a cookbook. Coincidently, Joan Nathan, a cookbook author, is a member of my kayak group. The group is called the MV Kay-Yakkers because we yak as much as we paddle.
Joan fits right in, and her recent book called QUICHES, KUGELS, and COUSCOUS demonstrates her gift for gab as well as a wonderful combination of stories interlaced with innovative recipes.
Joan is the author of numerous cookbooks, two of which won the James Beard Award and the IACP Award. She was the host of a nationally syndicated PBS television series and is a frequent contributor to the New York Times and other publications.
This latest collection of recipes and stories is more than just couscous and kugel. It combines history, cooking tips, culture, and photography resulting in a recipe for good reading.
QUICHES, KUGELS, AND COUSCOUS by Joan Nathan
What is Jewish cooking in France?
That is the question that has haunted Joan Nathan over the years and driven her to unearth the secrets of this hidden cuisine.
Now she gives us the fruits of her quest in her latest extraordinary book, Quiches, Kugels, and Couscous: My Search for Jewish Cooking in France, a treasure trove of delectable kosher recipes and the often moving stories behind them, interlaced with the tumultuous two-thousand-year history of the Jewish presence in France.
In her search, Nathan takes us into kitchens in Paris, Alsace, and the Loire Valley; she visits the bustling Belleville market in Little Tunis in Paris; she breaks bread around the observance of the Sabbath and the celebration of special holidays.
All across France she finds that Jewish cooking is more alive than ever. Traditional dishes are honored, yet many have acquired a French finesse and reflect regional differences.
The influx of Jewish immigrants from North Africa following Algerian independence has brought exciting new flavors and techniques that have infiltrated contemporary French cooking, and the Sephardic influence is more pronounced throughout France today.
This book is for cooks and non cooks. Beautiful photographs, great recipes and lots of stories mixed together make this a fun read. (You don't have to be Jewish or like to cook either...)
Twelve Jewish Moms for Mother’s Day 2012
Salute to 12 Jewish moms for Mother’s Day 2012
By Uriel Heilman · May 8, 2012
MOTHER'S DAY APPRECIATION
NEW YORK (JTA) -- What do Golda Meir, Natalie Portman and Aviva Shalit have in common? They're all on JTA's Top Jewish Moms list for 2012.
With Mother's Day on Sunday, we present our select group (in alphabetical order but for our final choice):
Bella Abzug
The first Jewish woman elected to Congress, who had two daughters, once famously said, “This woman’s place is in the house: the House of Representatives." Abzug was a congressional star, but she also was a staunch Zionist, a pioneer in the synagogue and a one-time Jewish Theological Seminary student. What a role model; not to mention those hats.
Robert Edwards
He’s not Jewish or a woman, but the British scientist pioneered the process of in-vitro fertilization, which is used at a higher rate in Israel than in any other country. Arguably, Edwards has birthed tens of thousands of Jewish children. Just don’t ask him to name them.
Amalie Freud
Knowing what we know now about Sigmund Freud, the mother of the father of psychoanalysis must have been one crazy Jewish mother.
Mrs. Goldberg (as played by Gertrude Berg)
In her defining role as the irrepressible Mrs. Goldberg, Berg brought a lovable matriarch with a sing-song Brooklyn accent to radio, TV, film and Broadway. She paved the way for other Jewish domestic divas that followed, including Rhoda Morgenstern (played by Valerie Harper) and the Nanny (Fran Drescher), who proved that even a couple of WASP-y kids on Manhattan’s Upper East Side can use a Jewish mom.
Bessie Hillman
When Hillman (then Abramowitz) arrived in Chicago as a teenager in 1905 to escape an arranged marriage back in Russia, she wasn’t going to be just another button sewer earning 5 cents an hour. She started organizing and quickly became a union leader. While she eventually would have two daughters with husband and fellow activist Sidney Hillman, her establishment of the Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America in 1914 earned her the distinction of being the Mother of American Labor.
Golda Meir
OK, so she wasn’t Israel’s greatest prime minister. But this mother of two who led Israel for five of Israel’s most challenging years remains a favorite among American Jews. Why? One, because they don’t know much about her actual record, and two, because they just love the idea of a skirt-wearing, Milwaukee-raised Russian Jew making tea for global diplomats in her modest Israeli kitchen, plotting out the future of the Jewish state, and giving the Mossad the order to hunt down and kill the terrorists responsible for the 1972 Olympics massacre in Munich. We’re not sure what kind of mom she was to her kids, but she feels like a mother to the Jewish people.
Joan Nathan
Perhaps nothing is more central to being a Yiddishe mama than knowing how to make a good bowl of chicken soup -- not to mention brisket, blintzes and borscht (just to name a few b’s). By this measure, Nathan is the tops.
Natalie Portman
This starlet, who seems to be on everyone’s list of favorite Jews, has a new baby, Aleph Portman-Millepied. Who wouldn’t want a talented, unabashedly Jewish, gorgeous, smart, Hollywood star for a mom? (Plus, her fictional children, Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia of “Star Wars,” were key to defeating the Evil Empire.)
Aviva Shalit
After her Israeli soldier son Gilad was taken captive by Palestinian militants in a cross-border attack near Gaza in 2006, Aviva and Noam Shalit vowed to do everything in their power to bring him home. With strong parallels to the experiences of Ron Arad and Nachshon Wachsman -- Israeli soldiers who never made it out of Arab captivity -- there was plenty of reason for skepticism, especially as the years passed. But Aviva and Noam never flagged, mounting a relentless campaign for their son’s release. Last October, their persistence was rewarded when Gilad was returned home (albeit at a very heavy cost to Israel). Jewish mother to the rescue!
Dr. Ruth Westheimer
So you think your mother makes you uncomfortable? Try having Dr. Ruth as a mom. Still, you know it’s good advice. Nu, when are you going to get married, already?
Yocheved
She braved Egyptian decree for three months to save her son from certain death, then orchestrated it so he’d be raised in a royal household. And it all paid off: Her boy Moses went on to become the greatest Jewish leader of all time.
The Unsung Heroine
Every day and for thousands of years, Jewish mothers have been making sacrifices large and small to ensure the success of their children and their families, from managing households to raising kids with Jewish values and sensibilities, to giving us the security we need to go out into the world and make something of ourselves. They are not famous because they thought only of us, not themselves. We cannot name them because there are too many. But without them, the Jewish people would be lost. We salute you, Jewish mothers of the world!
Joan's Recipes
"Chestnuts with Onions and Prunes"
from
Quiches, Kugels, and Couscous: My Search for Jewish Cooking in France
"Huevos Haminados or Baked Eggs Jewish Style"
from
Quiches, Kugels, and Couscous: My Search for Jewish Cooking in France
"Harissa - Tunisian Hot Chili Sauce"
from
Quiches, Kugels, and Couscous: My Search for Jewish Cooking in France
"Babka à la Française - Babka Rolls with Olive Tapenade"
from
Quiches, Kugels, and Couscous: My Search for Jewish Cooking in France
"Choucroute de Poisson au Beurre Blanc - Fish Sauerkraut with Wine and Butter Sauce"
from
Quiches, Kugels, and Couscous: My Search for Jewish Cooking in France
"Salade à Ma Façon"
from
Joan Nathan’s Jewish Holiday Cookbook
"Fesenjan (Walnut-Pomegranate Chicken)"
from
Joan Nathan’s Jewish Holiday Cookbook