Kosher kitchen

With Chanukah quickly approaching, there are a few activities that Winnipeg’s Jewish community will be engaging in–Menorahs will be pulled out of storage, new dreydels will be purchased and, of course, Jewish mothers and grandmothers (or Yiddishe mamalehs and babas) will dig out their favourite family recipes.

What some people may not know, however, is that Jewish cooking, like so many other cultures, is regionalized. Depending on where your family came from, a traditional Jewish meal will consist of different delicacies.

“In Winnipeg especially, it’s mainly the Ashkenazi food,” Pam Reiss explains, “so it’s the peasant dishes that my grandparents brought from Eastern Europe. Now if you were in a different area, it might be more of the Moroccan, Sephardi (Spanish Jews from the Iberian Peninsula, including Spain and Portugal) or Middle Eastern-type of food.”

It is these traditional foods that her store, Desserts Plus, sells the most of. Located on Corydon Avenue, a bisseleh (little) drive from the Asper Jewish Community Campus, Desserts Plus is home to outstanding Kosher food products while also acting as a bakery and catering service; and the far-and-away favourites of Reiss’ customers are two of the most traditional Jewish foods that could be found in Winnipeg.

“We can’t keep up with the knish demand and we sell latkas (potato pancakes primarily served at Chanukah) all-year round,” Reiss reports, also noting that chicken soup with kreplach (dumplings filled with meat or mashed potato) or matzah balls are hot sellers.

Kosher kitchens
If you were to ask anyone about the defining aspect of traditional Jewish food, it would be the distinction of being kosher.

At its roots, in order to be kosher, a food item, be it meat, dairy, baked goods or other, is inspected by a rabbi during its preparation for conditions that began in biblical days. There are several aspects to this, but what is emphasized is cleanliness and, in the case of food that comes from animals, that it was bruise free and killed in a very specific manner by an authorized butcher known as a Shoichet.

Because of this reputation, kosher food, especially meat, is often sought by Jews and non-Jews alike. Reiss remarks that a number of people who keep Halal (food permissible by Islamic law) will purchase food at her store, and she has also noticed that in times where there have been food concerns in the city, she has seen an upswing in clientele.

“There have been some scares in the last few years with Listeria and others in the non-kosher market, so when that happens we always get a rush of people looking for kosher hot dogs,” she says. “But there is definitely a group of non-Jewish people who come in for kosher food.”

Perhaps the most commonly-known aspect of kashrut (kosher law) is that milk and meat cannot be mixed, even in ingredients. As a result, groups of people with health concerns have made it a habit to purchase kosher food.

“For people that suffer from milk allergies, with kosher food it’s really easy for them to find things because if there is any dairy in a product, it has to be marked ‘dairy’,” Reiss says. “We’ll take people on a tour and show them what pareve (not containing milk or meat) means and show them food that’s sometimes hard to find, like cookies or bread.”

One of the fun aspects of working with kosher food is using it to adapt other culinary favourites, something Reiss has embraced in her own cooking. As an example, at the time of interview, Reiss was developing a kosher wonton soup recipe, using chicken instead of pork as the filling and bringing in kosher Chinese cooking wine, which is sold in the U.S. She has, in fact, been able to replicate many Chinese dishes, something that has become a huge favourite of the Jewish community (especially on Christmas Eve).

Working around heaviness
If there is one thing that Jewish food preparation is known for, is that the food is very heavy. To put it in Seinfeld terms, no one will debate that traditional chicken soup (sometimes simply called Baba Soup) is a meal. To make her soups less heavy, Pam removes the fat from it, after her preparation is complete.

“I always tell people that I like to use a combination of chicken bones and wings,” she explains. “The wings have a lot of skin and fat. People balk at that, but the point is that adds so much flavour to the soup, but in the end if you chill it and remove the fat, you’re getting the flavour without the heaviness. You remove the oil but the flavour stays in the broth.”

The same principle, Reiss adds, applies in her other cooking.

“We have schnitzel all the time in our showcase and we’re very careful about draining everything really well on paper towel,” she says. “We’re very conscious of that and we try our best to make things not too oily or heavily. It’s something that can be done.

“You just have to use certain techniques to remove the bad stuff.”

Proper eating
Of course, to properly engage in a traditional Jewish meal, there’s one credo to live by–the more the merrier.

Several times throughout the year, including during Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish new year), Chanukah and Pesach (Passover) and on Shabbat, families will gather together for large feasts.

Reiss remarks that this aspect is a major part of having the true Jewish meal experience.

“I think a big part of it is the family and tradition,” Reiss says. “I write a lot about memories that I have of my grandmother’s cooking, going over every Friday night for the chicken soup and brisket–how if we got there early there would be a special treat of little latkas…it’s all tradition. It’s really important.”

So be sure to bring all of your family–your babas, zaidas and your kinder (kids) together for what will surely be a meal to remember as you serve up some delicious Jewish food.

All recipes adapted from Passover - A Kosher Collection (2010)

Chicken Soup
I serve this soup with matzo balls or farfel as it is, or use it in recipes that call for chicken stock. Once strained and chilled, I fill 2 cup (16 oz) containers and keep them in the freezer until I’m ready to use them.

If you don’t use the boiled chicken when you make chicken soup, don’t waste the money on soup chicken. There’s a lot of flavour in the bones and skin, so replace the 5 lbs (2.3 kg) soup chicken with a 5 lbs (2.3 kg) mix of chicken bones, wings and necks.

5 lbs (2.3 kg) soup chicken or a mix of bones, wings and necks
20 cups (4.7 L) cold water
10 oz (280 g) yellow onion, peeled (1 large)
4 oz (115 g) parsnip, peeled and cut into large chunks (1 large)
6 oz (170 g) carrots, peeled and cut into large chunks (3 medium)
6 oz (170 g) celery, cut into large chunks (3 stalks)
1 bunch dill
salt to taste

Place the chicken or chicken parts into a large soup pot. Add the cold water and place over high heat. As the soup approaches a simmer, it will start to release scum and foam, which must be skimmed off. Once the liquid has started to gently simmer, reduce the heat to low.

Continue to skim off any scum, until the liquid is almost clear. This can take 30 to 60 minutes.

Once clear, add the vegetables and dill and cover with a lid, leaving the pot open just a crack. Leaving it slightly ajar will allow the steam to escape and will reduce the soup, resulting in richer broth. Simmer gently for about 1 1/2 hours.

Add some salt. Tastes vary greatly—you may have to add a little salt, taste and then add more. If the soup doesn't have enough flavour, cook it longer, uncovered, letting it reduce. Once you're satisfied with the flavour, remove the chicken with tongs and carefully pour the soup through a fine-mesh strainer lined with cheese cloth into another pot.

As the soup cools, the fat will rise to the top and harden. Chill completely, then use a spoon to carefully remove the fat.

The soup can be kept in the fridge for 3–4 days. Reheat the soup when you're ready to serve, or freeze in small containers or freezer bags for later use.

Serve with matzo balls or toasted farfel.

Potato Latkes
Latkes aren’t just for Chanukah! They’re a great side dish anytime and one of the most popular items in our store all year round.

1 lb (454 g) yellow onion, peeled and grated (2 medium)
2 lbs. (910 g) red potatoes, peeled and grated
2 large eggs
1/2 oz (14 g) cake meal (or flour) (2 Tbsp or 30 ml)
1 1/2 tsp (7 ml) salt
1/4 tsp (1 ml) black pepper
canola oil for frying

Grate the onion first, then grate the potato and mix them together. The juices from the onion will keep the potato from discolouring.

Squeeze out as much liquid as possible from the onion/potato mixture and place in a mixing bowl.

Add the eggs, cake meal, salt and pepper and mix well.

Heat 1/4-inch (5-mm) of oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Use two spoons or an ice-cream scoop to gently place batter into the oil (use about 2 Tbsp. (30 mL) of mixture for each latke).

Fry for about 4 minutes, or until the edges start to brown, then turn over and cook another 3–5 minutes until both sides are golden brown.

Transfer to paper towel to drain. Continue frying the rest of the latkes, adding more oil if necessary.

Enjoy on their own or with sour cream or applesauce.

Makes 12-16

Sweet Potato Latkes
A great alternative to potato latkes, the fresh ginger and hint of cinnamon compliment the sweet potatoes.

Grate the sweet potato and onion; squeeze out any excess liquid and place in a mixing bowl.

Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well.

Heat ¼-inch (5-mm) of oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Use two spoons to gently place the mixture into the oil (use about 2 Tbsp (30 mL) of mixture for each latke).

Fry for about 4 minutes, or until the edges start to brown, then turn over and cook another 3–5 minutes until both sides are golden brown.

Transfer to paper towel to drain and continue with the rest of the latkes, adding more oil if necessary.

Makes 18-24

Zucchini Leek Latkes
I've seen many young children who usually don't enjoy vegetables gobble these up. They're a little softer than potato latkes, so be gentle when you flip them over.

1 1/2 lbs (680 g) zucchini, trimmed and shredded
8 oz (225 g) red potato, peeled and shredded
8 oz (225 g) leek, washed well and thinly sliced (2 medium)
1 1/2 tsp (7 ml) salt
1/2 tsp (2 ml) black pepper
2 1/2 oz (70 g) cake meal (1/2 cup (120 ml)) (or flour)
1 tsp (5 ml) paprika
3 large eggs
canola oil for frying

Grate the zucchini and potato and squeeze out any excess liquid.

Combine with the remaining ingredients in a mixing bowl.

Heat ¼-inch (5-mm) of oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Use two spoons to gently place the mixture into the oil (use about 2 Tbsp (30 mL) of mixture for each latke).

Fry for 2–3 minutes, or until the edges start to brown, then turn over and cook another 2–3 minutes, until both sides are golden brown.

Transfer to paper towel to drain and continue with the rest of the latkes, adding more oil if necessary.

Makes 16-18