FLAVORS

Tasty Teachers

By Flora Rosefsky

When planning high holiday menus, recipe pages stained brown or yellow from years of use come to mind: an apple cake to usher in a sweet Rosh Hashanah, or chopped herring made for Yom Kippur’s Break the Fast.

I believe that Sukkot, my favorite Jewish holiday, can be part of the broad umbrella of the Jewish holidays that take place each autumn. My Sukkot meals include many Eastern European family recipes, some newer ones from contemporary cookbooks and a new kind of cookie I came up with this year to denote the time Sukkot arrives when we look up at a full moon.

What kinds of foods can we eat to reinforce many of the teachings of this celebratory festival that begins four days after the end of Yom Kippur?

In addition to its historical connections to the Exodus, retelling the 40-year journey from Egypt to the promised land, Sukkot manifests agricultural symbolism with a concept of thankfulness for the food G-d provides. Not to be one to watch the calorie count for a Jewish holiday meal, many of my Sukkot dishes are not only stuffed to denote the fullness of the Sukkot fall harvest season but also to be thankful for a bounty of food. A stuffed desert, like a mixed fruit strudel using chopped apples with a touch of honey, connects Rosh Hashanah to Sukkot. It can also be eaten for a Jewish New Year’s meal.

If following the commandment to dwell in the sukkah for eight days, many meals are served in the temporary dwelling. Natural materials like bamboo, branches, or corn stalks create the roof (schach) with just enough room between them to see the sky. For those times when rain appears, it’s easier to bring one plate back into the house to finish the meal, the reason why Hungar

A full moon Sukkot cookie is a treat.

ian goulash and other one-dish entrees with meat, rice or potatoes, and vegetables all mixed together, are popular Sukkot menu choices.

My mother’s Romanian stuffed cabbage is a Rosefsky favorite Sukkot choice. The recipe’s sauce includes a mixture of dried fruits, brown sugar and lemon juice. I finally had to write up this handed-down recipe because everyone who tasted it wanted to know how to make it. Foods such as stuffed acorn squash, stuffed mushrooms and twice-baked potatoes also reinforce the fullness of the autumn season’s harvest.

Some foods, which may not be “stuffed,” offer their own ways to teach us more about Sukkot.

During COVID, besides decluttering closets and drawers bursting with clothes, dust off the piles of cookbooks tucked away on kitchen bookshelves or drawers. In addition to Sukkot recipes handed down from relatives, these cookbooks, often spiral

A one dish meal of Hungarian goulash is perfect for Sukkot.

bound, were published by synagogue Sisterhoods, NCJW, The Breman Museum, Hadassah and other Jewish organizations. They explore Jewish traditions with their recipe choices, while being popular fundraising philanthropic projects. When I want to try something new while learning more about a particular Jewish holiday such as Sukkot, my favorite go-to cookbook is “The Jewish Holiday Cookbook: An International Collection of Recipes and Customs” by Gloria Kaufer Greene.

One idea I came up with this year is to use store-bought large black and white cookies and simply cover them with white icing. I decided to call them Full Moon cookies, an appropriate dessert for Sukkot since it is the only Jewish holiday that begins with a full moon, and not a new moon. Note that out of curiosity, I did an internet search to see if there were recipes for Full Moon cookies. Pinterest and other resources showed phases of the moon cookies with many reci

A plate full of stuffed foods is ready for a Sukkot supper.

pes, but I did not find one specifically designated as a Sukkot moon cookie.

With food pantries needing more support during the pandemic and communities experiencing food vulnerability, Sukkot brings to mind how we also can think of others by sharing our meals. If not with a container of cooked stuffed cabbage, we can look through our stuffed shelves of canned goods to donate to places such as the Jewish Family & Career Services Food Pantry, or to our local synagogue food drives.

The Jewish symbolic foods I prepare, eat and share with others during Sukkot bring me full circle back to my mother and my grandmothers, of blessed memories, who set the compass on how to embrace Jewish traditions through their kitchens. Now it’s time to pass on their recipes, along with a few of my own, to my children, grandchildren and to my community.

Chag Sukkot Sameach – Happy Sukkot Holiday! ì

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FLAVORS

High Holiday Gatherings: What’s a Family To Do?

By Robyn Spizman Gerson

As the high holidays approach, you might be one of the fortunate families who knows where or even how you’ll be sharing festive meals. In prior years, your plans would be signed, sealed and delivered. For those afar, travel plans would be booked, and family gatherings would be top of mind. As I began writing this article, friends and family members were not yet certain how they planned to celebrate. Most, however, remained dedicated to somehow preserving the family traditions of celebratory meals with family favorites and treasured recipes passed down through the generations.

Some family take-chargers have planned backyard, patio, even garage dinners as front runners with backups. Others are socially distancing, masking guests, with creative plans including renting tents, chairs, tables and more, come rain or come shine. And for families apart by distance, not just socially, a computer or iPad will be the tabletop centerpiece and Zoom dinners will keep them together.

Growing up in Atlanta, we gathered at my grandparents Morris and Annie Freedman’s house, directly across from the Aha

Marianne Garber with 3-year-old Zadie baking for the holidays.

vath Achim Synagogue. I’d sit at the picture window as a young child awaiting Grandpa and family members to walk across the street and begin the family celebration. I loved sneaking into the kitchen and tasting a bite or two. Grandma’s cooking was served on the extended dining room table stretched across the living and dining room, covered in fine linens, the good china, silver,

Cookbook cover of “I Remember

Mamma – A Loving Tribute to Rooks

Daniels” by Marianne Daniels Garber crystal, and nothing was spared. Aunts, uncles, cousins and family gathered together. After all, it was the high holidays, a time of reflection, pause, sermon-discussions and family bonding through food. I can instantly imagine the delicious platters of brisket, chicken, tzimmes and delicacies that always pleased, prepared from scratch by my grandmother, who was well known for her Toll House chocolate chip cookie recipe found on the package, but then crisped up in the oven with her special magical touch.

Fast forwarding to the holidays 2020, and the new year cometh. Keeping it sweet and making it memorable will take ingenuity. While the fixings might be on disposable plates and meals packaged individually to avoid sharing, diners will have 6 feet between us, masks, no handshakes, hugs or helping hands from family members. For many, dinners will be delivered, picked up curbside, virtually shared and for those of us who are cooking, it’s certainly a meaningful way to mark the Jewish New Year.

Food has always been at the heart of most Jewish holiday gatherings. Marianne Daniels Garber, whose mother was a remarkable cook, baker of all things delicious, said, “For Mama, food was family. This year we’ll be Zooming with our kids in other cities and social distancing with the family here, with a goal of keeping the family as close as possible, while keeping everyone safe. We will strategically place tables on the deck and pre-plate each person’s meal. From Atlanta to New Jersey to Pennsylvania, we’ll be Zooming our dinner, but always serving Mama’s recipes as the heartbeat of our holiday meals.”

Garber added, “When Mama passed away, I inherited her pans, dishes, and even the wooden bowl for chopping fresh fish for gefilte fish. There was no one to bake all her cakes, so I started baking. When Mama

Handwritten recipe card of Grandma Hattie’s Apple Cake

cooked for the holidays, we went to the Fulton Fish Market to get the whole fish for her gefilte fish since she made everything from scratch. Mama was known for her lemon pound cake, which was quite distinctive, as well as the Chocolate Ice Water Cake. Even at holiday bake sales, her cakes would go for $100 and she was a popular baker.”

Garber wanted to preserve her Mama’s recipes and years ago created a cookbook titled “I Remember Mama,” lovingly filled with her mother’s cakes, Jewish holiday recipes and family favorites. The cookbook gives back to the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation in memory of her parents.

“Mama’s gefilte fish, light and fluffy matzah balls and big kugel continue as a holiday tradition.” Now, Marianne cooks with 3-year-old granddaughter Zadie, who delights in wearing a chef hat and stirring the batter for the holiday cakes.

Lori Halpern reminisces about her holiday connection to baking through her grandmother Hattie’s Apple Cake. Halpern shared, “How sweet it is to feel this connection with my grandmother through baking. I loved visiting with her as she always took time to bake with me. Every year I always make Grandma Hattie’s Apple Cake and talk about my grandmother while baking it, which helps all of us feel connected to her as well. I actually saved her recipe card with her handwriting and it is yellow from the age of the card. I love that special connection and feel her presence during the holidays.”

The holidays will certainly be different this year, yet keeping close to family recipes, memories and each other reminds us of loved ones from generations past. Food has the unique ability to sweeten the holidays, with the significance of how the blessing of family, traditions and togetherness have a deeper meaning, now more than ever.

Light Fluffy Matzoh Balls

From the cookbook “I Remember Mama: A Loving tribute to Rooks Daniels,” compiled by Marianne Daniels Garber

Some people like their matzoh balls dense and hard, but we like them light and fluffy. Everyone has their own secret for making them light and everyone worries about whether they will turn out light. This is how my mother taught me to make mine. My brother, Stanley Daniels, says, “But Mama always said the matzoh balls were better last year!” (Of course, being a Jewish mother, she worried that was true of her gefilte fish, matzoh balls and whatever else she made. I now find myself saying the same thing.)

Follow the recipe on the matzoh meal carton except add 1 extra egg white, doubling or tripling the recipe as needed. I make the mixture the night before and refrigerate overnight.

For one recipe, combine amounts as directed and chill: Matzoh meal Vegetable oil or rendered chicken fat Eggs Salt Chicken broth, preferably homemade

Boil salted water in a large stock pot. After chilling, the matzoh meal mixture will be stiff. Add 1 egg white and teaspoons of seltzer water or chicken broth until the mixture is slightly loose. Stir well. (This is where the “feel” comes in, the mixture should not be too firm but should just hold together.)

Using a spoonful of the mixture, quickly form the balls. Do not pat them into balls or try to make them perfect, too round or too compact. Just nudge the spoonful off the spoon with your finger into the boiling water. The balls will be irregular in shape and will double in size when cooking so don’t worry about making them too large. The pot should be big enough that there is room for the balls to float to the top as they cook. Usually they start floating to the top of the boiling water within 30 seconds, but you may need to nudge a few resting on the bottom of the pot.

Bring the water back to a boil then reduce the heat and simmer for 45 to 50 minutes. When complete, remove the balls from the salted water with a slotted spoon and place them directly into the chicken soup. When ready to serve, heat the soup and matzoh balls together.

Momma’s Big Kugel

From the cookbook “I Remember Mama: A Loving Tribute to Rooks Daniels,” compiled by Marianne Daniels Garber.

1 8-ounce package of medium egg noodles 2 pounds cottage cheese 4 ounces cream cheese 1 pint sour cream 1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted 5 jumbo eggs, blended 1/2 cup of sugar 1 1/2 cups crushed Frosted Flakes 1 tablespoon cinnamon, or to taste

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Mix the crushed Frosted Flakes with the cinnamon and set aside. Cook the egg noodles according to the package and drain well. Toss with a bit of butter or margarine to keep from sticking. In a food processor or with a hand mixer, cream the cheese and sugar. Add the sour cream and blend until smooth. Add the cottage cheese, blending well. (In a food processor, the mixture will be smoother and creamier.) Add the eggs and the melted butter. Combine the mixture with the noodles by hand.

Pour the kugel mixture into a large Pyrex dish sprayed with cooking oil. Sprinkle a generous layer of the crushed Frosted Flakes and cinnamon mixture over the top of the kugel.

Bake for 1 hour or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Either serve immediately or cool before cutting into squares.

This kugel is delicious and can be made in advance. It freezes beautifully. I often freeze it in small packages of 4 to 6 squares for easy serving at a later date.

The Lemon Pound Cake

From the cookbook “I Remember Mama: A Loving Tribute to Rooks Daniels,” compiled by Marianne Daniels Garber.

We always called this Mama’s famous pound cake because people remember it.

What makes this cake distinctive, besides the flavor, is the pan: It’s made in one long loaf pan (16-by-5-by-4-inches, available from Wilton).

For the cake

4 sticks of butter 4 cups of sugar 10 jumbo eggs 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract 4 cups of cake flour

For the glaze

¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice 2 cups powdered sugar (more or less to your taste)

Before beginning, prepare the pan by spraying with Pam or greasing with butter. Cut sheets of wax paper to fit the bottom and 4 sides of the pan, extending the height of the pan by about 2 inches.

Preheat the oven to 325 F.

Cream the butter in a stand mixer on high speed. Slowly add the sugar and continue beating until the mixture is light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. With the mixer on high, add the eggs one at a time, until well beaten. Add the lemon juice and vanilla until just incorporated. The batter will look a bit curdled at this point.

Reduce the mixer to low speed and gradually add spoonfuls of flour to the creamed mixture. Mix each addition until just incorporated using care not to over beat.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan, lightly smoothing the top so it is evenly spread. Bake for 1 ½ to 2 hours or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.

Cool the cake completely before turning out. Gently turn out the cake onto waxed paper and peel off paper; gently roll it over so it is topside up.

In a small mixing bowl, blend the lemon juice into the powdered sugar using a wire whisk. Add more sugar if you want a sweeter, thicker glaze.

Poke holes in the top of the cake with the cake tester and drizzle the glaze over the top of the cake. Enjoy! ì

FLAVORS

Kosher Food for Holidays

By Steve Gilmer

Over the last few months, as COVID worsened and restrictions tightened, my staff and I have had to figure out how to navigate the situation to fill the needs and holiday favorites of the Jewish community despite decreased production, slowed transportation, distributors working remotely with reduced staff, and difficulty acquiring imported goods.

It isn’t simple to fulfill the needs of all the various minhagim (traditions) and stripes of the Atlanta Jewish community. There are those who hold by Cholov Yisroel, Yoshon, Pat Yisrael, and various forms of Shechita, and they all have their requirements that need to be filled.

In Judaism, food is more than just food. Food is ritual, food is spiritual, food is obligatory.

At Passover, it is the seder; at Rosh Hashanah it is the simanim (symbols) and special foods for a sweet new year. This year, getting those items is a challenge unlike any other year.

We’ve been on the phone negotiating with vendors, contacting suppliers from around the country, to make sure the Atlanta Jewish community won’t run out of kosher food, and will have everything that’s needed for the upcoming holiday. With an eye on Sept. 18, Rosh Hashanah eve, we’ve been calculating, counting backwards to when inventory must hit the Kosher Gourmet floors. Freezers have already been cleared out to make room for product coming in earlier than usual to ensure supply for the anticipated demand.

In light of the current situation, slaughterhouses have cut back production, transportation is slow, and suppliers are having to increase their prices in an attempt to keep up with the adjusted safety precautions.

Around the country and especially in the Northeast, restaurants are closed, virtually all catered events are cancelled, and hotels are empty. Consequently, both kosher and treif (non-kosher market) production lines are reduced, orders delayed, and some products discontinued.

All this leads to difficulty in acquiring kosher goods and comes with increased prices that get passed down to the consumer.

Many families have found life financially challenging in the last few months, struggling to keep up with living costs, decreased work and increased food prices.

In these difficult times, the obligation to feed families in need is strong, and a wonderful summer food program was created by Georgia Nutrition Services, catered by Kosher Gourmet and distributed by Congregation Beth Jacob, providing 29,350 catered meals to Jewish children from all over metro Atlanta.

With the high holidays coming up, whether celebrating alone or together, the rules of the game have changed in the catering world and it is a new way of doing business. All orders must be individually packaged, with careful sanitary measures implemented. Gone are the 600-person events, the grand wedding banquets,

Steve Gilmer stocks the shelves at Kosher Gourmet for the upcoming holidays.

the large corporate conventions. We have devolved into a world of separation, of distancing, with nuclear family-size gatherings only. This has also resulted in a huge paradigm shift for store operations. With smaller gatherings and social distancing, the volume in small call-in or emailed orders has increased, personal staff shopping for customers and curbside service is now offered. These changes have resulted in a reorganization of the store’s operations, including staff responsibilities, production schedules, and checkout procedures, as examples of a few adaptions to the new retailing reality.

As the creators of Seder-In-A-Box, Shabbat-In-ABox, and Dinner-In-A-Box, this year Kosher Gourmet is producing a catered Rosh-Hashanah-In-A-Box to ensure that, in a time when families can’t spend Rosh Hashanah together, no one will be stuck without traditional food for the holiday.

We are doing what we can to sustain the community and maintain as close to “normal” as we can. Despite the challenging times, as Jews we must know we’ve got each other’s backs, and that the community always has somewhere to turn.

One thing has not changed. When you leave the Kosher Gourmet, you can always count on me to say, “As they say in the South, ‘y ’all come back now, ya hear?’” ì

Steve Gilmer is the owner of Kosher Gourmet, kosher store and catering company.

Docs Boast Best Brisket

By Marcia Caller Jaffe

Well-set tables for the High Holidays and Passover are known for wafting aromas and juicy slices of brisket. Then there are those meat aficionados who aptly prepare it yearround.

Ashkenazi Jews take the forefront with variations from smoking to braised pot roast, but do not own the space. Koreans, Germans, Brits, Thais, and even Italians have their own brisket versions. Texans revel about barbequing it. Perhaps the most famous culture was revealed in a 2019 Atlanta Jewish Film Festival live performance after the film presentation “Chewdaism: A Taste of Jewish Montreal.”

Kosher brisket that came from Romania to Montreal is believed to have morphed into the corned beef and pastrami touted in “Chewdaism” according to the Food Network.

Crispy, salty, crusty brisket prep can be intimidating, labor intensive and expensive, and can be even better for next day leftovers. The brisket cut comes from the lower part of the breast or chest on a cow, or calf. Preparers marvel at its ability to quiver, flop, jiggle, sag in the middle, necessitating swaddling in anything from butcher paper to a beach towel.

Howard recalls that his mother made a more traditional roasted brisket Locally, Dr. Mitchell Blass, infectious disease version for Jewish holidays specialist, and Dr. Howard growing up in Massachusetts. Snapper, cardiologist, lit up their social media with mouthwatering photos and instructions on this culinary art and tradition. Blass recalls, “The smell of the brisket always reminds me of being together with my family.” Snapper echoed, “My mother made brisket for all the Jewish holidays, but it was more of a roasted version.”

In an article in The New York Times last year, Steven Raichlen broke the brisket process into these components: meat, seasoning, cooker, smoke, temperature, wrap, test, rest, carve. From the Big Green Egg, blue smoke, and “the largest cut of meat most people will ever attempt to cook at home.” Blass shares, “I look for a prime cut brisket that is usually between 10 to 12 pounds. For ribs I ask for a rack of short ribs, uncut and still in the cryovac. “For both, I heavily Mitchell Blass uses a Traeger Silverton pellet grill from Costco with hickory pellets. trim the fat. I use a Traeger Silverton pellet grill from Costco with hickory pellets. My brisket typically takes about six to eight hours of time on the smoker, slow and low. My rack of uncut short ribs takes longer, usually eight to 12 hours.

“Both are made very simply, salt and pepper, setting the grill at 225 degrees, and cooking until an internal temperature of 190 to 200.” Blass offers an alternative as long as the grill is fired up. He prepares fresh trout which takes

Blass takes 22 hours to achieve his perfect brisket.

90 minutes, set at 200 degrees and cooked until flaky.

Snapper uses a Green Mountain Grill with hardwood pellets. It’s preferable to start with a whole brisket, which has two parts: one flat and the other part that’s thick and fatty, which is the most tender. “Look for a well marbled cut. Season with sea salt, black pepper, paprika and garlic powder. Set the temp at 225 to start, but stop when the internal temp hits 150. This is called ‘the stall,’ where you take it off the smoker, wrap in tin foil or butcher paper for just a few minutes, put back to smoke at 203 degrees, pull it off, wrap again, then rest it for an hour.”

Snapper advises to cut the brisket against the grain.

Noting technology, Snapper sets the temperature to interact with his smartphone.

He checks on it hourly to spritz with apple juice and /or Worcestershire sauce to retain moisture. He cautions, “Do not cut the brisket immediately so the juices can distribute. And always cut against the grain.” His entire process takes about 12 hours.

For leftovers, Snapper said. “I wrap them tightly in plastic wrap, refrigerate, then reheat on a steamer on the stove.” Blass joked, “Reheat in a sauté pan and make for next day’s lunch. What leftovers?!” ì

FLAVORS

Holiday Flavors

Preparing for the high holidays? We’ve got recipes to start planning your holiday tables. Some of our contributors and staff, along with members of the community, added their holiday favorites to this year’s lineup ready for the sampling. From challah to brisket to dessert, we hope we start to whet your appetites for the upcoming New Year.

Sea Bass in Sabra

By Susanne Katz

The fish is baked in white wine and has a special aroma from the Sabra.

6 sea bass steaks (about 3 pounds) 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter 1 cup dry white wine 4 tablespoons vermouth 2 tablespoons Sabra or other orange liqueur 2 teaspoons soy sauce 1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 350 F. Arrange fish in a heatproof baking dish and dot with butter. Bake for 20 minutes. Mix wine, vermouth, Sabra, soy sauce and pepper. Pour over fish. Bake for an additional 30 minutes.

Susanne Katz is a contributor to the AJT.

Marinated Carrots

By Susanne Katz

6 to 8 large carrots, peeled and julienned 1/2 cup olive oil 1/4 cup white wine vinegar 1 small onion, sliced 1 teaspoon dried basil 1/2 teaspoon pepper 2 cloves garlic 1 teaspoon salt Juice of 1 large lemon Salad greens

Boil carrots for 3 to 5 minutes. Combine rest of the ingredients for the marinade. Add carrots. Refrigerate overnight. Serve over greens.

Trifle

By Susanne Katz

16-ounce pound cake 1 can chocolate fudge 1/4 cup Kahlua 6 Heath bars, crushed 3 small boxes instant vanilla pudding 3 cups milk 3 cups whipping cream, whipped until stiff 3 bananas sliced (optional) 6 ounces Cool Whip

Slice pound cake and cut into cubes. Combine Kahlua and chocolate fudge. Combine milk and instant pudding. Layer all ingredients and end with Cool Whip topping.

Rosemary Roasted Vegetables

By Terry Segal

Holiday Lemony Apples

By Marcia Caller Jaffe

6 large apples ¼ fresh pineapple 1 cup orange juice 1 ½ tablespoons cinnamon 3 lemons ½ cup raisins Water, as needed

Cut large apples, leave peel on, core. Mix in Granny Smith, Gala or your favorites.

Cut pineapple into small chunks.

Put large pot on stove. Add orange juice, juice from lemons (and anything you can scrape out of the lemons). Cut up the lemon rinds and add to apple and pineapple mixture. Add raisins and cinnamon.

Simmer, then cook on low heat, covered, until fruit is soft. Stir occasionally. Add water and orange juice if needed during cooking.

Option: Substitute pears for apples and sweet kosher wine for the orange juice.

Make large batches for holiday meal and/or freeze in small containers to have on yogurt or a snack with cottage cheese.

Whether served to vegetarians or meat-eaters, this platter of roasted vegetables heralds autumn and the Jewish New Year. It’s met with cheers for the first taste of the season.

Servings: 8

8 ounces peeled shallots 1 purple onion, peeled and sliced 4 red-skinned potatoes, scrubbed and cut 2 medium turnips, peeled and cut 2 medium parsnips, peeled and cut 4 medium carrots, peeled and cut 1 bunch of asparagus, tough ends trimmed off and cut 3 bags of Brussels sprouts, ends removed and halved 1/4 cup of olive oil or less, if desired, to coat the vegetables 3 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary 3 cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed, cut into small chunks, not minced Himalayan pink salt or kosher salt, to taste Black pepper, to taste Balsamic vinegar, if desired Note: All vegetables can be cut into 1- to 2-inch pieces

Preheat oven to 450 F.

In a large bowl, combine the vegetables with the oil, pink salt or kosher salt, black pepper, rosemary and garlic.

Place parchment paper on a baking sheet and spread the vegetables out in an even layer. Don’t overcrowd them or they will steam instead of roast. You can use two baking sheets if necessary.

Put baking sheet in the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes.

Alternately, if you have a large air fryer, you can preheat it to 400 F for 5 minutes and then put the vegetables in and cook them at that temperature for about 20 minutes. Shake and toss them halfway through the process.

Before serving, splash vegetables with a dash of balsamic vinegar or serve as is on a pretty platter with a sprig of rosemary to garnish.

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

By Martha Jo Katz

This is easy and foolproof, and offers memories for me of two great ladies, my mother and grandmother! It is a favorite of our family for the holidays and for any other day they are served. My mother Annette Harris Felson and grandma Ida Bank Harris made them during the holidays as a first course instead of soup. My great-great grandmother Chase Bank made them as well as my namesake, Martha Bank, who came to Baltimore in 1887.

The secret is to make them very small and to balance the sweet and sour. Grandma Harris used to call me to walk the two blocks to her house in Ocilla, Ga., to be the “taster” and she trusted my judgment, even as a child, to tell her if it was too sweet or too sour. I have added carrots to the sauce since they pick up the flavor, add color and our family loves them.

For dinner during the holidays, they can be served as the first course and for lunch, the main course paired with a salad of sliced cucumbers, avocadoes, tomatoes, and hearts of palm with olive oil and lemon juice, salt and pepper mixed in. And, of course, a big slice of challah to accompany them at lunch or dinner.

I always have the memory of the smell in mama and grandma’s kitchens when I make them. A recipe legacy I am proud to inherit, pass down, share and am always happy to serve.

For meat:

Two pounds of ground lean beef (chuck, round or sirloin) Three slices bread, edges trimmed and soaked in warm water One small onion, grated fine Salt and pepper, to taste Garlic salt (optional)

Mix meat with water-soaked bread, onion, and seasonings and set aside

For sauce:

2 large (32-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes with added puree ¾ cup sugar 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt 2 carrots, sliced in rounds

In large Dutch oven, put the tomatoes, sugar, kosher salt and carrots and bring to a simmer:

Roll meat in tiny balls (quarter size) and drop into simmering sauce.

Reduce heat, cover and simmer and cook for 1 hour and a half, stirring occasionally.

Finishing touch:

1 tablespoon lemon juice or 1/8 teaspoon citric acid salt

Add lemon juice or citric acid salt and then taste. Add more sugar if too sour or more citric acid or lemon if too sweet.

Macadamia Nut Banana Bread

Submitted by Lilli Jennison

This recipe is great to gift to friends and family for a sweet new year. It is very easy and delicious. Great as a snack, dessert or breakfast. It is an interesting twist to a quarantine favorite.

4 large bananas, mashed 1 cup sugar 2 large eggs 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1/2 cup vegetable oil 2 cups flour 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1 cup macadamia nuts, chopped (divided) Brown sugar and cinnamon, to taste, for topping

Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray loaf pan with baking spray.

Add bananas, sugar, eggs, vanilla and oil to stand mixer and blend on medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute.

Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a large bowl. Add into the stand mixer and blend on low speed until combined, but not overmixed, about 30 seconds.

Mix in 3/4 cup macadamia nuts with a spatula, then pour into loaf pan. Top with remaining 1/4 cup macadamia nuts.

Bake for 60 to 65 minutes. Note: When there is about 10 minutes left of baking, add the brown sugar and cinnamon mix to the top of the bread.

Source: www.dinnerthendessert.com/macadamia-nut-banana-bread/

Marnie’s Challah

Submitted by Roni Robbins

While sheltering in place and nannying this summer, my daughter Lena began experimenting with challah baking. She got the recipe from family friend Marnie Nadolne, who didn’t actually make up the recipe herself, but was more than happy to share. Despite the yeast shortage – perhaps caused by increased challah baking during the pandemic – sometimes we’d even get to sample the finished product.

My daughter said Nadolne’s son Benjy, who spent an education-filled gap year in Israel with Lena, gave her a challah for her birthday in April. Here’s what she said of her newfound baking hobby:

“Benjy’s mom’s challah is amazing. He gave me one around my birthday because I asked, I think, then I wanted to see if I could make it that good and thought it would be a fun activity for my kids [as nanny], so we started to do it every Friday and I need practice to get good. One time I made it too salty, one time it didn’t rise. I didn’t know about the second rise. And now I’m very good at it.”

Here’s the recipe:

1 packet of rapid-rise yeast (2 ¼ teaspoons) ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons warm water 2 eggs 1/3 cup oil 1/3 cup sugar 1 ½ teaspoon salt 3 1/2 cups bread flour

Optional: 1 teaspoon cinnamon and 1 cup raisins for raisin challah 1 cup dark chocolate chips for chocolate chip challah Sesame or poppy seeds

Combine the yeast, water and a pinch of sugar, stir and let sit.

In a bowl, mix 1 egg, oil, sugar and salt. (Add teaspoon of cinnamon if making raisin challah).

Add water-yeast mixture and stir.

Mix in 2 cups of bread flour, then add chocolate chips or raisins at this point, if desired. Add the rest of the flour and mix/knead until smooth and no longer sticky. Shape into a ball.

Let dough rise in an oiled bowl covered with a towel until it has about doubled in size (around an hour). A warm, humid environment is ideal.

Dump dough onto lightly floured countertop. Don’t punch down, but gently shape. Cut and braid. Put on parchment paper-lined baking sheet.

Beat the second egg in bowl. Brush liberally onto the braided challah. Add seeds if desired and let rise about 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Bake for 30 minutes. Take out immediately and cool on a rack.

Aunt Susan’s Squash Casserole

Submitted by Roni Robbins

Nearly every major Jewish holiday in recent years we’ve spent with my best friend Wendy Vitale and her family. She is like mishpachah because she grew up in Birmingham, where I worked as a daily newspaper journalist early in my career. Her kids and mine grew up together.

I love her casseroles, including this one from her aunt. Really most of Wendy’s dishes are delish, but anything with vegetables seems healthier to me (even if it’s only an illusion in this case).

3 pounds yellow squash 1 large grated onion ½ cup Ritz cracker crumbs plus extra for topping 2 large eggs 1 stick butter or margarine 1 tablespoon sugar 1 teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon pepper

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Wash and cut squash. Boil with onions until tender. Drain and mash. Add remaining ingredients except ½ of butter and extra crumbs.

Melt remaining butter. Pour mixture into baking dish. Pour extra butter over mixture. Sprinkle additional cracker crumbs on mixture. Bake for 1 hour

FLAVORS

Search for Family Roots Leads to Wine Biz

By Susanne Katz

Margo Grbinich-Hunt traveled to Croatia in 2009 in search of her family, but returned to Atlanta with a dream of starting a wine business.

She was born in Nuremberg, Germany, and grew up in the country. Her father was stationed there during the war but was a child of Croatian and Hungarian immigrants.

In 2009, Margo and her husband, Jerry Hunt, flew to Zagreb, the capital of Croatia, with just a few old pictures in hand, and began her search to discover cousins and extended family. In the process, they toured Croatia, which extends east and west from the Adriatic Sea to the Danube River, the Alps in the north and Dalmatia to the south. They were told stories of the Balkan Wars of the 1990s. And they listened as they tasted the Croatian wines that had been brought to the table. The aroma and taste, recalls Grbinich-Hunt, were so fresh and delicious, and very different from wines she had tasted in other countries.

Ten years later, in 2019, Grbinich-Hunt returned to visit her newly found cous

Margo Grbinich-Hunt with wines in the warehouse.

ins in Croatia and to learn more about the various wines, unusual grape varietals and their steadfast production dating back 3,500 years. And so, she founded Grbinich Wines, and became an importer and distributor of fine Croatian wines.

Grbinich Wines, Inc., expanded to include additional Eastern European wines and kosher selections of wines from countries of European Jewish heritage.

An interest in Austrian wines led her to feature a selection. Hafner Kashmir 2015

Margo Grbinich-Hunt looking through photo albums of family from Croatia.

is a red blend wine from Austria. It is certified organic, vegan, and kosher for Passover, produced under strict supervision of Oberrabbiner A.Y. Schwartz, in Vienna, with 15% alcohol.

Grbinich-Hunt hosts tastings in her warehouse, mostly for retailers, and she enjoys pouring wines that may be new to her customers, explaining that Croatia is the home of zinfadel, a root stock that was brought to the U.S. during the Gold Rush. Croatia produces both white and red wines, in a country that is about the size of South Carolina, with a population of 4 million, and with over 300 registered wineries.

Rabbi Reuven Stein of the Atlanta Kashruth Commission explains the importance and history of kosher wines.

“Kosher wine is very important in Judaism. All holidays and Shabbat are celebrated with wine. A Jewish baby is named over a cup of kosher wine. A couple is married over an overflowing cup. Any additives, yeasts, stabilizers and clarifiers all need to come from kosher sources.

“In most cases, only practicing Jewish workers can handle the wine in the cellar, from crushing grapes to tasting and bottling. Winemakers also need to be extra careful when sourcing yeasts, additives and fining agents, to make sure they are kosher, too.

“Once a bottle of unpasteurized (non meveushel, heated during production) wine has been opened, it could cease to be kosher if handled by anyone not observant of the Sabbath. U in a circle indicates that the wine is certified by Union of Orthodox Rabbis. K in a circle or in a star also indicates that the wine is kosher.” ì