M E D I U M D O N E W E L L A W E ’ R E
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SHORT RIBS SHOULDN’T BE A TALL ORDER. page 34
ISSUE DEC. 2019
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HOSTESS WITH THE MOSTESS. PARTY LIKE YOU MEAN IT.
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WHEN SAMI MET SUSU: DESSERT TO DINE FOR.
CONTENTS
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22
EDITOR’S LETTER
GIFT GUIDE The perfect gift for everyone on your list.
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COOKBOOK REVIEW An in-depth review of the latest cookbooks to hit the kosher market.
THE ART OF THE DINNER PARTY
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Entertain at home like a pro.
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RESTAURANT CHRONICLES Sami & Susu takes the restaurant dessert experience to the next level — and you can too!
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CORN DOGS
CHURROS What’s Chanukah without a fried delicacy? Switch it up with this South American classic.
Chef Isaac Bernstein shares his party-friendly corn dog recipe with variations to please a crowd.
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CULINARY SCHOOL A detailed profile on various oils.
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INTERVIEW Busy mother and entertainer extraordinaire Eda Schottenstein shares what has inspired her newest project, Multi-Role Woman.
BUTCHER’S CUT
This month, meat expert Naftali Hanau shares everything you need to know about veal scallopini.
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71 TRAVEL Miami
THE CELLAR A deeper look into Spain’s premier kosher estate winery, Clos Mesorah.
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COVER RECIPE Take classic American fair food to a savory place with Chef Isaac’s funnel cakes.
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RECIPE INDEX
TOP 5 Gabriel Boxer shares his favorite donuts to savor this Chanukah season.
Disclaimer: Due to the ever-changing landscape of the travel industry, names, locations and even kashrut can change on a dime. Consult with your local Rabbi to determine which hashgacha works with your lifestyle. Fleishigs does not take responsibility for the kashrut standards of the restaurants listed in this issue. 6
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DAY IN THE LIFE Donut Pop-Up Shop
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editor's letter
CHANUKAH ISSUE
EDITOR IN CHIEF Shifra Klein
“UNGOOGLEABLE” CONTENT
CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Shlomo Klein EDITOR Elisheva Taitz COPY EDITOR Chana Z. Weiss
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his past summer, while taking a two day vacation in Miami (with our 2-year-old in tow), we heeded the recommendation of Chef Yos Schwartz (proprietor of Hasid+Hipster Miami and a private chef) and made reservations at Sami & Susu, a newly-opened dairy Israeli restaurant located five minutes from the famous bakery, Zak the Baker. We were in awe of the space itself — incredibly hip with a great feel and welcoming vibe. We started our meal with butter-slathered garlic bread, a charred, roasted sweet potato topped with crème fraîche (simple yet spot-on), a rich Caesar salad served with a poached egg and the Miami Beach Caprese, which consisted of branzino sashimi, tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella, smoked eggplant cream, almonds, tamarind vinaigrette and sumac yogurt mousse. Everything we ate was extraordinarily fresh, modern and like nothing we had ever experienced before. We were impressed. When dessert came along, we were utterly blown away. See pg. 40 for more on this hands-on dessert experience. I knew right then and there that I needed to share this concept with our readers on an easier, homemade level. I began planning the logistics on coming back to shoot this one-of-a-kind experience and it inspired our how-to-throwa-dessert-party-at-home concept. While we were there, we decided to take full advantage of Miami and everything it has to offer. We teamed up with Reena Goldberger, a super talented event planner and Miami native and resident, who hosted us at her home for the ultimate dinner party (see pg. 22). It was amazing to see someone with such talent make use of her limited space without skimping on quality. Condo living is gorgeous but can come with smaller kitchens; Reena shares how she entertains in her 250-square-foot kitchen space, which to
me, was the most inspiring part. The food was beyond incredible too. While in Miami, we visited what we call the kosher ‘restaurant row’ and gathered some ideas for making the most of a Miami trip (pg. 70). To really seal the party theme of this issue, we teamed up with Chef Isaac Bernstein who visited our test kitchen and prepared his ultimate party bites. Inspired by traditional fair food (aka finger food, great paired with some cold beer), he shares corn dogs and funnel cakes taken in a savory direction. Feel free to customize and top with whatever you would like. To contrast Chef Isaac’s savory bites of heaven, pastry expert Deby Sandler shared her authentic churro recipe (pg. 46). During the planning stages of this issue, my magazine partner and husband Shlomo and I had the opportunity to speak at Melinda Strauss’s Jewish Food Media Conference where we mentioned that we weren’t doing an official latke or donut recipe. The outrage was palpable, so I realized an explanation was needed. At Fleishigs, we do our best to put out “ungoogleable” content. That is what drives our creativity and everything we do. Google “latkes” and you will be met with thousands upon thousands of recipes and inspiration. So, in that regard, we set out to offer something new. Za’atar churros. Carrot corn dogs. A beautifully messy dessert spread. However, to keep the latke lovers everywhere happy, I will share my top 5 latke creations along with my classic latke recipe in upcoming emails, so if you want to stay classic and skip Google, we’ve got you covered as well. Happy Chanukah and Bitayavon, Shifra
Tried one of our recipes? Let us know! Hello@fleishigs.com 8
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@Fleishigsmag
@Fleishigsmag
@Fleishigsmagazine
COPYWRITER Yudi Lewis PROOFREADER Sara Linder DESIGN estudio-5.com PRODUCTION estudio-5.com PHOTOGRAPHER Schneur Menaker FOOD STYLIST Shifra Klein KITCHEN ASSISTANT Devorah Kahan Alana White MARKETING & BRANDING Mann Sales Co. TEST KITCHEN SPONSOR Gourmet Glatt
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Comments & Questions: Hello@fleishigs.com Advertising & Partnerships: Shlomo@fleishigs.com All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form without prior written permission from the publisher is prohibited. Fleishigs magazine assumes no responsibility for content or kashrut of articles and advertisements in the magazine, or for the content of books. Fleishigs magazine is not responsible for typographical errors. Thank you to Fishs Eddy for providing many of the beautiful dishes used to photograph recipes for this issue. Visit www.fishseddy.com or their store located at 889 Broadway at 19th Street in NYC for flatware, dining ware, kitchenware, silverware, linens and more.
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SEASONAL
I was originally inspired by the art of entertaining at the first dinner party I attended, at about 10 or 11 years old. The party was a get-together of family friends in the coolest house ever. The doors were inscribed with Hebrew scripture, the living room ceilings were painted like Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel and the keys on the grand piano played themselves. I knew I was in for a unique experience. The hostess never let any guests in the kitchen but she allowed me to assist. I was immediately hooked. The soft music playing in the background, warm hors d'oeuvres waiting on the large wooden sideboard and sheer joy emanating from the hostess made me feel honored to be her guest. It was the first time I had experienced green jam served with meat, which I later learned to be a classic combination of lamb chops and mint jelly, something I still remember today. I was intrigued and wanted more. For years to come, each and every event I was invited to widened my eyes and sparked my imagination. At one dinner, I was served coconut chicken in a coconut shell; on another occasion I noticed individual paper soap leaves in the bathroom. Never was a detail spared. I took notice. I took mental notes. I was inspired. When Shifra from Fleishigs Magazine reached out about contributing to the Chanukah issue on the topic of how to throw a dinner party, I was thrilled,
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BY REENA GOLDBERGER
THE ART OF THE DINNER PARTY
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because it’s what I love to do. Then when she mentioned that it would be an actual dinner party for the issue’s “live article” feature, I was fully on board (and flattered!). Shifra put me to the test to see if I could pull off serving a crowd of 12 in my cozy dining room, out of my 250-square-foot kitchen. I was up for the challenge! I knew I could throw a party that I could be proud of and enjoy participating in as well. As an event planner, I know that executing a successful party is all about thinking ahead and establishing a realistic plan. I hired two servers to keep things running smoothly so that I could actually sit down with my guests and enjoy. It was incredible to watch the talented Schneur Menaker, Fleishigs’ photographer, work his magic and capture the event, representing my food in such a beautiful way. I greatly enjoyed hosting the diverse crowd of food personalities and it was even better to see how comfortable everyone was with each other. Along with some dear friends and neighbors, we were joined by Rivky and Ezzy Duchman (co-owners of Sage Market), Michelle Saka (@miamifoodyenta), chef Yos Schwartz (@chefyos), Zalmi Duchman (@cookmellow), Chani Katz (Chabad of South Beach/Lincoln Road), Rachel Wachtel (@kosherhousewife) and Jackie Yesharim (@homeoverhouse, who made an incredible flower menorah). While not everyone knew each other, there was a wonderful sense of camaraderie over a shared passion for entertaining and kosher food.
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ELEBRATE
AT HOME DECEMBER 2019
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ocated in downtown Miami, Sami & Susu is a fairly new Israeli-inspired, fish-centric hotspot that serves up undeniably fabulous and delicious vegetarian food. The ambiance is truly unique. It’s funky, trendy and an experience unlike any other. I first visited Sami & Susu this past August and it inspired the direction of the Chanukah issue, which is all about entertaining, something Chef Avi and the team at Sami & Susu are experts in. Beyond the food and atmosphere, their dessert is something I had never experienced before and was excited to try. Israeli music blares from the speakers as the chef and pastry chef carry out trays upon trays of dessert. Butcher paper is laid out on the table and the action begins. Crème anglaise is swiped onto the paper, followed by strawberry coulis, crumbled cookies, mini meringues, luscious chocolate truffles and wedges of pineapple drizzled with homemade salted caramel sauce. But it doesn’t stop there. Brownies,
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THE MOST INTERACTIVE DINING EXPERIENCE TO HIT KOSHER
BY SHIFRA KLEIN
NEXT LEVEL DESSERT:
RESTAURANT CHRONICLES: MAKING FOOD FUN AGAIN.
cheesecake, warm chocolate cake, crème brûlée, kanafeh, French macarons and generous amounts of chocolate ganache are all added for good measure. While it may sound like a hodgepodge of ingredients thrown together, everything is artfully placed with intention into what can only be described as a beautiful mess. Just when you think it can’t get any crazier, the chefs pour liquid nitrogen over the table for some added drama. During the whole experience, the chefs were carefree yet extraordinarily precise, dancing, singing and drawing their crowd in with more than just the food. It immediately had me thinking about how fun it would be to translate this experience to the pages of the magazine. So we visited Sami & Susu again last month with our talented food photographer (and artist), Schneur Menaker, to capture the moment in action. We hope that this how-to-throw-a-dessert-party feature will inspire some awesome memories this Chanukah season.
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SEASONAL
DECEMBER 2019
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(Churros, hot churros)
A los churros,
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CHURROS
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CALIE NTES!! BY DEBY SANDLER
Growing up in Buenos Aires, Argentina, churros were a summer staple. I fondly remember days at the beach, where we would enjoy hot, crispy churros with rich, creamy dulce de leche sauce — I have been making them ever since. Making churros in your own kitchen is simpler than you would think! The best way to eat churros is hot, straight from the fryer. So this Chanukah, try your hand at churros for an easier alternative to donuts.
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PAGE HEADER
Co
BY CHEF ISAAC BERNSTEIN
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very year I get asked the same question — what is my definition of Chanukah? To me, Chanukah is all about family, parties and finger food. A corn dog is the perfect fried, family-friendly finger food when you're searching for a latke alternative. Plus, who doesn’t love food on a stick? There’s a sense of satisfaction in making kosher versions of American fair-style food at home. You can use hot dogs, sausages or go vegan with carrots. Once you have the base batter set, you can take it in so many different directions; be flexible and experiment with flavor profiles. Kids love them too, which is what Chanukah is all about.
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I
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Veal Scallopini
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BUTCHER'S CUT
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BY NAFTALI HANAU PHOTOGRAPHY BY SCHNEUR MENAKER
Veal scallopini are cutlets that generally
mothers, creating a veal that is richer in
come from the boneless shoulder of veal,
color and texture than traditional veal. Veal
which is a very lean cut with complex
scallopini is one of our most popular cuts
muscles and sinew. Therefore, it requires
of meat that we just can't keep up with.
expert butchery to create optimal cutlets.
Rose veal is not as heavy as beef and when
Despite the leanness, when cut uniformly
cut thinly like this, it needs just a quick kiss
and cooked properly, the results are very
of heat to transform it into tender, delicious
tender. Veal comes from young cattle and,
slices.
as such, is typically more expensive than beef. However, scallopini is an inexpensive way to enjoy veal.
Traditionally, veal scallopini is dredged in flour, pan fried and cooked in a rich sauce like lemon-caper or demi-glace. Frying veal
Veal is known for its pale color, but it can
like schnitzel works wonderfully (see next
vary. Grow & Behold sells what is known
page). Another great preparation is stuffing,
as rose veal. Grow & Behold’s calves graze
rolling, pan-searing and cooking in a sauce
on pasture and nurse freely from their
(see pg. 33).
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