Kreplach
As I was growing up, one of my grandmother's specialties was a meat-filled kreplach which she made in great batches every year before the high holidays. We would eat some on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, and then freeze the rest in small plastic bags and bring them out on special occasions throughout the year. These were like gold in our family -- they were counted out carefully, watched over constantly once put on one's plate (lest a table neighbor get mischievous), and bartered for in creative ways. In later years, after I was married, my grandmother would come to my house to make the kreplach. (One brazen, but still-loved, sibling was caught more than once raiding my freezer for the valuable packages.) I have precious videotape of Grandma rolling out the handmade dough, placing the meat filling onto the cut up pieces, and pinching the edges together before dropping into the boiling water. I have no written recipe from her, however, as she never used one -- everything was done by look or feel or taste. She measured water into the dough in the cracked eggshells and she sniffed the meat filling to see if there was the right amount of onion. (See the recipe for complete commentary and tips.)
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Meat Rolled in Cabbage
When my colleague suggested a recipe for stuffed cabbage, I immediately agreed, as stuffed cabbage is a traditional Jewish dish often served during Sukkot. It is much-loved, but suffers from the misconception that it is hard to make, and thus is not served very often, except by those for whom traditional Jewish foods reign supreme, never to be supplanted by more modern options, such as turkey breast and poached salmon. Stuffed cabbage can be made in advance, in fact, should be made in advance, as its flavor is enhanced with some time spent in the refrigerator or freezer. That makes it a wonderful, easy dish for entertaining, whether in the Sukkah or in your own dining room any time of year. Julie's Auntie Barbara makes a mean stuffed cabbage, or meat rolled in cabbage as she refers to it. Auntie Barbara is of the school of cooks who don't usually use written recipes for their traditional dishes, but rather go by habit and taste and feel, and improvise based on what ingredients are on hand and how much time there is to get the job done. This recipe, I have found, is very forgiving. I had trouble peeling the cabbage leaves intact, I used dark brown sugar instead of granulated light brown sugar, I threw in some grated onion, and I guessed at the amounts of salt, pepper, sugar, and raisins. The result was still delicious. When the finished product came out of the oven, never mind that it was 10:30 in the morning, Julie and I decided we were in dire need of a taste test.
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Tzimmes
Food Editor's Notes: This is the tzimmes I grew up on and love. No carrots for my family. My grandmother called this a flomen tzimmes, which she said meant that it was made with white potatoes. White potatoes, sweet potatoes, meat, and prunes (with the pits, of course – she insisted they had more flavor). She didn't use a recipe, but I watched and helped enough times to be able to reconstruct the process from memory. Although we ate this tzimmes at holiday meals as a side dish, it is hearty enough to be a main course. With the chunks of potatoes, this does not freeze well, but you can make it in advance and it will last a week in the refrigerator. Don’t worry, you’ll have no trouble finishing the leftovers – just reheat in the microwave and you have a meal in minutes.
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Apple Tart
Here is a basic, two-crust tart with simple flavors and little sugar beyond the natural sweetness of the fruit. For that reason, it's nice with a dusting of confectioner's sugar on top, and it works well as the ending to a heavy or light meal. Food Editor’s Note: This tart is absolutely delicious! I made it with margarine so that I could serve it with a meat meal. It is a simple, yet elegant fruit dessert that goes perfectly with a cup of tea or as a nice dessert following lunch or dinner.
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