by Gil Marks
Sephardic Eggplant And Cheese Casserole (Almodrote De Berengena)
6 to 8 servings
[DAIRY]
3 medium (about 1¼ pounds each) eggplants
1 cup (5 ounces) crumbled creamy feta cheese, or 8 ounces farmer, ricotta, or cream cheese
1 cup (4 ounces) firmly packed grated kashkaval, Gouda, Gruyère, or yellow Cheddar cheese
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
¾ cup bread crumbs, matza cake meal, or mashed potatoes
1 to 2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil
About ½ teaspoon table salt or 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Ground black pepper to taste
About 1 tablespoon olive oil or butter for drizzling
1. Cut several slits in the eggplants. Roast over hot coals or 5 inches under a broiler, turning occasionally, until charred and tender, about 40 minutes. Or place on a baking sheet and bake in a 400°F oven until tender, about 50 minutes. Peel the eggplants, being careful not to leave any skin. Place in a colander and let drain for about 30 minutes. Coarsely chop; do not puree.
2. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Oil an 11-by-7-inch or other shallow 2-quart baking dish.
3. In a large bowl, beat together the feta cheese, ¾ cup kashkaval cheese, eggs, bread crumbs, garlic, 3 tablespoons oil, salt, and pepper. Stir in the eggplants. Pour into the prepared dish and drizzle with 1 tablespoon oil.
4. Bake for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with the remaining ¼ cup kashkaval and bake until golden brown, about 25 minutes. Let stand for at least 5 minutes before serving. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Almond
On the surface, the almond tree, a member of the rose family, gives no indication of being special. This native of central Asia, among the earliest cultivated trees, is moderate in size. It has only a modest life expectancy of about fifty years, unlike the extended longevity of olives and figs. The bright green leaves are simple and its hard reddish wood is hardly exceptional. Almond-blossom honey is considered of poor quality and commonly left in the hives to feed the bees.
The almond's flesh, unlike that of its close relative the peach is of no gastronomic value. Nevertheless, the fruit of the almond tree is still of great worth and unique for what's inside. Unlike the peach and most other drupes, the kernel of the almond's fruit is edible and eminently delicious. Indeed, the seed of its fruit has from prehistoric times been the most widespread and important nut in the warm areas of both the ancient and modern Mediterranean and Middle East. Long before the advent of civilization, people discovered that the almond's kernels were tasty and nutritious. Eventually nomads and merchants spread this tree in all directions, especially along the trade routes of the Middle East and Mediterranean. By the fourth century BCE, the almond was already in the province of Granada, Spain.
The nature of the almond tree itself is unique, for it is the first tree to flower after the winter, sometimes as early as late January. The Hebrew word for almond, shaked, means "awakening one," because of its early blossoming, even before the appearance of its leaves. Thus the almond tree serves in Ecclesiastes as a symbol of the transitory nature of human life. Being a harbinger of spring, almonds also represent hope and renewal.
As the nut matures, it is enveloped in a leathery green case that looks like a slender unripe peach. When it ripens, the fruit splits, exposing a tough tan shell, rounded on one end and pointed on the other. Inside is the white kernel, surrounded by an edible brown skin that is frequently removed by blanching in boiling water.
There are two kinds of almonds—sweet and bitter. Sweet almonds are edible raw. There are around fifty varieties of almonds in Spain alone, each with a slightly different flavor and aroma. One sweet variety of almond is from Malaga, Spain; upon reaching France, it was called jardin (garden), denoting a cultivated nut. The name was later Anglicized to Jordan almonds. The bitter almond contains a poisonous chemical compound called amygdalin, which results in trace amounts of cyanide. When the bitter almond's harmful acid is removed, the remaining pulp is fermented and distilled to produce almond extract. It is illegal to sell bitter almonds in the United States, but they are sold in Europe for use in pastries, liqueur, and marzipan.
The almond was one of only two nuts mentioned in the Pentateuch (along with pistachios). Among the "choice fruits of the land [of Israel]," it was sent by Jacob as a gift to the Egyptian prime minister. The almond tree provided the rod of Aaron and the model for the menorah of the Temple. Since biblical times, the almond has been the most important nut among Jews, incorporated in a myriad of traditional dishes. Almonds are added to many versions of charoset. They are among the traditional fruits of Tu b'Shevat. Almond trees thrive in Iberia and early on became a characteristic component of Sephardic cuisine, ubiquitous on festivals and at life-cycle events, as well as in everyday fare. In the Mediterranean region and the Near East, almonds are incorporated into many dishes, including tagines, chicken dishes, soups, sauces, confections, and pastries.
Ashkenazim also used almonds, primarily imported from Italy and Provence, in festive fare, although much less frequently than Sephardim and Mizrachim. Among Ashkenazim, almonds are now primarily used for desserts, notably mandelbrot (almond bread). Almonds, along with raisins, have long been served at many Jewish celebrations as a symbol of good luck and fruitfulness. In the words of "Ay-Lye, Lyu-Lye, Lyu-Lyee," an old Yiddish lullaby:
"Under the baby's cradle here, there's an all-white nanny goat, dear. Nanny's come to bring the baby, almond nuts and raisin candy. Rozhinkes mit mandlen [raisins with almonds] are a special treat. Baby will grow up healthy and sweet. Healthy is far better than wealthy. Baby will grow up a scholar. A scholar of the Torah will he be, a writer too, of holy works. A good man and a pious, God willing, that's what he will be."
Almond Milk
Almond milk is a milk substitute made from soaking finely ground sweet almonds in water and straining them.
Origin: Middle East
Other names: Arabic: assir looz, harir, hariri, hlib b'looz; German and Yiddish: mandelmilch; Italian: latte di mandorle; Spanish and Ladino: leche de almendras.
Until late in the nineteenth century, milk in urban areas was frequently dirty, spoiled, and unsafe and, therefore, typically avoided by those without direct access to a cow. Then the advent of refrigerated railroad cars in the 1880s led to a surfeit of fresh dairy products away from the farm and, beginning in the 1890s, widespread usage of pasteurization ensured a safe supply. Consequently, before that time, milk was seldom used in urban cooking, except in a fermented form, such as cheese, butter, buttermilk, and yogurt. Water generally was not much better, unless first boiled, a principle then not yet understood. Instead, most people relied on faux milk, most notably made from nuts, beans, or melon seeds. The most widespread of these in the Middle East and Europe was made from sweet almonds, with one or two bitter almonds typically added for a more pronounced almond flavor; this faux milk is now known as almond milk and amygdalate. Unlike animal milk, almond milk can be made fresh by any cook and be stored without refrigeration for a day or two.
Nuts contain a large amount of oil, stored in tiny compartments in the tissue surrounded by a layer of protein and lecithin. That is why the texture of nuts is dry when initially bitten, but grows creamier upon chewing and releasing the oil. Soaking the almonds in water before grinding is essential for separating the intact oil from the solid particles. After grinding the nuts with water and straining, the remaining oil- and protein-rich liquid provides a tasty and nutritious milk substitute. The leftover almond pulp can be used for puddings or cookies and other baked goods. Middle Easterners also mix strong almond milk with sugar syrup to create a refreshing drink.
Almond milk, like most culinary advances of the medieval period, arose in Islamic lands, and Sephardim adopted it early on. Europeans learned how to make nut milk from Arabs and Middle Eastern Jewish travelers, and subsequently almond milk was used in cooking and called for in recipes in most
medieval cookbooks, both from Arabic and Christian lands. Columbus recorded cooking sweet potatoes in almond milk during one of his voyages. Medieval Jewish legal texts discuss how to substitute faux milk for animal milk at meat meals: almonds should be situated near the almond milk to signal that it is not animal milk.
Almonds can be expensive in Morocco and, as a result, almond milk, frequently accented with rose water or orange-blossom water, is considered a high- status beverage. Moroccans customarily serve a sweetened version called sharbat bil looz and hlib b'looz at weddings and other celebrations. In the Maghreb, almond milk is used to moisten and flavor sweetened couscous, also a prominent dish at celebrations. Syrians customarily serve glasses of it at engagement parties.
A particular favorite use of almond milk among Sephardim has been with rice. In this vein, Provençal poet and writer Frédéric Mistral, in Lou Tresor Dóu Félibrige (1880), noted the presence of "Ris a l'amelo [rice with almonds], the traditional dish eaten by Jews of Midl during their carnival, which they call Purim." In The Jewish Manual (London, 1846), the first Jewish cookbook in English, Judith Montefiore offered an updated British version of the dish, called "Almond Rice." Sephardim more generally made a pareve version, providing an ideal creamy dessert for eating at meat meals.
Almond Milk (Leche De Almendras)
about 3 cups
[PAREVE]
1 cup (4 ounces) whole almonds, blanched
3 cups water
Pinch of salt (optional)
1. Place the almonds in a large bowl and pour in enough water to cover them by 1 inch. Weigh down with a plate to completely submerge or you can wrap the almonds in cheesecloth. Place in the refrigerator and let soak for at least 12 hours. Drain and rinse the almonds.
2. In a blender, puree the almonds and 1 cup water. Gradually add the remaining 2 cups water and process until smooth, at least 3 minutes. If using, add the salt as a flavor enhancer. Strain through several layers of cheesecloth, squeezing out any liquid, or pour over a fine-mesh sieve set over a bowl and let drain. Store the almond milk, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Shake before using.
Almond Paste
For thousands of years, ground nuts have been used in the Middle East in cooking, initially, primarily as thickeners and flavorings in sauces and stews. In the fourth century BCE, Greeks were already mixing pulverized almonds with honey to make an early confection. When the Persians brought sugarcane westward from India around the sixth century CE, it soon led to sweetened nut pastes and their transformation into the basis of numerous beloved Persian treats.
Pastes were made from hazelnuts, pistachios, and walnuts, but blanched sweet almonds were by far the most widespread nut. Throughout much of history, a bitter almond or two were commonly added to intensify the flavor of the paste, but today, as they are illegal to purchase in many places, a little almond extract is used instead. Besides sugar, Persians began flavoring nut paste with rose water or orange-blossom water, a practice that endures in some communities. Later, in other locations, eggs—variously whole, whites, or yolks—were frequently substituted for the floral waters.
After the Arabs conquered Persia in 640, they began introducing sugar as well as these nut pastes westward, by the ninth century reaching Spain and Sicily and eventually extending into Byzantium and Renaissance Italy and subsequently into medieval Europe. The Moors, especially in Toledo, called almond paste mazapán, probably from the Arabic mauthaban, a small wooden box in which it was stored. At the time of the Spanish Inquisition, almond paste was viewed as a Jewish food.
Almond paste and marzipan are not the same, and the two should not be used interchangeably in most recipes. Almond paste is an uncooked mixture consisting of nearly equal amounts by weight of finely ground blanched sweet almonds and sugar, along with a small amount of water or eggs to bind. Many American brands of commercial almond paste are one-third almonds and two-thirds sugar, while cheaper grades have an even higher proportion of sugar. Marzipan is a cooked almond paste with about twice the amount of sugar as almonds; the sugar is first boiled with water into a syrup, then blended with ground almonds and cooked until the mixture thickens. Almond paste, which has a more intense almond flavor than marzipan, is used primarily in baked goods. Marzipan, which is more malleable and less likely to become oily during handling, is generally used to make confections and shapes.
Well before the expulsion, Sephardim were sculpting almond paste into the form of fruits and other shapes. Some Sephardim call it almendra or almendrada, from the Ladino word for almond, while others refer to it interchangeably as massapan. In either case, historically Sephardim only prepared the raw paste, not the cooked dish now called marzipan. Almendrada is very versatile, forming the basis for a wide variety of Sephardic confections and pastries. It is ubiquitous at life-cycle celebrations honoring births, bar mitzvahs, and weddings and is frequently offered on Purim and especially on Passover. Almond paste is also used by Sephardim as the base for unbaked as well as baked treats, most notably marunchinos, akin to the Italian amaretti. Iraqis add a little cardamom for hadgi badah. Moroccans use almond paste to stuff dates and other dried fruit (tmar b'looz et dates fourées) and as the filling for a classic pastry, kaab el gh'zal (gazelle horn). Syrians form almond paste into rings calls kaak loz.
Italian Jews introduced almond paste to their brethren living along the Rhine River valley, and it entered the Ashkenazic culinary repertoire. Although sugar was the sweetener used in this treat in Iberia and the Middle East, early Ashkenazic versions were made with honey. Sugar gradually became more widespread in Europe, especially with the advent of the sugar beet in the eighteenth century. Subsequently, sugar-based almond paste became the norm in Europe too. Almond paste and marzipan were special treats among Ashkenazim in central Europe, but they were little known in northeastern Europe.
Almonds, Candied
Candied almonds are almonds that have been coated with a glaze of cooked sugar.
Origin: Middle East, Spain
Other names: Arabic: lebas, m'lebass, melebes; Italian: confetti; Yiddish: gebrannte mandlen.
After sugar arrived in the Middle East, cooks discovered how to caramelize the crystals and began cooking chopped nuts in it, such as the Persian badam sukhte (a sort of almond brittle), and whole nuts in it, resulting in a rough glaze of sugar. The Arabs gradually spread these candies westward, eventually reaching Spain. By the fifteenth century, sugar-coated almonds spread to France and Italy and eventually to Germany.
Cooks in Moorish Spain also developed a more sophisticated almond candy by adding repeated layers of water and fine sugar, resulting in almonds covered with a hard white candy coating. Later food dyes were added to create pastel-colored almonds. In English, they became known as candy-coated almonds and, more prominently, Jordan almonds, the Anglicized name of a cultivated—jardin (garden)—sweet variety of almond from Malaga, Spain.
Among Sephardim, Jordan almonds have long been a popular feature at life-cycle events, particularly weddings. At one time, family and friends used to throw Jordan almonds at the bride. At a Sephardic henna ceremony for an engaged couple, in which both future partners dye the palms of their hands, the bowl of henna is surrounded by Jordan almonds, wishing the newlyweds a sweet and fertile life together. In Syrian synagogues on Simchat Torah, after the children are called up for the mass reading of the Torah scroll, the congregants shower them with m'lebass.
At a special Sephardic rite, especially in Turkey, during the fifth month of pregnancy for a woman expecting for the first time, female relatives and friends traditionally gather for a rite called Kortadura de Fashadura (cutting of the swaddling cloth) in Ladino or Tektiá el-G'daouere in Arabic, at which the swaddling cloth for the new baby is ceremonially cut. Coinciding with the first cut, the expectant mother or all the women throw white Jordan almonds at the cloth, signifying a wish for a sweet life for the baby. Additional sugared almonds are served with other treats to the guests.
Aloo Makalla
Origin: India
Other names: alu makhala.
Aloo makalla is the most famous Jewish dish in India. It is a nineteenth-century synthesis of Arabic and Indian cooking traditions, evolving as Middle Eastern Jews, called Baghdadis, relocated to Calcutta in the wake of the British Empire (aloo is Hindi for "potatoes," makalla is Arabic for "fried").
In Calcutta, the measure of a Jewish table was judged by the quality of its aloo makalla. Most of the Jews of Calcutta employed at least one person to do their cooking, although the woman of the household planned and supervised the menus. Thus many non-Jews learned how to prepare this classic Jewish dish and, even after most of Calcutta's Jewish community emigrated, aloo makalla remained popular in India.
The distinct cooking method results in potatoes with a moist interior and a very hard surface, so firm that they are a bit difficult to cut, requiring stealthy securing with a fork, which frequently causes the inside to "jump" out. Whence an Indian nickname for them—"jumping potatoes." Despite the long time in the oil, the potatoes do not become soggy or oily. Aloo makalla is traditionally served accompanied with green methi chutney (fenugreek chutney) every Friday night, on holidays, at weddings, and on other special occasions, along with murgi (spicy chicken), bhaji (curried potatoes and vegetables), khutta (vegetable dishes), and pilau (rice pilaf).
Calcutta Fried Whole Potatoes (Aloo Makalla)
4 to 6 servings
[PAREVE]
2 pounds (about 22) small boiling potatoes of uniform size, peeled
1 teaspoon table salt or 2 teaspoons kosher salt
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
About 3 cups vegetable, safflower, or peanut oil for frying
1. Place the potatoes in a large pot and add water to just cover. Add the salt and turmeric. Bring to a boil and parboil for 30 seconds. Drain. Let cool, then pat dry. Prick each potato once with the tines of a fork.
