by Gil Marks
(See also Cabbage, Stuffed; and Dolma)
Sephardic Stuffed Grape Leaves (Yaprakes Finos)
about 40 rolls
[MEAT or PAREVE]
Stuffing:
1 cup raw Baldo or long-grain rice
¼ cup olive oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped
2 cups water
About 1 teaspoon table salt or 2 teaspoons kosher salt
About ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley or mint (optional)
¼ cup dried currants (optional)
¼ cup pine nuts (optional)
1 (1-pound) jar grape leaves (about 60 small or 40 medium leaves) or 40 medium fresh leaves
About 1½ cups chicken broth or water
4 to 6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
About 1 teaspoon table salt or 2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 to 8 whole cloves garlic or 1 teaspoon sugar (optional)
1. To make the stuffing: Soak the rice in cold water to cover for 30 minutes, then drain, rinse under cold water, and drain again. In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until soft and translucent, 5 to 10 minutes. Add the rice and sauté until well coated, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the water, salt, pepper, and, if using, parsley, currants, and/or nuts. Bring the mixture to a boil, cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer until the liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Let cool.
2. If using preserved leaves, unroll, rinse under cold water, then soak in cold water to cover for 15 minutes. If using fresh grape leaves, blanch in boiling lightly salted water for about 5 minutes. Drain and pat dry. Carefully cut off the stems.
3. Place the leaves on a flat surface, shiny side down and vein side up. On the small leaves, place 1 heaping teaspoon stuffing near the stem end; on the larger leaves, place about 2 teaspoons. Carefully fold each leaf from the stem end to cover the stuffing. Fold the sides over, then roll up the leaf to make a neat package.
4. Cover the bottom of a large, heavy pot or 3-quart baking dish with several leaves. Arrange the rolls, seam side down, in layers in the prepared pot.
5. In a small bowl, combine the broth, lemon juice, oil, salt, and, if using, garlic. Pour over the stuffed grape leaves to cover, if necessary adding more broth. Weigh down the rolls with a heavy plate.
6. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer until the filling is tender but not mushy, 45 to 60 minutes. Stuffed grape leaves keep in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Serve at room temperature or chilled.
Gribenes
Gribenes are golden brown curly, crispy poultry skin cracklings left over during the process of rendering schmaltz.
Origin: Germany
Other names: Yiddish: grieven, grivalach, griven, shkvarkes; Hungarian: libatepertõ, töpörtyû.
Schmaltz was essential to the Jewish communities of northern Europe, an area lacking in cooking oils. It served as the predominant frying medium and food moistener. Since much fat adheres to the goose and chicken skin, the skin was prudently cut up and rendered with the larger clumps of fat, not only resulting in a more substantial amount of schmaltz, but also transforming the poultry skin into cracklings called gribenes, meaning "ripped apart" and "scraps," as they were never evenly cut into pieces. To be crisp enough, the bits of skin must be fried for an extended period. Unlike schmaltz, which can keep for months, gribenes are best eaten on the day they are made or at least within a few days.
In wealthier eastern Europe homes, these crispy browned bits were a popular forspeis (appetizer), while in poorer households gribenes was the meat main course. Gribenes were eaten alone with a little salt as a Sabbath snack or they were stirred into chopped liver, egg salad, or mashed potatoes; sprinkled over a green salad or chicken soup; spread over a thick slice of rye bread; or mixed into a potato kugel or knaidlach (matza ball) batter. The better delis once offered a small bowl of gribenes as an amuse bouche. A whimsical Yiddish adjunct for dishes containing gribenes is mit neshamos (with souls).
Since schmaltz was historically prepared in a big batch just before the onset of winter, gribenes was prevalent as Hanukkah fare. Some families also traditionally eat gribenes on Rosh Hashanah and during the preceding month of Elul (in accord with the statement in the Jerusalem Talmud that a person is held accountable for not enjoying this world—and to eastern Ashkenazim, very little was more enjoyable than gribenes.) For those households rendering fresh schmaltz for Passover, gribenes was a special treat for that holiday as well. The dish gave rise to a popular Yiddish saying, "meshugeneh ganz, meshugeneh gribenes" (crazy goose [i.e., parents], crazy children).
In mid-twentieth-century America, gribenes became more commonplace fare as Jews ascended the economic ladder and could afford chicken on a more frequent basis. Some Jews in Louisiana add it to Creole Jambalaya instead of shrimp. However, by the 1960s, as fewer cooks rendered their own schmaltz and America entered a cholesterol-watching era, gribenes all but disappeared from many Ashkenazic kitchens. Gribenes went from being perhaps the most beloved Ashkenazic treat to being a forbidden food or a guilty pleasure.
(See Schmaltz)
Gruenkern (Green Kern)
Gruenkern is dried, slightly immature spelt. Spelt, dinkel in German and Yiddish, is a hybrid of emmer and a wild goat grass native to the Near East. The kernels are slightly longer and more pointed than those of wheat and somewhat resemble barley in appearance. Spelt contains a lower amount of gluten than common wheat and, therefore, can sometimes be tolerated by those with wheat allergies; however, spelt's protein, fat, and amino acid content are similar to that of common wheat. Spelt grows well in poor soil, but it is a hulled grain (the husks tightly adhere to the kernels, making it much more difficult to thresh) and relatively low yielding. Spelt found its greatest popularity in the Bronze and Iron ages in Europe, becoming the main wheat species of Germany. Later Ashkenazim in the area mistakenly confused spelt, which was not grown in biblical Israel, with its ancestor emmer, which is one of the Five Species of grain forbidden on Passover. In the late medieval period, as new species of naked wheat (the husks easily come away from the kernels) became prevalent in central Europe, spelt fell out of favor, although it stayed popular in parts of southern Germany and southwestern Poland.
In Germany, spelt is most often available as a product called gruenkern ("green kernels"); the grain is harvested slightly immature, husked, and kiln-dried. Harvesting green grains, such as barley for the biblical Omer offering and the Middle Eastern ferik (green wheat), is an ancient practice devised to collect a small part of a springtime crop while still immature, thereby salvaging at least that portion in case heavy storms damage or rot the entire yield before maturation. If the green grain is harvested before it has developed sufficient starch, however, it will shrivel up and be wasted. The slightly immature kernels still contain too much moisture to store and could rot relatively quickly, so for long-term storage, the immature kernels are dried (akin to the biblical kali, which are immature grains roasted in fire in order to be processed for making flour for the Omer offering.) For centuries, farmers in parts of Germany and Poland have collected part of the spelt crop at the point when the grains had developed sufficient starch; this stage is called Milchreife in Germany and is akin to the biblical aviv (which was the stage at which the barley was harvested each year for the Omer offering on the second day of Passover, giving rise to the Hebrew name for spring.)
Primarily produced in parts of southern Germany and southwestern Poland, gruenkern is rare in America, but found in some specialty food stores. Gruenkern is primarily used to make soups. Many German Jews enjoy it in a Sabbath soup. The first edition of The Settlement Cook Book (1901), written by an author from a German Jewish heritage, included a recipe for "Green Kern Soup." Germans also use the kernels in stews, puddings, cereals, breads (the kernels are mixed with wheat flour), and fritters.
Today, many German families, instea
d of preparing cholent (Sabbath stew), will slow-simmer a gruenkernsuppe, flavored with beef and mach beyn (marrow bones), overnight to commence Sabbath lunch. Some cooks use whole grains, while others insist on ground. It is flavored with a suppengrün (soup greens), a vegetable mixture consisting of a bundle of a leek, carrot, a slice of celeriac, parsley root, and some fresh herbs (such as parsley, celery leaves, or thyme). Historically, in order to prevent any tampering with the fire over the Sabbath, the pots were sealed in a communal oven to be collected by each family following the morning services. Today, a thick, flavorful gruenkernsuppe is cooked at home over low heat or in an oven. For many German families, Sabbath lunch is associated with gruenkern.
German Green Kern Soup (Gruenkernsuppe)
6 to 8 servings
[MEAT]
1 cup roasted green kern (gruenkern), soaked in water to cover for 8 hours and drained
2 pounds boneless beef chuck, brisket, or flanken, cubed
1½ to 2 pounds soup marrow bones
2 cups suppengrün (soup greens), including diced carrots and/or celeriac, leeks, and fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons oatmeal
About 2 teaspoons table salt or 4 teaspoons kosher salt
Ground black pepper to taste
10 cups water
In a large, heavy pot, combine all the ingredients. Bring to a boil, place on a blech (a thin sheet of metal placed over the range top and knobs) over very low heat, or place in a 225°F oven, and cook for at least 6 hours or overnight. Serve warm.
Gulab Jamun
Gulab jamun are small sweet fritters made from milk. They are soaked in a sugar syrup, which was originally flavored with rose water.
Origin: India
Other names: gulam jamun, panthu.
Most Indian confections are milk based, including gulab jamun. The fritters resemble a native Indian fruit called jamun—hence their name. Although gulab means "rose water" in Hindi, some people now omit it from the ingredients in this recipe, as the flavor can be somewhat soapy.
Originally, these soft and sweet fritters were made by cooking fresh milk over low heat for an extended period to reduce the water content by around 85%, the thickened milk known as khoya. Because this was time-consuming, the fritters were primarily purchased from the local mishti dokan (sweet shop). The invention of dry milk powder led to an easier version, making it less complicated to make at home. Flour holds the balls together, but too much causes them to crack during frying. After cooling, the balls are soaked in a chini pani (sugar syrup) accented with cardamom, a favorite Indian spice. Recently, vanilla ice cream has become a popular accompaniment to these fritters. Gulab jamun is a traditional Hanukkah treat among the Bene Israel of Mumbai, as it combines the two primary holiday foods—dairy and fried.
Gulab jamun, cake-like fritters made from milk, are one of the popular sweets in India, and are enjoyed by the Bene Israel of Mumbai on many occasions including Hanukkah.
Mumbai Milk Fritters (Gulab Jamun)
about 20 fritters
[DAIRY]
Pastry:
1 cup (5.45 ounces) nonfat dry milk powder
¼ cup (1.25 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt
3 tablespoons ghee (clarified butter) or unsalted butter, melted and cooled
3 to 4 tablespoons milk
Vegetable or peanut oil for deep-frying
Syrup:
2 cups granulated or brown sugar
2 cups water
4 to 5 cardamom pods or ¼ to ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
1 teaspoon rose water (optional)
1. To make the pastry: In a medium bowl, combine the milk powder, flour, baking soda, and salt. Drizzle with the butter and rub between your fingers until the mixture resembles fine crumbs. Gradually stir in enough milk to form a dough that just holds together. Knead briefly until smooth. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand for 30 minutes.
2. In a large saucepan, heat at least 1 inch oil over medium heat to 350°F.
3. Lightly coat your fingers with a little ghee or oil and divide the dough into 20 equal balls, each about 1½ teaspoons. In batches, fry the balls, turning frequently, until golden brown on all sides, about 4 minutes. Remove with a wire-mesh skimmer and place on a wire rack to drain. Let cool.
4. To make the syrup: In a medium saucepan, stir the sugar and water over low heat until the sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes. Stop stirring, increase the heat to medium, and cook until the mixture is slightly thickened and registers 225°F on a candy thermometer, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, discard the outer shells of the cardamom pods and crush the seeds. Stir the cardamom and, if using, rose water into the syrup.
5. Transfer the cooled fritters to a casserole dish or other container. Drizzle the warm syrup over the fritters, place in the refrigerator, and let soak for at least 3 hours or overnight. The fritters can be covered and stored in the syrup in the refrigerator for up to 1 month. Serve the fritters chilled, at room temperature, or reheated, in a little syrup.
Gundi
Gundi is a cross between a dumpling and meatball. The most popular type is made from chicken and roasted chickpea flour.
Origin: Persia
Other names: gondi, gundi nokhochi, kufteh-e ard-nokhochi.
The most beloved, and arguably the most distinctive, food in Persian Jewish cuisine is gundi (Farsi for "testicles of"), a variation of the Persian kufteh (meatball). By far, the favorite version is made with ground chicken and roasted chickpea flour, which provides a nutty taste and also transforms it from a meatball into a dumpling.
Chicken in Persia was historically more expensive than meat and reserved for special occasions. Turkey has become a more recent substitute, but, when necessary, veal or even beef is used. Although similar in appearance to an Ashkenazic matza ball, gundi taste very different. The proportion of chickpea to chicken, as well as the types and amount of spices, vary from home to home, although cardamom and turmeric are constants. Turmeric imparts a yellow color as well as an interesting aroma. Some cooks prefer a prodigious amount of ground pepper. Many versions are akin to large curried meatballs. Some recipes direct cooks to shape the balls into the size of "a small lime," while others specify the size of "an apricot."
Gundi may be featured alone as an appetizer, typically with fresh herbs and wrapped in flatbread, or served in a soup or sauce. Lamb and beef gundi are more commonly cooked in a sauce, while chicken and veal gundi are usually simmered in soup (abgush-e-gundi). They are traditional in chicken soup (morgh-gushe gundi nokhochi) for Sabbath dinner, Rosh Hashanah dinner, and the Passover Seder. Persians do not generally add carrots and celery to chicken soup, but Ashkenazim in Israel typically do when making this dish. Some cooked chickpeas are generally added to the soup for garnish and textural contrast. Any leftover dumplings are eaten with bread and sabzi (chopped mixed fresh herbs) at Sabbath lunch. Gundi also appear at the meal before the fast of Yom Kippur; for that occasion, the balls and soup contain less spice and salt, to prevent thirst.
Sabbath night gundi in chicken soup is usually served with chelow (steamed rice). A large spoonful of rice is placed in the bottom of each bowl and topped with a ladle of chicken soup and several cubes of potatoes, pieces of chicken, and chickpeas, then a few gundi are added, then the dish is sprinkled with a little sabzi and, for a more intensely sour flavor, limoo omani (ground dried limes).
Persian Chicken and Chickpea Balls (Gundi)
about 18 medium meatballs
[MEAT]
Meatballs:
1 pound ground chicken, turkey, lamb, or lean veal; or 8 ounce ground chicken and 8 ounces ground beef or veal
2 cups (6.5 ounces) roasted chickpea flour (ard-e nokhochi)
2 medium yellow onions, grated
3 tablespoons vegetable oil or 1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
½ to 1 teaspo
on ground cumin or ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
About 1 teaspoon table salt or 2 teaspoons kosher salt
About ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (optional)
About 2 tablespoons water
1½ to 2 quarts chicken soup
1 pound (4 medium) boiling potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 tablespoon lemon juice or tomato paste
1 teaspoon ground tumeric
Salt to taste
1 to 2 cups cooked chickpeas (optional)
1. In a medium bowl, combine all the meatball ingredients, adding enough water to form a mixture that is smooth but not sticky. Refrigerate until firm, at least 3 hours. Using moistened hands, shape into smooth 1-inch balls.
2. In a large pot, bring the chicken soup to a boil. Add the potatoes, lemon juice, turmeric, and salt and simmer for 30 minutes. Add the gundi and, if using, chickpeas, cover, and simmer until the gundi are tender, about 40 minutes.
Gutman
Gutman is a type of Sabbath porridge, unique to the Polish town of Slonim, made from buckwheat flour and browned onions.
Guvetch/Ghiveci
Guvetch is a slow-cooked vegetable ragout. The most well-known version is based on eggplant.
Origin: Romania, Turkey
Other names: France: ratatouille; Greece: briami; Romania: ghiveci, ghivech, guvech, yuvetch; Ladino: khandrajo; Turkey: kapama, turlu.
When the Turks arrived in Asia Minor, they adopted various earthenware pots, which were typically used in ancient Mediterranean cooking, to slow-cook pieces of meat, onions, and vegetables, either over a fire or in a pit oven (tandir). This became a preferred method of Ottoman cuisine. Among these vessels was the güveç, a wide-mouthed earthenware stewing pot that was a descendant of the ancient Roman olla. When the stew is baked uncovered in an oven, it is called a guvetch. A covered baked stew is technically a turlu, Turkish for "diverse" and "varied," or kapama, from the Turkish kapamak (to cover). For covered stews, the lid of the pot was sealed with a strip of dough to keep in the moisture and flavors. A yahni, named after a Persian earthenware vessel, is a stew cooked covered over a fire. Nevertheless, many people use these terms interchangeably. Sephardim in Turkey typically cooked turlu in an oya, a Spanish squat, rounded, wide-mouth earthenware pot also descended from the Roman olla. Although an earthenware pot enhances and contributes to the flavor of the stew, it can be cooked in any ovenproof vessel.
