by Gil Marks
After the Turks introduced these stews to the Balkans, guvetch quickly became a staple in Romania and Bulgaria, ranking among the most popular of foods. As with most plebeian dishes, there is no definitive recipe. However, to be authentic, guvetch must contain a selection of vegetables—just a few or more than twenty—and be slow-cooked. A little water is added to uncovered stews, while no water is used when the stew is cooked covered. The contents are based upon preference, habit, and availability. Stews containing summer vegetables—eggplants, green beans, okra, peppers, tomatoes, and zucchini—are called guvetch yaz (summer stew). Those predominantly made with winter squash and root vegetables—carrots, celeriac, potatoes, and turnips—are called guvetch kis. Guvetch de riz is cooked with rice.
Eggplant stews were already mentioned in Turkey in the fourteenth century and stews based on eggplant are common throughout the former Ottoman Empire and adjacent areas. As new produce arrived in the Near East, such as the American tomatoes, zucchini, peppers, and green beans, cooks readily included them in their stews. Other commonly added items include cabbage, leeks, lima beans, mushrooms, and even unripe grapes. Frequently, leftovers are added to stretch resources. Turks often first fry the onions and garlic in olive oil, while Romanians and Greeks usually add them raw. Many Turks, in the manner of ratatouille, also sauté each vegetable separately before combining them in the pot, while in the Balkans most cooks simmer the raw vegetables together to mellow and blend the flavors. Middle Eastern vegetable stews tend to be cooked until all the ingredients are very soft; any crispness is a sign of a bad cook.
The stews originally included meat and the Turkish güveç still contains some lamb or beef. Sephardim in Bulgaria make a guvetch kon karne (with meat). Some Turks insist a turlu should have pieces of mutton, while others contend it should never contain eggplant. However, Romanian Jews typically make vegetarian versions (ghiveci din legume). A freshwater fish, such as carp or trout, is sometimes cooked in guvetch.
Seasonings in these hearty stews are generally rather mild; the essential flavor is derived from the combination of vegetables and the cooking process. For Romanians, as is characteristic of their cookery, there must be garlic and plenty of it, frequently both minced and whole. Turks generally add a little lemon juice. In some areas, a chili is included for a little heat. Guvetch is served hot or cold. Romanians frequently spoon guvetch over mamaliga (cornmeal mush), while Turks prefer rice. At dairy meals, summer guvetch is usually accompanied with yogurt or sour cream.
Romanians brought guvetch to Israel, where it is now commonly sold in containers in most supermarkets.
(See also Yakhna)
Romanian Vegetable Stew (Guvetch/Ghiveci)
6 to 8 servings as a side dish
[PAREVE]
1½ pounds (1 large) eggplant, peeled and cut into 1-inch-thick slices
About 2 tablespoons kosher salt or 1 tablespoon table salt for sprinkling
4 cups (28 ounces) peeled, seeded, and coarsely chopped plum tomatoes
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 medium onions, sliced
2 to 4 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound green beans or okra, trimmed
4 small zucchini or yellow squash or any combination, cut into chunks
2 medium green bell peppers, seeded and sliced
2 medium red bell peppers, seeded and sliced
1 to 2 large carrots, sliced (optional)
4 to 8 whole cloves garlic
About 1 teaspoon salt
Ground black pepper to taste
Pinch of sugar
1 cup vegetable broth or water
1. Place the eggplant slices in a colander or on a wire rack, lightly sprinkle with the 2 tablespoons kosher salt, and let stand for about 1 hour. Rinse the eggplant under cold water, then press repeatedly between several layers of paper towels until it feels firm and dry. Cut into 1-inch cubes.
2. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Oil a 4-quart ovenproof dish or pot. Spread half of the tomatoes in the dish.
3. In a large skillet, heat ½ cup oil over medium-high heat. Add the eggplant and sauté until lightly browned, about 8 minutes. Transfer the eggplant to the prepared dish.
4. Drain off any oil from the pan, add ¼ cup oil, and heat over medium heat. Add the onions and minced garlic and sauté until soft and translucent, 5 to 10 minutes. Spread half of the onions over the eggplant.
5. Combine the green beans, zucchini, bell peppers, carrots, and whole garlic cloves. Transfer the vegetable mixture to the dish. Top with the remaining onions, then the remaining tomatoes. Sprinkle with the salt, pepper, and sugar. Drizzle with the broth, then the remaining ¼ cup oil.
6. Bake, uncovered, until the vegetables are tender, about 1½ to 2 hours. Serve warm, at room temperature, or slightly chilled.
H
Hadgi Badah
Hadgi badah are round almond cookies lightly flavored with cardamom.
Origin: Iraq
Other names: hadji bada, hajji bada.
These cardamom-accented cookies, a favorite of Iraqi Jews, are traditionally served on Purim and at the meal following Yom Kippur. There is also a flourless meringue version popular on Passover.
(See also Macaroon)
Iraqi Cardamom-Almond Cookies (Hadgi Badah)
about 48 cookies
[PAREVE]
2¼ cups (11.25 ounces) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon double-acting baking powder
1 1/3 cups (9.25 ounces) sugar
4 large eggs
2 cups (10 ounces) ground blanched almonds
Rose water or orange-blossom water for moistening hands (optional)
About 48 whole almonds or pistachios (optional)
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or grease the sheets.
2. Sift together the flour, cardamom, salt, and baking powder. In a large bowl, beat together the sugar and eggs until light and creamy, about 10 minutes. Stir in the flour mixture, then the ground almonds.
3. Moisten your hands with rose water, if desired, and form the dough into 1-inch balls. Place on the prepared baking sheets and flatten slightly. If using, press a whole almond into the center of each cookie.
4. Bake until lightly browned, about 12 minutes. Let the cookies stand until firm, about 1 minute, then transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Haimish
The Yiddish adjective haimish (from the Old High German heim, "home"), also spelled heimish, means "homey/plain/cozy/informal"; the male adjective is haimisher and the female haimisheh. In Arabic it is baladi (country-style). Much of Ashkenazic cooking and many of the dishes, being relatively simple comfort foods, are described as haimisheh.
Halke
Halke is the Yiddish name for dumpling in some Slavic areas of northeastern Europe. They are frequently potato based and can be plain or filled.
Origin: Galicia (southern Poland)
Other names: Hungary: galuska, haluska; Poland: haluski; Russia: galushki; Slovakia: halusky; Ukraine: halushki.
By the twelfth century, dumplings, initially made from bread, had become a staple of the central European diet and were known by different names in different places. Shortly afterward, the Slavs of eastern Europe began making small, irregularly shaped, pasta-like dumplings named halushki (meaning "little ears," as they were originally triangular). Among segments of Jews in eastern Europe, especially in Galicia, flour dumplings were called halkes in Yiddish.
In the mid-nineteenth century, as potatoes were accepted in central Europe, versions of halkes—made from either mashed or grated raw potatoes—became the most popular types. Potato dumplings are called krumpli galuska in Hungary, kartoffel kloese in northern Germany, and kartoffel knaidel in southern Germany. Halkes, which sometimes feature a savory or sweet filling, tend t
o be firmer and heavier than the Italian potato gnocchi. Plain potato dumplings are traditionally served with sauerbraten, gedempte fleisch (pot roast), or soup. They are also sometimes cooked in a tzimmes (tzimmes mit halkes) or sprinkled with cinnamon-sugar and bread crumbs.
(See also Dumpling and Knaidel/Kneydl)
Ashkenazic Mashed Potato Dumplings (Halkes)
16 to 18 dumplings
[MEAT or PAREVE]
2 pounds (5 to 6 medium) baking (russet) potatoes
About 1¼ cups (6.25 ounces) all-purpose flour or matza meal, or ¾ cup flour and ½ cup semolina or farina
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
About 1½ teaspoons table salt or 1 tablespoon kosher salt
About ¼ teaspoon ground pepper
2 teaspoons grated yellow onion or leek, white part only (optional)
Schmaltz or margarine (optional)
1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a low boil over high heat. Add the potatoes, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer until fork-tender in the center, about 25 minutes. Drain the potatoes, rinse with cold water, and peel. While still warm, run the potatoes through a food mill or ricer into the warm cooking pot. Or return the potatoes to the warm pot and mash with a potato masher, heavy whisk, or pastry blender over medium-low heat. You should have about 4 cups. Let cool.
2. In a large bowl, combine the potatoes, flour, eggs, salt, pepper, and, if using, onion. For heavier dumplings, add additional flour. On a lightly floured surface, knead until smooth. Dust your hands with flour and form into 1- or 1½-inch balls.
3. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. In batches of 4 to 5, add the dumplings to the pot, stirring to prevent sticking. Return to a boil and cook until the dumplings rise to the top, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon.
4. Brush the dumplings with schmaltz and keep warm in the oven while preparing the remaining dumplings. Serve warm.
Halva/Halvah
Halva is a dense confection. The original type is grain based, typically made from semolina, and another kind is seed based, notably made from sesame seeds.
Origin: Persia
Other names: Arabic: halwa; India: halwa; Syria: mamounie, ma'mounia; Turkish: helva.
When the conquering Arabs arrived in Persia in 642, they discovered sugar as well as a highly sophisticated and diversified cuisine, including a vast range of confections, puddings, and pastries, which they adopted and spread westward. The Arabs referred to certain confections as halwa from the Arabic root hilwa (sweet), which the Persians pronounced halva. Later the Ottoman Turks introduced these confections to their domain. Consequently, halva, evolving into an array of versions, became popular from India to the Balkans and North Africa.
Over the course of centuries, various terms and identifications changed as well. When the word halwa first appeared in the seventh century, it referred to a mixture of mashed dates with milk. By the time of the Kitab al-Tabikh (Book of Dishes)—compiled in Baghdad in 1226 but based on a collection of ninth-century Persian-inspired recipes—there were so many versions of the confection that the chapter on "halwa and its varieties" entailed nine recipes, including barad (Arabic and Hebrew meaning "hail," a confection of yeast fritters encased in a boiled honey and rose water candy), mukaffan (Arabic for "shrouded," a confection wrapped in thin pastry), makshüfa (Arabic for "uncovered," a boiled confection of ground nuts, sesame oil, and saffron), and several types of almond paste sweets. The book also contained an entire chapter devoted to judhab/gudab, sweetened grain dishes dating back to at least the ninth century.
An anonymous thirteenth-century cookbook from Moorish Spain contained a recipe for halwa al (excellent confection), consisting of sheets of boiled sugar, honey, sesame oil, and flour that were rolled out; spread with ground pistachios, sugar, and rose water; topped with a second candy sheet; and cut into triangles. Sephardim enjoyed similar confections, including turron (a nougat lightened with egg whites) and azuqaques (from "sugar," an almond confection).
An array of flavored sesame-based halva entices shoppers at the Carmel Market in Tel Aviv, Israel.
Shortly thereafter in central Asia, the term halva was applied to a newfangled type of judhab, entailing a flour (usually semolina, wheat, or rice) toasted in fat, then sweetened and thickened with a sugar syrup or fruit honey. It was frequently enhanced with the addition of spices, chopped nuts, dried fruit, and coconut. These grain puddings—semolina (halva aurd-e sujee and halva di gris), wheat (halva khoshk), and ground rice (halva aurd-e birinj)—soon became the most widespread form of halva, eaten straight as a sweet, but also spread on flatbreads.
The Kitab al-Tabikh was a major influence on the Turks, who pronounced the term helva, and these sweets became an integral component of Ottoman cuisine. During the reign of Suleiman the Magnificent (1520—1566), the height of Ottoman power, the kitchens of his Topkapi Palace in Istanbul were rebuilt and a separate kitchen, called the Helvahane (house of halva), was devoted solely to sweets. The Turks honed and enhanced helva, expanding it to thirty basic types, and spread it into their territories in southeast Europe. The most common type in Turkey is semolina (irmik helvasi), sometimes made with pekmez (grape honey) or bee honey.
The addition of sesame seeds to confections was an ancient practice, but the Ottomans developed a sweetened sesame confection with a flaky consistency made from tahini (tahin helvasi). During the Ottoman domination of Romania, the country's Jews adopted the sesame confection, also calling it halavah or halva in Yiddish, then spread the dish and name to some fellow Ashkenazim. Romanian Jews also introduced the Yiddish name halva to America, where it entered the English language in 1846. Although of less importance in Asia and the Balkans, the sesame type of halva became common in American Jewish markets and delicatessens, emerging as the most well-known version in the West.
Grain halva remains extremely important in much of Asia. More than just a simple treat, it is the foremost comfort food and a cultural and sociological expression of life. Halva is frequently eaten on occasions of both happiness and sorrow, particularly at weddings, in a house of mourning, during recuperation from a serious illness, on a return from a long trip, at brit milahs, at Sabbath lunch, on Hanukkah, and especially on Purim. Following the Megillah reading to break the Fast of Esther, many Persian synagogues serve halva decorated with scenes from the Purim story. Halva is also a common component of Persian mishloach manot (gifts of foods) on Purim day. In Aleppo, Syria, it is served at breakfast and brunch, as well as given to nursing mothers.
The Baghdadis of Calcutta traditionally serve semolina halva as a sweet on Hanukkah, as the grain is cooked in oil. The Bene Israel of Mumbai enjoy a rice-flour halva on Rosh Hashanah, weddings, and other special occasions. However, the most widespread forms of halvas among Indians are made from fruit and vegetables, carrots being the most popular.
(See also Tahini)
Persian Semolina Pudding (Halva Aurd-e Sujee)
6 to 8 servings
[DAIRY or PAREVE]
3 cups water, or 1½ cups water and 1½ cups milk
1½ cups sugar
1 cup unsalted butter or vegetable oil
1½ cups (9 ounces) fine semolina (smead) or farina (not semolina flour)
¾ to 1 cup chopped blanched almonds, pistachios, toasted hazelnuts, or walnuts, or any combination (optional)
1 teaspoon ground turmeric (optional)
1 to 2 teaspoons rose water or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon or ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
1. In a medium saucepan, bring the water and sugar to a boil and stir until melted. Cover, reduce the heat to very low, and let the syrup stand until ready to use.
2. In another medium saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Stir in the semolina and, if using, nuts and/or turmeric, and cook, stirring constantly, until golden brown, about 15 minutes. For darker-colored halva, continue toasting until the grains are dark brown.
3. Return the syrup to
a boil, then slowly stir into the semolina. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the liquid evaporates and the mixture comes away easily from the sides of the pan, about 5 minutes. Stir in the rose water and cinnamon.
4. Remove from the heat, cover with a damp kitchen towel, replace the lid, and let stand for at least 10 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Haman's Ear (Oznei Haman)
Haman's ear is a pastry of fried strips of dough in honey or sugar syrup.
Origin: Spain or Italy
Other names: Alsace: schunzuchen; Austria: heizenblauszen; Dutch: hamansooren; Farsi: gushfil; Georgia: burbushella; German: hamanmuetzen; Greek: aftia tou Amman; Hebrew: oznei Haman; Hungary: fritteln; Italian: orecchi de Aman; Ladino: hojuelos de haman, orejas de Haman.
In contemplating Purim, the Mishnah, Midrash, and Jerusalem Talmud, all composed in Israel and not the Diaspora, focused on the intricacies of reading the Megillah. The Babylonian Talmud, on the other hand, compiled in the very area in which the Purim story unfolded, also delved into the ramifications of Jewish life in the Diaspora. According to the Talmud, Haman, the villain of the Purim story, is the eternal personification of Jewish vulnerability in exile. As a result of the Babylonian Talmud's perspective, Purim uniquely became a holiday of parody and pleasure, partially accomplished through plenty of food and drink. A whimsical expression of the holiday was through an early Ashkenazic custom of making Purim pastries in the shape of animals, soldiers, and other forms. In other Jewish communities, the preeminent Purim pastry consisted of fried strips of dough in honey or sugar syrup, most commonly known as oznei Haman (Haman's ears).
Among the recipes in an anonymous thirteenth- century Moorish cookbook from Andalusia was a deep-fried pastry called udhun (Arabic meaning "ear"), so named because the dish resembled that part of the human anatomy. The fried pastry was typically filled with ground pistachios or almonds mixed with sugar and rose water. The concept of deep-fried dough was adopted by Sephardim, who sometimes called strips by the name shamlias (Ladino for "frills") and hojuelos (leaflets/flakes). In this vein, Isaac Abarbanel (1437—1508), in his Biblical commentary on the manna, notes, "The wafers are a flour food cooked in oil in the form of a water flask that are eaten with honey and it is like the wafers that they make from dough like the shape of ears, cooked in oil and dipped into honey, and we called them ozneim [ears]."
