by Gil Marks
2. On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough until smooth and elastic, 10 to 15 minutes. Place in an oiled bowl and turn to coat. Cover loosely with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in bulk, about 2 hours.
3. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or lightly grease the sheets. Punch down the dough and divide into 1-inch balls. On a flat surface, roll the balls, from the center out, into ½-inch-thick ropes about 5 inches long. Bring the ends together to form a ring and pinch to seal. Dip the top of the rings into the egg wash, then, if using, into the sesame seeds. Place, sesame side up, on the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 1½ inches between the rings. Cover and let rise for 20 minutes.
4. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
5. Bake until lightly golden, about 20 minutes.
6. After all the kaak are golden, reduce the heat to 225°F. Return the kaak to the oven and bake until crisp, but not excessively hard, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature or in the freezer.
Variation
Sweet Kaak (Biscotchos Dulces):
Add ½ cup sugar.
Kada
Kada refers to several types of pastries made from sweet bread dough with a sweet filling.
Origin: Georgia
Georgians are not ardent consumers of sweets and have few pastries; dessert typically consists of fresh fruit or cheese. Most Georgian sweets reflect a Persian or Ottoman heritage in the form of phyllo pastries, nut confections, and halva. Kada, a celebration food, probably derived from the Turkish sweet bread cörek (rounded), which in turn may have been introduced to the Ottoman Empire in the sixteenth century by Sephardic refugees. There are several types of kada. Some versions consist of a sweetened bread dough, while others evolved into a sort of a cross between a tart and a coffee cake. A third version is sort of strudel-type pastry with the dough stretched very thin, spread with sweetened butter, rolled up, then coiled and baked. For a flavor variation, some cooks toast the flour in the filling in a dry skillet until lightly browned. In the tart-like version, besides the original butter filling, Georgian Jews also enjoy a cherry filling for meat meals, such as at a traditional supra (feast).
Georgian Butter Pastry (Kada)
one 10-inch cake/8 to 10 servings
[DAIRY]
Pastry:
1¾ cups (8.75 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
½ cup sugar
2 large eggs
¾ cup sour cream or plain yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Filling:
6 tablespoons (¾ stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup (5 ounces) all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
1. To make the pastry: Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt. In a large bowl, beat the butter until smooth, about 1 minute. Gradually add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Add the sour cream and vanilla. Blend in the flour mixture to make a smooth dough. Divide the dough in half. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 30 minutes.
2. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease a 10-inch springform pan and dust with flour.
3. To make the filling: In a medium bowl, beat together all the filling ingredients until smooth.
4. Place one half of the dough in the pan and press it to cover the bottom and reach 1 inch up the sides. Spread the filling over the dough.
5. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the remaining piece of dough into a 10-inch round. Place over the filling and press down on the edges.
6. Bake until golden brown and a tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Remove the kada from the pan, place on a wire rack, and let cool.
Variation
Georgian Cherry Pastry:
Combine 1 pound (3 cups) pitted sour cherries, ½ cup sugar, ¼ cup cherry preserves, ½ cup toasted slivered almonds, and 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest and substitute for the butter filling.
Kaletzin
Kaletzin are cheese-filled pastries made by Russian Jews. Many prepared these pastries only once a year— for the meal following Yom Kippur. They are also ideal for Shavuot.
Russian Cheese Rounds (Kaletzin)
12 pastries
[DAIRY]
Dough:
1 package (2¼ teaspoons) active dry yeast or 1 (0.6-ounce) cake fresh yeast
¼ cup warm water (105°F to 115°F for dry yeast; 80°F to 85°F for fresh yeast)
½ cup sugar
¾ cup warm milk, or ¾ cup warm water and ¼ cup nonfat dry milk
6 tablespoons (¾ stick) unsalted butter or shortening, softened
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon table salt or 2 teaspoons kosher salt
About 4 cups (20 ounces) bread or unbleached all-purpose flour
Filling:
2 pounds (4 cups) pot or farmer cheese
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
1. To make the dough: Dissolve the yeast in ¼ cup water. Stir in 1 teaspoon sugar and let stand until foamy, 5 to 10 minutes. In a large bowl, combine the yeast mixture, milk, remaining sugar, butter, eggs, and salt. Blend in 1½ cups flour. Gradually add enough of the remaining flour to make a mixture that holds together.
2. On a lightly floured surface or in an electric mixer with a dough hook, knead the dough, adding more flour as needed, until smooth and springy, about 5 minutes. Place in an oiled bowl and turn to coat. Cover loosely with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in bulk, 2 to 3 hours, or cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
3. Punch down the dough, knead briefly, divide into 24 equal pieces, form into balls, and let stand for 10 minutes.
4. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease the sheet.
5. Roll each dough piece into a 2-inch round about ¼ inch thick.
6. To make the filling: Place a spoonful of pot cheese and several dots of butter in the center of half the rounds.
7. Top with the remaining 12 rounds and press the edges to seal. Prick the tops with the tines of a fork.
8. Place the dough rounds on the prepared baking sheet, leaving 1½ inches between each pastry. Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Transfer the pastries to a wire rack and let cool completely.
Kanafeh/Kadayif
Kanafeh is a very fine semolina dough that is shredded and made into pastries. The dough is usually coated with butter and baked or fried.
Origin: Levant or Egypt
Other names: Arabic: knafeh; Egyptian: konafa, kunafa; Greek: kadaifi, kataifi; Persian: ghaatayef; Turkish: kadayif, kiinefe.
In the ninth century, cooks of the caliph of Baghdad made a simple crepe-like pancake called qata'if (from the Arabic for "velvet"), prepared by pouring a thin flour and water batter on a heated sheet of metal and cooking the batter on one side. The predominant early use of the qata'if was wrapping it around a filling, notably a piece of lauzinaq (almond paste), then frying it and topping it with honey. In Syria and the Levant qata'if evolved into a deep-fried filled leavened pancake drenched in sugar syrup, colloquially called by Syrians atayef.
In addition, Arabic cookbooks of the thirteenth century reveal that Middle Eastern cooks thinly sliced the qata'if and tossed the shreds with honey. Soon, instead of cutting up the cooked pancakes, they began to drizzle the batter into thin lines onto the metal sheet. This unique dough, as well as pastries made from it, became known as a variation of the word qata'if, called kadayif or knafeh.
A Jewish marriage document found in the Cairo Geniza (synagogue archives) dating from around 1010 CE included among the witnesses "ben Isaac ha-Levi known as al-Qata'if [a nick
name meaning maker of qata'if pastry], witness," while about a century later a Jewish document from Alexandria mentioned "the scribe Ibn al-Qata'if [in this instance, a family name]," reflecting the early adoption and production of this pastry by the Jewish community.
A vendor in Acre's Old City making kanafeh, a shredded dough, the old-fashioned way—on a heated metal sheet.
Kanafeh batter, composed of only semolina flour and water, comes in two types: knishneh (Arabic meaning "rough"), long, thin threads looking something like shredded wheat; and na'ama (Arabic for "fine"), small pellets formed by coarsely grinding the threads. When the two types of pastry are mixed together, it is known as mhayara. Historically, kanafeh dough, much easier to make than phyllo, was relatively inexpensive and, therefore, accessible for home cooks as well as professional vendors. Today, frozen kanafeh dough can be found in many Israeli supermarkets, as well as in America at a few specialty stores.
Some small Middle Eastern bakeries still make fresh knishneh in the traditional manner by drizzling the batter by hand on a heated stationary metal sheet. However, many bakeries have adopted a slightly mechanized approach: They use a heated revolving circular turntable (furn) about four to five feet in diameter. A juzza, a movable container with a six-inch-long bottom plate with a row of twelve tiny perforations, is positioned above the turntable and, while the heated table is rotated, the batter is slowly squeezed out to gradually cover the entire surface of the table. The batter dries nearly upon contact with the heated surface, then is quickly gathered, wound into skeins, and piled in boxes.
The uniqueness of kanafeh lies in the amount of surface area on the dough, which becomes crisp during baking or frying. The common practice is to first separate the threads, which exposes more area, then coat the dough with melted butter or oil. Kanafeh is crisper than any other pastry, yet is light and delicate. The hard kanafeh pastry is frequently complemented with a filling of a soft, creamy texture. Crumbled shredded wheat can be substituted for the kanafeh, but the texture will be much coarser.
Initially, cooks began to use the kanafeh by filling a bundle of dough threads with chopped nuts, then deep-frying the pastry. In Lebanon, the dough is also toasted in clarified butter, then mixed with cheese, sugar, and orange-blossom or rose water, to make a popular breakfast dish called kanafeh bil jiben. Eventually, a method emerged of preparing a large pastry without deep-frying, by pressing a layer of kanafeh dough into the bottom of a large flat-bottomed pan, then lightly and evenly browning it over a flame while frequently moving the pan. The dough was topped with a layer of filling (nuts, cream, or cheese), then a top layer of dough, and the pastry was inverted and cooked over the burner until the other side was browned. The large fried pastry was then cut into individual servings, called tel kadayif (string) in Turkey. Later, as the furn (flat-bottomed oven) supplanted the tandor (vertical oven), cooks began to bake small individual pastries as well as a large round pastry similar to baklava, as these were much easier to prepare than the pastries made using the old-fashioned stovetop method.
Typical of Middle Eastern cuisine, the pastries are drenched in sugar syrup, sometimes accented with orange-blossom water or rose water, and garnished with chopped nuts. Some color the syrup with a special reddish orange dye. Turks frequently top the pastries with a spoonful of a rich cream called kaymak.
Levantine Arabs prefer a filling with jiben nabulsi, also called ackawi (a semihard cheese akin to mozzarella), or jiben hulwa (unsalted fresh cheese); Turks favor peyniri (a cheese akin to clotted cream); and Syrian Jews tend to use bil crema (cream mixtures). Syrians also have a pareve filling made from mashed bananas (bil moz). Some of the cheese fillings have a slightly salty note that contrasts with the syrup. Pastries that have long been particularly renowned are the kanafeh of Aleppo, Syria, called kanafeh halabi (of Aleppo); the pistachio-sprinkled pastries from Gaziantep, Turkey; and the cheese version of Nablus (Nabulsiyye).
Although unknown to most Westerners and only first mentioned in English in 1950, kanafeh is extremely popular in the eastern Mediterranean. Kanafeh is important not only among Mizrachim, but also among Sephardim, who arrived in the Ottoman Empire and adopted the pastry as well. Among Jews from the eastern Mediterranean, kanafeh is widespread at life-cycle events, especially weddings, brit milahs, and bar mitzvahs. Nut-filled kanafeh (bil joz) is a beloved Purim treat; in some Sephardic communities, it is called kaveyos di Haman (Haman's hair) on this holiday. Kanafeh is typically served with Turkish coffee or tea.
(See also Atayef)
Middle Eastern Shredded Wheat Pastry (Kanafeh/Kadayif)
about 24 pastries
[DAIRY or PAREVE]
Filling:
2 cups (about 8 ounces) finely chopped blanched almonds, pistachios, or walnuts, or any combination
¼ cup sugar
1 tablespoon water or orange juice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, rose water, or orange-blossom water
¼ teaspoon ground cloves or ½ teaspoon grated lemon zest (optional)
1 pound kanafeh/kadayif dough (found in Middle Eastern specialty stores)
¾ cup (1½ sticks) unsalted butter or margarine, melted and cooled
3 cups Atar (Middle Eastern Sugar Syrup (Atar/Shira))
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 13-by-9-inch baking pan or 10-inch round springform pan.
2. To make the filling: In a medium bowl, combine all the filling ingredients.
3. In a large bowl, shred the kanafeh, prying apart the strands. Drizzle with the butter and toss to coat and fluff. Evenly spread slightly more than half of the kanafeh in the prepared pan and press gently to flatten. Spread with the filling, leaving a ½-inch border on all sides. Top with the remaining kanafeh and press gently to flatten. Sprinkle with a few drops of water.
4. Bake until golden brown, 35 to 45 minutes.
5. Drizzle half of the cooled syrup over the hot pastry, wait 10 minutes until the syrup is absorbed, then drizzle with the remaining syrup and let stand until absorbed. For a smooth top surface, invert the kanafeh onto a tray. While still warm, cut into 1- to 2-inch squares. Serve warm or at room temperature. Kanafeh tastes best on the day it is made.
Káposzta
Káposzta is braised cabbage.
Origin: Central Europe
Other names: Czech: dusené zelí; German: gedunstetes kraut; Hungarian: párolt káposzta.
While cabbage was a staple among all central European countries, none developed as many variations as Hungary. Cabbage stars in several beloved Hungarian celebratory dishes, such as töltött káposzta (stuffed cabbage) and káposztás rétes (cabbage-stuffed strudel), and it also constitutes everyday fare.
Káposzta is the Hungarian word for cabbage, that country's king of vegetables, as well as the common vernacular for a favorite central European method for cooking cabbage—braising (párolt káposzta). The cabbage is first cooked in fat, producing extra flavor and a firmer texture. Then as the cabbage cooks over a low heat in its own juices, its sweetness emerges. When cabbage was out of season, cooks frequently substituted sauerkraut for fresh cabbage. Sometimes braised cabbage was mixed with sour cream (tejfolos káposzta), simmered in a tomato sauce (paradicsomos káposzta), or sautéed with apples (almaval párolt káposzta). Basic braised cabbage is typically served with roast meat and dumplings,
Unquestionably, the favorite Hungarian variation of braised cabbage—and for many the ultimate comfort food—is cabbage with noodles (káposztás teszta), a dish in which pasta is infused with a hint of cabbage flavor and seasoned with plenty of pepper. Káposztás teszta is served as both a side dish and a main course. Cabbage with noodles was typically prepared in a large batch to fill a family's stomachs. The leftovers, considered just as good if not tastier, are reheated and enjoyed the following day. In some Hungarian households, cabbage with noodles is traditional Purim fare, typically sprinkled with poppy seeds.
(See also Cabbage)
Hungarian Braised Green Cabbage (Párolt Káposzta)
> 6 to 8 servings
[DAIRY, MEAT, or PAREVE]
2 pounds (1 medium head) green or savoy cabbage, cored and coarsely shredded
1 teaspoon salt
¼ cup butter, schmaltz, or vegetable oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped
About 1 cup water or broth, or ½ cup light dry white wine and ½ cup water
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 pound cooked pasta squares or wide egg noodles (optional)
1. Sprinkle the cabbage with the salt. Let stand for about 1 hour. Drain and squeeze out the excess liquid.
2. In a large skillet or pot, heat the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until soft and translucent, 5 to 10 minutes. Add the cabbage (if using a skillet, you might have to add it in batches, waiting for each portion to shrink) and sauté until reduced and slightly wilted, about 3 minutes.
3. Add enough water to prevent the cabbage from sticking. Add the salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer until tender but still slightly crunchy, about 20 minutes. For káposztás teszta (braised cabbage with noodles), add the noodles and heat through, about 5 minutes. Serve warm. Braised cabbage can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and reheated.
Karnatzel/Karnatzlach
Karnatzel is a garlicky meat patty.
Origin: Romania
Other names: carnatzel.
"There to live is a pleasure; what your heart desires, that you can receive: A mamaliga, a pastrami, a karnatzele, and a glass of wine!" (From "Roumania, Roumania," a famous Yiddish folk song by Aaron Lebedeff.)
The Romanian word for fresh sausage, cârnat, from the word for meat, carne, gave rise to the name of a much-beloved meat patty, a foremost Romanian comfort food, in Yiddish karnatzel or karnatzlach. (It is not the same as the karnatzel from Montreal, Canada, a thin, long, dry beef sausages with a texture akin to pepperoni.) The non-Jewish version of this patty is called mititei (miniature), a term Jews sometimes also use for a diminutive karnatzlach, the size of a thumb.
