by Gil Marks
Today, in every Israeli supermarket, kibbeh mahshi can be found frozen. However, most Syrians consider these store-bought versions far inferior to the homemade torpedoes. Women in the Levant are typically trained in cooking for many years by their mothers and grandmothers, and the measure of their culinary skills is the quality of their kibbeh mahshi. The secret to any kibbeh is making an evenly thin shell and a cylindrical shape. Fillings must be completely enclosed in crust or the torpedoes will explode in the hot oil. More recently, a special attachment for an electric mixer was developed for making the kibbeh shell.
Kibbeh mahshi are rather time-consuming, even for experienced cooks, and are therefore reserved for special occasions. A very experienced cook working quickly can form a torpedo in one minute. Special kibbeh makers earn a nice livelihood by preparing large homemade batches of these cylinders and shipping them, sometimes internationally, to grateful patrons. Plain fried kibbeh are commonly served as part of a mezze (appetizer assortment), at a sebit (Syrian kiddush), and at most celebrations, accompanied with tahini sauce or lemon wedges. The fried torpedoes are also cooked as an entrée with various vegetables or fruits, including apricots, artichokes, cherries, eggplant, peas, potatoes, and quince. They are also served with hamud (Syrian sour mint sauce) as kibbeh hamuda and in soup as kibbeh yekhniye. Fried kibbeh became traditional Hanukkah fare.
(See also Kebab, Kibbeh, and Kubbeh)
Syrian Stuffed Torpedoes (Kibbeh Mahshi)
about 12 balls
[MEAT]
Kibbeh Bulgur Shells:
1½ cups (9 ounces) fine-grain bulgur (do not use any other type)
4½ cups cold water
1 small yellow onion, minced (½ cup)
¾ cup (3.75 ounces) unbleached all-purpose or whole-wheat flour
About 1¼ teaspoons salt
About ½ teaspoon ground black pepper or ¾ teaspoon paprika
Meat Filling (Tadbileh):
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 small yellow onion, minced (½ cup)
8 ounces ground lamb or beef chuck, or 4 ounces ground beef and 4 ounces ground chicken breast
About ½ teaspoon baharat (Lebanese Spice Mixture (Baharat)) or ¼ teaspoon allspice and ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon or ground cumin
About ½ teaspoon salt
About ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon pomegranate molasses (dibs al-rumman) or tamarind concentrate (optional)
3 to 4 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (optional)
3 tablespoons lightly toasted pine nuts, chopped walnuts, or chopped pistachio nuts; or ½ cup pomegranate seeds (optional)
Vegetable oil for frying
1. To make the shells: In a large bowl, soak the bulgur in the water for 1 hour. Drain and squeeze out the excess moisture. In a food processor fitted with a metal blade or in a mortar, grind the onion. Add the bulgur and process or pound until smooth. Add the flour, salt, and pepper and process to make a firm dough. (If combining by hand, knead for at least 30 minutes.) If the mixture does not hold together, add a few drops of oil or water. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
2. To make the filling: In a medium skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until soft and translucent, 5 to 10 minutes. Add the meat and sauté until it loses its red color, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the baharat, salt, pepper, and, if using, pomegranate molasses, parsley and/or pine nuts. Let cool.
3. To form each shell, with moistened hands, shape about 2 tablespoons shell mixture into a smooth 1-inch ball. Place the ball in the palm of one hand. Using the index finger of the other hand, push into the middle of the ball to form a hole. Move your finger in the hole while pressing the outside of the ball against your palm (squeezing and turning the ball), hollowing out the ball and elongating it to form an even 3-inch-long cylinder that is as thin as possible. Stuff the cavity of each shell with 2 to 3 teaspoons filling and press the open end to enclose the filling and seal the top. (Alternatively, for easier forming, press the shell balls into thin, flat 3-inch rounds, spoon about 2 teaspoons filling into the center, bring the edges together over the filling, and press to seal.) Pinch the ends of the kibbeh to form points.
4. Place on a baking sheet or a dish lined with parchment paper or wax paper, cover, and place in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or in the freezer for about 10 minutes. The kibbeh may be prepared ahead up to this point and frozen for up to 3 months; do not defrost before frying.
5. In a large pot, heat at least 2 inches oil over medium heat to 375°F.
6. In batches, fry the kibbeh, turning occasionally, until evenly browned and crisp on all sides, about 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove from the oil and drain on a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Kichel
Kichel is the Yiddish word for cookie. The most prominent eastern European kichel is a tender, dry, egg cookie or savory cracker that puffs and curls at the edges during baking.
Origin: Germany
Other names: Galicia: keechel; Lithuania: kuchel.
During the early medieval period, smaller variations of the German kuchen (cake) became known as kichel (little cake). (From around 800 until 1200, the English prepared little cakes called kechel.) Eventually, many German Jews began to refer to small cakes by the German term for cookies plaetzchen (from platzchen "little places"), while Jews in eastern Europe kept the term kichel (kichlach plural). The most common type of cookie in Poland, Ukraine, and the Baltic States was the eier kichel (egg cookie). A classic Yiddish nursery rhyme begins "patche patche kichlach" (pat pat cookies), referring to these plain, crisp, airy wafers, which were once an integral cultural component of eastern Ashkenazic life.
Kichel dough can be dropped from a spoon or rolled out and cut with a yahrzeit glass or a knife. Americans frequently form them into bow-tie shapes. Kichlach can be either slightly sweet or savory, and both versions are served with various forspeizen (appetizers), such as chopped liver, chopped eggs, chopped herring, and pickled herring. Eier kichlach are always made with oil or another nondairy fat, and never butter, so as to be pareve. Sugar-topped kichlach are served after Yom Kippur to break the fast with a taste of sweetness. Some savory variations include minced onion. There is even a Passover version made with matza meal.
Among the most popular forms of kichlach in central Europe were those made with poppy seeds (mohn). Unlike poppy seed—filled hamentaschen, in mohn kichlach the poppy seeds are mixed into the dough. Mohn kichlach probably arose in Germany in the eighteenth or early nineteenth century, then spread to eastern Europe. A recipe for "Poppy Seed Cookies (Mohn Plaetzchen)" appeared in the early American cookbook Aunt Babette's (Cincinnati, 1889). Poppy seed kichlach became traditional Purim fare, the square and triangular shapes symbolizing Haman's pockets or hats, and, in some families, they were enjoyed on Hanukkah as well.
Many Jews literally brought these cookies with them to America, preparing tins of hard cookies to eat because little kosher food was available aboard ship. In America, mohn cookies eventually became commonplace at sisterhood meetings and as simple, tasty accompaniments to tea. These treats were sometimes made with butter, but the advent in America of pareve vegetable shortening in 1911 and later commercial margarine led to their common substitution and, consequently, the cookies increasingly appeared on the Sabbath and after meat meals.
Just a few decades ago, eier kichel were ubiquitous in eastern European synagogues in America at the kiddush following Sabbath morning services, classically accompanied by slices of pickled herring and a glass of schnapps. They were also commonplace for the Sabbath and were included in the basic fare for a bar mitzvah. Guests in an Ashkenazic home were typically served kichlach with a glass of tea or schnapps. However, as American celebration fare grew more elaborate and diverse, many European foods lost favor. As a result, kichlach all but disappeared from most kiddushes and homes. They do survive in some Jewish bakeries, while commercial matza kichlac
h are still available for Passover. For some Ashkenazim, eier kichlach remain a comfort food.
Ashkenazic Egg Cookies (Eier Kichlach)
about 36 small cookies
[PAREVE]
1½ cups (7.5 ounces) all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon double-acting baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
3 tablespoons sugar
½ cup vegetable oil
About 1½ teaspoons additional vegetable oil for brushing
About ¼ cup additional sugar (if desired, mixed with 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon) for sprinkling
1. Arrange the rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or lightly grease the sheets.
2. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. In a large bowl, beat the eggs and 3 tablespoons sugar until light and creamy, 5 to 10 minutes. Add ½ cup oil and beat for 10 minutes. Stir in the flour mixture.
3. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough ¼ inch thick. Brush with the additional oil, sprinkle with the additional sugar, and gently run a rolling pin over the top to embed the crystals. Cut into 2-inch diamonds or squares. Place on the prepared baking sheets.
4. Bake 1 sheet at a time until puffed and lightly browned, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack and let cool. Store in a paper or cloth bag at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Variations
Matza Egg Cookies (Matza Eier Kichlach):
Omit the baking powder and substitute 1½ cups matza cake meal for the flour.
Poppy Seed Egg Cookies (Mohn Kichlach):
Add 3 to 4 tablespoons poppy seeds.
Kiddush
Kiddush, literally "sanctification" in Hebrew, is the benediction recited at the onset of the Sabbath and festivals. The Sages interpreted the biblical injunction "Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy," as meaning to verbally and physically sanctify the day when it enters and departs (Havdalah), in particular, to "remember it with wine," symbolizing joy and fruitfulness. Kiddush is recited before the Friday night meal, as it is forbidden to eat beforehand, and in the place where the meal will be eaten. Germans ritually wash their hands before Kiddush, while Sephardim and most other Ashkenazim wash afterward. The Kiddush cup is filled to the rim, symbolizing a life overflowing with joy and plenty. The first section of the Kiddush, which is omitted on holidays, recounts the completion of Creation on the first Sabbath. The benediction over wine is then recited, "borei peri hagafen" (Who creates the fruit of the vine). The final section of the Kiddush involves the Exodus from Egypt, the archetype of redemption. On all festivals except the last days of Passover, the Shehecheyanu prayer ("Who has kept us in life and enabled us to reach this season") is recited at the conclusion of Kiddush. In some households one person recites the Kiddush for all of those present, while in other homes each individual says the Kiddush.
The original custom appears to have been to recite the Kiddush while seated, but a kabbalistic notion of saying the introductory passage while standing (it is considered testimony, which is made in court standing) led to Chasidim and many Sephardim standing during the entire Kiddush. Rabbi Moses Isserles ruled, "one can stand for Kiddush, but it is preferable to sit." Germans traditionally stand for the introductory passage, then sit for the final section.
An essential part of Sabbath and festival meals is reciting the sanctification benediction and drinking from a filled-to-the-rim Kiddush cup symbolizing a life overflowing with joy and plenty.
The Talmud permits beer as a substitute for wine in the Havdalah ceremony at the conclusion of the Sabbath in countries where it is chemer hamedinah (a national beverage), meaning a drink highly regarded enough to serve to an honored guest. However, only some form of grape juice is acceptable for the Friday evening Kiddush. When questioned about using beer for Kiddush, Rabbi Meir of Rothenburg (1220—1293) wrote, "Certainly you know it is proper to recite Kiddush over wine." If wine, grape juice, or even raisin wine is unavailable, which was all too often the case for Ashkenazim living in the northern parts of Europe, Friday evening Kiddush is recited over the two challahs before reciting the Hamotzi. For the Sabbath and festivals, adult Yemenites, when they can, drink a dry red wine. For children, they prepare a raisin and water drink, called kiddush.
During a stretch of history in Babylonia, travelers to a town were lodged and served Sabbath meals in rooms adjoining the synagogue. Therefore, a public Kiddush was instituted at the conclusion of the Friday evening prayer service to fulfill the strangers' obligation to sanctify the day. Many scholars objected to this custom, especially when the practice of serving meals in the synagogue fell into disuse. Today only Ashkenazim retain it, except in Israel where Kiddush is no longer recited in synagogues at the conclusion of the Friday evening service.
Although women are usually exempted from positive commandments whose performance is bound in time, they are obliged to fulfill Kiddush because the dual phrases "Remember the Sabbath" and "Observe the Sabbath" include women. Since women are obligated to say Kiddush, some scholars assert that they may recite it for men.
The Talmud attributes the Sabbath evening Kiddush over a cup of wine to the Anshei Kenesset ha-Gadolah (Members of the Great Assembly), a legislative body that functioned about 500 to 300 bce. The rabbis of the Talmudic period instituted the recitation of Kiddush for Sabbath and festival mornings as well. The Kiddush for mornings is of less importance and may be recited over either wine or any drink considered chemer hamedinah. On the Sabbath and holidays, Ashkenazim traditionally enjoy a buffet in the synagogue following morning services called a kiddush, named after the benediction. This custom was instituted relatively recently in order to allow people who were unable to recite the benediction because of a lack of Hebrew knowledge to fulfill their obligation, as well as to provide an opportunity to socialize. A synagogue kiddush was originally a simple affair consisting solely of wine or schnapps, a plate of pickled herring, perhaps some egg salad, and kichlach (egg cookies) and/or crackers. However, following World War II, as American Jews grew more affluent and less connected to the ways of the "old country," the Sabbath morning kiddush generally grew more elaborate, sometimes even becoming a sit-down affair.
Kimochdun
Kimochdun is a light and fluffy festive bread enriched with a scattering of dried apricots and almonds.
Origin: Afghanistan
Kimochdun was originally cooked as a thin flatbread in a large skillet over and under a covering of hot coals. Today, kimochdun is still baked in a skillet, but in an oven. As a result, the contemporary round loaf is much thicker—it is about two to three inches high. Most people prefer the flavor of whole-wheat flour in this loaf. The bread contains a little oil, but never any butter. Some cooks chop the almonds, but many leave them whole.
Kimochdun is traditionally served by Muslims in central Asia at the end of Ramadan, and is also popular among central Asian Jews. The apricots and almonds represent the wealth of the land. It is not used for Hamotzi to start a meal, but rather served warm at breakfast or as a treat with tea. Kimochdun is sometimes eaten with apricot preserves.
Afghan Fruit-and-nut Flatbread (Kimochdun)
1 large bread
[PAREVE or DAIRY]
1 package (2¼ teaspoons) active dry yeast or 1 (0.6-ounce) cake fresh yeast
1½ cups warm water (105°F to 115°F for dry yeast; 80°F to 85°F for fresh yeast), or ¼ cup water and 1¼ cups milk
2 tablespoons honey or sugar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 teaspoons table salt or 4 teaspoons kosher salt
About 4 cups (20 ounces) bread or unbleached all-purpose flour, or 2 cups white flour and 2 cups whole-wheat flour
2/3 cup coarsely chopped dried apricots
2/3 cup coarsely chopped almonds
1. Dissolve the yeast in ¼ cup water. Stir in the sugar and let stand until foamy, 5 to 10 minutes. In a large bowl, combine the yeast mixtu
re, remaining water, oil, salt, and 2 cups flour. Gradually add enough of the remaining flour to make a mixture that holds together.
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 1½ hours.
3. Punch down the dough, knead briefly, cover, and let rest for about 15 minutes.
4. Roll out the dough into a 1-inch-thick rectangle. Sprinkle with the apricots and almonds. Roll up jelly-roll style. Form the dough into a ball, then roll out into a 10-inch round. Place in a lightly oiled 10-inch skillet with 3-inch sides or a 10-inch round ovenproof dish. Cover and let rise until almost doubled in bulk, about 40 minutes.
5. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
6. Cut a ½-inch-deep X in the top of the bread from one end to the other. Bake until golden brown and hollow sounding when tapped, about 45 minutes. Transfer the bread to a wire rack and let cool slightly.
Kindli
Kindli are filled pastries made from a yeast dough.
Origin: Hungary
Other names: baigli, beigli, kindl.
This pastry resembles a baby wrapped in a swaddling blanket—thus the whimsical Yiddish name kindli (little children). It is akin to kipfel and rugelach. Kindli are made either into large pastries, each about seven inches long, or smaller individual cookies. When large dough rounds are rolled up into a cylinder like a jelly roll, the pastry is known as beigli. Over the course of time, inventive cooks found ways to speed up the assembly by rolling up the pastry jelly-roll style and cutting it into slices, some even substituting a cookie dough to make a treat that retained the name but not the shape. Germans and Austrians prefer a poppy seed filling, while Hungarians favor a walnut mixture. Romanians like all types.
Whatever form they take, kindli are traditionally prepared for special occasions, in particular Purim—a poppy seed filling and some wine added to the dough make them appropriate for the tone of the day. In addition, the "little children" represent Haman's large family. On Purim, Hungarian households typically feature kindli and flondi (layered pastry) rather than hamantaschen. A sour cream dough is used to make this pastry for Shavuot and other celebrations for which a dairy meal is traditional. Some cooks add warm mashed potatoes to the dough for a moister texture. Yeast dough pastries were typically brushed with egg wash using a baster made from feathers (talu).
