New cookbook reflects all the diversity in JCCs

Posted

/John Tavares

There are many reasons to like “The Community Table: Recipes & Stories from the Jewish Community Center in Manhattan & Beyond” (Grand Central Publishing, 2015). It’s an attractive cookbook filled with photos and recipes from across the Diaspora. Authors Katya Goldman, Judy Bernstein Bunzl and Lisa Rotmil have developed recipes that are accessible to the home cook. For those who like a dose of story with their cookbook, there are photos and tales from the Manhattan JCC and JCCs around the country. And there’s even a local connection: the creative director for the project was Gail Solomon, of Providence, and the food photographer was John Tavares, of East Providence.

In the introduction to the book, the authors call it “a celebration of the remarkable community built at the JCC Manhattan.” All three are longtime JCC members. All are wives, mothers and cooks; one is an art historian, one a chef and one an organic gardener. They come from different backgrounds and represent traditional, Conservative and Reform Judaism. They write that they chose the recipes to reflect the diversity of the JCC and the inspiration of Jewish communities past and present. “It is a cookbook that reflects how we cook today: conscientiously, healthily, creatively, locally and internationally inspired,” they write.

You can certainly see that. There are recipes for chicken soup, matzah balls, latkes and honey cake. But there are also recipes for Thai Grilled Beef Salad, Truffle Popcorn and Zucchini Eggplant Mina.

The notes on how to use the book, the little stories about the JCC and the commentaries before each recipe all make this book useful as well as a fun read.

In the back of the book are three helpful appendices: one identifies whether a recipe is meat, dairy or pareve, another offers menus for holidays, using recipes from the book, and the third identifies recipes that are appropriate for Passover.

Here are a few recipes to try.

Summer Corn, Cucumber, and Tomato Salad

Serves 8 to 10 as a side

INGREDIENTS

Dressing

2 to 3 tablespoons distilled white vinegar

1 tablespoon safflower oil

2 teaspoons coarse-grain mustard

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Salad

6 ears fresh corn

4 small seedless cucumbers, cut into small dice

1 pound tomatoes, assorted types and sizes, roughly cut into slices and medium wedges

1/2 Vidalia or other sweet onion, sliced paper thin

1 bunch watercress, mache or purslane

12 fresh basil leaves, plus more for garnish (optional)

DIRECTIONS

To make the dressing, whisk together the vinegar (to taste), oil and mustard in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper.

Slice the kernels from the cob and transfer to a large bowl. Add the cucumber, tomatoes, onion and watercress.

Pour the dressing over the salad and toss.

Snip the basil leaves into ribbons and mix in gently. Garnish with additional basil leaves (if desired) and serve.

Roasted Tzimmes

Serves 6 to 8

INGREDIENTS

8 dried figs, cut into eighths, or 3/4 cup golden raisins

1/4 cup orange juice

3/4 pound carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes or 1 1/2-inch-long sticks

3/4 pound sweet potatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes or 1 1/2-inch-long sticks

1/2 pound parsnips, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes or 1 1/2-inch-long sticks

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon molasses

2 teasoons za’atar

1 teaspoon kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS

In a small bowl, combine the figs or raisins and orange juice and let soak for at least 20 minutes and up to one hour. Drain and reserve the orange juice.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, combine the figs or raisins, carrots, sweet potatoes and parsnips. Add the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, molasses, za’atar, salt and pepper to taste. Toss to coat.

Spread the mixture on the baking sheet. Roast, tossing occasionally, until the vegetables begin to caramelize, 30 to 40 minutes. Sprinkle 3 tablespoons of the reserved orange juice over the vegetables and toss again. Add more salt to taste and serve.

Pumpkin Rugelach

Makes about 64 2-inch rugelach

INGREDIENTS

Dough

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter

1/2 pound plus 2 tablespoons cream cheese

1 tablespoon sour cream

2 tablespoons sugar

Filling

15 ounces canned or fresh pumpkin puree

1/2 cup apple cider or apple juice

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon allspice

1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest (optional)

Pinch of kosher salt

1/2 cup dried currants (optional)

1 cup hot water (optional) Confectioner’s sugar, for dusting

DIRECTIONS

To make the dough, place the flour, butter, cream cheese and sour cream in a food processor fitted with a metal blade or the bowl of a stand mixer. Pulse or blend on medium speed to combine. Sprinkle the sugar over the dough and pulse or blend until the ingredients are well distributed.

Transfer the dough to a board. It will be very sticky. Divide the dough into 4 equal balls and flatten with your hands. Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. The longer you wait the easier the dough will be to handle.

To make the filling, mix the pumpkin puree and cider in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, lemon zest, if using, and salt, and stir until combined. The mixture will be a dark caramel color. Raise the heat to medium-high and bring the mixture to a boil. Lower the temperature and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally to keep the mix from burning on the edges. The filling should be thick yet spreadable.

If using currants, soak them in the hot water for 10 to 15 minutes. Drain.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking pan with lightly floured parchment paper.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator and let it soften for 5 to 10 minutes, until it is soft enough to roll. Roll out one ball of the dough to a 9-inch circle between two pieces of parchment paper. Chill in the refrigerator for 15 minutes. Remove the top piece of parchment paper. Spread 1/4 cup of the filling evenly over the dough, leaving a 1/4-inch border without filling. If using currants, sprinkle them around the edge of the filling. Slice the circle into 16 wedges. Pull the first wedge out of the circle and roll from the widest part to the narrowest. Place on the prepared baking tray. Repeat with the rest of the wedges, placing the rugelach about 1 inch apart. Continue with the remaining dough portions and filling.

Bake until the rugelach are golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool and dust with confectioner’s sugar before serving.

FRAN OSTENDORF is editor of The Jewish Voice.