BREAK THE FAST

“Anytime a person goes into a delicatessen and orders a pastrami on white bread, somewhere a Jew dies.”

—MILTON BERLE

We Markses are terrible at fasting. In fact, we usually spend the last hour or two of the day deciding what we will eat to break the fast. Traditionally, we break it with the usual fare: bagels, lox, and cream cheese with platters of lettuce, tomato, and onion; kugel; and always tuna salad for my sister-in-law Sarah. If you’re hosting a large group, this is the easiest way to go, but you can always substitute deli meats (turkey, pastrami, corned beef, roast beef) if you don’t want to go the dairy route. An assortment of bagels is usually easy to secure (stick to plain, whole wheat, and “everything” if you’re unsure, and add a rye bread or rolls for the picky), and any good deli can give you the right amount of toppings if you let them know how many people you’re expecting. As for the homemade part, we’ve given you a primer on some easy dishes to add to the table: the tuna with dill, cucumber salad, and fruit for the classicists, and some breakfast favorites like challah French toast and blintzes for those who want something hot. Feel free to borrow from any of the other chapters (the onion kugel is a great addition) to fill out the menu, and don’t forget the homemade rugelach. These pastries will bring back memories for just about everyone and are a sweet ending to a long day of fasting. Fresh fruit (See Basics chapter) is always enjoyed and appreciated as well.

WINE SUGGESTIONS

Moderately Priced Red:
Louis Jadot Beaujolais Villages (Beaujolais, France)

Special-Occasion Red:
Tablas Creek Côte de Tablas Red (Paso Robles, California)

Moderately Priced White:
Dr L Riesling (Mosel, Germany)

Special-Occasion White:
Sokol Blosser Evolution White (Oregon)

BLINTZ SOUFFLÉ

This is pretty much a classic. We can’t think of a breakfast that we’ve given or been to that doesn’t have it. Many serve it with different toppings on the side, such as strawberry or pineapple jam, powdered sugar, sour cream, or fresh raspberries.

SERVES: 8–10 PREPARATION TIME: 10 MINUTES COOKING TIME: 30–40 MINUTES

½ stick margarine

1 dozen frozen cheese blintzes

4 eggs

¼ cup sugar

1½ cups sour cream

1 teaspoon vanilla

Powdered sugar for garnish or whatever you like (jam, sour cream)

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Melt the margarine and pour it into the bottom of a 9 x 12-inch glass baking dish.
3. Place the frozen cheese blintzes in the dish, seam-side down.
4. Beat the eggs in a separate bowl and add the sugar, sour cream, and vanilla, mixing well.
5. Pour the mixture over the blintzes.
6. Bake at 350° for 30 to 40 minutes. The top should be lightly browned.
7. Remove the blintzes from the oven, cool a few minutes, and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

5-CUP FRUIT SALAD (AMBROSIA)

This yogurt-dressed fruit salad is an easy and delicious side dish. It goes well with deli sandwiches or bagels and lox. Roz makes it all the time and keeps it in the refrigerator for dessert. This recipe can easily be doubled or tripled for large crowds.

SERVES: 4 PREPARATION TIME: 10 MINUTES REFRIGERATE FOR 6 HOURS

1 8-ounce container fat-free plain yogurt

1 cup pineapple chunks (drained)

1 cup mandarin oranges (drained)

1 cup marshmallows (miniatures)

1 cup shredded coconut

Mix everything together and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, the longer the better.

TUNA SALAD WITH DILL

Long ago we were obsessed with the tuna salad at a restaurant near our old house. We couldn’t figure out what made it so delicious. When we finally asked the owner, it turned out that the secret was in the dill. We’ve been making it this way ever since!

SERVES: 4–6 PREPARATION TIME: 5-10 MINUTES REFRIGERATE FOR 2 HOURS

2 cans albacore (white meat) tuna

2½ tablespoons mayonnaise (or to taste)

1 tablespoon dill

1 stalk celery, cut into small pieces (optional)

1. Mix all the ingredients and refrigerate for about 2 hours.
2. Serve on a platter covered with romaine lettuce and garnish with seedless red grapes. Or if you prefer, garnish the salad with black and green olives.

* This salad can be made a day ahead of time.

SARAH’S CHALLAH FRENCH TOAST CASSEROLE

This contribution to our breakfast is usually the first dish to disappear. Special thanks to our daughter-in-law/sister-in-law Sarah for her fantastic recipe!

SERVES: 8–10 PREPARATION TIME: 15 MINUTES (MUST REFRIGERATE OVERNIGHT) COOKING TIME: 40–50 MINUTES

1 loaf challah, sliced (regular or thick, depending on preference)

7 eggs, beaten

2½ cups low-fat milk

3 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

½ teaspoon cinnamon

½ cup flour

6 tablespoons brown sugar

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

¼ cup softened butter or margarine

1. Grease a 9 × 13-inch glass baking dish with butter or baking spray, then fill with the slices of challah spread in two layers. Fill in all the spaces with torn pieces of bread if necessary.
2. Mix together the eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon and pour over the challah.
3. Refrigerate overnight.
4. The next day, bring the dish to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Meanwhile, combine the ingredients for the topping (flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and softened butter) using a fork to make a crumbly mixture.
5. Sprinkle the topping over the casserole.
6. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes until the eggs are set. Serve warm.

* Sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar or serve the casserole with maple syrup on the side.

Once and for All: The Question of Kosher

Kosher is one of those terms that are confusing for Jews and non-Jews alike. What’s kosher? What’s not? Can you be “sort of” kosher? We investigated and have pulled together some of the most basic facts about kosher living.

• Kosher is not a type of cooking.
• Kosher food can be anything—Italian, Chinese, Greek—as long as it’s prepared in accordance with Jewish dietary law.
• Kosher food doesn’t require a rabbi.
• Many observant Jews say blessings over food prior to eating it, but it is not to make the food kosher. Food is deemed “kosher” as a result of meeting standards set in the Torah that include the separation of meat and dairy, specific rules on slaughtering animals, and instructions on what parts and types of animals can be eaten.

There is a simple explanation for keeping kosher.

• While many people assume the laws of Kashrut are all about health, the truth is that many have no basis in or connection to health concerns. Sure, eating meat and dairy together could interfere with digestion, and laws around kosher slaughter are incredibly sanitary, but the truth is that most people keep kosher because the Torah says so, and for extremely observant Jews that alone is enough.

The main rules are relatively easy to understand.

• The short version: Meat must be from an animal that has cloven hooves and chews its cud (such as cow or goat); fish must have both fins and scales (no to shellfish, yes to tuna, salmon, and herring); birds are categorized into allowable and forbidden (no to hawks, yes to chicken); only animals slaughtered in accordance with kosher law—meaning no animals that died of natural causes, were killed by other animals, or were slaughtered in a non-kosher fashion—are allowed. Additionally, the blood must be removed, as it is believed to contain the “life” (or soul) of the bird or mammal (fish are exempt).

You must always separate meat and dairy.

• This one is just that simple. In fact, the rules are so strict that even utensils, pots and pans, plates, and dishwashers must be kept apart. Most kosher households will have two sets of everything, including dish towels. All food is categorized into fleishik (meat), milchik (dairy), and pareve (neutral).

The term “keeping kosher” can vary from household to household.

• Standards vary, and while some interpret the laws in the strictest sense, others will make exceptions when they are outside of their home.

There is much more to keeping kosher than what we can cover here, and we encourage you to explore the many kosher Web sites and books that are available to get more detailed information.

HOMEMADE POTATO SALAD

Roz got this recipe from her Mom, Edith, but tweaked it for her own family. Edith added a little more sweet pickle, so that is always an option if you like sweeter potato salad.

SERVES: 8–10 PREPARATION TIME: 45–60 MINUTES REFRIGERATE FOR 4 HOURS

6 Idaho Russet potatoes

1 cup mayonnaise (I prefer Hellmann’s.)

1 cup Miracle Whip

2 tablespoons garlic salt

6 manzanilla olives (green olives stuffed with pimento), cut in small pieces

1 small sweet pickle or sweet gherkin, cut in small pieces

2 cold hard-boiled eggs, peeled

Salt and pepper to taste

1. Peel the potatoes and cut them in chunks.
2. Place the potatoes in a pot of cold water and bring to a boil. Cover the pot.
3. Cook the potatoes for about 15 to 20 minutes in gently boiling water just until they are tender, not mushy.
4. Drain the potatoes well and put them in a bowl to cool in the refrigerator for about 30 to 40 minutes.
5. In the meantime, mix in a bowl the mayonnaise, Miracle Whip, garlic salt, olives, and pickle.
6. Take the potatoes from refrigerator and run a knife through them in the bowl to cut them into smaller pieces.
7. Cut the hard-boiled eggs into small pieces and add them to the potatoes.
8. Pour the mayonnaise mixture over the bowl of potatoes and eggs and mix well. Add salt and pepper to taste.
9. Refrigerate for about 4 hours.

COLESLAW

Making your own coleslaw is easy, economical, and tastes so much better than store-bought. If you like it creamier, just add a little more Miracle Whip.

SERVES: 8–10 PREPARATION TIME: 10 MINUTES REFRIGERATE FOR AT LEAST 4 HOURS

1–1⅛ cups Miracle Whip

2 teaspoons white vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)

½ teaspoon salt (or to taste)

¼ teaspoon pepper (or to taste)

1 16-ounce package store-bought coleslaw mix (in the produce section)

Mix the Miracle Whip, vinegar, salt, and pepper and pour over the coleslaw mixture. Toss well and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

RUGELACH

Andrea can vividly remember helping her grandmother make these when she was a little girl—cutting the dough into triangles, placing the filling, and then rolling them up and putting them on the baking sheets. Rugelach are made with a light, melt-in-your-mouth dough of cream cheese and sugar, while the kichala dough contains yeast and is heavier and more bread-like. This is a great recipe to involve any children old enough to help, and participation always makes the end result that much sweeter!

MAKES: 6 DOZEN PREPARATION TIME: APPROXIMATELY 2 HOURS COOKING TIME: 25–30 MINUTES

DOUGH

8 ounces cold unsalted butter

8 ounces cream cheese

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups presifted all-purpose flour

1. In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter and cream cheese. Add the salt, sugar, and vanilla and mix until smooth.
2. Add the flour a little at a time and mix until crumbly.
3. Divide the dough into 4 balls, wrap them individually in waxed paper, and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours.

FILLING

½ cup sugar

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1 cup finely chopped walnuts

1 cup cinnamon sugar (1 cup sugar to 1 tablespoon cinnamon), for additional sprinkling

2 cups raspberry preserves

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Prepare a baking sheet, greased with cooking spray.
3. Mix together the sugar, cinnamon, and walnuts and set aside. In a separate bowl, prepare the cinnamon sugar for sprinkling.
4. Spread a little flour on a flat surface to keep the dough from sticking. Flour a rolling pin and roll out one ball of dough into a circle until it is about ⅛ inch thick.
5. Using a teaspoon, spread the raspberry preserves all over the dough. Then sprinkle with the cinnamon-sugar-walnut mixture.
6. Cut the dough circle in half, then into quarters. Cut each quarter into three pieces, ending up with 12 pie-shaped wedges.
7. Roll the wedges from the wide end to the narrow end.
8. Place each pastry seam-side down on the cookie sheet.
9. After you have filled the cookie sheet, sprinkle all the rugelach with the cinnamon sugar mixture.
10. Repeat with the remaining 3 balls of dough.
11. Place the rugelach in the oven and bake at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown.
12. Cool a few minutes, then remove it to a wire rack to cool further.

* Too much filling leads to a messy rugelach. You will be able to judge the amount of preserves to use after you make your first batch.

CUCUMBER SALAD

Years ago they used to have this simple cucumber salad on the tables at Roz’s favorite local deli, and it was one of her favorites. She tried and tried to duplicate it and finally came up with the right combination of ingredients.

SERVES: 8–10 PREPARATION TIME: 15 MINUTES REFRIGERATE FOR AT LEAST 8 HOURS

2 cups water

1 cup distilled white vinegar

1 cup sugar

2 tablespoons dill weed

5 medium cucumbers, peeled and thinly sliced

½ small onion, thinly sliced

½ red pepper, chopped

1. Mix the water, vinegar, sugar, and dill in a large container.
2. Place the cucumbers, onion, and red pepper in the liquid mixture.
3. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours.

* This salad is best if made at least a day ahead of time. The longer it marinates, the better.