by Gil Marks
2. Place the potatoes in a karahi (Indian wok) or wide-bottomed pot and add enough oil to cover. Bring to a boil, without stirring, over medium-high heat, about 15 minutes.
3. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, shaking the pan occasionally, until the potatoes are crusty and lightly golden, about 1 hour. At this point, the potatoes can be removed from the heat and allowed to sit, in the oil, for up to 3 hours.
4. Shortly before serving, increase the heat to medium-high and fry until the crust is very hard and golden brown, about 10 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Serve warm.
Amba
Amba is a condiment made from pickled ripe mango, seasoned with curry.
Origin: Iraq
Other names: ambah.
Aam ka achar is a venerable condiment from northern India consisting of pickled unripe mango, typically seasoned with roasted fenugreek, chili powder, turmeric, and mustard oil. Baghdadi Jews in India introduced Indian mango pickles to brethren in Iraq, where the dish, called amba (the Hindi and Arabic word for "mango"), spread throughout the country to become an integral part of Iraqi dining. Amba is made in a some homes and in numerous specialty stores. Unlike the original pickle, the Iraqi versions consist of ripe mangoes and usually no mustard oil. Mango slices are first cured in salt for several days, then seasoned with turmeric, chili powder, lemon salt, and spices. Today, Iraqis serve it, in both large pieces or small cubes, at most meals as a spread for bread and sandwiches and as a seasoning for salads, eggs, and kebabs. It is especially prevalent at breakfast, even on the Sabbath.
Beginning in the 1950s, Iraqi immigrants brought the condiment to Israel, where it initially found favor among Yemenites and other groups accustomed to hot and spicy fare. An acquired taste, amba was generally met with scorn by many Europeans. During the Gulf War in 1990, as Saddam Hussein's missiles rained down on Israel, a joke circulated that one fell in an Iraqi neighborhood because it smelled the amba. Eventually, even many Ashkenazim developed a taste for the spicy orange-brown mixture. In 2003, the band Teapacks had a hit song "Rikudei Amba" (Pickled Mango Dancing). Amba is now widely available in Israeli groceries, with some brands made in the country and others imported from India and Australia. It is commonly offered at stores selling sabich (Iraqi eggplant sandwich), shawarmah (roasted lamb and turkey), and falafel.
Anise
Anise, also called aniseed, is indigenous to the eastern Mediterranean. It is not mentioned in the Bible and there is a question as to whether the Talmudic plant shivta, shevet in Hebrew, denotes anise or dill. Confusion between the two herbs was common in ancient times, as evidenced by the fact that the Greek name for the plant anison (anise) derived from aneton (dill). Romans greatly valued anise as a medicine and a seasoning, spreading it and its applications throughout the empire.
Anise contains anethol, an essential oil. The seeds resemble fennel, but anise seeds are smaller and slightly sweeter, and have a more pronounced licorice flavor. Fennel is typically used in savory foods, such as sausages, while anise is added to sweeter dishes. Star anise (Chinese anise), which also possesses a licorice-like flavor, is a different spice.
Today, anise is particularly popular in the Mediterranean area, where it is used, in both whole or ground form, in fish soups, pasta sauces, confections, cookies, puddings, and peach and plum desserts. Anise is added to various baked goods, such as the Moroccan Sabbath bread khboz, the Italian pre—Yom Kippur bread il bollo, Italian biscotti, and the German soft cookie anisplätzchen. Italians make anise-flavored yeast fritters for Hanukkah. Strong anise-flavored liquors abound in the Mediterranean, including Middle Eastern arak, Greek ouzo, Turkish raki, and French pastis, as well as the milder liqueur, anisette. Moroccans brew a homemade alcoholic drink from figs and anise called mahia (water of life).
(See also Arak)
Anisplätzchen
Anisplätzchen are drop cookies strongly flavored with anise.
Origin: Germany
The German plätzchen, meaning "little place/spot," is a synonym for cookie, and is otherwise known as keks and gebäck. There are many varieties of plätzchen, but arguably the most well-known are these favorite anise drops, which are claimed to have originated in the city of Dresden. During baking, they form their own hard white icing on top. The soft yellow bottom part is known as fuesschen (little feet). Part of the cookies' appeal, besides the anise flavor, is that they can be prepared well ahead of a holiday. Those who prefer a less-pronounced anise taste add less seeds.
German Anise Drop Cookies (Anisplätzchen)
about sixty 1-inch cookies
[PAREVE]
1½ cups plus 2 tablespoons (8 ounces) all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon double-acting baking powder or 1/8 teaspoon ammonium carbonate (baker's ammonia)
½ teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (8 ounces) sugar, preferably superfine
2 to 3 teaspoons anise seeds or 1 teaspoon anise extract
1. Grease and dust with flour 3 large baking sheets. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. In a large bowl, beat the eggs until light and fluffy, 5 to 10 minutes. Gradually beat in the sugar, then continue beating for 20 minutes. Stir in the flour mixture and anise.
2. Drop the batter by heaping teaspoonfuls about ¾ inch in diameter onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving 2 inches between the cookies. Let stand at room temperature, uncovered, overnight or for up to 2 days. This step is critical for the icing to separate.
3. Preheat the oven to 325°F.
4. Bake until golden on the bottoms and creamy on the tops, about 10 minutes. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack and let cool completely. Store at room temperature in an airtight container with a large slice of apple.
Appam
Appam are grain mixtures cooked as fritters, cakes, and bread puddings.
Origin: India
Other names: aappam, apam, appadam, hoppers, paddu.
Each of the three separate Indian Jewish communities—Cochin, Mumbai, and Calcutta— counts in its culinary repertoire grain dishes called appam. However, they are vastly different in each location, reflecting the distinctive history and milieu of these communities. The name appam derived either from the Sanskrit apupa (rice cake), mentioned in the oldest Sanskrit book, Rig Veda, or the Tamil appa ("father," appam plural).
The dish first emerged in the southern tip of India as pancakes, akin to a dosa (rice or lentil pancake), made from a batter of ground soaked rice and coconut milk and cooked on a kal (stone griddle). Basmati rice produces a rubbery texture, so Indians use other long-grain varieties, such as Sona Masori and Ponni. Savory versions sometimes contain fenugreek. On occasion, ground lentils are incorporated into the rice batter. A little kall (palm wine toddy) is frequently added and the batter is allowed to stand overnight to ferment; the resulting dish called kallappam. The basic bland rice batter is sometimes sweetened with varying amounts of jaggery—brownish unrefined raw sugar crystals extracted from sugarcane or certain palm trees—and spiced with cardamom. A variation of the cooking method emerged by deep-frying extruded strings of rice batter, reminiscent of noodles, called idiyappam or string hoppers.
The importation of two different specialized cooking vessels gave rise to massively popular variations of the basic appam recipe, both becoming prominent components of the southern Indian diet. The first was the wok, called cheena chatti (Chinese pot), originally brought from China. A smaller version of the wok, an appachatti or appam-chatti, is intended solely for making appam. A small amount of fermented batter is spread in the oiled appachatti, the lid is affixed, and the pancake is fried on one side. The result is a rather bland, thin, bowl-shaped pastry, with a soft, puffy interior and lacy, crisp edges.
Another appam variation followed the arrival of the appakarai or neyyappa karal, probably derived from the Scandinavian aebleskiver, which is a round pan with seven small curved compartments. A little ghee or oil is heated in each compartment and some sweetened and cardamom-spice
d rice batter is poured in, then turned and cooked until golden brown, producing sweet, soft, spongy pancake balls, variously known as neyyappam (neyy means "ghee"), kuzhi appam (kuzhi means "small hole"), and unniappam (unni means "small"). These balls are frequently served along with coffee and tea as part of the daily evening snack, as well as for celebrations. For special occasions, the fritter batter is frequently enriched with bananas or mangoes. Sooji (semolina), rarer in the south than in the rest of the country, is sometimes substituted for some or all of the rice, a favorite variation of Cochini Jews.
Throughout southern India, appam, appam chatti, and idiyappam are typically served at breakfast and dinner, for both everyday and festival meals, accompanied by curried fish or chicken, a dal (legume dish), and some type of fresh chutney. Although semolina is forbidden on Passover, among Indian Jews rice is acceptable and, therefore, rice appam, commonly accompanied with date honey, constitute favorite Cohini Passover fare. The fried neyyappam are traditional Hanukkah treats.
Outside of southern India, appam took on different forms. Residents of the Konkan coast, including the Bene Israel, not only fried the semolina batter, but also baked it in a pan for a moist semolina cake, still known as appam. During their control of the subcontinent, the English introduced European foods, including bread puddings. The Baghdadis of Calcutta adopted a version substituting coconut milk for animal milk, also calling the pudding appam.
Apio
Apio is a cooked dish of celery served by many Sephardim at the Seder.
Origin: Spain
During the Passover Seder, Jews in Turkey, Greece, and the Balkans eat celery leaves as karpas (a green vegetable on the Seder plate, representing spring and renewal) and use the stalks in this dish. Apio, which means "celery" in Ladino, is made without any sugar, producing a piquant appetizer or side dish for fish and chicken. During the Renaissance, celeriac (celery root), which shares some of celery's flavor and aroma, was developed, and it became a frequent substitute in this dish for celery stalks.
Many families also make apio with carrots, kon safanoria, adding both flavor and color. Some Turkish Jews like to garnish apio with chopped fresh dill. If you prefer a more pronounced lemon flavor, increase the amount of juice, but in any case, insist on fresh lemon juice; it will make a major difference in taste. Apio is not intended to be a spicy or robust dish, but rather a refreshing start to the Passover feast.
(See also Celery)
Sephardic Poached Celery (Apio)
6 to 8 servings
[PAREVE]
1 cup water
About ½ cup fresh lemon juice
¼ cup olive or vegetable oil
1 to 3 tablespoons sugar
About 1 teaspoon salt or 2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 bunches celery, leaves removed and cut into 1½-inch chunks
In a large saucepan, bring the water, lemon juice, oil, sugar, and salt to a boil over high heat. Add the celery, reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes. Serve warm as a side dish, or at room temperature or chilled as an appetizer.
Apple
The apple, a member of the rose family, is currently the world's most widely cultivated temperate-zone fruit. Pliny the Elder (23—79 CE) listed three dozen different apples. Today, the apple has more than seven thousand horticultural forms, of which only about a dozen are grown commercially in the United States. Apples became a major crop in modern Israel, which produces more than sixty thousand tons annually.
The four primary American apple varieties are Red Delicious (originally Hawkeye), Golden Delicious, McIntosh, and Granny Smith, but, as with much of American produce, their popularity is based on such factors as appearance, resistance to disease, storage, and shipping rather than flavor. Apple coloring varies according to variety and maturity, ranging from shades of golden yellow to green to bright red. Flavors range from sugar-sweet to tart.
Among the cultivated fruits mentioned in the Bible was the tapuach, which in modern Hebrew means "apple." However, many authorities believe that the biblical tapuach was in fact a different fruit, perhaps the quince or a citrus fruit, because in the biblical period, the apple primarily grew wild and was not yet easily cultivated in tropical areas like Israel and Egypt. It would be centuries from the time of King Solomon before horticulture created an apple comparable to the exalted description in Song of Songs. In addition, in both the Bible and rabbinic literature, there is a strong emphasis on the aroma of the tapuach. Although the apple is delicious, scent is not among its main attributes. Pointedly, both the Greek term mhlon and the Latin malum originally encompassed any tree fruit, but eventually evolved (as the apple grew more widespread and popular) into the narrower meaning specifying an apple, contributing to the confusion in the translation of tapuach as apple. Note: In Jewish tradition, the apple is not the forbidden fruit of Eden. Rabbinic sources variously consider the forbidden fruit to be the fig, grape, wheat, or citron.
Nonetheless, in the popular imagination over the course of time, the apple became associated with the biblical tapuach, and it became an important element of Jewish ritual and cookery. Socialist Jews in Poland adapted the traditional Passover Seder song "Chad Gadya," which starts with a cat eating a goat, to become "The Apples Will Not Fall," beginning with a worker who refuses to pick apples for his boss, then progressing similarly to the original, but ending with the boss sending a cat to scratch the worker and the cat refusing.
Among Ashkenazim, who generally lived in areas where few biblical fruits were available, apples came into season in time for Rosh Hashanah and could then be stored in a cool place to last through the winter. As a result, apples became the basis for the Ashkenazic charoset of the Passover Seder. The most popular and widespread Rosh Hashanah tradition is the dipping of apple slices in honey while reciting the phrase, "May it be Your will to renew on us a good and sweet year." Hungarian Rosh Hashanah desserts generally continue the apple theme in the form of apple cake, strudel, tart, or compote. Mansanada (thick apple compote) is a traditional Sephardic Rosh Hashanah appetizer accompanied with a special benediction. Calcutta Jews serve apples cooked in honey and flavored with rose water for Rosh Hashanah.
Apples became familiar at other fall and winter celebrations as well. Dolmeh sib (stuffed apples) is a popular Sukkot appetizer among Persians, while apple strudel fills that role among Ashkenazim. Apples became the traditional Ashkenazic treat for children on Simchat Torah, customarily stuck on the top of paper flags. At a Tu b'Shevat Seder, the third cup of wine is followed by a completely edible fruit or those with very small seeds—notably apples. Apples are also common to tzimmes, sweet kugels, and blintzes.
Greek Jews have a tradition that the Maccabees ate duck with apples at a feast in celebration of their victory. Some trace this to historian Josephus Falvius' description of huge banquets that followed the Maccabees' victory. Greek Jews further extended the theme of apples on Hanukkah by serving fried apple rings, apple fritters, and applesauce. Applesauce is star among Ashkenazim on Hanukkah as a topping for potato latkes; it was essential in those parts of eastern Europe where schmaltz was the only fat available for frying, ruling out the use of sour cream.
Beginning in the eighteenth century, the center of innovative cakes shifted to central Europe, where many professional bakers were Jewish; this region soon boasted an increasing variety of tortes and kuchens. These batters were frequently gilded with the addition of various seasonal fruits, most notably apples, which not only held up to the heat in the oven, but could be stored in cool places well into the spring. Apple cakes, such as apfleschalet, apfelboyeleh, and apfelkuchen, quickly became a part of Jewish cooking, emerging as favorite Sabbath and holiday fare. A feature of many Jewish apple cakes is the absence of dairy products, so they can be served at a meat meal.
(See also Charoset, Kuchen, Rosh Hashanah, and Schalet)
Apricot
The apricot is a member of the rose family and a close relative of the plum. Apricots originated in
Asia, probably in China, eventually traveling along the Silk Road to ancient Persia and Babylon. They do not seem to have moved farther west till much later, reaching the Mediterranean and Greece by way of Armenia around 100 BCE. The apricot is not mentioned in the Bible or Mishnah, but probably reached Judea by the end of the Second Temple period. The Arabs introduced the tree to Spain during the Middle Ages. Capable of withstanding some cold, apricots became a feature of central Europe. Leading contemporary apricot producers are Turkey, California, Iran, Italy, Pakistan, France, Spain, Hungary, and Israel.
The yellow-orange roundish fruit is sweet, but contains relatively little juice. Apricots are one of the few fruits that do not sweeten after harvesting, although they do soften, so for shipping purposes growers often pick them before they are completely ripe. The apricot season is rather short and they tend to become quickly infested with worms and insects, so much of the fruit is dried.
Turkey has long been the world's largest producer of apricots and this fruit found its way into many of the country's dishes and into cuisines throughout the former Ottoman Empire. Some Mizrachim, especially in Turkey, add apricots to their Passover charoset. Syrians incorporate them in numerous meat and vegetable dishes, such as stuffed grape leaves and meatballs, or make thin sheets of sun-dried apricot puree called amradeen. Moroccans cook them in stews, especially with lamb or chicken, and add them to sweetened couscous. Apricot kernels were sometimes substituted for almonds in marzipan. Apricots also became an important feature of Ashkenazic cooking in central Europe. Dried apricots added a special flavor to many dishes, including stews, tzimmes, fruit soups, compotes, jams, liqueur, and confections (such as pletzlach), and apricot lekvar became a popular hamantaschen filling. Hungarians make a special dumpling stuffed with an apricot and a sugar cube.
Apricot trees are quite common in parts of modern Israel and the fruit, fresh and dried, finds its way into many dishes. Since no ancient Hebrew word for apricot existed, modern Hebrew borrowed from the Arabic, technically mishmesh, but colloquially pronounced like the Arabic mishmish. A popular Israeli children's game is gogo'im (apricot pits), played by placing one gogo at a distance and attempting to hit it with another, akin to marbles.