(x-posted at Lilith)

I’ve been doing a lot of cooking lately. In comparison to the stereotypical “I use my oven as an extra shoe closet” New Yorker, I’ve always cooked a lot for this city. But since I started freelance writing two days a week last summer, and especially since the New Year when I renewed my commitment to preparing my own meals, I’ve found myself spending much more time in the kitchen.

I’ve also discovered that there’s lots of time to think when one cooks - even if NPR is playing in the background. As I’ve tinkered with various types of cookies and tried out new recipes from my favorite Chanukah present, Veganomicon: The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook (thanks Mom!), I’ve started to wonder, “what makes food feel Jewish?”

Yes, there are the old standbys - Chicken soup with matzah balls, fresh challah, pastrami on rye. And then there are the mysterious, and often severely unappetizing foods that you find in the “kosher food” section at the supermarket - gefilte fish, pickles, Manischewitz, and Tam Tam crackers. Honestly, I can only imagine what folks who aren’t familiar with Jewish eating must think when they see a supermarket shelf of glass jars filled with gelatinous objects suspended in a bunch of different colored murky liquids.

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I am not a professionally trained chef, but I love food. I love reading about it, cooking it, feeding myself, feeding others, talking about it, buying it, and growing it (presuming it’s not 6 degrees below zero in Chicago). 

One of my favorite cookbooks is Mark Bittman’s amazingly practical: How To Cook Everything: Simple Recipes for Great Food, which features straightforward techniques and an encyclopedic listing of all different types of food.  I’ve found that Bittman’s philosophy holds true to the way I like to cook; quick and satisfying - like his Noodles with Peanut Sauce.

This recipe works as well for a quick meal as it does for entertaining large groups.  I’ve found that the vegetarians at my Shabbat lunch table appreciate a hearty pile of saucy noodles just for them, especially when I add spicy baked tofu for an extra boost of protein.  And as long as I have all of the ingredients at home (most of which I like keeping around in my kitchen anyway), it takes only a few minutes to whip up.  The best part is, many of the items can be substituted or modified. Don’t have tofu? What about seitan or tempeh? Or chicken? Don’t have noodles? Try rice?  Served hot or cold, this dish is virtually impossible to mess up - even for novice cooks.  B’tai Avon!

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This week and next, PBS is airing a 3-part series called “The Jewish Americans,” covering everything from the country’s earliest Jewish settlers to the experience of being Jewish in contemporary America.

Chef and Rabbi Gil Marks (author of The James Beard award-winning Olive Trees and Honey) is featured on a segment that addresses the question “what makes food Jewish?”  Unfortunately, it was cut from the final series ( he’s in good company - portions of Tony Kushner, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and Mandy Patinkin’s segments and are also listed among the outtakes.)  But all footage (including Rabbi Marks) is available online for your viewing pleasure here.

Check PBS’s broadcast schedule to find out when The Jewish Americans is playing in your area. 

The Jessica Seinfeld controversy continues - and this time, Jerry’s wife isn’t laughing.  (Wow, that sentence sounds so gossip blog…oh well, I’ll roll with it.)  According to The Smoking Gun:

“An author today sued Jerry Seinfeld’s wife for allegedly plagiarizing a cookbook she wrote and also accused the comedian of defaming her as a “wacko” during an interview with David Letterman. In a federal lawsuit, Missy Chase Lapine alleges that Jessica Seinfeld “brazenly plagiarized” from her 2007 book “The Sneaky Chef” in the writing of Seinfeld’s own cookbook (both volumes focused on how to prepare healthy meals for finicky young eaters).

When news stories appeared detailing similarities in the two books, Jerry Seinfeld launched a “malicious, premeditated, and knowingly false and defamatory attack” on Lapine, the complaint charges. As part of that campaign, Seinfeld went on Letterman’s show and described Lapine as “angry” and “hysterical.” He then compared her to the kind of “wackos” that had previously stalked Letterman. The comedian then added that Lapine was a “three-name woman” and “if you read history, many of the three-name people do become assassins.”

Perhaps Jerry should have shoved one of Jessica’s spinach-laced brownies into his mouth before going on Letterman?  Seriously, though, how sad that all of this is happening over the noble act of convincing (okay, tricking) picky eaters into consuming more vegetables.

When it comes to “sustainable eating,” I’m starting to worry that perhaps the Brits take the (organic carrot) cake.

Maybe my sources are skewed from having a Manchester-bred boss who sends all-staff emails everytime the British foodies do something interesting.  (e.g. when England’s Walmart-equivalent, Tesco, commits to making their products’ ”food miles” transparent, or long-time organic farming supporter, Prince Charles makes a cookie.)

As if the Prince of England wasn’t enough proof of England’s foodie superiority, now I find out that Jamie Oliver - the British hearthrob and “Naked Chef” -has a new book and TV show called Jamie at Home that features food grown in his backyard and cooked in his kitchen.  Jamie says:

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Thanks to the mysterious random number generator, The Jew & The Carrot reader, Larry Lenhoff is the winner of The Jew & The Carrot’s birthday raffle:  He will be sent a copy of Farmer John’s Cookbook: The Real Dirt on Vegetables.   Congratulations Larry!

Want to purchase a copy of Farmer John’s Cookbook? click here. 

Read other entries from the birthday raffle, here.

Another Chance To Win!

Win a print of the stunning photo above, taken by Karl Schatz.  Simply purchase a $5 raffle ticket (or two, or seven!) to be entered in the raffle. All proceeds go to Hazon, and the winner will be announced on January 8th, 2007 at Hazon’s New York Ride Launch Party.

Buy your ticket here.

Somewhere during the flurry of the Food Conference and the final shift from autumn into cozy “wintery-mix” weather, The Jew & The Carrot turned one year old.

This first year was a biggie - mentions in the Wall Street Journal and
New York Times, two awards (best new blog and best kosher food/recipe blog from The Jewish & Israeli Blog Awards), interviews with food experts like Michael Pollan and Joan Nathan…phew. We hope that our second year will continue to bring growth to the blog, as we continue to bring you the best news, writing, recipes, and resources from the new Jewish food movement.

In celebration of this milestone, we have two gifts for readers. The first is a recipe for my mom’s “Moistest Chocolate Cake.” This is the best chocolate cake (no, seriously) and a birthday staple in my house growing up. I’ve written about this recipe elsewhere, but couldn’t resist sharing it with you all in honor of The Jew & The Carrot’s birthday. Get the recipe below the jump.

The second is a chance to win a copy of Farmer John’s Cookbook: The Real Dirt on Vegetables! Farmer John is a CSA farmer based in Illinois. He’s got a serious farming heritage and one of the most entertaining personalities in the fields (note the red feather boa accompanying the coveralls on the book cover.) His cookbook offers seasonal recipes, photos, and stories from his farm Angelic Organics. Answer this question to be entered into a raffle for a copy of Farmer John’s Cookbook: What is your favorite birthday food tradition? (It can be wacky or sweet - but it has to be something food-related that you do for birthdays. Only related comments will be entered into the raffle.)

Cake recipe below the jump… Read more »

Hazon was delighted to welcome Chef Gil Marks, author of several cookbooks including the James Beard award-winning Olive Trees and Honeyto the Hazon Food Conference. I already knew before the conference that Chef Marks was an afficianado of Jewish food history and culture. What I didn’t know was that he was a lightning fast chef as well!

Chef Marks put Rachel Ray’s 30-minute meals to shame, by preparing four entirely different, entirely fried Chanukah goodies from around the world in an hour and 15 minutes. (He also managed to be quite entertaining while avoiding the “words” Yum-O and EVOO). His dishes included:

Keftes de Espinaca (Sephardic Spinach Patties)
Cassola (Roman Sweet Cheese Pancakes)
Couscous Hiloo (Couscous with Dried Fruits and Nuts)
Bimuelos/Zelebi (Sephardic Doughnuts/Funnel Cakes)

The recipes are listed below the jump - and will be as delicious on a random Sunday as they were at The Food Conference!

Purchase Olive Trees and Honey here.

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Further proof (from the NY Times no less) that kale is the best food ever.  Melissa Clark writes in “If it Sounds Bad, it’s Got to be Good:

“Nonetheless, I ordered the [raw kale] salad. It arrived as a shadowy green mountain under a blizzard of grated pecorino Rossellino cheese (a nutty Italian sheep’s milk cheese with a ruddy rind) and bread crumbs, flavored with lemon and chili. Tangy, spicy, slick with good oil and crunchy from the earthy-flavored kale, it was as pungent and rich as it was fresh and clean tasting; a veritable raw foods epiphany. The minute I left the restaurant I craved another.”

Jessica Seinfeld (Jerry’s wife) recently published a book, Deceptively Delicious, which offered sneaky recipes that slip vegetables into kid-friendly food - only to find out that the book had already been written - i.e. Missy Chase Lapine’s The Sneaky Chef.  I wonder what Mrs. Seinfeld would think of the idea that - prepared well - maybe vegetables like kale and spinach don’t need to be pureed into brownies after all.

Enlitened Kosher Cooking
Nechama Cohen
Feldheim Publishers (October, 2006)

Nechama Cohen’s Enlitened Kosher Cooking attempts to strike the elusive balance between healthy eating and traditional Jewish cuisine. 

As a nutritionist and mother of five who was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, Cohen originally intended her cookbook to be focused towards other Jews struggling with the disease.  Ultimately, however, Enlitend Kosher Cooking makes the broader connection between diabetes and obesity.  While enjoying meals is an important part of Shabbat and the holidays, Cohen suggests that these simchas can lead to overindulgence that contributes to weight gain and an unhealthy lifestyle.

Cohen’s book toggles between Torah (You shall be very careful of yourselves” Devarim 4:15) and the detailed nutritional charts around which her recipes are based.  She draws from the traditional canon of Jewish cooking, but her recipes are not limited to Ashkenazi fare.  In addition to Fat-Free Knaidlach and Classic Golden Chicken Soup, the book includes recipes that lighten up the familiar (Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers, Tofu Chopped Liver, Zucchini Kugel, Halva Frosting) and ones that draw from other Jewish cultures around the world (Sephardic Spicy Fish in Red Sauce, Spicy Yeminite Soup, Orange and Fennel Salad).

Cohen relies on heavily on the “ingredient swap” method of healthy cooking.  Instead of creating innovative new dishes, some of her recipes simply replace eggs with Egg Beaters, or use low fat milk or cream cheese instead of the full-fat versions.  While this approach seems slightly unsophisticated, her book is ultimately still useful for cooks who prefer traditional-feeling dishes (or are cooking for friends and relatives who do) without the extra fat and calories. 

Find out more or purchase Enlightened Kosher Cooking HERE.

Quick Bite is a new segment on The Jew & The Carrot which offers pithy reviews of today’s Jewish cookbooks. If you have a cookbook you would like to see reviewed, email tips@jcarrot.org

Chef Peter Berley will share the love, and his skills, at the JCC in Manhattan on Wed, Oct 10 at a Hazon co-sponsored cooking demonstration. The blurb from the JCC says:

Join us for an exceptional guest chef demonstration with Chef Peter Berley, author of The Modern Vegetarian Kitchen (winner of both The IACP Cookbook Award and the James Beard Award) and the newly released Fresh Food Fast, which offers
mouthwatering recipes that are easy to make and designed to satisfy all kinds of appetites. Enjoy an interactive cooking demonstration while you sample flavorful, sophisticated fare including toasted millet pilaf, savory kale with cremini mushrooms, lemon-thyme roast chicken, lemon-rosemary tofu, and vegan spice cake with extra virgin olive oil. Co-sponsored by Hazon.

Wed, Oct 10
7:00 PM - 9:30 PM
$55.00 - Member
$65.00 - Non-Member

Your task at hand is fun and four-fold:

1. Register for the class at www.jcckitchen.org or by calling the JCC at 646.505.5708

2. Read The Jew & The Carrot review of Berley’s book The Flexitarian Table by R. Avi Finegold

3. Purchase The Flexitarian Table by clicking the book icon under the “Books we Love” section on this blog (see the left bar)

4. Check out Berley’s new “flexitarian” restaurant, Broadway East, opening October 15 in Manhattan’s Lower East Side

Joan Nathan knows Jewish food.  Author of culinary tomes like Jewish Cooking in America, Joan Nathan’s Jewish Holiday Cookbook, and The Jewish Holiday Baker, she sets the standard for elegant, timeless Jewish cooking (and not just shmaltzy Ashkenazi fare either - she is currently researching for a new book on Jewish cuisine in France). 

Ms. Nathan recently delved head first into the “new Jewish food movement.”  In an article she wrote for the New York Times called, “Of Church and Steak: Farming for the Soul,” she explored the work organizations, farmers, and companies are doing across the country that ties together food, faith, and farming.  (Hazon - and this very blog - enjoyed healthy shoutouts in the article.)

The Jew & The Carrot sat down with Ms. Nathan the week before Rosh Hashanah - just before the start of the “high season” of high holiday cooking frenzy.  She shared her take on traditional Jewish cooking, new conversations about food and Jewish community, and her most important tip for hosting a successful Rosh Hashanah meal.      

LK: Your recent New York Times article, “Of Church and Steak,” showed how many organizations and individuals connect faith, food, and farming.  What was the most interesting discovery you made about Jewish food while working on that article?

JN:  I think the most surprising thing to me was finding out about Orthodox Jews’ interest in sustainability.  I expected it more from other populations in the Jewish community, but I discovered many Orthodox people are interested too.  I also heard a lot about the idea of Jewish stewardship, which I hadn’t heard before.  I’m not sure [it’s a mainstream conversation in the Jewish community], but it’s there.

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Although I am no fan of flying, I do find that one of its perks is having uninterrupted reading time. I was already looking forward to my husband and I celebrating our one-year anniversary with four days in Oregon. But when the New Yorker arrived last week, and I saw it was a double issue dedicated to food, it made me even more excited — what better airplane reading could there be?

It didn’t disappoint. Read more »

Cross-posted to the Kosher Blog
For many of you, having guests at a shabbat meal means often juggling various dietary restrictions preferences that guests may bring to the table. Michael Pollan makes the interesting point that the French consider it improper to impose your diet onto your host, and yet how many of you can recall meals in which you were left with virtually nothing to eat as a result of your kashrut/vege- pesce- ovo- lacto- tarianism/ or any possible allergies. Peter Berley’s The Flexitarian Table may hopefully solve at least some of the issues. Read more »