Archives for December 2011

Smoked Fish and Grapefruit Salad

December 30, 2011 By dinnerinvenice Leave a Comment

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Smoked Fish and Grapefruit Salad (Parve or Dairy)

Ingredients

1 head of red radicchio
2 cups mache’ salad
1 cup arugola
2/3 pound smoked sable or smoked salmon
1 avocado
1 pink grapefruit
2 or 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice (plus more for the avocado)
1 tablespoon freshly chopped chives
salt and pink peppercorns to taste

Directions

Serves 4

Whisk the oil with the lemon juice (and yogurt, if using); add the chives, salt , grated grapefruit zest, and pink peppercorns and mix well.

Peel the grapefruit eliminating all the membranes, and divide it into slices; wash and drain the 3 different types of salads, and cut them into stripes.

Place them with the grapefruit in a large bowl and toss with the dressing.

Peel the avocado, cut it into thin slices, drizzle it with lemon juice (to prevent it from oxidizing). Cut the smoked fish into stripes.

Add the avocado and fish to the salad and serve.

https://dinnerinvenice.com/2011/12/30/smoked-fish-and-grapefruit-salad/

Filed Under: Appetizer, Gluten Free, Light/Diet, salad, Special Diet Tagged With: appetizer, cucina ebraica, cuisine, dairy, fish, gluten free, healthy, kosher Italian, Non-Dairy, olive oil, salad, vegetables

Fragrant Stew with Wine and Herbs

December 29, 2011 By dinnerinvenice Leave a Comment

Fragrant Stew with Wine and Herbs

My husband and I are almost vegetarian, meaning that we tend to forget about meat and to serve it only when we have guests who expect it. But a few of you have been asking for a winter-appropriate meat dish, and here you go! You are going to love this slow-cooked recipe, because it’s very simple and yet elegant. Perfect for a date! As always with Italian cuisine, don’t skimp on the ingredients. Use a wine that you would actually enjoy drinking – it will cost more, but it’s totally worth it! Just think of this as a special occasion dish. Wines that work well are dry and with a lot of body: Barolo, Chianti, Super-Tuscans, Bordeaux, etc. The meat should be cut into approx. 1″ cubes.

Fragrant Stew with Wine and Herbs

Ingredients

(serves 4-6)
2 pounds beef for stew
2 large onions
1 bottle dry red wine
2 tablespoons potato starch
6 cloves garlic, each cut into 4 lenghth-wise
1 carrot
a small rosemary sprig
a few sage leaves
4-5 juniper berries
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
extra-virgin olive oil
salt and pepper

Directions

With a sharp knife, make a small cut in each cube of meat and insert a piece of garlic in each cut. Marinade the meat for 24 hours with the wine, vinegar, garlic, juniper berries and herbs.

Heat 4 tablespoons oil in a heavy pot, add the sliced onion and cook for 2-3 minute.

Drain and dry the meat, dip it in potato starch, and brown it on all sides.

Remove the meat and set aside; cook the onion on medium/low heat for 10-15 more minutes or until soft, adding a couple of tablespoons of water if necessary to prevent it from burning.

Return the meat to the pot (you can also use a slow-cooker) with at least ½ of the marinade liquid, add salt and pepper, and simmer for at least 3 hours or even longer on low heat. It can take closer to 4 hours, depending on the cut of meat: when it's ready, it will fall apart easily if you test it with a fork.

Enjoy with potatoes or polenta, or some crunchy Italian bread.

Some people prefer to remove most of the rosemary and sage leaves before serving.

https://dinnerinvenice.com/2011/12/29/fragrant-stew-with-wine-and-herbs/

Filed Under: Comfort food, Jewish Italian Cuisine, Main Dish, Meat, Quick/Easy, Shabbat, Thanksgiving Tagged With: cucina ebraica, easy, herbs, Italian food, Jewish Italian Cuisine1, kosher, main dish, Meat, olive oil, quick/easy, rosemary, stew, wine

Why Kosher Italian Food ?

December 20, 2011 By dinnerinvenice Leave a Comment

Because it’s true home cooking and not elaborate chef-inspired Fusion cuisine.
Because Jews have been in Italy since the second century B.C.E. and have had two thousand years to develop mouth-watering recipes using a variety of delicious local ingredients, now easy to find in our grocery stores.
Because it’s healthy, simply elegant and colorful.
Because with so many vegetables and healthy fats, you may even lose a couple of pounds.
(And if you don’t, at least you will have fun trying!)

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: home cooking, jews

Cassola, the Ecumenical Pancake

December 18, 2011 By dinnerinvenice 1 Comment

I couldn’t exactly put my finger on it. I had been frying for a couple of weeks already and all my Hanukkah posts were already up. Yet something just felt wrong.

OPS. I suddenly realized that I hadn’t posted anything special for all my readers and friends who are not Jewish and celebrate Christmas. I felt so awful, that I toyed with the idea of attempting a Panettone, the famous Italian Christmas Cake!

However, Panettone is really difficult to make, requiring several phases of exceptionally long rising, and the use of special Italian bread flours that are hard to find. Here is something much quicker, and just as decadent: it’s an ancient Jewish Roman dessert, kind of a cheese pancake, shockingly simple to make, which the Roman Catholic community somehow adopted as the dessert of choice to end their Christmas dinner with (maybe after one too many panettone flops)? .

The Jews of Rome still make it for Shavuot, but of course it would also work for Hanukkah (after all, according to several food historians, the original Hanukkah pancakes were made with cheese). In spite of its minimalism, Cassola is so tasty that Claudia Roden, in her Book of Jewish Food, tells that she enchanted a whole dinner party of food writers with it, at the Oxford Symposium of Food and Cookery. Cassola is sweet, creamy, and delicate (and naturally low-fat! but you could never tell). May your holiday season be just as delicious!

Cassola, the Ecumenical Pancake (not just Dairy, Very Dairy)

Ingredients

1 pound ricotta cheese (made from whole milk, without emulsifiers)
4 large eggs
1 to 1 ½ cup sugar? (depending on desired sweetness)
a pinch of salt
zest of one large organic lemon (optional)
½ teaspoon cinnamon? or vanilla (optional)
about 2 tablespoons mild extra-virgin olive oil, or butter

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400º F. With a whisk or a hand mixer, beat the eggs with the sugar until creamy.

Add the ricotta, salt, lemon zest and cinnamon (or vanilla).

Grease a baking pan (about 9 ½” and springform is easier) with butter or olive oil, dust with flour, pour the mixture in, and transfer into your pre-heated oven.

Bake at 400 F for the first 10 minutes, then lower the temperature to 350 Fand bake for another 25 minutes.

Turn the oven off and allow the cassola to set inside, with the door open, for another 10 or 15 minutes.

It should be firmer and golden brown on the outside and very soft and moist inside, like a pudding. Serve warm.

You can also cook it in a greased non-stick or cast iron pan like a frittata, on the stovetop, flipping it once (this was probably the original version), or cook the bottom on the stovetop and the top in the oven under the broiler.

Serves- 4-6

https://dinnerinvenice.com/2011/12/18/cassola-the-ecumenical-pancake-not-just-dairy-very-dairy/

Filed Under: Comfort food, Dairy, Desserts, Gluten Free, Holiday Food, Jewish Italian Cuisine, Shavuot Tagged With: Christmas, cucina ebraica, dairy, history, holiday, Italian, Jewish holiday, kosher Italian, Rome, Shavuot

Mashed Potato Latkes with Fresh Herb Medley

December 13, 2011 By dinnerinvenice Leave a Comment

Whenever a survey is done on the topic of comfort food in America, mashed potatoes beat out a variety of favorites, including meatloaf and cinnamon rolls. And among Jews, latkes seem to hold a special place in everybody’s heart (and stomach), conjuring up fond memories from childhood. What would happen, then… if we made latkes from mashed potatoes? Something so cozy and delicious that you’ll wish you could celebrate Hanukkah all year long!

Print
Mashed Potato Latkes with Fresh Herb Medley (Dairy)

Ingredients
2 pounds potatoes
4 medium eggs
2 tablespoons grated parmigiano cheesea pinch of grated nutmeg
2 tablespoons mixed thyme, parsley, rosemary, chives, freshly minced
1/2 cup all-purpose flour, to dip
salt and pepper to taste
6 cups or more mild extra-virgin olive oil for deep-frying
Directions
Bake the potatoes until soft, peel them and mash them.
Place them in a bowl and add the nutmeg, herbs, parmigiano, pepper and little salt. Add the eggs one at a time (if the eggs are large, 3 may be enough).
With a tablespoon and your hand, form little patties and dip them into the flour.
Heat the oil in a deep fryer or a heavy pan with tall sides. Fry the patties in hot oil, in small batches, until crunchy and golden (turning them once).
Remove them with a slotted spoon and drain them well on a double or triple layer of paper towel. Serve them hot, after sprinkling them with a little more salt.
3.1
https://dinnerinvenice.com/2011/12/13/953/

Filed Under: Hanukkah, Holiday Food, Jewish Italian Cuisine Tagged With: Chanukah, dairy, Jewish Italian Cuisine1, Latkas, potato latkes, traditional holiday food

Meatballs, Jewish-Italian Style

December 12, 2011 By dinnerinvenice Leave a Comment

Meatballs, Jewish-Italian Style

We have many versions of meatballs. You can use leftover cooked meat instead of raw meat for an even tastier version! Leftover roast beef or brisket are great! You can add 4 tablespoons of very finely chopped olives for a different flavor. You can add leftover cooked spinach, drained well and chopped (in this case decrease the amount of the bread/broth mixture). You can add plumped currants and pine nuts, and end the cooking with some lemon juice, for a sweet-and-sour Sephardic touch. Also try substituting mashed potatoes for the bread/broth mixture.
Try them all!

Meatballs, Jewish-Italian Style

Ingredients

2 bread rolls or slices, crusts removed (they can be a couple of days old)
2/3 cup chicken or vegetable broth
3 salami slices, finely chopped
1 lb ground beef (or a mix of beef and veal)
1 large egg, slightly beaten
2 tablespoons fresh flat parsley, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, very finely chopped (or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder)
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup plain bread crumbs
salt and pepper to taste
3 tablespoons extravirgin olive oil
1/2 cup white wine

Directions

Soak the bread in the broth forabout 5-10 minutes).

In a bowl, put 3 tablespoons of this mixture.

Combine with the garlic, parsley, salami, beef, salt and pepper.

Stir in the egg and using wet hands shape the mixture into about 10 or 12 meatballs.

Spread the breadcrumbs into a dish and roll the meatballs in them till they are evenly coated.

Heat the olive oil in a pan and cook the meatballs over high heat till golden on both sides.

Add 1/2 cup of dry white wine and let it evaporate on high heat.

Then add either 1 cup hot broth or 1 cup of salted diced tomatoes in their water, and cook covered over medium heat for 30 minutes, adding liquid if necessary.

Serve with a side of vegetables.

https://dinnerinvenice.com/2011/12/12/meatballs-jewish-italian-style/

Filed Under: Jewish Italian Cuisine, Main Dish, Meat, Quick/Easy, Special Diet, Sustainable Tagged With: cucina ebraica, easy, Italian food, Jewish Italian Cuisine1, kosher Italian, main dish, Meat, meatballs, quick/easy

Venetian Rice with Raisins (“Risi e Ua”)

December 11, 2011 By dinnerinvenice Leave a Comment

It was probably Sephardic Jews who transmitted to the rest of the Venetian population their passion for rice, after their arrival in the late fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries. Venetians are still famous for creamy risottos (we call them “all’onda“, with a wave), to which we add pretty much anything, from chicken livers to fish to… stinging nettles. The usual preparation for risotto, adding hot broth a little at a time, releases so much starch that the rice must be eaten right away or it will clump. The pilaf version, besides reminding us of the Sephardic origins of this dish, can be prepared in advance and reheated for Shabbat. “Risi e Ua” (Rice and Grapes, or Raisins) is THE festive rice dish par excellence among the Jews of Venice, and – like most Jewish venetian recipes – it has also been enjoyed by the general population for a very long time. It’s also great for Hanukkah, in case your stomach cannot survive an all-fried menu and you want to start with something a little more digestible…. About the choice between garlic and onion: there are two schools of thought, and, like Hillel and Shammai, they are both right.

Venetian Rice with Raisins (“Risi e Ua”)

Ingredients

1 quart hot vegetable stock
6 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced, or 1/2 an onion, sliced very thin
2 cups Carnaroli (or Arborio) Italian rice
½ cup of plumped raisins or sultanas
½ cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon freshly chopped parsley (optional)
salt to taste

Directions

Bring the stock to a boil and leave it to simmer on the stovetop.

Heat the olive oil in an oven-proof pot (non-stick or cast iron), add the garlic or onion, and parsley, and cook for 5 minutes on low heat.

Stir in the raisins, previously softened in hot water and drained well. (If you don’t own an oven-proof pot, start in a regular non-stick pot and transfer into a pyrex casserole or pan before moving into the oven).

Stir in the rice and cook, stirring, until all the grains are coated in oil and “toasted” and make ‘popping’ noises.

Pour in the wine, raise the heat and cook until the wine has evaporated.

Pour in all the hot stock and stir well.

As soon as the stock starts simmering again, cover the pot and transfer to a 365 F oven, where you will leave it alone to cook for exactly 18 minutes.

Take the rice out, add another couple of tablespoons of olive oil (or “oil from a roast beef”, if using in a meat meal), stir, and add salt if needed.

Let it rest covered for another 10 minutes. It can be eaten right away or reheated for Shabbat, as long as it’s not too dry and not left on the plata or warming drawer for longer than a couple of hours.

If the rice was made with vegetable stock and will be used in a dairy meal, you can also add some butter and Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.

You can also cook this rice as a risotto, on the stovetop adding one ladleful of hot stock at a time, if you prefer and if you don’t plan on reheating it.

If you don’t digest garlic or onion well, use slightly pressed whole cloves instead of minced garlic, and discard them after they have browned well, and before adding the rice.

https://dinnerinvenice.com/2011/12/11/venetian-rice-with-raisins-risi-e-ua/

Filed Under: First course, Gluten Free, Hanukkah, Holiday Food, Jewish Italian Cuisine, Non-Dairy, Pasta and Rice, Shabbat, Side Dish Tagged With: cucina ebraica, Hanukkah, Jewish holiday, kosher Italian, parve, Side dish, Venice

Hanukkah Treats with Sambuca and Honey

December 8, 2011 By dinnerinvenice Leave a Comment

The festival of Hanukkah celebrates the rededication of the Temple of Jerusalem, which had been looted and desecrated by the soldiers of Syrian-Greek King Antiochus IV Epiphanes in the second century BCE. Mattityahu, a Jewish priest, and his five sons, led a successful rebellion against Antiochus, which resulted in the rededication of the Temple by Mattityahu’s son, Yehudah the Maccabee, in 166 BCE. The Talmud reports that the menorah in the Temple was required to burn every night, but there was only enough oil for one night left: however, the menorah burned for eight days on that little oil, giving the Jews enough time to procure more. The oil used for lighting the menorah was pure, extra-virgin, cold-pressed olive oil, which may explain why Hanukkah resonates so deeply with Italian Jews, inspiring them to create a deluge of mouthwatering recipes

While the miracle of the oil is described in the Talmud, the Book of Maccabees makes no mention of it, stating only that an eight day celebration was proclaimed upon re-dedication of the temple: therefore, a number of historians believe that the reason for the eight day festival was simply that the first Hanukkah was a belated celebration of the harvest holidays of Sukkot and Shemini Azeret, which the Jews had not been able to observe during the war. Obviously, the two explanations are not mutually exclusive, and Hanukkah can very well celebrate the miracle of the oil while also absorbing the previous holiday.

In this spirit, here is a delicious fried treat that incorporates the oil, and the honey (a recurrent symbol that appears on our tables from Rosh haShana to Shemini Azeret): for holiness, and sweetness. And Sambuca… just for fun!

Print
Hanukkah Treats with Sambuca and Honey (Dairy)

Ingredients
5 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
a pinch of salt
3/4 stick unsalted butter
1/3 cup Sambuca (or Arak or other Anise liquor)
4 cups pastry or 00 flour (but you can also use all-purpose)
1 package baking powder (16 gr)
1 cup honey
mild olive oil or peanut oil for frying
Directions
Beat 4 whole eggs and one yolk with the sugar; add the melted butter (warm), the liquor and a pinch of salt.
Combine the flour with the baking powder, and sift them over the egg mixture, stirring constantly until everything is combined.
Transfer the mixture onto a floured surface and knead until smooth.
Form a ball, cover it with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator for one hour.
Roll it into a disc about 0.5 mm thick and cut into shapes with a cookie cutter.
Pour plenty of oil in a wide, heavy pan with tall sides – the oil should be at least 3” high, and stop at least 2? from the top of the pan. The oil is hot enough when a piece of bread dropped into the pan is immediately surrounded by many little bubbles, but does not burn quickly.
Fry the shapes in small batches (if you put too much food into the pan at the same time, the temperature of the frying oil will drop, causing the fritters to absorb fat), turning them quickly so that they brown on both sides.
Remove them with a slotted spoon, and dry on a double layer of paper towel.
Melt the honey in a saucepan with 3 or 4 tablespoons of water.
Arrange the sweets on dessert plates, drizzle them with the honey, and serve.
Serves 6-8
3.1
https://dinnerinvenice.com/2011/12/08/hanukkah-treats-with-sambuca-and-honey-dairy/

Filed Under: Dairy, Desserts, Hanukkah, Jewish Italian Cuisine Tagged With: cucina ebraica, dairy, dessert, Fried, Hanukkah, honey, Jewish holiday, kosher Italian, olive oil

Zucchini Fritters

December 7, 2011 By dinnerinvenice 1 Comment

Zucchini Fritters (Parve or Dairy)

Ingredients

2 medium zucchinis
1 scant cup flour
3/4 cup milk, unsweetened soy milk or (for a lighter version) water
1/2 cup grated parmigiano cheese (optional)
2 eggs
1 clove garlic
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon freshly minced parsley or mint
Abundant olive oil for frying. preferably a mild-flavored extra-virgin oil, not too acidic

Directions

Grate the zucchini, season them with salt and place them in a colander in your sink, with a weight on top. Allow them to drain for about one hour.

In the meantime, prepare a batter whisking the milk (or cold water) with the eggs, the cheese (if using), the flour, the pressed garlic, herbs and pepper. Do not add salt to the batter.

Rinse the grated zucchini in the colander, drain them and dry them very well with paper towel.

Add the zucchini to the batter and combine well.

In a deep and heavy skillet pour at least 2 inches of oil or more (if there is too little oil, its temperature will drop when you add the cold batter, allowing the fritters to absorb way too much oil).

Heat the oil over medium/high heat (if using a fryer with a thermometer, the temperature should be about 365 degrees). If you don’t have a thermometer, the oil is ready when a small piece of bread dropped in the skillet forms bubbles all around it.

Drop the batter into the pan using a tablespoon and your index finger. Do not overcrowd the pan with too many fritters, because this would cause the oil temperature to drop, with a greasy result. Fry in batches.

Once they are golden, remove them with a slotted spoon and drop them onto 2 or 3 layers of paper towels to drain.

Do not put paper towel on top, or the steam trapped inside will make the fritters soggy! Paper towel should be only at the bottom. Just turn them after 30 seconds or so to dry the other side.

Continue frying in batches until you have used up all the batter.

After drying with paper towel, sprinkle with salt. You can keep them warm in a 200 F oven, uncovered.

https://dinnerinvenice.com/2011/12/07/zucchini-fritters-parve-or-dairy/

Filed Under: Appetizer, Comfort food, Dairy, Hanukkah, Jewish Italian Cuisine, Side Dish, Vegetarian Tagged With: Chanukah, cucina ebraica, dairy, fried food, Hanukkah, kosher Italian, Non-Dairy, parve, Side dish

Sfenz – Libyan Hanukkah Fritters

December 6, 2011 By dinnerinvenice Leave a Comment

Sfenz- Libyan Hanukkah Fritters (Parve)

Jewish Italian food has been a tradition for over 2000 years – but it still continues to evolve, even in recent times. The Jewish exodus from Libya in the late 1960es brought about 5000 Libyan Jews to Rome, and their earthy dishes are yet another extraordinary influence on our culinary kaleidoscope. I reached out to my friends at Labna, one of my favorite Italian food blogs, and Jasmine shared these yummy pancakes, a traditional recipe from the Libyan side of her family. Jasmine tells us that in her grandparents’ house the kitchen was usually her grandmother’s realm -she was always the one cooking, and her grandfather only walked in there to obtain coffee. But every year on Hanukkah, Jasmine’s grandfather would wake up early, brave the kitchen and prepare the Sfenz, the traditional water-flour pancakes, like they used to make in Tripoli: a few minutes of easy kneading, a couple of hours of rest, and a dive into the hot oil…. for a most irresistible breakfast. Enjoy Labna‘s special treat!

Sfenz – Libyan Hanukkah Fritters (Parve)

Ingredients

1 pound pastry flour or 00 flour (you can use all-purpose, but the result will be heavier)
1 cube fresh yeast, or 1 tablespoon dry yeast
1 cup water, or enough for a soft, elastic dough
enough oil for deep frying (peanut or canola)
confectioner’s sugar to decorate

Directions

Place the flour in a large bowl or your stand mixer.

In a second bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm water, and add the mix to the flour.

Combine well with your hands, or process in the mixer into a soft, elastic, slightly sticky dough.

Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and allow to rest in a warm area for about one hour.

Now knead again quickly with your hands, and allow to rest for one more hour.

Place the bowl with the dough next to the stovetop, and fill a second bowl with warm water.

Heat abundant oil in a heavy pot with tall sides; when the oil is hot, wet your hands, take a small ball of dough and pull it with your hands into a small “pancake” shape. It’s OK if by doing so you create a few “holes” in the middle.

Wet your hands after making each sfenz, so that the dough won’t stick to your fingers.

Fry the sfenz in the oil, one at a time or in small batches, turning them once.

Remove them with a slotted spoon when they are golden, and drain them on a double layer of kitchen towel.

Serve them hot after decorating them with confectioner’s sugar.

Serves 6-8

https://dinnerinvenice.com/2011/12/06/sfenz-libyan-hanukkah-fritters-parve/

Filed Under: Desserts, Hanukkah, Jewish Italian Cuisine Tagged With: Chanukah, cucina ebraica, dessert, Fried, Hanukkah, history, Italian, kosher Italian, Lybian, Non-Dairy, pancake, parve, Sfenz

Venetian Fritters

December 6, 2011 By dinnerinvenice 1 Comment

Venetian Fritters (Parve)

Ingredients

4 scarce cups 00, pastry or AP flour
25 gr active yeast
1/3 cup sugar
½ cup liquor, such as rhum or grappa
1/2 cup sultana or raisins
1/3 cup pine nuts
grated zest of one orange
1 ½ tablespoons candied citron (or lemon)
pinch of salt
1/2 cup warm water
abundant oil for frying (a mild olive oil or peanut oil)
powder sugar to decorate

Directions

Soak the raisins in the liquor for for 30 minutes, and drain well.

Dissolve the yeast in warm water (never use cold water!); add 1/2 of the flour and allow to rest for 30 minutes in a warm area.

Combine with the rest of the ingredients into a batter just slightly thicker than waffle batter.

Allow to rest for 3 hours.

Heat at least 3” of peanut or mild olive oil in a wide heavy pan with tall sides, and fry by dropping spoonfuls of the batter into the hot oil. Do not drop too many spoonfuls at the same time, or they will stick to each other and also cool down the oil, with a greasy and soggy result.

Fry in batches until golden brown, draining on a double or triple layer of paper towel.

Dust with sugar and serve immediately.

Buon appetito!

https://dinnerinvenice.com/2011/12/06/venetian-fritters-parve/

Filed Under: Desserts, Hanukkah, Jewish Italian Cuisine, Purim Tagged With: carnival, Chanukah, cucina ebraica, dessert, Fried, fritters, Hanukkah, Italian, kosher Italian, Non-Dairy, olive oil, pastry, Venice

Holy Pumpkin Fritters

December 5, 2011 By dinnerinvenice Leave a Comment

Holy Pumpkin Fritters (Parve)

Pumpkin arrived in Italy after the discovery of the Americas, and Northern Italian Jews liked it so much that in Venice we called it “suca baruca” (holy pumpkin, from the Hebrew “baruch”). When pumpkin made its appearance, Venice in general -and Jewish Venice in particular – was a crossroad of peoples and cultures, in which countless examples of what we would now call “Fusion” cuisine came to life. These fritters, which include spices and candied fruit, are a great example! I also contributed this recipe for a guest post on my friends’ lovely Italian blog Labna, which you should check out (especially if you read Italian!)…. and stay tuned for Labna’s own awesome guest post here, coming tomorrow!!!!!

Holy Pumpkin Fritters (Parve)

Ingredients

1 pound pumpkin or butternut squash, cleaned and diced small
2 eggs
grated zest of 2 oranges
¾ cup of sugar and a pinch of salt
1 and ½ cups flour
½ package (8 gr) baking powder
½ teaspoon cinnamon, if liked
1/3 cup Raisins or Sultanas
1/3 cup pine nuts
1/3 cup candied etrog or lemon (if you don’t like it, skip & increase raisins & pine nuts)
Olive oil or peanut oil for deep-frying, at least 3 cups or more
Confectioner’s sugar for decorating

Directions

Plump the raisins in a cup of warm water. Chop the candied etrog or lime or lemon.

Place the diced squash in a large platter and cover almost completely, leaving a small opening for the steam to come out, and microwave on high for 10 minutes or until very tender.

Beat the eggs in a food processor with the sugar, salt, cinnamon, orange zest; add the cooked squash and process until smooth.

Drain and dry the raisins, and add them to the mix.

Transfer to a large bowl and gradually add the flour (sifted with the baking powder), using an electric or manual whisk.

In a frying pan, heat the olive oil to frying temperature (you can test it by dropping a small piece of bread in the oil: if bubbles form around the bread, the temperature is right).

Take the batter with a tablespoon, filling it to about ½, and push the batter into the oil with your index finger or a second spoon.

Fry in small batches until golden all over, turning to cook evenly.

Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer onto a platter lined with several layers of paper towels.

Sprinkle with confectioner’s sugar and serve warm.

Serves 6

https://dinnerinvenice.com/2011/12/05/holy-pumpkin-fritters/

Filed Under: Comfort food, Desserts, Hanukkah, Holiday Food, Jewish Italian Cuisine, Non-Dairy Tagged With: Chanukah, cucina ebraica, dessert, Fried, Hanukkah, Italian, kosher Italian, Non-Dairy, pumpkin, Venice Carnival

Apple Fritters with Moscato Wine

December 4, 2011 By dinnerinvenice Leave a Comment

Apple Fritters with Moscato Wine (Parve)

Contrary to popular belief, Italian Jews do not all descend from the Jews who arrived in Rome in the second century b.c.e., and from the Sephardim fleeing Spain and Portugal in the late fifteenth century. There have also been Ashkenazi Jews living in Northern Italy since as early as the Middle Ages. In Venice, in particular, Ashkenazim (“I Tedeschi”, as they were called) were the oldest Jewish community in the city. The name of the first Jewish quarter in Venice (and in the world), “ghetto”, possibly derives from the Germanic term “gitter” (iron grill). Even Moshe Chayim Luzzatto (the Ramchal), one of the most famous Italian rabbis in history, was a “Yekkishe Yid”! (the name Luzzatto is the Italian translation of the German Jewish name Lausitz). A lot of recipes reflect this ancient Ashkenazi influence, and one of my favorite examples is the apple fritters that we make for Hanukkah. One of the reasons I like them so much has nothing to do with history: since in Italy we also have the famous saying “An apple a day keeps the doctor away” (“Una mela al giorno toglie il medico di torno”), I feel that these must be really good for me even though they are deep-fried, and I indulge in second and third helpings. You can sprinkle them with cinnamon if you like, or serve them with a raspberry sauce for a refined chromatic effect.

Apple Fritters with Moscato Wine (Parve)

Ingredients

4 or 5 apples
1 cup pastry flour, or all-purpose flour (heaped)
a pinch of salt
1 egg
2 egg whites
1/3 cup moscato or sweet champagne
peanut or mild olive oil for frying
confectioner’s sugar and cinnamon for decorating

Directions

Place the flour in a bowl, add the egg and start whisking with a manual or electric whisk; slowly and gradually add the wine.

If the batter seems too thick, add a few more tablespoons of wine.

Cover and allow to rest for 30 minutes. Beat the egg whites until stiff, and gently incorporate them into the batter.

Peel the apples, core them without halving them, and slice them horizontally (the slices should be 1/4? to 1/3?max.)

Sprinkle with lemon juice.

Heat abundant oil in a deep-fryer or a large, heavy pan with tall sides. When the oil is ready (365 F, or when a small piece of bread dropped in the oil forms many small bubbles all around), dry the apple slices, dip them in the batter, and fry them until golden in small batches (max. 4 slices at a time, or the oil temperature will drop and they will absorb oil).

Dry them very well on a double or triple layer of paper towel, and sprinkle them with sugar (you can also add cinnamon).

Serve immediately!

Serves 6

https://dinnerinvenice.com/2011/12/04/apple-fritters-with-moscato-wine-parve/

Filed Under: Desserts, Hanukkah, Holiday Food, Jewish Italian Cuisine, Non-Dairy Tagged With: Chanukah, cucina ebraica, dessert, Fried, Hanukkah, history, kosher Italian, Non-Dairy, olive oil, parve

Veal Strips in Sweet-and-Sour Sauce with Grapes

December 1, 2011 By dinnerinvenice Leave a Comment

Veal Strips in Sweet-and-Sour Sauce with Grapes

Ingredients

(Serves 4)
1 and 1/2 pound veal breast cutlets, cut into strips
1 cluster dark grapes (3/4 pound)
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 quart dry red wine
1/2 cup grape juice
1 scallion
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns
1 pinch cinnamon
2 teaspoons sugar
2 ladlefuls hot meat or chicken stock
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon potato starch or corn starch

Directions

To make the sweet-and-sour sauce, place the wine, stock, grape juice, thinly sliced scallion, and spices in a saucepan, and bring to a boil.

Simmer uncovered until reduced to one half.

Caramelize the sugar in a small skillet: start on high heat and lower the flame as the sugar starts melting, adding 2 tablespoons of water and the balsamic.

Pour the caramel into the wine broth.

Gradually incorporate the corn starch or potato starch, and allow the sauce to thicken for a few more minutes on low heat, removing any clumps, and the bay leaves, with a slotted spoon.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet, and sauté the veal strips, seasoning with salt and pepper.

Add the sweet-and-sour sauce and the grapes (halved), and cook for 5 more minutes, stirring continuously.

Serve hot.

**This recipe is great for those who are gluten free

https://dinnerinvenice.com/2011/12/01/veal-strips-in-sweet-and-sour-sauce-with-grapes/

Filed Under: Gluten Free, Hanukkah, Jewish Italian Cuisine, Main Dish, Meat Tagged With: Chanukah, cucina ebraica, gluten free, Hanukkah, Jewish holiday, kosher Italian, main dish, Meat, veal

Archives for December 2011

Smoked Fish and Grapefruit Salad

Fragrant Stew with Wine and Herbs

Why Kosher Italian Food ?

Cassola, the Ecumenical Pancake

Mashed Potato Latkes with Fresh Herb Medley

Meatballs, Jewish-Italian Style

Venetian Rice with Raisins (“Risi e Ua”)

Hanukkah Treats with Sambuca and Honey

Zucchini Fritters

Sfenz – Libyan Hanukkah Fritters

Venetian Fritters

Holy Pumpkin Fritters

Apple Fritters with Moscato Wine

Veal Strips in Sweet-and-Sour Sauce with Grapes

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