Sample the Tastes and Spirit of Jewish Atlanta

Cod Liver Appetizer
Submitted by Berta and Lev Mebel of Marietta, originally from Riga, Latvia

Servings: 4
1 can, 190 grams of cod liver (wild caught, from Iceland, available at Buford Highway Farmers Market)
2 hardboiled eggs
1/2 medium size sweet onion
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Dash of pepper

Drain cod liver. Reserve 2 teaspoons of oil. Chop eggs and onion into small pieces.

Add cod liver and reserved oil. Season with pepper and lemon juice. Mix all ingredients together thoroughly, and mash it well with a fork.

Transfer to serving dish and sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley. Serve with whole wheat pita bread or crackers.

Broccoli Salad
Submitted by Iris Wynne

1 pound broccoli florets, raw. Do not blanch.
1 package ramen noodles, uncooked. Break up, toss out seasoning.
1 bunch of green onions, chopped
1 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 to 1 cup Craisins
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup veggie oil
1/3 cup cider vinegar (I prefer apple cider)

In large bowl, combine broccoli, broken noodles, green onions and Craisins.

Whisk together sugar, oil and vinegar. Pour over salad and toss.

Refrigerate for several hours. Top with sunflower seeds before serving.

I sometimes add chopped walnuts on top.

Enjoy!

Kabocha Squash Curry
Submitted by Robin Saul

Often called a Japanese pumpkin, this winter squash cooks up creamy, and is delicious on a bed of brown rice and/or steamed spinach. You can also substitute butternut squash.

1 large kabocha, diced, with skin
1 large leek, cleaned and sliced
5 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons fresh grated turmeric
I tablespoon green (or any) curry powder
1 cup vegetable broth
1/2 cup coconut milk, lite or full fat from a can

To cut squash more easily, microwave whole squash for 3 minutes.

In large, shallow pot, saute onion in steaming hot water until translucent.

Add garlic and turmeric and saute until onion is caramelized. Simmer in broth. Stir in tomato paste until dissolved.

Add coconut milk when squash is soft enough to pierce with a fork. Simmer 20 minutes.

Optional: Finish by broiling in oven.

Ceviche
Submitted by Doris Goldstein

1 pound any mild, firm raw fish (such as flounder or halibut)
1 to 2 tablespoons kosher salt (start with smaller amount, adjust if needed)
4 large radishes, thinly sliced or cut into match sticks
1 large avocado, sliced or cut in small pieces
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1/2 cup fresh dill, cut in small pieces
Juice of 2 limes,
Juice of 1 lemon
Several drops Tabasco, to taste

Cut fish in small bite-sized pieces. Combine with juices and salt. Mix well in deep container so that the fish is covered by the juices. Add rest of the ingredients and mix well. Add dill last. Taste and adjust all seasoning; more Tabasco or less, or some other hot sauce. Cover and refrigerate for several hours.

Serve on bed of greens of any kind. Grape tomatoes can be added on top of fish for a touch of color.

Note: Prepare this dish early the same day you plan to serve it so that the fish can “cook” in the juices.

Moroccan Sweet and Savory Roast Carrots
Submitted by Michael Dresdner

This dish is very flavorful and is easy to prepare.

1 pound carrots
2 tablespoons oil (a neutral oil such as grapeseed recommended)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon smoked paprika (unsmoked may be substituted)
1 teaspoon cumin
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon harissa, optional, for added spice and flavor.
1 teaspoon za’atar, for flavor
10 pitted and dried dates, cut in slices, about 1/4-inch wide
Honey

Preheat oven to 450° F. Wash and peel the carrots. Slice diagonally about ¼-inch wide at the big end of the carrot and wider as the carrot gets smaller, which will allow all the pieces to be of equal tenderness when done.

In a mixing bowl, toss and stir the carrots with all the ingredients except the dates and honey.

Roast the seasoned carrots, uncovered for 20 minutes in preheated oven. At 20 minutes, pull carrots from oven and return to mixing bowl and stir in dates. If the carrots appear dry, add another tablespoon of oil. Return carrots to oven for 5 to 10 minutes or until a knife tip finds the carrots tender.

Note: Cook times may vary due to oven accuracy and moisture content of carrots. Just before serving, place carrots in a serving dish and drizzle with 2 to 4 tablespoons of honey. Serve immediately.

Noodle Kugel
Submitted by Susan Shapiro McCarthy

This recipe was taken from the first “Oak Ridge Cooks” cookbook from the 1960s, put together by the National Council of Jewish Women chapter in my hometown of Oak Ridge, Tenn., where my mother Selma Shapiro was on the board and eventually served as president. The recipe comes from Myra Hoffman, my first Hebrew School teacher.

3 cups 1/2 inch-wide noodles
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup butter
3 eggs, well-beaten
2 apples sliced and peeled
1/4 cup raisins
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400° F.

Cook noodles in salted boiling water for 10 minutes.

Drain and add butter, eggs, sugar, cinnamon, apples and raisins.

Grease pudding dish and heat in oven. Pour mixture in dish and bake until top of pudding is well browned.

Note: I alter the recipe with less butter and sugar to make it healthier. It still tastes great!

Gail’s Graham Cracker Cake
Submitted by Gail Solomon

Cake
2 cups sugar
3 sticks margarine or 1 ½ cups shortening.
1 cup milk
5 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 pound box graham crackers, crushed fine as meal.
1 can or 1 ½ cups coconut
1 cup chopped nuts rolled in 1/3 cups flour.

Filling/Frosting (like a glaze)
1 stick margarine or 1/2 cup fine shortening
1 box powdered sugar
1 can crushed pineapple, drained.

Preheat oven to 350° F. Cream shortening and sugar until light and fluffy.

Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Alternately add milk and graham crackers and teaspoon of vanilla.

Fold in nuts and coconut.

Bake in 3 layers for 35 minutes or until layers are done.

Cake Option: Use drained pineapple juice to pour over layers before frosting.

Freeze layers before frosting to make frosting easier.

Cool. Frost with filling.

Frosting Option: Use a box of fluffy frosting mix of your choice. Eliminate butter and after beaten to peaks, add pineapple. Prettier finished product.

Note: Kroger brand has pareve graham crackers of different flavors. I have made a chocolate graham cracker cake and a honey graham cracker cake. Experiment and have fun. Both are delicious.

Mom’s Ice Cream Royale with Macaroons
Submitted by Carol Nemo

This is beautiful and delicious.

3 or 4 pints of different kinds of ice cream. (I favor vanilla, strawberry, butter pecan, orange sherbet, butter pecan, chocolate and/or strawberry)
Bag of tiny marshmallows
1 package frozen raspberries or strawberries (I prefer fresh strawberries)
2 packages almond macaroons or homemade, cut into small pieces
1 pint whipped cream
Strawberry or hot fudge sauce, optional

Using an ice cream scoop, assemble balls of ice cream in a pretty bowl. (Mom used her silver soup terrine). Intermingle remaining ingredients amid the ice cream.

Note: You can top with the warm sauce, depending on the kind of ice cream.