2012 March 05 | Kosher Recipes and Jewish Table Settings

kosher passover recipes,seder table Ideas, kosher recipes, Passover Recipes

Moroccan Date Charoset “Truffles” with Dates, Raisins, and Walnuts, Rolled in Cinnamon

No Comments 05 March 2012

This modern twist on the traditional Charoset recipe for your Passover Seder,was created by my new friend Jennifer Abadi, author of a wonderful new cookbook, A Fistful of Lentils . Jennifer’s passion for carrying on her family’s Syrian Jewish tradition is evident within the 125 recipes that she shares with us.

Upon reading that Jennifer’s recipes were inspired by her grandmother Fritzie Abadi A’H I realized that Jennifer and I have a connection. Five years ago, I set out to produce a coffee table book documenting the artwork of 200 of our communities artists of which all of the proceeds were donated to Magen David Yeshivah in Brooklyn.

“Our Art”- A collection of the Artists of the Syrian Jewish Community.

Guess which artist’s work is on the first page? None other than Fritzie Abadi A’H’ herself!

The quote on the page, as told to me 5 years ago by Mrs. Luna Sutton (who recently passed away in her late 90′s and who bought the painting from Fritzie 50 years ago), is,

“When Fritzie Abadi painted these in the 1920′s, it was said that she was inspired by the strong features of the typical Syrian woman that immigrated to America at the time.”

So, you can see that in her own way, Jennifer’s grandma Fritzi was also trying to preserve memories of her heritage!

You should also know that Fritzi’s father Chacham Matloub Abadi was a great Rabbi of the Syrian community in the early 1900′s, but that is another story…..

Hope you enjoyed that little tidbit of info!

Moroccan Charoset “Truffles” with Dates, Raisins, and Walnuts, Rolled in Cinnamon

photograph by April Selditch

“Here they are!! I rolled the Moroccan Charroset Truffles in three flavors: cinnamon, crushed almond and coconut.
They are so delicious! Yep, I tasted one. April. “

½ cup walnuts
1/4 cup slivered almonds
6 large Medjool dates or 10 regular-size dates, pitted and coarsely chopped
1/4 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup dark raisins
1 to 2 tablespoons sweet Passover wine, such as Manischewitz

For Serving:

1 box of matzah sheets or tea size matzahs

Cinnamon (for dusting the outside)

1. Place the walnuts and almonds in the food processor and pulse until coarsely ground, but not into a meal-like consistency (about 30 seconds).

2. Add the dates and raisins and combine in the food processor until a thick paste is formed.

3. Add one tablespoon of the wine at a time until the paste is smooth but not so sticky that you cannot roll it into small balls.

4. Taking approximately one tablespoon at a time, roll the thick paste into 1-inch balls* (if the paste is sticking too much to your hands, try dipping your hands in cold water and then rolling them) and sprinkle the outsides lightly with cinnamon. Store balls in a tightly covered plastic container in refrigerator for up to one week.

5. Dust the outsides of the balls with ground cinnamon. Serve charoset balls at room temperature on a platter, alongside tea matzahs (can also be served as a paste in one or two small dessert bowls, placed at either end of the seder table.)

Yield: Serves 6 to 8 (approximately 1 ½ cups or 24 one-inch balls)

*Note: If you wish to serve the mixture in the more common way of a paste in a bowl, then add a little more wine and warm water to make a bit smoother and softer for spreading.

©Jennifer Felicia Abadi

(Author of: A Fistful of Lentils: Syrian-Jewish Recipes From Grandma Fritzie’s Kitchen)
www.FistfulofLentils.com

The Best Sephardic Charoset Recipe Ever (thejewishhostess.com)
Syrian Kebabs for Passover (thejewishhostess.com)

Syrian Style Pistachio Macaroons

While its so easy to serve your Passover desserts from a can, there is nothing more delicious than a homemade macaroon, especially if you are lucky enough to get a recipe from Jennifer Abadi, community chef and cookbook author intent on preserving the recipes of her Sephardic heritage. The main ingredient for this Passover dessert is the Pistachio nut or “fisto.” These nuts are a favorite snack of the Syrian Jewish community tracing back to the old days in where they would most certainly crack pistachio nuts while playing a good game of toleh or backgammon with friends. You can find shelled pistachio nuts in Kosher Corner on McDonald Avenue in Brooklyn, or from Ohnuts.com.

Ka’ik ib’Fis’dok (Syrian Style Pistachio Macaroons)

1 1/2 cups shelled, unsalted pistachios

Egg whites from 2 large eggs

1 to 2 teaspoons orange blossom water (optional), to taste

3/4 cup granulated sugar

*Confectioners’ sugar, for decoration

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Place the pistachios in a food processor and blend until finely ground. Set aside.

3. In a large bowl, beat the egg whites on high speed with an electric hand-held mixer until stiff peaks form. (If you decide to add the orange water, fold it into the beaten egg whites at this point.) Gently pour the sugar over the stiff egg whites and fold in with a wooden spoon. Add the ground pistachios and fold in with wooden spoon until fully mixed into the egg white mixture.

4. One tablespoon at a time, place the pistachio “dough” on a greased baking sheet, leaving 1 inch in between each cookie. Bake until lightly golden around the edges, about 15 to 20 minutes.

5. Cool for half an hour before removing from the sheet or the cookies may break apart too easily. (You may freeze the cookies at this point by placing them between layers of wax paper and tightly sealing inside a plastic container. They will last up to 3 weeks. When ready to serve, remove each layer of cookies on the wax paper and place on the countertop to defrost for half an hour. Sprinkle with the confectioners’ sugar and serve.) Sprinkle the tops of the cookies with confectioners’ sugar and serve on a decorative platter with pistachio or vanilla ice cream (or with sorbet).

Yield: Serves 6 to 10 (about 1 to 11/2 dozen cookies)

*Note: If cornstarch is added, then its use is prohibited to Ashkenazim during Passover. Try the following as a substitute:

“Mock” Confectioner’s Sugar for Passover

1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons potato starch

2/3 cup superfine white sugar

1. Pulse together in a food processor (about 2 minutes) to combine.

2. Sprinkle on top of your favorite Passover dessert for decoration

Yield: 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (18 tablespoons)