reviews - Jewish Book Council

JEWISH SLOW
COOKER RECIPES
Laura Frankel
John Wiley & Sons, 2009. 244 pp. $24.95
ISBN: 978-0-470-26089-0
Laura Frankel, the executive chef of
Wolfgang Puck’s restaurant in the (Jewish)
Spertus Museum in Chicago, calls her
slow cooker her “Shabbat miracle machine.”
The busy person will make the cooker a
close friend at any time of day or night,
Shabbat or not.
Unique and delectable dishes along with
inspiring menus energize one to read the
book and start “slow cooking.” The Sabbath
Cholent with Kishke is a mouth-watering
dish in the Eastern European tradition; equally
tempting is the Moroccan equivalent, Dafina
with Moroccan Rice Dumpling. The home
chef is guided with a sure hand in preparing
scrumptious desserts such as the unusual and
world-spanning Chocolate-Ancho Chile Pudding
Cake with Sparkling Sabayon, or sauces
such as the tangy Latin-inspired Mole
Poblano. Yes, the kosher cook should go ahead
and buy a few long lasting slow cookers or
inserts. It will be well worth the expense.
Through the years, I have prepared dishes
overnight in my oven, which I call “cooking
while you sleep.” Now I want to try Laura
Frankel’s Vegetarian Chili, Chicken with Rice,
Senegalese Peanut Soup, Mashed Sweet Potatoes,
Simple Grits, and Lamb Tagine among
other fascinating offerings.
GARLICKY POT ROAST
Laura Frankel holds your hand in the more complicated recipes
Makes 6 to 8 servings
Something magical seems to happen when this
dish cooks for a long time—the meat becomes fragrant
and the garlic becomes caramelized and sweet.
The “gravy” that results is so delicious that I often
find one of my kids hanging around the kitchen with
bread in hand to sop it up. The addition of the gingersnaps
to the dish might seem odd, but they add a
lot of flavor and help thicken the gravy.
The roast can be stored, covered, in the refrigerator
for 3 days, or frozen for 1 month. To reheat the
pot roast, place the meat and gravy in a saucepan.
Add enough chicken stock to moisten the meat, usually
only about 1⁄4 cup. Cover and cook on low heat
until heated through.
Alongside the mouth-watering Potato Salad with Lemon Mayonnaise
recipe, we read, “Mama says: To save curdled mayonnaise, gradually
add one egg yolk while whisking the mayonnaise constantly.”
The fare reflects the traditions of
Eastern European, Sephardic, and the
cuisine of Israel as well as modern Jewish
cooking everywhere.
For Purim, “Fritlach” are also featured,
which Ms. Phillips explains “is
the generic Yiddish word for anything
fried...Resembling half moons, these
fragile golden bubbles are meant to represent
Haman’s ears (Hamans Ohren).”
The Hamantaschen with Apple are a
delectable twist on the popular pastry.
For the Marinade
3 tablespoons chopped garlic (about 4 large cloves)
1⁄4 cup light brown sugar
1⁄4 cup olive oil, plus extra for browning the roast
1⁄2 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons tomato paste
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
One 3- to 5-pound chuck roast, fat trimmed
Olive oil
For the Sauce
2 large Spanish onions, chopped
6 garlic cloves, chopped
1 cup dark beer such as Guinness or Aventinus
1 whole head of Roasted Garlic
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup crumbled gingersnaps (about 15 small cookies;
store-bought are fine)
1⁄4 cup tomato paste
Suggested accompaniments
grits, mashed potatoes
COOKBOOKS
1. Marinate the Roast: In a bowl large enough
to hold the roast, stir together the chopped garlic,
brown sugar, olive oil, vinegar, tomato paste, and
1 tablespoon each salt and pepper. Add the roast
and turn it to coat on all sides. Cover the bowl and
marinate for at least 3 hours, or overnight in the
refrigerator.
2. Place a large sauté pan over medium heat. Lightly
coat the bottom of the pan with olive oil. Remove
the roast from the marinade and pat dry. Discard the
marinade. Lightly season the roast with salt and pepper.
Brown the meat on all sides, about 7 minutes per
side. Set aside the roast but do not clean the pan.
3. Preheat a 6 1⁄2-quart slow cooker to High.
4. Make the Sauce: Add the onions to the sauté
pan and cook until brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the
chopped garlic and cook for 2 to 3 minutes more, until
the garlic is very fragrant and has softened slightly; do
not let the garlic brown. Add the beer. Scrape up the
browned bits with a wooden spoon or spatula. Transfer
the mixture to the slow cooker insert.
5. Place the roast and any collected juices in the
insert. Squeeze the roasted garlic out of the skin and
into the insert. Add the stock, gingersnaps, and tomato
paste. Stir together. Cover and cook the roast on High
for 7 to 8 hours, until it can be pierced easily with a fork.
6. Remove the roast from the cooker and keep
warm. Strain the sauce before serving. Cut the roast
into large chunks and serve hot with your choice of
accompaniment. Pass the sauce.
From Jewish Slow Cooker, Laura Frankel,
published by Wiley.
and guides you with her knowledge and experience. The Jewish Slow
Cooker will bring out the dormant 5-star chef in you. DGL
This reviewer was pleased to see the instructions for Goulash
with caraway seeds as part of the plan. What could be better than
these pieces of chuck steak, redolent of paprika, served on a plate of
noodles, or rice, or potatoes, or just
by itself?
Ms. Phillips runs her own cooking
school in London, has written regular
columns for Jewish newspapers in
New York and Toronto, and has hosted
a radio show.
Be ready to celebrate with Denise
Phillips and thus in many ways with
her Booba and family, whose voices
are lovingly recreated in this book.
Index, glossary. DGL
Photography by © Joff Lee from The Jewish Mama’s Kitchen