ROSH HASHANAH TRADITIONAL DINNER MORE THAN THE STEREOTYPE

Sundown, September 29, is the beginning of the High Holy Days, the Hebrew calendar year of 5780.  Jewish people around the world will be celebrating the start with family, friends and most likely a huge meal. A century old immigration brought the opening of several kosher delis in New York that had a notoriety of becoming, “Jewish food.” “Ashkenazi,” was the term used for Jews coming from Eastern Europe with cuisines from Poland, Russia and Germany. 

 

Looking back to the 17^th and 18^th century we find that it was the Sephardic settlers from countries such as Brazil, Spain and Italy that established the synagogues and traditions in American colonial port cities such as: New York; Philadelphia; Newport, R.I.; Charleston, S.C;  and Savannah, Georgia. 

 

Many Sephardic Jews hold a Rosh Hashanah “seder” where each item or recipe symbolizes a wish or blessing for prosperity and health in the coming year.

Challah bread is simply a tradition around the world and used as a symbol of “breaking bread” as each member tears a piece from a loaf. What is added to the bread in baking is less traditional but symbolizing health (seeds) and sweetness (honey, a topping of cinnamon sugar).  You can even go all out by preparing chocolate challah cranberry rolls with citrus sugar. 

Gefilte fish is all too common. Let’s go for an Italian Sweet and sour recipe using: raisins, honey, apple or red wine vinegar. With fish multiplying quickly, it is eaten in hopes that the coming year will be one of plenty.  In some communities, there is significance associated with fish heads. These have historically been placed on the Rosh Hashanah table, with a special prayer asking to be like the head and not the tail. 

Talk to Vinny or Pat at Crossbay Seashell Fish Market at 161-14 Crossbay Blvd. in Howard Beach for great choices of whole white flesh fish as well as a request for a fish head.  You can certainly enjoy a side of fish cheeks that when cut out may be the size of scallops.  Take advantage of picking their brains (Viny and Pat, not the fish) to find out how mild or stronger tasting you choice should be expected.  

Seven is a lucky number in Jewish tradition, so a soup or stew featuring seven vegetables is a Rosh Hashana favorite among Sephardic Jews. With Moroccan origins the vegetables are served over couscous.  This one includes: onions, peeled and diced turnip, green and yellow zucchini, diced ripe tomatoes, shredded white cabbage, and string beans.  Add ginger, turmeric, cumin and top with finely chopped dried apricots or raisins.

  

Apples dipped in honey are as just as much of a tradition as eating the seeds of a pomegranate which expresses the wish for a year filled with as many merits as a pomegranate has seeds.

One of the best sources for fruit and vegetables is another “mom and pop” market, Valentino Food Market located at 66-64 Fresh Pond Rd in Ridgewood. They are open from 7am to 10pm on most days. My suggestion is to shop early morning as due to both popularity and low prices it tends to get quite crowded. If fresh figs are not available ask for a jar of fig jam.   Whatever it is that they have tasted great both on bread as well as a delicious added flavor in cooking.  

Considering that none of the above suggestions fall into either the meat category, you can decide by either including dairy or meat but not both….if you are keeping a kosher meal  

 

For instance, create a chicken soup that includes beef bones for a great stock.  You can either fill the pot with a whole chicken or chicken backs will do. 

I have two recommendations for dessert of which neither are cake: If you haven’t used meat, head on over to Eddie’s Sweet Shop at 105-29 Metropolitan Avenue in Forest Hills.  I love that they make their own ice cream. I recently tried the banana and clear that real bananas are being used. Cost for a pint is about the same as the fancy ones with additives and so much better. 

Not that you shouldn’t  get both, but if you are choosing a meal with meat, ices from The Lemon Ice King of Corona will also have your guests drooling. Located at 52-02 108^th Street owners Mike and Vincent use real fruit. Purchase a pint of the original lemon as the perfect palate cleanser. 

“Happy New Year” is not what you would say as Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur and the only Jewish holidays that are considered to be “Holy Days” with the 10 days reserved for days of atonement. L'shanah Tovah is the correct greeting.  I say, “May the new year bring us one of no anti-semitism.”

SYMBOLIC CHINESE CALLIGRAPHY STEPS IT UP WITH CONTEMPORARY ARTIST CHUAN TENG

Artist Chuan Teng exhibited his Chinese calligraphy a few years ago at the Rainforest Art Foundation’s 80 Plus and Going Strong. Whereas typical Chinese calligraphy done in ink, symbolizes a few words, Teng took it up a few notches adding various colors of acrylic paint and poetry.  Most noticeable is that the paintings are also done on canvas vs. the old tradition of applying the calligrapher to rice paper.

 

With the benefit  of the art center in downtown Flushing’s Chinese community, Teng presented a number of his talented contemporary pieces Saturday, August 31 and Sunday, September 1. The exhibit’s opening brought a crowd of what appeared to be collectors, artists, family and friends all invited to view his works.  

It was at the age of 8 when Teng was inspired by Chinese calligraphy having a father who was an accomplished poet and calligrapher. During Teng’s school years he racked up many competition prizes, going on to further awards in Taipai. A scholarship from Ohio University brought him to the U.S.A.

Throughout his career Teng would practice his form of art one to two hours per day, resulting in his being invited to many culture sites to demonstrate his calligraphy in front of live audiences. After retiring from his job, in a different field, Teng devoted himself to serving the Chinese community on Staten Island.  

It was more recent that Teng started to use acrylic and canvas as new tools for his work as he had taken advantage of the esthetic lines from the Chinese characters’ form by extending them to make shapes that resemble their pictorial origin. Using a group of the characters that adopted a saying or passage of a poem, he carefully arranged them in a way to have them stand out in all its artistic beauty. 

Following are his bright colored acrylics completed in 2018-2019.  Afternoon Nap – in a tired afternoon, nap on a rattan pillow; Tower – Climb up the tower to view mountains after rain; Chat – Good Friends gather together at night to chat near the bamboo window; Smiling – Smiling in front of flower garden with a cup of wine in hand; Flute – East Neighbor plays flute under moon; Enlightenment – There never is a Bodhi tree, nor does the bright mirror exist. Where there begins with nothing, on what would dust stain; Summer – Soaking feet in cold spring water during hot summer days; Sail – Sail on shallow clear spring water.  

  

In addition, Teng had taken the symbols of Longevity, Happiness, Inner peace and Health to total creativity using the symbols in the middle to be the main point of view surrounded by floral designs and colors. 

 

Teng’s exhibit also included a series of poems from several ancient authors using ink on paper, such as one by Tao Yuanming titled Drinking. “I gladly pick up some mums near the east side fence and the tranquil Southern Mount scene gently meets my eyes. The evening haze enshrouds the Mount in fine weather while flocks of birds flying home in company.”

Another poem written by Wang Zhihuan, Climb Up White Stork Tower reads, “The white sun sets behind the mountain, and the Yellow river flows into sea. To have a thousand mile view go up another floor.

In regards to the presentation of the exhibition, Teng remarked. “I am happy to say that it received tremendous responses from viewers on three fronts. One was to present the Chinese characters with their various forms and writing styles side by side, where viewers can see a whole picture of this art form. Secondly is to link the Chinese characters and the Chinese poems/sayings to create works not only to have the individual character’s pictorial beauty but to have the subtle meaning of the whole work stand out.” 

“Thirdly was to use acrylic-on-canvas rather than traditional brush-ink-paper in order to extend the lines that forms the Chinese character to create modern art works that  are very appreciable to the eyes of today’s  viewers. My works “Carving Insects” and “Afternoon Nap” have received most enthusiastic comments. Overall, the success of this calligraphy show inspires me to continue using new tools to present the Chinese calligraphic aesthetic for more modern viewers.”

Artist and founder of the Rainforest Art Foundation Marlene Yu remarked about Teng’s work saying, “I had already admired his artistic talent as a calligrapher. This new form using colors on canvas is the best I have seen anywhere. I particularly love the soothing colors and hope to see more of his future works.”

LAST OF YE OLDE SWEET SHOPPES STILL REIGNS IN FOREST HILLS

Ice cream parlors were quite popular some years back.  You would sit at the counter and enjoy a malted milk shake, egg cream or a few scoops of store made ice cream with hot fudge, nuts, whipped cream and cherries atop.  That swivel stool allowed you to see who was coming in as well as the wooden décor.  Tables of customers were “partying” at the tables with ice cream, rather than alcohol.  Somehow there was a nearby movie theatre where the ending of the film brought a line of “We all scream for ice cream” lovers, not just for the cold delight but a way to have a conversation after the experience. 

I can remember Jahn’s being the place to go with locations in various parts of New York City and always in a group. We would order their famous Kitchen Sink. There is the one last location in Queens, accept that serving food is the priority. 

Alas, there is one true parlor that’s still an icon.  Eddie’s Sweet Shop, located in Forest Hills, continues the nostalgia with pressed tin ceilings, antique cash registers, polished marble counters and those cast-iron swivel stools. More important is that the ice cream is made fresh on the premises. 

Eddie is no longer there, legend living on and becoming a family affair. Vito Citrano is the owner and “chef” who prepares and churns the ice cream as well as concocting the sauces and whipped cream.  Angelina, his wife, runs the shop as she focuses on the customers. Vito’s son, Brandon, and Vito’s father, Joe can be found behind the counter preparing the mouth-watering treats. 

Last week I wrote about my first time having ices from Lemon Ice King, despite my living in Queens for…let’s just say, “a very long time.”  I will now have to admit that despite passing by Eddie’s this was the first time I entered. OMG, I can certainly understand its popularity.  Aside from what I already described, the was a counter with shelves of various candies…okay it did not have the nostalgia of a Necco Sky Bar, Dots and Chuckles, but there was certainly enough to choose from.

I looked up at the list of flavors: banana, butter pecan, coffee, chocolate, coffee chip, cherry vanilla, maple walnut, mint chip, pistachio, run raisin, strawberry, tutti fruti, vanilla, vanilla chip, vanilla fudge, raspberry sherbet, orange sherbet.  Next to this were the toppings: butter scotch, hot caramel, fruit salad, hot fudge, marshmallow, cherries, chocolate sprinkles, rainbow sprinkles, assorted candies, assorted nuts, whipped cream. 

I am not a “sundae” kind of person. Just give me the ice cream and maybe a syrup.  However, I wanted to try the chocolate malted milk shake and an egg cream to bring me back “yesteryear.” For those of you that have no idea what and egg cream is, let me first say that there is no egg nor cream in it. This is an invention from prior to WWII. You pour some Ubet syrup in a glass, top it with milk and then dispense seltzer from the soda fountain, the same time stirring rapidly in order to create the foam. Vito prepares his own syrups such as chocolate, vanilla and coffee.  

Back to the ice cream. Coffee ice cream with coffee syrup – like eating an espresso! Pistachio with pistachios in it.  Raspberry, one of my favorite flavors and I could taste the raspberries in it.  Mint chip that brought me back to being a kid and that was my favorite flavor.  Cherry vanilla certainly had real cherries and another flavor high on my list. One thing I could detect is that the ice cream is, in fact, made on the premises. I also tried some of their whipped cream….OMG!  I’m not a coffee drinker but I wanted a cup of the syrup to go to make “coffee milk.”  

It’s not surprising to see a group of children occupying all of the tables as Angelina is in charge of taking care of these type of bookings.  On this particular day Learning Tree Day Camp had sent the joyous faces of the girls division, having brought the boys division the day before and done at a time prior to the ice cream shop’s 1pm opening time.  There were certainly huge smiles on the faces of the escorting supervisors, who got to hang out at the soda fountain area.  

Will you ever see Vito?….sure. Between preparations he is also at the counter scooping and such.  Next time I go…and I will be back…I am going to ask for a cup of espresso with coffee syrup and a dollop of whipped cream.  I guess it’s like having an espresso with sugar and cream….right? 

Eddie’s Sweet Shop is located at 105-29 Metropolitan Avenue. Hours are 1pm to 11:30 pm and closed on Mondays. Come on, Vito and the family need one day for a break! Street parking, accessible but with a small step. 

SARDEL PAN MAY BE ALL YOU NEED

I recently received information from a company called Sardel that tweaked my cooking attention. It read, “Along with my co-founders and brothers, Andrew and Ross, I have spent the last few years building our company, Sardel.. With the launch of our website and online shop we are excited to introduce a new brand of cookware to you today.”

“We’re proud of the high-quality, Italian-made cookware we’ve created, all of which is brought to you at an affordable price. Our hope is that our products can reflect our passion for cooking and the belief that preparing meals should be as simple and rewarding as eating them.”

“Working closely with friends and family, chefs, and our factory in Italy, we created a selection of timeless kitchen essentials—products that are beautifully classic in design, crafted with high-quality materials, and more attainable in price than the other high-end brands we have been accustomed to seeing.”

“We spoke with countless manufacturers around the world and ultimately found the perfect partner in northern Italy—a third-generation, family-run factory that helps us produce the quality products we had been searching for. Sardel would not have been possible without our manufacturer’s knowledge, dedication, and passion for creating timeless cookware.”

I tend to cook on a NuWave Precision Induction Cooktop Aside from the much shorter cooking time than my own stovetop, I have a ceiling fan in my kitchen that interferes with using a gas stovetop. The non-stick pan that comes with it tends to burn the food in the middle regardless of the chosen heat intensity as well as food sticking to the pan. I then have to soak the pan in order to remove it plus need more than a sponge to clean it. I also find that I have to clean it twice; once to remove using a liquid detergent and a second time to remove the odor of what I just prepared.

Water takes about 90 seconds to boil when I push the “sear” button.  This allows me to cook pasta or soup in this skillet pan.  Let’s continue with the description of the Sardel non-stick pan.

“When designing our products, we chose a stainless steel construction, which results in a highly versatile, durable, and easy-to-maintain product. Sardel products are also “5-ply”, which refers to the five layers of metal used to create our cookware. This combination of materials – and how those materials are layered and constructed – allows our cookware to heat evenly and adjust to temperature changes quickly, which gives you more control over your ingredients.”

They then go on to say why their non-stick pan is different. “We learned that the key to a highly effective and long-lasting non-stick pan lies in using an extremely durable non-stick surface. Our non-stick pans use a coating that is infused with stainless steel particles, creating a surface that has the toughness of a stainless steel pan and the non-stick capabilities you’re looking for. On top of that, we added even more durability by using an additional layer that has our unique honeycomb design—a naturally occurring pattern prized for its strength and resilience.”

The inside of the pan seems to have a honeycomb pattern. What’s that about? “Our stainless-steel infused non-stick coating is also reinforced with an additional “honeycomb” layer, which creates an even more effective and durable non-stick surface. Honeycomb is a naturally occurring pattern, known for its strength and durability that is often used by engineers when designing things like airplane wings and satellite walls. Why not bring this technology to your kitchen? Our unique honeycomb design creates a non-stick surface unlike anything you’ve ever used. It doesn’t hurt that it’s also easy on the eyes.”

Okay, time to order one and put it to the test. Instructions said to first wash with soapy water before using. After drying the bottom of the pan for the PIC, I decided to prepare a sliced up yellow squash with a fig jam and top it with shredded cheese. It just slid from the pan to a plate.  I used some olive oil so it might not be the real test.  

Second test involved heating leftovers that had rice, seasonings and protein.  Cooked up easily, slid on a plate and a sponge with dishwashing liquid was all I needed.  There was cumin in the dish and smelled that pan after I cleaned it. No leftover smell.  

I tend to cook with either butter or olive oil, mostly for the taste.  My final test was first placing shredded cheese in the hot pan on “high medium” first to melt and then switch to “low medium” to fry.  Easy to flip over and slid out on my plate like a crispy pancake.  I then cracked an egg placing the PIC on “low medium.” Broke the yolk and let it cook.  Easy flipping over and that, too slid out on a plate.  

My final test was a portion of fileted salmon.  No oil, no butter, just a bit of salt and squeeze of lime.  I heated it on medium high and covered.  Five minutes later, I flipped it over to sear the skin.  Let it cook a bit and yes, it simply slid onto my plate.  I love to munch the crispy skin last.  

I am careful to use those nylon utensils so as to not scratch the surface.  Using a PIC, the bottom never comes in contact with a flame. 

Sardel offers pans in both non-stick and just plain stainless steel. Pots are also available in stainless steel. For further information go to www.sardelkitchen.com