ALJACOBSLADDER.COM 

MY MOM’S COOKING

The Influencer —  Cooking is both a cathartic hobby and survival for me since I live alone and retired from full time working and part time cooking, my age, the hours of boredom being alone, and COVID quashed many of the events,  I participated in, that was essential to being a good person — thats living right, it’s in the Torah.
I enjoyed  service to the community.  Cooking in college was survival and a guaranteed meal ticket and paid the $8.00 a credit school fee.  Today I looked it up, it’s $249.00 a credit.  

During the Christian Holidays, I volunteered  my skills cooking, for Christmas and Easter meals at St. Vincent De Paul charitable events and other causes that interested me.  Whether its food prep and burger flipping for 300 kids at a Rotary summer camp, Steak Meistering at a Golf Tourney for Charity, or helping do prep and PR at the Catholic Charities at Christmas and Easter ( I’m Jewish,  Moses gave me the day off to help the Brethren) to feed those less fortunate, I make myself available at least to help.   There was over 600 attendees —  they are not judged as the homeless, they are our guests —  just as important as you and I.  

Visited By The Governor  —  On this day, the Governor Charlie Christ and his wife showed up to pitch in. Literally I try to keep my irons in the fire on days of grace when those who don’t have or can’t get a little love.

I learned to cook from two wonderful sources, my Mom and a couple guys in NYC who owned small eateries.  

🥰  My Mothers Kitchen  —  My mothers kitchen, a middle class apartment in Brooklyn NY, was eight feet wide, ten feet long with a what was called a dumb waiter, sealed shut because it didn’t work, but MOM was old school and provided a style for food that had heart, soul and a lot of ‘ Ta’am’.   

"Ta'am" in the language of the Hebrews means taste and flavor, and eye appeal.   I’ll have to ask my nephew the Rabbi If I spelled it correctly.   It’s a subtle richness, not based on butter and sugar but the love in its essence.   Our kitchen was barely big enough for two people to eat in but such delicious food came from it.  

As I got older I watched and learned a little. So when some of my friends and colleagues tell me about food with soul in it, I understand, they too had their food made with love when they grew up.

She cooked by taste, no books, learned it all from her mother passed down through generations.  If my mother said it had "No 'ta'am”,  it meant it tasted like one of those bargain $5.00 pizzas, they make today, hmmm, like prefab cardboard smothered in catsup with synthetic cheap cheese.    You get what you pay for, she could tell you the construction of most dishes in any restaurant with one taste.  

Meet And Greet —  One evening years ago, we took Mom out for dinner at a very upscale place on the beach, the Chef came out to greet the patrons, he knew I wrote about food and when he got into a conversation at our  table, my mother made a comment about her dish and he invited my Mom back to the kitchen, one of the most prestigious places in our area.  Off limits I think to mere mortals.

He commented she had a unique sense of taste and soon we had the enriched culinary experience called deserts on the house. When he escorted her back to the table, he thanked her for the tips.  I’ll never forget that— I was impressed  —  he thanked her —  Because I was the Black Sheep of the family,  (a nice way of saying I lived my life my way not always agreeing but I realized my mother was not only a beautiful woman, she was kind, intelligent and confident)   

She never measured, nor learned metric,  everything was a pinch, a little or a fair amount! It was all by taste. I learned a lot from her. The girls from the St. Petersburg Times Newspaper who came out to write about ethnic food on the Jewish Holidays had to reconstruct every dish twice and measure it for the article in the paper. 

Mom had it all in her head.  When I got a real job to pay for school. I was cooking in a joint 100 feet from a college where we never asked the customers about their eating habits, I know, I know —  you order,  we’ll make it your way  — strange customs and tastes, no different for college kids today. We had the phone number on the wall for poison control and the closest hospital.  

Mom’s Stuffed Cabbage Rolls - International Food  --

Growing up in Brooklyn, both my mother and grandmother made “ Stuffed Cabbage" the same way as it was handed down from generation to generation.  I can only estimate the ingredients as both cooked by taste.  My Mom used to say,            “ Cookbooks look great on the shelf, but the taste is what counts on the plate”. 

So many things I cook today, I realize I do by instinct and taste and don't reference the pages that often, I guess that makes me a hand-me down too.    This is a bit more complex than simple versions on the web and yet very similar, noting the raisins, ground carrot, and the brown sugar were the keys in the similarity to the recipe on the TV by the Barefoot Contessa and others. 

Sixty years ago Mom used the raisins, carrots and brown sugar to sweeten things before the Contessa became a Contessa. The recipe is quite similar.  Till she passed away she would call me and tell me she had made stuffed cabbage and would I like to come over as fast as I could drive, no speeding tickets in a heartbeat.

I know I emphasized carrots, raisins and brown sugar a lot but thats what made Moms special.  I have never tasted anything close. That’s how you get picky kids to eat “ Things like cabbage".  Mom was pretty smart,  first the simple generic version.

Worldly Dish  -  Basically — They (the world) all had the same idea. Stuff the cabbage with meat and rice and the differences are in the spices and sauce usually determined by whats locally available.  

BASIC -  The basic version below starts with and uses ground meat though you can add Italian sausage meat (not Kosher because its pork)  mixed with the ground round or chuck meat for flavor.  Mom used 50% chuck and 50% round ground by the butcher and then he mixed it a second time in the grinder.   She didn't realize this was what we call “ Lean" today and yet still retains the taste.

JEWISH Kosher —   A simple Jewish version would substitute the sausage, which contains pork and is a Jewish no-no.  You may substitute 1/2 lb. ground veal, sirloin, turkey or ground chicken spiced with oregano, sage and thyme. In other words, increase some of the spices to make up for the blander meat equal to the spicy sausage. 

GREEK STYLE  —  For classic Greek style, we substitute a Lemon Sauce and "Lemon-Pepper" for the pepper, and also add some Rosemary and Thyme and increase the amount of spice.  This is to offset the cream sauce and lemon the Greek people favor. The basic difference in these countries is the use of the available resources and vegetables.

IN ISRAEL THEY —   have great hydroponic tomatoes, thus the use of a rich Tomato Sauce — across the Aegean sea on volcanic soil the Greeks grow lemons, and we use a simple lemon sauce for the Greek version.

IN MEXICO — TACO OR BURRITO —  no cabbage needed, and adding to the meat and rice a whole gamut of treats such as jalopena, sour creme, lettuce and tomatoes. 

BOTTOM LINE —  All countries of the world eat Meat, Fish or Fowl in some form or another.  Many dishes are one of those ingredients simply changed or altered based on the availability of the sauce components, the spices and herbs in their region.

The Basic Stuffed Cabbage

1 large head of cabbage
1 1/2 lb. hamburger meat
2 Italian sausages (see note, use mild or hot)
1-cup rice
2 cloves garlic, minced (more, I like a lot)
1 onion, grated
1 egg beaten
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Directions For The Cabbage  —  
Core the cabbage.  
Cook the leaves in a large pot with just a touch of boiling water until leaves wilt and can be easily removed.   
You can do this in stages by using a carving fork inserted near the core area as a handle.
Cook it too long and you will have cabbage soup known in Jewish Circles as “The one who died in the Kitchen from the smell”. 
Alternate method - freeze the cabbage for two days and then defrost the night before. 
Some believe the cabbage is softer when boiled and some believe the freezing makes it easier.
Drain and leave until cool enough to handle.
Peel leaves carefully, without tearing or shredding. 
Chop remaining cabbage; place in the bottom of a casserole dish so the stuffed cabbage rolls don't burn.

Directions For The Filling  —  
Remove casings from sausage, and mix with meat or add ground veal or chicken
Additional spices to taste and mix with the hamburger. 
Add the egg, cup of rice, garlic, salt and pepper. 
Spoon a few tablespoons onto a cabbage leaf and roll up. 
Place in casserole dish. Repeat until all filling is used, laying rolls side by side. Bake 60 minutes at 350F°F or until cabbage is tender and filling is cooked.

Directions For The Sauce  —  
Cover with tomato soup undiluted and add salt, pepper, oregano, basil, thyme, and a few pepper flakes, or a commercial can of tomato sauce flavored with spices and sugar.  (See Sauces below)

Simple Lemon Sauce - Greek Version

Ingredients

1  cup sugar
1/2  cup butter or margarine
1/4  cup water
1  egg, well beaten 
1/4  teaspoon grated lemon peel 
3  tablespoons lemon juice

Directions  —
Mix all ingredients in 2-quart saucepan.
Heat to boiling over medium heat, stirring constantly; cook 1 minute.
Serve warm or refrigerate.  

Mom’s KOSHER Version Of This Dish

Meat Filling  —

2 1/2 pounds ground chuck and round mixed  (Lean Hamburger at 85-15)
3 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten, do not whip
2 cloves garlic pressed (or more)
1/2 cup finely chopped Visalia sweet or yellow onions
1/2 cup plain dried bread crumbs
1/2 cup uncooked white rice, Basmati or Jasmine long grain
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves or 1/2 tsp if dried
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions For The Filling  —  
For the filling, in a large bowl, combine the ground chuck, eggs, onion, breadcrumbs, rice, thyme, salt, and pepper. Add ¾ cup of the sauce to the meat mixture and mix lightly with a fork, set aside.

Directions For The Sauce  —  

3 table spoons olive oil
1 stalk of celery, diced very fine, almost minced
1 and 1/4 cup sweet or Vidalia onions, also finely chopped (sub: Shallots)
3 tablespoons chicken stock 
2 cans tomatoes, finely chopped, diced or diced and sauce. (Hunts 28oz)
2 tablespoons fresh basil, minced or 1 tablespoon dried
1/4 cup red wine vinegar or rice wine, malt vinegar
1-teaspoon fresh oregano, minced or 1/2 dried
1/2-cup light brown sugar
1/2-cup raisins (bashed or crushed with rolling pin)
1/2 cup carrots shredded fine
1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Process For The Sauce  —  

For the sauce, heat the olive oil in a large saucepan and add the onions, and wait till the onions are translucent.
Add the Hunts tomatoes, vinegar, brown sugar, raisins, salt, and pepper, bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Set aside. 
Taste and correct with the usual pepper and salt, or aromatics you prefer. This makes a sweet tangy sauce and the smashed raisins are a key element she used.   
Ground carrot, I use a fine grater, added to the mix with the brown sugar and smashed raisins sweeten the pot.
I put the raisins between two sheet of saran wrap and crush with a kitchen hammer or rolling pin, scrape and add to the sauce. 
This one tip alone changes the complexity of the taste and makes a winner.

Preparation Of The Leaves —  
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Remove the entire core of the cabbage.
Immerse the head of the cabbage in the boiling water for a few minutes, peeling off each leaf with tongs as soon as it’s flexible.  
Another way is to stick a carving fork in it and only pull the outside leaves. Set the leaves aside. No waste as the excess leaves will be used to bed the pan to prevent burning the stuffed cabbage.   Do as many as you can and chop the leftovers for the bedding.

Putting It Together  —  You will need a large Dutch oven, and preheat the oven 350 degrees. Assemble is simple, place 1 cup of the sauce in the bottom of the oven.  Cut the stem portion or the ribs off the leaf.

Place filling in an oval shape, like finger Sushi near the rib edge of the leaf. Roll up toward the outer edge of the leaf, and tuck in the sides. Secure with a toothpick, which is a smart move. If you don’t you might be making cabbage soup.

Place the cabbage rolls, seam side down, over the sauce. Keep adding rows of sauce and rolls until you run out.  Pour the remaining sauce over the cabbage rolls or save it for the table.  Cover the Dutch oven, and bake for 1 hour. Check to see if the meat is cooked and the rice is tender.  If it is not ready, give it another fifteen to twenty minutes while you enjoy some fine wine. The extra sauce is great on garlic-mashed potatoes…

Serving Suggestion  —  

Garlic Mashed Potato's, and a medium sweet red, white wine or the traditional Manischewitz Medium Dry Concord which is sweet enough to promote drinking water from the Dead sea to kill the aftertaste.  I like white and semi-sweet, or fruity since most bodied red wines give me a headache and the Concord gives me a migraine.

The Good Stuff —  I usually order at this time of the year, a simple white Chenin Blanc or their ‘ special Reserve'  Chenin Blanc from the Biltmore estate in Asheville, North Carolina which has a fine vineyard and they sell on line.  Their wines are exceptional and moderately priced.

They are located at http://www.biltmore.com/
Surprise and delight your guests by offering both a red and a white wine option to pair with the Thanksgiving meal or for any other occasion.
Our winemakers recommend selecting our buttery, complex Biltmore Estate® Chardonnay and our elegant and medium-bodied Biltmore® Reserve Pinot Noir to grace your holiday table in November and December.

Basic Moms Potato Pancakes - Latkes   

(AKA JEWISH HASH BROWNS)

Ingredients  —  

5 large or 6 small firm Yukon gold potatoes (about 2 1/4 pounds)
1 large onion, halved, sweet Vidalia
1 large egg
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour or matzo meal (couple pieces of Matzoh in a blender)
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Vegetable or canola oil, for frying

Prep Directions  --

Peel the potatoes, immersing them in very cold water as you finish each one so they don’t brown.  Remove the potatoes from the water. 

Grate the potatoes and the large onion with a box grater. 

Transfer the potatoes and onion to a strainer and squeeze out all the water into a bowl. Let the potato starch settle, then pour out as much water as possible, leaving the starch in the bowl. 

The starch is binder. Add the potato-onion mixture to that bowl with the starch and mix in the egg, flour, 1-teaspoon salt, and white or black pepper to taste.

Best cooked in a well-seasoned cast-iron skillet or I use a 14 inch All-Clad, or thick Tramontina fry pan with a 1/4 inch layer of vegetable oil over medium heat. Scoop large spoonfuls of the potato mixture into the pan and flatten them out, thin pancakes yield crispy ones, or flatten on pastry paper and a silicon spatula.

Fry until golden on the bottom, then gently flip and fry the other side, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels. 

If you have to wait to serve, re-crisp them on a baking sheet lined with clean paper towels in a 350 degrees F oven. The microwave will work, don’t overcook them, just heat them.

Served with:  Applesauce; cinnamon laced applesauce; cold sour cream; or dusted with sugar. The next morning reheat in an oven and call them hash browns with a pair of eggs and kosher sausage, which does exist.  It’s sausage, made from turkey meat instead of pork and seasoned. Just below.

The latkes are very close to the recipe that was shown on food network by Duff Goldman of the Food Network. It is very common as traditional Jewish foods don’t change. Tradition! No heretics here!  I have had latkes in ten different homes and most are identical to this recipe. This is how my mother made them. The toughest part was the grating, lots of grating, no food processors then and just flat graters, resulting in skinned knuckles, an introduction to iodine and band-aids

POTATO LATKES BY ANDREW ZIMMERN — Similar To Mom

These potato latkes are so good that posting the recipe alone is a mitzvah of the highest order. The Festival of Lights refers to a lamp in the temple that was supposed to have only enough oil to last the Maccabees one night, but instead lasted for eight. The holiday celebrates the miracle of the oil, so fried foods are often featured at Hanukkah feasts. Problem is, most potato pancakes, or latkes, are awful. Luckily for you, these are amazing.

Ingredients

• 1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
• sea salt
• 2 pounds baking potatoes
• 1 large onion, finely diced
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 cup matzah meal
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground white pepper
• vegetable oil, for frying
• applesauce, crème fraîche, smoked salmon, salmon roe, and dill sprigs, to serve

Directions

1. In a medium saucepan, cover the Yukon Gold potatoes with cool water, season generously with salt, and bring to a boil. Cook the potatoes until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain well and immediately pass the potatoes through a ricer into a large bowl.
2. Working quickly, peel and grate the baking potatoes on the large holes of a box grater into a medium bowl. Press with a clean kitchen towel to remove excess moisture. Add half of the grated potatoes to the riced potatoes.
3. Transfer the remaining grated potatoes to the bowl of a food processor. Add the onion and pulse until the potatoes and onions are very finely chopped. Transfer to a fine-mesh sieve and press with the back of a spoon to extract as much liquid as possible. Add the potato-onion mixture to the large bowl. Stir in the eggs, matzah meal, white pepper, and 2 tsp of salt.
4. In a large, heavy skillet, heat 1/4 inch of oil until shimmering. Working in 3 batches, spoon 1/4 cup of the potato mixture into the oil for each latke; press slightly to flatten. Fry over moderate heat, turning once, until the latkes are golden and crisp on both sides, about 7 minutes. Drain the latkes on a paper towel-lined baking sheet and sprinkle lightly with salt. Serve with applesauce, crème fraîche, smoked salmon, salmon roe, and dill.

Note: The fried latkes can be kept at room temperature for up to 4 hours. Reheat them on a baking sheet in a 375 degrees F oven for about 5 minutes, or until warmed through and crisp.

 

Turkey Sausage Patties (Kosher)

Ingredients  —  

2  pounds lean ground turkey
1- egg
2 - tablespoons onion powder, onion flakes or very fine minced onion
1 - tablespoon soy sauce
1 - tablespoon dried sage
2 - teaspoons garlic powder

2 - teaspoons dried basil
1 - teaspoon ground black pepper
1 - teaspoon fennel seeds
1 - teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 -  teaspoon cayenne pepper -  cayenne is very strong, try 1/4 teaspoon or less
1 - tablespoon vegetable oil for frying

Process —  Combine all ingredients, except the oil. Mix VERY well.   Divide the mixture into 20-24 portions and form each portion into a patty.    Oil a frying pan with vegetable oil or pan spray.   Heat until hot, but not smoking, over medium-high heat.   Cook patties in batches over med-high heat.   Turn patties once during cooking to brown each side.  Cook until done all the way through about 5 minutes per side.

Options  —  Cook all the patties at once and freeze them already cooked. Cook the number of patties you need immediately and freeze the rest uncooked.