Recipes

From “Jewish Holiday Feasts” by Louis Fiszer and Jeannette Ferrary

4 cups cored and coarsely chopped ripe pears (5-6 pears)
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil
2 eggs, beaten
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
Grated zest of 1 lemon
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped blanched almonds
Confectioners’ sugar

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Grease a 10-inch round cake pan.

Combine pears and sugar in medium bowl and let stand 15 minutes.

Combine oil with eggs and add to pears.

In another bowl, combine flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon zest, baking soda and salt. Stir into pear mixture. Add vanilla and almonds.

Pour into prepared pan and bake until cake tester inserted in center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Cool on a rack about 20 minutes before turning out. Invert onto a serving platter and dust with confectioners’ sugar.

Serves 12

from Sweet Myrtle and Bitter Honey: The Mediterranean Flavors of Sardinia
(Rizzoli International) by Efisio Farris with Jim Eber.

Makes 12 to 16 pastries

3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 whole egg and 2 egg yolks, divided
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 cups fresh sheep's milk ricotta cheese (or other creamy ricotta cheese, about 3/4 pound)
1/2 cup sugar
Zest of 1 lemon, finely grated
Zest of 1 orange, finely grated
1/2 cup bitter honey
Vegetable oil for frying
Powdered sugar for dusting

On a clean workspace, mound the flour with a well in the center. Sprinkle the salt evenly over the flour. Add the whole egg and 3/4 cup warm water into the well and gradually mix into the flour with your Hands. When the mixture begins to come together, add the olive oil and knead to fully incorporate. Cover dough with a cloth and let rest at room temperature for 1 hour.

In a mixing bowl, combine the ricotta, sugar, egg yolks, and zests.

On a lightly floured workspace, roll out the dough to a rectable about 1/4 inch thick. Using a sharp paring knife or a large cookie cutter, cut into 3-inch-diamter rounds. Reroll the scraps and cut again as necessary. You should end up with between 24 and 32 rounds.

Set aside half of the rounds. With the remaining rounds, lightly mound about 2 tablespoons of the ricotta mixture into the center of each. Top with the other dough rounds and lightly press edgees together, crimping edges with a fork to seal. Lightly dust the ravioli with flour to prevent sticking and set aside.

In a saucepan over low heat, warm the bitter honey.

from "A Feast from the Mideast" by Faye Levy
as seen in the Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles
story by Judy Bart Kancigor

Makes 4 servings.

1 to 2 tablespoons honey
1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh-squeezed lime or lemon juice
1 tablespoon water
1 banana
2 peaches or ripe pears
2 cups halved or quartered fresh figs
1 cup plump, good quality dates, such as Medjool or very soft, fresh Barhi
1 to 2 tablespoons slivered almonds, toasted

1. Mix 1 tablespoon honey with 1 tablespoon lime juice and water in serving bowl. Peel and slice bananas; add to bowl.
2. Cut peaches or pears in wedges and add them. Add figs and dates. Mix gently. Add remaining honey and lime juice if you like. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
3. Serve topped with almonds.

from "A Feast from the Mideast" by Faye Levy
as seen in the Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles
story by Judy Bart Kancigor

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

8 to 12 whole dried apricots, plus 1/2 cup diced dried apricots
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 onion, minced
1 1/2 cups white basmati rice, rinsed and drained
2 1/2 cups hot water
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 cup slivered or whole blanched almonds, toasted

1. Put whole apricots in bowl and cover with water. Leave them to soak while rice cooks.
2. To cook rice, heat 2 tablespoons oil in large saucepan. Add onion and cook over low heat for seven minutes, or until soft but not brown, stirring occasionally. Add rice, diced apricots, 2 1/2 cups hot water, salt and pepper and bring to a boil over high heat. Cover and cook over low heat, without stirring, for 18 minutes, or until rice is just tender and liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat. Cover rice and let it stand for 10 to 15 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, transfer apricot soaking liquid to very small saucepan. Add sugar and stir to blend. Cut the whole apricots in two if they are large and add to saucepan. Add enough water to barely cover the apricots. Bring to a simmer. Cover and cook over low heat for three minutes, or until apricots are just tender.
4. Fluff rice very gently with a fork. Mound on a platter and garnish with toasted almonds. Remove poached apricots from liquid with a slotted spoon and set them on rice. Serve hot.

from "A Feast from the Mideast" by Faye Levy
as seen in the Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles
story by Judy Bart Kancigor

Makes 4 servings.

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 1/2 pounds chicken pieces, rinsed and patted dry
1 large onion, chopped
1 1/2 to 2 cups walnuts
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour (optional)
1 1/2 to 2 cups pomegranate juice or 1/3 to 1/2 cup pomegranate paste
1/2 cup water or chicken broth (if using pomegranate juice), or 1 1/2 cups water or broth (if using paste)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 to 2 tablespoons tomato paste or 3 to 4 tablespoons tomato sauce (optional)
1 teaspoon ground cardamom, or 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, or to taste
1 tablespoon fresh-squeezed lemon juice, or to taste
1 to 2 teaspoons sugar, or to taste
1/3 to 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds (optional)
1 tablespoon chopped Italian parsley (optional)
A few toasted walnuts (optional)

1 pound broad or medium noodles
1 cup sugar
1 pound cottage cheese
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup white raisins
7 eggs, beaten
3 cups milk
1 pint sour cream
1/4 pound melted butter or margarine

TOPPING

1/2 cup corn flakes, crumbled
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon sugar

1. Cook noodles according to package directions.
2. Combine the remaining ingredients well in a large bowl. Add the
   noodles and combine. Poor into a large baking pan and refrigerate at
   least 4 hours or overnight. It will appear loose before refrigeration,
   but will set when chilled.
3. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees.
4. Mix topping ingredients and sprinkle over pudding. Dot with butter
   and bake for 1 1/2 hours or until golden brown. Serves 15 to 20.
   Freezes well.

Source: Sarah Entin

1 pkg. yellow cake mix, pareve (nondairy) for meat meals
1/2 C. water or apple juice
1/4 C. vegetable oil or applesauce
1/4 C. honey
4 eggs
1/2 C. chopped nuts (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Grease and flour a 12-cup bundt pan. Beat together all ingredients except nuts in large bowl at low speed for 30 seconds, then at medium for two minutes. Fold in nuts.
3. Pour into pan and bake according to package directions.

Golden Sauce For Honey Cake

1/2 C. packed brown sugar
1/4 C. honey
1/2 C. orange juice
2 T. margarine

Simmer all ingredients in saucepan for five minutes or until sugar dissolves.

Source: Laura Milhander

3 eggs, beaten
4 T. brown sugar
8 oz. wide egg noodles, cooked
1/2 C. raisins
4 T. melted margarine
bread crumbs

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Combine all ingredients except bread crumbs.
3. Pour into greased 8X8 baking dish. Sprinkle bread crumbs on top. Bake for
   30-45 minutes or until set and beginning to brown on top.

Source: Laura Milhander

The Orange County Register/Fullerton News Tribune
August 29, 2002

from "A Fistful of Lentils" by Jennifer Abadi
as seen in the Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles

story by Judy Bart Kancigor

4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/3 cup tahini (sesame paste)
2/3 cup honey
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder

Glaze:

2/3 cup honey
1 tablespoon tahini
2 tablespoons sesame seeds