It’s not often a new cookbook is as compelling, insightful, beautiful, inspiring and easy to cook from as Amelia Saltsman’s “The Seasonal Jewish Kitchen: A Fresh Take on Tradition” (Sterling Epicure). Almost every page makes me want to rush to the kitchen and start making her recipes.
Saltsman’s background growing up in a Romanian-Iraqi Jewish home and her expertise on farmers markets both shine through in the book, which balances new ingredients and recipes with old favorites given simple, thoughtful and flavorful twists.
Here are two recipes among the 150; they’ve been adapted for space. Try the braised chicken as an entrée for the meal before the Yom Kippur fast and the baked pasta to break the fast.
Oven-Braised Romanian Chicken
From “The Seasonal Jewish Kitchen”
Serves 6-8
4 lb. chicken, cut in serving pieces, or 6 whole chicken legs (thigh and drumstick)
kosher or sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
3 large onions, thinly sliced
4 bay leaves
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Pat chicken dry. Season with salt and pepper. In large, wide, ovenproof pot with lid, heat oil over medium-high heat and brown chicken, working in batches if necessary. Start skin side down and turn when sides are a deep golden color. Transfer to platter.
Discard all but 2 Tbs. of fat. Add onions and a pinch of salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally to scrape up any brown bits until onions are golden. Scatter bay leaves in pan. Return chicken, skin side up. Cook covered in oven until chicken is exceptionally tender and juices at least 1 inch deep have formed, about
2-3 hours. Check periodically, adding a little water to prevent sticking if dry. (The chicken should not boil, just stew in its own juices.)
Serve chicken hot with onions and liquid. (Can be made ahead, refrigerated then reheated on stove or in 350-degree oven.)
Pashtida: Baked Pasta with Spinach, Ricottaand Brown Butter
From “The Seasonal Jewish Kitchen”
Serves 8-10
1⁄2 cup plus 2 Tbs. butter
1 lb. spinach (see note)
kosher or sea salt
freshly ground white or black pepper
1 lb. penne or farfalle pasta
3 eggs
1 lb. ricotta cheese
11⁄2 cups grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1⁄2 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease shallow 3-qt. baking dish with 1 Tbs. butter.
Wash spinach and drain, but do not dry. Trim stems and discard. (Note: I used baby spinach and did not need to trim stems.) Heat a wide pot over medium heat and melt 1 Tbs. butter. Add spinach, salt and pepper. Cook 2-3 minutes, until wilted and liquid is released. Drain in a sieve, pressing out as much liquid as possible. Finely chop. There should be 11⁄2 cups.
Start cooking pasta in salted, boiling water. Whisk eggs in large bowl. Stir in ricotta, half the Parmigiano-Reggiano, nutmeg, 1 tsp. salt and several grinds of pepper. Stir in spinach.
Heat remaining butter in medium skillet over medium heat. Cook, swirling pan occasionally, until foam has subsided and butter is nut brown, 7-10 minutes (lower heat to keep from burning if necessary). Stir half of butter into spinach.
Before draining pasta, reserve 1⁄2 cup cooking water. Drain pasta and return to pot, mixing in spinach and pasta water. Transfer to buttered dish. Scatter remaining cheese on top. Pour remaining butter over top. (Casserole can be refrigerated at this point.) Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes. (Allow extra time if baking cold casserole.) Serve hot.
Faith Kramer is a Bay Area food writer. Her columns alternate with those of Josie A.G. Shapiro. She blogs at www.clickblogappetit.com. Contact her at [email protected].