My favorite souvenirs when I travel internationally are cookbooks, preferably the Jewish cuisine of the area.
On a recent trip to Athens, we found an old unmarked building that housed the synagogue. In its gift shop was a wonderful cookbook by Nicholas Stravroullakis that, translated into English, was called “Cookbook of the Jews of Greece.” It also traces the history of Greek Jews and their customs.
I had a look at the High Holy Days chapter and discovered some wonderful dishes and unusual traditions.
For example: In the Jewish community, fathers and sons rose before dawn and made their way to the synagogue to offer the Selichot before the morning prayers. The boys would light their way with oil lamps, hang the lamps around the bimah and then light the way home, where preparations were made for the new year celebration.
The Greek holiday meal always began with sweets, such as quince and apples (to ensure a sweet year) and pumpkin (its seeds symbolize fertility). The main course usually was fish served whole, and the eyes, cheeks and brains were distributed around the table as delicacies.
The new year’s feast encourages serving a “new” dish, so why not try one of these?
Apple Preserves
Makes 4 cups
2 lbs. tart apples
21⁄2 cups water
2 cups sugar
vanilla extract to taste
Peel, core and grate the apples. Save the skins and cores. Bring sugar and water to a boil in a large sauce pan, then remove from heat.
Put the cores and skins in a separate pot with a little water. Simmer over low heat about 15 minutes. Strain the liquid and add to sugar water. Simmer until syrupy. Add the grated apples and cook for 10 minutes over low heat. Stir in vanilla and cool. Delicious on challah.
Fish in Tomato Sauce
Serves 4
11⁄2 lbs. fish fillets (halibut, snapper, salmon)
juice of 1 lemon
3 medium tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
1⁄2 cup olive oil
1 medium onion, sliced
4 cloves garlic, crushed
3 bay leaves
1 large tomato, sliced
1 cup white wine
Preheat oven to 350. Put the fish in a large baking pan and cover with lemon juice.
To prepare the sauce, cook tomatoes in 3 Tbs. olive oil until thick. Remove from heat and cool. Sauté the onions in 5 Tbs. olive oil until transparent. Add the garlic, bay leaves and salt and pepper. Stir well and add the tomato slices. When they begin to soften, add the white wine. Reduce heat to a slow simmer and cook 10 minutes.
Stir in the tomato sauce and pour the entire mixture over the fish. Bake 30 minutes or until the fish is tender.
Quince Candy
Makes about 30
2 lbs. quinces (about 4 or 5)
1⁄2 cup water
1⁄8 tsp. salt
sugar, an amount equal to the quince pulp
1 Tbs. lemon juice
walnut halves
Cut each quince into slices, leaving the skin on. Discard the cores. Add the water and salt, cover the pan, and cook over low heat for about 30 minutes. When the quince is soft, purée in food processor.
Measure the pulp and add an equal amount of sugar. Mix well in the pan and let mixture stand, covered, overnight. Add the lemon juice and cook until liquid has evaporated and the pulp comes away from the sides of the pan. With your hands, form mixture into 1-inch balls and press walnut half into the top.
Louise Fiszer is a Palo Alto cooking teacher, author and the co-author of “Jewish Holiday Cooking.” Her columns alternate with those of Faith Kramer. Questions and recipe ideas can be sent to j. or to [email protected].