USA $6.99 CAN $9.99 / UK £6 SA R90 / ISR 25₪
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BUTCHER'S CUT
SALAMI 14
EDITOR’S LETTER
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TRENDS Elevating the Shabbos kiddush
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PURIM FEAST
RESTAURANT CHRONICLES The reinvention of the Jewish deli
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CHOLENT REDO Elevating the classic
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COOKBOOK The Modern Table by Kim Kushner
A TAMALE FIESTA 56
BREAKING BREAD Deli-stuffed challah
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L’CHAIM Nosh, beer and wines fit for Purim
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SHABBAT FEAST
SAGE KITCHEN
SOMETHING SWEET Hamantashen
112 HEALTH Immunity-boosting foods 120 TRAVEL Sweden 131 THE OTHER SIDE OF THE CORK Tura Winery 140 RECIPE INDEX 142 LAST BITE A Fleishigs birthday
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SLAB CAKES
BUTCHER'S CUT
SALAMI IS ONE of hundreds of cured meats that originates in Italy and can be enjoyed fresh, dried, on its own or cooked in a variety of ways. Salami comes from the Italian word “salume,” which means “salted meat.” Before refrigeration was widely available, salting meat (using a variety of methods) was a means of preserving it and dried salami is indeed a great option for hiking, day trips or even a vacation where availability of kosher protein is limited. Today, it’s beloved not so much for convenience, but for flavor and is a very tasty way to enjoy meat. For butchers, making sausages (such as salami), is good business sense. You can’t run a butcher shop without having a plan for your trimmings! The corners that are cut from steaks and roasts are usually ground up for sausages, so nothing goes to waste. Sausage and salami are a natural part of making meat. Salami can be enjoyed fresh or dried. Fresh salami is made by 18
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grinding a mixture of coarsely-ground meat, spices, fat and ice, then curing and cooking it. Dried salami is hung at a (cool) room temperature for at least a week or two (or much longer) after cooking, during which time moisture evaporates, concentrating the flavor and firming up the texture of the salami. Kosher salami typically features garlic, black pepper and mustard as the prominent flavors. Curing salts are a critical ingredient in salami. They must be handled and measured carefully and, for home sausage and salami makers, getting the cure correct is one of the most challenging parts of the process (that is, enough to keep you safe, not enough to make you sick). In centuries past, salami and sausages were cured with saltpeter, which is a naturallyoccurring nitrate. It’s notoriously unreliable and hard to work with. Nowadays, producers will use chemically-derived nitrites for their cure. At Grow & Behold, we use cherry and celery juice (a natural source of
nitrite) to cure our salami naturally. Most (but not all) kosher salami sold in stores is stuffed in an air permeable casing, allowing it to dry safely in a cool dark place in your home. Fresh salami makes a terrific sandwich, thinly sliced and layered onto bread with mayonnaise, tomatoes, salt and pepper. In a hasselback salami, made popular by cookbook author and food blogger Chani Apfelbaum, a whole fresh salami is sliced hasselback-style and roasted, then basted with a sweet and tangy glaze. Salami and eggs is another popular old-school Jewish deli meal made with fresh salami cubes mixed into scrambled eggs, often enjoyed for dinner or breakfast. Dried salami is typically sliced paper thin and served on sandwiches or open-faced bruschetta. It can also be shaved onto a crisp wedge salad or enjoyed as part of a charcuterie platter with cornichons, nuts, other sliced meats and dried and fresh fruit. www.fleishigs.com
BUTCHER'S CUT
We sourced most of the salami for this feature from renowned purveyors Romanian Kosher Sausage Co. in Chicago, IL and Wasserman & Lemberger in Baltimore, MD (both ship nationwide — order online from iwantromanian.com and wandlkoshermeats.com, respectively).
Naf Hanau is the CEO of Grow & Behold, which specializes in expertly-butchered premium-quality kosher meats that are delivered nationwide. Naf’s passion for kosher meat led him to learn shechita before founding Grow & Behold, which produces beef, veal, lamb and poultry raised on pasture with no hormones or antibiotics. Find out more at growandbehold.com. FEBRUARY 2022
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RESTAURANT CHRONICLES
3-Ingredient Spare Ribs Serves: 6
By: Shifra Klein
Inspired by the succulent ribs at Yapchik, you wouldn’t know by tasting these just how foolproof they are to make. 4 1 1½
pounds spare ribs cup beer cups barbecue sauce, divided
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Place ribs in a 9x13-inch dish and top with beer. Cover tightly with foil and cook for 2½ hours. 2. Drain liquid and turn oven to broil. Brush ribs with 1 cup barbecue sauce and broil for 5 minutes. Brush with remaining ½ cup barbecue sauce and broil for an additional 3 minutes.
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RESTAURANT CHRONICLES
While jerky and charcuterie options are readily available in many kosher supermarkets or takeout spots nowadays (like this board from Yapchik), companies like Ben’s Best (bensbestcharcuterie.com) and Holy Jerky (holyjerky.com) ship their high-quality products and boards nationwide.
Bites of traditional Syrian mazza (i.e lachmagine and kibbeh) have become standard kiddush fare.
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PURIM FEAST
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PURIM FEAST
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L'CHAIM
RABBI DREW KAPLAN
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L'CHAIM
These unique My Drap cocktail napkins come in a roll and tear to size. The 100% cotton napkins are available in many sizes, colors and patterns, from casual to formal. They are single use or machine-washable (up to 6-9 times) and can even be personalized. Order online from mydrap.com
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SHABBAT FEAST
CHARRED SCALLION POTATO SALAD
LIME SHALLOT VINAIGRETTE
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SHABBAT FEAST
OLIVE OIL POACHED SALMON
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T H E S E CA K E S C O M E TO G E T H E R IN NO TIME AND ARE P E R F ECT FO R E N T E RTA I N I N G, W H E T H E R FO R A K I D D US H , S H A B B OS OR A PA RT Y.
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SLAB CAKES By: Rosa Seidenwar These cakes come together in no time and are perfect for entertaining, whether for a kiddush, Shabbos or a party.
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