Recipes: Appetizers

Since we all now know that Thanksgiving is basically Sukkot for gentiles, I thought a Heebish pumpkin recipe was in order for the coming holiday, hence: Moroccan Pumpkin Soup. This is from Gil Marks' award-winning cookbook, Olive Trees and Honey. He suggests serving it in a white porcelain bowl to show off the vibrant orange color, but serving in hollowed out mini pumpkins is an alternatively festive option.

¼ cup vegetable oil
2 leeks (white and light green parts only), washed and chopped, or
2 onions, chopped
8 cups Vegetable Stock or water
2 to 3 pounds pumpkin, butternut squash, or other winter squash,
peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch cubes (5 to 6 cups)
3 cups cooked chickpeas or 1 cup dried yellow split peas
2 carrots, cut into chunks (optional)
1 to 4 tablespoons packed brown or granulated sugar
2 (3-inch) cinnamon sticks or about 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground turmeric or saffron thread
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice or freshly grated nutmeg
About 1½ teaspoons table salt or 2½ teaspoons kosher salt
Ground black pepper to taste

¼ cup chopped fresh parsley or cilantro, ½ cup toasted pumpkin seeds or pine nuts, or 1 cup sautéed mushrooms for garnish

1. In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the leeks and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the stock, pumpkin, chickpeas, optional carrots, sugar, spices, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer until the pumpkin is very soft, about 50 minutes. Discard the cinnamon sticks.

2. To serve, garnish with the parsley or pumpkin seeds, or top each bowl with a little mound of sautéed mushrooms.

Once, in college, I was in an episode of Al Roker on the Road in which we made this beet salad. I thought I hated beets, but felt obligated to try the salad because of the cameras, and lo and behold, I discovered an abiding love for beets. Who knew? Anyway, this is an incredibly easy salad that’s super tasty and incredibly healthy. Also, it looks really pretty in the bowl.

The great thing about these fritters--which I found in a Williams-Sonoma cocktail party cookbook, and then adapted--is that you can make both the sauce and the fritter batter the night before and just fry up the fritters in the fifteen minutes before your guests arrive.

Going back to basics: How should we proceed with our latke making?My friends from the band Pariah Beat were in town, and a celebration was in order. What better way to celebrate than to have a food party? I decided to reinvent an old favorite: the latke.

Now, I love a good latke as much as the next girl, but I don't love feeling sick afterwards. Those suckers are heavy, oily, and loaded with carbs. I wanted to give the latke a healthy new twist, but I needed help. Since my friends were able to transform groups of surly hipsters into dancing divas at their shows, I knew that they could help me to transform a Jewish classic.

Apple salsa: Mexican-Jewish fusion at its finest. I turned to the Moosewoods cookbook for inspiration. Sure enough, they had a recipe for "baked potato cakes." While I was at it, I wanted to transform the traditional side dishes as well. Forget applesauce and sour cream. With so many fruit salsas out there, why not make apple salsa? I used my own salsa recipe and chose Moosewood's recipe for cottage cheese chèvre spread to compliment the meal.

With my friend's help, the food was ready in no time. The recipes were easy to follow, and the food was delicious. So, readers, round up a good group of friends, some classic ingredients, and feel free to try these recipes at home.

Click here for a scan of the Herbed Cottage Cheese Chèvre Spread.
Click here for a scan of the Potato Cakes.

Marinated cheese: Delicious and simple. I was planning a little get-together at my apartment, and I always tend to go overboard with the food. I called my mom and asked her for an easy recipe I could make ahead of time so I wouldn’t stress too much the day of. She emailed me this really delicious marinated cheese recipe that ended up being my favorite thing at the party (it beat out the pigs in blankets!). Props, Mom.

If you want to keep the Spanish theme going for the break fast, use Manchego cheese. Monterrey jack is also delish.

Deviled Eggs: Not just a 50s thing.Ah, deviled eggs: so underrated. I love them, but no one seems to make them anymore. And by “anymore” I mean like, not since the 50’s. So when I was browsing through some tapas recipes for the upcoming Yom Kippur holiday, I got really excited when I came across this one for “Stuffed eggs in Argentina” (or, Huevos rellenos en Argentina).

The recipe calls for anchovies, which do contribute a nice salty nuttiness, but if you hate anchovies, just leave them out.

It's empanada time: My roomies have the time of their lives.

Spanish tuna empanadas are a great idea— if you like canned tuna, hard-boiled eggs, and olives. I'm not fond of all three. But, in the spirit of Yom Kippur and horizon expansion, I decided to try them out. Two days later, I am repenting.
The 2.5-hour process alone was reason to atone. I’ve made paellas in less time. When I finally put the empanadas in the oven, I was so hungry that I made myself dinner and ate it while the empanadas baked.
The empanadas came out crisp, flakey, and golden brown. The texture and consistency were perfect. My roommates loved them. I thought they were decent, and I was glad that I made it through the experience.
When I came home the next day my roommates were still chomping on them. I resisted my urge to gag, but I dare say if you like these ingredients, go for it and you'll be delighted you did. If not, proceed with caution. If you plan to break the fast with these, make them the day before and store at room temperature. After breaking fast refrigerate if you've got any left.