Happy Holidays From Hadassah
Hadassah ladies are famous for many things: fundraising, love of Israel, hospitals and, last but not least, cookbook compiling. The first Hadassah cookbook came out in 1931, a product of the hard work of a chapter in Dorchester, Mass. It had an ochre cover and advertisements, but no illustrations. The dishes included such non-kosher fare as quahog chowder (quahogs, milk and salt pork) and oyster stew.
The organization’s latest cookbook is quite different. “The Hadassah Jewish Holiday Cookbook: Traditional Recipes from Contemporary Kosher Kitchens” is a 264-page chef-d’oeuvre of sumptuous recipes and photographs of favorite kosher foods from kitchens around the world (there is not a quahog to be seen). The cookbook, edited by Joan Schwartz Michel, features the food writing of such notables as Joan Nathan and Claudia Roden. Appropriate to this time of year, the cookbook includes a section on Shavuot, featuring recipes for kugel, blintzes and other dairy delights.
Happy cooking! B’teavon!
— ALIZA PHILLIPS
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Blintzes (From Wendy Honigman of the Jacksonville, Fla., Hadassah)
3 cups all-purpose flour
6 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
4 eggs
4 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
3 cups milk
1 1/2 lbs. cottage cheese
15-ounce container ricotta cheese
2 eggs
4 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. lemon extract
1 tsp. salt
Additional unsalted butter for frying
Sour cream for serving
| 1. | Make batter: Mix flour, sugar and salt, and set aside. Beat eggs until frothy; beat in melted butter and milk. Combine egg mixture with dry ingredients and beat till smooth. |
| 2. | Heat 6- or 7-inch skillet. Grease lightly with butter. Skillet is hot enough when drops of water sprinkled on surface dance in small beads. |
| 3. | Pour batter into pan and swirl pan to completely cover bottom; immediately pour excess back into bowl. Cook over medium heat about 1 minute, until lightly browned. Turn out onto towel browned side up. Repeat with remaining batter. |
| 4. | Make filling: Combine ingredients; mix well. Spoon 1 1/2 tablespoons filling onto center of each crepe. Fold in 1 inch of opposite sides and roll up from unfolded sides. |
| 5. | Heat skillet; melt butter. Fry blintzes a few at a time, about 4 to 5 minutes, turning to brown second side. Serve with sour cream. Can be frozen before browning. |
Makes about 3 dozen.
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Blueberry or Other Berry Blintz Fillings (From the Hadassah of Portland, Ore.)
1 1/2 cups blueberries or other berries
3 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. cornstarch
1/8 tsp. freshly ground nutmeg
| 1. | Toss all ingredients together carefully, so as to crush as few berries as possible. |
Makes enough for about 16 blintzes.
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