Video: Top Jewish chefs praise roast goose as an authentic Ashkenazi delicacy
During the discussion, restaurateur Jeremy Umansky invited the other panelists to Cleveland to meet a local goose farmer
Photo by Flickr
By Forverts Staff March 1, 2024
Four young Jewish chefs and cookbook writers recently took part in a lively Zoom discussion about dishes that were frequently prepared by Jews in the shtetls and cities of Eastern Europe.
The Zoom event was hosted by the Forward and moderated by Yiddish editor Rukhl Schaechter.
Jeffrey Yoskowitz, co-author of The Gefilte Manifesto cookbook and founder of The Gefilteria, explained the special role that goose played in the diet of Eastern European Jewry and how to make schmaltz (rendered goose fat) today.
Jeremy Umansky, chef and owner of Larder Delicatessen & Bakery in Cleveland, Ohio, described how he uses only local ingredients and doesn’t waste anything when preparing Old World delicacies. He also explained his unique definition of the word “kosher” and invited the other panelists to Cleveland to meet local goose farmers.
Food and travel writer Joe Baur shared a TikTok on how he discovered pletzel — a simple flatbread with onions and poppy seeds — in the historic Jewish quarter of Paris, and then shows his viewers how to make it yourself.
Shannon Sarna, author of The Modern Jewish Baker and editor of the popular Jewish food site The Nosher, stressed the importance of creating healthful versions of Askenazi delicacies, but drew the line at the best way to prepare matzo balls. For her, the packaged matzo ball mix is just as good as making matzo balls from scratch — and in some ways, even better – a bold statement that drew immediate reactions from her fellow panelists.
The chefs were all clearly animated by the discussion, as were many of the viewers, who ended up sharing recipes of Eastern European Jewish cooking in the chat box.
This is a moment of great uncertainty. Here’s what you can do about it.
We hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, we’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s independent Jewish news this Passover.
This is a moment of great uncertainty for the news media, for the Jewish people, and for our sacred democracy. It is a time of confusion and declining trust in public institutions. An era in which we need humans to report facts, conduct investigations that hold power to account, tell stories that matter and share honest discourse on all that divides us.
With no paywall or subscriptions, the Forward is entirely supported by readers like you. Every dollar you give this Passover is invested in the future of the Forward — and telling the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
The Forward doesn’t rely on funding from institutions like governments or your local Jewish federation. There are thousands of readers like you who give us $18 or $36 or $100 each month or year.
Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
