Jewish Cooking Boot Camp: The Modern Girl's Guide to Cooking Like a Jewish Grandmother (2 page)

This book isn't about keeping kosher or following rules. The recipes we've included are
good old traditional holiday favorites that always seem to please. Each chapter provides a little background (and a little fun) for those interested, as well as some inspiration in the form
of real-world traditions from families around the globe. We have also provided you (courtesy
of the wonderful Michael Bittel, owner of Sunset Corners Fine Wines & Spirits in Miami,
Florida) with wine suggestions for each holiday menu-a moderately priced red and white
(under $12) and a special-occasion red and white (up to $20). All of the wines are nationally
distributed and easily available at most liquor stores, wine shops, and in some cases, grocery stores.

We hope the recipes inspire you to host your own family holidays ... to pull out (or go buy)
a beautiful tablecloth and wine glasses and good china, and to light candles and sing songs
and serve up ridiculous amounts of food that no one could possibly ever finish. Because once
you do, we're sure that those feelings of pride and love and excitement will fill you with so
much joy that your holidays will never be the same again.

-ANDREA MARKS CARNEIRO

"My grandmother was a Jewish juggler: she used to worry about six things at once."

-RICHARD LEWIS

If the thought of entertaining a large group of people causes a panic attack, we're here to tell
you that you're not alone. Even the most seasoned chef has gone cold when faced with entertaining guests in the double-digit range (not to mention a mob of hungry family members).
The only difference is experience. Once you make it through your first holiday, the fear will
subside. We're not going to lie; it's stressful and it's overwhelming, but the sense of pride
you'll feel when it's over is worth every pressed napkin and every second batch. To that end
we've put together a cheat sheet of some basics to help you navigate the choppy waters of holiday entertaining.

Holidays are unpredictable. No matter how hard you try, there will always be a last-minute
jolt to your well-laid plans. Whether it's your suddenly vegetarian sister or surprise cousins
from out of town, you can fend off disaster by keeping your pantry, refrigerator, and freezer
stocked with these holiday essentials:

• Write out your menu in advance and make a list of all the ingredients needed to check off
as you buy them.

• For more than eight people, serve a minimum of two or three appetizers.

• Figure on about Y2 pound of beef per person and at least one piece of chicken as well.

• Always, always serve salad and at least one plain vegetable for the picky eaters.

• When buying a brisket, look for a "first cut"; it will be leaner (see our brisket buying guide
in the Rosh Hashanah chapter).

• For the dessert course, you can never go wrong in offering fresh fruit alongside any sweeter
options.

• Anything that can be made beforehand should be.

• If you can't fit all your guests at one table, you may want to do a buffet. It will keep the
table tops less crowded and prevent you from running back and forth all night.

• A few days beforehand, set out all your serving pieces and place Post-It notes inside each
one indicating what dish will go where. That way if you're missing any pieces, you have
time to buy or borrow.

• Set your table ahead of time! Give yourself time to make sure tablecloths and napkins are
cleaned and pressed.

• Speaking of which ... a tablecloth makes any holiday a little more special, as do cloth napkins and good silver. (No paper plates!)

• For easy decor, stick to fresh flowers and candles just beware of anything scented.

We know your kitchen may not look like the inside of a Williams- Sonoma catalog, but there
are a few basics that every cook should own when embarking on holiday preparation. Many
of the items below can be purchased in the grocery store. However, it is always money well
spent to buy quality pots and pans, as well as a good food processor and stand mixer.

Every kitchen should be stocked with the following:

Having lived in tiny New York apartments for most of my post-college life, I didn't really
begin to experiment in the kitchen until I moved back to Miami and had the time (and space)
to truly cook. In those past six years, I learned a lot of lessons the hard way. Here are a few
of my best general tips for the kitchen:

You can make life a lot easier by gathering everything you need and setting it on the counter before you start. You'll quickly see if you're missing something, and you won't be distracted trying to find things. (There is nothing worse than getting halfway through a recipe
and realizing that you are missing a key ingredient.) Then, as you use each ingredient, put
it away. It will save you time and space.

Read the recipe all the way through before starting; it will help you manage your time and
keep you on track. If you have to use spices or extracts, take the tops or lids off early onbefore your hands become covered in flour or oil. And don't forget to preheat the oven if need
be; it can take a while and can set you back if you forget.

Don't wait until the end to clean up. If you spill a little flour, wipe it up. If you use a measuring cup, wash it or stick it in the dishwasher. Wash out pots or pans while things are heating
up on the stove. In small kitchens there is nothing worse than a pile of dirty dishes waiting
for you.

Every oven and burner is different. Some are hotter and need less time, and some are the
opposite. Pay attention to how recipes come out and adjust accordingly. My oven gets incredibly hot, so I often have to shave a few minutes off cooking times, where my mom's oven often
needs more time to compensate for less heat. Even the little things can make a difference.

In one house my burners weren't quite level, and I would have to prop up the end of the pan
to make sure my food cooked evenly. A small price to pay for a big difference in taste!

I am a total klutz in the kitchen. I have sliced and diced my fingers more times than I can
count, burned fingers and arms reaching into ovens, and once almost burned down the
kitchen as a result of a stray candle meeting some floaty curtains. As a result (and upon the
insistence of my husband), I always keep my cabinet stocked with hydrogen peroxide, bandaids, baking soda, and a mini fire extinguisher.

Even if your main course falls short (it happens), you can never go wrong with a great starter
and a great dessert. A vegetable basket curbs hunger and generally pleases even the pickiest of
noshers, and a beautiful fruit salad to end the meal adds color and vibrancy to the table while
complementing almost any sweet offering. Always include the vegetable basket as one of your
appetizers and a fruit as one of your desserts

The Burning Question: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about Kitchen Injuries

(Courtesy of Dr. Ronaldo Carneiro, M.D.-hand surgeon and mandelbrot fanatic)