by Judy Segal
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It sounds strange, but I grew up in a neighborhood that was so Jewish that I was a teenager before I discovered that most of the planet was not. I clearly remember the first year we moved to a "mixed" community with non-Jews, and was shocked that the local stores didn't close on Jewish Holidays.
Not only were we all Jewish when I was a kid, but we were all Ashkenazic of European origin,and probably never heard of Sephardim. We had heard about regional rivalries in the "old country," that the Polish Jews looked down on the Hungarian Jews, the Hungarians looked down on the Rumanians, and the Russians looked down on everybody. (We children knew no German Jews, and now know the terrible reason why.) Instinctively, however, we felt that when push came to shove, we had to unite together against the world.
For Rosh Hashanah, indeed, for every Shabbat and all other holidays, we all dined on virtually the same dishes. Tzimmes was the highlight of Rosh Hashanah. I didn't know then that I would grow up to write about food, so I didn't quiz my classmates as to their mothers' recipes.
As I could make out, the only distinction between them was whether one's mother included dried apricots with the requisite prunes, and whether there were carrots besides the sweet potatoes. I suspect that the more comfortable families (none of us were rich), bought brisket, and the poorer made do with stew meat.
Everybody's mother used honey; brown sugar just would have been effete. (I doubt that too many of the women even had this sugar in their cupboards.) And the mothers with gourmet aspirations also tossed in some frozen orange juice concentrate. But the technique was the same in every kitchen: Brown the meat in a bit of oil, set aside the meat and brown the onions, add the sweet potatoes, prunes and carrots, plus the honey (and orange juice).
Most people prepare Tzimmes on the cooktop, but it is far simpler to transfer the pot to a preheated 350 degree oven for two to three hours, after the mixture has first come to a gentle boil on the stove.
Back in those days, the rest of our menus also were identical: Chopped liver, gefilte fish, matzo ball soup, challah, roast chicken, kugel, honeycake, taiglach and compote. Doesn't sound bad at all! My own mother was particularly fancy. She unfailingly put out a relish plate, with two colors of olives. But then, her mother's family was Hungarian, and everybody knows that we are the best cooks!
So what, exactly, is Tzimmes? LOVE & KNISHES, subtitled An Irrepressible Guide to Jewish Cooking, is a wonderful book with lively anecdotes, first published in the 1940's. Its recipes remain as true as ever. Alexander Books published a revised edition in 1996, - a major asset for anyone who enjoys classic Ashkenazic food.
I quote now from that classic Jewish cookbook, where author Sara Kasdan explains it charmingly: Gastronomically speaking, Tzimmes is a one-dish meal usually served as the fourth course in a six-course dinner.
Culturally speaking, Tzim-mes can also mean a mishmash. Now, a mishmash is a hodgepodge, and a hodgepodge is...not a tzimmes, believe me.
"Making a Tzimmes" is a Yiddish euphemism for making a big deal over something (that doesn't really deserve all that fuss- 'making a mountain out of a molehill.') I could make a tzimmes from my wall-to-wall carpeting, and I am fully justified in making a gahntze tzimmes from my new mink coat. Of course, some people think not, and will say "She's got a mink coat, so she's making a gahntze tzimmes. I knew her when she only had Persian lamb."
You can make a whole tzimmes from a lot of things, but a real tzimmes is made from carrots.
We eat Tzimmes on Rosh Hashanah to symbolize the sweetness we hope the coming year will bring. Carrots have a special Rosh Hashanah symbolism, for the Yiddish name for Carrots is Mer, which is similar to "more," as we look forward to more and more blessings, and the more the merrier.
In the Diaspora, as we usually find, these traditional concepts have been adapted to the regional cuisines. Sephardic Jews have their own version of delicacies to share the same symbolism.
Not so many years ago, there was a superb restaurant in Manhattan named Andree's Mediterranean. Its owner, Andree Abramowitz, was a Jewish lady of Moroccan descent. At the request of a famed gourmet society, for one gala meal, she created a traditional "b'stilla," a chicken pie with a phyllo dough wrapper served on the most special celebrations. This is a complex dish which is better prepared by a skilled chef. Still, there is a consistency to the Sephardic range of flavors, which rely heavily on cumin, cinnamon, garlic, orange juice and cilantro. These seasonings may be exotic to the European palette, but they are extremely delicious. Once experienced, these dishes will not be forgotten. The same tastes can be duplicated in a less-complicated chicken dish, accompanied by those ubiquitous carrots.
Following are a few recipes, from an easy vegetarian version of classic tzimmes, to a Mexican style dish, and a Chinese inspired one. We conclude with recipes for Moroccan chicken and carrots. Even if you don't try the more unusual foods for the holiday, (whichever of these cuisines seems unusual to you), try them later on a cool autumn Shabbat. A Happy and Healthy Year to all of you, regardless of whence your families may have come!
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CHINESE-INSPIRED TZIMMES
1/4 cup vegetable oil 4 pounds boneless stew meat cut into 2--inch cubes, trimmed of fat and dried on towels 2 large onions, peeled and chopped 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 1 1/2 cups dry white wine 2 1/2 cups water 1/4 cup soy sauce 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper 3 pounds of winter (orange) squash 1/2 cup clover honey 1/2 cup raisins Heat oil in a large casserole over medium-high heat. Add the beef in batches and brown on all sides. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a plate and reserve. Add the onions to the casserole and saute over medium heat until soft, about 5 minutes. Reserve any yielded juices and return meat to pan. Sprinkle on the flour. Toss beef lightly to coat with the flour. Cook over low heat, stirring often, for about 5 minutes. Add the wine, reserved juices, water and soy sauce, plus the cinnamon and pepper. Bring to a boil, stirring often. As soon as the boil is reached, reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, about 2 1/2 hours, until the beef is tender when pierced with a knife. Cut squash in half and discard seeds and any stringy parts from the center. Cut into large pieces and trim off the peel. Cut the pieces into 1--inch cubes. Stir the honey into the meat, and add the squash and the raisins. Cover and simmer about 30 minutes. The sauce should be thick enough to coat a spoon; if it is not, uncover casserole and simmer for 15 minutes longer. Serves 8--12. Serve with noodle pudding. Adapted from Faye Levy's International Jewish Cookbook by Faye Levy; Warner Books, New York, New York, 1991. |
2 pounds carrots, peeled and sliced 4 small cloves of garlic, minced 1/3 cup olive oil 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 tablespoon sugar 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice salt and pepper to taste Cook, or preferably steam, the carrots, covered, for about 8 minutes, until they are just tender. Heat the oil in a medium skillet over gentle heat. Cook the garlic, stirring, about 2 minutes, until softened; do not allow to burn. Add the cumin, cinnamon, sugar, and cayenne and cook 1 minute longer, stirring. Add the carrots and toss until the slices are well-coated with the mixture. Stir in the lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a bowl and allow to cool. Serve at room temperature. Serves 8.
8--12 ounces pitted prunes 8--12 ounces dried apricots 40 ounce can cooked sweet potatoes ("Princella" brand carries a heckscher) 2 packages, each 10 ounces, frozen sliced carrots 1/2 cup raisins, preferably golden raisins 12 ounce can of frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed but not diluted 1 1/2 cups cold water 1 cup mild honey, such as clover honey 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon, or to taste Plump prunes and apricots in hot water for about 20 minutes. Thaw, but do not cook, the frozen carrots. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Slice the sweet potatoes thickly, draining off the syrup in which they were packed. Reserve this syrup, if desired, to add to stewing liquid for fruit compote. Place prunes, apricots, sweet potatoes, carrots and raisins in a 4-quart greased baking dish. In a bowl, mix the orange juice, the water, the honey and the cinnamon. Pour over the prune/potato mixture and blend well. Bake covered for 60 minutes. After the first 30 minutes have passed, stir and check for wetness. If the fruit seems too dry, add 1/2 cup orange juice. If sauce seems too soupy, remove cover for the remainder of the cooking time. Serve warm. Excellent with beef or chicken. Serves 12 or more.
4 pounds beef brisket, approximately 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour 5 tablespoons vegetable oil 2 large onions, peeled and sliced thinly 3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced 28 ounce can whole tomatoes 1 ripe mango (optional) 1/2 teaspoon dried pepper flakes OR 6 drops hot sauce, or to taste 1 teaspoon chili powder ("McCormack" brand is "O-U.") 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 4 large carrots, peeled and sliced 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed 8 ounces pitted prunes 14--20 ounce can kidney beans 4 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped (optional) Dry the beef with paper towels. Dredge meat with the flour. Peel and puree the mango and set aside. In a large casserole, heat 3 tablespoons of the oil. Add the beef and cooked until seared brown, about 5 minutes on each side. Remove from pan and set aside. Add the onions to the pan, adding extra oil if necessary. Cook until the onion starts to turn golden, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute longer over medium-low heat. Pour in the canned tomatoes, including the juice, breaking up the tomatoes with a spoon. Add the mango puree if desired, the pepper flakes, chili powder, cinnamon and honey. Cook for 5 minutes over medium-low heat, stirring frequently. Return beef to pot and add water just to cover. Cover the pot tightly and simmer over medium-low heat for about 1 1/2 hours. Check from time to time to make certain that there is sufficient liquid in pot. Rinse the beans. Add beans, carrots, sweet potatoes and prunes. Cover and cook for 30 minutes longer over medium heat, adding water if necessary. Remove heat to serving platter. If sauce is thin, reduce over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes. Slice the meat and put the beans, sweet potatoes and prunes around the beef. Top with the sauce and sprinkle with the chopped cilantro. Serves 8--12. Adapted from New Jewish Cooking by Elizabeth Wolf Cohen; The Apple Press, London, England; 1993
