Jewish son in the kitchen.

Alla Staroseletskaya
Jewish son in the kitchen.

"Mothers, teach your sons how to cook and how to clean.
In the arts of housework educate them,
Or else your sons' poor wives will curse you all their lives,

So, mothers, teach your sons ...

And give them Joy of Cooking for their birthdays.
Encourage them to make the meals for you." - from song Mothers, Teach Your Sons by Marie-Lynn Hammond

     Waiting for the Jewish holidays? Looking for something new and tasteful for fiesta? I'm here to help.

     We are always passionate about holidays, probably because it's the strongest bond between generations and unshakable bridge between our past and present leading us to the future. We walk, drive and fly home to be around family and friends even slowing our hi-tech life style. Who does not know old forgotten saying, that Judaism starts in the kitchen? Actually, for many of us Judaism starts with mom's cookbook packed with great recipes. It's the book of LOVE, TRADITIONS and COMFORT passed from woman to woman. Holidays are ALWAYS about us and how we care about of each other.

     Nowadays celebrations became a very stressful time for most of people, especially for men. Over the past few months couple of my girlfriends complained about unwinnable domestic syndrome: the LAZY HUSBAND. It reminds me a famous joke about ultimate fantasy of Jewish woman is to have two men at once: one man is cooking and the other is cleaning. Unfortunately, this dream never comes true for most women in general, and for Jewish ones specially. Jewish women have become an example of women’s ability to live through good and difficult times and still sustain her religious devotion. Singled or married, satisfied or dissatisfied with social and love life, men get sick of microwave dinners and fast food garbage and still don't like to cook for themselves and their families. Sharon Boorstin, the author of best-selling novel "Cooking for Love", used to say: "Women bond over food the way men do over sports." Could we reverse? Yes, we can.

     It has never been easy to teach some guys to cook. "PLUS" women used to criticized men so extensively, that men have stopped even to try. Dr. Joshua Coleman, the American psychologist, family relations expert and author of the book "The Lazy Husband" mentioned, that "teaching some of these guys is like being airlifted to another era, a presumed bygone era, when men never ventured into the kitchen and women were exclusively responsible for all things domestic. I wouldn't believe it if I didn't teach these people." How many men know, that cooking is one of the best seduction techniques known since ancient times? For sure, just few of them. Italian celebrity chef Pierangelini claims, that cooking can help bachelors find love and gain enormous self- confidence. He opened classes in Rome, where he teaches, "to eat badly is a sign of self-neglect, even self-loathing: to eat well is a CELEBRATION of life.” Moreover, Gregory Cartier, lifestyle correspondent of askmen.com, award-winning web site with 5-million readers a month, wrote: "Give a supermodel a man who can cook with a brilliant sense of humor and average looks, and I guarantee that in the long run, he wins out over the buff Esquire cover boy with no personality. Your ability to cook well can land beautiful women."

     The celebration of Jewish holidays is the celebration of life, as we used to say "L'Haim!" Dear men! Holidays are the best starting point and a special time to surprise family and friends with your new attitude remembering the wisdom words of Nobel Peace Laureate Elie Wiesel: "I still believe that to be Jewish today means what it meant yesterday and a thousand years ago. To be Jewish is, above all, to safeguard memory and open its gates to the celebration of life ..."

     So, as Chinese wisdom says: "Talk doesn't cook rice", it's time to choose a recipe and start to cook. I hope, I gave enough motivational reasons for lifetime journey in the kitchen. Remember, "give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime." (Chinese proverb) Writing this article I asked for help our Jewish chefs such Arthur Schwartz (NY), David Lebovitz (CA), Steven Raichlen (TX) and Joe Kaplan (MN). I'm grateful for their advice and easy special recipes for my article. All photographs were donated specially for this article. If you have any questions or proposals, please email info@allastar.net

Here are simple but very good recipes to help you cook for Holidays.

MOCK CHOPPED LIVER (THE JEWISH VEGETARIAN YEAR COOKBOOK, by Roberta Kalechofsky and Rosa Rasiel)

Incredibly delicious and sure to be a favorite for other holidays as well. Can be prepared the day before.

1/2 package (1 cup) brown lentils,
1 large diced onion,
1 cup chopped walnuts

Put lentils in a 2 or 3 quart pot, and cover with water. Use water sparingly so that lentils absorb it all. Bring water to a boil, partially cover, and simmer for about 45 minutes. Check occasionally to make sure water has not boiled off; add more as needed. Saute onions until lightly golden and tender. Put lentils, walnuts and onions in food processor and puree until slightly coarse. Salt to taste. Chill about 2 hours. Serve with crackers or rye bread, or on lettuce leaves.

VAN GOGH’S POTATOES (THE JEWISH VEGETARIAN YEAR COOKBOOK, by Roberta Kalechofsky and Rosa Rasiel)

This delectable recipe recalls other Jewish communities which prospered and disappeared. Jews had a long history in Provence, where they lived comfortably from the first century C.E. [Common Era, a.k.a. A.D.] There was a Jewish kingdom under Charlemagne. From the beginning of the 14th century to the end of the 18th, the Jewish community in Provence thrived under Papal protection. This recipe was originally called Potatoes à la Provencal, and was renamed in honor of Van Gogh, even though his “Potato Eaters” were surely not eating anything this rich and delicious.

6 TB olive oil,
1 cup finely chopped onion,
2 cloves garlic, chopped,
4 cups potatoes, peeled and cut in large chunks,
dash of grated nutmeg,
salt and pepper,
2” strip of lemon peel,
juice of 1/2 lemon (1 to 2 TB)

In a heavy-bottomed 2 or 3 quart pot, warm the oil slightly. Add onions and garlic and stir gently. Add potatoes, seasonings, and lemon peel. Cover and cook over very low heat for 15 minutes. Stir. Cover and continue cooking until potatoes are tender.With a slotted spoon, remove potatoes from pot and keep them warm. Stir lemon juice into pot, and scrape up any browned bits with a wooden spoon. Heat the juice for a minute or two, then pour over potatoes. Serves 6-8.

Mustard & Dill Salmon Fillets (from ReaLemon.com)

1/4 cup Lemon juice,
1/4 cup olive oil,
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill,
1 tablespoon Dijon or grainy mustard,
1 clove of minced garlic,
1 lb. salmon fillets,
salt and pepper to taste.

Whisk together lemon juice, oil, dill, mustard, garlic, salt and pepper. Pour mixture over fish and let stand 60 minutes. Bake at 375F for 10-12 minutes. Makes: 3-4 servings

Israeli salad (from Steven Raichlen "Healthy Jewish Cooking")

1 large cucumber,
1 green bell pepper,
1 red bell pepper,
2 stalks of celery,
2 ripe red tomatoes,
3/4 cup cooked chickpeas,
1/2 red onion,
finely chopped,
3 tablespoons finely chopped parsley,
1 1/2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil,
1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar,
salt and black pepper to taste,
6 black Greek-style olives.

Peel the cucumber, cut into 1/2-inch dice. Core and seed the peppers and cut into 1/2-inch dice. Peel outside of the celery stalks with a vegetable peeler and cut into 1/2-inch dice. Cut the tomatoes into 1/2-inch dice. Cut the tomatoes into 1/2-inch dice, reserving the juices. Combine dices vegetables and chickpeas in an attractive serving bowl. Add the onion, parsley, oil, vinegar, salt, pepper, and reserved tomato juices, and toss to mix. Correct the seasoning, adding vinegar or salt to taste. Decorate the salad with the olives and serve at once. Serve 4.

Red Thai Curry Risotto (special from Joe Kaplan)

Red Thai Curry Sauce:1 Can Red Thai Curry Paste,
1 Can Coconut Milk,
1 Cup Heavy Cream,
1 Cups Chicken Stock,
1/8 cup Lime Juice,
1/4 cup Ginger
1/4 cup Garlic,
1 tsp Garlic Chili Paste,
1 tsp Fish Sauce,
Salt and pepper to taste

Arborio Rice: 4 cups Risotto,
1/ 4 Cup Olive Oil,
1 Medium Onion, diced,
1 Tablespoon Salt,
6 Cups Water or (Chicken Stock)

Red Thai Curry Risotto: 3 cups Potatoes, small dice, cooked,
2 cup Peas, Sugar Snap,
3 cups Shiitake Mushrooms,
Cilantro, fresh,
Crushed peanuts and Sesame Seeds

For Thai Curry Sauce Mix all ingredients and bring to simmer. Cool and hold until needed.

For Arborio Rice. Sauté onions in olive oil until soft. Add Arborio rice and sauté for a few minutes more. Add water and salt and stir. Bring to a simmer and cover. Simmer for 15 minutes or until water is absorbed. Dump rice onto a sheet pan and cool until needed.

For Risotto - add potatoes, peas, shiitakes, rice and Thai curry sauce together and bring to simmer, stir vigorously until all liquid is absorbed and rice is creamy. Garnish with crushed peanuts, toasted sesame seeds and cilantro.

Vegetarian tsimmes (from Matthew Goodman "Jewish food")

4 medium sweet potatoes,
peeled and chopped into 1-inch cubes;
4 carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/2-inch rounds;
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, and chopped into 1/2-inch cubes;
1 onion, finely chopped;
2 cups pitted prunes, chopped;
juice of 2 lemons,
1 cup orange juice,
1 teaspoon salt,
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon,
1/4 cup honey,
1/4 cup matzo meal or dried bread crumbs.

Preheat the oven to 350-degrees. Place all of the ingredients except the matzo meal or bread crumbs in a large bowl and stir until full combined. Pour the mixture into as ungreased 13-by 9-inch baking dish. Sprinkle the matzo meal or bread crumbs on top. Cover the dish with aluminum foil. Bake 1 hour. Remove the foil and cook until th ingredients are very soft and the top is slightly browned an-other 30-40 minutes. Serve warm. Serve 8 as a side dish.

My Grandmother’s Noodle Pudding (special from Arthur Schwartz)

This is the noodle pudding my grandmother made to break the fast on Yom Kippur. It is an extremely rich, buttery custard shot through with noodles. It is certainly not the best thing to eat after an entire day of fasting But we did and we still do, even though my grandmother is long gone. We precede this with platters of smoked fish, bagels and other breads, cheeses, egg salad, tuna salad, and whitefish salad, a platter of sliced tomatoes and cucumbers - basically what used to be considered the quintessential New York Jewish Sunday breakfast, the festive family breakfast that my family did indeed indulge in when we all lived together in one house in Brooklyn. Makes about 12 servings

1 pound very wide egg noodles,
8 eggs,
3 cups sour cream,
1 1/2 pounds pot cheese (preferably fresh bulk),
1 1/2 cups melted butter (3 sticks),
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Cook noodles according to package directions; drain.Meanwhile, in a very large mixing bowl, beat eggs lightly. Stir in sour cream, cheese and most of the butter, reserving some butter to grease the baking pan. Add the cooked and drained noodles, mix, season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour mixture in a 10- by 16- by 2-inch baking pan. Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for 1 to 1 1/4 hours or until top is lightly browned. Let cool at least 10 minutes before cutting. Serve hot or warm.

Honey Sweet Sticky Buns (from "Lean and Luscious")

3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon soft,
kosher margarine melted,
2 tablespoons brown sugar,
1 tablespoon honey,
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon raisins,
1 10-ounce package refrigerator biscuits (10 biscuits)

Preheat oven to 350F. Combine margarine, brown sugar, and honey in the bottom of a 9-inch pan. Mix well and spread mixture evenly in pan. Sprinkle with raisins. Arrange biscuits evenly in pan. Press them down slightly with the palm of your hand. Bake 20 minutes, until biscuits are lightly browned. Remove from oven and let stand 1 minute, then invert onto a serving plate. Serve warm.

Berries Romanoff with iced sour cream (from David Lebovitz "Ripe for dessert")

3/4 cup Triple Sec or Curacao (orange liqueur),
1/2 cup sugar,
grated zest of 1 orange,
5 to 6 cups mixed fresh berries (strawberries, blackberries and raspberries),
2/3 cup whole milk,
1/3 cup of sour cream,
1/4 cup sugar,
2 teaspoons of vodka.

To prepare berries: In a medium-size mixing bowl, whisk together the Triple Sec or Curacao, sugar, and orange zest until sugar is dissolved. Stir berries and marinate at room temperature for at least 1 hour, stirring gently once or twice. To make the iced sour cream: Mix together the whole milk, sour cream, sugar, and vodka in a blender. Freeze in your refrigerator. Serving: Spoon the berries into 4 stemmed wineglasses, add a scoop of the iced sour cream, then pour the Triple Sec and berry juice over each dessert.

Mixed Berry Crisp (special from Joe Kaplan)

Filling:1 Pint Raspberries,
1 Pint Blueberries,
2 Pints Strawberries,
1/2 cup Sugar,
1/4 cup Mint,
julienne,
Lemon zest of 1 lemon,
Mix together and fill bottom of cobbler dish
Crumb Topping:12 oz. Flour,
6 oz. Sugar,
10 oz. Brown Sugar,
8 oz. Chopped Pecans, lightly toasted,
3 oz. Oats, 12 oz. Butter , cubed and slightly softened

Mix first 5 ingredients well, add butter and mix until crumbly. Chill to firm butter. Dot the cobbler with crumb topping. Bake @ 350 or until brown and bubbly. SERVE WARM WITH WHIPPED CREAM and / or ICE CREAM Yields 8 desserts

Lemon Fruit compote (from Steven Raichlen "Healthy Jewish Cooking")

1 or 2 lemons,
4 cloves,
2 cups Concord wine,
2 cups apple juice,
1 cup water,
1 pound prunes,
1/2 pound dried apricots,
1/2 pound dried figs,
1/2 pound golden raisins,
2 cinnamon sticks,
1/4 cup sugar, or to taste.

Using a vegetable peeler, remove 3 strips pf lemon zest and set aside. Stick the cloves in the strips of lemon zest using a paring knife, cut the rinds off the lemon(s), cut the lemons crosswise into 1/4-inch slices, removing any seeds you may find with fork. Combine the wine, apple juice, water, lemon slices, prunes, apricots, figs, raisins and cinnamon sticks in a large, heavy saucepan. Cover the pan gently simmer the compote until the fruits are soft, about 20 minutes (Add ware as needed, add sugar to taste). Serve the compote chilled or at room temperature. Discard the cinnamon and strips of lemon zest with the cloves before serving.