Bean Soup - Greece

Soak the beans overnight in cold water. Drain, rinse and place the beans in a large saucepan with the marrow bones. Add cold water to cover. On a high flame, bring to a rapid boil and skim the foam from the surface. Cover, reduce the heat and simmer for 2 1/2 hours, opening occasionally to skim.

Add the remaining ingredients, bring to a boil again and let boil for 2 - 3 minutes. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 1 hour. Discard the onion and celery root before serving. Serve with the bones.

Melt the margarine in a heavy skillet and saute the onions until golden. Add 1/4 cup wine, simmer until reduced by about half and then add 1/4 cup stock and reduce again. Repeat this process 4 times (using in all 1 cup each wine and stock) and then allow to simmer until the gravy is thick. Pour over the bread slices and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste. Mash and mix well.

Mince together the stewing veal and the liver and mix these with the bread mixture. Add the eggs and mushrooms and mix well.

Make a deep cut lengthwise in the breast and stuff with the above mixture. Sew closed with kitchen thread and then tie with string in 4 - 5 places. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet and saute the tied breast until it is browned all over.

Place the onions, celery and carrots in a large baking casserole, and place the meat on top. Cover with greaseproof paper and roast in a medium oven, turning occasionally and basting with white wine until the meat is tender. Remove the paper and roast another 15 minutes until the meat is brown. Remove the meat and allow to cool (about 15 minutes) before slicing. Set aside to keep warm.

Transfer the remaining gravy to a saucepan, add the rest of the wine and let simmer until the wine evaporates. Add 1 cup of stock, the bouillon cube and salt and pepper to taste. Strain the gravy into a gravy dish. Serve hot. Serves 10 - 12.

In a small saucepan, mix together the rum and raisins with 5 Tbsp. of water. Heat gently until warm. Remove from the heat and let stand.

Peel and core the apples, leaving a base of about 1/2" (1 cm.) at the bottom and a hollowed cylinder of 1 1/2" (4 cm.) in diameter. Rub the apples with lemon juice to prevent discoloration. In a small bowl, mix together the egg yolks, 6 Tbsp. of the sugar, the almonds and the butter. Drain the raisins - reserving the liquid - and add them to the egg mixture.

Fill each apple with about 2 Tbsp. of the filling. Place them in a shallow ovenproof pan and pour in the liquid reserved from the raisins. Pour in another 1/2 cup of water and the remaining sugar. Bake in a medium oven, basting occasionally and adding more water if the pan dries out. Cover and bake about 15 minutes longer until the apples are tender. Serve hot or warm.

* If serving the apples with a meat-based meal, substitute parve margarine for the butter.

Artichoke Pie

Line two 23 or 25 cm. pie tins with pastry dough. Fill with uncooked rice and place in an oven that has been preheated to 200^o Celsius (400^o Fahrenheit) and bake for twenty minutes. Remove the rice (which may later be cooked in the usual way), and set the pastry shells aside to cool.

Combine the chopped artichokes, beef marrow and 4 Tbsp. of the lemon juice in a mixing bowl, and pound together to make a paste. Distribute this paste evenly over the two pie shells. Scatter over the sweetbreads, sprinkle with the tarragon and the remaining lemon juice and season to taste with salt and pepper.

In a saucepan, combine the parve cream, nutmeg and 1/4 tsp. of salt. Heat through, but do not boil. Beat together the eggs and yolks in a bowl, and over these pour the hot cream, beating well with a whisk. Pour this mixture over the pie filling and bake in a medium oven until set (about 25 minutes). Serve hot.

Wash the spinach thoroughly and drain well. Chop it and place in a large saucepan with the spring onions and 6 cups of cold water. Add the salt, stir well and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and add the lemon juice and sugar. Cover and let simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool.

Beat the eggs in a bowl and gradually add 1 cup of the cooled broth, stirring constantly. Add this mixture to the soup slowly, stirring. Refrigerate until just before serving and then mix in the sour cream, stirring well until completely blended. Serve cold.

* Not suitable for inclusion in a kosher meat-based meal.

Mix together the herbs and divide the mixture into 6 equal portions. Fill the cavity of each fish with a portion, distributing the herbs well.

Mix together the flour, salt and pepper.

Dip the trout first in the milk and then in the flour, coating well. Grill the trout over hot charcoals or under a hot broiler until golden brown (about 6 minutes on each side). Pour the melted butter over the trout and serve hot with lemon wedges.

Heat 3 Tbsp. of the olive oil in a heavy skillet and saute the chicken pieces until they are golden. Remove the pieces with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Add the remaining oil, margarine, parsley, onion, celery and leaves, garlic, bay leaves and mushrooms to the skillet, and lay the chicken pieces on top. Cook on a medium flame for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon. Season to taste with salt and pepper and add the wine. Continue cooking until the wine has evaporated and then pour in just enough of the stock to cover the chicken. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 45 minutes. Add the lemon juice, remove from the heat, cover the skillet and place in an oven that has been preheated to 150^o Celsius (300^o Fahrenheit) for 30 minutes. Serve with the gravy directly from the skillet.

In a saucepan, combine the apples, wine, sugar, lemon rind, rosemary and thyme. Simmer just until the apples are soft and then strain, reserving the wine. Puree the apples and place them in a bowl. Add the reserved wine.

Soak the gelatin in the sherry for 5 minutes, then melt the mixture over hot water in a double boiler and add to the apples. Stir well and let cool. When the mixture begins to set, fold in the whipped cream. Pour into a mold that has been rinsed in cold water and then refrigerate, covered, until firm.

Before serving, prepare a custard sauce by combining the milk and lemon peel in a saucepan. Bring just to the boiling point, immediately reduce the heat and simmer very gently for 10 minutes.

In a separate saucepan, gradually stir the sugar into the egg yolks. Beat with a wire whisk until the mixture is pale yellow. Beat in the flour and then gradually add the hot milk. Cook over a medium flame, stirring constantly, until the mixture is thickened and smooth. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter until melted and the mixture is smooth throughout. Let it cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally before serving.

To serve, dip the mold with the apple cream into a bowl of hot water for several seconds. Unmold the apple cream and serve with the custard sauce.

* Not appropriate for inclusion in a kosher meat-based meal.

Vegetable Soup

Melt the fat in a heavy saucepan and saute the onions. When the onions begin to brown, add the celery. If using the goose breast, add this also. Continue to saute until the onions are golden brown and then pour in the wine. Bring to a boil and then add the stock, potatoes, thyme, parsley, nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil again and then reduce the heat. Cover and simmer for ten minutes and then add the cabbage. Cover again and continue to simmer until the potatoes are soft (10 - 20 minutes longer).

Before serving, put the egg yolks in a small bowl and beat them lightly. To these add 3 - 4 Tbsp. of the hot soup, stirring constantly, and when these are well blended, return them to the soup and stir well. Correct the seasoning, garnish with the chopped parsley and serve hot.

Roast Lamb

Rub the lamb well with the chicken fat and then sprinkle generously with salt, pepper and paprika. Rub in the crushed garlic, transfer to a roasting pan and roast for 15 minutes in an oven that has been preheated to 210^o Celsius (425^o Fahrenheit), turning once.

While the lamb is roasting, combine the remaining ingredients in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Reduce the oven temperature to 180^o Celsius (350^o Fahrenheit), pour over 1/2 cup of the liquids and continue roasting, allowing about 35 minutes per kg. and basting every 10 minutes with more of the liquids. When the roast is done, remove to a platter to keep warm. Transfer the roasting pan to the top of the stove and, bring to a boil, scraping the sides and bottom of the pan. Season this gravy to taste with salt and pepper and serve in a sauceboat.

Spiced Olives - Algeria

Heat the olive oil in a heavy skillet and saute the hot peppers, garlic, pepper, caraway and dill seed lightly (for no more than 2 minutes), stirring constantly.

Place the olives in a wide-mouthed jar and pack tightly. Pour over the oil and seasonings. Fill the jar to the brim with salted water (1/2 tsp. to each cup of water). Cover tightly and let stand, shaking the jar occasionally, for 3 days. Drain the liquids and serve cold.

Plunge the peppers into boiling water for about 20 seconds. Remove and pat dry with paper toweling. Put the peppers in a wide-mouthed jar and add the garlic, salt, and pepper. Pour over the vinegar and cover the peppers with olive oil (corn oil may be substituted). Let marinate for 3 days before using. Refrigerate after opening.

Peel the eggplant and cut into 1" (2 1/2 cm) cubes.

Heat the oil in a heavy skillet and add the eggplant, turning occasionally so that all sides are browned. During the frying, add the lemon juice and garlic. Fry until the eggplant is soft enough to mash. Remove from the heat, drain the excess oil and transfer the mixture to a bowl.

Mash the mixture thoroughly. Add the remaining ingredients and mix. Cover and refrigerate. Serve cold, garnished with the olives and radishes.

Clean the lentils and wash well. Let stand in cold water for 45 minutes.

Heat the oil in a heavy saucepan and saute the onion and garlic until the onion is barely browned. Add the carrot and celery and stir well. Cover and cook over a medium flame for 5 minutes. Add the stock, lentils and all of the remaining ingredients except the lemon juice. Reduce the heat and cook, covered, until the lentils are tender (about 1 hour). Add the lemon juice, stir and serve hot.

Wash the birds well and then quarter them. Simmer in a small amount of water together with 2 Tbsp. margarine, the onion, seasonings and parsley until the flesh is so tender that it falls off the bones (about 2 hours). Add more water if needed to keep the pot from drying out. When cooked, drain off the stock and reserve. Skin and bone the birds and cut the meat into small pieces.

Take about 150 ml. of the stock and beat it together with the eggs. Season to taste with salt and pepper, pour into a small pan and stir over a very low flame until the mixture is creamy and nearly set.

Brush a round pie tin (about 33 cm. in diameter and 4-5 cm. deep) with the melted margarine. Fit a sheet of phylo in the dish so that the ends fold well up and overlap the edges. If this is not possible, use overlapping sheets of phylo. Lay 6 sheets of pastry on top of each other, brushing each with melted margarine. Sprinkle the top layer with sugar, cinnamon and sauteed almonds.

Spread about half of the egg mixture over the phylo sheets and sprinkle with a little of the remaining stock. Cover with 4 more sheets of phylo brushing each with melted margarine. Lay the pieces of boned fowl neatly on top and cover with the rest of the egg mixture. Sprinkle with a little more chicken stock. Cover with the remaining phylo sheets, brushing each with melted margarine and then overlap the bottom sheets and the sides of the dish.

Brush the top of the pie with the beaten egg yolk and place in an oven that has been preheated to 160 Celsius for 40 minutes. Raise the temperature to 200 Celsius and bake until the pastry is crisp and the top a deep golden color (about 15 minutes longer).

Serve piping hot, sprinkled with sugar mixed with cinnamon. Serves 4.

Singe the peppers over an open flame or under a hot broiler until the skin is scorched. Peel and then split open and clean the peppers.

Mix the remaining ingredients well, and pour over the peppers. Let marinate 3-4 hours before serving. Serve at room temperature.

Pour 4 cups of water into a saucepan. Add the sugar and boil for 5-6 minutes, stirring regularly. Remove from the heat and let cool. Refrigerate until the syrup is lightly chilled and then add the pomegranate seeds and lemon juice. Pour the mixture into ice cube trays and place in the freezer.

When the mixture is half frozen, stir well and then stir again every half hour until you have stirred the mixture 4 times in all. Pour the mixture into individual sherbet or dessert cups and let freeze solid. Transfer to the regular refrigeration compartment about 10 minutes before serving, and serve garnished with mint leaves. (Serves 4 - 6).

In a mixing bowl, combine the figs with the apricot preserves, almonds and cinnamon to taste. Knead until the mixture is well blended. Separate into 32 separate balls.

Unroll 1 sheet of the phylo dough and brush sparingly with the melted butter. Cut the sheet lengthwise in half, fold each of these pieces in half and at the bottom of each half place one portion of the fig mixture.

Fold the sides lengthwise over the filling and then fold the bottom over and roll as for a jellyroll. Fasten the last inch (2 1/2 cm.) of pastry with a flour and water paste if necessary. Repeat with 15 more sheets of phylo dough, thus preparing 32 pastries in all.

Make a syrup by combining the sugar with 1/2 cup of water in a heavy saucepan. Bring to the boil and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in the honey and a pinch of cinnamon. Return to a low heat and simmer.

Bake the pastries in a medium oven until puffed and golden on both sides (about 30 minutes), turning once. Transfer the baked pastries immediately to the simmering honey syrup and allow to stand in the syrup for about 3 minutes. With a slotted spoon remove the pastries to a flat dish to dry. Serve at room temperature or store in a dry container.

* If serving these pastries with a meat-based meal, substitute parve margarine for the butter.