Los Angeles Kosher Restaurants

The dough of challah is often shaped into forms having symbolical meanings; thus on Rosh Hashanah rings and coins are imitated, indicating “May the new year be as round and complete as these”;For Hosha’na Rabbah, bread is baked in the form of a key, meaning “May the door of heaven open to admit our prayers.” The Hamantashen, a triangular cookie or turnover filled with fruit preserves or honey and black poppy-seed, is eaten on the Feast of Purim. It is said to be shaped like the hat of Haman the tyrant.

The mohn kihel, a circular or rectangular wafer having in it a quantity of poppy, forms a part of Shabbat breakfast. Pirushkes, or turnovers, are little cakes fried in honey, or sometimes merely dipped in molasses, after they are baked. The strudel, or single-layered jelly or fruit cake, takes the place of the pie for dessert. Teigachz, or pudding, of which the kugel is one variety, is usually made from rice, noodles, “farfel” (dough crumbs), and even mashed potatoes. Gehakte herring (chopped herring), which is usually served as the first dish at Shabbat dinner, is made by skinning a few herrings and chopping them together with hard-boiled eggs, onions, apples, sugar, pepper, and a little vinegar.

There are a number of sour soups, called borscht, the most popular of which is the kraut or cabbage borscht, typically made by cooking together cabbage, meat, bones, onions, raisins, sour salt (citric acid), sugar and sometimes tomatoes. Before serving, the yolks of eggs might be mixed in. This last process is called farweissen (to make white). Borsht is also often made from beetroots and rossel (the juice derived from fermented beets).

In Eastern Europe, the Jews baked black (“proster,” or “ordinary”) bread, white bread, and challah. Of great interest are the various forms into which these breads are made; for while the black bread is usually circular in form, the shapes in which hallah is baked vary as the different holidays pass by. The most common form of the hallahs is the twist (“koilitch” or “kidke”). The koilitch is oval in form, and about one and a half feet in length. On special occasions, such as weddings, the koilitch is increased to a length of about two and a half feet.

As well known as challah (or perhaps even more so) is the bagel, which originated from Eastern Europe pastry (Russian “bublik”) and is ubiquitous in many countries with substantial Jewish populations.

Charoset is an important part of the meal served at the Passover Seder in Jewish tradition. It can also be served at times other than
Passover, and it has been adopted by people in other nations as well.
Many people in Los Angeles compare charoset to a chutney or fruit compote, since it contains an assortment of fruits and nuts which are intended to be
spooned onto other foods. The sweet, flavorful food is a popular part
of the Seder meal in many Jewish restaurants.

Like all the foods on the Passover plate, charoset has an important
symbolic meaning. It is meant to remind the consumer of mortar, used by Israelite slaves in Egypt. The individual ingredients are also
references to names for the Jewish people included in the Song of
Songs. Traditionally, the maror or bitter herbs are symbolically
dipped into the charoset before they are consumed. The maror are
supposed to evoke sorrow and contemplative thought, while the
ingredients in the charoset collectively remind consumers of the
Jewish people and their struggles. The name for the dish is derived
from cheres, “clay” in Hebrew.

There are two different kinds of charoset. One is eaten in in Eastern
Europe primarily, and it tends to be raw with ingredients like
walnuts, apples, cinnamon, sweet wine, and honey or sugar as a
sweetener. This type of charoset is more thick and lumpy, and does
indeed look rather like mortar. The other type of charoset is cooked
with an assortment of ingredients which are more Middle Eastern,
including dates, figs, pomegranates, almonds, and raisins. You can find it in many Los Angeles Jewish cuisine restaurants

Each family has their own unique recipe for charoset, sometimes
including highly unusual or special ingredients. Children often enjoy
making the charoset, as well as eating it, since it is fun to assemble
all of the ingredients. Making the dish also encourages children to
connect with their culture, and it can be used to strengthen ties
between generations of families as grandmothers and grandfathers teach their descendants how to make charoset, while discussing the symbolic meaning of the dish.

This dish is only one of many in the rich Jewish culinary tradition,
although it is well liked by people of many religions and ethnic
backgrounds like in Los Angeles. It makes a very refreshing summer food, and can be served on sweet breads, crackers, or as a side salad. To make charoset, try experimenting with different amounts of the ingredients above, chopping to a desired texture and tossing thoroughly before serving with a garnish of mint or a bitter herb like parsley as a nod to the Jewish heritage of the dish.

A sufganiyah (Hebrew: plural, sufganiyot:) is a ball-shaped doughnut that is first fried, pierced and injected with jelly or custard, and then topped with powdered sugar, similar to the German Berliner, the Polish paczki, or the Russian ponchik. In Yiddish, they are known as ponchkes. They are usually eaten warm in Los Angeles.

The Hebrew word sufganiyah derives from the Hebrew word for sponge (sfog, Hebrew:‎). This is supposed to describe the texture of a sufganiyah, which is somewhat similar to a sponge. The sufganiyah was originally made from two circles of dough surrounding a jam filling, stuck together and fried in one piece. Although this method is still practiced in many restaurants, an easier technique commonly used today in Los Angeles Jewish restaurants is to deep-fry whole balls of dough and then inject them with a filling through a baker’s syringe (or a special industrial machine). You can visit many Kosher restaurants in Los Angeles and taste this delicious recipe.