Los Angeles Kosher Restaurants

Description: Kugel is a famous Jewish dish, made especially by the
Ashkenazi Jews of Eastern Europe. Evidence exists that the dish was
made over 800 years ago, though it has gradually been modified and
improved upon over time. Many are used to thinking of kugel as a
dessert, and you will certainly find lots of kugel dessert styles. It
can also be made as a savory side dish or entrée.

Early kugel would have been savory, since sugar didn’t make its way to
Europe, especially not for those who weren’t of the nobility, until
the 1600s. The early kugel, like many foods at the time, was
essentially a baked pudding, bearing some resemblance to a savory
bread pudding. German Jews in the 1200s began adding noodles, eggs,
cheese and/or milk to the dish, creating a delicious creamy casserole.
The base of the kugel might use potatoes or matzo flour instead of
noodles. In order to add extra flavor to the dish, kugel might include
vegetables of all types, and onions. Kugel casseroles would not have
contained meat, since mixing meat with milk and eggs was not Kosher.

In the 1600s sugar inspired many cooks to develop sweet kugel. Here
you might simply have a dish of baked noodles in cream or egg topped
with a little bit of sugar. Eventually, fruit, especially raisins,
were common additions to sweet kugel. Sweet kugel is still more
popular today than its savory older relation, and may be baked in
round pans, or more commonly in standard rectangular baking dishes. It
is very popular not only among people of Eastern European and Germanic
descent, but also among those in America who were lucky enough to grow
up near a good Jewish bakery or restaurant.

In taste, sweet kugel is similar to bread pudding, and many find it
comparable to a variety of the baked puddings made by the English,
like spotted dick. There are a number of Internet recipes to try, as
well as fantastic recipes in many Jewish and in German cookbooks. If
you’re traveling you’ll find kugel in most of Eastern Europe.

In some Jewish sects, kugel is thought to be lucky and/or to confer
spiritual blessings. This is specifically the case in the Hasidic
Jewish tradition, especially when a Rabbi offers the kugel. To many
others, kugel merely speaks of ultimate comfort food, and few
celebratory meals would be complete without it.

A blintz is a thin pancake, often filled with cottage cheese or fruit. The blintz originates in Russia, where it may also be called blin or blini. The pancake is much like a crepe, but is cooked twice. It is first prepared as a crepe, then ingredients are added to the middle and the pancake is folded into a rectangular shape and fried in hot oil.

The traditional Russian blintz differs from the crepe version so often served today. It is made of batter containing yeast, which causes it to rise and to be thicker than the crepe. Russian traditions dictated serving the blintz at wakes and on certain religious holidays as designated by the Russian Orthodox Church.

Today, the blintz is more commonly associated with those who practice Judaism. Blintzes are often prepared for Hanukkah, as they are fried in oil after they are stuffed. One can also purchase good quality frozen blintzes for preparation on Holy Days, or on any other day for that matter. Blintzes can also commonly be obtained in both Russian and Jewish delicatessens.

When no yeast is present, the blintz is quite simple to prepare. It consists of flour, eggs, and milk. A minority favor potato instead of wheat flour, suggesting the potato flour produces a lighter blintz. The yeasted variety must be thinned with milk or water before cooking, and it is not unusual to see the Russian blintz prepared with buckwheat or oat flour.

Many cooks meet their downfall when preparing the blintz, because the blintz very frequently sticks to the pan or fails to cook properly. Cookbooks recommend using a crepe pan so size is controlled. Overfilling the pan is a common mistake. Only about two or three teaspoons are needed to cover the pan and create a thin blintz. A nonstick or well-oiled pan that is properly heated can also make flipping and removing the blintz easier.

Other recommendations for preparing the blintz suggest allowing the batter to sit for at least thirty minutes prior to cooking. The batter can also be stored in the refrigerator for up to two days. When the batter has a resting period, the wheat becomes less glutinous, resulting in a thinner pancake.

When filling the blintz, most cooks recommend waiting until the pancake has fully cooled. The filled blintzes should be added to a hot pan, and cooked first on the fold side. Blintzes should be served hot. The fruit variety is especially good when a dollop of sour cream is added. Also, blintzes or blini served with caviar are usually topped with sour cream.

Blintzes filled with cottage or farmer’s cheese can be topped with fruit sauce and a little powdered sugar to create a sweet desert. A variant of the blintz from Austria is the Palatschinken, which is rolled around apricot jam rather than folded. Topped with nuts and powdered sugar, Palatschinken is an excellent and unusual dessert.

There are few people who can’t name one or two “typically Jewish” foods — bagels, cheesecake, and blintzes have become well-loved around the world. While few of these foods are exclusively Jewish, the Kashrut (dietary laws) and particular factors in Jewish history have helped shape a cuisine that reflects the unique identity of the people who developed it.

As a whole, Jewish cuisine is a marriage of cooking styles from the cultures in which Jews have lived throughout the centuries — the Middle East, the Mediterranean, Spain, Germany and Eastern European. The cooking style was also influenced by dietary laws, leading to the separation of milk and meat and the avoidance of pork and shellfish. Holidays have also given rise to a number of uniquely Jewish dishes.

Jewish cuisine is anything but monotonous, though. Over time three distinct styles have evolved: Ashkenazic (Eastern European), Sephardic (Middle-Eastern, Mediterranean, and Spanish), and Israeli.

The differences between these styles originate from climate differences, trade activities, and the traditions of the surrounding cultures. The financial situation of the communities also had a noticeable impact on the cuisine. The relative poverty of Ashkenazic Jews meant of a diet of peasant foods made with inexpensive, easy-to-obtain ingredients and with fewer spices. Sephardic Jews, on the other hand, enjoyed a long period of prosperity that led to many elaborate, richly-spiced dishes.