Cast
your mind back to the sun-drenched island of Rhodes in the Aegean and
let your thoughts stray a little further to where the walls of the old
city enclosed the Ğudería.
The
Sephardi Culinary Tradition pays tribute to a small pocket of
Sephardi Jews who found refuge there after they fled Spain in
1492. Old Spanish or Ladino remained their language, Spanish
poems, songs and music were imbedded in their culture. A vanished
culture, which was ancient in origin, rich in diversity and loyal in its
faith.
In
The Sephardi Culinary Tradition, Elsie Menasce pays
tribute to these Rhodislis by evoking and rekindling the flavours,
aromas, herbs and spices. "Each
dish brings back memories of some occasion great or small; of festivals,
of emotions and proverbial sayings."
Mas
kóme el ózo ke la bóka. The eye eats more than the mouth.
YAGÚR
Yoghurt
2
½ cups milk
1 tablespoon activator (bacterial culture) or fresh commercial yoghurt.
Preparation:
15 minutes
plus overnight standing time
Serves: 10
(¼ cup portions)
Bring
milk to the boil in a large saucepan. When the froth rises let it simmer
for a few minutes. Turn off heat and allow milk to cool to 42°C (still
hot enough to sting finger). This is important, as yoghurt will fail if
much cooler or hotter. Remove any skin, which may have formed on the
surface. Beat activator, adding a few tablespoons of the hot milk. Add
the rest of the milk slowly, beating continuously. Pour into individual
containers or bowl. Cover with polythene and secure with an elastic
band. Keep containers warm, wrapped in a blanket or shawl, and leave
undisturbed for 6 hours or overnight. As soon as yoghurt is ready
(creamy and thick), refrigerate.
YALANĞI
YAPRĂK
Vine
Leaves Stuffed with Rice
One
285 g tin vine leaves or fresh vine leaves in brine
3 onions, chopped
7 tablespoons oil
1 cup rice, well washed
1 teaspoon salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 cup water
1 tablespoon each chopped dill, mint and parsley
juice of 2 lemons
2 cups water
Preparation:
1 hour
Cooking time:
40 minutes
Serves:
8 – 10
Rinse
and lay vine leaves out flat, shiny side down. Glaze onion in 5
tablespoons of the oil. Add rice, salt and pepper and 1 cup water. Cook
on medium heat for 15 – 20 minutes until water evaporates. Allow to
cool. Add chopped dill, mint and parsley.
Place
1 teaspoon of the rice mixture in the center of each vine leaf, fold
sides and roll to finger size. Oil a 22 cm shallow pan with 1 tablespoon
of the oil. Cover bottom of pan with 3 – 4 large vine leaves o prevent
stuffed leaves from burning. Pack the stuffed vine leaves closely in
layers until the pan is half full. Add the remaining oil, the lemon
juice and cover with 3 – 4 large vine leaves. This seals in the
flavour and prevents discoloration of the leaves. Add 2 cups water.
Cover with a plate and lid and cook for 30 – 40 minutes on medium heat
until water is absorbed. Serve cold, arranged on a platter garnished
with lemon wedges.
These
delicious cocktail snacks or hors d’hoeuvres may be prepared the day
before. Spinach leaves may be substituted for vine leaves. Remove
stalks, dip leaves in boiling water, and drain.
BOYOS
DE FILA
Savoury
Pastries
1
cup water
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon butter or 2 teaspoons oil
Enough oil to cover dough
Sprinkling of flour mixed with grated cheese
Preparation:
45 minutes plus 1 hour resting
Cooking time:
25 minutes
Temperature: 180°C
Makes:
25
Prepare
Spinach, Potato or Pumpkin Filling in advance.
Mix water, flour and salt. Add the butter or oil and knead to a soft
dough. Allow to stand for 10 minutes. Knead twice more. Shape into 4 cm
balls, rolling lightly (approximately 25 balls). Submerge the balls in
oil in a shallow glass dish and allow to stand at least 1 hour. Pat and
pull each ball gently, stretching it to about 25 cm square. Sprinkle
with flour mixed with a little grated cheese. Fill with any of the
prepared fillings and shape pastries. Dot with oil and sprinkle grated
cheese. Arrange on an oiled baking sheet. Bake at 180°C for 25 minutes
until golden brown. To reheat, preheat oven to 180°C, switch off and
heat pastries for 20 minutes.
These
savoury pastries are best served hot or warmed, with brown hard-boiled
eggs.
GOMO
DE ESPINĂKA
Spinach
Filling
2
bunches spinach
1 ½ cups finely grated cheese (1/3 Parmesan type, 2/3 Cheddar)
½ teaspoon salt
Preparation:
20 minutes
Remove
stalks, wash spinach, shred finely and dry on absorbent paper. Mix all
ingredients together. Save spinach stalks for Spinach Stalk Stew!
GOMO
DE PATĂTA
Potato
Filling
4
large potatoes, mashed
2 well beaten eggs
1 ½ cups grated cheese (1/3 Parmesan type, 2/3 Cheddar
salt and pepper
Preparation:
20 minutes
Mix
all ingredients together.
GÓMO
DE KALAVĂSA
Pumpkin
Filling
2
cups pumpkin
1 egg, well-beaten
1 ½ cups grated cheese (1/3 Parmesan type, 2/3 cup Cheddar)
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Preparation:
20 minutes
Boil
pumpkin, then mash and drain thoroughly in fine muslin cloth. Add egg,
cheese, salt, and cinnamon. Mix well.
SUPA
DE PESKADO KON GWEVO Y LIMON
1
kg fish on the bone
1 stalk celery
1 onion
1 large carrot
6 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup rice, cleaned and rinsed
1 egg
juice of 1 lemon
Preparation:
20 minutes
Cooking time:
30 minutes
Serves: 6
Place
fish, celery, onion, carrot, water and seasoning in a saucepan and bring
to the boil. Lower heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Strain. Return stock
to pot with rice and simmer for 10 minutes until rice is tender, adding
water when necessary. Beat egg with lemon juice. Just before serving,
pour a few spoonfuls of soup over the egg, beating with a fork. Repeat,
adding more hot soup. Remove soup from stove and pour egg mixture into
the soup pot, stirring. Serve at once. Flakes or small portions of fish
may be added with chopped parsley before serving.
THE
SEPHARDI CULINARY TRADITION
Author Elsie Menasce
Food Photography by Volker Miros
Published
by The Sephardi Cookbook Corporation Publishers
See
Part I
