The Second Avenue Deli Cookbook (3 page)

In the early 1990s, inspired by perestroika, Abe developed a new passion: to open the first kosher restaurant in Moscow. Robbed of his childhood by the rise of Communism, he enthusiastically hailed its demise. His intention was to begin restoring to Russian Jews—via matzo ball soup, chopped liver, and potato latkes—their long-lost heritage. The profits from the restaurant—which was to be called Rishon (Hebrew for “First”)—would be donated, in his parents' name, to a Russian yeshiva. Abe made many trips to
Moscow trying to set things up. In the end, however, a combination of bureaucratic mire and Russian corruption (thugs demanded under-the-table payments for “security”) put an end to this cherished project. Though deeply disappointed, Abe soon put Moscow behind him and returned his focus to the Deli, which by now had attained the status of a Big Apple landmark.

After decades of struggle, Abe's dream of success in America was a reality—a reality that he enjoyed tremendously until the last moment of his life. He loved people, he loved food, he loved his restaurant, and he loved New York, especially his East Village neighborhood. The Second Avenue Deli has long been the anchor of that neighborhood, its glowing neon sign the symbol of a vibrant community of successful businesses, shops, restaurants, and cafés. During his lifetime, other businesspeople in the area dubbed Abe “the Mayor of Second Avenue.”

If Abe had been aware of his own violent death, he would have seen it as an anomaly, not as a sign that crime was rampant on the city streets. He was always upbeat about New York. And he would have wanted his restaurant to continue to flourish and feed the public. Soon after Abe's death, his widow, Eleanor, and his brother, Jack, reopened the Deli. They knew Abe would have wanted it that way. Under their loving stewardship, the kitchen has maintained its excellence and authenticity, while continuing to experiment and evolve. The same waitstaff is on hand to warmly welcome customers. And a final dream of Abe's has also been realized: in 1997, a sparkling new interior and façade were created by one of America's most prominent restaurant designers, Adam Tihany, who breathed new life into our surroundings without sacrificing the Deli's all-important traditional
gemütlichkeit.

Every night, people still form long lines outside the Deli's doors, waiting to savor its peerless pastrami and incomparable chopped liver. When there are especially large crowds, waiters come out with platters of hors d'oeuvres to stave off the pangs of hunger. The Second Avenue Deli remains a vibrant New York institution that we hope will survive forever as a loving tribute to its founder, Abe Lebewohl.

I
N THE COMING PAGES
, you'll learn the secrets of all the Second Avenue Deli's classic creations—our award-winning chopped liver, Old World cholent, fork-tender brisket of beef, and crisp potato latkes.

Our traditional fare is the ultimate expression of comfort food. Dripping in schmaltz and nostalgia—and as diverse as the nations of the Diaspora—it's redolent of Jewish culture and history; almost every dish evokes a holiday ritual. But Abe's eclectic enthusiasms couldn't be contained even in the wide spectrum of Jewish cuisine. If he especially liked something he ate, Abe wanted it served in his restaurant, Jewish or not. Hence, our menu—and the recipes in this book—include such unexpected items as spicy barbecued chicken, buffalo wings, a California-style bow tie salad with sun-dried tomatoes, chicken cacciatore, and even vegetable lo mein!

Every year, the Deli caters hundreds of parties, bar mitzvahs, weddings, board meetings, seminars, and political events. It's a big part of our business, and, in compiling recipes, we've included many items from our catering menus that are not offered in the restaurant itself.

Abe, ever a Zionist, made many trips to Israel and loved its cuisine: so we've presented such traditional Middle Eastern fare as baba ganoush, hummus, tahini, tabbouleh, and the best falafel you've ever had.

Other wonderful recipes (all fully tested by us) were provided by Lebewohl family members and friends.

Julia Child once offered this bit of culinary comfort: “Don't be afraid of cooking.… What's the worst that could happen?” What's more, she added, “It's important to remember you can fix almost anything.” We agree with Julia, and we've worked hard to make our recipes easy to understand so that cooking will be fun, not frightening. Hopefully, you won't even need to “fix” anything.

The Jewish ritual dietary laws of kashruth—which include detailed instructions for the proper selection, slaughtering, cooking, and eating of all foods—were handed down to Moses on Mount Sinai along with the Ten
Commandments. A covenant with God, kashruth teaches reverence for life and perpetuates Jewish identity among a dispersed people.

The Second Avenue Deli is a kosher restaurant. In accordance with one of the most fundamental tenets of kashruth—which forbids combining any dairy foods with meat or poultry—we specialize in meat, fish, and poultry dishes. We serve no dairy items—no milk, butter, cheese, or derivatives thereof—and use no dairy items in food preparation. Our delicious mashed potatoes, for instance, are whipped with schmaltz (rendered chicken fat, flavored with onions), not cream and butter.

Frequently throughout this book, you'll see the word
pareve,
which means “made without milk or meat products.” Fish, eggs, grains, herbs and spices, fruits, vegetables, and nuts are all pareve—neutral foods that can be eaten in combination with meat or dairy. At the Deli, our nonmeat dishes are all pareve. Hence, in our kitchen, even traditionally dairy items, such as blintz crêpes, are prepared with nondairy creamer and margarine instead of milk and butter and filled with potatoes or fruit, not cheese (though we do have faux cheese blintzes made with Tofutti cream cheese). And they're served with applesauce, not sour cream.

Because you'll be preparing these recipes at home, where even the most observant Jews are set up for both meat and dairy preparation (with separate dishes and cooking and eating utensils), we've also included some of our favorite recipes that are strictly dairy, such as cheese blintzes, challah bread pudding, and a matzo-apple kugel that contains butter and cream cheese. Wherever possible, we also offer pareve versions of dairy fare (especially desserts). That's because even though observant Jews can eat dairy, they have to wait six hours after a meat meal to do so; and we think six hours is a long time to wait for dessert!

I
N THE OLD DAYS
—and up to a few decades ago—the kitchen was the heart and hearth of a Jewish home, the stove the place you were most likely to find your mom. Coming home from school, you'd toss your books on the table, fling your coat on the banister post (though you'd been told a million times to hang it in the closet), and head straight to the kitchen, lured by the tantalizing aromas and warmth of cooking food and Mom's two daily questions: “So, how was your day?” and “Are you hungry?” A little nosh from the stove—a preview of the coming night's dinner—was a frequent after-school treat.

Today, Mom is more likely to be in the office than the kitchen in the afternoon, and even if you grew up in a Jewish household, you may not be familiar with all of the foodstuffs used in traditional Jewish cooking. This little glossary comprises our cookbook's Cliffs Notes; in addition to momma foods, it includes some Israeli dishes and restaurant kitchen staples.