The Second Avenue Deli Cookbook (37 page)

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Authors: Sharon Lebewohl

BOOK: The Second Avenue Deli Cookbook
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—Abe Lebewohl

PROMOTIONS, PITCHES … AND PITCHING NO-HITTERS
Get a Horse
I
N 1973, AN
OPEC-engineered oil shortage led to an alarming energy crisis in the United States. Gasoline rationing was instituted, there were long lines at the pumps, and the price of a gallon of gas jumped from about 30 cents to over a dollar. Abe was unfazed: he simply began making his food deliveries via horse and buggy. It was a charming and picturesque commentary on a serious problem—one typical of Abe, who always saw the bright side of any situation.

Creamy Matzo-Apple Kugel
SERVES
6
This sweet and creamy kugel makes an impressive centerpiece for a Passover brunch. You can also serve it for dessert.
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons unsalted butter
4 McIntosh apples, peeled, cored, and cut into ¾-inch slices, ¼ inch thick
½ cup raisins
½ cup sliced blanched almonds
10 squares plain unsalted matzo
4 eggs, beaten
2 cups sour cream
½ cup whipped cream cheese
¾ cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt
Softened butter for greasing pan
Confectioners' sugar
1. Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet and sauté apple slices on high heat, stirring occasionally, until soft and lightly browned. Remove to a large bowl with a slotted spoon. Add 2 teaspoons butter to the skillet, lower heat to medium, and quickly sauté raisins and almonds, stirring constantly. Be careful not to burn them. Add to bowl with apples, and set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place matzo squares in another large bowl, and run cool water over them to soften. Crumble the matzo, and drain in a colander. Return drained matzo to bowl.
3. Combine eggs with matzo, and stir well. In another bowl, mix sour cream and cream cheese thoroughly. Then add it to the matzo mixture, along with sugar, cinnamon, salt, and fruit-nut mixture. Mix all ingredients thoroughly.
4. Grease a 10-inch square Pyrex baking pan (or similar) with butter (use quite a bit), pour mixture into pan, and bake for 50 minutes or until top is a light golden brown. Let cool on counter. Loosen sides with a knife, place a large platter over the baking pan, and carefully turn the kugel out onto the platter. If any pieces stick in the pan, just put them in place. When cooled, sprinkle top with confectioners' sugar (best done through a sieve or sifter). You can serve this kugel warm (not hot) or at room temperature, but we like it best chilled in the refrigerator with the confectioners' sugar added just prior to serving.

Matzo Kugel with Spicy Beef
SERVES
6
The matzo kugel above is a creation of Eastern European Jews. This version is based on an Indian recipe; most of the ingredients—not the matzos, of course—are those used for filling samosas (meat turnovers).
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup finely chopped onions
1 tablespoon finely chopped or crushed fresh garlic
1 pound chopmeat
10 squares plain unsalted matzo
4 eggs, beaten
1 large tomato, chopped into ½-inch pieces (remove seeds)
½ cup finely chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon dried mint leaves
2 teaspoons curry powder
⅛ teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
Shortening for greasing baking dish
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet, and brown onions well. At the last minute, add garlic and brown quickly. With a slotted spoon, remove onions and garlic to a large bowl, and set aside.
2. In remaining oil, sauté chopmeat, stirring frequently and breaking up lumps with a fork, until meat is fully browned and in loose pieces. Remove to bowl with onions and garlic, and mix thoroughly.
3. Place matzos in a colander, run cool water over them to soften, and squeeze out excess liquid. Crumble the matzos, and drain. Return drained matzos to a separate large bowl.
4. Combine eggs with matzos, and stir thoroughly. Add meat-onion-garlic mixture, tomato, parsley, mint, curry powder, chili powder, and salt; mix well.
5. Place mixture in a 10-inch square, lightly greased Pyrex baking pan (or similar) and bake for 40 minutes, until top is lightly browned and crunchy and inside is firm. Serve immediately.

“Gleist [glazed] matzos were my grandmother Ethel's Passover specialty. No sooner did my family, aunts and uncles, and assorted cousins arrive at my grandparents' house on the afternoon of the Seder, than Ethel would begin stuffing everyone with sandwiches of pot roast, chicken, or even potato latkes, wrapped in her delicious gleist matzos. The Seder, which seldom ended before 9:00
P.M.,
described the suffering of the Jews in Egypt, but in my grandmother's home, no Jew ever suffered from hunger pangs during the long ceremony.”
—Sharon Lebewohl
Gleist Matzos
MAKES
4
SLICES
The key to this recipe is very careful handling of the matzos. The squares should remain intact. When they're fried, they're pliable, and you can stuff them, like Ethel did, with pot roast, chicken, or anything else that appeals to you. For a dairy meal, they're great with sour cream.
¾ cup very, very finely chopped onion—almost grated (use a food processor)
2 large eggs, beaten
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
4 squares plain unsalted matzo
Corn oil
1. Place onion, eggs, salt, and pepper in a large bowl, and beat until the eggs are frothy.
2. Lay out 4 squares of paper towel on your counter. One at a time, run the matzos under cold water for about 15 seconds on each side (if you break a square, discard it, and start again), and place them side by side on the paper toweling.
3. Carefully place a matzo square in a shallow dish with sides at least 1 inch high. Spread one-fourth of the onion-egg mixture on top of it. Pile the other matzos on top, spreading each square with one-fourth of the onion-egg mixture. Let sit for 5 minutes.
4. Heat a thin layer of oil in a large skillet. Fry the matzos, one at a time, until well browned on each side. Drain on paper towels.

T
OM
B
IRCHARD
is the owner of Veselka, a Ukrainian coffee shop located a block away from the Deli and an East Village institution in its own right. We're delighted that he's shared his famous pierogi recipe with us.
I started out working for my father-in-law at Veselka in the 1960s, and Abe often stopped in to chat with him in Ukrainian. In those pregentrification days, the Deli wasn't much more than a hot dog stand, and
we were barely a candy store. When my father-in-law died, and I took over Veselka, I was immensely touched by the interest Abe took in my well-being and in the success of the place. I once asked him why he was so generously helping me out, when we were actually competitors. Abe waved away my question. “The more successful businesses on the block,” he assured me, “the more business there'll be for all of us.” Later, he was instrumental in forming a Second Avenue Merchants' Association to further his theory that cooperation produced more capital than competition. His stamp is on all the booming businesses along this section of Second Avenue today.

Veselka, another neighborhood deli.

Of course, as all who knew him are aware, Abe's generosity extended far beyond valuable free advice. When a grocery store across the street from Veselka had a bad fire one summer, and much of its interior and stock was destroyed, Abe was one of the first on the scene. I watched as he pulled a wad of bills from his pocket and peeled off thousands of dollars to tide the unfortunate grocers over until repairs could be made and merchandise replenished.
In recent years, Abe dropped by almost daily for breakfast—a midmorning break from business
(his day started about 4:00
A.M.
) and a chance to read the paper in peace. When he died, my waiters wept. Though he came in to get away from work for a brief spell, he still took the time to chat with my staff and form some kind of relationship with them.
His bigheartedness remains an ongoing source of inspiration in both my business and my personal life.
Veselka's Potato Pierogi
MAKES
65
TO
70
These Polish-style dumplings have been a signature dish at Veselka since 1954. Though this recipe makes quite a large number, they can be frozen for about 3 weeks—a time period during which you're sure to crave them again.
4 tablespoons (half stick) butter
5 cups onion, chopped into ¼-inch pieces
2 egg whites
2 tablespoons water
Flour
Sour cream
FILLING
4 cups cooked Idaho potatoes, mashed very smooth (this is best done in a food processor)
4 ounces farmer cheese
4 tablespoons instant mashed potato granules
¾ cup sautéed onion (taken from 5 cups listed above; see
step 1
)
2 teaspoons salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
WRAPPINGS
1 egg yolk
1 cup milk
½ cup water
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3¼ cups all-purpose flour
1. Melt butter in a large skillet, and sauté onions very slowly (on moderate heat), stirring occasionally, until well browned. Separate out ¾ cup to use in potato filling, and set the rest aside in a bowl (do not refrigerate).
2. Combine all filling ingredients in a large bowl, and mix very thoroughly. Set aside.
3. For the wrappings: In a bowl, combine egg yolk, milk, water, and vegetable oil. Whip with a fork for 1 minute. Place flour in a large bowl, and pour wet ingredients into the center, about one-third at a time. Using your hands, gently fold everything together. If too sticky, add a little more flour, but only what is necessary to get your dough out of the bowl in one piece. Turn the dough out onto a well-floured pastry board, and knead for 3 minutes, once again dusting with flour if your dough is too sticky. Form dough into a ball, place in a bowl covered with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
4. In a small bowl, mix 2 egg whites with 2 tablespoons water, and keep it handy on your worktable, along with a pastry brush, rolling pin, flatware teaspoon and fork, 2¾-inch round cookie cutter (or similarly sized jar lid), and floured board (in addition to the one on which you are rolling out your dough; a large platter will do as well). Divide your dough into 3 sections. Place 1 section on a well-floured board, and roll out dough to
1
⁄
16
-inch thickness. Cut circles of dough with cookie cutter. Put a heaping flatware teaspoon of filling in the center of each circle (be careful not to get it on the edges, or it will make crimping difficult). You want to use the maximum amount of filling that still allows you room to seal the edges tightly. Brush some of the egg white mixture on half of the outer edge of your circle (it will work like envelope glue), and fold the dough over into a half-moon shape. Crimp the edges together with your fingers, or use a fork to do more-decorative crimping on both sides. Place finished pierogis on a floured board or platter. Do not stack them. Repeat with remaining dough and stuffing.
5. Fill a large stockpot about three-quarters full of salted water, and bring to a vigorous boil. Place pierogis, a few at a time, into the rapidly boiling water, and cook for 4 minutes. Drain, and serve, topping each portion with some of the remaining sautéed onion (heated up, of course) and a big dollop of sour cream. Or if you prefer them fried, boil for 2 minutes, then sauté in butter until golden brown.
Note:
You can make pierogis in advance by boiling them for 2 minutes, draining, and coating with vegetable oil to keep from sticking. Refrigerate for use within the next day or two; otherwise freeze them. Reheat in boiling salted water or sauté as described above.

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