In the weeks before Passover I start to gather the things needed to produce some of my husband’s favorite foods. He’s not religious, but I figure this is a good time of year to provide some culinary comfort to make up for the fact that we’re 2,500 miles away from his family and no longer have regular access to good Kosher, or Kosher-style, food.
While I can’t recreate New York City’s Jewish culture, which is, of course, what he really misses, I can at least come up with his must-haves: smoked whitefish salad, gefilte fish, matzo ball soup and chopped liver. I may not be Jewish, but I know my way around a smoked whitefish, having been born and raised in NYC — with the additional qualification of being a first-generation American of Northern European stock with a yen for deli.
The Bay Area is not exactly flush when it comes to this kind of food, and what is available is pricey. In my more than 15 years here I’ve learned to shop prudently, and wind up doing about 75% of my Passover-related cooking from scratch — depending upon availability of raw materials and time.
About four months beforehand I start to freeze bits of chicken fat and skin. When rendered, they provide schmaltz for the matzo balls and chopped liver. If anyone tells you to use olive oil or, God forbid, mayonnaise in your chopped liver — don’t.
Rendering chicken fat involves little more than cooking the fat and skins in some water, stirring on and off, and straining when the water has evaporated and the skins have gone crispy. Use the crispy bits, called gribenes, as garnish, or just eat. They never make it past the strainer in my house.
Next, I pick up a #10 can of gefilte fish — a steal at $7.99 — and a five-pound case of matzos ($8.49) at Costco. Costco carries these items well in advance of Passover, so I grab them before they sell out. I doctor the gefilte fish to improve it, and use the matzos as a snack and to process my own matzo meal to custom consistency.
Shortly before the holiday I visit Costco for smoked whitefish salad from Brooklyn’s Acme Smoked Fish Corporation. Marketed under the Blue Hill Bay label and outrageously low at $8.99 for a two-pound tub, I pester Costco mercilessly when it’s not there. Other places that sell Acme’s whitefish salad include Bi-Rite Market in SF ($13.99/pound), Berkeley Bagels ($14.95/pound), and Saul’s Restaurant & Delicatessen in Berkeley, where they add celery and charge $15.75/pound.
If Acme’s whole smoked whitefish is in residence at Costco (about $8/pound), I happily schlep a couple of those home, too. A few days in advance I doctor the canned gefilte fish — literally, “filled fish,” which they actually were back in the day — but these mass-produced matzo meal and fish dumplings in jellied broth are acceptable if you fiddle with them.
Just roast three peeled carrots, a large, halved onion — cut side down, unpeeled — and four celery stalks on an oiled sheet pan in a 350°F oven for 40 minutes. Place in heavy pot with juices from your #10 can of gefilte fish, two bay leaves, some white pepper and ¾ cup water. Bring to a boil and then gently simmer for 40 minutes. Wedge in your 14 fish ovals and simmer for 35 minutes. Shut off flame and allow to sit for an hour. Carefully transfer all but onion, bay leaves and celery to a storage container—and slice carrots into discs. Serve cold with horseradish.
Last, I make chopped liver and matzo ball soup — from scratch.
Chopped liver is a simple appetizer containing chicken livers and onions sautéed in rendered chicken fat, boiled eggs and a little wine. Ina Garten’s recipe is a good one if you want to try your hand because it’s basic — you’re not looking for a fancy pate here.
Matzo ball soup is another frugal comfort food, but getting the right matzo “dumpling” consistency is tricky. The New York Times published a nice, straightforward recipe, though I cook my matzo balls directly in the broth. If you’re in a pinch, use store-bought broth.
Happy eating!
Photos: renate valencia, word ridden
