food & dining
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Ukrainian Jewish Food:
Remember the
Past Through
Recipes LINDA MOREL | SPECIAL TO THE JE
W hen Russia’s barbaric
aggression against
Ukraine began, Jewish
aid organizations estimated that
200,000 Ukrainian Jews were inte-
grated into the life of that country,
making the Jewish community there
the third-largest in Europe and the
fi ft h-largest in the world.

Since March, Jews have fl ed in droves,
mostly to Israel. Feeling helpless, my
husband and I sent money through
the Jewish Federation. At Passover, we
placed a beetroot on our seder plate in
solidarity with the people of Ukraine.

Borscht, the gorgeous garnet-col-
ored soup, gets its radiant hue from
beets. Popular throughout Eastern
Europe, borscht was not only invented
in Ukraine but is its most famous food.

However, original recipes were made
from a bitter white root called borsh.

Poverty prompted this unpleasant soup
to become widespread.

But during the Renaissance, people
began preparing this recipe from much
22 MAY 12, 2022 | JEWISHEXPONENT.COM
sweeter beets, retaining the original name.

Eventually, Ukrainians of means added
beef, beans and vegetables to the recipe.

Jews created two diff erent kinds of
borscht: a thick, meat-based borscht
and a thinner vegetarian version to
which they added smetana, a sour
cream-like cheese. When Jews immi-
grated to America, vegetable borscht
was overshadowed by meat borscht.

Many celebrated Jewish foods have
their roots in Ukraine. Babka, the cake
baked in loaf pans in America, is baked
in high round pans in Ukraine. In both
Ukrainian and Yiddish, baba means
grandmother; babka means little
grandmother. Some say this tall cake
resembles grandma’s long skirt.

Many Ukrainian Jewish recipes are
well known to Ashkenazi Jews, par-
ticularly challah and stuff ed cabbage.

Made with nutty-fl avored buckwheat,
kasha varnishkes evolved into bow-
tie pasta fl avored with caramelized
onions. Oft en prepared with butter
and served with smetana, potato latkes
are beloved in Ukraine. Jews created an
oil-based version to eat with meat. Th is
popular dish is served at Chanukah
and throughout the year.

But there are some Ukrainian Jewish
foods unfamiliar to most Americans.

Carrot and zucchini muffi ns are pop-
ular at Passover but are eaten all year,
kotlety are meat patties stuff ed with
mushrooms and syrniki, cheese pan-
cakes, are a treasured treat.

Since the crisis in Ukraine began, I
have cooked these dishes as a tribute
to Ukrainian Jews forced from their
homeland by a cruel tyrant — a theme
that has replayed throughout Jewish
history. While it is unclear if Jews have
a future in Ukraine, I’m trying to keep
the memory of Jewish life there alive
through food.

Ukrainian Borscht American-
Style | Meat
Yield: 3 quarts
When you chop beets, your hands
turn red. I, therefore, rely on bot-
tled borscht, enhancing it so even a
Ukrainian grandmother would think
it’s homemade. The only way she’d
suspect the truth is that my hands
are not stained.

2 (32-ounce) bottles of borscht
(made from beets, not concentrate)
3 (14-ounce) cans beef stock
12 small pieces marrow bones
3 pounds short ribs for fl anken,
sliced lengthwise between the
bones 2 medium-sized potatoes, peeled
and diced
5 carrots, peeled and sliced into
circles 2 medium onions, diced
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 bay leaves
16 peppercorns
⅔ cup red wine vinegar
½ cup sugar
Kosher salt to taste
Three days before serving, place
all the ingredients in a large stockpot.

Simmer covered, stirring occasionally,
for one hour, or until the meat and
potatoes soften. Check the season-
ings. If it’s too sweet, add a bit more
vinegar. If it’s too tart, add a little sugar.

Refrigerate and skim the fat from
the top. Remove the bay leaves,
bones and peppercorns. Serve hot.




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Syrniki (Cheese Pancakes) |
Dairy Yield: Makes about 8 syrniki
Equipment: Preferably a stand
mixer fitted with the paddle attach-
ment or a large mixing bowl and
electric mixer
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⅓ cup flour, plus ⅓ cup
1 pound farmer cheese
2 eggs
⅓ cup sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
⅓ cup golden raisins
4-8 tablespoons vegetable oil, or
more if needed
Accompaniments: yogurt, sour
cream, preserves or berries
Place ⅓ cup of flour in a flat-bot-
tomed bowl. Arrange 2 layers of
paper towels on a platter. Reserve.

In the bowl of a stand mixer (or in a
large mixing bowl if using an electric
mixer), crumble the farmer cheese.

Add the eggs. Mix well until com-
bined. Add ⅔ cup of flour, sugar and
salt. Beat until the lumps disappear.

Gently mix in the raisins. Let it rest
for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat 4
tablespoons of oil on a medium-low
flame, adding more oil at any time, if
needed. Using a soup spoon, ladle a heap-
ing spoonful of pancake batter, and
drop it into the reserved flour. Gently
roll the batter around in the flour. Lift
the batter ball and, with your hands,
form it into a flat pancake. Shake off
as much excess flour as possible.

Move the pancake into the heated
oil. Repeat, but don’t put more than
4 pancakes into the skillet at a time.

Fry them until the bottom sides are
golden brown and firm. With a spat-
ula, flip them to the other side until
golden brown. Watch the pancakes
carefully as they burn easily. Move
them to paper towels to drain.

Before the second batch, you may
need to drain the oil from the pan as
it could be dusted with flour, which
may burn. If so, when cool, wipe out
the pan with paper towels, and start
again with another 4 tablespoons
of oil.

Serve immediately with yogurt or
sour cream, preserves and/or berries.

Kotlety (meat patties) with
Mushrooms | Meat
Yield 5-6 kotlety
Mushroom filling:
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 ounces mushrooms, diced fine
½ small onion, diced fine
Kosher salt to taste
1 garlic clove, minced
¼ cup breadcrumbs
In a medium-sized skillet, heat the
oil on a medium flame. Add the
mushrooms and onion. Sprinkle it
with salt, and sauté until the vege-
tables are wilted. Add the garlic and
stir. When the garlic is fragrant, add
the breadcrumbs and stir to combine
for one minute. Remove it from the
flame and reserve.

Kotlety: 1 pound ground turkey
½ small onion, diced fine
Kosher salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to
taste ½ cup flour
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
Place the turkey in a medium-sized
bowl. Add the onion, salt and pep-
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