22
SEPTEMBER 9, 2021
JEWISH EXPONENT
JEWISHEXPONENT.COM



L ifestyle /C ulture
Break the Fast with Italian Jewish Food
F OO D
the family enjoy Italian Jewish
food alongside bagels and
I’m in a mixed marriage.

lox with a schmear of cream
While my family emigrated cheese.

from the Ashkenazi heartland
of Germany and Lithuania, my JELLIED STRIPED BASS
husband David’s family came PAREVE
from Trieste, Italy. Like other Serves 6-8
Italian Jews, their cooking style
was influenced by local cuisine.

2 two-pound striped bass
This is particularly true when
1 small onion, coarsely
they break the Yom Kippur
diced fast.

1 carrot, coarsely diced
Both families break the fast
1-2 lemons, sliced
with a dairy meal. But that is
¼ teaspoon whole
where the similarities end. In
peppercorns spite of differences in expecta-
Kosher salt to taste
tions, I juggle everyone’s needs.

No-stick vegetable spray
Traditionally, my family
3-4 stalks of celery, cut into
has dashed to the dining
several lengths
table as soon as they returned
1 packet vegetable gelatin
from services to consume a
Several sprigs of Italian
huge bagels-and-lox spread as
parsley quickly as possible.

However, the Italian style
Equipment: a fish poacher,
of breaking the fast happens large steamer or a wok; and a
at a more leisurely pace. In the flat-bottomed, rimmed serving
living room, they start with dish approximately 11 inches
slices of challah and honey in diameter.

cake, served with either a cup
Order the fish: Ask the
of tea flavored with lemon or fishmonger to remove the
honey, sweet vermouth or a head, tail and bones, but leave
glass of wine. At our house, the skin on the striped bass.

we follow a modified version He should cut each fish into
of this, beginning with wine, two fillets (four fillets in all).

He should discard the gills but
crackers and cheese.

We serve jellied striped bass. send you home with the spine,
This appetizer is comparable to heads and tails.

In the bottom of a fish
gefilte fish, although it is made
from fresh fish, as opposed to poacher, wok or large steamer,
the popular option of buying place the onion, carrot, one
slice of lemon, peppercorns,
fish patties floating in a jar.

Like Italian cuisine in salt, fish heads, tails and bones.

general, Jewish cooking is Cover these ingredients with
laden with vegetables. Spinach water. Spray the poacher rack
is frequently incorporated into with nonstick spray and put
salads and hot dishes. Pumpkin it in place. If the fish heads
and other golden squashes are are too bulky, making the rack
traditional on Rosh Hashanah wobbly, cut them in half.

Place the celery on the rack.

and break-fast menus. Pureed
Place the fish fillets over them.

squash is whipped with onions
Cover the poacher with its lid
as a side dish. Fortunately,
these Italian recipes can be and bring the water to a boil.

Boil for 15-20 minutes. The
made ahead.

Not forsaking my roots, fish is cooked through when its
however, smoked fish remains meat flakes when pierced with
on our menu. Both sides of a knife point.

LINDA MOREL | JE FOOD COLUMNIST
JEWISHEXPONENT.COM Spinach and goat cheese salad 
gbh007 / iStock / Getty Images Plus
With two spatulas, carefully SPINACH AND GOAT CHEESE
¼ cup olive oil
move the fillets to a flat platter SALAD | DAIRY
¼ cup red wine vinegar
with a rim. Using a sharp Serves 6
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
knife, cut each fillet into 1½- to
Kosher salt to taste
1 pint cherry tomatoes
2-inch squares. From a lemon
Rinse the cherry tomatoes
slice, squeeze a drop or two
10-ounce package of triple
of lemon juice over each fish
under cold water and pat them
washed baby spinach
square. Lightly season with
dry on paper towels. Cut each
1 (4-ounce) package of
salt. Reserve.

tomato in half. Place them in
goat cheese crumbles
Add the vegetable gelatin to
(The Cheese Guy brand is
the ingredients in the poacher.

See Food, Page 24
certified kosher)
If most of the broth has boiled
away, add more water. Boil the
The 2021 Caroline Zelaznik Gruss and
broth and ingredients uncov-
Joseph S. Gruss Lecture in Talmudic Civil Law
ered for 10 minutes. Cool the
broth to warm.

Place a sieve over a large
mixing bowl. Pour the broth
Law and Personal Autonomy in Rabbinic Law
through the sieve. Then gently
pour the broth over the fish
MONDAY, fillets, making sure that this
SEPTEMBER 13, 2021
broth gets between all of
Πthem. They will be partially
5:30 PM
The University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School
submerged in broth. Discard
3501 Sansom Street
Dr. Ayelet
the fish parts and vegetables in
Individually packaged meals will be available
Hoffmann Libson
after the lecture for in-person guests. Dietary laws
the sieve.

2021-2022 will be observed. In-person registration is required
Gruss Professor
of Talmudic
Law for entrance into the building.

Cover tightly with plastic
wrap and refrigerate for 12 to
This program has been approved for 1.0 Substantive CLE credits for Pennsylvania lawyers. CLE credit may be available
in other jurisdictions as well. Attendees seeking CLE credit should make a payment via the online registration link in
24 hours. The broth should
the amount of $40.00 ($20.00 public interest/non-profit attorneys). In order to receive the appropriate amount of credit,
passwords provided throughout the program must be noted in your evaluation form.

become jellied, similar to that
Penn Law
Alumni receive
CLE credits free through The W.P. Carey Foundation’s generous commitment to Lifelong Learning.

in gefilte fish. When ready to
serve, place slices of lemon and
To RSVP, please e-mail Neoshie Giles at:
gilesne@law.upenn.edu sprigs of parsley over the fish.

Is the Value of Human Life
Paramount?: JEWISH EXPONENT
SEPTEMBER 9, 2021
23