Shavuot, “The Feast of Weeks,” celebrates the harvest of first fruits and commemorates the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai. It is celebrated seven weeks after the first day of Passover, marking the end of the seven-week counting period of the Omer. This year, the holiday begins after sundown on June 1; it ends at nightfall on June 3 in the Diaspora, though it lasts just one day in Israel.
I was rifling through books of recipes recently, looking for something different, and I came upon The Settlement Cook Book: The Way to a Man’s Heart, a tome I rescued from a collection that I had placed aside for donation. Memories came flooding back. It was one of my shower gifts, long before the aid of food processors and all the various gadgets now available to save time, money and effort. As a young Scottish bride, it was a book I referred to constantly. It demonstrated how ingredients found in the United States could be incorporated into not only my mother’s Jewish dishes but also those of the massive immigration of Eastern Europeans flooding into America.
The Settlement Cook Book is a compelling read (though admittedly, the subtitle brings a chuckle). It was the brainchild of Elizabeth (“Lizzie”) Black Kander. Born in 1858 to German Jewish parents who were founding members of Congregation Emanu-El B’ne Jeshurun in Milwaukee a decade earlier, she grew up influenced in reconciling religion with progressive ideas. In 1881, she married Simon Kander; she had met him through their involvement in school reform.
When few young women worked outside the home, Lizzie did. She served as a truancy officer, seeing firsthand the deplorable living conditions of Russian immigrant families in the Milwaukee area. She refused to accept social reform as essentially Christian.
In 1900, she joined with a Jewish Sisterhood to establish a settlement house where she taught classes to help educate and Americanize immigrant women. But the greatest success was within Jewish communities oriented toward getting ahead through education. And that meant culinary knowledge, too—melding Old World-style ingredients and kosher-food handling with what could be found in their new country.
Kander, who lived to the age of 82, was a visionary. She pondered the idea of using her experience for the benefit of others. “Why not a cookbook? Not just recipes, but advice on good health, food storage, nutrition and housekeeping,” she was said to have thought. It could be used as a tool to help immigrant women better adapt to American life.
Besides, money was needed to keep the settlement house funded. Its board of directors, however, refused to provide the $18 needed to print the cookbook. “They didn’t think the work I was doing for young women was worth spending time or money on, much less publishing a book,” she said in an interview. “But I’ve known since a young age that men have a tendency of being wrong.”
Undaunted, Kander approached Metron Yewdale, a Milwaukee printer who agreed to undertake the work. The costs were supported by selling advertisements for household items like baking soda and clothing. It paid off. The first Settlement Cook Book was published in 1901, and 1,000 copies sold out within a year. More than 40 subsequent editions, totaling 2 million copies, followed the original edition. My copy includes more than 3,000 recipes, as well as information compiled in sections titled Emergency Housekeeping; Marketing Guide; Invalid Cookery; Daily Meal Planning; and Your Budget.
The Shavuot recipes below, with updated shortcuts, are inspired by the Settlement Cook Book. Most ingredients for each recipe can already be found in your pantry or fridge, and the dishes can be made year-round, not just for the holiday. (There is one standard, fail-proof chicken dish that works for Shabbat dinner.) Serve the super-easy Creamy Spaghetti with fresh herbs, along with a fresh fruit salad. Quinoa was not a familiar ingredient in Eastern Europe, though it’s an appropriate addition to the Shavuot table. The recipe for Ricotta Cheese Cake, a family favorite of mine, was generously shared by Theresa Morrone, a friend in Florida. It’s a lighter version of the denser, New York-style cheesecake most Jewish families are accustomed to this time of year.
‘Milchik’ Borscht (Dairy)
Serves 4-6
Cook’s Tips:
*Cooked beets are available in the supermarket. Grate them on the large side of a grater. There’s no need to use a food processor.
*Citric acid, extracted from citrus and other acidic fruits or a byproduct of metabolizing sucrose or glucose, was used in the original recipe. You can substitute sour salt, available in most markets, or use lemon juice or vinegar.
Ingredients:
1 package (about 8.8 ounces) cooked beets, grated
1½ cups water
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice or to taste
1 tablespoon sugar or to taste
pinch of salt
1 cup sour cream
fresh or dried dill as garnish (optional)
Directions:
In a bowl, combine the beets, water, lemon juice, sugar to taste and salt. Mix well. Whisk in the sour cream.
Sprinkle with dried or fresh dill (optional).
Chill and serve.
Chicken With Mushrooms and Carrots (Meat)
Serves 4-6
Cook’s Tips:
*In the original recipe, mushrooms are boiled for 5 minutes in salted water before adding to the chicken.
*This recipe is heavy on salt. Use to taste.
Ingredients:
1 (3½ pound) fryer-boiler chicken, cut up
1 to 2 teaspoons salt
garlic powder
paprika
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 medium onion, sliced
12 to 15 baby carrots, sliced in half lengthwise
⅓ cup vegetable broth
1 pound fresh mushrooms, washed, patted dry and sliced
2 green onions, trimmed and cut into half-inch pieces
Directions:
Sprinkle chicken pieces with salt, garlic and paprika.
In a large deep skillet, heat vegetable oil over medium heat. Add the chicken and onion. Brown lightly on all sides. Add the carrots and broth. Cover and simmer over a low heat for 30 minutes or until tender.
Add the mushrooms and green onions. Simmer for 15 minutes longer.
Adjust seasoning to taste.
Creamy Spaghetti With Fresh Herbs (Dairy)
Serves 6-8
Cook’s Tips:
*Any fresh herbs may be substituted for parsley and chives.
*To reheat leftovers, stir in a little more milk, cover and microwave at high for 2 to 3 minutes.
Ingredients:
1 box (16 ounces) spaghetti, cooked and drained according to package directions
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3 teaspoons bottled chopped garlic
8 ounces whipped cream cheese, softened
¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup snipped fresh parsley, lightly packed
⅓ cup snipped chives, lightly packed
½ to ¾ cup milk
freshly ground black pepper to taste
Directions:
Place hot spaghetti in a large bowl. Set aside.
Heat the oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring for 30 seconds. Stir into the spaghetti.
Add the softened cream cheese, parmesan cheese, parsley and chives. Stir in enough milk to make a soft mixture.
Turn into a serving bowl, sprinkle with a few grinds of black pepper.
Serve hot.
Quinoa Vegetable Salad (Pareve)
Serves 6-8
Cook’s Tips:
*Native to South America, quinoa is grown mainly for its seeds, which are high in protein, fiber and minerals. It’s a complete protein containing all nine essential amino acids. And it’s gluten-free.
*Quinoa is bitter. Before cooking, place in a mesh strainer and rinse thoroughly under cold running water for at least 30 seconds. Shake to remove any water. Cook as directed in recipe.
*To make this recipe vegan, substitute maple syrup for honey in the dressing.
*Quinoa may be cooked 1 to 2 days ahead of time, refrigerated and then ready to use.
Ingredients:
1 cup dried quinoa, rinsed
2 cups water
½ cucumber, diced
1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained
1 red or yellow bell pepper, diced
1½ cups diced frozen peas and carrots, cooked
1 cup grated carrots
½ cup coarsely chopped walnuts
½ cup dried cranberries
½ cup fresh mint, snipped finely
For the Dressing: Mix ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, ¼ cup white vinegar, 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard, 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, ½ teaspoon honey and ½ teaspoon salt or to taste. Place in a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Shake well. Use at room temperature.
Directions:
Place rinsed quinoa and 2 cups of water in a medium saucepan. Place over medium heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low.
Simmer slowly and cook uncovered until all liquid is absorbed, about 10 to 15 minutes.
Remove from heat. Let rest for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and transfer to a large bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and stir lightly.
Pour the dressing over and toss to mix.
Serve chilled.
Carrot Pudding Cake (Pareve)
Serves 4-6
Cook’s Tips:
*Quick to make and bake, this moist pudding cake has a crisp crust. It freezes well.
*An 8×8-inch baking dish works well instead of a round 7-inch baking pan.
Ingredients:
¾ cup pareve margarine, softened
½ cup brown sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1½ cups grated carrots
2 tablespoons of lemon juice
1 teaspoon ground ginger
¼ cup raisins (optional)
1¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Spray a 7-inch round baking pan with nonstick baking spray.
In a large bowl, cream the margarine and sugar until fluffy. Add the eggs, carrots, lemon juice, ginger and raisins (if using).
Stir in the flour, about ½ cup at a time. Add the baking powder, soda and salt with last addition.
Transfer the mixture into the prepared baking pan.
Bake in preheated oven 35 to 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Serve hot or at room temperature. If serving a dairy meal, top with a scoop of ice-cream.
Theresa’s Ricotta Cheese Cake (Dairy)
Serves 15-18
Cook’s Tips:
*Drain the ricotta cheese through cheesecloth if liquidy or very wet.
*Prepared pie-crust pastry may be used instead of graham-cracker crust.
Ingredients:
2 to 3 tablespoons butter
⅓ cup of graham-cracker crumbs
8 large eggs, separated
2 cups sugar, divided
3 pounds ricotta cheese, drained
½ cup all-purpose flour, sifted
grated rind of 1 lemon (optional)
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ cup cream, whipped stiffly
Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Grease a 12-inch springform pan generously with butter. Sprinkle graham-cracker crumbs over top.
In a large bowl, whisk the egg whites with a half-cup of sugar until stiff. Set aside.
In a separate bowl, beat ricotta until smooth, gradually adding remaining 1½ cups sugar and the egg yolks. Beat well after each addition.
Add the flour, lemon rind (if using) and vanilla, beating well.
Fold in the whipped egg whites and cream into the ricotta mixture. Transfer to the prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes.
Lower the temperature to 350 degrees and bake for 1 hour. Turn off the heat and allow the cheesecake to cool in the oven with the door closed.
Serve with strawberries or fruit compote on top.
Ethel G. Hofman is a widely syndicated American Jewish food and travel columnist, author and culinary consultant.