Raisins and Almonds

Julius and Rebecca Garfield, an excerpt from our father's autobiography

This excerpt comes from the beginning of Sol L. Garfield's autobiography, written for the American Psychological Association.  

 
    My parents were both immigrants from Russian-Poland. They had met and married in Brooklyn, New York and had moved to Chicago a short time before my birth. They had migrated to the United States along with many other Jews from eastern Europe to escape the pogroms, discrimination, and general lack of opportunity existing in their native communities. To them, America was a land of opportunity for them and for their children.

    My parents both had relatively little formal education. From the accounts I can recall and from the fact that both of them emigrated alone before the age of 20, their formal education was the equivalent of our eighth grade. Then, as now, in Russia educational opportunities for Jewish students were limited. However, my parents placed a great value on education, and this attitude was one that I developed also.

    My father had learned to be a plumber and worked at this trade when he first came to the United States. However, he became a grocer early on and my earliest memories are of our grocery store and of our apartment in the same building. My father was a grocer in one store or another until I was 22 years old and within two years of my Ph.D. Our family was a closely knit one and both my sister, two years younger than I, and I, as well as my mother helped out in the family store as needed. 

This family photo probably dates from 1928

Cooking lessons with my mother-in-law

A change of course: from recipes to family history
After two years of sharing recipes, we have decided to change course and use this blog to record memories of our grandparents, Julius and Rebecca Garfield. Their story echoes the path of early 20th-century immigrants to the US, who brought their Eastern European culture across the Atlantic, while absorbing the new life in America. We begin our new series with a memoir of Rebecca's cooking, written by her daughter-in-law, our mother Amy, when she was about 85-years of age.

Cooking lessons with my mother-in-law, by Amy Garfield
    
“I never did any cooking before I came to America,” my new mother-in-law informed me one afternoon soon after her son Sol and I were married. “My grandmother did all the cooking at our home in Krynki, Poland, and our mother managed the household affairs and the care of eight children. The skill I was taught was sewing.”

“When I came to America at the age of seventeen I was able to get a job in a men’s clothing factory and didn’t need to learn to cook until I married Julius,” (my father-in-law.) “He taught me to cook, and everything I know about cooking I learned from him.”

She was a good pupil and developed a reputation for traditional Jewish cuisine. She boasted that she was famous for her matzo balls, her potato kugel, and above all, her gefilte fish.
At Sol’s request I used to watch her prepare these and other dishes so I could make them for him. I had to learn by watching because she could never tell me the exact quantities of ingredients to use. I tried very hard to do things just the way she did, but must have gone astray somewhere because Sol would complain, “it was never as good as Mother used to make.”

As I look back at her cuisine I realize that it was basically Hungarian. Take her preparation of chicken for example. She always bought a whole chicken because she loved getting things like lots of little eggs as yet unborn, oodles of chicken fat to render into “schmaltz”, and those hideous chicken feet that were her favorite. After she cut up the chicken she would start a soup with them. She would remove the chicken pieces at the right time and cover them with a tasty tomato sauce, and finish cooking them in the over. She also used the liver and gizzards and heart to make chopped liver—the invariable first course. One basic ingredient for that was “gribenes,” tiny pieces of crisp chicken fat cooked with onion and giving off a tantalizing aroma. I can almost smell it now as I recall its pungent quality.

Amy poses with her new mother- and father-in-law, December 25, 1945:

 

Best oatmeal raisin cookies ever!

[posted by Joan]


Last week when shopping with Rebecca, I started longing for a big, chewy oatmeal cookie. I saw some on display at Good Earth Restaurant and bakery, but alas, they were not vegan. I went online to search for a recipe to try at home, and immediately found this one From the Oh She Glows website:

The Ultimate Vegan Oatmeal Raisin Cookie

http://ohsheglows.com/2010/09/11/the-ultimate-vegan-oatmeal-raisin-cookie/

It sounded intriguing: ground toasted walnuts, kamut flour, almond milk, maple syrup. I got out the ingredients and set to work. However, I did nor realize until I started reading the recipe that it called for a food processor, and mine was broken. So, I used a high speed blender instead. Next time, I’ll make it in my Cuisinart, which should be easier.
I followed the recipe exactly, except for using coconut sugar instead of sucanat. And the verdict: the best, chewiest, most flavorful oatmeal raisin cookies I ever tasted!
Here is my modified version of the recipe.

Ingredients:
• 1 & 3/4 cups walnuts, toasted
• 2 cups regular oats, divided
• 3/4 cup Kamut flour
• 1/2 cup coconut sugar
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
• 2 tbsp almond milk
• 3-1/2 tbsp coconut oil
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 2/3 cup raisins
• Note: adding chocolate chips and some flaked coconut would also be delicious!

Directions: Preheat oven to 350F line two cookies sheets with parchment paper.
Place thewalnuts on one baking sheet. Toast walnuts in oven for about 10-12 minutes, until golden in color. Watch carefully so as not to burn. When walnuts are toasted remove from oven and cool for a few minutes. Dump walnuts into food processor and process until just finely ground, no more. In a medium sized bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, 1 cup oats, cinnamon, and coconut sugar. Now add the dry ingredients to the food processor and process for about 20-30 seconds until mixed. In a small bowl add the coconut oil and microwave for 20 seconds to soften (if necessary). In the same bowl, stir in the maple syrup, almond milk, and vanilla, and pour into food processor. Process until the mixture is thoroughly combined. Remove bowl from processor and dump contents into a large bowl. Mix in the remaining 1 cup of oats by stirring or with hands. Fold in the 2/3 cup of raisins. Take about 2 tbsp of dough, make a ball, and then flatten with fingers. Place on cookie sheets. Repeat. Bake for 10 minutes at 350F and no longer. Remove from oven and let sit on baking sheet for 2 minutes before placing onto a cooling rack for 10-15 minutes. Makes about 16 large cookies.

Orange–scented, chocolate chip oatmeal cookies

[posted by Ann]

Having withdrawal pangs from the previous week’s triple ginger cookies, but not enough powdered ginger left for another batch, I turned to oatmeal cookies, using a blend of 3 different flours, 3 different shortenings, and 3 different sweeteners, along with grated orange zest and dark chocolate chips. The results were equally addictive. This recipe is based on "Big and chewy oatmeal raisin cookies," from the Cooks Illustrated Cookbook. (But mine were a crispy medium-size, with chocolate chips instead of raisins.)

Preheat oven to 350
Line metal or ceramic baking sheet with parchment paper

Mix the dry ingredients in bowl:
¾ cup flour mix—I used ½ cup whole wheat pastry flour, ¼ cup all purpose flour, and 2 tablespoons spelt flour
1 tablespoon ground almonds or almond flour
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon nutmeg

Cream the shortening and sugars, using an electric mixer (hand or stand) in a larger bowl at medium speed:

4 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons coconut oil
1-tablespoon olive oil
¼ cup turbinado sugar
¼ cup coconut sugar
1-tablespoon dark (grade B) maple syrup

When shortening and sugars are well-blended and creamy, beat in one egg and mix until incorporated. With the mixer at low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients until just combined, don’t over mix.

Stir in the final additions by hand, using a Swedish whisk or rubber spatula:

1-1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats,
¾ cup bittersweet chocolate chips (I used 70% ),
grated zest of one orange plus (optional) a scant ½ tsp minced candied orange zest (added because I had homemade candied peel already).

Forming the cookies:

Drop 1 tablespoon-size balls of dough about 2 inches apart, they will flatten and spread. Bake until starting to darken around the edges, about 24 minutes. If browning unevenly, turn the pans halfway through. Cool on baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a board or rack. The cookies will firm and become crisp.

Unforgettable triple-ginger cookies

 

[posted by Ann] 

The unforgettable flavor comes from three different forms of ginger, enhanced with more spices and the fragrant zest of Meyer lemon. This recipe is based on Triple Ginger Cookies from Heidi Swanson’s blog, 101 Cookbooks. I mader a few substitutions for ingredients that I didn’t have, and now I will probably always want to repeat this version. 

Dry ingredients for dough:

2 cups light flour (spelt and/or whole-wheat pastry, white whole-wheat flour, or all-purpose; I used half whole-wheat pastry flour and half spelt flour.)

2 tablespoons ground almonds

1 tsp baking soda

1 teaspoon Chinese 5-spice powder

½ teaspoon nutmeg (Penzey’s West Indies is perfect)

4-1/2 tsp ground ginger

½ tsp fine sea salt

Ingredients for wet dough

½ cup shortening: I used equal parts butter, coconut oil, and olive oil

¼ cup dark (Grade B) maple syrup

½ cup natural unrefined sweetener, (Alter Eco’s Moscobado sugar is my favorite)—reserve two teaspoons to mince with the crystallized ginger and lemon zest)

1-1/2 tablespoon FRESH ginger root, peeled and grated

1 egg, well-beaten

Ginger/lemon mix

1 cup crystallized ginger

zest of 1 Meyer lemon (in strips)

Finishing sugar

 Approximately ½ cup turbinado or other large-grain, unrefined sugar (final surface embellishment) in a low dish or prep bowl –not part of the dough mixture

 

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet or ceramic pan with parchment paper.

Whisk flour, ground almonds, baking soda, 5-spice powder, ground ginger, nutmeg, and salt in a large bowl.

In a food processor or mini-prep, pulverize the crystallized ginger along with the lemon zest and 2 teaspoons of the sugar. Process until the ginger and zest are finely minced.

Heat shortening in a saucepan until just melted. Remove from heat. Stir in maple syrup, remaining sugar, and fresh ginger root. Let cool briefly until mixture is warm rather than hot, then whisk in the egg.

Add this wet mix to the dry ingredients, then add the crystallized ginger-lemon zest mixture, and stir until just combined, with no sticky clumps.

To form each cookie, take up a ball of dough, about 1 rounded teaspoon, and press the top into the turbinado sugar, making a small, round, 2-inch cookie. Bake for about 10 minutes, until the cookies are puffed and the dough has cracked on top. The cookies will be very soft to the touch but they firm up after sitting out a bit. Don’t be tempted to over bake!

 

Here is a link to the original recipe: http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/triple-ginger-cookies-recipe.html

Gingerbread with fresh ginger: safe for vegans

 

[posted by Ann]

One of the easiest cake recipes I know is an applesauce chocolate cake with no butter or eggs. But it always fell short of the mark on chocolate flavor although the texture was heavenly, light and moist.  I tweaked the basic recipe to make a cocoa-enhanced gingerbread, with excellent results, perhaps on account of these three ingredients: grated fresh ginger, coconut milk-roasted applesauce, and hard apple cider.   

Ingredients

Wet mix:

1 cup applesauce (see note 1)

¼ cup dark molasses

grated fresh ginger from a 3-inch piece

1 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp nutmeg

½ tsp ground ginger or cardamom

1 teaspoon grated orange zest or finely minced dried orange peel

1/3 cup mild vegetable oil such as grapeseed

¼ cup coffee liqueur or strong coffee

1 tbsp vinegar

 

Dry mix

1-1/2 cup flour (see note 2)

½ cup turbinado, unrefined or brown sugar

1/4 cup unsweetened dark cocoa

1 tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

 

Final ingredient: ½ cup hard apple cider or sparkling cider

 

Line a baking pan (8-inch square or equivalent 5x9 inch rectangle) with parchment paper and brush lightly with oil). Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

1. Mix dry ingredients in a 4-cup measure or mixing bowl.  If cocoa has clumps, sift through a strainer.

2. Mix the wet ingredients together in 2-cup measure or medium bowl, whisk until well blended.

3. Add the wet mix to the bowl with the dry ingredients. When mixed in, add the apple cider and blend quickly.

4. Bake for about 35 minutes.

Delicious warm from the oven and equally good at room temperature the next day. 

Notes:

1. Applesauce: Make the applesauce in advance—cook cored, quartered apples in some coconut milk (1/2 to 1 cup depending on the quantity of apples) with a pinch of salt, until soft.  Cook the applesauce on the stovetop or roast in the oven.  Puree in a Vitamix or food processor. A Vitamix will even pulverize the peel.  Probably best to peel the apples if pureeing with a food processor.  Alternative strategy—cook down a cup of regular applesauce with ½ cup of coconut milk to get about 1 cup. Or simply use ¾ cup applesauce with ¼ cup coconut milk. The coconut milk enhances the quality of the cake.

2. Flour: I had good luck with 1 cup all purpose flour, ¼ cup spelt flour, scant ¼ cup whole wheat pastry flour, and 1 tablespoon fine pecan meal.  I have been disappointed with a bitter taste when using only the whole wheat pastry flour from a local farm.

 

Chocolate Biscuit Cake

 

[Posted by Joan]

Today  was a glorious day, full of sunlight, color, and falling leaves. I felt giddy with joy as I rode the bus home from the Y, feeling the ease of my  muscles after yoga, a  run and a swim. I felt the anticipation of an afternoon at home, to take care of postponed tasks like moving my winter clothes out of the cedar closet. And I decided to cook something fun and sweet--that was also somewhat healthy.

I chose Chocolate Biscuit cake.  I first tried this confection in Ireland, after buying a square of it at the Dublin farmer’s market in Temple Bar. It looked like a chewy, fruit and nut-filled cookie bar. But when I bit into it I had a  jolt of surprise. It was hard and crumbly/crunchy. It was made of solid milk chocolate, raisins, nuts and crumbled biscuits (rich tea cookies). Although the bar was very sweet, I nibbled away at it for a day or two, and decided I liked it. A year later I saw Chocolate Biscuit cake bars for sale in the Dingle Farmers’ Market, and it reminded me of how I wanted to try making my own version.

   I decided to make  a somewhat healthier version than the one in Ireland.  Instead of tea biscuits I would use digestive biscuits (like a whole grain graham cracker). And I would use good dark chocolate instead of  milk chocolate.      I found a recipe online (I searched for vegan  Chocolate Biscuit Cake http://www.vegancampaigns.org.uk/resources/recipes/chocolate-biscuit-cake) and made a few substitutions (organic coconut oil for margarine, honey for golden syrup, pecans for walnuts). I also added some vanilla.

The recipe goes together quickly and requires no baking, just melting the chocolate, oil and honey together, then mixing in the rest. The mixture is poured into a greased loaf pan to chill for four hours. When finished, it can be sliced and served.

Here are the ingredients I used:

 

 

 Irish Chocolate Biscuit Cake

• 4½ oz (125g) organic coconut oil
• 2½ oz (75g) honey
• 7 oz (200g) bittersweet chocolate  (I used large chips)
• 3 oz (60g)  digestive biscuits (I used Jacobs, bought in Ireland) I used more than the original recipe as the batter seemed too thin, graham crackers are an alternate.
• 2 oz (60g) whole pecans or walnuts
• 2 oz (60g) sultanas (golden raisins)
• 1½ oz (40g) dates  
• 1 tsp vanilla
• Next time I will add a pinch of salt or sprinkle with al ittle flaked sea salt

1. Grease loaf tin (8” x 4”).
2. Combine and melt together the oil, honey and chocolate, stirring until smmoth.
3. Break up the biscuits into large chunks,  and add to the chocolate, along with the dried fruit and nuts and vanilla.
4.   Mix well.
5. Spread into the pan and smooth the top.
6. Chill  for 4 hours. Then slice and serve.

 Here is the finished cake out of the pan:

 

Goes well with a good cup of dark coffee!  And is the perfect complement to a beautiful fall day!

The Red Jacket sparkler--a fall libation

 

[Posted by Ann]

I had two new beverages in the fridge and decided to mix them together. Red Jacket is an apple-black currant fruit juice, and Fevertree ginger beer is a less-sweet, bracing ginger soda. About equal parts of each produced a wonderfully zingy yet fruity concoction. But with the addition of a splash of Makers Mark bourbon, this drink became immortal, and so I christened it the Red Jacket sparkler. 

Amy’s simple salad vinaigrette

[Posted by Ann] Our mother  Amy was born in 1922 and lived through the Great Depression. She passed away May 5, 2013, barely a month short of her 91st birthday. Her cooking was simple and practical. She taught us to make a dinner salad at a young age  because in our house, the child who set the table was expected to make the salad too.  

Throughout her adult life, salad and "rabbit food" were her favorite things to eat. This photo dates from 1948. It was  taken in a Connecticut farmhouse kitchen. Behind her stand ceramic oil and vinegar bottles that were part of a lovely canister set, with the hand- painted look of Stangl pottery.   

 The daily salad contained iceberg lettuce, carrots, celery, cucumber and tomato, and was dressed with made-from-scratch vinaigrette. Here is Amy’s 20th century recipe (ca 1956), followed by my twenty-first century variation.  This was originally posted on Food52 for a Mother's Day theme in 2010. 

Amy’s recipe, ca 1956

• iceberg lettuce, torn or shredded
• thinly sliced carrot, cucumber, celery
• tomato cut into eighths.
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup white or cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

1. Put the vegetables in a wooden salad bowl.
2. Pour the dressing ingredients on top
3. Toss until vegetables and salad dressing are well mixed

Ann's twenty-first century, updated version

• Lettuce from the farmer’s market
• Crisp seasonal vegetables, shredded or diced: radish, cucumber, turnip, parsnip, carrot, beet
• Fresh garden tomato or seasonal fruit (strawberries in spring, apple, pear, or citrus fruit sections in late fall and winter)
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup Balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon maple syrup
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1. Whisk the dressing ingredients in the bottom of a wooden salad bowl.
2. Add the vegetables and fruits.
3. Mix until all ingredients are well coated with the vinaigrette.

Massaged kale Chips

 

[Posted by Joan]
     I recently learned about massaged kale, who knew? I had a massaged kale salad that a friend made and the greens were softer, more tender, but not wilted. My friend had massaged olive oil into the greens, added a little more with lemon juice as a dressing, topped it with sliced pears and toasted walnuts, and we had had a delicious salad. A few days later my hair stylist told me that she massages kale to make kale chips. My daughter told me she massaged coconut oil into kale before roasting it. I couldn’t wait any longer; I had to try this new technique. My goal was to try to replicate the delicious kale chips I have found at local stores that are a raw food product, seasoned with Mexican spices or a cheesy flavor from nutritional yeast. I set about to make my own.
     First, I took a nice bunch of curly kale (I was told this was the best type to use for the chips) and washed, dried and tore it into small pieces, removing some of the bigger ribs. Next I took about 2 TBSP of coconut oil and began to massage it into the kale pieces. It was quite nice to do this, as I felt the kale pieces become softer and more pliable, and also become even more vibrant green in color. Next I sprinkled on Celtic sea salt, freshly ground black pepper, powdered garlic and onion, and some nutritional yeast. I massaged these seasonings in as well. Next I spread the coated kale pieces on a large rimmed sheet pan and placed it in a preheated 350 degree oven. After about 10 minutes I could smell the savory aroma of garlic and onion and I checked on their progress. When they were crisp to the touch but not overly well done (or burned) I removed the pan. The chips were delicious, crisp and flavorful, and quickly became addictive. I left the remaining chips that we did not eat on a plate on the counter to finish today, knowing if I put them in a closed container they would quickly become soft. Next time I think I will sprinkle some chipotle powder on them as well