Hamentashen and other tasty treats

This weekend, we are approaching one of my favorite holidays. Purim is a holiday of utmost celebration… not to mention the holiday of getting so incredibly wasted on wine that you don’t know what the difference between good and evil are. There is so much substance to this holiday, even though we consider it a children’s holiday, partially due to the dressing up and the carnivals that are associated with it.

There are so many interpretations of this holiday that it’s enough to make your head spin. There is the fact that Purim is the exact opposite of Yom Kippur (in fact, in Hebrew, Yom Kippur is often referred to as Yom HaKippurim, so the opposite of the holiday). There are interpretations of the Purim story itself, and all the fascinating traditions that come with it… and, of course, the wine and the food

The truth is that when it comes to Purim, there are a lot of good things. But my favorite is the hamentashen. These amazing cookies are so delicious – a shortbread-like cookie surrounding the deliciousness of whatever filling you choose. I personally am not as big of a fan of poppyseed as other people are, but if you put a raspberry, cherry, apricot or strawberry hamentashen near me, I am a little mushball. I can’t resist the flavor. I have heard rumors that the hamentashen have significance for women, but I don’t know what it is. All I know is I can’t get enough.

So, in honor of the hamentashen, I am saluting some of my other fave Jewish foods, whether they’re Sephardic, Ashkenazi or whatever. They are some of the best things ever. Yes, they even rank with lamb bacon:

BAGELS: Before I continue on with this, I must add that I am very particular about my bagels. I don’t eat certain brands due to the fact that their bagels aren’t, in my mind, true bagels. Rather, they are breads shaped like bagels, meant to confuse clueless Americans who don’t really know what a real bagel is. But when you find the perfect onion bagel – with a wonderfully chewy texture and the perfect flavor that melts in your mouth without anything else needed, not even cream cheese – it’s like heaven.

BORECAS: Yes, I do like the Israeli variety, and they are mondo-tasty filled with potato, cheese or spinach. But sorry, Israelis: my grandmother’s borecas could not be beat. Instead of the flaky dough, she used a straight pastry dough, and she used to turn up the sides ever-so-slightly to make them look super-pretty. I’m still yet to learn how to make them. So, mom, if you’re reading this, we need to learn how!

LOX: No, I don’t love cream cheese. But lox is amazing, not to mention the source of many of Ari’s insanely terrible jokes. I think of it as the Jews’ version of sashimi: raw, smoky and going with almost anything. During a bagel brunch, I will have my traditional bagel with onion and butter (and dodge Jewish culinary bullets) and just eat the lox straight.

CHICKEN SOUP: Seriously, how good is it? So delicious, whether it’s a Friday night or you’re sick. Mind you, mine isn’t like the Ashkenazi version (see my recipe for chicken soup here).

HUMMUS AND FALAFEL: Ah, yes, two more foods that I’m insanely particular about. The hummus has got to be the smoothest thing, so creamy that it just is pure flavor. I love the Sabra brand that you can buy in the grocery store, but if you want to order a great one at a restaurant in Los Angeles, Aroma on Sunset and Martel can’t be beat. As for falafel, I find some varieties to be too strong. Thank G-d for places like Open Sesame in Long Beach, where you can have great falafel and not be cleaned out.

RYE BREAD: Why is rye bread Jewish? Why is the sky blue? While you contemplate that, I’ll take some of your rye bread and have it with some delicious corned beef or even as a cheese toast (but, obviously, not at the same time).

FRITTADA: In Spanish cooking, it’s a baked omlette. In our Sephardic tradition, it’s a delicious matzah, veggie and cheese dish. We usually use zucchini or spinach, and there’s a joke in the family that one version comes out better than the other. I like the squash better, and I am considering making it for Passover this year.

SUTLACH: This is my grandmother’s traditional rice pudding, and it is, was and always will be heavenly dessert, better than any rice pudding you would ever order. However, there are great debates in my family about it. My cousin David is convinced that no one can make it like my grandmother. My cousin Lorrie says she’s close. I have made it twice – once it was too thin, the next time it was too thick. However, I have gotten the flavor down and am close to nailing the recipe. My father doesn’t believe me. One Rosh Hashana, I’m going to totally surprise everyone and get the recipe right – and you heard it here first.

And on that note, I wish you all a hearty Shabbat Shalom and Purim Sameach filled with wine and, of course, hamentashen!