Kreplach. Only with soup?

[stuart_s]

I know that I'm allowed to eat kreplach however I please, but I'm curious about the culture and history. I'm mainly interested in the meat filled version. I understand (thanks Wikipedia!) that other fillings are used for kreplach as part of the Purim celebration, but that's not exactly what I'm looking for. Did our great-grandparents have a dozen different ways to serve kreplach which have since been lost as we've assimilated? Or have kreplach always been tied to soup?

Did your family eat them in some other preparation? Is there a contemporary tradition of eating kreplach without soup that I'm oblivious to?

Edited March 5, 2012 by stuart_s (log)

[SusieQ]

I know that I'm allowed to eat kreplach however I please, but I'm curious about the culture and history. I'm mainly interested in the meat filled version. I understand (thanks Wikipedia!) that other fillings are used for kreplach as part of the Purim celebration, but that's not exactly what I'm looking for. Did our great-grandparents have a dozen different ways to serve kreplach which have since been lost as we've assimilated? Or have kreplach always been tied to soup?

Did your family eat them in some other preparation? Is there a contemporary tradition of eating kreplach without soup that I'm oblivious to?

OK, what is it? Guess I'll have to look it up. I'm guessing it's some kind of dumpling. Please excuse my ignorance.

[stuart_s]

Yes, it's exactly a dumpling. It's a lot like a ravioli. According to wikipedia, the kreplach may have been inspired by the stuffed pasta of Venice.

I dug a little deeper into the google search results and found some interesting information. Regarding my original question, I found a restaurant that serves them fried with caramelized onions.

Harold's New York Deli is interesting in its own right. It's a deli that serves Taylor ham. And Chinese restaurant style bbq pork.

So, there's at least someone out there serving kreplach without the soup, but is it some crazy thing he though up or did he learn it from his zayde?

[NancyH]

Stuart - were you inspired by Ruhlman's post or have you not yet seen it? I have the cookbook he mentions; I'll check it out when I get home.

[Pam R]

As far as I know, the meat filled kreplach were usually served with soup. It was a great way for our peasant ancestors to stretch any leftover meat and make it into another meal. My father says that his mother would occasionally brown them in oil to be eaten on their own, but that was rare.

Cheese filled, on the other hand, are often served boiled and then browned in butter. With lots of sour cream. At least around these parts.

BTW, here's a link to a kreplach tutorial I did for eGCI a few years ago: Kreplach link

[rooftop1000]

So thats what I have been making LOL...

I had the idea to take leftover Saurbratten (not enough for another meal) and stuff it into wonton skins. I served the dumplings in a broth of carmelized onions and beef stock with a touch of sour cream. Even with the wonton skins it takes so long to make enough for dinner.

tracey