Cholent

Suzanne F · March 15, 2004

My mother's Passover "noodles" were indeed julienne omelet. Although she might have added a smidge of matzo or cake meal for body.

Gifted Gourmet · March 15, 2004

My mother's Passover "noodles" were indeed julienne omelet. Although she might have added a smidge of matzo or cake meal for body.

My first experience with kosher l'Pesach imitation noodles some years ago was disastrous! Dropped them into the soup and they disintegrated ... only evidence that I had put them in? White "powdery" goop on the bottom ... this year I see they have reinvented the concept ... a few wheat pastas now available ... me? I'll do without pasta for the full eight days, thank you! :rolleyes:

Comfort Me · March 15, 2004

I second the idea of alternate spices -- cumin, coriander, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, ginger, garlic. We always tuck some pastrami ends in, along with everything else.

I like using lamb, and include prunes and olives when I do. And I rarely use flanken -- my wife thinks it is too fatty -- and only a tablespoon of olive oil. Once had some wonderful goat ribs, which were terrific. I always tuck a few eggs in the cholent.

When I make cholent, I usually make kubbanah, a bread spiced with charnushka and anise, which bakes through the night on until lunch.

Fat Guy · March 17, 2004

Rabbi Ribeye does cholent, in The Daily Gullet.

Gifted Gourmet · March 18, 2004

Thank you, Fat Guy, for offering us yet another opportunity to enjoy the tastes of Olam Haba which Rabbi Ribeye so generously lavishes upon our minds and souls, and, yes, tongues!

It is entirely fitting that it should come on St. Patrick's Day as I clear the last scraps of corned beef and cabbage from my Irish "tisch" and right before I begin the search for the myriad delights of Pesach .... hunting the dreaded chametz ... :hmmm:

when the chilling, blustery winds of July and August in Atlanta, Georgia blow, I will, with great delight, whip up a batch of Wilson's cholent and wash it down with an ice cold Extra Heavy Malaga by Mogen David with a dash of seltzer (see Elaine May in "A New Leaf") ... :laugh:

Edited March 18, 2004 by Gifted Gourmet (log)

bloviatrix · March 18, 2004

As always, an inspired piece. I found myself laughing with recognition.

Gifted Gourmet · March 18, 2004

This has to be one of the best lines I have read to date:

Theologians have propounded that one's ability to awaken after Saturday afternoon's cholent-induced coma is definitive proof of the doctrine of resurrection.

:laugh:

jackal10 · March 18, 2004

The good Rabbi's report, while wonderful, omits the Sephardic variants.

Where are the Dafina's, the hamins (Spain) , the skhana (Morocco), the Khalebi (Iran), the Maote (Kurdistan), the Ferik (Egypt with green whest), and the Harissa's of Yemen?

And has the introduction of time clocks on stoves led to the decline of cholent?

Suzanne F · March 18, 2004

The good Rabbi's report, while wonderful, omits the Sephardic variants.
Where are the Dafina's, the hamins (Spain) , the skhana (Morocco), the Khalebi (Iran), the Maote (Kurdistan), the Ferik (Egypt with green whest), and the Harissa's of Yemen?

Ah well, I guess he writes what he knows. But you've definitely piqued my interest. Would you be willing to expound on any or all of these? Pretty please?

And has the introduction of time clocks on stoves led to the decline of cholent?

Do you mean because now one can put something in the oven, and set the clock to start and stop cooking later so that whatever is being cooked need not cook for 18 or more hours? Hmm, interesting question. Gifted Gourmet? Bloviatrix? any thoughts?

jackal10 · March 18, 2004

The good Rabbi's report, while wonderful, omits the Sephardic variants.
Where are the Dafina's, the hamins (Spain) , the skhana (Morocco), the Khalebi (Iran), the Maote (Kurdistan), the Ferik (Egypt with green whest), and the Harissa's of Yemen?
Ah well, I guess he writes what he knows. But you've definitely piqued my interest. Would you be willing to expound on any or all of these? Pretty please?

I'm Ashkenazi myself, and not frum. I can do no better than to refer you to Claudia Roden's excellent Book of Jewish Food, where she devotes a whole chapter (and then some) to "The Sabbath Pot"

Comfort Me · March 18, 2004

And has the introduction of time clocks on stoves led to the decline of cholent?

We went cholentless for over a year when we first bought our condo because the oven that came with the condo, which we painstakingly kashered, had some sort of vekachteh auto-off feature where it turned itself off after 12 hours. We couldn't afford to buy a new stove, so we made do with stuff that could be kept on the blech. But that eliminated so many of my favorites -- kubbanah, dafina, hamin, lamb stew, etc.

Then the old stove started acting up. (Isn't that a coinkydink, as my Grandmother would say! It's amazing what a man can do with a screwdriver!) I convinced my wife that it wasn't worth spending money on a repairman, so we immediately started searching for a stove that didn't automatically turn off the oven. The first shabbat with the new oven brought us kubbanah and dafina, even though it was April.

Rabbi Ribeye · March 18, 2004

The good Rabbi's report, while wonderful, omits the Sephardic variants.
Where are the Dafina's, the hamins (Spain) , the skhana (Morocco), the Khalebi (Iran), the Maote (Kurdistan), the Ferik (Egypt with green whest), and the Harissa's of Yemen?
And has the introduction of time clocks on stoves led to the decline of cholent?

Your point is well noted. (By ironic coincidence, as I write these words, I have Jim Morrison singing The End in the background.) I apologize and should have included it as a caveat.

Yet, without a scintilla of triumphalism, defensiveness or implied superiority, please do keep in mind that I was writing about "cholent," a singularly Ashkenazic term. And, would it not be demeaning to the proud, ancient Oriental (a more accurate term than Sephardic) tradition to infer that its unique Shabbat casseroles are merely "variants" of the lowly Ashkenazic cholent. After all, they do possess their own autonomous names and legacies. (By ironic coincidence, as I conclude this caveat, I have Hank Williams singing Jambalaya in the background. Hmmm . . . Jambalaya? Cajun cholent?)

Re. the Shabbat timer, check with your local nitpicking Pharisee to see whether it has killed off the spirit of cholent and substituted it with that venerated Shabbat treat, salsa and nacho chips. :wacko:

Edited March 18, 2004 by Rabbi Ribeye (log)

bloviatrix · March 18, 2004

For those of you who make cholent....do you make it on the range top? In the stove? Or using a crock pot?

We're range-top/blech people. (Amazon recently sent us a free crock-pot , so maybe we'll try it next winter.)

As for is cholent dead? I don't think so. Although we make it rarely, we do see it almost every week - they serve it at shul as part of kiddush. (Blovie has been to known to have a snack of shul cholent and then come home for a lunch of the home-made kind) And, most people tend to serve it when they host Shabbat lunch (we don't). There are those who will get very cranky if they don't get their shabbos cholent. They have to eat it every week with out . (btw, kitchen aid and general electric both make ovens with sabbath settings which allows you to over-ride the timer)

Edited March 18, 2004 by bloviatrix (log)

Comfort Me · March 18, 2004

Cholent isn't dead! Spit over your shoulder!

I make a cholent at least every other Shabbas from Fall to Spring. I've made at least 20 of the recipes in Fay Pomerantz' "Come for Cholent" -- which I think is available on Amazon.com. Now I don't use a recipe, but I do occasionally look to it for inspiration.

I have always been an oven person. That's just how I learned. I've used the blech out of necessity, but it never tasted the same -- maybe just mishegas in my head. I've never used the crock pot for cholent because it would mean buying and setting another timer and there are too many timers I forget to set as it is.

This topic has repeatedly made me hungry. I have a bag of pastrami ends and a couple of shortribs from the Best Kosher outlet (10 minutes from home) in the freezer. I'm going to make a nice, spicy cholent for shabbas lunch.

bloviatrix · March 18, 2004

Meanwhile, since I'm the non-traditionalist, I'm making a beef stew.

Mmmmm, stew. :smile:

Comfort Me · March 18, 2004

Meanwhile, since I'm the non-traditionalist, I'm making a beef stew.
Mmmmm, stew.

Use a bottle of beer for part of your liquid -- and chicken broth for the remainder. I know it sounds crazy, but I'm Irish, and my people are really picky about their stew. Beer and broth make a fabulous tasting Irish stew. (Don't forget to dredge the meat in flor and brown first!)

Oh. Now I want stew.

You all are so bad for me. I'm going to weigh 1100 pounds!

Gifted Gourmet · March 18, 2004

Meanwhile, since I'm the non-traditionalist, I'm making a beef stew.
Mmmmm, stew.

Bloviatrix, we are planning our annual Farewell to the Chametz cassoulet:

Rice, peas, bread, and whatever freezer burned meats are still lurking in the deep, dark, dank recesses of my freezer since last Pesach ... :unsure:

bloviatrix · March 18, 2004

Thanks Gifted. You remind me I need to check the challah roll situation in the freezer. Depending on the quantity, I might not buy one of the "big boys" this week.

In the meantime, I've got 8 lbs of veal bones waiting to be turned into stock. Do I make it now or wait until after Passover.

Gifted Gourmet · March 18, 2004

Thanks Gifted. You remind me I need to check the challah roll situation in the freezer. Depending on the quantity, I might not buy one of the "big boys" this week.
In the meantime, I've got 8 lbs of veal bones waiting to be turned into stock. Do I make it now or wait until after Passover.

Now is always good .. later it will wind up lost in the shuffle, freezer, rather .. but then there are forty days of the Omer to make up a fresh batch before lauching into the Plugra-inspired cheesecakes of Shavuot ...

bloviatrix · March 18, 2004

I keep forgetting to mention that I love the idea of putting pastrami butts in a cholent. I bet it adds a nice dimension of flavor. Plus, the melted fat never hurts.

SethG · March 18, 2004

I am a Jew. I was even an Upper West Side resident for about five years. My whole family hails from the New York area. For a time, I went to sabbath services regularly.

Yet this Cholent is wholly unfamiliar to me! I don't believe I've ever tasted it. Where is my heritage? Am I fit to raise my Jewish children?

I must remedy this situation immediately. I have a couple weeks before Passover arrives.

Rabbi Ribeye · March 18, 2004

I keep forgetting to mention that I love the idea of putting pastrami butts in a cholent. I bet it adds a nice dimension of flavor. Plus, the melted fat never hurts.

Goddam, did we meet/meat in a previous life (c.1968) at Hungarian Kosher on Lawrence Avenue in Chicago? Those incredible pastrami butts (I confess; we called them "ends.") that did not contribute a-nekkid to my acne and girth made their way into the command-performance cholent that I would concoct for my yeshiva chevra -- the fortunate ones who could escape the dorm to spend Shabbos at someone's apartment.

I have found my soulmate . . .

bloviatrix · March 18, 2004

I hate to mis-lead a man of the cloth, but I've never used the pastrami ends (I'm not even allowed to touch the colent pot!!). Rather, I was commenting on Comfort Me's recipe.

I believe we have some stray potatoes in the pantry, so maybe next week I'll get Blovie to make a "Chi-town" cholent.

Rachel Perlow · March 20, 2004

I make a cholent at least every other Shabbas from Fall to Spring. I've made at least 20 of the recipes in Fay Pomerantz' "Come for Cholent" -- which I think is available on Amazon.com. Now I don't use a recipe, but I do occasionally look to it for inspiration.

I'm Ashkenazi myself, and not frum. I can do no better than to refer you to Claudia Roden's excellent Book of Jewish Food, where she devotes a whole chapter (and then some) to "The Sabbath Pot."

Please support eGullet by making your Amazon links, eGullet commissioned links. I have to go in through our account to get this kind of link, so regular members should still follow the instructions here.

Gifted Gourmet · March 21, 2004

Thanks, Rachel, for the cholent Amazon book links! :biggrin:

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Cholent

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