Matzoh Ball Soup

When my daughter asked if we made sinkers or floaters, it took me a few moments to realize the subject was matzoh balls and not fishing lures. "Floaters, definitely floaters," I answered. "Why do you ask?"

Apparently, Duff and friends on Ace of Cakes debated the topic and declared sinkers more traditional than floaters. My daughter is a big fan of both Ace of Cakes and matzoh ball soup. She expected my answer to be "sinkers."

This is because I serve matzoh ball soup in wide shallow bowls so the matzoh balls sit on the bottom and don't float. I explained that the difference between sinkers and floaters is more about texture, not actual buoyancy.

I discovered the restorative powers of matzoh ball soup while living in Minneapolis, where winter lingers till June and our apartment was minutes from a Jewish deli. I started making the soup at home from the Manischewitz box and it was good. But eventually I wanted to get outside the box and try homemade.

My first attempts at homemade matzoh balls were distinctly different from the boxed version, which are soft and tender. Mine were firm and dense. My family demanded to know what happened to the matzoh balls that soaked up the broth and melted in your mouth.

I tried every trick I could find to lighten up matzoh balls -- soda water, whipped egg whites -- but nothing worked. I served my family a series of sinkers. They demanded I return to the box. This gave me an idea.

What did the Manischewitz company put in their box to make their matzoh balls so fluffy? I was surprised to find monocalcium phosphate and sodium bicarbonate (aka baking powder) on the ingredient list.

I learned everything I know about kosher cooking in Catholic grammar school so don't quote me on this. But I thought matzoh balls were supposed to be unleavened. Baking powder is a leavener.

Apparently, there is "Kosher for Passover" baking powder and the rise it gives to matzoh balls is acceptable to many Jews. It's all a bit confusing, but you'll find a good explanation here.

I started experimenting with baking powder in my matzoh balls, in an effort to make "floaters." This is the recipe approved by my family.

Matzoh Ball Soup

I serve matzoh ball soup as a meal, so I make a lot of matzoh balls and include chicken. I roast 2 bone-in, skin-on chicken breast halves for moist and tender chunks. Carrots are traditional and fill the vegetable slot. I use a bit a of Penzey's poultry seasoning , but you could substitute sage and/or thyme. If I have schmaltz (rendered chicken fat), I'll use it in place of all or some of the canola oil.

about 9 cups chicken broth
kosher salt to taste

1 cup matzoh meal
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon celery salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning
4 large eggs
1/4 cup canola oil
1 Tablespoon water

2 bone-in, skin-on chicken breast halves
(OR about 2 cups cooked chicken, cubed)
2 large carrots, peeled and sliced

First make the matzoh balls. Combine matzoh meal, kosher salt, baking powder, onion powder, celery salt, garlic powder, black pepper, and poultry seasoning in a large bowl and stir well. Add eggs, canola oil, and water. Use a fork to thoroughly combine ingredients.

Chill the matzoh ball mixture in the refrigerator for 20 to 30 minutes. Shape the matzoh balls, rolling about 1 Tablespoon of chilled mixture to form a 1-inch ball. I typically get around 23 matzoh balls. The matzoh balls will double in size as they cook.

Season the chicken with a bit of oil and salt. Roast the chicken in preheated 350 degree F oven for about 30 to 40 minutes or until thoroughly cooked (to an internal temperature of 165 degrees). OR simmer in water on the stove-top for about 35 to 45 minutes or until thoroughly cooked. When chicken is cool enough to handle, remove skin and bones, and cut the meat into small pieces. Store in the refrigerator till soup is nearly ready.

Bring chicken stock to a boil in a large pot. Taste and add kosher salt as desired. Add the sliced carrots. Drop the matzoh balls into the boiling stock. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover the pot, and cook for 30 minutes. Resist the urge to lift the cover and check on the matzoh balls.

After 30 minutes, add the cooked and cubed chicken. Replace the cover and cook for another 10 minutes or until chicken is heated through.

Use a soup spoon to carefully transfer matzoh balls to individual bowls. Add a ladle-full of broth, carrots, and chicken. Garnish with a bit of chopped fresh parsley and/or some freshly ground black pepper.

Makes about 6 servings of soup. Each serving includes about 4 matzoh balls, 1.3 cups broth, 1/3 cup chicken, and 3 Tbsp carrots.

Nutrition facts per serving (using canola oil): 467 calories, 36 g protein, 20 g fat, 211 mg cholesterol, 1102 mg sodium, 1.5 g fiber

Cevapcici - Croatian Lamb Sausages

Last summer, we attended a local Croatian Festival, hoping to recapture some of the flavors we experienced on our Croatian vacation. At first, it felt a bit like crashing someone else's family reunion. But as we followed the irresistible aroma of grilled meat, we knew we'd fit right in with this carnivorous crowd.

That was our first encounter with cevapcici, skinless sausages made from ground beef and lamb, kissed by smoke and flame. These Croatian sausages were the reason I purchased The Best of Croatian Cooking on the spot at the Festival. Cevapcici translated easily into my home kitchen and now appear regularly on my dinner table.

Cooking across cultures can be intimidating, since it often means using unfamiliar ingredients or techniques. Fortunately, the biggest challenge you'll have with cevapcici is pronunciation (che-vahp-chee-chee). All the ingredients are familiar and the process is similar to making meatballs.

A review of Croatian and Serbian recipes for cevapcici suggests there's no single formula. Some recipes include only beef and lamb, others add pork to the mix. The spices vary, but garlic seems universal.

My starting recipe called for a 3 to 1 ratio of beef to lamb, no pork. Since ground beef and lamb are typically sold in one pound packages, I've been using a 1 to 1 ratio. The results have been "can't-stop-eating-them" good, so I've stuck with it. Although as soon as grilling season hits, I plan to add pork to the mix.

Cevapcici are best grilled over charcoal. But I've been pan-frying or roasting them in the oven all winter and still find them irresistible.

Cevapcici

For the most succulent sausages, use ground beef with some fat. I like to use ground chuck, although you could go a bit leaner (maybe 85 to 90% lean). The full recipe makes a lot of sausages (40-plus), so I divide the mixture, cooking half for dinner and freezing the remainder. I serve the cevapcici with homemade pita bread and cucumber-yogurt sauce.

1 pound ground chuck
1 pound ground lamb
1.5 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly found black pepper
1 clove garlic, finely minced

Combine all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl and mix well, but try to be gentle. Put the bowl in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 hours. (Or, divide the mixture, chilling half to use now and freezing the other half for later.) Chilling the mixture helps firm it up, making it easier to roll.

Preheat a large frying pan over medium-low heat. (If you're cooking on an outdoor grill, prepare a medium-hot fire. A perforated grill pan is helpful to prevent sausages from falling through the grate.)

Take small handfuls of the meat mixture and roll between your palms (or against the counter) to form small sausages, each one about a 1/2 inch in diameter and 2.5 to 3 inches long.

Cook the sausages over medium-low heat, in batches of about 10 to 12 at a time, turning as needed for even browning, until sausages are thoroughly cooked. Cook time is about 10 to 15 minutes, or until sausages register at least 165 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer.

Transfer cooked sausages to paper-towel lined plate. Continue cooking additional batches until all sausages are done. (You'll need to cook 2 batches with half the recipe, 4 batches for the full recipes.)

A garnish of chopped, fresh parsley adds color and freshness. Serve the cevapcici with pita bread and cucumber-yogurt sauce. Raw onions would be a nice touch.

Full recipe makes 10 servings (about 4 sausages per svg)

Half recipe makes 5 servings (about 4 sausages per svg)

Nutrition facts for about 4 cevapcici served with 1/2 pita round and 2 Tablespoons of Cucumber-Yogurt sauce: 331 calories, 23 g protein, 18 g fat, 72 mg cholesterol, 700 mg sodium, 1 g fiber

Cucumber-Yogurt Sauce

This is my version of Greek tsatsiki, the sauce you get with gyros. It may not be authentic, but it pairs nicely with the cevapcici, plus it adds a vegetable to the dinner table. I typically use kosher salt for this sauce. It's fine to use regular table salt, just use about half as much, since table salt is saltier compared to the same volume of kosher salt.

1 cucumber

1 cup plain low-fat yogurt

1 clove garlic, finely minced

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon red wine vinegar, more to taste

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt (or 1/8 teaspoon regular salt), more to taste

Peel the cucumber. Cut it half lengthwise and use a spoon to scrape out the seeds. Chop the cucumber into small pieces and transfer to small bowl.

Add the yogurt , garlic, olive oil, vinegar, and salt. Stir well. Taste and add more salt and/or vinegar as desired.