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Welcome to Spike's & Jamie's "Spike’s Good Eatin’ Recipe Collection Archives"!!  Here we store all the back issues of the original "Spike’s Good Eatin’ Recipe Collection" and of the "Spike’s Jewish Good Eatin’ Recipe Collection". These newsletters were written by Spike (Jann McCormick) and published by Jamie from 2000 until Spike's death in 2008.  Spike loved to cook and share her cooking with those she loved.  Sharing her recipes was the next best thing.

[Spike’s Jewish Good Eatin’ Recipes]  [Spike’s Good Eatin’ Recipe Collection]

August 29, 2005
from: Spike's and Jamie's Recipe Collection
http://www.spike-jamie.com

Many of these recipes have not yet been added to the recipe web site - so you are getting a "sneak peek" of future additions. We hope you enjoy these recipes!!!

Shalom, from Spike the Grate and Jamie the Webmistress

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[] A nice person who lives somewhere exciting (I don't know where!) has sent me two Sephardic recipes. I'm hoping to receive more. I have not tried them yet. These are they:

MOROS PRETOS
Moros Pretos is by far the oldest recipe on the maternal side of my family. Three generations of Da Silvas have cooked this dish for Erev Shabat. Originating in The Azores, my grandmother brought it with her to Venezuela. Although the recipe has a strong Portuguese influence, its ingredients are typically Sephardic. Very rich in flavour, this dish should be served warm or at room temperature and accompanied by red wine and Saffron rice. By Rahm Almarzah

3 lb of beef sausage
1whole onion
1 whole green pepper cut in julienne strings
1 whole red pepper cut in julienne strings
½ cup of pitted Kalamata black olives
3 tablespoons of capers
1 box of pitted prunes
½ cup of prune juice
1 large can of crushed tomatoes
2 tablespoons of sweet paprika
1 tablespoon of allspice
2 tablespoons of whole cloves
1 teaspoon of ground cloves
1 tablespoon of caraway seeds
4 whole garlic
½ cup of cilantro
¼ cup of fresh sage
1 cup of fresh mint
½ bottle of cooking red wine
1 cup of red ruby port
salt and white pepper to taste

The night before:
Cut the sausages in 1.5 inches pieces. Place them in a plastic bowl and the whole cloves and covered completely with red wine overnight.

Next day:
Soak the prunes in a plastic bowl in tepid water for approximately 30 minutes

Dice the onions, gherkins, garlic. Place them with the green and red pepper strings in a fry pan and sauté them using a little oil at a medium fire until brown . Add the sweet paprika and make sure is well mixed with the rest of the ingredients.

Add the can of crushed tomatoes, the salt and pepper, and cook for 15 minutes on high heat.

Remove the whole cloves from the soaking bowl. Place the sausage in a fry pan and sauté them until are partially cooked. Keep the liquid.

Remove the sausages and place them in the pan where the sauce is cooking. Add the prunes, the prune juice, the cilantro, the sage, the mint and mix well. Add the ground cloves, the allspice, the olives, the capers and the caraway seeds and half of the liquid from the soaking bowl. Cook for 40 minutes at medium heat. Add the port and cook at low heat for another 10 minutes. If the sauce gets dry add the rest of the liquid from the soaking bowl.

Serve with Saffron rice and red wine (Merlot or Shiraz).

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CAZUELA BERBERA
A Sephardic Recipe

This Erev-Shabat recipe was given to my aunt Bethlehem by her husband's relatives and comes from the region of Veneto in Northern Italy. Sephardic Jews have been in this region for centuries. After the expulsion from Spain, many Sephardim settled in Venice, including some of my ancestors who are buried in one of the islets in front of the city. While staying in Venice a summer many years ago, I noticed that many Shabbat dishes were cooked in wine and spiced with aromatic spices such as cinnamon or cloves.

The translation of this recipe means Berber Stew, probably due to its Moorish origins rather than any direct association with the Berber people who eat rather simple meals. By Rahm Almarzah

3 lbs of beef cut in small pieces
1 cup of finely chopped celery
1 cup of finely chopped onions
1/2 cup of diced green peppers
½ cup of diced red peppers
2 cups of basil, coarsely chopped
½ cup of sun dried tomatoes
½ can of crushed tomatoes
½ cup of fresh mint leaves
2 tablespoons of capers
3 teaspoons of ground cloves
4 sticks of cinnamon
1 tablespoon of sweet paprika
The rind of a large orange, finely chopped (zested)
2 cups of red table wine
2 cups of beef broth
Salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil for frying

In a frying pan at medium heat, sauté the onions and celery until brown. Add the green and red peppers and lower the heat to medium for about 10 minutes. Retire this mix from the fire.

In another pan, sauté the meat for 15 minutes at medium heat or until brown; add the chicken broth and the orange rind and cook covered for 45 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes, the basil, the mint, the ground cloves, the sweet paprika, the sun dried tomatoes, the capers, and then mix in the contents of the other pan and stir well. Add the wine and the cinnamon sticks and simmer for another 30 minutes at low heat. Add more wine if the mix becomes dry.

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[] This looks pretty good, also. It came from another source. I prefer to start with dry chick-peas, rather than using the can. I do soak them overnight, and start them cooking in the morning. It is best to cook them, as well as dry beans, alone for a couple of hours before adding the tasty stuff. []

DAFINA
Moroccan Cholent (Serves 6 To 8)

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 large onions, chopped
4 to 6 garlic cloves
2 cans (15 ounces each) chick­peas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
2 beef bones with marrow
3 pounds brisket or chuck roast, cut into 4 pieces
3 pounds small potatoes
2 or 3 sweet potatoes cut into chunks
4 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon paprika
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 to 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
pinch of saffron threads, crumbled
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
salt
freshly ground pepper
4 to 6 large eggs

Preheat oven to 225°F.

In a large pot, heat the oil and sauté the onions and garlic until soft and translucent. Add the chickpeas, bones, meat, potatoes, honey, paprika, cumin, allspice, cinnamon, turmeric, saffron, parsley, and salt and pepper to taste. Add enough water to cover, place the unshelled eggs in the center, and bring to a boil.

Reduce the heat to medium low, and simmer for 1 hour. Skim off the foam occasionally. Cover the pot tightly, place in the oven, and cook overnight, or cook on low on the stove for 5 to 6 hours, or until meat is tender and done.

In the morning, after cooking all night, check the water level. If there is too much water, turn the oven up to 250°F or 300°F, cover, and continue cooking. [If cooking over Shabbat, traditionally observant Jews would refrain from changing the heat level, for doing so would run counter to Sabbath laws against manipulating flame and cooking.] If there is no water, add another cup, cover, and continue cooking.

To serve, place the chickpeas and cooking liquid in one bowl, and the eggs, potatoes, and meat in separate bowls. Sephardic Israeli Cuisine

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[]We need a salad and a dessert. Dessert, being more important, is shown first. []

FRUIT COMPOTE

1/2 cup dried prunes
1/4 cup dark raisins
1/4 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup dried apricots (cut in half if they're large)
1/2 cup dried figs (cut in half)

Wash all ingredients well to remove the sulfites, and place in a saucepan. Add water to cover the fruit, at least 2 cups (fruit will swell when rehydrated).

Bring to a boil uncovered, reduce heat and simmer just around 10 minutes. Do not overcook!

Remove from heat and allow to cool. Pour fruit and liquid into jars and refrigerate before serving. Delicious for breakfast or poured over sponge cake and/or ice cream.

Note: Other dried fruits may be used, and you can vary the proportions to your liking.

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[] Now, we can eat our veggies: []

LEMON COUSCOUS SALAD WITH SPINACH, SCALLIONS AND DILL

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less, but requires additional unattended time. The best time to use it is when you have some leftover couscous from a meal; suddenly you have a great salad.

Makes 6 servings.

2 1/4 cups water
a 10-oz. box couscous (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/2 tsp. salt
3 tbsp. fresh lemon juice, or to taste
1/4 cup olive oil
1 small bunch spinach, coarse stems discarded and leaves washed thoroughly, spun
dry, and shredded fine (about 2 cups)
3 large scallions, sliced thin
3 tbsp. finely chopped fresh dill, or to taste

In a saucepan bring water to a boil and stir in couscous and salt. Remove pan from heat and let couscous stand, cover 5 minutes. Fluff couscous with a fork and transfer to a bowl. Stir in lemon juice, oil, and salt and pepper to taste and cool couscous completely. Stir in spinach, scallions, and dill and chill salad, covered, at least 2 hours or overnight.

From Chef Herschel, Aish HaTorah, Jerusalem

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[] Here is a neat item. A calendar for download, from www.Aish.com []

FREE Download: the Aish.com Hebrew / Civil Calendar

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Shalom,

from Spike the Grate and Jamie the Webmistress

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