Kosher Cuisine Show #8 – Passover and Eqypt. This is the original script for the show. Some of the non-essential text may have been edited out of the final version that aired on Community Radio due to time constraints.

I am posting the entire script on both 8a and 8b of the Bandcamp editions so that all the music credits are included, and to preserve the flow of the narrative and recipes, as well as kashering instructions.

First Segment

Hava Nagila Music Intro [35 seconds then fade…]

Hello, everyone! This is Leah Kiser and you’re listening to Kosher Cuisine. This is a show about food safety, international kosher recipes and amazing music from areas around the world. This week we’re going to continue our discussion on Passover and share some recipes and music from Egypt.

If you recall from last week’s discussion of Passover, there are some major differences between Ashkenaz and Sephardi or Mizrahi practice regarding what constitutes a leavened food, and we talked about koshering your cookware and serving dishes to remove all traces of leaven. But what about the kitchen itself? That needs to be kashered as well. So we need to talk a bit about appliances and issues regarding not just kashrut but food safety as well. Regardless of whether or not you keep kosher, you need to clean your major kitchen appliances on a regular basis. Your kitchen is a veritable paradise for bacteria, molds & mildews. Especially your dishwasher.

The rules for ordinary kosher use of a dishwasher are annoying enough that most people simply won’t use the dishwasher at all during Passover. And indeed, there are some orthodox authorities who insist that dishwashers simply cannot be kashered and should never be used at all, but that is unrealistic in this day and age – which is ironic, because most of us would agree that dishwashers don’t really get your dishes clean unless you pre-wash them first. So why even bother to use one?

But if you do, here are some things to keep in mind. First of all, to be kosher, your dishwasher must have a completely stainless steel interior. It cannot have ceramic, plastic, or any sort of composite materials. That includes the wheels on the racks and the racks themselves, which nowadays tend to be plastic coated. The reason for this is the porous nature of the forbidden materials. Not just food particles, but bacteria, molds and mildews can get stuck and then grow there. Some dishwashers have a “sanitizing” setting, but that setting does not reach the boiling temperature of 212 degrees F. It usually only reaches about 165-185 degrees, which most health departments consider adequate, but kashrut does not. And anyway, most people do not use the sanitizing setting on a regular basis, because it melts some plastic containers and utensils.

The other issue with dishwashers is the water filter, which is usually located somewhere in the drain of the machine. These filters are made from hard foam or some other such-like material which is necessarily porous, so water can get through it. Aside from being a gleeful colony for icky germs of all sorts, they collect particles from both meat and dairy dishes, making them unkosher.

So there are a few ways to deal with this situation on an everyday basis. First, if you want your kitchen to be kosher, you cannot run your dishwasher with loads of dishes that are a mix of meat and dairy items. You have to run each type of dishes separately. You should have a pan of boiling water to pour down the drain of the dishwasher when the load is finished, and most authorities say to run a quick cycle of plain water in an empty dishwasher between loads of actual dishes. But none of this works if your racks are plastic coated, however. So if your model of dishwasher does not come with any option for all stainless steel racks and wheels, you have to buy an extra separate set of racks, and designate one set for meat and one for dairy. Parve things can be hand washed in plastic tub designated for that purpose. Some people actually buy a replacement filter and switch them out as well.

In Convervative Judaism, there is a more lenient position that adding the soap and vinegar or water softener to your loads of dishes render whatever particles that may be lingering in the dishwasher to be inedible, and therefore are not considered “food” in the legal sense of the word. However, you still should not run meat dishes together with dairy dishes.

To kasher a dishwasher, you must change the filter and the rubber seal around the door, even if you never do otherwise. You must boil a large pot of water and pour the boiling water into the dishwasher, then run it empty on the sanitizing setting, or the hottest setting you have. Some authorities say to do this twice. If your racks are plastic, they cannot be kashered. You must remove them first and buy new racks which will be only for Passover and stay boxed up the rest of the year.

As for other appliances, you must clean out your refrigerator & freezer completely. It you have a lot of prepackaged items in jars or bottles in your fridge, they cannot be used unless they are specifically labeled kosher for Passover. If you have leftovers in your freezer, they should be used before Passover. I usually give unused bottled items away to my non-Jewish friends, or many items can be composted. Usually, most families make an inventory of everything in the fridge & freezer around Purim, a month before Passover, and plan their menus to use up all the leftovers and the things in jars or bottles. Once you are sure all the unkosher for Passover items have been used, you need to remove every shelf and drawer from the fridge and scrub everything with soap and water with vinegar added, or a store-bought spray cleaner. The shelves and drawers must also be cleaned in this manner. Whatever items you put back in the fridge should be wiped off with a vinegar and water solution. By the way, these are chores you should do on a regular basis whether your kitchen is kosher or not. Bacteria, molds & mildews loitering around in your fridge cause your food to go bad faster, and are a common cause of allergies and food poisoning.

Small appliances like mixers and toasters, blenders and food processors usually have too many plastic parts these days to be kashered, so you have no choice but to buy separate ones and keep them boxed up the rest of the year.

Ovens are another potential problem area in kashrut. If your home has two ovens, one for meat and one for dairy, all you need to do is run the self-cleaning cycle and then clean out the ash thoroughly by hand. If your ovens don’t have a self-cleaning cycle, you must clean them by hand and then go over the walls with a small blow torch. The moral of the story is to never buy an oven that doesn’t have a self-cleaning cycle.

Now, if you only have one oven, it is more difficult to keep a kosher kitchen. The problem is due to steam, which you may remember from our discussion of why you should always measure out your herbs and spices instead of holding the shakers over the stove. Steam carries grease and food particles to the top of the oven, where they condense and drop back down onto the food. So if you have only one oven, you can never put anything into it that is uncovered to avoid having meat or dairy particles drip down into the wrong type of dish. And though there are some authorities that are lenient, most will say even if everything is covered you should really not put a mixture of meat dishes and dairy dishes into the oven at the same time, because steam floats around everywhere.

Now, if you must put an uncovered dish into an oven that is used for both meat and dairy dishes, you have to kasher it first. A thanksgiving turkey would be one example, since most recipes call for uncovering the turkey at some point to brown the top. So for thanksgiving, you would need to kasher the oven beforehand and commit to making only meat dishes in it until after the turkey is finally removed. In our kitchen, we also have a small countertop convection oven we can use in addition to the main oven that is part of the stove. It has two pizza size racks, and can hold two half-sheet aluminum tins of the sort you can buy at most grocery stores, Costco or Sam’s Club. So that is one solution for making dairy dishes. But prior to Passover, everything must be kashered again – and for many people this is the only time of year they clean their appliances, which is not really sanitary or safe.

So while you’re pondering how long it has been since you last cleaned out your fridge or toaster oven, here’s a nice track from a CD called Egyptian Cabaret Music by Judy Jihan Reda. Judy Reda is a New York dancer and instructor who spent four years performing in Egypt, and recorded this CD in Cairo with a band of ten musicians using traditional instruments. We’re going to start with track 2, called “Hani.” Enjoy!


[Track 2 – Hani 4:35]



Second Segment

Welcome back to Kosher Cuisine! So, now you know why just taking a “kosher for Passover” cruise is such an appealing option. Cleaning, boiling or blow-torching all your kitchen appliances, cookware and serving dishes is a pain in the tukas, to say the least. But if you are going to stay home and cook, there are some great recipes out there. Today we’re going to look at some recipes from Egypt. The first is a variation on a recipe called BeLehat, which we would call meatloaf. This dish has a twist, though - hard boiled egg in the center, and of course it uses matzah meal for Passover instead of bread crumbs. This is a great kid-friendly meal you can serve during the festival of unleavened bread.

In case you’re wondering, you can find matzah meal in most stores prior to Passover, and you can find boxed matzah all year round that you can give a whirl in a food processor to make crumbs. There are two types of matzah meal – the first is made from wheat that has been carefully supervised and made into matzah bread, which is then ground up into meal. What I use is a gluten-free version made by a company called Yehudah. It’s imported from Israel and I stock up on it during Passover shopping season so I have enough for all year round. It is made from a mixture of tapioca and potato starches instead of wheat flour, and I can’t tell the difference. I use it for meatloaf, meatballs, pot pies, and in place of flour in streusel toppings. It can also be used as a thickener if your dish is too runny. If you are gluten intolerant or have celiac disease, this is a great option. Now, it’s not low calorie, of course, so if you need a low carb diet this isn’t your best option. You should try a nut flour instead.

For this recipe, you will need 2 pounds of ground meat: either beef, turkey, chicken, lamb, or a combination of these. I like to use half beef and half lamb, but any of these will do.

Measure out:
1 teaspoon of matzah meal
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon of cumin
1 teaspoon of salt
½ teaspoon of black pepper
A pinch of allspice
1 tablespoon of olive oil
½ cup of filtered water
2-3 hard boiled eggs, shelled
2 fresh eggs, whisked
One peeled onion, sliced into rings
And 1 bay leaf or a sprig of fresh thyme

You will need one cup of kosher for Passover tomato sauce, or, alternately, you can top the meatloaf with large tomato slices sprinkled with herbs: oregano, basil, parsley and onion powder will do fine.

Knead the ground meat together with the matzah meal for a few minutes, until it is thoroughly incorporated. Add the minced garlic, the cumin, the salt, the pepper, and the allspice. Once everything is well combined, spread out the meat in a roughly square shape on a meat cutting board dusted with extra matzah meal. Place the hard-boiled eggs on top and then carefully roll up the meat into a log with the eggs roughly in the center.

Preheat the oven to about 375 degrees. Put the olive oil and the onion slices in the bottom of a baking dish or loaf pan, pour in the water, add the bay leaf or sprig of thyme, then place the meatloaf on top of the onion slices. Brush the top of the loaf with the whisked eggs and generously sprinkle the top with more matzah meal. Now, drizzle the tomato sauce over the top, or place the tomato slices and herbs there. Cover and bake for about 90 minutes. Remove the loaf from the pan, and either serve warm or chill to serve cold later. Slice with a sharp meat knife so the boiled egg stays in place.

To go with our Egyptian twist on an American favorite meal, you might want to make Fasoulia, green beans in tomato sauce. You will need:

1 large onion, diced
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 generous cup of sliced mushrooms. I usually use the whole package.
3 lbs of cut green beans
2 -8 ounce cans of kosher-for-passover tomato sauce
Juice from ½ lemon, or about 1 tablespoon of bottled juice.
A pinch of salt and a pinch of black pepper.

And finally, 1 tablespoon of kosher-for-passover chicken broth or bullion. Alternately, you can use a tablespoon of water with ½ teaspoon of poultry seasoning.

In a large skillet, sauté the onion in the oil over medium-high heat until transparent, about four minutes. Add the mushrooms and sauté for two minutes more. Add the green beans and continue to stir until the beans are about half cooked, say 8-10 minutes more. Stir in the tomato sauce, the broth or water, the lemon juice, and the salt and pepper. Cook for about a couple more minutes so the flavors blend.

Then dump everything into a baking dish with a lid. Cover and bake about 30 minutes – in other words, put it in about half an hour before you expect the meatloaf to be done.

And while those are cooking, you can make pommes de terre safrito – Egyptian fried potatoes.

You will need 6 potatoes, diced to about 1 inch pieces. I leave the skins on, but you can peel them if you like. Blot them with a towel to remove as much surface moisture as possible. Wet potatoes stick badly.

You will need ¼ fat drippings or rendered fat from beef, lamb, or chicken. I use schmaltz, though beef drippings are tasty, too, and might go better with this meatloaf. If you prefer to substitute vegetable oil, make sure it is a variety that can withstand high heat. Olive oil will probably leave you with potatoes stuck to the bottom of your pan.

Next you will need to measure out:
2 minced garlic cloves
Juice from one lemon
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
Salt, to taste – maybe ½ to 1 teaspoon. We like ours salty but not everyone does.

So, heat the drippings, fat or oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the potatoes and sauté for about 5 minutes, tossing occasionally to prevent sticking. Then cover the pan, reduce the heat to medium, I would say about 4 out of 10, and cook for 10 minutes. Don’t peek.

Now, add the garlic and increase the heat back to medium-high. Sauté for 3 more minutes, or until golden brown. Season with the lemon juice. Then, remove the potatoes from the pan with a slotted spoon and drain on a towel if they seem too greasy. Sprinkle with the salt and the cilantro, and serve warm.

While you’re cooking, here is some more music from Judy Jihan Reda’s CD. This is track 4, called Etdalla Ala Kefak.

[Track 4 – Etdalla Ala Kefak 5:23]

Third Segment

Welcome back to Kosher Cuisine! If you would like a slightly more “grown-up” main dish instead of meatloaf, here is a great Egyptian recipe you can try. This dish is normally served with rice, but if you are Ashkenaz and are avoiding rice for Passover, it goes perfectly well with the potato recipe and the green bean recipe we just went over in the last segment.

This recipe can be used all year round, of course. You can grill it, broil it, or even pan fry it, as is done in this version. It is called Egyptian Sofrito.

Now, the first ingredient is listed as shrir, cut into 8 slices, probably cut 7 in Israel. So I need to take a minute and describe different cuts of meat to you. Americans are often baffled by the meat market terms used overseas, so here is a listing of what each “cut” means.

Cut #1 – sometimes called entre cote, steak ayin, or vered hatzela. This would be steaks and roast beef that is suitable for roasting and grilling. In the US we would say rib, rib eye, or Delmonico. In Britain they might say forerib.

Cut#2 – sometimes called rifaan or tzlaot, is beef suitable for slow-roasting, maybe for pot roast, goulash, and braising. In the US and Britain we would say a chuck or blade.

Cut#3 – sometimes called brust or chazeh, this is a favorite cut for marinated dishes, such as salt or corned beef. We would call this brisket or front poitrine.

Cut#4 – sometimes called katef or katef mercazi, this is for pot roasts or braising. We would say a shoulder roast.

Cut#5 – sometimes called tzli, or tzli katef, this would be stuff that needs a sauce, such as flank steak or London broil, or minute steaks. A very lean, sometimes tough cut.

Cut#6 – occasionally called falshe, or fillet medumeh. We would say a chuck calachel. This is a cheaper cut.

Cut #7 – which is what our recipe today calls for, is a fattier cut, usually a bone-in cut, for longer cooking – for example, goulash or cholent. We might say top rib.

So we’re going to take our #7 shrir, which refers to a red meat muscle with fat, and cut it into 8 slices.

We will need to measure out:
½ cup of oil
½ teaspoon of black pepper
½ teaspoon of ground allspice
½ teaspoon of ground turmeric
And ½ teaspoon of salt.

Finally, prepare a pan of boiling filtered water.

First, we are going to mix the oil and spices to make a marinade. Let it sit for a minimum of 15 minutes so the flavors can combine, an hour would be better.

We are going to rub this all over the meat slices, and then pour the rest over the meat and let sit for a while, about half an hour or so. Next we’re going to take a dutch oven and cook the meat on very low heat for about half an hour, then take the boiling water and pour it in until it just barely covers the meat. Turn the heat up on high. When it comes to a boil, time it for about 30 minutes. Then, lower the heat again and simmer for about 2 and ½ hours. Alternately, you can put the dutch oven in your oven and bake on about 250 for those 2 and ½ hours, like a brisket. The end result will be a main course with a just a little kick to it from the seasonings.

To serve with your matzah during the festival, you might consider this Egyptian dish, called Bisara. It is eaten similarly to hummus, with matzah, regular bread, or veggies. It has a lot more seasonings in it than plain hummus, too, so if you’re bored of hummus, you should definitely try this.

You will need:
4 medium onions, 2 diced and 2 sliced thin
10 large chopped garlic cloves
Leaves from 1 bunch of fresh dill, chopped
Leaves from 1 bunch of fresh cilantro, chopped
Leaves from 1 bunch of fresh parsley, chopped
Leaves from 1 bunch of fresh mint, chopped
1 teaspoon of ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
¼ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons of salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
5 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

And, optionally, 2 tablespoons of finely chopped mulukhiyya leaves, often called Jew’s Mallow. It’s not easy to find around here, so don’t worry if you can’t locate any.

Finally, you will need ¾ of a pound minimum, or 1 scant pound, of dried, skinned, and crushed yellow fava beans. These can be found in ethnic grocery stores around town.

So, place the fava beans in a large stock pot with the 2 chopped onions, the garlic, the dill, coriander, parsley, and mint, then cover by 6 inches with filtered water. Bring the pot to a boil and cook the beans at a simmer until they are tender, up to 2 hours. You may need to skim the foam off the top of the water, and if the beans don’t seem to have softened up, you may need to pour in more hot water and cook longer. When they are finally good and soft, scoop off 1 cup of the cooking water, then drain the beans and herbs.

Place the drained beans and herbs in a food processor or blender, and mix them until they are almost completely smooth. Pour the puree into a saucepan and heat over medium heat with the cumin, coriander, cayenne, salt, pepper, and mulukhiyya (if you are using it). Warm about 10 minutes to allow the flavors to blend.

[Just so you know, I totally flubbed this on the air – I forgot to mention that the purpose of the reserved cup of broth from cooking the beans was to drizzle into the food processor or blender as needed to make the bean puree smooth.]

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in another skillet and add the 2 remaining sliced onions. The idea is to caramelize the onions, so cook them over medium-high heat for 10-20 minutes, paying careful attention to them so they don’t burn. When they are fully browned, drain the onions on a towel and let them cool. They should become crispy when they are completely cooled. Take the seasoned fava bean puree, and transfer it to a shallow serving platter. Drizzle it with a bit of olive oil, and garnish with the fried inions. Serve at room temperature with some wedges of lime or lemon. During Passover, use matzah to eat it. During the rest of the year, your favorite flatbread recipe is fine.

While you’re waiting on the fava beans to boil, here is another track from Judy Jihan Reda’s CD – track #14, called “Habbena Medley.” Enjoy!

[Track 14 – Habbena Medley 8:30]


Fourth Segment

Welcome back to Kosher Cuisine! Next we’ll look at an Egyptian favorite that is not something you’ll find on a lot of American tables – Hamam Mahshy bi Lahm, Pigeon stuffed with meat. Pigeon, or Squab as you may have heard it called, used to be eaten much more frequently here. During the colonial and pioneer days it was quite popular, but has fallen out of favor in the modern age. You may not be able to find pigeon, and if you can’t, just substitute a small Cornish hen for each person. If you end up having to use quails, this recipe will make 8 of those, because they are so small. This recipe makes four stuffed pigeons or small Cornish hens.

First, we need to make the marinade for the birds. You will need:
1 onion
Juice of ½ lemon, or about 1 tablespoon
4 tablespoons of olive oil
And 4 squab, pigeons, pouissins or Cornish hens

Measure out:
1 teaspoon of ground cardamom
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
½ teaspoon of allspice
A pinch of salt and a pinch of ground black pepper.

Peel and cut the onion into pieces, and place it with the lemon juice, the oil, the salt and pepper, the cardamom, the cinnamon, and the allspice in a blender. Mix until liquefied.

Next, rinse your birds in a plastic bin designated for meat, or in this case, designated for Passover meat, and pat them dry. Take the marinade and cover the birds both inside and out with the oil and onion mixture.

Let that sit while we make the stuffing. You will need:
1 large onion, chopped
½ to ¾ lb of lean ground beef

2 tablespoons of raisings or sultanas. In a pinch you can substitute currants or even craisins.

4 tablespoons of pine nuts, lightly toasted until golden
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
¼ teaspoon of allspice
A pinch of salt and a pinch of black pepper
And 2 tablespoons of olive oil.

Now, fry the onions in the oil until golden. Add the meat, stirring and crushing it with a spoon so that it is crumbled and completely browned. Add the raisins, pine nuts, salt, pepper, cinnamon, and allspice. Cook 5 minutes more.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Spoon the stuffing into the birds, then secure the opening with toothpicks. Arrange them in a baking dish, breast side down. You can drizzle any remaining marinade over the birds. Roast them in the oven for 20 minutes, then turn them over and roast for another 10 minutes, or until they are golden brown. To check for doneness, you can cut into the thick part of a thigh to make sure the juices run clear. You should never eat poultry that is still pink. That’s a great way to get food poisoning.

To go with your pigeons, you might want to consider everybody’s favorite lentils and brown rice disk, Megadarra. But if you are Ashkenaz, you may want to substitute a lightly spiced tzimmes instead.

To make Megadarra, you will need:
3 large onions, cut in half and sliced thin
½ cup olive oil
1 and ½ cups of large brown lentils
1 and ¼ cups of long grain brown basmati rice
1 teaspoon of salt, and a dash of black ground pepper.

First, cook the lentils in 4 1nd ½ cups of filtered water for 20 minutes. Next, fry the onions in the oil, stirring often, until they turn a rich, golden brown. Now, add half the fried onions and the rice to the lentil pot. Add the salt and pepper and stir well. Cover and simmer on low for another 20 minutes, or until both the rice and the lentils are tender. You can add some water if necessary.

Meanwhile, take the other half of the onions and put them back on the stove, and continue to fry them until they are dark brown and caramelized. When the rice is ready, serve hot and top with the caramelized onions.

To make Tzimmes, use this recipe. You will need:
3 tablespoons of vegetable oil
1 cup diced pears or diced apples
2 and ½ pounds of orange sweet potatoes or yams
½ cup of orange juice
And ½ cup of raisins or prunes

Measure out:
1 tablespoon of minced peeled fresh ginger
¼ honey
1 tablespoon of lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
A dash of salt and a dash of ground black pepper
And a pinch of ground cloves

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Peel and dice the sweet potatoes. Put them in a saucepan, cover with filtered water, and bring to a boil. Simmer for about 10 minutes, until they are nearly tender but not quite done. Remove them from the heat.

Add the pears or apples to the sweet potatoes, add the raisins, and then mix everything thoroughly. Put the vegetable oil in the bottom of a casserole dish, then add the sweet potato mixture.

Combine the honey, lemon juice, orange juice, cinnamon, and cloves into s a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer, stirring constantly, then pour evenly over the sweet potatoes. Bake uncovered for about 30 minutes, or until most of the honey mixture is absorbed.

Now, if you absolutely cannot find any squab, quails, or Cornish hens, don’t despair. There is an Egyptian recipe you can use instead: Sheikh el Mahshi Tamatem, which is Tomatoes stuffed with meat, nuts and raisins.

So, get 4 extra large tomatoes. You will also need:
1 onion, chopped
And 8 ounces of ground beef

Measure out:
3 tablespoons of sunflower oil or other light vegetable oil
1 tablespoon of raisins
2 tablespoons of pine nuts, or substitute chopped walnuts
½ teaspoon of cinnamon
½ teaspoon of allspice
3 tablespoons of chopped parsley
A pinch of salt and a pinch of black pepper

Cut a circle around the stem of each tomato like a cap, and angle your knife to the center so you can pop out the cap intact. Next, using a grapefruit spoon or other sharp spoon, carefully scoop out the center of the tomatoes.

For the filling, fry the onion in the oil until golden. Add the meat, the salt, and the pepper. Using a fork, crush and crumble the meat, cooking it until it is browned thoroughly. Stir in the raisins and pine nuts, then add the cinnamon, the allspice, and the parsley.

Stuff the tomatoes with the filling and cover the hole with the caps. Put them close to each other in a baking dish with a finger width of filtered water at the bottom. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes, or until the tomatoes are soft but not collapsing. Serve them hot.

There is also a Turkish version of this that uses green tomatoes instead of red ones. They use lamb or a mixture of lamb and beef in theirs, but it’s just as good.

And while you’re waiting on your pigeons, hens, or tomatoes to bake, here’s another track from Judy Jihan Reda’s CD. It is number 10, called “Leylet Hob.”

[Track 10 – Leylet Hob]


Thank you for listening to Kosher Cuisine. Next week we will have some more great international food and music and we’ll talk a bit more about food safety and kashrut.

This is Leah Kiser wishing you Sabbath peace, this week and every week. Shalom!

[Hava Nagila fade…]