Yes, I know, it has been something like nine months since I posted anything here. What should I say -- I've settled in to two different cholents for shul: Cinnamon Scented Buffalo Stew and Dafina. Sometimes I will make Jamaican Chicken Curry, but the two beef stews come out well, they're flavorful and enjoyed by all.
Of late, I have been making Quinoa as a side dish to be served with these cholents. Since I tend NOT to put rice, barley, or other grain in the mix to absorb the liquid and produce GLOP, there tends to be a good about of liquid when the cholent is ready to serve, which is fine, because it tends to be REALLY GOOD (especially the broth from the Cinnamon stew!), but I it lacks a certain je ne sais quo. Enter the Quinoa!
At first I made several cups of rice, but it really didn't seem to work well when added to the broth when it was served, but on a lark I tried quinoa and it's TERRIFIC! It accentuates the flavor nicely, it's a nice texture, it's just pefect for adding in to the broth!
Quinoa is not hard to make -- rince 1 cup of (uncooked) quinoa. Bring 1¼ cups of water to boil with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the quinoa and stir it so it's mixed well with the water. Reduce heat to a low simmer, and cook partially covered for 12 minutes. Remove from heat, fluff, let sit five minutes and it's done.
Try it, you'll like it in soups, curries, and related dishes!
S'Derot
S'Derot is a community in Israel, located in close proximity to the Gaza Strip. In particular, it is attacked on a daily basis by rockets from Gaza. It really doesn't matter if the rockets are launched by Hamas, people affiliated with Hamas, or just very angry people who'd rather attack Israelis then channel their energy into a productive activity. The attacks are real, the damages are real.
Chabad in S'Derot has set up an online fund to aid the Jewish residents of S'Derot. I would urge you to assist them.
Chabad in S'Derot has set up an online fund to aid the Jewish residents of S'Derot. I would urge you to assist them.
Recipes from the Cholent Meister of Chabad of Tyson's Corner, VA (outside of Washington DC). A companion blog to Capitol Chai Life
Cholent is a uniquely Jewish creation...
...while assorted cultures have stews and slow-cooked foods, in Judaism, it is a necessity, since observant Jews are strictly prohibited from cooking on Shabbat, in addition to being severely limited in the use of fire and electricity. While there is some debate about the origin of the word "Cholent" (and for that matter, the term is not universally used -- Ashkenazic Jews [of Eastern European origin] make cholent, while Sephardic Jews [of Western European and North African origin] make Dafina), the origin is reasonably well understood.
Shabbat stews first started to appear around the 4th century CE, but in the 9th century CE, a movement within Judaism arose in the area known as Mesopotamia -- present day Iran and Iraq. These Jews, known as Karaites, believe in a very strict reading of the Torah. In reaction to this group, the Rabbis of the day ordained that their followers have a hot meal as part of their Shabbat observance.
Obviously, this was a challenge, since Jews could not tend a fire, nor cook food. The meal would have to be prepared and mostly cooked by the time Shabbat came in on Friday night, and then have to sit on a pile of coals for sixteen to twenty hours, until it was eaten for lunch on Saturday.
Given these conditions, cholents are generally heavy on beans, root vegetables, grains, and red meat. This simplest cholents are in fact just that -- beans, beef, and onion. Still, cholents have acquired some variation in the past 1700 years or so, and for that matter, some slow-cooked dishes are perfectly fine for cholent. Chili anyone?
