Kosher Cuisine with Marcy Goldman

Oscar Time in the Kitchen (and a little Purim too)
Marcy Goldman

It’s Oscar time of year and it’s Purim time. However, as Purim falls at the very end of this month, I’ve decided to detour a bit.  First, I offer you a wonderful new creation – a make-ahead Apricot Orange Hamantashen Torte (make it now, freeze and serve it by the slice at Purim) or suggest my new edition of A Treasury of Jewish Holiday Baking or the archives here at www.Clabbergirl.com. Either are the best source for hamantashen and other Purim baking ideas.

But it is also that other time of year again – and Oscar buzz is on. With this in mind, I thought I would share some of my favorite films that celebrate Jewish culture, or at least, New York Jewish culture. These films are long past Oscar consideration but are easily rented which is just the sort of thing to do in a cold February, tucked inside – host your own DVD movie fest.

Some of my favorites include Crossing Delancey Street, wherein a grandmother tries to get her intellectual-snobbish grand-daughter wed. This movie is still loved by those who saw it over 20 years ago and it is the inspiration for many of this month’s recipes.  Next up is Annie Hall, a classic Woody Allen film that shows true culture clash as presented by Allen and his love interest in the film, Diane Keaton. There is also Ben Stiller in Keeping the Faith, and Duddy Kravitz, Richard Dreyfuss break-through role of an ambitious young man who forgets what is really important in his quest to get ahead and win his father’s approval. Last up is Seinfeld. True, this is not a film but the re-runs and DVD’s still entertain – and the scenes at the mythical Monk’s coffee shop are food-filled.

These are only a smattering of films that combine a great story line, appealing characters, and a subtle overview of Jewish culture. The food is incidental but somehow, like food in most films, and with any culture, it’s what we remember.
At Oscar time of year, it’s a great time to cook up some movie magic and memories both.

Recipes

Film: Crossing Delancey Street
Bubbie Style Roast Chicken 
In the movie, Crossing Delancey Street, there are many scenes that occur at the ‘bubbie’s table. One scene, with the Bubbie, grand-daughter (Amy Irving), suitor and match-maker features a full spread –the full nine yards of soup, appetizers, bagels, matzoh, spreads, and probably (had the camera found it) a marble cake. This roast chicken is just the thing a bubbie would serve.

Delancey Street Marble Cake
This is a great slicing cake for coffee or tea and for serving the matchmaker, as in Crossing Delaney Street.

Almost Monk’s Coffee shop Cheesecake (Seinfeld’s)
Ok –so Seinfeld is a series on DVD and TV re-runs, not a movie. But it’s as popular for reasons similar to Annie Hall and Crossing Delancey Street, in capturing New York Jewish culture in humor…and the food is never far off. This is a modest Sara-Lee Style cheesecake – the sort the characters from Seinfeld’s might eat at the mythic Monk’s coffee shop.

Wilensky’s Special (Wilensky’s is featured in the film, Duddy Kravitz)
There is no recipe per se but lots of great photos at this site, featuring Wilensky’s which was in turn, featured in the movie, Duddy Kravitz, based on the book by Mordecai Richler. A Wilensky’s Special is simply thin slices of beef salami tucked into a flat roll and then pressed on a grill – sort of a Jewish panini.

http://www.roadfood.com/Restaurant/Reviews/3761/wilenskys-light-lunch

Apricot Orange Hamantashen Torte
Thin layers of baked hamantashen pastry dough is the foundation of a cake that takes like a hamantashen but cuts like a cake. Wonderful company recipe for Purim. Just take note that it requires 8 hours or overnight chill time for it to set.