Food, Family and Tradition
Lynn Shapiro Nick Ulivieri
Cherry Press, LLC
August 2014
$35.00/Hardcover
ISBN: 978-0-9898479-0-2
Lynn Kirsche Shapiro loves to cook; it’s a family tradition. She especially loves sharing family recipes that keep her Hungarian Jewish history alive. Cooking was Lynn’s family’s method of creativity, talking while they cook and sharing their love of good food. She learned to cook with her parents, passing that love on to her children and now her grandchildren. As the daughter of Holocaust survivors, Lynn has been sharing her family’s stories for years at various Jewish organizations. For years she taught math at various colleges, in addition to directing the math program in a Jewish women’s college. Additionally, she taught and facilitated Jewish classes throughout her community. Lynn has played an integral role in her parent’s business, Hungarian Kosher Foods, the all kosher supermarket in Skokie, IL, consulting for large dinners, and developing recipes for many of the home-cooked foods sold is the store. Lynn lives in Chicago and travels often to Israel. She has 4 children and 9 grandchildren.
FOOD, FAMILY, AND TRADITION: Hungarian Kosher Family Recipes and Remembrances by Lynn Kirsche Shapiro, a daughter of holocaust survivors, contains more than 150 original, never-before-published recipes with full-color photographs and preparation methods updated for the modern kitchen. Through telling the story of her father and mother, Sandor and Margit Kirsche (founders of Hungarian Kosher Foods, the largest all-kosher supermarket in the Midwest), and presenting their never-before-published family recipes, the voice of one family becomes the voice of many who lived in that time and place. And their survival becomes a testament to the courage and resilience of all Survivors who had the courage and strength to rebuild their lives.
“My hope is that through my family’s stories you will see a picture of the community that was suddenly and brutally extinguished, the dedication to Jewish law that was solid and resilient, and the warmth of the Jewish community. I hope that through these centuries-old recipes you will get a taste of the culinary tradition of the Jews in Hungary and Czechoslovakia. Finally, I hope that you will feel the dedication of the Holocaust survivors—those who remained in Europe, those who went to Israel and those who came to the States.”
Candied Carrots
Parve – Makes 4 to 6 servings
Candied Carrots, traditionally served on Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, when we pray for a “sweet year” has been a family favorite for generations. It can be a side dish for meat or poultry and also a dessert. My mother says her mother cooked it on Rosh Hashanah and also for dessert on Friday, Shabbos, dinner. Her father, Samuel Weisz, explained his soft spot for the dish by saying “carrots are very healthy.” Just as my mother remembers it as one of her father’s favorites, I remember it as one of my father’s favorites. Candied Carrots appealed to my father in so many ways: he loved to snack on vegetables and fruits and he loved sweets.
1 tablespoon oil
1 pound carrots, peeled and thinly sliced horizontally
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons flour
1 cup water
Pinch salt
Place oil in a 2-quart saucepan. Add the carrots and the sugar. Cover and cook on very low heat, stirring frequently, until the liquid reduces, approximately 1 hour.
Meanwhile, in a small separate bowl, stir flour into ¼ into cup of the water, mixing until smooth. Add the remaining water, stirring to mix.
Add flour-water mixture slowly to cooked carrots, stirring; add salt. Increase heat and bring to a boil. Decrease heat to low, stirring gently so as not to break carrots, and cook until sauce thickens. Remove from heat.
Serve warm or at room temperature.
Honey Cake, Lekech
Parve – Makes 2 (9 by 5 by 3-inch) loaf pans
Honey is traditionally eaten on Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, for its sweet taste. As we pray to God for a “sweet New Year,” we set our table with sweet foods. Either challah or apples dipped in honey begin the festive meal. Honey Cake, or Lekech, is a special recipe from my aunt Goldie for the Kiddush or dessert on Rosh Hashanah.
1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
1 1/4 cups honey
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 cup strong brewed coffee
1 teaspoon baking soda
6 eggs, separated
3 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3 to 4 drops lemon juice
Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray loaf pans with nonstick cooking spray and line sides and bottom with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, place oil, honey, sugar, coffee, baking soda and egg yolks. Mix until smooth. Reserve.
In another medium bowl, mix flour with baking powder. Slowly add the flour mixture into the cake mixture, beating on a low speed.
In a large bowl, beat the egg whites on high, adding 3 to 4 drops of lemon juice, until whites are stiff. Carefully, fold the whites into the cake mixture.
Divide batter equally among the prepared baking pans. Bake in the center of the oven, until the top browns, about 10 to 15 minutes. When the top is brown, reduce the temperature to 325°F. Continue to bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean or the cake springs back when pressed lightly, about 1 hour.
Cool to room temperature and slice into 1/2-inch slices.
These recipes may be reproduced with the following credit:
Recipes from Food, Family, Tradition: Hungarian Kosher Family Recipes and Remembrances by Lynn Kirsche Shapiro. (Cherry Press LLC; August 2014; $35.00/Hardcover; ISBN: 978-0-9898479-0-2).
Contact: Trina Kaye
310-915-0970
TrinaKaye@tkopr.com