Marlena Spieler’s marvelous cookbook Jewish Cooking covers the breadth of traditional Jewish cuisine across Europe, the United States, Africa and the Middle East. Accompanied by gorgeous illustrations, a fascinating historical introduction on the Jewish Diaspora and a very informative (for this Catholic-raised girl at least) chapter on Jewish dietary laws and foodstuffs, the book has become one of my favorite go-to sources for new and foolproof recipes. After all, these are the dishes that have withstood generations of cooks, with adjustments and tweaks along the way. At this point in their evolution, they’re pretty much perfect.
MOROCCAN CARROT SALAD
My only modifications on the original recipe were to lightly saute the garlic in olive oil (I don’t like garlic too raw), eliminate the vinegar (it gives me migraines), and increase the lemon juice accordingly. ff you like vinegar, use just 1/2 lemon and add 2 tbsp of red wine vinegar.
- 4 carrots, thinly sliced
- Pinch of sugar
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1/8 tsp ground cumin (you can use up to 1/4 tsp if you prefer a stronger flavor)
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander, parsley or a mix of both
- salt and ground black pepper to taste
Cook carrots in boiling salted water till just tender but not soft. Drain and let dry a bit, then put into a bowl. Saute the garlic in 1 tbsp olive oil till soft but not browned. Add sugar, herbs, garlic w/ oil, cumin, lemon juice and the remaining 2 tbsp of olive oil and toss. Season with salt and pepper. Serve at room temp or chilled.
