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Build Family Meals Into Sukkah Plans

For New York chef and restaurateur Jeffrey Nathan, Sukkot is a time to practice what he preaches in his new book, \"Jeff Nathan\'s Family Suppers: More Than 125 Simple Kosher Recipes.\"
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October 13, 2005

“Jeff Nathan’s Family Suppers: More Than 125 Simple Kosher Recipes” by Jeff Nathan (Clarkson Potter, $32.50).

For New York chef and restaurateur Jeffrey Nathan, Sukkot is a time to practice what he preaches in his new book, “Jeff Nathan’s Family Suppers: More Than 125 Simple Kosher Recipes.” In it he emphasizes the importance of not only eating with, but cooking with your children. And that’s exactly what he does during Sukkot. The Nathans not only assemble the sukkah together, they also cook together.

“Now that Jackie and Chad are teenagers they’re busy with friends and a million activities,” said Nathan, the chef/owner of Abigael’s in midtown Manhattan and the chef/operator of Abigael’s Café at the Museum of Jewish Heritage in New York City. “But being home on Friday night and Saturday and during Jewish holidays like Sukkot is sacrosanct.”

“I love the family feeling of it,” he added. “Getting in the kitchen with my wife, Ali, and our kids is our biggest pleasure. I think we’re closer because we cook together. How many things are there that you can do as a family that are as much fun as cooking?

“We laugh at our mistakes. I keep reminding them that, as Julia Child said, if something doesn’t turn out right you can just eat it. And nobody else has to know.”

Since Sukkot celebrates the harvest, it’s traditional to serve a variety of autumn fruits and vegetables. He puts together something he calls the Salad Mystery Basket.

“We go to the farmer’s market or the produce section at the supermarket and buy whatever looks the freshest — whether it is bok choy or mesclun or baby carrots,” he said. “We put everything into a basket, bring it home, and the kids assemble their own salads. They’re in charge. They make up the recipe, including the dressing. Of course, I’m on the sideline explaining which raw items go together. And what dressing accentuates the flavors. But I encourage them to develop their own likes and dislikes. They’re learning that everyone’s taste is different. And I encourage that. I want to build their confidence. And their sense of adventure.”

Because the family eats outside during Sukkot, he plans for dishes that can be transported easily from the kitchen to the sukkah.

“So we do a lot of one-pot meals,” says his wife, Alison, a chef in her own right. “We serve hot soup out of a tureen. It’s wonderful as it’s often cold in October.

In Israel, stuffed vegetables are a staple during Sukkot, and there’s no reason not to apply that approach here as well. Stuffed peppers, eggplant, mushrooms, squash, tomatoes or onions come, in essence, with their own intrinsic container.

“Instead of washing the bowl, you can throw it out,” Nathan said.

He divides the cooking chores according to each person’s talents and likes. Jackie, 14, is artistic so she’s in charge of stuffing vegetables. She also has the patience needed to cut the tiny tips off green beans or spoon out an indentation in the mashed potatoes. She then fills the potatoes with gravy, sprinkling herbs all around. Jackie also loves setting the table and arranges the utensils as though right out of Miss Manners, Nathan said.

But Chad, 17, has no patience, so he does the heavy work like getting the barbeque ready, shopping with dad and putting everything in the dishwasher. He also loves standing over the grill.

Nathan wasn’t always the perfect parent/chef collaborator: “When the kids were younger, I was more hyper and they were intimidated and always afraid of making a mistake. Now, I’m more relaxed so we have more fun.

“You can learn so much in the kitchen,” said Nathan. “I get to teach them about the importance of eating healthy food — what is healthy — and why they should wash their hands before they start to cook.”

“I’ve become a real food safety nut,” he said with a laugh. “And I always wash my produce carefully with a good fruit and vegetable wash.

The entire enterprise is educational as well as fun — although not always good, clean fun.

“It’s kind of our secret — but we have food fights,” he said. “It’s always outside on the deck and it usually involves chocolate mousse. Even there we play our roles. The kids are throwing the mousse at each other. I’m chiding them to stop. But once Ali starts telling the kids to ‘get dad’ the game is quickly over.”

“The best part about cooking together is just looking at their faces as they’re tasting something they’ve made,” Nathan said. “When we’re gathered around the table and I see Jackie beaming about something she’s cooked, it’s like manna from heaven. She’s so happy and proud of herself. And then you know that you’re doing something right.”

Grilled Asparagus, Papaya, Avocado and Grapefruit on a Bed of Lamb’s Lettuce

Prepare the vinaigrette and the vegetables the day before Sukkot. Right before serving, assemble individual salads.

Grapefruit Vinaigrette

Grated zest of 1 grapefruit

1/4 cup fresh grapefruit juice

2 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon honey, or less if desired

1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Salad

2 dozen fresh asparagus, trimmed of woody stalks, then grilled

1 large pink grapefruit, peeled, seeded and divided into sections

2 ripe Haas avocados, peeled and diced

1 ripe papaya, peeled, seeded and diced

1/2 cup toasted pine nuts

1 pound lamb’s lettuce (Mache)

For vinaigrette: Combine grapefruit zest and juice, lime juice and honey in covered container. Shake to emulsify. Slowly whisk in olive oil, salt and pepper for 30 seconds. Allow vinaigrette to sit for at least one hour or overnight before serving.
For salad: The day before Sukkot, wash and dry the lettuce; place it with a paper towel in an airtight plastic bag. Working over a medium bowl to catch the juices, supreme the grapefruit by cutting off the thick peel where it meets the flesh, then cutting between the thin membranes to release the segments. Place segments in a bowl; cover with plastic wrap. Splash avocado in the juice; place in bowl with the papaya; store both bowls in refrigerator overnight.
To serve: Place lamb’s lettuce on individual plates. Artfully arrange asparagus, avocado, grapefruit segments and papaya on top of lettuce. Sprinkle with pine nuts. Pour vinaigrette into small pitchers and place on table for guests to help themselves.
Makes six servings

White Bean Soup W/Garlic and Rosemary

1 pound dried white kidney (cannellini) beans

1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

4 medium carrots, chopped

1 large red or yellow bell pepper, cored, seeded, and chopped

12 garlic cloves, chopped

2 ripe plum tomatoes, cut into 1/2 inch dice

1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary

1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano

1 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes

1 gallon water

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Place beans in large bowl; add enough water to cover beans by 2 inches. Let stand for eight to 12 hours. Drain well. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, celery, bell pepper and garlic. Cook, stirring often, until vegetables are softened, about 12 minutes. Add the drained beans, tomatoes, rosemary, oregano and red pepper flakes; reduce heat to low. Cook until tomatoes soften, about seven minutes. Stir in the water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until beans are very tender, about 1 1/4 hours. During last 15 minutes, season with salt and pepper. In batches, transfer soup to a blender and puree. Transfer to soup tureen and season with salt and pepper. Serve hot.

Sicilian-Style Stuffed Bell Peppers

4 sweet bell peppers, red, yellow, orange or green stemmed, halved, deveined and seeded

1 cup Italian-seasoned dry bread crumbs

1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon golden raisins, plumped and drained

6 boneless anchovy fillets, finely chopped

1/4 cup nonpareil capers, drained and rinsed

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

1 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

1/2 cup canned tomato sauce, as needed

Preheat oven to 400 F. Lightly oil a large baking sheet. Place peppers skin side down on the sheet. In a medium bowl, mix together breadcrumbs, raisins, anchovies, capers, parsley and basil. Add oil and stir well to make a crumbly mixture the texture of wet sand. Season with pepper. Spread breadcrumb mixture in a thin layer onto the cut surface of each pepper. Drizzle each with a bit of olive oil and top with tomato sauce. Bake until peppers are wilted and the crumb filling is golden brown, about 25 minutes. Serve hot, cool, or at room temperature.
Makes four servings.

Poached Apricots with Lemon and Thyme

This is the perfect Sukkot dessert — light, beautiful and delicious. Serve this dessert as compote, with regular or nondairy vanilla ice cream or whipped topping.

1/2 cup fresh orange juice

1/2 cup honey

1/4 cup sugar

Zest and juice of 1 lemon

One 3-inch cinnamon stick

1 pound dried apricots

1/4 cup almond-flavored liqueur

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme

A few gratings of fresh nutmeg

Nondairy vanilla ice cream or whipped topping, for serving

Lemon zest, cut into julienne, for serving

Combine two cups water, orange juice, honey, sugar, lemon zest and juice and cinnamon in a medium saucepan. Add apricots; bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Partially cover the saucepan with the lid; simmer until apricots are tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat; add liqueur, thyme and nutmeg. Cool until warm (or cool, cover, and refrigerate until chilled). Serve, spooned over ice cream and topped with julienne lemon zest, if desired.
Makes six to eight servings.

Recipes courtesy “Jeff Nathan’s Family Suppers.”

 

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