here. Family, ethnic identity, holidays, and food are vital components of
the Jewish experience. The delightful family recipes contained in this book
have been handed down, l’dor v’dor—from generation to generation by
precious family members from both sides of my family, some still with us,
others of blessed memory. Somehow, despite tremendous adversity and tragedy,
the Jews and Jewish family traditions have survived. Mitch pacha is
important to me—I am who I am because of the influence and
contributions of my family. My Jewish identity is also why I am so
passionate about social justice—as you may have noticed, most Jewish
holidays celebrate events in history when those in power tried to kill or
harm the Jews. They failed, hence, holiday celebrations. Hopefully, these
recipes will now endure, a lasting tribute to cherished family members and
memories. I hope you enjoy this book, the delightful family stories woven
between the delightful recipes, and the recipes themselves. If you happen to
be Jewish, you will, no doubt, recognize many of these dishes. Perhaps your
own family has created a special version of one or many. If you are not
Jewish, hopefully the stories and recipes will, in some small way, help
provide an better understanding of or connection to the Jewish experience.
Either way, thanks for indulging my family memories as transmitted through
my fictional character, Zachary Blake, Detroit’s King of Justice.
L’Chaim—To Life! Let’s Eat!
Dairy (Milthig)
Every Jew I know has a thing for Rugelach. Most of us get these little sugary treats at the local bake shop. But my Aunt Annie made these from scratch, better than any commercial baker ever could.
Annie was married to my Uncle Sam. No, not that Uncle Sam! He never tried to get anyone to enlist in the service, although he served with distinction. Annie was a sweet lady; she specialized in dessert items. Sam played the ukulele and sang at family gatherings. His favorite song was “Who’s Izzy?”
Who’s Izzy? Is he? Is he yours or is he mine?
I’m getting dizzy watching Izzy all the time.
He said that he’d be true to me
I should have got a guarantee
Oh, who’s Izzy? Is he?
Is he yours or is he mine?”
You get the idea. We had lots of fun at those Uncle Sam sing-alongs. Annie and Sam were a wonderful couple.
Aunt Annie’s Rugelach
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DIRECTIONS:
- Place yeast in large bowl. Pour in melted butter, followed by cream and egg. Stir. Then, add flour and blend well. Add jam to taste.
- Use hands to make 6-8 balls.
- Refrigerate for several hours (overnight is fine).
- Roll each ball in cinnamon and sugar into a pie shape.
- Cut small triangles (about 8-10 per ball).
- Place a dab of nuts on the wide side of each triangle and roll into a crescent shape.
- Bake for about 15 minutes in a prepared pan at 350 F.
Makes 48-80 Rugelach.
Vey ist mir! Is this delicious or what?
Aunt Gertie was famous for her fish lips. She could suck both cheeks in and still move her lips up and down like a fish. What talent! The kids thought this was hilarious!
Are we having fun yet? These recipes sure bring back memories!
Gertie was married to Sol. He was a lot older than her and passed away when I was a kid. That didn’t stop Gertie from being a very sweet, funny lady, and, as I said, her kugel was out-of-this-world!
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DIRECTIONS:
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- Grease a 9″ x 13” baking dish.
- In a large pot of boiling water, cook egg noodles until al dente, 5 minutes. Drain.
- In a large bowl, mix eggs, butter, sour cream, cottage cheese, sugar, and cinnamon.
- Stir in noodles.
- Pour into prepared dish and bake until set, 1 hour.
- Cover with aluminum foil if the top starts to get too dark.
Almost as good as Mom’s – especially if you like sweet potatoes better than regular ones.
Auntie Nettie was very sarcastic – she used to tell us: “I hate kids,” which was a huge kibitz, because she loved her nieces and nephews as if we were her own kids. She really was a loving woman, although she did once wash my mouth out with soap. Why? Here’s the story:
I was mad at my dad, one day, and I . . . What? Why not?
Hang on a sec folks . . . What do you mean? It wasn’t that bad! My readers can handle it. What? Oh, alright. Yes, dear . . . Sorry folks, Jennifer says I can’t tell that story.
Such a Debbie Downer!
About the Author
Mark M. Bello is an attorney and award-winning author of realistic fiction
and political-legal thrillers.
Retired from handling high profile legal cases, Mark now gives the public a
front-row seat watching victims fight for justice in our civil and criminal
justice systems. Mark’s award-winning Zachary Blake Legal Thrillers mirror
our times and the events that shape our country.
In addition to being an author and veteran attorney, Mark is a member of
numerous trial lawyer associations and a feature writer for the Legal
Examiner and other popular blog sites. He has written articles for numerous
publications and made guest appearances on radio and talk shows and multiple
podcasts.
In his spare time, Mark enjoys traveling and spending time with his family.
He and his wife Tobye, have four children and eight grandchildren. This is
his first cookbook!
